#sylv is NOT putting up with his bullshit and i think that's so valid haha!!

[townofcadence]

"Oh...." Artair thinks. "Well. Thank you for helping me, then. I guess it was okay because they'd hurt something in the forest, then." He then shakes his head. "No-- no, you don't have to answer that. It's kinda obvious. I just-- don't want to be the reason you get in trouble."

He laces his hands behind his back. There's a level of something-- he can only assume it's eagerness. Which means they're probably getting close. Already he can feel it-- that steady beat he'd felt the first time he'd come close to the heart. It feels like it pulses through the very air, rife with magic that buzzes along his skin in a primal surge.

"I... know I've said it kind of, but... thank you." He repeats. "I know a lot of people don't make it out of here. That's why there's all the stories. I.... just want you to know that I appreciate your help." He pauses. "I... hate to make you say anything else when I'm sure it's not the most comfortable. But ah.... do you have a name, at all? One I could call you?"

Artair seems to understand the situation, which is good. Yes, it is easy to displease the Heart. He is protective over this place as well as over the creatures that live in it, outsiders are given the chance to exist here as long as they do not cause harm, but one tiny mistake is all it takes for that chance to be taken away. Too many people had already squandered their one chance, and the Heart had grown rather cynical and bitter as a result.

"Yes... and no." The crow replies while actively moving away to keep his distance. "I was...born... because of...the forest. I am... a part of it." And he was. The very magic that runs through the forest runs through his veins as well, and he can feel the constant presence of the Heart in the back of his mind. "But I am...not safe from... reper...cussions." Just because creatures from the forest were protected by the Heart, that did not mean they could not be punished if they disobeyed direct orders or existing rules. "But I... physically cannot...disobey. So it is...hardly a concern."

The other could claim that healing him was nothing, but the crow knew that was untrue. Using magic in order to aid someone was worth something, at least. Keeping him safe was the least the crow could do. It was a good thing that they were getting closer to the heart now, though, since the crow was admittedly itching to don his feathers once more.