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 Posted: Sat Feb 14, 2009 7:09 am
It was a fine night, with just a bit of chill in the air. Fernfeather flew alone with a serious expression on her face as she scanned her surroundings. She wasn't actively hunting, but if she spotted an opportunity she would certainly take it. Her Chirop was busy delivering a message and had been told to fly home after flying his errand. Fern found it relaxing to fly alone and because of her stern expression no one had bothered her yet tonight.
She wasn't really in a hurry anywhere so when she spotted the young Scout Birchfeather she decided to stop for a spell. But instead of announcing her presence with a hoot she adjusted her course slightly and started to glide closer on silent wings, careful to try to stay out of sight behind the young Mist. Silverbirch had only recently started to report to her and Fernfeather had yet to get a feel for the Scout's abilities. Perhaps a small test would be in order? It was extremely difficult to sneak up on another Sentinel but sometimes she found it interesting to try.
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Posted: Mon Feb 23, 2009 5:45 am
Silverbirch's attention was on the things before her, intently scanning the forest for anything of interest for her next report. She had just been assigned to a new Corporal, and the Scout felt she had to make a good impression. As time passed she found herself relaxing in this relatively uneventful part of the forest.
It was then that an odd feeling started creeping over the Mist. The young Scout cocked her head slightly and managed to picked out a dark form shadowing her. She snapped her head back and picked up on speed. A sentinel, and an adult by the looks of it. Why was it following her? A friend, or foe? Silverbirch nearly panicked, but managed to force herself to remain calm.
It could be just another combatant on patrol, she reasoned. A Scout, or Ranger perhaps? For a moment she felt rather silly, and thoughtfully veered to a side for the other to pass. If it really was another Scout or Ranger on patrol, she did not want to be in the way.
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Posted: Sat Feb 28, 2009 7:14 am
Fernfeather noted the increase in speed and briefly toyed with the idea to see how Silverbirch would react if she chased after her. But no, not tonight. She had clearly been spotted and it would be stupid to risk injury in order to test the reflexes of a young combatant. When Silverbirch moved out of the way she decided it was time to announce her presence.
"Good night and good hunting," she hooted to let Silverbirch know that she was not hostile.
Fernfeather banked and flew up alongside the Scout, giving her a moment to recognise her superior before she spoke again.
"Fine night for flying." she commented casually, "Tell me, did you see me first or did you hear me coming?
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Posted: Sun Mar 01, 2009 11:07 pm
The greeting took Silverbirch by surprise, and ever more so when she recognized the sentinel who had flown up alongside her.
"Ma'am Fernfeather! Good night, and a lovely one tonight," she said, dipping her head as much as she could in respect without affecting her flight. Fernfeather's question caused her some pause, and she replied, a little unsure, "I'd say I saw you first, Ma'am."
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Posted: Sun Mar 08, 2009 6:48 am
"I see," Fernfeather said, but she didn't indicate if this was good or bad. "I hope you don't mind some company."
Fern was very pleasant about it, but her tone of voice still suggested that Silverbirch would get some company whether she liked it or not. The Elite flew in silence for a short while, seemingly scanning the ground for prey. After adjusting her course to avoid a low hanging branch up ahead, Fernfeather addressed the Scout again.
"How did you like your mission by the way," she asked, "I've already heard your report, but how did you like to work with that team like that?"
((OOC: I hope it's OK to set this after the microplot. Let's just say that they both know how the mission went, so there's no need to discuss what happened during it.))
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Posted: Mon Mar 09, 2009 11:45 pm
((OOC: No problem! I'm good with that (: ))
"No, not at all," Silverbirch added hastily. Though conscious of Fernfeather's rank, the Mist actually meant it. The silence that passed calmed her nerves, and within seconds any seriousness of work had evaporated. She was back to her own joyful self.
The next question took her by surprise, though pleasantly so. Silverbirch dodged another low hanging branch, then casted a quick glance to the Elite.
"It's a bit of a challenge," she admitted, but quickly added, "But it was fun. It'd be nice to do that again."
