|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Tue Jul 15, 2008 6:12 pm
 "Fold those wings right now, young lady!"
Bright yellow eyes darted toward the voice, which belonged to one of the younger minders. This particular minder, a Wildtype named Softspice, wasn't very intimidating, in fact, you could get away with almost anything when she was on duty.
Except for today. She was jumping at the faintest breeze in the leaves, so of course she noticed Rainfall standing on the edge of the platform, wings spread wide. But the fledgling wasn't planning to go anywhere. She hadn't even started flying lessons yet! She was merely looking out at the forest, imagining herself gliding and making fantastic dives, leaving all the other fledges far behind.
Now the little Deep Woods obediently tucked her wings to her sides as she turned and looked up at the caregiver with an expectant peep. "Is it time to eat yet?"
Softspice's eartufts were flat, and she was preening her chest and wings with a haste that was not often seen in the Enclave. "Soon," she mumbled through a beakful of feathers. "We're waiting on a hunter. He's bringing your meal."
"But I saw Scumblebark eating nuts earlier. Can't I just have some of those?"
"No, you're getting something--" here she paused to nibble an uncooperative feather, "--something live today."
"Live?"
Well, this was a surprise. Usually food was already dead when it came to the Enclave. But, after some thought, Rain understood that someone had to kill all those rodents and other meat she and the others had eaten. And now she’d have to kill one herself. Was she to become the new food-killer for the Enclave? The idea of being awarded a job was exciting, but she wasn’t sure if she’d be any good at it. She’d never killed anything before.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Jul 15, 2008 7:18 pm
 If it was one thing, it was that Sly was efficient. If he had a set date to do something, he’d be there on the dot. It was only natural that someone who aspired to be the best not linger about when things needed to be done and when things were important, he didn’t want to jeopardize them. Unbeknownst to most, though known to a few of Sly’s associates, there were things happening under the normal currents of Noctua life that would suck Sentinels in like a predestined tornado. This didn’t exclude fledglings. It had to start somewhere, it was just a sense of deep luck that Sly had things working well for him. Hopefully. He had come into a great deal of annoyance w hen he first met Liam and found he would have to extend a great deal of time, effort, and favors to get references. Yet, as conniving intelligence went, Minders were plenty in Noctua. Liam couldn’t handle them all and he certainly didn’t know them all. One good ting about Minders was that they were busy taking care of their charges. They didn’t go far to socialize and were usually too busy to talk too much about random Sentinels.
It was with this that Sly found a loophole that bypassed all the dreaded work he would have to go if he wanted to go through Liam. Good thing was, he didn’t want to go to Liam. The male could choke on mus guts for all he cared. He wasn’t even particular to the ward he had his eye one. They were all empty-headed youngsters anyways. As long as they weren’t unpleasant to the eye and healthy, he would take them. He’d be the one molding them into what he wanted anyways.
Still, things COULD go wrong. Sly was pessimistic in the light of all the terrible occurrences he had to go through (namely faking a apology and acting lowly to Liam). The one shimmering bit of opportunity could well be a dead end. Luckily, he had yet to alert anyone he was seeking another Minder and other charges. If all things failed, he could go back to getting references.
It took Sly a bit of time to find a bit of live prey. The forest was still effected by the storm and random Sentinels hunting nearby. After finding a pleasing, plump, squirrel, he flew to the Minder’s enclave. Just this test and he would see if this was worth his time or if he’d have to waste more time talking to Sentinels in fake voices to please a even more annoying Minder.
The Shadow flew low and with grace until he spotted the Minder and the charge he had picked. He had watched her once he got the idea to look for another Enclave and talked to the Minders. She looked the healthiest, wasn’t a mixed breed (though he would have liked a Shadow), and didn’t seem ‘defective’ in much of any way. Still young, so she was ripe for crafting.
He landed, greeting the Minder, the squirrel twisting and squealing in his right talons, ignored.
The pair exchanged a few quick words before the Shadow looked at the young fledgling. He had yet to directly talk to her or be this close, and he noticed how very small she was. “Hello.” He said, his voice deep and melodic. “I am Sly. I’m sure you’ve very excited to kill this here squirrel, so I won’t keep you. I have to warn you, he’s a quick one. Don’t let him escape.” He said. If the squirrel wasn’t killed, either because the fledgling was too slow, unskilled, clumsy, or refused because it was timid, he wouldn’t bother. He’d look to the group for another.
