Welcome to Gaia! ::

There was a moment of pause where Snowpeak gave an expression that appeared slightly disappointed or thoughtful or somewhere in between. Perhaps it was something Moon had said. The older sentinel gave it a thought. Before arriving at any decent conclusion, the fledgling spoke up again. She was pleasantly surprised at his manner of speaking and it seems he had already given his task serious thought. "Those are good professions. In fact, I was a scout myself before."

Quietly, she noticed his eyes flicker to Rave. She had anticipated fear or anxiety from the fledgling; however, instead, she found him amused or pleased. That made her day. Rave was a creature that too often made enemies of other sentinels because of his aggressive and mischievous nature. Thankfully, Snowpeak didn't seem bothered by his presence which lifted a light weight off her shoulders. She turned her head to take a peak at the Lani who turned away from the stares in slight unease. "I'll admit I'm pleasantly surprised. Not many sentinels like him since he can be a wingful and potentially dangerous."

She then grinned at his attempt to pronounce the companion's name. "I believe you mean Waral." Moon was a little hesitant. Warals have the ability to cause quite a bit of damage to even adult Sentinels mostly when angered. For a fledgling to have approached one is worrisome. "Where did you manage to see one?"

"Only on rare occasions do sentinels fly high enough to be potentially dangerous. I've never had the need to, personally," Moonstride found it increasingly difficult to satisfy the Snowpeak's curiosity. Every question answered led to new wonders and new, more difficult, questions. Then again, perhaps it was a good thing for a fledgling to fill that sponge of a brain before ignorance becomes a serious crime.

Moon then found it necessary to pause at his next question. How should she explain the role of an Elite? The assignments they were given are as varied as the changing light of day. "I would say," She begain, "Elites are chosen to maintain peace amongst sentinels whether it is by punishment, providing protection or with a voice of order." She then paused again before offering Snowpeak a grin. "Lets just say, if you manage to work up any serious trouble in the future, you might get a visit from one of us."

Satisfied with her remark, she thought back to his story about the lizard. It sounded, by his description, as though there wasn't any danger from the encounter since the Waral had been only a young creature. At that thought, she let it slide.

Her thoughts were shifted back to her Lani and his eager remark. "I'll have to admit, it wasn't always like this. I've had my share of disagreements with Rave before the creature finally got it into his pretty little head that I'm actually bigger than him." Rave, during the interaction, was getting more and more agitated by Snowpeak's unmoving stare. He glared back for a moment before sudden snapping both wings out in a display of aggression before tucking them back a slip-second later. Moon eyed him with a look of annoyance.

Moonstride was quiet while her blue eyes took in the brooding form of the mist fledgling. Everything about him took her back to her youth, reminded her of where she had come from. That was something she had forgotten as the winds tightened her wing muscles and bark roughened her claws. But now, it wasn't difficult to remember the days when the trees were larger and the ground closer (mostly when falling). During those years, she had been as arrogant and naïve as they come. It's surprising with the knowledge of where she had now ended up.

Snowpeak suddenly, but slowly, mentioned his minder. Typhoon she knew of because she found it wise to know of all the minders of the forest in case she came across a stranded fledgling much like this one. She knew where the enclave was and found herself instantly mapping out the best path to take. However, a foreign emotion enveloped her body in mid-thought. She could only label it as regret. Moonstride, who is barely able to sustain any decent relations or even conversation with other sentinels, suddenly found herself reluctant to part with a simple fledgling.

Her disturbing thoughts were thankfully interrupted by Snowpeak's outburst. It was another question. She gathered her thoughts back. Was she always fast? She had to grin. Were trees always tall? "No. I was a terribly at flying when I first started. Plus, I'm sure I only seem fast to you just like how younger fledglings see your flying as something quiet amazing."

There was a pregnant pause on Moon's part. Should she address the issue of the minder? She could almost hear that little voice in the back of her head, something she hadn't heard in quite a long time, telling her it wasn't important and that there would be no harm in waiting a while longer. However, it was important and responsibility demanded her attention. "I do know Typhoon (although not personally) and I can escort you back to the enclave. After all, he might be searching for you.

Snowpeak was fascinated by the mist-shadow’s description of her first attempts at flight. He guessed everyone started out like that. Bad… getting better… becoming good. If she could improve why not him? He’d get better, faster and stronger. It would take some effort but he wasn’t afraid of that.

“I’ll practice. I’ll work hard. Really.” He said suddenly serious. “Why… why can’t he come?” he was looking at the Lani now, tilting his head to the side as his attention focused on the companion once again. “Is he really dangerous? Even with you so close?”

The next question made the fledgling’s eartufts cling to his back.
“I’m... bad. Sometimes when I’m not thinking about it, I can move for a long time” Or what would appear as a long time to a young fledgling… “But if I’m thinking too much, I get tired quick. And I can’t move too fast… just some branches at a time.” He wouldn’t dare to exaggerate on something he would be tested at later. Not that he had a tendency to, anyway. After all, he had always been his worst critic.

“How do you do it?” he said suddenly, his familiar question bursting out before he could hold it. “I mean… I move my wings like everyone else but I can’t stay in the air. I don’t get it.”

Carefully listening as Moonstride explained her companion’s personal space issues, Snowpeak couldn’t help but to take a small step back… just in case. For a moment he wasn’t sure he’d like to have a companion like that. A constant challenge just to keep it in line, some degree of worry for what it might do, not being able to take it to some places… was it really worth it? Sometimes the Lani sounded more like an opponent than a helper.

Then he avidly heard every word that came from the Elite’s beak, trembling a little at the prospect of being given some vital information that could improve his flying ability. He was slightly disappointed. “I’ve been told not flap so much.” He admitted slowly. “But… I tried it once and hum…I still fell… down… not to the ground!! But… I don’t like it there. Too low.”

He eyed the female for barely a second before speaking up again.
“I’ll show you.” He said with a small apprehensive smile before starting to move in the direction Moonstride had indicated earlier. Whether he was referring to the way he flew or the way he fell it was hard to tell. He flapped a couple of times before reaching the next branch, being a little more careful than usual. He did not attempt to make longer jumps and kept his eartufts low, feeling the weight of the experienced sentinel’s eyes on him.

Snowpeak watched as the Lani flew away with a hint of regret crossing his fiery gaze.

“I don’t usually fall…” Snowpeak said quietly not sure of how to take the large mist-shadow’s remark. “That one..?” he eyed the branch with some apprehension. Sure, he could do that distance most of the times... but he’d look really stupid if he were to miss it right in front of the Elite. With a wave of ruffled feathers that ran through his whole body, he cleared his mind of all thoughts and doubts.

“I think so. I can handle the distance most of the times.” And with that he dropped from the branch trying to catch a current under his wings. Feeling himself falling, he flapped strongly until he barely reached the branch he was targeting and again flapped madly just to prevent his body from falling backwards.
“Lousy landing, stupid branch.” he muttered angrily under his breath.