|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Sun Jun 29, 2008 10:35 am
“Your father was an Elite?” There was a fair amount of awe in Cliffside’s tone. To have an Elite as a parent… The idea was pure magic to him. Nobody looked down their noses at such a high rank, not like they sometimes did on bleeding hearts like his own parents.
In the presence of the watcher Foxfeather, Cliffside subconsciously felt and acted more and more pompous through every step of their conversation. He really wasn’t as hard-beaked as he made himself out to be. In truth, he loved his parents and had inherited some of their “lesser” qualities. Not where companions were concerned, of course, but deep down in Cliff there was the soul of a softie… Somewhere.
He wasn’t about to admit that to his new acquaintance, though.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Jun 30, 2008 9:48 pm
"One of the best." Foxfeather replied, although he really did not know what ranking his father held. He had died when Fox was young and the Watcher was eager to live up to his father's status. It was something that seemed almost impossible when carrying his task. But Watchers were important, that was something he always reminded himself when he felt hopelessly stuck.
He would become a ranger one day and would serve until he was deemed ready. It would take work, but he would pick away at it until he either died or made it.
"And my mother was a Ranger. Both were beautiful, brave sentinels. I am proud to fly in their shadow. It is an honor to be their son." The pompous Deep Woods fluffed his feathers with pride as he spoke of his parents.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jul 03, 2008 11:54 am
Cliffside was certainly impressed. “They must have been wonderful.” If Fox was paying close attention, he would probably notice the dreamy-eyed look that was creeping across Cliff’s face. He was in the midst of imagining how his life would have been had his own parents been Elites. If things had been that way, he’d probably be one himself, by now.
He fluffed his feathers contentedly, settling into place. Then he thought of something that made his beak clack in nervous irritation. “Can you imagine an aberrant rising to the station of an Elite? I, for one, would be amazed.”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jul 03, 2008 7:04 pm
The dreamy look on Cliffside's face did not go unnoticed and the sheer fact that the other sentinel seemed in awe and amazed by this and, if not a great deal, at least a little envious of the Deep Wood's heritage, boosted Foxfeather's already large ego.
At the mention of an aberrant Elite, his pompous look of pride seemed to deflate almost completely into a scowl. His eartufts flattened and he looked mightily aggravated.
"So you haven't heard or seen?"
The Watcher watched, since that was his duty after all, and he tried to follow the ongoings of everything, including those ranking Elite, as close as he could. The others, at least Sly, seemed to do so as well.
"There is one. Moonstride is her name. She bears one chevron. It's a pity, really."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Jul 07, 2008 12:13 pm
"No way." Cliffside's beak hung open for a moment before he thought to shut it again. "But how? And when?"
Now hindsight revealed to the young Wildtype what he saw as a horrible blunder. He was ashamed of himself for not doing some research before chattering away like a fledgling pretending to be older and more important than it really was. He should have known there was an aberrant Elite, especially after all his claims of idolizing them.
"How did she do it? She isn't sickly at all?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Jul 08, 2008 8:17 pm
"As far as I know, she was a scout for many seasons... I have not been around her much. But I have seen her. One would think she is sickly, but apparently she performs well enough to be promoted. Silly, if you ask me." Foxfeather scoffed airily as he peered at the young wildtype.
He parted his right wing and preened, as he now felt more comfortable around the caterer and he did need to preen a bit.
The fact that the younger sentinel blundered was enough to make him feel a bit more superior.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Jul 13, 2008 8:37 pm
"Silly, yes..."
Cliffside watched the Deep Woods preen, keeping other words to himself for the moment. It was too late to repair the mistake, but he'd be sure not to be so careless from now on.
"Well," he sighed, "perhaps they've gotten it out of their system now, and there won't be any more of... those kind of Elites."
He hoped it was a fluke occurrence, but with the slow, steady course of Change always making its mark on society, he knew things might very well get worse.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Jul 13, 2008 9:00 pm
"If you ask me... I don't think it will be that easy. Not that easy at all." The Deep Woods replied after he had pulled his sharp beak from his feathers.
