Lihi walked through the orchard. She loved the smell of oranges on the trees. And a few of the smaller oranges had become lovely little accessories in her mane. The day was sunny and bright and perfect.
But a small voice made her pause.
"Oranges!" Speckastein had been looking for the sweet fruit all day. He tended to get distracted while he was flying so he didn't remember where the orchard was. He had been so sad when he couldn't enjoy the lovely fruit yesterday. But today he came prepared. A small bone with a sharp end would make a hold in the skin that would be just the right size for his beak.
Lihi was startled as suddenly something attacked her mane. A small blur of green and red was clinging to one of the oranges she had claimed as an ornament and poking it with a little bone. The smell of the sticky liquid was really nice, but she would rather it wasn't dripping down her mane. "Hey now, don't do that!" But it was too late.
Speck managed to put a nice little hole in an orange that was just the perfect size for him. It was on a strange golden tree, but that didn't matter. His long and thin beak was quickly tucked into the fruit and drinking down the liquid. But a voice startled him. He tried to ask, to speak, but he forgot to pull out of the orange. Pulling back after making a small, distressed noise, the fruit tried to come with him. His beak was stuck. And the orange was tied into that golden . . . oh, that's a mane! This was not good.
The bird made a small, choked sound before trying to fly away with her orange! "No, that's . . . Ow!" It hurt, and it was quickly tangling itself in her mane. Soon it's little wings were too wrapped up with hair to move. That was not the sort of accessory Lihi was looking for.
The mass of sticky orange, small humming bird, and tangled mane was heavy and pulled painfully. Lihi didn't want to do what she knew was going to be necessary. With a sigh she kneels down, then continues to move even lower, her belly on the ground and her mane laying there beside her, the earth taking the weight of the tangle.
She watched as dirt started clinging to her juice soaked hair. She was prepared to be cross with the little bird, but it looked so pitiful, eyes wide, beak stuck, wings tangled. With a sigh Lihi begins to carefully lip at the mass, taking her time to keep from causing further damage.
Speck was desperate, he couldn't move, couldn't speak. He had even dropped his handy little bone! He struggled for a while before realizing the mare was trying to help. Stilling, he watched and did what he could to aid her in getting them both unstuck.
Finally Lihi and the bird were able to separate. The poor thing was still having a hard time flying, it's beak still caught on the orange. "Here now," she reaches out and carefully takes the small orange between her teeth, letting him fly backwards and away from it.
Speck moves his beak, shaking off the piece of orange skin that had gotten caught around it. Finally able to speak, "Oh, thank you! That is so much better! I was afraid I would be eaten. I'm not good to eat, all crunchy and not good, I assure you. But it is good to be free again."
"Oh! Your lovely golden mane! Oh dear, that won't do! Here, let me help." And without waiting for the mare to say anything, he flies back to the mane, working with his little talons to separate the tangle and get the strands to fall straight again.
Lihi watches the little bird, a small smile on her lips. He was really quite industrious. She didn't think he'd be as useful as he was, but he picked up a twig to use to help aid in his task when he couldn't manage on his own. It was really quite clever.
"Well now, hello. I am Lihi Xiang. And who are you?"
He stops, realizing they hadn't actually spoken to each other before he attacked her mane. "Oh! Oh, I'm Speckastein! Nice to meet you. But . . . I'm afraid you'll need to use water on that. I don't really like using water, mats the feathers and makes it impossible to fly til it dries. But you've gotten all sticky and dirty and . . . I'm afraid water is the only way."
Lihi laughs, "Oh, yes, I will need to wash it. Thank you. But don't worry, I haven't any feathers, so it doesn't really bother me."
"Good then, water it is. Not good that you don't have feathers of course. Feathers are really quite nice. Impossible to fly without them. But yes, ah . . . yes." Speck wasn't quite sure what to say next.
"Will you come with me then? I won't ask you to get wet, but you've been very helpful untangling my mane. I could use your help when I'm done washing? I'll bring along a few oranges you can eat while I bathe."
It honestly hadn't occurred to him to go with her. But once she asked, he could see no reason not to. And she was bringing more oranges.
"Yes, I'll come. I . . . Oh!" Speck darts about, realizing he's lost his bone. He'll need it if he's to have more oranges. Spotting it, "Ah ha!" He scoops it up and shows it off proudly.
Lihi blinks, "Ah . . . what is that for, Speckastein?" That was a bit disturbing. She had never heard of a humming bird warrior before, but the way he was brandishing the sharpened bone, she had to wonder.
Speck had figured it would be readily obvious, but he would explain, since she asked. "It's for the oranges. They have a very tough skin. My beak can't get past it. But this!" he again shows off the bone, "This pokes a hole in the side that is just the right size!"
Lihi's estimation of the small bird goes up a few more notches. He really was very clever, if not terribly observant. She was rather taken with him and decided she would watch out for him. He needed someone to care for him when he inevitably got himself tangled in something that wasn't as forgiving as her mane.
