|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Sun May 31, 2009 2:50 pm
Her eyes remain only partially open; bright, fiery, betraying the female's fierce personality even from where she perched, idly relaxed. Her tufts perked, and her head tilted to one side at the sound of a gust of wind, however, it soon died down and the silence returned. Grumbling slightly to herself, Hazel shifted her position on the tree branch, her plumage puffing out as she settled herself more comfortably against the bark. Waiting... was not something she was good at. She'd always been better at acting than waiting, really, mostly because it made her feel restless.
Any minute now though. She was sure of it; any minute now and both Willowbreeze and Hollysong would arrive. It was only a matter a matter of being patient, after all, and besides, they weren't even late! She'd simply been too restless to go about doing her daily routine and had come out to rest near the edge of her territory to wait for them.
Another gust of wind rattled through the leaves of the trees, and the old teacher opened an eye fully to look at the agitated branches, as if expecting her guests to drop by. After all... both were known for being polite, and thus, this included being on time, no doubt.
Any minute now.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun May 31, 2009 3:46 pm
 Hollysong flew steadily, weaving silently between the trees with no obvious rush. Grasping the carcass of a squirrel, one that he had traded for four plump rodents earlier in the night, the calm looking sentinel rode the currents with ease as he approached his destination. Normally he’d expect the other part to present him with a small gift in exchange for his advice but this was a special occasion. He wasn’t visiting just anyone, she was important. And though he didn’t look like it, Hollysong was feeling a little excited… as well as very much afraid of being disappointed.
He dropped as soon as he made out the shape of the deep woods female, releasing a booming hoot to alert her to his presence. It wasn’t long before he was landing at a respectful distance on the branch Hazel had found her perch.
The small shape of a chirop slid from the Storyteller’s back and landed on the branch with a soft thud and immediately froze on the spot, looking like a tiny statue next to the larger shape of his owner.
“Good evening, Hazel.” The Chestnut male said formally with a slight dip of his head before he pushed the limp squirrel closer to the female. “I hope I haven’t made you wait.”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun May 31, 2009 8:12 pm
Just moments after Hollysong landed, Willowbreeze approached her grandmother's territory and hooted a greeting. A musical twitter echoed her call; the sound of Zephr making his presence known. It was not entirely unusual for Hazel to summon her for a meeting, so there was only the faintest concern in the back of Willow's mind as she alighted on a nearby branch, followed by her parus. However, she inhaled sharply when she saw the large handsome Chestnut that rested beside Hazel. This must have something to do with her impending mating!
She remained outwardly calm while her heart did nervous somersaults in her chest. “Good evening.” Willowbreeze greeted her elders with a polite nod. She made a concerted effort not to let her trepidation be visible to others, maintaining a neutral yet interested expression with the ease that comes from years of practice.
“To what do I owe this honor?” The young bard spoke with the pleasant tones and clear diction that befit her task.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Jun 01, 2009 6:10 am
Just as she'd been ready to shut her eyes, a booming hoot signaled the approach of one of her guests. The warning gave Hazel just enough time to straighten herself out, sitting up proudly on her branch as the gentleman flew down for a landing, "Hardly," she lied, offering the other sentinel a calm, almost gentle smile. After all, it had not been his fault that she'd been sitting here due to being over-eager! No reason to make him feel bad. Besides, she'd gotten a bit of rest while she waited, "Your journey here was a soothing one, I hope?" she started, then shifted her position on her branch, signaling she was about to 'get down to business', "Anyhow, Hollysong. You must be aware how much I trust your knowledge of the Chestnut blood, and thus you must, at least, have an inkling of a notion of just why I summoned you here. My granddaughter is-"
Her words were cut off as a second call resounded through the night, and Hazel's eyes shifted to look into the darkness, soon enough distinguishing her granddaughter form, "Ah, and here she is now. Just on time," a fact the older female seemed rather pleased about, judging by the way she puffed out with mild pride, "Good evening, love. As I was just saying," she continued as the younger female landed near them, "I have summoned you both here because I feel it is finally time for Willowbreeze to find a proper mate. As such, I have come to you, Hollysong, to seek your advice and expertise in the matter."
There was a dramatic pause as she looked at her granddaughter, and then at the storyteller, waiting for judgement, "What do you think, Hollysong?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Jun 01, 2009 6:55 am
“It’s a good night for flying.” he chatted up idly letting his gaze travel through the female’s body before resting on her face. She was still as beautiful as ever. It was as if Time couldn’t bear to change her lovely features.
He raised his head at musical greeting and his beak twisted into a small smile. Good, the girl was punctual. And polite, as well. He gave the new arrival a curt greeting and examined her in silence as the grandmother answered the young adult’s question. He looked pleased as he eyed the female’s facial disk but his eyes narrowed ever so slightly as the yellow gaze dropped to the female’s chest feathers and then softened as he admired the resemblance between the two family members.
“I trust she is the one you found most suitable?” Willow was still very much an aberrant in his eyes but he couldn’t deny the potential there. Strong blood and a fairly good resemblance to the Chestnut type. Already his mind was running through a small list of candidates. “So Willowbreeze, why don’t you tell me a little about you?”
