How tiny. That was all she could think as she held it in her hand, how tiny it was, how tiny every feature of it was, the eyes, the scaly pro to-feathers, the beak, even the little talons, how exquisitely tiny to hold such intricate detail. She could feel the small heart fluttering through the fragile body into the palm of her hand. How tiny.

It moved slightly, shifting it's head slightly to cast a dark eye up at her. It wouldn't last long. They never did, when she found them like this. She'd tried to save the first couple that she ran across, but after the heartbreaking endings, she'd given up on that, and now just held them, kept them warm until the inevitable crept up on them. Something caused them to fall from the trees, to fall to the forest floor, and for some reason, she had to find them as she took her morning walks.

At least she was better than the feral cats that roamed the forest on this side of the river. It stirred slightly in her palm, it's small eye closing sleepily. Soon now. She shushed at i