Lena hid behind the lush foliage of a tree, looking down from the branch she was perched on. She had been trying to look for edible berries not too long before, but the sound of a barking dog caused her to scurry up the nearest tree she could find. She almost fell when she lost her balance, an easy thing to do with half-sight. Fortunately, she was able to hoist herself on a tall, sturdy branch. Lena never saw the dog, and the barking subsided after a while. Still, she remained hidden, doubting that it was safe to come out. She had learned a lot in the years she spent alone. Most of the lessons were harsh, reinforcing the cruel reality of the world she lived in. One lesson she had to learn was that Urchins had to work twice as hard as everybody else just to stay alive. It was hard, surviving in the Wilds with a sightless eye. It weakened her balance, coordination, and ability to see danger approaching.

~

I want to be safe, she thought as she reclined on the branch. I don't want to spend my whole life in hiding. Not for the first time, she wished she had listened to her uncle. Perhaps, if she had listened, she wouldn't be trying to survive on her own. She knew she didn't have it as bad as some of the other Urchins, like that one paralyzed boy she had seen by the City. Still, she missed the sense of security she had known. She missed not being hungry or thirsty. Even now, she was starving. Berries, the only food source she was able to collect in the Wilds, were scarce and hard to find. Water sources were fiercly guarded by people and animals alike. If she didn't find a new source of sustinence soon, she knew her chances of surviving the winter were low.

Birdie walked around, bored. The gangs had seemingly chosen today to disappear. She kept walking, not searching for anyone or thing in particular. She even considered making the walk back to the small steam. She kicked at the dirt on the ground, thinking.

Then, out of the corner of her eye she spotted someone. Her guard went up, and she began to prepare for a fight. The figure got closer and closer until Birdie saw who it was. A dopey smile played on her face. "Hey Thorn!"

Briar Evylin Rose 'Thorn' | Wolf | M: Birdie, Open

Thorn smiled and went over to greet Birdie. "It's pretty quiet today," she commented, glancing around. Thorn stared at her shoes, thinking. She hadn't seen any Rats or Urchins. Maybe they'd gone somewhere but where? No one part of the city was particularly better than another. "Hmm, should we go look around? Maybe a Rat can lead us somewhere."

Cade stopped dead in his tracks, hearing voices. The gang had stopped chasing him a while ago and he had been making his way back to the building he shared with Phantom. On instinct, he slunk into the shadows. He heard a group of people, cursing someone out. Cade looked around, his eyes falling on Phantom, staring at him from the roof. Cade searched the building, trying to find a way up. He saw a crumbling staircase inside the building.

He snuck inside through an open window trying to not draw attention to himself. The staircase was almost completly destroyed, peices of rebar sticking out of the wall in places. Cade climbing on the rebar, willing the dead bird to not fall. Once he found his way up onto the roof, he went over to Phantom.

"Hey." He wispered, not wanting to alert the group down below. He presented the dead bird. "I got us some food."

Birdie nodded. "Please, I'm so bored."

The two set out, walking around the city. Birdie looked around, trying to find any signs of life. She sighed, slightly frustrated.

"Where have all the Rats gone? I swear there used to be so many."

Thorn nodded in agreement. "Yep. I think I saw one in the morning but apart from that..." Thorn looked around. Where could they have all gone?

Her stomach grumbled, bringing Thorn away from her thoughts. "You know what, we should find some food first."