"I'm sure you see it. The Change? I mean, by Noctus, they've let a Specter chick live here in Noctua!" It had been a little while since Foxfeather had had a listener to harp to, as he had not met with Sly or Stormbringer in several moons. Cliffside seemed to be just the fellow to listen and agree.
"Just imagine what will happen when that little flatface is an adult... Well... Perhaps by then the clan will see the errors of their ways. Hopefully."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Jul 13, 2008 9:12 pm
The thought of an adult Spectre made Cliff a little queasy. It wouldn't be visible to anyone else, but he sure felt it.
And there was something else that bothered him. Just... something about the Watcher was beginning to sour on him. Maybe it was the fact that he kept bringing up troublesome topics. Cliff was equally as much to blame for that, so he had no right to complain.
No matter what he was feeling; Cliffside was a born follower, so what else could he do but agree?
"Ghastly thought," he muttered.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Jul 13, 2008 9:18 pm
"Indeed, it is... So much corruption in society today. Our forefathers would be ashamed." He seemed to slide back into the strange ease he had been in before the aberrant topic had been brought up.
"How did you hold up in the last squall?" He changed the topic quickly, though making flow would take a little more practice. "I heard a few unfortunates lost their homes or members of their families. Hopefully it treated you well?"
Tick curiously poked his head out over Foxfeather's eartufts and studied Speed, before casting his beady eyes to Cliffside. The storm had been frightening, but otherwise he and his master had done well during and after.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Jul 13, 2008 9:34 pm
Cliffside was genuinely glad of the topic change, though this newest string of conversation was still rather a downer.
"The storm..." He sighed again and preened his shoulder. "I made it through all right. Lost a few of my stock, but it wasn't too bad. You know how quickly Mus breed."
He thought about how he'd collected the dead ones once the weather cleared, and then donated them to the Minders. He'd claimed that he didn't want them to stink up his territory with their decay, but that, of course, was a blatant lie. That heart of his was just a little bit bigger than he wanted it to be.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Jul 13, 2008 9:42 pm
"Pity... Hmm, well, they do seem to replenish themselves plenty well enough." Was that a chuckle?
Not something the seemingly sour sentinel did often outside the presence of his few highly esteemed acquaintances or his own companion. "Did you ever hear what fell? Unfortunately, I don't know. Only that it was in the center of the forest. I do hope it wasn't something too important. Though the fact that anything major fell at all is chilling."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Jul 15, 2008 9:01 pm
Unfortunately, since this was his first meeting with Foxfeather, Cliff did not realize the magnitude of the moment when the watcher chuckled. He readily assumed that Fox was trying to make a dirty joke, and reacted with a snicker of his own.
But, once again, his mood slumped with the other male's next comment.
"I don't know what it was either, but I hope no one got hurt." His eartufts had drooped, lying back against his skull. "I hate thinking about the horrible things that happened to some of us. I have friends who lost family."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Jul 15, 2008 9:13 pm
Foxfeather looked Cliffside over for a moment, unsure of why the other sentinel had snickered, not that the reaction was unwarranted for a follower type who did not know him well enough to understand the nature of his soft, halfhearted laugh.
"Ah. Too true. Life can be bleak." It was only at Cliffside's comment that Foxfeather realized he was doing it again. It was something he often did in the presence of others, though quite far from intentional. He tended to be a stick in the mud, but that was the way he had been since he was a fledgling and was the same way his family had been, when they had time for him.
So... Not nearly as graceful in the craft of language as his cohorts, he tried to backtrack.
"But more pleasantries come with storms, despite the destruction left in their wakes. We've had a lovely spot of weather lately and the forest is booming with new life and busy mothers."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Jul 20, 2008 8:46 pm
“True, true…”
Cliff nodded, thinking of how the forest now seemed to be swarming with hatchlings and fledglings. How he never went hungry while those little ones had to deal with the scarcity created by the storm. He made up his mind to mysteriously “find” some more culls when he got home, even though he was fresh out from his previous trip to the drop-off platform. Like he’d just told Foxfeather, mus breed quickly. He’d make up the loss soon enough.
“Speed,” he addressed his white chirop, “Go home and tell Bee to get the cages ready. I’ll meet you there soon.”
“Kay,” Speed squeaked, and flew off without another word, his bright white body fading into the darkness as he drew further and further away.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reply
