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 Posted: Sun Jan 31, 2016 9:40 am
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Posted: Sun Jan 31, 2016 9:41 am
As usual, Sovanna rose well before sunrise. Taking the time to stretch her wings and legs, she smiled at the sight of her still-sleeping companion and then stepped out of her dwelling into the cool morning air. Pre-dawn light was just beginning to show weakly in the distance, and the fog still rested low and thick over the land. Pacing through the dreamy landscape, she moved to stoke the fire of her kilns and on the finished products that were cooling in the annealing dens.
With one clawed foot she carefully lifted logs and tossed them into the belly of her kiln, using a poker to arrange the logs in the flames. She added lumps of coal as well, arranging things to her liking before moving back to let the oven heat. Moving to her smaller kiln, Sovanna repeated the process of clearing away ash and loading fresh fuel, taking special care with her coal selection. This morning she would again try her luck with making Raku buttons and buckles, in the hopes that some of them could be traded with one of the other artisans.
"Well, the kilns are heating... Time to get started on the clay." She murmured to herself with a smile. Wordcount: 205
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Posted: Sun Jan 31, 2016 9:57 am
With the previous day spent gathering for his best friend, the white hawk known as Terhi Tarik slept soundly as the Hippo'suti mare departed their shared dwelling. Head tucked under his wing, he did not hear the sound of retreating footsteps or claws on stone. With the Faire on a rest, there was no need for him to serve his security duties. As such, instead he had spent the previous day collecting berries, flowers, twigs and herbs to use as dye, paint, and glazes. As things remained, it was likely he'd spend a good part of this day sleeping.
It was some time later before Terhi awoke, and as soon as he lifted his head he knew he had overslept. There was no sign of the mare that he considered a sibling, which meant she was already away at the kilns making new wares... Or perhaps at the workstation trying her hand at making new pigments.
Either way, it appeared that Sovanna had already started without him, which was rather unsurprising considering the fact that it was Sova.
'Well, nothing for it. Better get up and make sure she's not getting into mischief.' The hawk thought to himself, leaping to the edge of his nest and fanning his wings. 'And if she is, well then she should have invited me along!'
Making a soft sound of amusement the hawk fanned his wings and then took flight, soaring out into the mist in search of his companion. Wordcount: 247
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Posted: Sun Jan 31, 2016 10:17 am
Filling one of her older jugs with water and setting it to one side of her work area, Sovanna began her usual practice of carefully cleaning the smooth stone surface. She wiped the stone down with a damp cloth and then set it aside, reaching for one of her slabs of clay that had been stored away in a cubby of stone. Placing it on the surface, Sovanna sank back on her haunches and began the task of dampening the slab and working moisture back into the clay.
First she used her claws to make a few holes in the brick, carefully pouring some water into them and folding the clay shut around it. Then she exerted more force, compressing the clay around the water and forcing it to absorb the moisture quicker. At this point she halved the block of clay, setting a chunk aside to slowly reconstitute. With a smaller amount to work, Sova again carefully poked holes and added water, harshly kneading the material.
After some work she stretched and then rolled the clay, balling it up to consider the texture. Satisfied it was progressing nicely, she carefully kneaded and rolled the clay, splashing some water on it here and there and then working it with her claws. After some work the clay began to reawaken, softening and becoming more malleable. Pleased with the progress, she halved the brick again, setting the smaller lump aside.
"Now we can get started, I think.." Sovanna said with a nod, and resettling herself more comfortably she began to roll and shape the clay, testing the malleability.
Her current lump of clay would let her make several buttons, and perhaps even a ring and pin to secure a cloak or sash, as well as a few beads. It would be a good test batch for this new technique, and hopefully some would be nice enough to trade with the Seamstress. Halving the amount and setting some aside again, she smoothed it before using her claws to separate it into sections. With a faint narrowing of her eyes Sova continued to work, concentrating on making a few different sizes for the buttons. Wordcount: 360
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Posted: Fri Feb 05, 2016 6:11 pm
Reluctantly leaving his comfortable nest behind, Terhi took a quick flight over the herd-lands, circling some of the more common areas to call greetings to those he considered good friends. Many of his favorites were already out and about, though they were artisans so the trend was unsurprising. Such were the sort to be up early, having a shared breakfast before beginning to craft.