Silverbirch paused, frowning. It sounded wrong, somehow. "Uh, not to have to rescue someone..." That too, sounded wrong, and she clacked her beak in annoyance.
"Anyway. To actually work with others, I've never done that before. Usually it's just my mus and I, and that tends to get lonely at times." Just then she had a feeling, and asked wonderingly, "Why do you ask? Do you have something in mind for me?"
A flash of white from below caught her attention just then, and with a soft hoot to the Elite Silverbirch started to descend, gliding soundlessly towards a branch a couple of feet away.
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Posted: Fri Mar 20, 2009 11:21 am
Fernfeather couldn't supress a smile as Silverbirch tried to explain what she meant. So young and eager, and already ready for something new. She was about to answer but it was obvious that the Scout had spotted something, so Fern followed on silent wings and perched next to Silverbirch, trying not to scare whatever she had seen.
"Did you spot something," she whispered and shifted on the perch, "I've got nothing for you right now but it's good to know that you liked the experience. Some prefer to fly solo."
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Posted: Thu Mar 26, 2009 8:24 am
So intent was the Scout on her target that Fernfeather's movement beside her caused the younger combatant to jump, fluffing out in alarm. Upon realizing what startled her Silverbirch forced herself to relax, and flatten her already fluffy plumage made fluffier by the fright.
"Uh sorry," she mumbled, trying to hide her embarassment. Silverbirch returned her gaze to the spot she was watching and frowned. Whatever she saw, it seemed to have moved on.
"Something... white. I don't see it now though," came the late reply to the Elite's question. The young Scout scanned the forest floor for signs of the white something, but it seemed to have disappeared from sight. To Fernfeather's statement she gave a thoughtful nod. Most, if not all Scouts she has met while on duty so far, flew solo.
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Posted: Tue Mar 31, 2009 3:41 am
"Ah, too bad," she commented "But there are more prey in the woods."
Fernfeather took great interest in preening her wing, perhaps to give the young female some time to collect herself. After a careful preening of the flight feathers on both wings she turned most of her attention back to Silverbirch. She was still keeping eyes and ears open for any movement on the ground, but her main focus was on the Mist.
"Why did you decide to dye your feathers," she asked. She asked out of curiosity but the question seemed much blunter than she had intended. Oh, well.
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Posted: Wed Apr 15, 2009 6:09 am
"Hm..." Silverbirch half sighed, disappointed. The Mist took the time to preen her flight feathers as well, silent but appreciating the other female's gesture. Soon she felt considerably better, and in the mood to talk - just in time for Fernfeather's question.
"My feathers?" She looked down at her chest and fiddled with an olive stained feather with her creamy beak.
"Camouflage, mostly," came the straightforward answer. "So that I can blend in better among the tree, and not stand out so painfully. Made hunting kinda hard."
"Also, my friends said I should look more like my name, so..." Silverbirch grinned, a playful glint in her ice blue eyes.
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Posted: Wed Apr 15, 2009 2:32 pm
Fernfeather was not very fond of feather dye, especially when it was used just for vanity, but she could appreciate the concept of using it for camouflage. Not everyone could be born with the versatile colour of Wildtype feathers after all. She could certainly see the disadvantage of being big and white when trying to sneak up on something, but there was one other concern.
"Have you noticed if it affects your flying any?" she asked, leaning forward to inspect Silverbirch's wing, blatantly oblivious to the fact that she might be leaning uncomfortably close to the other, "I've heard it can do that if regular feather dye is used."
Fernfeather was far from an expert on feather dying, but she didn't think this young female would be able to get her talons on anything fancier than the dye most Artisans used. And it might be her imagination, but Fern thought the dyed feathers looked different somehow. Not entirely natural. But it was a good dye job and only when she could study Silverbirch this close was she able to see which parts was most likely dye and which parts could be the Mist's natural feather colour. Fernfeather finally removed her head from Silverbirch's personal space and met her eyes again.
