Elizabeth follows Ruya to the wooded clearing. It's incredible how quickly the fluffy, down-covered little chick had grown into a fledgeling. With an appetite to match. It's becoming clear to Elizabeth that this was no domesticated bird; Ruya was meant to be wild. It breaks her surrogate mother's heart to know that eventually her little chick would leave the nest, but then, that's how it would be even if Ruya were her biological child. For now, she'd try to be content with the time she has, though she worries about Ruya's ability to survive on her own, even older. She'd led a pampered life, never wanting for food or warmth. Eventually she'd have to learn to hunt, since she was very clearly a meat-eater.
Watching Ruya run zig-zags in front of her, flapping her wings, Elizabeth looks around. Xanthea and Xia should be here soon for their play-date. It's good for Ruya and Xia to socialize.
Ruya had been working on her flight. She hadn't quite gotten the hang of it, but it had been a while since she'd broken anything, at least. She's been feeling strange urges lately. The need to take wing and soar, even if she can only lift herself a bit off the ground yet. She's been eating more and more, and lately the bits of meat Mother had been tossing for her to catch weren't satisfying. She felt like she needed to find her own food. But of course that was silly; Mother provided all she needed. Still, it was worrisome. And of course she couldn't tell Mother about these odd feelings. She'd only worry. Perhaps when Xia got here she'd compare notes with her.
Xanthea was not quite the motherly type as Elizabeth had turned out. Sure she loved and cared for the terror she tried naming after herself (which did not succeed as the tiny bird could only repeat 'Xia' so that ended up sticking as her name) but she did not feel the sentimental attachment that came with knowing her charge was growing up and ready to leave the proverbial (and maybe literal) nest. Actually, she was kind of glad for it. She wanted her alone time back. The prospect of raising a baby at first was thrilling and exciting, and her adoptive mother Faelwen had always told many stories of how finding baby Xanthea had changed her life and was the most wonderful thing to ever happen to her. So Xanthea had grand expectations. She did not however, expect all the teeth, claws and high-pitched screeching. The hunting was also kinda gross, considering Xan preferred fruit and candy over meat. 
Xia, most eager to meet up with Ruya to show off her new wing and tail feathers (and shapes), was also eager to see how her friend was doing and if she'd gotten her new feathers too. She also needed to ask a few more personal questions that she was absolutely sure Xanthea was too dumb to know. Like, how could she get more food without actually eating her "mom." As she hopped through the trees, using her wings to propel her forward or a little higher, she plucked the little knitted finger caps Xan insisted she wear to avoid getting scratched. one by one, tossing each one to the side not caring if Xan seen her do it. She wasn't going to wear those baby things anymore. 