When Sova was not among them, he altered course toward the location of her kilns. If she had been to the common areas, it was time gone, likely that she’d rushed off to resume crafting.
When the kilns were in sight Terhi nodded faintly to himself. A few of them were already glowing bright or smoking, indicating the artist that used them most had been there for a while. From the air he could see some of the annealing ovens were also in use, their doors locked tight to keep the wares inside from fracturing.
‘She’s been busy.’ He mused, spiraling down toward the work area. ‘Not surprising…’
The cream and gray mare was hard at work, shaping new works to dry before moving on to wares she and set aside to dry. A tiny army of buttons, trinkets and beads was already forming, set aside to dry before firing. Sova had already worked her way through half a brick of clay, into the third quarter of the material and showing no signs of slowing. Knowing how she could be when startled in the middle of a project, Terhi took up a perch on a nearby branch.
It was no real hardship to wait out the formation of the next round of buttons, time spent happily nibbling at conveniently nearby berries. When it seemed that she’d be shortly starting on the last bit of clay, he chose to speak up.
“Hard at work, and it’s barely dawn.” Terhi mused with a fluff of his wings. “Excited about this new project for Miss Forest?” Wordcount: 327
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Posted: Fri Feb 05, 2016 7:14 pm
Sovanna worked diligently away at her clay assortment, shaping bead after bead with the help of a thin metal rod that allowed her to give them uniformity. The slightly larger opening would allow them to thread easily on larger fibers rather than just thread, and she hoped this would be useful to Forest if she elected to use them on sashes or shawls. Giving some of them an engraved pattern and some a raised texture also helped add variety, before the glazes or other such touches were added. Satisfied with her assortment and about to set them aside for trying, she looked up at the sudden sound of her friend’s voice.
“Good morning Terhi, I was thinking you’d sleep half the day away and I’d have time to get things done.” She teased, setting her work aside and dropping back to all fours for a rest. “But since you just had to interrupt, I suppose we can talk for a while. This lot is all set to dry, which means I can get the pieces from yesterday and start applying the wax resist. With that done, I can dip them in the raku glaze and get them to firing.”
She paused a moment, glancing toward her kilns with a happy swish of her tail. “They’re probably due for more charcoal and wood by now, to get the nice and hot for when I’m ready to start. I also have moved some of the cool pieces out of my annealing ovens and set them aside, so I’ll be ready to move hot pieces to cool before dunking them. I think that’s everything? And hopefully we’ll have some interesting offering dishes as well as beads and bits for Forest to use.”
Sova tilted her head a moment, thoughtful. “I haven’t seen the girls about, but there are none of their works setting about so it seems like they’ve gathered them up and gotten to work already. Did you happen to see them at the breakfast or in any of the common areas?”
Sharing the ovens and kilns made a certain kind of sense when on the road, but now and again the size of a project or a collaborative work made sense to be done at one of the other artist camps. As such, while Sova wasn’t exactly expecting to see the work of some of the mares she tended to trade craft and gossip with, she had noted the lack. Likely, they had come by during a late evenings work and rescued their pieces, or tossed them into the scrap bin for later use if they didn’t turn out well.
“I hope you didn’t see any familiar, new broken bits in the scrap bin?” She hedged, expression somewhat worried. “I would so hate for it to go badly, the idea seemed quite good.” Wordcount: 472
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Posted: Sun Feb 21, 2016 2:37 pm
“I am sorry to disprove your theory, my dear friend.” The hawk snarked back, amusement making his eyes bright as he settled on his perch. “Nevertheless, even if I do not sleep all day, I am sure that you will get much done. After all, you have a reasonable early start, and progress is certainly being made.”
Terhi glanced over the work stations and the assembled projects, noting them with interest and pride. He was happy to help Sovanna with her works, and it made something warm in his chest to see her succeeding with new techniques. Nodding understandingly as she listed her plans for the day, he surveyed the area before being drawn back to the conversation by her timid concern for the projects of her friends.