Not wanting to waste time to let her prepare (he had to see if she was quick on her talons), he released and the squirrel slipped off towards the fledglings, the smaller (and lesser) threat of the other two adults.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Jul 15, 2008 8:17 pm
It felt like ages passed while Rain waited on that platform with the nervous Softspice. The minder’s anxious preening was worrisome to the fledgling. Who was this hunter, who could make the minder so upset without even being here?
The answer came soon enough; there was no sound made by his wings, but Rainfall happened to be looking in the right direction when he appeared. Like a wave of darkness, he descended to the platform, his landing so fluid that she hardly noticed when he came to a stop.
Softspice was stiff while conversing with the Shadow, but their words were lost on the Deep Woods fledgling. She could only stare, rather stupidly, as the dark male turned and looked at her.
His feathers… they sort of… shimmered.
And then he spoke to her in a voice more beautiful than she’d ever heard. She was riveted when he introduced himself. Sly. His name had to be, well, the coolest one she’d ever heard.
She was concentrating so hard on the timbre of his voice and the play of light on his lustrous feathers that it came as a bit of a surprise when she reacted by sheer instinct, talons reaching out toward a flash of movement between them. Her eyes dropped to the squirrel that was now struggling under her weight. No dye on its fur, no terror-stricken pleas flying from its lips. Not a companion.
And Rainfall was so hungry.
Its neck snapped in her talons, and she began to feed.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Jul 15, 2008 9:02 pm
The reaction was swift, second nature, and was made quickly. It was the instincts of basic killers. Of hunters. Of, what Sly had agreed then and there, his new ward. He gave a satisfied smile, not for Rain doing well, but for Sly having the keen sight in picking out a fledgling actually worth part of his time. She’d work. For what he had in mind, she’d do well enough.
Turning, he looked to the Minder, who seemed to shrink the moment his attention diverted to it. He didn’t even know this Snowpeak, barely bothered to remember the name, but was amused to see that he didn’t even need notoriety to make other’s intimidated. Still got it. (Whatever ‘it’ was, most Sentinels didn’t even want and most parents hoped their child would never get.)
“That’s all I needed to know. Yes, she’ll do fine.” He said. It wasn’t the tone that most hopefuls parents used, usually misty eyed, but more in the way a Sentinel used when picking out a fresh fruit to eat or testing out a suitable perch. He didn’t leave the Minder to pause for consideration, or doubt it's decision, as he turned to look at Rain. “Very well done. You certainly don’t deserve to be here. Come. I’ll take you home with me.” He said, giving a smile that he had practiced on the way here as his new ‘parenting’ smile (he couldn’t use the ‘you-have-no-idea-what-I’m-up-to’ smile and he wouldn’t waste his ‘I’ll-get-you-in-the-end’ smile either).
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jul 17, 2008 4:14 pm
For a fledgling, food was practically a thing to be worshipped. She tore and gulped meat from that squirrel, still wired from the kill, till the sharp gaze of Sly was again fixed on her and he addressed her with praise. This was something she was used to, but only from kindly minders. Never from someone as awe-inspiring as a powerful hunter. And she never could have expected him to offer her a home.
Her head jerked as she looked in disbelief to Softspice, eartufts standing straight up. The minder’s tufts swept back and she nodded weakly. Soft’s expression suggested she was ashamed, probably worried the fledgling would think she was being forced out of the Enclave.
But Rainfall thought no such thing. She shuffled over to the minder and tried her best to preen Softspice’s chest feathers. “Don’t worry about me!” she said in a cheery tone. “I’ll come back and visit when I learn to fly good!”
The lady minder’s eartufts remained lying back, but she smiled and bent to smooth the feathers on the fledgling's head. “Be a good girl,” she murmured. “Always be good.”
“I will, I’ll be a good girl for my new dad. You’ll see!”
With that, the little Deep Woods turned and hopped to the big black Sentinel as fast as she could. She looked up at him with adoring eyes, already knowing he would be the perfect father.
“I’m ready to go home now,” she said.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jul 17, 2008 9:18 pm
The Shadow had been aware of the decision he was making and the various things he would have to put up with, but knowing and actually facing things was a completely different thing. First off was being called ‘dad’. The entire idea churned his stomach, especially coming from a Deep Woods. It wasn’t the fact that this fledgling wasn’t his type, but also not his, not that he wanted his own kids, but this seems worse. Secondly was the look. It was that wide-eyed, large look that screamed a deep dependency upon you and a yearning for attention and acceptance. It was perfect for what he would need to do, but it also seemed TOO easy, and also unsettling. Completely unguarded.
