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 Posted: Mon Jul 14, 2008 9:01 pm
"Yup! You were both last! Know what that means? You're both four-toed owl beaks!"
The older mist sentinel berated the two younger fledglings in a far from lady-like fashion, but she was grinning and cheerful. Her image was still intact, despite her sudden worry for Ashton during the middle of the race. She was still angry at herself for reacting so strongly at such a mild problem.
Still, she couldn't shake her own mishap from her mind. What if he ended up dangling... Or worse, falling?
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Posted: Tue Jul 15, 2008 6:35 am
Snowpeak stood very still, eyeing Osprey in silence. Then his eyes turned to Ashton and his beak remained shut for a few moments, as if he was silently acknowledging the wildtype’s existence for the first time. As anyone with half a brain could have predicted, Osprey had won the race. It was Ashton who seemed like he didn’t even like flying that much that had surprised him. The little insult in Osprey’s words did little to upset him. He knew he was too smart to be an owl. He knew he’d grow so strong that every owl would stay as far from him as possibly. Those words hardly even meant anything to him apart from being rather useful when he tried to tease someone. But at that moment, he also knew he was still not good enough.
Once he realigned his thoughts in a perfect immaculate order inside his head, Snowpeak flapped a branch above them, facing the other two fledglings with his head held high. “Listen carefully because this is important!” he started with a pompous though quite serious tone. ”I didn’t win today. But I’m going to practice harder every night. And next time, I’m gonna beat you two… easy!”
And as the thrill of the race left his body, he noticed with a surprised expression how much his wings hurt, how some of his tail feathers were bent and how difficult he was finding the once simple act of breathing.
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Posted: Wed Jul 16, 2008 4:09 am
Someone else didn’t like his “reward” for being last, although it was a bit comforting that such a title was shared. Ashton knew from the beginning it would happen, and that’s why he didn’t want to show himself off. But could he avoid that in the future? No, he will have instead to improve faster. Then perhaps he won’t be ashamed to show his skills and lose.
The Wildtype listened to Snowpeak, almost against his will. He whispered, drained from all energy: “If you say so…”
Dear, was he tired. He could use a nap right now.
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Posted: Wed Jul 16, 2008 9:49 am
Ossie listened, but a smirk was still at the edges of her beak. "Beat us, huh? Well, you'll have to practice hard 'cos I'm gonna be an adult soon." She stated in a matter of fact tone as she preened and placed her feathers after settling down, as she did after every flight.
"You guys wanna do another game? I 'unno of one, but it's such a good night." he little bundle of energy suggested, though she was unsure if either of these males wanted to play with her, what with her just mocking them.
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Posted: Thu Jul 17, 2008 5:08 pm
Snowpeak eyed the wildtype proudly, happy that he accepted his future superiority. They had finished at the same which in his mind made them equal but he’d work hard to create a difference between the two. He then listened closely to Osprey (who was really good at flying and as such deserved his full attention).
“No.” Snowpeak said without thinking. He remained quiet for so long the others might assume he was being rude. “I can’t move.” he admitted with some degree of annoyance. “I’m trying to move my wings but I can’t. This was my first race…” and to better exemplify his problem he tried to flap on the spot but his wings only shook a little in response to small effort. “Oh, it’s getting better.”
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Posted: Sat Jul 19, 2008 3:26 pm
Another game? “Naaaaaah”, sighed Ashton. Despite his efforts not to yawn, he did otherwise. “Enough races. T’was my first race too”, he said.
Such a game was exhilarating, pain gave him a material sense of satisfaction, but whatever his feelings were, it was nonetheless pain. He stood up again, and without thinking about it, mimicked Snowpeak’s moves. Or rather, shook lazily a wing. “I will do better than that too, soon, and then, even betterer”, he commented, apparently exhausted. He felt like he would sleep very well today. Therefore, he slowly headed back where he should be: among Minders. Why was he so excited in the first place? The Wildtype decided not to get back in a race unless he got really better. That is, when flying stopped being so damn tiring.
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Posted: Mon Jul 21, 2008 10:14 am
"Even better, not betterer... At least that's what Madam Breeze said. She makes me talk right... Er, proper. You gotta.. Er, You have to talk proper if you get her for lessons." She explained to Ashton before acknowledgling Snowpeak's wing burning comment. Besides, if they wanted to try and get her teacher later on, they had to do it right.
"It gets better! The pain, it means you are gonna -- going to get better at flying. After a while, it doesn't 'urt so bad."