“No, I have not seen any new additions to the scraps bins.” He returned kindly, casting an affectionate glance her way. “You are lovely to worry for your friends and their new techniques… But as far as I can tell, the pieces were successful and have been taken off for assembly and further work. Little victories.”
Giving a decisive nod and fluttering to the kindling basket, Terhi grasped some twigs and a charcoal lump in his talons. “Well then, I suppose I had better help to stoke your kilns and prepare for new wares… We will get more done with two of us, yes? And then you can begin your wax resist process and we shall talk of your projects and those you envision for Seamstress Forest’s collaborations.”
Without waiting for her to agree the hawk took flight, fluttering over to the kilns and beginning to toss his cargo into the flaming maws of the open-doored kilns. Wordcount: 283
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Posted: Fri May 13, 2016 6:55 pm
“You can just be a cheerleader, instead of dreaming the day away.” Sovanna grinned, shifting a tray of completed pieces on her workstation. “I am sure to get much done with or without you, though now I have you here to give me your feedback on the first round of beads, buttons and the like. They aren’t done in the raku yet, but you can least let me know what you think of the detailing. I was also thinking I’d do a few plaque sections, the kind that could be linked in a belt or tied and worn as a necklace, maybe a collar?”
She poked gently at one of her half-worked clay segments, frowning at the consistency. Lifting the damp cloth, she wrapped the clay and set it aside in a nook in the stone. “That will need to rest a bit longer before it can be worked, I think. No trouble at all, it leaves time for us to feed the ovens and clear out some of the ash.”
The hawk’s compliment made her duck her head faintly, a faint flush darting over her. “It’s nothing, I just wonder about them. I’d hate for one of the new projects to go badly, they were beautiful concepts and the girls are very talented. I hope that later they’ll be painted, so I can see how they look once the girls have made progress.”
Sovanna watched Terhi take flight and smiled at the sight of him lifting up charcoal to carry over to her kilns. “Be careful no sparks fly up, Terhi. You’d look quite silly with burns all over your lovely feathers, and what would the herd say if they saw you in that condition.”
With a smile and a faint shrug she followed him, lifting one of the buckets of kindling by its handle and carrying it closer to the kilns. Upon reaching them, she set the bucket aside, opting instead to use a hook to open the door wide and check the fuel levels for the fire. Tsking at the sight of the scattering of ash that lay beneath the coals, she reached for a nearby shovel and scooped it into a waiting bucket before beginning to load in fresh legs and twigs. The coals crackled merrily at the presence of fresh fodder, licking over the pale golden wood as she swung the door near-closed once more.
“That’s much better.” She murmured, tossing the hawk a smile. “Fires lightly stoked on this one, but its got vases and a few bowls I don’t want cracking from the heat. How are the other two coming along? The raku wares will go in there. I’m trying to decide if I want to do another tea set… Maybe dual glaze it this time? What do you think?” Wordcount: 467
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Posted: Sun Jul 31, 2016 7:57 pm
"Were I not inclined to leave the nest, I know your art would continue." Terhi clicked at her, fond amusement rolling through the words. "In fact, it may even be better for the lack of distraction. But as you say, I am here now, and leaving would be foolish. Very well, I shall take up this roll as your cheering section, and remind you that even when things do not turn out as you had hoped, you are still learning a valuable lesson. Likewise, you may still make something beautiful, even if it wasn't what you were expecting. How is that?"
Watching her poke away at the clay and deem it in need of more resting, Terhi fought the urge to make a comment about how he himself could use the same. He was fairly certain it would have made Sova laugh, but he didn't want to run the risk of making her think she was keeping him up against her will. Once his dislike of the mornings passed, all would be well. "The girls will be fine, but I am sure if you wish to visit and view their works they'd be happy to speak with you on how they think thing are turning out."
