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 Posted: Sun Feb 10, 2008 11:13 am
She sighs, shaking herself free of these silly thoughts, and rolls her shoulders in preparation for flight. Since she shouldn't go poke at Moult for at least another few hours and she hasn't heard of any other crises that would demand her presence, the medic may as well check up on some old patients to see how their recovery is progressing.
A simple hop propels her into the air, and the Mist wings silently towards the realm of the Minders and Teachers - in search of Craneberry, the little fledgling the other Medics had been willing to give up on. Never fly again, they'd said! Well, she certainly showed them, but faint twinges of doubt still claw at the edges of her mind. How well had the youngster recovered from her grievous injury, really? Only time will tell...
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Posted: Sun Feb 10, 2008 1:47 pm
The fledgling in question is currently sulking. Many of the other fledglings have been busy preparing for graduation, and both minders and teachers are focused on calming down the nervous soon-to-be adults. No one is interested in aswering Craneberry's questions at the moment even if some of the teachers humored her for a while. When their answers got shorter and shorter the fledgling left them alone.
Craneberry wishes she was a bit older and a bit better at flying, but despite her foul mood she realises that she can't do anything useful for the clan yet. She needs to learn more and is determined to gain as much knowledge as possible. Currently she's sitting by herself, using her beak to shred a piece of birch bark in smaller and smaller pieces.
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Posted: Sun Feb 10, 2008 2:22 pm
Lichen's path takes her through the bustling realm of the Teachers and taught, and for a moment she is confused at the activity.. until she remembers the imminent graduation. Good, another distraction from her all-too-free time! She makes a mental note to wing by the ceremony after she is done with her check-up, as some of the more impatient soon-to-be-adults are already heading off that way.
It's not too hard to find Craneberry once the medic starts to search in earnest. She slows down as she nears the fledgling's location, confused at first by what she sees. After calling out with a soft hoot of warning, the larger Mist lands nearby. Leaning in a bit, she peers curiously at Craneberry's progress. "Nice even pieces, better for a decoction that way," she clucks approvingly, "Although I wouldn't choose birch, myself. It's quite bitter and not nearly as effective as some other, more palatable choices."
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Posted: Mon Feb 11, 2008 2:51 pm
Craneberry is too distracted to take any note of the hoot, but she looks up when Lichen lands. At first she is startled, but when she recognises the female she smiles.
"Hullo Lichen," she says and looks up at the Medic. Despite, or perhaps thanks to, their previous encounters Craneberry has decided Lichen is a friend. She is usually a bit shy around her at first, but will soon warm up to the adult. Craneberry bobs her head happily at the praise, but is a bit confused about what she did right.
"What's a de..." she does her beds to mimic what Lichen just said, "A decoction? I was just playing around with the bark..."
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Posted: Mon Feb 11, 2008 3:06 pm
Pleased to not have startled Craneberry overmuch, Lichen nods and allows a small smile to grace her face. In response to the question the Medic launches into an explanation without thinking, her voice already falling into the pattern of a lecture. "A decoction, yes, that's right. It's like a tisane, bu--" and then she cuts herself off, narrowing her eyes down at the fledgling. "I'm sorry, I get carried away so easily. I'd image you'll learn all about that sort of thing from one of your Teachers some day, I won't waste any of your free time with this boring nonsense."
"So!" Her voice returns to the usual crisp tones she adopts when she's on business, but a little bit of a smile is still dancing about in her eyes. "How're you feeling? Flying laps around your classmates yet?" Taking care to avoid any of Craneberry's work, the Mist finds a little spot to settle down in and immediately begins a little bit of post-flight preening while she waits for a reply.
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Posted: Tue Feb 12, 2008 1:59 pm
Craneberry soaks up every word and seems to enjoy the prospect of a lecture. She slumps a bit when the fun ends and her eartufts drop even further as Lichen mentions flying laps around her classmates.
It's not that she doesn't like flying, it's just that it's so hard to brave that first few wingbeats before she is picking up enough speed not to worry about falling anymore. She does better in lessons that don't involve leaving the platform.