"They mix the pigments with," she paused and waved a talon vaguely, "something sticky. Hrm... To get it to stay put on the feathers I've been told. And when the dye dries it leaves a layer of this... sticky substance... on the feathers, and it can affect flying performance. Mostly stealth, but some I've talked to swear they feel a difference on both speed and manoeuvrability."
Fern had once been told all this by a very enthusiastic Artisan, but she had managed to forget most of the technical terms he had used. Never mind. She turned slightly to let Silverbirch have a better look at the chevrons on her own wing.
"Look at these," she said, "And tell me what you see. Compare with your own."
The feathers were differently coloured, of course, but to an untrained eye the chevron parts looked similar to the surrounding feathers.
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Posted: Thu Apr 16, 2009 6:41 am
Silverbirch was far from being uncomfortable at Fernfeather's 'intrusion' into her personal space. Having grown up in the Minders Enclave, she was rather used to such things. However, the attention on her feathers was something new to the Mist.
Holding out the wing Fernfeather had taken interest in, she looked it over herself as well. The Scout shook her head in response to the Elite's question and muttered something about having had the dyes shortly after graduation and probably being used to it. Fernfeather's ensuing commentary about the dyeing process had her full attention, especially the part about flying performance - about speed.
Could dye really to that to her performance? Scores of thoughts flooded her mind, and for once she almost regretted having dyed her feathers, if what Fern said was true.
When the the Wildtype spoke of her chevron Silverbirch leaned eagerly in for a look, full of curious. She squinted at them from a few different angles before looking up at the older Sentinel.
"They don't look dyed," she said, amazed. But they had to be, right? Sentinels weren't hatched with chevrons, to her knowledge.
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Posted: Fri Apr 17, 2009 2:45 pm
"That's good then," she said as she noted Silverbirchs headshake, "I wouldn't know the difference since I have never dyed my feathers more than absolutely necessary. And as you can see I don't need help staying hidden."
Silverbirch in her natural plumage would most likely win over the Wildtype in a snowy landscape, but that was beside the point.
"They don't look dyed."
"That's right, they don't" she confirmed with a small smile, "But I suppose a decent artisan could point out several ways to tell they are. See, Elites have to use a different kind of dye to make sure the impact on stealth and flight is minimal. The dye is less sticky I suppose."
She wondered if some Artisans other than those that tended to the Elites would know how to make dyes that affected the feathers as little as possible. It was nothing she had thought about before. But then she rarely gave any thought to dyes at all, aside from disapproving headshakes when she got a fancily dyed recruit in her talons. This young female seemed more level headed than the many the vain disasters she had encountered during her career, and Fernfeather was secretly pleased over that.
"I don't care much for dye," she admitted, and made a disapproving face, "But those Elites that do have to stick to these special dyes, and naturally not in any bright colours."
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Posted: Sun Apr 19, 2009 7:14 pm
Like an eager fledgling, Silverbirch absorbed everything like a sponge, eyes darting between chevrons and the Elite's face as she spoke. She had never heard of such special dye as these. Suddenly, she felt quite honored to have Fernfeather share this information with her.
When, with some effort, she finally tore her eyes off Fernfeather's wings, Silverbirch fluffed slightly, excited. If what the Elite said was true, she would love to seek out her Artisan, and perhaps.. well, she hoped...
"Do they only administer to Elites? The Artisans, I mean."
Silverbirch looked down at her feet and let out a soft 'oh' at Fern's disapproving expression, wondering if she might have gotten too carried away with dyes for a combatant.
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Posted: Thu Apr 23, 2009 1:03 pm
"I'm honestly not sure," Fernfeather said, making a mental note to try to find out. "But all combatants could surely benefit from better dyes."
If she was going to work with dyed individuals - and she wasn't going to hold her breath until all vanity was gone from the combatant ranks - they better fly at the best of their abilities. It was quite obvious that her general disapproval of dyed feathers made Silverbirch uncomfortable. Fern usually didn't worry too much about hurt feelings but she felt an unexplainable urge to reassure the young Scout.
"Yours is not that bad," she said, but it didn't sound like the right thing to say so she tried again. "I've seen much worse."
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