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3/3 RoDs for Scyllarus (I am a dork and forgot to tag you whoops)

Import link and name (including ID) of Tokota: Shoyan 21365
Chosen soul animal: Raven
Prompt (copy-pasted from this journal): Your tokota has their first brush with their animal companion. The experience is unforgettable, but the way your tokota interprets this new-found connection is up to you.
Link to HP confirmation: comments.deviantart.com/1/6451…
Previous tasks:
Shoyan RoD - A Bad Plan
Shoyan RoD - A Mother's Love
You Are Here
Bonus: +10 for somehow including a depiction of your Tokota's soul animal, full body or worked into the scenery/theme.
+10 for a short story of at least 500 words.

---
Trying to navigate through a forest based only on disembodied feelings of relief was certainly one of the most difficult things Shoyan had ever done. Now that she was aware of the spirit’s presence, it had become far easier to tell when she was trying to tell her something. However, the dark forest was already hard to find a way through, and sometimes the mother raven’s influence was more of a hinderance than a help.
Shoyan looked up at the moon, trying to get an idea of where she was. The anxiety increased - thoughts of hungry owls passed her mind. Frustrated, Shoyan spoke aloud, “Do you want me to get there, or get lost in the woods?”
In a similarly exasperated manner, a very clear sequence of images came to her mind - a massive pine tree to her left, a barn passing under her, a pair of rock outcroppings, and then a large maple tree that still had some leaves left on it, even in the dead of winter.
“That doesn’t help me, bird - I can’t fly!” The frustrated grumbling continued as she trotted through the trees - at the very least, she could follow the scent of a raven passing. “Besides, we’ve already passed the tree and the barn, I don’t know why you seem to think I need to see them again.”
If the raven’s spirit had a reason, she didn’t reveal it. Instead, the lingering need to hurry continued to rumble in the back of Shoyan’s head.
Her pace picked up to a lope as the eastern horizon began to lighten. Now the worry was completely her own - the young raven had been out on his own all night. At the best, he had to be hungry. Shoyan hopped over a low fence, glancing at a barn as she passed it. It seemed to be the same one from her visions. “Are we nearby?”
They were, if the burst of anxious excitement was any indication. Shoyan loped to the top of a hill, panting, looking around - and felt a surge of relief as she saw the big maple tree that still had leaves. She could see the nest, wedged between two branches, and she hurried to it to find-
Oh.
Shoyan slowed as she realized the nest had been shredded. Whole chunks of the twigs and mud had been torn away, as if something had dug through it. No sign of the hatchling.
There was something of a deafening silence coming from the spirit. Shoyan, suddenly infused with determination, pressed her nose to the ground and started scanning. This whole mess was her fault, after all. She was not ready to give up on it.
The dusty smell of feathers lingered under the tree. Recent, more recent than the faint smell of stoat - likely the culprit of the destroyed nest. She shoved her nose under the tree, sniffing, but there was no sign that the raven was under there. Where could he have gone? The mother raven was still morosely silent, as if fading.
Then, as if in response, a sharp peck to her hind toes. Shoyan yanked her head out from under the tree, whirling.
At her feet, a small, thin raven nestling was huddled on the grass, sparse feathering standing on end. A small cavern was nested into the snow beside him, where he must have been hiding after fleeing the nest. But he looked up at Shoyan without fear.
She blinked at him, then slowly lowered her nose. The hatchling clumsily hopped onto her muzzle, scrambled over her head, and nested into her mane, making soft ‘chiiiirr’ing noises.
“What am I even supposed to feed you?”
Faintly, as if she was hearing a distant howl, Shoyan felt the mother raven’s releif as she shared the image of meat chunks, bugs, berries, and almost anything else that could be easily found on the ground. Then, as the last of the raven’s presence faded, overwhelming gratitude seeped through Shoyan.
For a long moment, Shoyan stood quietly, watching the sun rise as her companion snuggled into the plush fur of her mane. Then, sighing, she turned. “Okay, little buddy, let’s see if I remember how to get home.”