The Storyteller certainly couldn’t say he was disappointed but he refrained from answering Hazel’s question too quickly. There was still much to consider.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Jun 01, 2009 8:25 pm
Finally time? Willow's heart did a crazy flip-flop, and her eyelids fluttered as she struggled to come to terms with the sudden influx of emotions. The moment she both longed for and dreaded had arrived. Her single days were over, and love, or duty, was about to come for her.
She maintained a carefully polite and unflinching posture as the storyteller made his appraisal. It was quite uncomfortable the way his keen gaze seemed almost to be looking right through her feathers. She felt a bit like an especially plump mus he was considering for his next meal.
“About myself?” Willow thought quickly-- what kind of information would be of interest to Hollysong? Just the basics, she decided. He didn't seem the type to be interested in her entire life story. “I was raised by my parents, graduated a few seasons ago, and I am a Bard by trade. I keep a small territory just west of here.”
She paused, “Is there something more you wish to know?”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jun 04, 2009 7:02 am
"Indeed it is," she replied, then settled herself back comfortably on her perch, merely watching as the Storyteller observed her granddaughter. A tuft perked as she was asked if Willow was was most suitable, and for just a bare second, the old teacher looked vaguely bemused, a brow arching. In a way, it looked as if she might be pondering considering the question a rhetorical one. Alas, she had too much respect for Hollysong to do that, "Indeed she is. While it is true she still lacks traits, she is not to be faulted for that. I am certain she will not only mother perfect to near-perfect chicks, but that you will find her personality, will and manners most charming."
She had, after all, made sure Willow had been raised correctly and was extremely proud of her for many reasons.
Once the spotlight was taken off of her and back onto her granddaughter, Hazel shifted her position on her branch and waited patiently for the interview to come to an end. The old female had, indeed, noticed that the Storyteller had withheld judgement, but was not surprised by that fact; after all, she understood his need to make sure every feather was in it's rightful place, so to speak.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jun 04, 2009 1:38 pm
“I, too, started my career as a bard.” Hollysong said softly as he tried to make his gaze less critical. It was a habit that often earned him snappy or even just plain rude remarks but as the young female didn’t seem to mind it all that much, his eyes kept drifting back to her chest feathers. The discreet brown collar on Willow’s chest seemed to be a persistent target though it was hardly the only one.
Willow spoke clearly and straight to the point and the Storyteller found her rather likable. Hazel also seemed to think highly of her which was something he would certainly take into consideration. The young female’s task wouldn’t get in the way of family matters and she didn’t seem to have any dyed feathers hiding possible faults. She also had good size and pretty tufts. The sudden image of a clutch of perfect long-tufted hatchlings came to mind reminding him one of his own clutches. But that wouldn’t happen, no. Unfortunately, it was much more likely that Willow’s progeny would retain some of the deep woods traits.
“You have very lovely tufts.” There was this young male whose mother Holly was almost sure had beautiful long tufts. He hadn’t seen the male since the younger Chestnuts’s fledglinghood nights but he couldn’t have changed that much. Perhaps…“I trust you haven’t had any health issues? I believe your family has been quite lucky in that department if there is such a thing as luck in such matters.” He eyed Hazel for a few moments and smiled amiably.
Willow was slowly gaining value in the older sentinel’s eyes. Still, unless she had a successful clutch, she’d be nothing more than an aberrant in the eyes of the Clan and he would be forced to share the shame of creating a bad match. The Storyteller couldn’t rush to a decision when there was so much at stake... for all the sentinels involved. But it was clear Holly was pleased. It was time to conclude the little interview.
“And I suppose I’d like to know how you feel about meeting your future mate soon. Excited, I wonder…?” He drops the sentence casually as he preens a few flight feathers carelessly. The question, however, is anything but casual.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jun 04, 2009 6:32 pm
Willowbreeze nodded with a soft glance of thanks to her grandmother, taking her words as a compliment. When Hollysong added his words of praise, she spoke aloud, “Thank you, Storyteller. It is, of course, my Grandmother's side I have to thank for them.” This chance for subtle and fond flattery to the wise female who had been so instrumental in her development brought a small smile to her golden eyes.
“My health has always been good, and that of my siblings as well.” She thought for a moment, “As a non-combatant, I've never been injured either, not so that I had to see a medic. I have been, as you say, lucky.”
When Hollysong voiced his final question, the young bard sensed that there was more at stake than the casual tone implied. She thought carefully for a few moments, then replied with care, “I am excited. A bit nervous, perhaps, but I have been made ready for him, and it is my wish as well as my grandmother's that I may be able to help preserve the Chestnut lines. I know my duty... and I am honored to do it.”
All that she spoke was honest, but there was a bit left out. Not only her future, but her very hopes and dreams hung on Hollysong's decision. Beneath her pretty feathers and well-schooled speech beat a surprisingly passionate and tender heart. Within it persisted a nagging phrase, a thought in her mind that was as sweetly sharp as the sent of crushed pine needles: I hope he will love me.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Jun 05, 2009 12:24 pm
Having offered her opinion on the matter, Hazel sat back comfortably to wait the judgement that was bound to come sooner or later. It would have been horribly rude of her to interrupt the conversation with any more of her opinions without being asked after all. She hadn't gotten through not one, but two interviews successfully (her own and her daughter's, which she had monitored) without learning how things worked.
