Kyu felt like they had 7 days of death packed on them from the days hard labor and decided with Sampson minding the smoking meat it was safe to go to the river and clean off. grabbing what cloths were needed Kyu went back to the river and striped. the water was so cold a quick dip would be all they could stand and using there dirty cloths as wash cloths, to both clean them and Kyu was the thought. Kyu wadded in trying not to shriek in the cold it was like knives of ice sliding across skin somehow the cold felt welcoming in the absents of Vie. Kyu dunked their head under the water and came up gasping. colder now but again comforted by how numb the cold was making them. the river just wanted to take them with it, all the pain all the sorrow, all the life, cool dark nothingness.

CAWH!!! rendingly loud like gravel thrown on a symbol CAWH!!! 

Kyu fell back in the water fighting to stand and trudge out of the water as Rook perfectly camouflage in the dark of the night laughed its merriment at the half drown kid.

now safe in the sallow Kyu wash all the dirty cloths and scrubbed themselves. calling out to the bird “don’t you know it’s rude to watch someone bathe!”

the great bird hopped to the shore line and started pecking are Kyus glasses case “hay I need that and what need do you have for that, wen there is shinny gold in the river?”

Rook hopped to the rives edge eyeing it suspiciously and a slash spatter it's face the Bird Pecked hard at the water then hoped back and preened its self.

Kyu wrong out their clothes tossing them on to the pine needles “here I’ll show you.” Kyu did their best to imitate what Sampson had shown them but it took much longer finally Kyu got the hang of it and ended up with three small flacks of gold Kyu told the bird “turn around I’m coming out then I’ll show you what I have.” 

Rook hopped closer but as soon as it touched the river flew up into a tree.

“I suppose that is the best I’ll get from that one.” Kyu mumbled waiting out of the water, dressed and sat in the clean pine needles enjoying this calm clean night “Rook you can come down now”

Rook landed in front and looked at Kyus hands then flew up and landed on their shoulder. Kyu turned the small flakes in their hands letting the moon light play and their surface. then took up a leaf and wiped the tinny gold spots on it and handed it to the bird “there something shinny just for you”  Kyu leaned their head against the bird a bit and cried some more the bird took the leaf with it beek and tucked it in its claw made a sing song chortle and flew off.

“Fair enough crying won’t change anything and I have a lot of work to do. But thank you for visiting it was nice to see you again.” Kyu called out to the not quite empty night.

Rook cawed back as it flew away.