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 Posted: Sun Jun 01, 2008 5:07 pm
Hollyhock blinked and peeped softly when Peri stopped, putting his head on one side. He knew that some Sentinels, when they wanted to make sure that their audiences were listening, would stop like this. But this was a festival! This was supposed to be fun! He didn’t like this stopping to check on the little Sentinels’ attention, especially when she hadn’t even gotten to important parts yet!
“And?” he asked, wide-eyed and curious. The little parus’ antics attracted his attention for only a moment, and then he was watching Peri again. He had never heard a bard perform before, and this was exciting and new and he wanted to know what happened next!
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Posted: Sun Jun 01, 2008 9:52 pm
Osprey, in all of her scatterbrained glory, momentarily forgot about Featherflit. She didn't care. Peridot was speaking and she was listening. Osprey's golden eyes were wide with wonder as she watched the beautiful bard and her parus perform. "Yeah... Yeah... And?" She echoed her friend quietly.
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Posted: Mon Jun 02, 2008 12:02 pm
Featherflit sat with eyes wide open, enraptured in Peri's story. She took a quick glance at Osprey, but convinced that she wouldn't say anything, she looked to the story. "Go on! I wanna know what happens next!" she said, peering slyly at the parus to see if he would fly again.
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Posted: Tue Jun 03, 2008 10:47 am
Lady Peridot chuckled brightly, eyes alight at the eagerness of the fledglings. Of course they wanted her to go on, how could she deny them their story! With a sweep of her grey-dappled wings, she nodded her head and continued. Eying the trio carefully as she spoke, her tone became lower and flighty, almost scared or nervous.
"They were the Highfliers - so named for their speed and steadfastness, their willin'ness to fly into tha canopy just so they could deliver their messages quicker and undisturbed. They had many friends, and even more enemies..."
Gus leapt into the air again, spinning wildly around the group, gliding here and diving there. One particular dive happened right over his master's head, his wings pulled in tight and then thrust out to catch him as she ducked. Her wings spread out and flapped forcefully, sending the parus up again with the gust. She was crouching as if she were going to take flight, her chest nearly touching the floor, and her eyes grew wide.
"In particular, another set o' three, an older group. Their claim ta fame was their consistency and caution. They had experienced great storms and snows, and though they were slower, they stuck together and were rarely hurt or lost. They were the Lowliers, given the callin' after the Highfliers stole the moonlight. They drifted inta tha shadows whenever they were compared, and were given the most menial o' tasks. They approached a warden one night, bored and afraid that they would be forced ta retire."
" ' I have no assignments for you today, Lowliers.' The Warden said, shakin' his head gravely at tha three. The older sentinels were shocked - no assignments? How was this possible? There was always work ta be done! Especially now, since it was a time of great confusion. Rumors were whispered about Outsider sightings, corruption in the higher ranks... everyone was working their talons dull to keep the clan calm."
Gus, who had been resting on a branch above the show, suddenly swooped down in a brilliant aerial display, corkscrewing radically across the perch and looping above the fledglings' heads gracefully, trilling happily all the while.
" 'You see...' said tha Warden, 'We have no use for ya anymore. We've got the Highfliers - younger, quicker, more able than ya'll. And he nodded his head to tha better group behind 'im, signalin' the Lowliers away."
The greenish parus sang louder, almost in a mocking, laughing tune, darting at Peri a few times as she cowered, her pretty face hidden under a wing as she sniffled. "Boo hoo! Boo hoo!" She cried convincingly, eartufts lowered against as Gus landed on her head, doing a little dance of triumph with wings flared.
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Posted: Wed Jun 04, 2008 4:16 pm
Hollyhock finally let his eyes leave Peri and focused on the parus, intrigued by Gus’s aerial display. The little bird dodged and dove in ways a Sentinel never could, and he couldn’t help but be entranced, wishing that was something he could do. Of course, then he realized he hadn’t been paying attention all the way, and he blinked and turned to Peri again, completely tuning back in.