He was also irked by the fact that she could not fly and he wondered at what point he had started to fly to see if this was normal or not, but thinking too deep in memory always upset him and he was already irratble as it was. Still, after some work, they did arrive to his place and he settled the new fledgling on the healthy part of his home on the thick branch just outside his home. Settling, he did a quick groom. “First off, little one, I wanted to point this out to you, as your new guardian, I ask you not to call me dad or father. Call me sir.” He stated, wanting to get rid of that misconception right away. He would have none of it as it ruffled him too much to hear it.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jul 17, 2008 10:15 pm
Rain’s first impression of Sly’s territory was that it was like something out of a bard’s tale. Her new home was made of two maple trees, one living and one dead, which had grown together beside a fast-moving stream of water. The live one was strong-looking and beautiful. The dead tree, brittle and black, seemed to bow to the strong one, letting its branches trail into the river.
Perfect. It was all perfect.
She watched Sly straighten his feathers, noting how effortlessly he put every one into place. Everything he did seemed effortless. She promised herself then and there that she would work hard and gain that same grace.
The request he made of Rainfall-- to call him “Sir” instead of one of the normal names for a male parent-- was confusing at first. She thought about it, trying to figure out why he’d want such a thing. It turned out to be rather logical. He really wasn’t her father. It’d be like having someone call Rainfall something like “Rainstorm.” Nobody wants to be called a name that isn’t their own!
It was all very clear now, so she smiled and nodded at her guardian. “Whatever you say, Sir!”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Jul 18, 2008 7:21 pm
He couldn’t help but give a satisfied smile. So easily trained. He wished other Sentinels did as they were told. Turning, he looked down upon her though still at his usual comfortable distance. “Good. I’m glad I won’t have to repeat myself, yet I’m going to explain why. so you know and can tell others if they ask. I hope you understand that I am not your father, which is why you call me sir. I’m not a substitute parent for you. You should not be under this impression. I’m going to be looking after you and teaching you. That’s all you need, but rest assured you can rely upon me for answers and protection. As for the parents, I’ll make it clear that you do not need them. They have forgotten you and don’t want you and as such, you don’t need them, you shouldn’t look for them, and you should forget them entirely. Do not look for them, do not ponder about them. They don’t exist in your world. Just you and me.” He said, giving a shift of his head at this. He certainly didn’t need parents when he grew up and neither did she. Thinking about them would interfere.
He shifted his feathers once more. “From this point on, I’m going to be teaching you everything you need to know. First off, we are going to start on flying lessons. Once you learn how to properly fly, we will continue to hunting and other exercises that we cannot otherwise do while you are grounded. This will all be done early, so prepare for it. I won’t take slacking on your part. If you do, then you’ll only prove to me that I made the wrong choice. Just because I’ve picked you doesn’t mean there are plenty more fledglings that would be more gracious to be taken in by a guardian such as myself.” He said, instilling the guilt and fear she would need to push on.
Shifting his feathers, he looked about. “This is your home now. Don’t stray too far from it until we learn to properly fly. I’ll also be delivering live food as I did today to get you better at killing. There is always room for improvement.”
There was a low hiss that came from behind, introducing the long and slithering form of a twisting Serpe, coming to see if her master had anything to snack on. Sly looked up to the branch she was lowering onto. “That is Dayga. She is my companion. She will not hurt you with me around. I’ll also teach you how to treat companions as they should be treated.” As tools and deserving of punishment if they so much as cross a line.
Thinking he felt a bit set, he looked at her again. “Is there anything you want to ask?”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Jul 18, 2008 8:03 pm
Throughout her new guardian’s wordy monologue, Rainfall just stared at him with an expression that she always used when adults’ talk began to lose her. It would appear attentive and understanding, when in reality all she caught were key words:
Blahblahblahflying lessonsblahblahblahhuntingblahblahblahfood.
The whole spiel about parents went over her head, too. She’d been hatched at the Enclave, so all she knew were the minders. If it hadn’t been for Sly’s bringing up the subject, she probably never would have given it a thought. She would have told him the same in far simpler words, but his commanding speech continued without pause.
