Prologue | Part 1 - Earlier than Expected

Lukkar stood still, his good eye scanning over the surrounding snow fields, disregarding the cold that was stinging at his legs. As much as he did not wish to be on patrol this week, it had to be done. He had to provide for his mate and their soon to be child. But this aside, he had everything to prove by standing at this bleak post on the northern fringes of Preigh. As much as he would've rathered relaxing by the fire in the home he shared with his partner, he was needed here.
From the beginning all he had ever been told was that he would never amount to anything. He had seen the look in his mother's eyes whenever she looked at him, the mournful note in her voice when she uttered a simple, single word - Ipyja.
For so long that one word had been everything, and now it was nothing, not even a scratch in his armor. His father's disgust made him work all the harder for approval he was never going to get, and it was only at the age of six that his parents could no longer bare the sight of him and sent him to the Skyreach Home in Preigh. He lived there, and under the guidance of the teacher did he continue to strive.

He shook his head; this was old news, why was he thinking of this?
Because deep in his fastened mind, he was concerned that his children would be like him and their mother - they were both Ipyja, her's less than his, but still it was there. But they would be strong, there was no other way. They would wear that strangeness like armor that couldn't be beaten away.

Lowering his head, he checked the small flame burning in the torch, making sure the fuel was fine before he straightened and flicked his ears, eyes searching the skies as he had for the past three days. His companion had left three days prior without word or reason, and the absence left a slightly hollow space in his chest. But then he heard it, a cawing-shriek of a bird he could pick out of thousands. His eye scanned the darkening sky before the white speck finally became visible, rapidly flying towards him. Unn circled once before flapping his ivory wings as he came in to land.

"What is it now Unn? This better be good... You've been gone three days, what could you possibly have done now?"

He would not admit the sight of his companion eased his worried mind, and simply glared halfheartedly at the white bird. Unn simply cawed loudly as he landed on top of Lukkar's head and settled there, preening feathers quickly to settle them.
Once the important bits of his quick cleaning routine was done, Unn leaned over to one of the grey ears and whispered softly;

"Trisanna... foal... early..."

For almost a minute Lukkar could not wrap his mind around what Unn had said, his brain halting all rational thought until something kicked into gear and the words began to ring clear. The foal was coming early! The foal was coming EARLY! Lukkar skittered a little bit; he was so very far from home... He shook his head, shaking Unn from his perch with a shriek.

"Are you absolutely sure Unn? This isn't one of your games, is it? Jornig will have my head if this is all for nothing Unn!"

The raven said nothing, just circled over head, cawing like a deranged beast. Lukkar sighed, Unn was rarely wrong - so very rarely... he had to go home now. He had to be with Trisanna, be there to greet his son or daughter the moment they arrived... He grabbed the torch from the ground, ignoring the uncomfortable closeness of the fire to his face and began moving. Slowly at first - walk, trot, canter working to a gallop that sent the thigh deep snow up in brilliant showers of powder. He focused solely on going home to the tiny village of Kine to the south of the Preigh capital, solely on his partner - the flaming beauty.

--

So, some story context for this piece;
Lukkar [said LUCK-CAR] is one of those rare individuals in VnK that are referred to as an Ipyja [said EE-PAY-JAh] - an individual that had a soul battle with a twin during development in the womb. He's a severe case, with a naturally missing right eye and the chimera marks, but he's also special. Blue eyes are a sign of being 'God-Touched', and silver manes and tails are like wise highly desired, so he is in a unique situation.
Individuals that are born with such mismarks or deformities immediately bring shame onto the mother and father, and most often such foals are either killed shortly after birth, or raised and given to the closest Sky-Reach Home [in essence, the orphanage]. Most of these Ipyja-foals are adopted by Priests who teach them the ways of peace and that they are touched by the Gods for a reason.

But here, Lukkar has a little trip down memory lane to what his early days were like, and how he is concerned for his child's possible Ipyja label.

I will also context that Raven companions are not a common thing, let alone a leucistic one at that. White ravens, be they leucistic or albino, are considered messengers of the Trickster God, Dhyvlous.