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You leap onto the bed and greet Carys straight away, putting one arm around Arctus and softly scratching Carys's head with the other. You know she's not the most affectionate of birds, but she still likes a scratch now and then.

She responds by closing her eyes for a few moments, seeming to enjoy your greeting—but beyond that, she doesn't really move much. Even as Arctus goes wild with excitement, Carys barely responds except to look you in the eye—and you slowly realize that she's not here for fun. From the way she keeps almost totally still, you get the feeling that she doesn't want to give away any clue as to why she's here, or where your grandma herself is.

After a few more moments, Carys lets out a short "caw!"—and spreads her dark wings before launching herself away from the window, vanishing like a ghost between the gently waving branches.

Seeing her go, Arctus seems to droop slightly—but when you scoot up next to her on the bed, she lets out a happy mew and immediately climbs up onto your shoulder. Now that you're with her in the bedroom, she seems perfectly content, as if everything is back to the way it should be.

You feel a sudden surge of sadness as you realize you're going to have to explain why it's not.

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