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 Posted: Sat Dec 22, 2007 10:39 pm
((I know it's just me right now, but I put this in here instead of in my territory so other people could find it more easily.))
Roth the silent swept the loose twigs from his Sentinel's nest. Liam's nest was always messy, due to the number of hatchlings and fledglings in there every day. It's a miracle his sleeping space isn't this bad! thought the Skurri as he rearranged the nest. He pressed himself up against the wall in a panic when a dark shadow fell across it. Heart hammering against his squirrely ribs, he clacked his teeth at the sight of the returning Sentinels. Liam had been taking Thorn out for a flight, and that Chirops of the fledgling had been collecting... things. Roth made himself scarce after piercing glares at the birds.
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Posted: Sat Dec 22, 2007 10:46 pm
Thorn took no notice of the glaring Roth. He was too busy hopping on one foot excitedly, almost falling off the branch. "Where'd Cass go, Liam? What's he getting? Is it for me? Is it tasty? Why'd we stop so far off the ground? I saw something move down there! It might have been food!"
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Posted: Sat Dec 22, 2007 10:52 pm
Liam chuckled at his charge's antics, flinching, though, when the boy almost keeled over. "He's out on an errand I asked him and Roth to run. He's getting, oh, various things, some of which are for you, but you probably shouldn't eat them. Today I've decided to have the companions go gather some materials to work with, so you fledglings can test your Will. Roth has been gathering berries and bugs, as well as other bits, while Cassiel has been after something... special." With that, he closed his beak, grinning, while Thorn peppered him with questions about the special thing his companion was getting.
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Posted: Sat Dec 22, 2007 10:54 pm
As Liam ignored him, Thorn decided to quiet down and watch for Cassiel. In a few minutes, the Chirops returned with a barkcloth pouch in his claws. He flew right over Thorn's head and dropped it in Liam's waiting talon. The Chirops collapsed on the floor of the nest. That stuff was heavy!
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Posted: Sat Dec 22, 2007 11:29 pm
Liam ducked back inside his sleeping cavity, Cassiel's mysterious package in one talon. He picked up a larger pouch and went back outside, Roth following him berries in paw. The Minder unfolded the fabric and laid the contents of the large pouch. A veritable treasure trove of bits of twig, stone, cloth, and cord, scavenged from the Crafters lay within. Roth added apothecarian berries to the mix, and Cassiel's packet contained a scrap of metal! "Just play around with it, kiddo," Liam said. "But if anybody else shows up, you have to share!" He wasn't sure if the hatchling had heard him; Thorn was already piling up the twigs and attempting to weave them together.
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Posted: Sun Dec 30, 2007 1:55 pm
Thorn glared at the twigs. For some reason, they just wouldn't stay where he wanted them to! Lifting them was easy enough, positioning them fine, but when he turned his attention to the next twig, they fell apart. Hissing a little, the fledgling moved on to the most interesting item- the metal. It was a smooth, long flat piece, dull in color, and quite malleable. He picked it up and brought it near his face to study it. Maybe I'll have better luck with this, he thought.
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Posted: Sun Dec 30, 2007 9:16 pm
The metal felt cool to Thorn's mind, if such a thing could be felt. Unlike the sticks, it seemed to spark under his touch. I like this! he thought. He folded the metal strip. It was pliable to the claws, and it bent with slight resistance. He wrapped his Will around the metal, concentrating on getting it into a loop. Exhausted suddenly, he dropped it and collapsed. "Whew!" he panted.
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Posted: Sun Dec 30, 2007 9:32 pm
Liam rushed over to the fledgling. Thorn looked small and still, and he was afraid he'd have to call for a medic. His fears were somewhat alleviated, though, as Thorn pushed himself up, panting. Both Cassiel and Liam went in to rush him away from the metal. "Don't hurt yourself!" With a sharp nod to Roth, Liam sent the Skurri scurrying for one of the willowbark packets he kept in his sleeping cavity. He guided Thorn to the part of the nest with the most feathers, then propped him up against the side. The fledgling's beak was slightly agape, but his eyes were dancing happily. Liam shredded the willowbark, then fed it to Thorn slowly and carefully.
The now-curved metal lay abandoned on the floor of the nest. Cassiel picked it up and dropped it gently on his Sentinel's left talons. "You left it."
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Posted: Sun Jan 06, 2008 8:18 pm
Thorn glanced at the metal now hooked on one talon. "Thanks, Cass," he murmured. The feeling of the metal bending still glowed in his mind. He looked at, and a shape came to him. A loop, with the ends twisted together, then a crosspiece... it had no meaning, but maybe it would look nice.
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Posted: Mon Jan 07, 2008 4:46 am
Liam thought about what had just happened. It was obvious that his fledgling had a strong affinity for soft metal, or at least this particular sort. He was going to have to find him a Crafter to apprentice him to; in the meantime, he would have to be watched carefully while he was working. He didn't want Thorn to end up with a lifetime of migraines.
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Posted: Mon Jan 07, 2008 4:52 am
Thorn picked up the metal again, right where he was sitting. His Will tingled, and slowly but carefully, he unbent the metal until it was straight again. He stretched it out, making the thin flat piece much thinner and longer. Carefully, he folded it in half, then brought the ends through the loop. He pinched them together when he was satisfied. He bend the ends of the metal out to each side. They were too long to look good, so he twisted them around the bars, then one side up over the loop and one side down the long stick of the charm. He took little breaks in the process, resting for a few minutes after a couple of twists or a bend, but slowly and surely he made the strange shape. "I did it," he said softly.
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Posted: Tue Jan 08, 2008 6:52 am
Liam looked at the thing Thorn had made. It was... odd. Very odd. It wasn't like the spiral shapes so loved by the Sentinels at all. He'd never seen a shape like it before. "What is it?" he asked softly, keeping his tone reserved.
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Posted: Tue Jan 08, 2008 6:55 am
Thorn shook his head. "I don't know. I just made it up. It seemed to fit." He looked up at Liam. "Is there something wrong with it? Is it really that bad?" His eyes got big and started to water a little bit.
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Posted: Tue Jan 08, 2008 7:15 am
Sensing how crushed the little fledgling was becoming, Liam quickly patted him on the back, chucking him under the beak with a pinion. "No, it's a fine shape. It's good work. It's just... unique. It's yours and nobody else's, and it's special. You did a great job making it, Thorn. We're going to find you a real Crafter to apprentice to, if we can- you need to be taught more about metal and what you can do with it, and I can't work with the stuff. Have you tried any of the other materials?"
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Posted: Tue Jan 08, 2008 7:19 am
Thorn shook his head again. "I tried the wood, but I gave up pretty quickly. Do you think I should try something else?"
"It won't hurt," said Liam. "Perhaps you'll enjoy it, even."
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