Tinkering away with the lure sitting on the bench, Crow's mind wandered as his ghost rambled about the Dawning. Glint was optimistic that this year would be different, now that his guardian had met Osiris and the Young Wolf, though he had admitted surprise that Hawk had taken a liking to them. He stuttered something incoherent and trailed off, but Crow was only half listening. He didn't understand why Hawk chose to keep helping him either. Every other guardian he had encountered had done the complete opposite. Perhaps she thought she owed him something after he saved Osiris, but it felt more than that. More than their current mission too. She kept so many secrets from him, he wistfully mused whether he’d ever know even a quarter of them. He was grateful for her companionship nonetheless.

The Crow was so deep in thought that he didn’t notice the hunter enter the room, not that that was unusual. He let out a sharp inhale as an arc of energy zapped his fingers. 

“Ow, that looked painful,”

The Crow, still shaking his singed hand, jumped and looked over his shoulder at the cloaked figure softly chuckling. He quietly muttered his thanks as his ghost gently healed the wound, shrugging at the hunter in mild amusement.

She tossed something towards him and he caught it in surprise. “I… found,” she made a weird gesture, curling two fingers on each hand repeatedly, “some parts lying around the tower that might come in handy. Should at least stop the battery doing that again,” Crow noted he hadn't seen her use that sign with her ghost before when she thought he wasn't watching.

“You mean you stole,” chastised her ghost, but she just mischievously shrugged.

Crow eyed the component carefully and smiled, “Excellent, this will do it,” but before he could begin adding it to the contraption, his gaze fixed on her shuffling awkwardly.

“There’s ah… something else too, that I wanted to give you,” She answered his questioning look by revealing a small ornamental tin from under her arm, one of many tucked away out of sight in a large satchel.

Crow glances around the area furtively before accepting the guardian's offered gift, then stuffs it under his cloak without checking what it is. He soon notices the scent of almond and chocolate, halts suddenly in surprise, and slowly looks at Hawk with gratitude.

"Thank you," he says softly. "Truly."

The hunter shrugged and donned her helmet, but Crow could hear clearly the smile in her voice, "Happy Dawning, Crow,"

—

As Crow quietly munched on a biscuit, he thought about the hunter's gift and how he could repay her. He glanced around his hovel at the scrap metal and leftover Eliksni bread from his breakfast. Glint told him that the biscuits were somewhat of a tradition, but Crow didn’t have the slightest idea how to make them.

His eyes rested on the lure sitting on a bench ready for the next hunt, before picking up a small piece of metal. He inspected it carefully. There was something he could make.

—

The next time Hawk arrived, she took her helmet off slowly to reveal a raised eyebrow. The Crow had his hands behind his back and a lopsided grin on his face. 

"Alright, what's got you so cheerful?” She cocked her head to the side, leaning to try to see behind him. “A new upgrade to the lure?” He turned his body to counter her.

"Not quite," he chuckled, "but I do have something for you,"

She smiled and gave up her attempts, resting her weight on one leg as she waited patiently. He flicked a worried glance to the entrance behind her but she shook her head, “He’s busy with a client, won't be back for a few hours,”

The spark returning to his face, he slowly pulled his arms out in front of him, holding something gently in his hands, “I wanted to thank you for the Dawning gift,” Hawk smiles and goes to wave him off but he cuts her off with a soft glance, “I mean it, truly. I can’t bake,” he admits, “but I thought you might appreciate this more,” 

As if holding a baby bird, he slowly opened up his palms. Resting between his hands lay a small crudely made necklace, with a tiny silver feather curving like a blade. A dagger, she notes. Not like her own, but elegant and beautiful, like the traveler's light.

And for the first time in a long time, Hawk couldn't help but smile. 

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