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Posted: Wed Jul 23, 2008 4:24 pm
Snowpeak lifted his eyes to the mist female, suddenly regretting not being very good at remembering names. He half expected her to laugh at him again so when her words caused a wave of gratefulness to shake him to the core, he was pleasantly surprised.
“It… it doesn’t hurt so much anymore. Maybe we can play some…” out of the corner of his eyes he suddenly caught Ashton's departure. “Hey, where’re you going?”
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Posted: Sat Jul 26, 2008 9:50 am
"Ossie? Ossie!"
The calling preceeded the caller, a certain other half-grown fledgling training with Breeze. This particular big male was a Deep Woods, and looked extremely relieved at finding his quarry. "Ossie!" he called again, eyeing the pair of smaller fledglings and tilting his head to one side as he regarded Ossie. The two males looked tired, and Hollyhock had the sneaking suspicion that his friend's competetive nature extended even to having to prove she was better than a pair of barely-fledged little ones. Oh, well. Ossie was Ossie and that was just how it went.
"Madam Breeze says it's time to come back," he said, preening a wing and looking at Snowpeak with interest. He looked surprisingly un-worn-out from engaging in what Holly would have guessed was fairly grueling for a fledgling his size. Well, good on him.
"Madam Breeze also says," Holly returned his attention to Ossie, speaking quickly and clearly to her and ignoring the other Sentinels like he had once seen a Scout do while relaying information. He thought Ossie would appreciate it, "that the first one back gets something the loser doesn't, but she won't tell me what it is." Here, he actually smiled and winked, and then turned and pushed off from the branch, in a move so close to cheating that he knew only Ossie would ever appreciate it as simply gaining a headstart.
"So bye!"
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Posted: Sat Jul 26, 2008 10:40 am
Ossie was slightly annoyed that Ashton was taking his leave so quickly. Just a sore loser, she assumed. She turned her attention back to Snowpeak and was about to respond when she heard Holly's voice. That must mean it was time to go.
"Holly!" She piped up clearly, happy to see her friend and training partner. As he relayed his information, she listened hard and her golden eyes were trained on him.
"Ah! Okay!" She replied just as Hollyhock was pushing off the limb. She couldn't let him get too far ahead, or else she would surely lose. Because of this her farewell bid was hastily cut short.
"See you later, Snowpeak! Maybe we can race again sometime!" She hooted quickly as she launched off of her spot after Holly.
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Posted: Sun Jul 27, 2008 9:14 am
With fledglings leaving in opposite directions, Snowpeak’s head turned from one to the other in brief confusion. It didn’t take long for the little fledgling to decide which way he wanted to go.
“Wait, I’ll go with you!” the small mist shouted at Osprey hopping clumsily to another branch. “And why are you going ahead? You have to start at the same time!” His last words were meant for Holly who in Snowpeak’s mind was being a downright little cheat for taking the lead on the race before the mist female had a chance to get ready. Everyone knows you have to start at the same time! Why does EVERYONE keep forgetting that?!
Still, Holly was as big as Osprey and seemed to fly just as easily so Snowpeak was curious about the deep woods fledgling and even a little eager to meet him.
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Posted: Mon Sep 22, 2008 10:20 am
Ossie paused on a limb and peered back at the little fledgling that she had darted away from. A grin was on her beak and she seemed in high spirits, not at all upset that Holly had gotten a head start.
"Naw, we gotta' go back. We're goin' to our teacher. I'll come back t'visit sometime, though, 'n maybe we c'n play again!"
She turned her head after Hollyhock, who was covering a good bit of distance ahead of her, now.
"Aw, shoot! Gotta' go, really, now. Hollyhock is gonna' get there first!" The larger mist fledgling spread her wings and shot after her Deep Woods friend again.
"Holleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!" She peeped after him in a mock groan as she dissapeared into the forest, chasing after him.
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Posted: Mon Sep 22, 2008 1:41 pm
“But, but… wait! Oi…” Snowpeak shouted a weak call leaning on his branch. A very large dark space stood between himself and the trees in front of him and the little fledgling wasn’t stupid enough to attempt the jump. Not that it mattered really considering the mist female was long gone, nothing more than a white spot in the distance now. Stupid sneaky deep woods…
Ashton had left, too. He was all alone again. Oh well, maybe he could get something to eat from Typhoon or a couple other minders if he asked nicely enough. On that last thought, the mist fledgling turned on the branch and took a few strong but clumsy flaps as he returned to the heart of the Enclave.
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