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 Posted: Thu Feb 20, 2014 4:42 pm
Laenaera was aiming for the ground below her, eyeing a carcass that had somehow been left relatively alone. Sure, half of it was missing, but the vulture couldn't believe that it hadn't been swarmed by other vultures or even hyenas. With a loud thump, she hit the ground with outstretched claws. Loosing her balance for a moment, she squawked as she threw her wings out to balance herself. The last thing Lae wanted was to faceplant in front of dinner. "Ack. One day I'll get better at this landing on the ground," she grumbled to herself as she marched over to the carcass. It looked like zebra, and after picking at it a bit she determined it to be safe. Maybe this was just a 'bad area' to grab food? She decided to dig in, not being too quiet about it either.
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Posted: Thu Feb 20, 2014 4:51 pm
 Latitare was scouting ahead once more, and keeping his eyes peeled for any likely birds who might choose to partner Kilua. He had, of course, never stopped looking, but there had been a point several moons ago when Yareha had had...other things on his mind.
The eagle was simply grateful that his friend had recovered from the sticky situation and seemed to be determined to turn everything around. In fact, many times the white lion surprised him by showing flashes of the youth he'd once been in the Mwezi'Johari. Latitare hadn't known his friend back then, but he'd lived in the area and seen some things.
Still, it was quite remarkable. Yareha Afaer was finally growing up.
The thought was ironic as he thought he recognized the wings spread down below him. A rotting corpse was uninteresting to an eagle, but a vulture would think it a fine meal. So it wasn't entirely surprising that one had discovered it waiting.
The surprise was that, if Latitare's eyesight hadn't failed him, the vulture was a daughter of his. The eagle angled his flight into a steep dive, spreading his wings at the last minute to achieve a controlled, if not graceful, landing nearby.
"Why Laenarera, what are you doing out here?"
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Posted: Thu Feb 20, 2014 5:35 pm
Lae was surprised to hear a voice, though she should have been expecting a chance of a challenge against her meal. When she heard her voice though, she instantly was at full attention. "Huh? Wha..." She turned her head around, still hovering over her beloved meal only for her head to bob up and down in shock.
"F-father??" It had been a long time since she had seen him, though she herself hadn't lately been hanging around the lion pride where he had lived before he and his lion friend left. She had shifted to a life of a scavenger, being independent and enjoying herself. It had grown lonely, but she worked through it to keep herself full and happy.
"W-wow!" Her food forgotten, she hopped over to him, ecstatic. "I'm eating, silly," she said while snapping her beak in laughter. "The lion pride got weird, so I left it a while ago. Been hanging out here, enjoying the solo life," she said, unconvincingly, as she emphasized the last two words a bit too much.
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Posted: Thu Feb 20, 2014 5:43 pm
Latitare winked happily at the grown chick before him, pleased not only that he'd managed to surprise her once again, but also that she did seem to be doing quite well out here on her own. Of course, he and her mother had done their best to ensure all their chicks had that ability, but one never really knew until they left the nest.
"So I see," he teased, gesturing at the carcass with one wing. But the grin left his beak as she continued speaking, mentioning how the Mwezi had changed. He was already somewhat aware of the fact that these changes hadn't always been for the better, thanks to the run-in with Andama, but if even the birds thought so...it wasn't a good sign at all. Latitare spared a brief prayer to the Goddess of Birds that all of his chicks were all right.
Instead he chose to focus on the fact that this daughter in particular seemed a bit...displeased...with her lonely life.
"Weren't you the one who told me you wanted nothing more than to get away from all of your family?" he mused aloud. It might have been Lae. It might have been one of the other girls. There were quite a few of them, after all.
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Posted: Thu Feb 20, 2014 6:57 pm
"Well, there's so many of us, who wouldn't want to get away?" she replied, though it was more a denial of that statement than anything. She glanced back over at the food waiting for her...but this was more important. It would still be there.
