---

Jay lifts a heavy branch, then flings it into the woods. It lands with a loud crash. Ember- a Guardian- startles, whipping around at the sound. Jay pretends not to notice.
"Some storm last night, huh?" Jay asks, trying to lift the mood.
Ember grunts.
"Come on- no witty comeback? You've lost your edge, Emb'!" Jay stops attempting to grab another branch with her foreclaws. She misses. "Any help?" Ember grunts again, then stalks over and smashes it into small pieces with a single careless jab. "Well, that's one way to do things." Jay carefully steps over the pulverized remains before continuing.
Ember grunts.
"Ember, spill it- what are you thinking about?" It's that face, thinks Jay, completely unreadable. Nothing's there. Just cold eyes- and a single-minded purpose- the charge. But then, Ember didn't have a charge - right? He's just Ember- witty, annoying, strong. Ember.
So where's all that now?
"Jay" His voice! He speaks! Jay grins internally. He's just having a bad day. He'll be the same A-hole he's always been tomorrow. But until then....
"Jay"
"Yes?"
"Jay"
"Ember... really? Yes, my name is Jay. Could you stop saying it? You're starting to freak me out."
"Jay"
She raises a wing and clocks him soundly on the forehead, just to be sure he's okay. Normally that would provoke a brawl, but today? he only glares balefully. "Dude, snap out of it! I'm still me, you're still you..." he continues glaring.
Jay continues walking, occasionally throwing sticks at Ember. He doesn’t do anything, just follows her, silently, closely. Too closely. And so still. Only his eyes move, darting everywhere. Then suddenly, they stop.
Jay feels him connect with her chest, shoving her to the ground. Her wings snap out reflexively as she falls. Ember pulls her to her feet, grabbing her by the ruff like a kitten. What?
The she sees it. A huge branch had landed directly where she had been standing, huge enough to have killed her.
Ember’s tail is pinned underneath it, but he doesn’t seem to notice. He’s still staring at her. The stare she’d only seen once before. The stare she never thought she’d see again.
The stare of a Guardian who had found his charge.

---

Jay has one son, Midnight. She didn't mean to have him. She'd been young and curious, and had started dating Shadow because everyone else around her seemed to be finding mates. They were bonded, formally and everything. She thought she was happy, but something seemed wrong....
(More to go here soon!)

---

---