Solo
Flickering Firelight
Firelight. A flickering tangible entity which could very well warm the soul at its sight or send you into fear unimaginable as it lights the unknown. The female firani mused on that thought as she watched over her clutch. Nuzzling her first nest of eggs she was happy as she counted three. Three wonderful babies for her to love and cherish. The female knew instinctively how to keep her small clutch warm and safe till their hatch day. Oh the lessons she would teach them, the adventures she would guide them on. She couldn't wait. Her children...her babies would be her world. A brighter world. She looked to the flicker of the fire she started up, looking further up as sound caught her ear she smiled at the eggs father.
He was an odd male, close to some new transformation the female wasn’t to keen on following herself. Regardless she did love him. He was attentive to their clutch. Doting on her. Everything a mate should be. He was Firani like her, pureblood. He lowered his much larger head to nuzzle the eggs closer to their mother’s underbelly. His purr was something interesting to the female as is left his larger body. Settling on the other side of her, he flexed his larger wing around her in a sign of affection. They were mates…
The day the nest hatched was a glorious one. The first time parents were excited but things went bad in a heartbeat. A hunter had found their nest. The new mother flew to her youngs defense, her mate quick to defend the nest in case there were more. He wasn’t wrong. Two more hunters sprang out, the first time Father freezing up as he heard crackles from under him. Looking down he watched as all three of the eggs started to hatch. With a roar the two parents launched into a full out fight. The fight ending as one newborn was knocked off the edge of their cliff by a staff. The young Father quickly diving after the hatchling caught him, joining his mate who had scooped up the other two.
They flew off, leaving the Hunters to their disappointment. The male leading his mate to a cave he recalled from his youth. It was the Den he was raised in. The top mouth of the cave was above ground. The rest was below. His parents made many smaller den’s in the exact same way. He knew where all of them were in case they needed to move. He checked over the hatching in his claw. The red and gold young was bleeding from his ear slightly, but the father knew enough healing herbs to aid him. Setting the infant on a straw covered slab he was quick.
The mother had built a rough nest to hold the other two in. Worry for the third one, though mentally she was already counting him as ‘lost’. She started tending to the other two before hearing the squeak of the third. Raising her head she smiled as her mate brought their son back to them. As the weeks wore on the female started to teach her offspring the lessons her mother taught her. Words. Flapping to allow them proper wing movement.
The youngest...the one who she had given up on. Was the most energetic. Though he skittered quick if one of his family moved too fast. The hatchling was very curious about all his parents taught them. Specially listening to their Father who talked of others like him, wanting to walk on two legs to get to know their fellows. Their Mother cautioned them that putting their claws away would expose them to dangers. Their Father shook his head, “There is magic to be mastered with these forms my mate.”
That was the start of their distance. The hatchlings would notice that the two would teach them the skills to live. Then the little ones would get to silently pick which parent to go with for the rest of the day. The youngest usually going to the parent who seemed most concerned for him. Oh he knew his Mother loved him...but she wasn't as alert to him as she was the other two. So, he went to the parent who usually put him into the nest first...his Father.
From his Father he gained a love of knowledge. The male seemed to know a lot. He always had an answer or a lead to one in the young one’s mind. Valspar heard of a title for his Father from a book the male read to him.
Scholar.
Word Count: 772
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