"Its not until you're alone that you realize how important family is," she added on, looking at her father intently. "Though I have to admit there certainly were a lot of us. I like being alone, but sometimes its hard. Being with family seems...better. If sometimes annoying," she laughed.
Hmmm...was Latitare hinting at something? Lae didn't' want to assume, so she instead just enjoyed this chat with him, wherever it was going.
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Posted: Thu Feb 20, 2014 7:01 pm
"True enough!" the older avian admitted with a laugh. There had been times when he'd been certain that someone would fall out of the overcrowded nest, though it had never happened until the chicks were flighted. Then, of course, they'd tried to convince him that the falls were just accidents...
Ah, children.
He wondered though, if it was the family in particular Laenaera missed, or just companionship. He was, after all, out here ostensibly looking for a bird who might choose to partner Kilua. And perhaps it was the Goddess' will that he encounter his own chick here and now...just maybe...
"Is it family you've been missing," he asked more seriously and somewhat carefully, "or do you think you'd prefer something like the relationship Yareha and I have?" It was an important question. In the former situation, he'd advise her on finding a mate. In the latter, well, he might actually have completed the mission he and Yareha had been working on (on and off) for over a year!
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Posted: Thu Feb 20, 2014 7:45 pm
Lae had to think about what her father was asking her for a moment. What was it that she was missing? Probably having a consistent companion more than anything. "Maybe both," she answered carefully. "Though I don't know, you and Yareha have some weird thing going on," she said while waving her wings around. She was definitely joking, but she wasn't totally sure if it was for her...
"Are you inviting me to tag along with you two for a while?" she asked quickly after teasing Latitare. It had to have been some sort of chance for him to find her...why lose that again?
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Posted: Thu Feb 20, 2014 7:49 pm
"Well, yes!" Latitare answered, surprised that she had picked up so fast. Then again, why should he be surprised? He and Lila hadn't raised any dumb eggs between them. There was every reason for Lae to be able to see where he'd been leading.
Though, of course, she couldn't have guessed everything.
"And I wouldn't say that we have a "weird thing", it's really more of a partnership," the eagle tried to explain, grasping after the right words. "But I find it just as fulfilling as raising you and your siblings," he concluded softly.
"The reason I mention this is because Yareha and I were planning on returning to the Aka'mleli - the only lion pride blessed by the Goddess of Birds, where every feline has a winged partner." The eagle cocked his head at his daughter, mutely asking if she wanted to come along.
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Posted: Thu Feb 20, 2014 7:55 pm
Huh. This was something she had never really considered before, and it was news to her, regardless of her father's relationship with Yareha. She figured what they had was very unique, as she hadn't come across any other avians that were so friendly with lions.
"I guess it couldn't hurt to follow you," she finally replied. She wasn't sure what she thought about this information, but she wasn't doing anything from preventing her to check it out. She'd be with familiar faces while going somewhere new. "I can't promise anything, but it would be fun to go see this 'Aka'mleli' place."
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Posted: Thu Feb 20, 2014 8:03 pm
The eagle's beak gaped in a grin. "Excellent! It's a lovely place to visit at the very least," he continued, "and who knows, maybe you'll find a lion worth partnering." He didn't want to press the issue too hard, as Laenaera didn't seem completely enamored of it, but she should at least acknowledge the possibility.
For his part, Latitare felt reasonably confident that the chick would enjoy the scene he'd witnessed for himself, where avians were every bit as important to the pride as the lions who made it up. But children being children, if a parent told them that they'd like something, they'd make themselves hate it just to be contrary. He had to make it seem like her own idea in order for this to work.
To be fair, he wasn't certain if she'd even like Kilua. But this was the most promising bird he'd found on all their travels and damn if he wasn't going to try to matchmake like a good parent should!
"Well, now that that's settled, I think you were about to have a meal?" he returned gesturing to the zebra. "I know Yareha doesn't need me yet, and it would be a shame to let this go to waste."
And who knew, maybe he could get a bit more out of Lae in the mean time about where she'd been and what she'd been up to.
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