Tossing charcoal into one of the kilns and carefully avoiding the shower of sparks, Terhi rolled his eyes and made a scolding noise when she commented on how he would look without feathers. This was his best friend, truthfully. Still, he was interested to see how the bits and bobs would turn out with their new glaze and whatnot. The raku style was something Forest had requested, and he knew the seamstress had a few projects in mind for the items. If Sovanna could get the technique right, the barter and project potential would be something indeed.
"Don't forget." He murmured, fetching more charcoal and tossing it into the flames and paying little heed for how his words drowned out the near soothing crackle of flames and whisper of ash that Sovanna was shoveling away. "You need to check on your dye cakes this afternoon. It is my understanding you promised to test the indigo batch you'd been working on by dying some of that thread you bartered from the spinners. Forest will likely want to see some of that too, to go with your new buttons." Wordcount: 393
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Posted: Sun Jul 31, 2016 8:14 pm
“Of course my art would continue, even if you didn’t leave your roost.” Sovanna murmured, giving the hawk her best mournful look. “But I am sure it would suffer, as my heart would be wounded to have been so callously abandoned by my dearest friend. SO! We are both lucky you are out of bed, even if you don’t seem inclined to agree to such an assessment.”
She gave a faint smile as his words about valuable lessons sank in, and nodded her head slightly. “Yes, I suppose you are right Terhi… And I thank you for reminding me of that. It makes me feel better, knowing that nothing is wasted so long is a lesson is learned or a new path tried. That is important to remember, in art.”
Sovanna hesitated in the tending of her kilns, tilting her head and counting back the days of drying and resting and brewing for her various dyes and dye cakes. It was indeed about time she checked on the pressed cakes, and strained out some of the other brews she'd been allowing to rest and set.
"You're right, though of course you're right, you're the one who always has a head for such things." Sova replied with a soft laugh. "I still think you should let me test some of the indigo dye on your tail feathers, they would be stunning, all shades of the night sky. Don't you think? Maybe for the next masquerade, I could even dip some of my feathers to match. We'd be stunning."
She dissolved into a peal of laughter, shaking her head to banish the mental image and ignoring the loudly-speaking look her friend leveled at her. "I know, I know. Never in a million years would you ever, and I should just stop thinking of that now. I also shouldn't try anything while you're sleeping, on pain of swift, punishing justice."
Sovanna gave a dismissive flick of her wing, sweeping aside the conversation of the moment. "As for the indigo cakes, if they work like I'm hoping... Well, my first batch should come out good and dark, and it should hold strong, too. After that, I'll probably try some more of the new thread in secondary and so on batches. If the color lightens batch by batch, as long as it stays true after it has set, it should look lovely for graduated embroidery like flower detailing. I should think Forest would enjoy it."
The gray mare gave a faint frown and a shrug. "Even if they don't work past the third or fourth batch, or if it's become too weak by then, I'll just re-dye with some of the good rose and burgundy dye. Those should still let me do the gradual color fade I am imagining, and lend themselves to pattern work. Do you think Forest will still want it, even if it isn't that accursed-difficult indigo? I'd definitely want her to have first pick of anything new, since we're cooperating with the buttons and buckles and all."
Wordcount: 506
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Posted: Tue Aug 30, 2016 2:29 pm
Fluffing his wings in an attempt to hide his reaction, Terhi gave a click of his beak and tsked. "Suffer, hm? And a wounded heart? Well, I certainly could not stand to cause you such grief and to damage your heart. I am sure that if I did, several of the herd would take issue with my wounding of their favorite potter. No doubt they'd want to use me as a pillow in their next performance, or some such nonsense. Revenge would come in the form of bent feathers and the humiliation of being stuffed in a pouch and treated like furniture. No, better for me if I stay on your good side, my lady fair."
Once again he seized some charcoal lumps and tossed them into the appropriate kiln, eying the various buckets of kindling and feeder wood. They were well stocked, which meant he had no need to go foraging for such things. Still, later in his flight he'd keep an eye out for downed branches that could be used as kindling or be made into brands or use as props for the various shows and things. Any sign of felled trees would be welcome news for the woodworkers first and foremost, and then those who tended the cookfires and kilns. Nothing would be wasted, there was always a use.
