Kovu doesn’t know much, but he is terribly aware of one fact- There is no hope in these lands anymore. They must rebuild somewhere else, and the only way to survive is to escape. They must fly away and leave their dead behind.

He tells the survivors so, and they grit their teeth. 

“That is the path of cowardice” they say. “That is not the Korvid way.”

He tried to explain that the invaders have not suffered losses like the Korvids, so the only option is that the  Korvids have to leave and recoup their numbers, leaving the fight for another day. Then soon, their next attack will leave no Korvid blood. 

However, this convinces no one, and Kovu leaves with dejection on his face. 

................... 

Kovu drags his mother's body out of the ravages and sets her on the cliff, the very cliff he had failed to rise from. He kisses her face. Her open eyes have frozen, as if content and determined to face the world in death as she did in life.  He plucks some feathers of her gigantic wings and sews them in a thread around his neck.  The silent farewell to his mother and his home is carried on the wings on the wind.  

The survivors think of escape as cowardice.

Kovu steps off the cliff, his wings as heavy and petrified as his dead mother's, refusing to open, his body scratching and hitting against the sparse vegetation along the cliffside. He laughs, adrenaline and panic fuelling the blood in his veins. 

Cowardice?

No. 

This is bravery.

"You'll get there, my love."

A familiar voice lingers in his being. 

Kovu soars up, his small figure raging against the stormy skies. 

-Kaos Orkel, Tales of the Lost People