(700 words)

Description
3/3 RoDs for Scyllarus (I am a dork and forgot to tag you whoops)

Import link and name (including ID) of Tokota: Shoyan 21365
Chosen soul animal: Raven
Prompt (copy-pasted from this journal): Your tokota has their first brush with their animal companion. The experience is unforgettable, but the way your tokota interprets this new-found connection is up to you.
Link to HP confirmation: comments.deviantart.com/1/6451…
Previous tasks:
Shoyan RoD - A Bad Plan
Shoyan RoD - A Mother's Love
You Are Here
Bonus: +10 for somehow including a depiction of your Tokota's soul animal, full body or worked into the scenery/theme.
+10 for a short story of at least 500 words.

---
Trying to navigate through a forest based only on disembodied feelings of relief was certainly one of the most difficult things Shoyan had ever done. Now that she was aware of the spirit’s presence, it had become far easier to tell when she was trying to tell her something. However, the dark forest was already hard to find a way through, and sometimes the mother raven’s influence was more of a hinderance than a help.
Shoyan looked up at the moon, trying to get an idea of where she was. The anxiety increased - thoughts of hungry owls passed her mind. Frustrated, Shoyan spoke aloud, “Do you want me to get there, or get lost in the woods?”
In a similarly exasperated manner, a very clear sequence of images came to her mind - a massive pine tree to her left, a barn passing under her, a pair of rock outcroppings, and then a large maple tree that still had some leaves left on it, even in the dead of winter.
“That doesn’t help me, bird - I can’t fly!” The frustrated grumbling continued as she trotted through the trees - at the very least, she could follow the scent of a raven passing. “Besides, we’ve already passed the tree and the barn, I don’t know why you seem to think I need to see them again.”
If the raven’s spirit had a reason, she didn’t reveal it. Instead, the lingering need to hurry continued to rumble in the back of Shoyan’s head.
Her pace picked up to a lope as the eastern horizon began to lighten. Now the worry was completely her own - the young raven had been out on his own all night. At the best, he had to be hungry. Shoyan hopped over a low fence, glancing at a barn as she passed it. It seemed to be the same one from her visions. “Are we nearby?”
They were, if the burst of anxious excitement was any indication. Shoyan loped to the top of a hill, panting, looking around - and felt a surge of relief as she saw the big maple tree that still had leaves. She could see the nest, wedged between two branches, and she hurried to it to find-
Oh.
Shoyan slowed as she realized the nest had been shredded. Whole chunks of the twigs and mud had been torn away, as if something had dug through it. No sign of the hatchling.
There was something of a deafening silence coming from the spirit. Shoyan, suddenly infused with determination, pressed her nose to the ground and started scanning. This whole mess was her fault, after all. She was not ready to give up on it.
The dusty smell of feathers lingered under the tree. Recent, more recent than the faint smell of stoat - likely the culprit of the destroyed nest. She shoved her nose under the tree, sniffing, but there was no sign that the raven was under there. Where could he have gone? The mother raven was still morosely silent, as if fading.
Then, as if in response, a sharp peck to her hind toes. Shoyan yanked her head out from under the tree, whirling.
At her feet, a small, thin raven nestling was huddled on the grass, sparse feathering standing on end. A small cavern was nested into the snow beside him, where he must have been hiding after fleeing the nest. But he looked up at Shoyan without fear.
She blinked at him, then slowly lowered her nose. The hatchling clumsily hopped onto her muzzle, scrambled over her head, and nested into her mane, making soft ‘chiiiirr’ing noises.
“What am I even supposed to feed you?”
Faintly, as if she was hearing a distant howl, Shoyan felt the mother raven’s releif as she shared the image of meat chunks, bugs, berries, and almost anything else that could be easily found on the ground. Then, as the last of the raven’s presence faded, overwhelming gratitude seeped through Shoyan.
For a long moment, Shoyan stood quietly, watching the sun rise as her companion snuggled into the plush fur of her mane. Then, sighing, she turned. “Okay, little buddy, let’s see if I remember how to get home.”

(700 words)