"I'm not that good at flying yet," she says in a very small voice. "But my teacher says I'm making all the motions all right." Craneberry is eager to demonstrate by running a few wing lengths on the platform while flapping her small wings. An untrained eye wouldn't see anything unusual in the way the fledgling moves, but a medic can surely pick out the slight differences from normal wing movement.
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Posted: Tue Feb 12, 2008 7:34 pm
Ah, the enthusiasm of youth.. Lichen can't help but grin a little as she watches Craneberry flap around, having politely ignored the fledgling's temporary unhappiness (and also having blissfully ignored the disappointment at the end of the impromptu 'lesson'). Still, as amused as she is, she watches those movements with an alarmingly discerning eye. Little bit of drag there, too much hesitation in the muscle response.. each individual movement isn't terribly far outside the standard deviation, but when considered altogether it's really not surprising that the recovering fledgling is reluctant to fly under her own power.
"Your teacher is precisely correct," she affirms, continuing to watch Craneberry's movements. "There's nothing wrong with what you're doing. Some of the muscles just got.. hm, a little tightened, see, in a not quite natural way. You need to do some stretches, and I should have an Apothecary give you a little something to help your muscles relax so you can work them properly." Clucking thoughtfully to herself, Lichen paces in the small space remaining to her. "But with a fledgling.. hm. It's so hard to assign the right dosage for youngsters." She sighs, shaking her head. There's no avoiding it-- "You'll have to come with me, when you have the time to spare."
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Posted: Wed Feb 13, 2008 3:37 pm
Craneberry stops well before the platform ends and trots back to Lichen.
"My dad says I need to relax my wings more," the fledgling confesses, and seems to take Lichen's explanation to heart. "Is it because I fell?"
She beats her wings a few more times before tucking them neatly to her sides, and a quick preen makes her realise that she must have dropped something on her chest when she last ate. Quickly the fledgling disposes of the evidence. Still tasty, but Lichen's sigh makes her look up from the stained feather.
"Come with you?" the fledgling echoes and bobs her head excitedly, "Where are we going? Are we going now? I might be able to join my dad on a short patrol when I can fly better."
With a scout and a hunter as parents Craneberry doesn't see her parents every day. The couple stubbornly refused to leave their first chick to be cared for by minders only, especially after her accident. The result is happy family life whenever mom and dad is home and rowdy fledgling life in the minders enclave when they're away. The fledgeling doesn't mind, really.
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Posted: Fri Feb 15, 2008 8:07 pm
"That would have something to do with it, indeed," she agrees, watching the fledgling move about. Even 'normal' movements can say a lot to a trained eye, and Lichen's eyes are among the most highly-trained orbs in the clan. The little bit of mess on Craneberry's chest is ignored, even if the Medic always manages to keep her pale feathers utterly pristine at all times.
"Muscles have a memory of sorts, see. And if they spend too much time bunched up," the Medic hunkers down, squishing herself into an uncomfortable-looking bundle, "then they forget how to move in the ways they used to." And she motions with her wings then, as if she is trying to extend them to their full length but they just can't quite reach. "Your muscles were hurt for a very long time, and they couldn't move in all the ways they need to learn how to move. So we need to see an Apothecary to get some medicine that will help your muscles forget that they've forgotten how to move properly."
Confused for a moment by her own convoluted words (explaining things to fledglings means that she has to simplify to the point of near-obscurity!), Lichen straightens herself out and gazes blankly at their surroundings. It'd be easy to assume that she was checking to see if there were any classes going on or some other commitment that might occupy the fledgling's time, but she's really just.. looking around.
"Oh? Hm, yes, I suppose we could go whenever you are available, Craneberry."
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Posted: Mon Feb 18, 2008 2:15 pm
The fledgling tilts her head this way and that as she follows the wing motions with her eyes. The sulk is long forgotten since this is just as exciting as any lesson.
"Medicine to move properly," Craneberry mumbles and nods at the end of the explanation.
"Oh? Hm, yes, I suppose we could go whenever you are available, Craneberry."
The prospect of a little trip with an adult is getting the fledgling all worked up. She's chirping excitedly and is practically bouncing up and down.
