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Lute was no longer dozing, but he was drowsy. He was awake in the setting light of the sun.. Odd, for a Sentinel, but he wanted to visit his trove of shiny objcts. He liked to sit on the branch outside his private hollow and watch the disco-ball effect the light caused on his mobile and large pile of the rarest gems he had.

Amber, Lapis Lazuli, Amythest, Diamond, Sapphire, Crystal, Quarts and Emeralds, some tied on tendon string and hung up in the hollow, slowly spinning, catching the light. And no-one but him knew of it! He gave a quick preen to his wings, then set off towards the hollow. One sycamore...two...three! There was the pine tree! But something was amiss! Something was very wrong. He banked and landed, peering into the thick nettles of the tree hosting his special cove. He glared and stared continuously, not sure if it was a foe he could chase or an enemy interested in his territory.

Finally, he lifted off with a low, rolling hiss and dove for the hollow. His treasures must be protected!

Lute was not an overly agressive Sentinel. In fact, he welcomed just about everyone to his territory. Oh sure, he'd had problems with a few where he'd lost his temper, like when Sparrow came to visit not long ago, but this was the first time he had ever given chase to something in his territory.

Lute was horrified of hunting by himself. When he had been in classes, long ago, he had killed his teacher's companion- a small mus. And a few months later, he had tried the waiting game- chasing a vole into its burrow and then waiting a day and a night for it to come back out. He never took into consideration that it had more then one entrance to its burrow. But even though he didn't hunt, Lute was unafraid of tearing the small bird to pieces, of at least taking it back to his hollow....if he could catch it first.


Lute first landed harshly on the branch, where Syz had been a moment before. He saw the glint of a crystal in the bird's beak and screeched again, lifting off and diving after him. The still setting sun gave Lute a disadvantage, his pupils tiny and flashing purple spots in his vision. So he narrowed his eyes and relied on his ears. The familiar creek was bubbling beside him, but wing flaps to his left caused him to bank, beak straight out, slitted eyes a golden fury.

Lute beat his massive wings as he gave chase. Instead of flying into the thick tree, he braked, then turned around and flew back a bit, head rotated so his eyes were always on the tree. He looked for where the Pica would come back out.

Lute could not spare a single gem from his collection. He had placed them all just so each one caught the light and made a rainbow on his walls. Losing just one would cause him to have to rearrange every last one so there were no dull spots on the wall. He circled the tree, eyes on the branches at all times, growling in his throat bitterly. He had no idea who's bird this was and if they had sought him out for their Sentinel or if they had just accidently found his trove and helped themselves.

"Pica! I will not harm you if you return the gem to me now"! he snarled. "This is your ONLY chance!"

Lute HAD heard of Runewing before. Many times his customers spoke greatly of her. But his brain, his forgetful and often absent brain, caused the memory to evaide being remembered. "Its my gem, you little thief! You stole it from my private treasures! Please...Please give it back. Its important to me." he asked earnestly. "And I definatly doubt this Rune approves of you stealing from a crafter. If you want a gem, then you'll have to pay!"

He slowly circled the tree again, glaring into the branches, trying to find the small bird.

Lute's ears flicked back and he turned quickly in mid-flight, shooting after the theiving Pica. He broke through a small cluster of branches and then banked, not expecting such a huge sentinel to be waiting for him. He banked over her at the last second, hissing loudly as he saw the Pica...but the gem was no longer in his beak. He must have hid it in the other bird's feathers.

He landed on a perch across from her, glaring furiously. "You must be Rune..." he panted, now out of breath from the hunt. She beautiful..but stunningly huge. He puffed himself, trying to match her size. "Your Pica..." he pointed his talon at the bird on her back. "He stole from me. A valuable crystal! Give it back, now!" he was done trying to negotiate and he did not trust this bigger Sentinel.

Lute glared. "I am Lute, a sterling silver crafter. I also collect rare gems. I keep them in a hollow so no nosy Picas will steal them. But it seems I did not hide it well enough, for your's has found it and stolen one of my treasures." he said, hissing. "I saw him take it and fly with it. Now hand it over." He held out his talon expectantly.

"I only assumed your Pica was not working on his mind alone. Senri, my parus, never leaves my side unless I tell him to go berry picking for me." he said, ruffling his ear tufts. When he saw, however, how displeased she was, he sighed. "I just haven't had experience with many Picas though."

He itched behind his ear tuft with frustration, his tarnished earring catching the light of the sun. "He was in a maple tree back there, trying to escape me. He may have stashed it there, but I'd still like to examine both of your feathers." he said, eyes narrowed sternly in a harsh glare at the Pica, as though though trying to worm the answer out of him.

Firstly, though, he gave a loud shriek. A moment or three later, a small greenish Parus landed beside him. "Ye' be beckoni' me, sah?" he asked with a rough slurring noise in his throat.
"Yes, Senri. I have been stolen from. The large crystal in my private hollow. Go back and search the maple tree by the river for me, alright? I'll be along soon to help look." The parus nodded, glared at the Pica, then fluttered away. Lute branch-hopped closer to Runewing and Syz. "May I?" he asked, though he was sure it was not there.

Lute eyed her gems, but none matched the crystal that had been thieved from his hollow. "Fine..he did stash it somewhere." he said, eyeing the Pica.

He puffed himself to his full height. "Know, miss Rune, that I gave him a chance to fess up and return the gem..it is rather pricey...so if he refuses to return it, then you will have to pay for it. It is one of my private gems, so it will not be a gentle price either." He said. "So I suggest, little Pica, you take us to where you put the gem."