It wasn't till the storyteller asked Willow if she was excited that the old female smiled inwardly; apparently, she was choosing to take such a question as a good sign. While her own tufts perked a tad, nothing else seemed to voice outwardly what she thought, even if the did look visibly proud of her grandaughter's words.
While the Storyteller was not aware of Willow's passionate soul, Hazel knew of it. She had tended to her lectures and had been there to oversee her education enough that she knew the girl on a deeper level (or at least she LIKED to think she did). However, she did not think Willow's passion would play against her; if anything, it might play in her favour.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Jun 05, 2009 5:25 pm
Though the Storyteller took the young bard’s words as sincere, he was still too cautious to believe in them completely. This was a girl who had been groomed ever since the moment she’d hatched after all. But she was growing on him (and her potential was becoming more enticing by the minute) and Holly took her willingness at the sudden prospect of being arranged a mate as the last sign he needed to get the old process into motion.
“I believe you have grown into a fine girl, Willowbreeze. It will be a privilege to find you a suitable mate.” Hollysong spoke formally as he bowed his head to the younger female before nodding amiably to the teacher, a small gesture that clearly stated: You did well with her.
“I must leave you now. You have given me much to think about.” For a moment the calm façade breaks and his own excitement betrays him as his beak twists slowly into what could best be described as the smile of an accomplice. He preens a few feathers, preparing for flight. Though he can hardly grasp the passion behind the young girl’s words, his own becomes more evident as the smile widens. “I hope I’ll see you again very soon. Hazel, Willow…”
And with that, the Storyteller hops into a different branch, stretches his wings and after throwing another curt nod back to the females, drops from his perch and it's not long before the shape of the Chestnut begins to dissolve into the darkness with his small silent companion following closely behind him.
(OOC: Holly has left the building!)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Jun 05, 2009 7:30 pm
Willow returned the older Sentinel's bow, noting with pleasure that he smiled at the thought of her mate. That could only be a good sign.
She watched the shadowy form retreat into the trees for a moment, preened a few feathers thoughtfully and then spoke to Hazel. "Grandmother, do you think I have done well?" The bard looked at her older relative, her golden eyes reflecting in the dim light. "I hope I will make a good match, that I will make you proud."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Jun 07, 2009 5:19 am
As Hollysong departed, Hazel finally allowed herself to relax fully, her feathers first puffing out and then resettling back into their rightful places, "I think that went rather extraordinarily well," she said, her head turning towards Willowbreeze. It was clear the old teacher was not only proud of Willow herself, but also her performance, "I'm pretty sure that the Storyteller will find quite the dashing match for you, sweetheart. All you have to do is keep your chin up. Chin up! Always! No matter what!"
She was well aware that... despite their good deeds and ideas, Willow was still considered very much an aberrant, and that she would not have it easy henceforth. She could only hope that the young female had the courage and strength of heart to manage to pull trough, because Hazel very much thought it would be worth it in the end, "I know how excited you are about this, but when you're introduced to this dashing suitor... don't let your passion get in the way. Stay calm. Things will turn out just fine, I'm sure."
She hoped, at least.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jun 11, 2009 1:51 pm
"I will, Grandmother." Willow looked fondly at her older relative. She sensed Hazel's pride and approval, and it seemed to warm her like sunlight on her feathers.
She preened comfortably as she listened, considering Hazel's words for a few moments before answering. "Don't worry. I'll stay focused." If there was anything she could do, it was act. She was a bard afterall, and playing the part of a serene and dutiful granddaughter came naturally to her, despite her rather impractical notions of love and fairytale endings. She knew her romantic side was a liability in the practical and careful matter of breeding, but after years of practice, she was adept at hiding it.
"I'll make you proud." Willowbreeze added, determined that she would live up to her words. For a moment, she faltered, then asked softly, "What if... he doesn't like me?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jun 24, 2009 8:26 am
((OOC: Sorry for the huge wait on my post - I was busy with end of term - I'll start posting regularly now that I'm almost done! Please excuse the horrible bad timing of my exams ;0; ))
"Focus is the key," the old sentinel voiced with a nod; she truly believed that Willow had it in her to charm anyone she wanted to. If she tried, anyhow. While it was true that her Granddaughter's romantic ideas distracted her, Hazel believed that they would play in her favour this time around.
This mating... this match, it was a duty. But somehow, she believed that it could be much, much more if Willow wanted it to be, "I'm sure you will, child. You'll make us all proud," another nod, which was cut short when the younger female faltered. The old teacher felt her plumage ruffle outward before she let out a small hoot-like sound, "Nonsense!" came the determined voice, "I'm sure he'll like you, child. And even if he doesn't at first.... that doesn't mean he won't later. Show him your good side. You're special, dear. Just let him know that."
Who knew? Maybe Willow would manage to live the perfect romance story she always dreamed about.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reply