The little fledgling was drawn in immediately. “And then what happened?” he said, vaguely aware that he probably wasn’t supposed to like the Lowliers but finding himself relating more to them than to the Highfliers. Ossie was a Highflier. So, probably, was Featherflit. He was quieter and more cautious. But either way, he wanted to know what happened next in the story.
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Posted: Wed Jun 04, 2008 9:15 pm
"Mmmm, yeah! What next?" Osprey forgot the manners that Breeze was trying so hard to instill inside of her as she became more entranced by the story. How she wanted to be just like the Highfliers! She would, too, even if Featherflit was related to one. She was going to be just as good, if not better. That was what she had set into her little, naive mind.
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Posted: Mon Jun 09, 2008 3:19 pm
"Through the canopy!?" Featherflit gasped, shivering.. "What must that be like?" she said to herself, imagining terrible dangers but amazing discoveries. Stealing the moonlight? Not impossible for a Highflyer! Snickering at the little parus' antics she settled down a bit more for the story. "What happened next?" she exclaimed, chiming in with Osprey and Holly.
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Posted: Sat Jun 14, 2008 9:46 am
"Frightenin' things lurk in the canopy. Only tha braves' venture there, an' beyond." Wid green eyes regarded the little group with a good dose of fear. "One should never ever take it lightly." She shook her head furiously, and Gus spiraled upwards into the branches, leaving his master in piece for the moment.
Leaning her head into the collection of fledglings, Peridot lifted her wings high again and flapped once, her gaze mischievous and grin spreading. "But... tha Highfliers did. There was no terror they could see in jus' some tree, and they even got a few free skurri lunches on the fly! They flapped their young wings through tha canopy, flyin' silently on darin' missions and deliveries, all but forgettin' about their rivals, the Lowliers."
Gus flitted about faster, weaving and looping around little branches, figure held in a cocky pose still, beak high and feet tucked in neatly. Peri eyed the parus with mock-contempt, one eye pinned to his fancy form as she tucked in her wings and snorted.
"The Lowliers had had enough one day, and they took to tha air after listenin' in on the Highfliers' assignments. If they could make it their first... they'd get their jobs back! Tha Warden'd see 'no need fo' the Highfliers', and he'd surely send 'em packin'! They huddled togetha' an' planned the night out."
"At dusk the next day, they took off in group formation, and all the birds and the bugs was buzzin' about their strange urgency, even the Highfliers. They immediately took wing an' flew high inta tha canopy, one scoutin' for the other group below while the others weaved on. Both groups flew as fast as they could towards Deep Woods, wantin' to be tha first ta finish their assingments and claim the fame."
"The Lowliers had lost sight of the others, and panicked. What if they were already there? They looked between each other and nodded, rising themselves into the canopy, tryin' hard ta win this race. They flew through the night and right on til' mornin', and even past that, all the while right on each other's tailfeathers. They had but an hour to go at midday, and the Highfliers, determined to win, rose higher til they were free of the forest, their wings able to stretch further and fly faster. The Lowliers couldn't bring themselves to go Above, fearin' the stories they'd heard, and flew on towards Deep Woods."
Gus sped around the group in a tight circle, rising higher and higher into the branches above (but not so high as to be out of sight or sound). The Lady hopped around on the perch with the group, then took off in a quick, low flight around them. As she landed, she looked up, looking for a sign of Gus, but pretended to see none.
"They reached base in an hour's time, and looked about for the Highfliers... but there was no sign of 'em, and they waited for 'em, ready to laugh in their faces at their defeat. Their wait turned inta hours, and then the whole night, and til the next day. They were approached by an Elite finally, his face stricken with grief. 'Haven't ya heard?' He said, lookin' towards the sky. 'The Highfliers are no more. They were lost to the Above.' "
"And they lamented the loss of their rival scouts, and knew well to fear the Above."
And with a sweep of her wings, The Lady Peridot bowed elegantly, Gus following suit as he landed next to her, their eyes watching for the reaction of the fledglings as they ended their story.
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