Dayga’s entrance was yet another event that she would file away as memorable. The poisonous-looking yellow scales of the creature made it many times more terrifying than a plain Serpe would be. Sly’s reassurance gave Rain the confidence to perk up her eartufts and gawk at the weird slithery thing, but there was no way in all Noctua that she’d get any closer to it. Not even for a whole tree full of squirrels.
“Is there anything you want to ask?”
She looked to the Shadow at his question, blinking her golden eyes. He’d covered all the important things already. Oh, wait! There was something else that he’d completely overlooked.
“Who else lives around here?” she blurted. “Are there other fledglings to play with?”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Jul 18, 2008 8:17 pm
Sly looked at her for a few moments. He…hadn’t even considered that question. In reality, he expected her to give him a lot more questions about various things, but other fledglings didn’t occur to him and he felt a bit foolish for not anticipating this question. It was typical of little fledglings to want to play with there own, but in Sly’s case, he hadn’t bothered playing with the other fledglings when he was growing up.
The Shadow gave a look around, considering various directions as he turned about and looked around the forest as if he could spot a little companion for her as he thought. “I do not believe there are. I like to keep my privacy, but I do not visit my neighbors as often as I am forced to. Still, I remain close to where other Sentinels are, so I do not think they are too far.” He said, thinking before turning back to look at her. “It does not matter anyways. You will be kept busy for the most part and since you cannot fly yet, you will not be flying to them anyways.” And when she did, he would keep her busy on his own errands to prevent her from messing with others. “I don’t want you to associate with fledglings I do not approve of. When the time comes, I’ll want to see whom you talk to. There are things to be said of a Sentinel who hangs with the wrong kind of Sentinel.”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Jul 18, 2008 9:07 pm
“B-But…”
But what? He was right, after all. No way she could get very far by hopping from branch to branch, and certainly not by walking on the ground. The fledgling shuddered at the thought, fluffing her feathers out and then sleeking them back down.
“Okay, Sir,” she mumbled.
So if Rainfall wanted friends, she was going to have to work for them. That was acceptable. You learn to fly and feed yourself, you gain your freedom. Not that she was actually thinking about freedom. Her mind was on racing the feathers off of the other fledglings she would meet.
With that goal in mind, she offered another question. “When can we start flying lessons?” Rain gave an eager flap of her wings, hoping he wouldn’t say she wasn’t old enough yet.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Jul 18, 2008 9:24 pm
“As soon as possible. We’ll be doing so tomorrow at the start of the morning. I want to see how well you do and how far we have to go. It’s going to be a lot of hard work, but with proper guidance, you will have no reason to fail unless you do not put forth enough effort. I don’t play games here. It won’t be all fun.” To be exact, it wouldn’t be fun at all.
Shaking his wings, he extended a wing. “Come. Let’s go inside.” He said, not wanting to remain out in the open too long. He glanced up at Dayga, who smelled the air with her tongue, her tongue flicking as she took in the newest arrival. Sly glared at his companion, who took notice and recoiled back.
“Tell me, what lessons have you had. Not only in flying. I mean all of them.” He wanted to know what she knew and what filth the Minder’s told her and what he would have to throw out of her head and replace with his own.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Jul 18, 2008 10:13 pm
Tomorrow! That was exactly what she wanted to hear.
“We’ve had lots of lessons,” the fledge chirped, ambling towards the entrance of Sly’s tree. She threw a look over her shoulder at the Serpe before going inside, willing it not to follow. The last thing she wanted was to be stuck in a tree hollow with it. To her infinite surprise, it backed up. She felt proud of herself for being so tough as to send the thing away with just a glance, and puffed her chest out with great satisfaction. She had no idea, of course, that it was truly Sly’s glare that made Dayga recoil.
Inside, she explored the new surroundings, chattering all the while. “Softspice and the others told us to play nice, and not to hog all the food, and not to eat certain things. Like companions. That was confusing at first, but they showed us how big they were next to the wild versions, and told us about the dye owners usually put on them. And there’s been presentations by the Elites and Sentinels from all the other Tasks to help us decide what we want to do when we get older. The bards were really fun! They taught us a fun fledgling dance and even some songs! Wanna hear one?”
