... to see her in a fresh light.

Things change after that storm passes.

You don't cry in private frustration anymore. If anything, you're more invigorated than before you were captured, diving into your work of fashioning rope and digging up clay. A kiln comes first, brought into being under curious and watchful eyes. Grass is collected regularly, the dry for kindling and the green for twine. Blue rarely left your side as you explained and demonstrated your fire drill, pumping the bow until embers caught the dry grass below. Though it was certainly an accomplishment to begin firing your first clay pot, her fascination was a reward of its own.

The twins finally stop including you in their "playtime" while they bathe. You occasionally catch them tangled in the other's legs, confirming your original suspicions, and so you give them their space. With them finally leaving you alone, you've had your longest dry spell yet. You don't find yourself missing them much either, not like you had missed Orange. You do sometimes have to postpone filling your water jug or bathing for the twins' sake, but in the end, it's worth the much-needed relaxation.

There was a part of your mind, admittedly, that had enjoyed the regular pleasure. It was the same part of you that took notice of breasts before wings and cunts before claws. Without any other distractions, it was slowly but surely turning its attention towards your most common - and often sole - company. Even compared to her better-endowed siblings, you'd thought of Blue-feather as attractive from day one. Now though, even with all of them standing around and chatting with signature immodesty, your gaze is inevitably drawn to her. The feelings are aggravated, naturally, since she tends to do the same. Her presence has slowly become a distraction when you work, as she takes little care to cover herself anymore. You've noticed how nicely her back arches when she crouches to watch you braid cords and mold clay. You've noticed how pale her skin is in the sunlight and how brightly her red lips stand out because of it, how slim her subtle shoulders are under her feathery mane, and even how delicate her wings are compared to her sisters. After running into her bent over in the stream bed, you found that her hips are rather shapely compared to her sisters.

Your cheeks heat a little in a way that has little to do with the flame you're tending. Despite never seeing her clothed in any way, thoughts of that nature seem improper when Blue is their focus. Even if you took away everything else, that alone is evidence that your basic, "male" attraction has blossomed into something you might be afraid to admit even to yourself. Your desire to escape has changed little, that's for certain, but now you can't deny that you'll be leaving something behind if - when- you do.

Unfortunately, not all the changes were good ones.

Though you'd wondered if the rain would keep up until you could simply swim off the side of the mountain, the storm eventually did pass. When it did, you quickly set about wringing your shirt out and toweling your pitifully soaked savior. She'd blushed and tensed as you wiped her down, too flustered to even keep her eyes open when you gently dried the water off her front. She thanked you - if only with her eyes - and returned to the den immediately after. You watched her go, but your thumping heart soon began to beat rapidly for a very different reason.

Red was watching both of you, and the seething furor you saw almost sent you running off the side of the mountain, come what may.

Even now, you don't know what could cause such anger. You'd given it some thought, but each possibility seemed as unlikely as the last. As far as you knew, she hadn't forbidden any of the harpies from leaving the cave to help you. If she had, Blue never would've made it three steps from the entrance, especially if Red was that upset over it. Was it jealousy? You could kind of imagine it if you squinted hard enough, but you never got the impression of a jilted lover from Red before, and certainly never considered her possessive when she was still forcing herself on you.

The most likely cause, or at least the most likely you could think of, was that she just despised any challenge from her sisters. You're fairly sure that Orange is the eldest, but Red is the largest, and the strongest, and knows it. You've seen her push the other harpies around, especially during Greywing's long absences, and loves to lord her control over them too. A tyrant among her subjects, incensed that one of them found a way around an edict? Perhaps it's not a perfect fit, but you can believe it.

Whatever the cause is, you doubt there's much you could ever do to appease her. So, you do your level best to keep your distance and avert your eyes, any sense of pride long since crushed under her claws. You fear that doing so is slowly becoming a matter of survival, but, if your progress on your small hut is any sign, you're proving a capable survivalist.

"House," you repeat.

"Howww... house."

"Yeah, not bad," you grunt, folding the clay mixture some more before throwing in more silt. You pause to give her an affirming smile before patting the wall. "My house."

"My?" Blue asks immediately.

You frown a little. This could be tricky. "Me," you say, gesturing to yourself. Then, shaking the stone you've been using as a shovel, "My." You clutch it close to your chest for emphasis.

Blue tilts her head. "Me?"

"Hmm," you sigh. You set the stone down to point at her. "You. 'You are warm.' You."

Blue nods.

Then, you point to yourself. "Me. Me." You even thump your chest a little for emphasis.

Blue nods slower this time and then points at you with a jerk of a chin. "Me," she repeats. And then, looking at herself, "You?"

You groan, and Blue stares in confusion. You shake your head firmly, waving your arms as if to clear the whole thing from her mind. Pointing to yourself again, you try once more. "Roland," you say slowly. You've found she has trouble with "soft" words like that, so taking your time helps her not get frustrated.

Blue doesn't seem to follow, so you scoot backward and point at one of the twins. "Gold," you say, and then point to the other. "Silver." Then you point to where Orange is snoozing on a smooth rock. "Orange," you say, watching the harpy's face for comprehension. You repeat the whole lot before pointing at yourself once more. "Roland."

"Roland," Blue repeats, and you're impressed she gets it the first time. Her eyes widen slightly, and a hint of a smile plays at her lips. "Roland! Roland... house?"

You nod, patting the half-finished wall again. "Yeah, 'Roland house.'"

"Roland!" she giggles, clearly pleased. "Roland. Rollll-aaaaan-duh!"

Oh dear. You almost rub your temples before remembering that your hands are filthy.

"Roland!" she chirps with none of her usual shyness, and you can tell she's saying it to get your attention. She points to you again with her chin, repeating, "Roland." Then, she looks to herself before glancing at you with questioning eyes.

You pause, sure of the answer but not how to say it. You make your decision in a moment, rinsing your hands clean in a water pot before standing up and leaving the little alcove you've made. Blue stands too, a little surprised, and then follows your arm as you point towards the sky.

"Blue," you softly explain. Then, you reach out to gently brush a feather on her wing, aware of her intense and silent gaze as you touch her fragile wing. "Blue," you say again, and then finally raise your hand to carefully take a lock of her hair between your fingers. "Blue," you finish, trying not to show your reaction as her shallow breath tickles your arm.

The harpy looks upwards again, slowly extending her wings until they're filling your vision, your whole world becoming her from one end to the other. You see a peculiar smile grow as she stands there, everything going quiet as she barely whispers the word herself.

"Blue..."