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Trista noticed that no other student was answering. As much as she would hate to give another answer before letting the others try, she figured that maybe they just didn't know. "Their cries, sir, were believed to be an omen of death. Now, they are known to fortell rain." Trista looked around, trying to see if any student looked disappointed that they did not get to answer, making sure that she had not stolen the chance for anyone.

"Corect, Trista. Now, the Augurey is native to Britain and Ireland, though sometimes found elswhere in Europe. It is intensley shy, nests in brambles or thorns, eats large insects and the occasional fairy, and flies only in heavy rain. It is a 'which came first; the chicken or the egg?' senario because people have either had a heart attack when hearing the cry and beleiving that they were supposed to be dead, or the heart attacks gave the rumors light. Uric the Oddball was known to have slept in a room with no less than 50 pet augureys. During one particularly wet winter, he beleived to have died from all the moans. His constant failing attempts resulted in what his biographer called a 'concusion lasting ten days.' A particularly good book is Why I Didn't Die When the Augury Cried by Gulliver Pokeby. He was the first to realize that it meant rain. Augury feathers are useless as quills, can anyone tell me why?"

Jotting down notes as their teacher talked about Augereys, their cries, Uric the Oddball and good books, Ginger has her tongue stuck between her lips in concentration.
Hearing the question, she was sure she wouldn't be able to answer it. Everything about augereys was new to her, so why would this be any different?

Then, actually understanding the question, she looked up, and her hand shot into the air. She knew that one. Not because it was about augereys, but because she knew a thing or two about feathers. This just /had/ to be it. " They repel ink?" She answered with more confidence then she suddenly felt. That might've been an entirely different feather, after all..

Alastar ushered everyone in, quietly telling them that the augureys were out back. There was a circular tabl;e in the middle of the room with frozen ashwinders and eggs in it. Along the walls were lined shelves with all sorts of devices and objects from his distant past. In between two bookshelves was a glass case with a stone sword in it. The case was locked, of course, with magical enchantments and such.

Ryu walked into the firelit room of his grandfather's hut. Richter was sleeping on a small mat next to Alastar's bed. He looked at the ashwinders in amazment. This was a rare sight, considering they only lived for about an hour.

Silently Ginger walked behind the rest of the students into the little hut, and she peeked over Trista's shoulder to see what they were looking at. Somehow she felt curious, interested, and excited.
The eggs and frozen ashwinders on the table caught her eye, and she merely stared at them.

Ginger's eyes wandered from one student to the other, and rested on Ryu, who seemed quite at home in the place.

After the long silence Alastar gave up. "Very well," said Alastar, "If no one knows, the two weapons that can destroy any beast are two swrods of legend: The Hero's Blade of Water, and the The Coward's Blade of Fire. Those two swords, when combined, create a sword so powerful that any creature will be destroyed and sent to a realm where the worst of the worst are placed for eternity. This right here is the Coward's Blade."