The little Deep Woods would have starting singing right then and there, but she had to pause for breath. If Sly wanted to say anything, he’d better say it quick!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Jul 19, 2008 6:11 pm
He had opened a torrent of words and watched as the little fledgling poured out with everything she had experienced thus far, much to Sly’s dismay. He wasn’t use to it just yet and he remembered why he didn’t like dealing with fledglings. Again he wondered if he had been this annoying as a youngster, but quickly decided he wasn’t. He had more sense, even back then. Listening, he felt pangs of different things that caused him to frown. So much he would have to address. Hogging food, being nice, companions was a must to deal with, and --
Sly shot his feathers out to cup the fledgling and still her. “NO!” He shot out, quick to silence her. He was startled by his own quick reaction and he let his fluffed feathers ease back, breathing deep as he lowered his wings. The last thing he wanted to do was startle her or scare her. You had to execute fear in a delicate matter. Not shock her to distrust and make her unmanageable. “No.” he said, in a more calm and relaxed tone. “ As a rule, I don’t want to hear any signing. Bards are worthless for their songs. If they are not signing the songs of our history instead of those terrible tunes that they sing now, they are no good. Bards are a waste and it’s a waste to become one. You’re better off listening to the Elites. They are true Sentinels.” He said, implanting his own ideals upon her. He shuddered as he removed his wings from her and started to move about his own Enclave. “Bards. Pah. A headache and a half. Worthless. Every one.” Sly was muttering and talking to himself, something he preferred to do in the company of himself and only himself and did often when he was alone in his Enclave. No one could title you crazy for talking to yourself when you where alone in your own Enclave.
Sly’s home was very organized and neat. A small mound was created in a nest to comfort him when he slept after long days and another corner held a small cash of food. Nuts, dull berries (as he didn’t prefer the sweet), and a Mus he was saving for later. On another corner where various bottles, all musty and their contents undisclosed. Favors from shady friends that he kept and didn’t allow others to see. They where timid enough for him to keep at home and too precious for him to keep in the various hidey-holes he kept the more … incriminating items that he kept stashed around the area. At least here, he had Dayga to guard this things.
Overall, it was spare of anything decorative aside from a neat pile of the Shadows feathers that he kept not only to make sleeping better but in case he had to ask a favor of someone who would take the immaculate and very pristine feathers from him (which was only in dire situations as he didn’t like others using his feathers for anything). There was nothing in the way of decorations aside from a few miscellaneous skulls in one corner, but despite the bones, it had the feeling of being lived in and cozy to its owner.
“ Forget what your Minders have told you. They have to tell you children certain things but are lying through their beaks. Just because someone tells you something doesn’t mean it’s true. Remember that. Aside from me, question what people say.” He said, expanding her to become paranoid of others. He was shuffling through a bit of items in a corner as Dayga the snake moved into the enclave, slithering into the hollow and curling into a small indentation in the wall that seemed a half hole perfect for her to curl into.
Sly looked over his shoulder. “Also, I will be telling things you should not repeat. I’ll tell you what you keep to yourself. Don’t repeat things I tell you in confidence.” He said, looking narrowly at her in a unspoken threat. “ When someone tells you about companions, repeat what the Minders have said, but know this. Companions are nothing but tools. They are here to serve us. We are the smarter and the better of them. They are not pets. You should not grow attached to them. They are not a substitution for others. If you want companionship and someone to talk to, do so with other Sentinels. No…, talk to me. Do not use a companion. They are dumb and they are not fit for it. You waste your time and you make yourself dumb and worthless by thinking that they are on the same level.”
“You’re not dumb and worthless, are you Rain?” He said, looking at her.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Jul 20, 2008 9:58 pm
If this had been a contest to see who could talk the most, then Rain most definitely lost. She found herself first buried in his black feathers, then subjected to the most confusing set of orders she’d ever heard. Forget everything the minders told her? You couldn’t just forget something, especially after it had been repeated to you day after day. The fact that all of it had been a lie scared her, too. This Sly person, who seemed to be the only one who told the truth, was definitely going to be a great fathe--Sir. That’s right. A great Sir. The best Sir there ever was.
She nodded earnestly at everything he demanded of her, hoping she could remember it all. There was so much! She couldn't quite see how the bards were useless, but if Sir said so, then it must be true. She'd sure miss their songs, though.
And then came that awful question:
“You’re not dumb and worthless, are you Rain?”
That stung quite a bit. Had she already some kind of mistake? Was Sir mad at her?
“Nossir!” she squawked, fluffing up in protest. “I’m smart and I’m not worthless! You’ll see! I won’t make no more mistakes!”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