"Oh! Oh! Can we go now?" she asks excitedly, "I don't have classes. Only graduates have classes today and Granny told me to stop bothering them and go play..."
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Posted: Mon Feb 18, 2008 4:36 pm
She can't help but grin a little at the fledgling's enthusiasm, even if a touch of sadness does creep into her expression. It must be hard, being left behind when all of her fledge-mates are graduating. And through no fault of her own, even - no fledgling could be expected to keep up with everyone else after suffering such an injury!
"Of course, of course. But you must promise me that you will go play and enjoy yourself after we've finished with this business, alright?" The Medic pauses, tilting her head to the side as she considers the nearby Apothecaries. Who would be best to see to this situation? Hmm..
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Posted: Sat Feb 23, 2008 3:46 pm
“I will! I will!” Craneberry promises, still bubbling with enthusiasm, “I can go see the babies, they might want to play. And I found a mouse nest yesterday and told no one. Do you think there are still there? Sometimes the mouse mothers move them. Are we going far?”
The fledgling has a hard time staying still, and her wings are half unfolded as if she is ready to leap into the air anytime. If Lichen were to fly, Craneberry would probably jump off the platform without thinking and follow her. She can fly shorter distances, even if she is unwilling to do so. The most difficult part is usually to take the first leap.
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Posted: Sun Feb 24, 2008 6:55 am
Sometimes it's easy for Lichen to forget about the enthusiasm of the young. It's refreshing to see, of course, and she indulges in Craneberry's child-like curiousity, "It depends on how much of your scent you left behind, and how secure the mouse mother feels her nest is. If you put some food nearby then she will probably stay, as mice like to live close to a source of food."
"And it is quite far, actually," the Medic frowns slightly, trying to think if there is any other option. ..no, there really isn't. Not in a situation like this where getting the precise dosage is of utmost importance. There are only a few Apothecaries she would ever consider going to for fledgling medication, and the nearest one is still several hours flight away. But.. she watches the excited fledgling, and even an emotionally-blind fool could see how much happier Craneberry is now. Having suffered such a grievous injury leaves its mark in more than one way - most teachers are probably fearful to push her too hard or even have her in the class, just in case she should get hurt again. And with her fledge-mates gone and the new generation being so obviously younger than her, well...
"Well, this will just have to be a little adventure! You don't have anything important planned for the next few days, do you?" Lichen chirps brightly, turning to give her wings a quick preen as if she expects to launch herself into flight at any moment. "We'll have to swing by to tell your Minders what we're doing, so they can let your parents know. Then we'll travel light, and I will show you how to move through the forest while keeping an eye out for potentially useful items and fending for yourself."
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Posted: Sun Mar 02, 2008 10:09 am
As Lichen explains more about the journey ahead of them Craneberry is torn between wanting to start the journey right now and wanting to hurry and see if the mouse nest is still there. The conflicting emotions manifests as a funny little hop, but the mice will have to wait.
Oh, oh, oh! Adventure! Many teachers have been wary to take her out on field lessons. It is hard enough to keep track of a horde of fledglings without having to deal with a flight scared one. Most teachers will just leave the weaker one in the nest to wait for next time.
"Yes," she chirps, "I mean no, no, nothing important, and we should tell the minders, yes."
Craneberry absentmindedly makes the preparations for flight, preening and stretching just like she has been taught, but with more energy than ever before.
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Posted: Mon Mar 03, 2008 5:11 am
"So that's settled then! We should grab a bite to eat before we head out, since we'll be hunting for our own food while we're on the wing." Finished with her own pre-flight preparations, she watches Craneberry perform hers.
Interesting, Lichen thinks, she's not doing anything wrong at all.. perhaps the key is to stop her from thinking about what she's going to do, so that she just does it. It may be a case of the body being capable and the mind holding her back. Either way, medication will help - sometimes patients convince themselves of things, and are equally capable of convincing themselves that medication is the 'magic cure' they needed.
"Now, I have one last, important, question. Where is your little mouse nest? We can stop by before we go to drop off a few treats, to make sure they are still there when you get back."
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