At the mention of dye he made a playful sound of alarm, alighting to a perch out of reach just to tease her. "Dye my lovely feathers, you say? Do I even dare sleep when you might sneak up on me with a brush, just waiting for my moment of weakness? A split second of my guard being down and you might accost my poor tail."
After a few moments he relented, conceeding quietly that the dye would only be temporary, after all. "Perhaps once you have found one with good results for your nightsky look, I will allow it. Then, if you wish, I would be happy to accompany you to the next masquerade, oh twin of my heart. I will even speak to a mask maker about making us adornments to match our newly colored feathers. We shall be Emissaries of the Night, come the Masquerade."
But that was talk for later, much later, so Terhi happily pushed it aside in favor of the talk of dye cakes and thread. "Sooner or later one would expect the dye to lose some of its strength. But if it holds true and the color lightens, your plan of graduated threads and the like should be lovely indeed. Forest is likely to have a project in mind, or maybe invent new ones if the threads are right. And I am sure the Fairy Kingdom would be happy with delicate lilacs and rose colored threads to spruce up their costumes. I will be sure to mention it to some of the others, to see if they need new colors of any sort. At least then you'll have an idea of what to work towards."
Watching Sova step away from the kilns, Terhi abandoned his perch and glided down to rest on one of her wings instead. "Giving Forest the first pick of colors is a kind gesture... I am sure she will appreciate it." Wordcount: 544
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Posted: Tue Aug 30, 2016 3:29 pm
Sovanna smiled to herself as she tended the kilns, listening to her hawk companion try to bluster his way through her playful reminder that he was important to her. Her strange spirit sibling, he got shy when she reminded him he was important and surely when she didn't. ‘There are days it seems like there is no winning with you, my friend… But that is part of your charm, is it not?’
"I am... almost sure they wouldn't take action against you." She argued with a laugh when he began to speak of the herd's revenge. "You are one of us, after all, and I am no more important to the herd than you as we are equals. At worst I think a few disappointed glances, but surely they would not stuff a pillow with you Terhi. You overreact, I promise."
The gray mare paused to laugh at the image. "After all, chances are you'd burst out in the middle of a very dramatic scene, and turn the whole thing into a comedy! I am sure our serious actors would not thank you for spoiling the mood. Then again, one of the comedy acts might eagerly stuff you in a pillowcase if they think it will amuse the audience. Best you and I both stay on everyone's good sides, or they may try it just to see."
The idea was an amusing one, but she imagine Terhi would sulk for days if they did indeed shove him into a pillowcase, whether it was for a play or not. Maybe one of the hens or the ravens that were part of the set crew could use it as a comic act? Well, it was a possibility for another time. Still, the fact that he was bartering with her over the possibility of dying his feathers was a promising new development.
"I promise you would be most dashing." She murmured encouragingly, giving him one of her best smiles. "The lady-hawks would be quite taken with the look. We could temporarily paint some of your feathers too, that way you could wash part of it away and just have the dye on your tail feathers? You would be so very mysterious, I am sure it would be a hit. I'll let you know when I have some good color transitions for you to admire, and we can plan it out then. But masks would be a lovely addition. Or matching bracelets or cuffs, maybe?"
Turning away from the kiln and lifting a wing to encourage Terhi to perch on it, Sovanna nodded faintly. "That settles it, then. First choice of threads for Forest, and then perhaps some of the others. If someone has a project I can help with, you know I'm happy to. I guess even the mask-makers might like some of the threads or some of the new beads, depending."
When the white hawk came to perch on her wing, Sova hesitated a moment, swaying with the movement before picking up a smooth long-striding walk. “She’s a friend, and you know I am always happy to help out a friend, Terhi. Now come, let’s go check on the dye cakes before we get back to my claywork.” Wordcount: 536
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Posted: Tue Nov 01, 2016 12:44 pm
Satisfied with the status of the kilns, Terhi turned his attention to his companion and watched while she continued to stoke and stock kilns and bins. Noting some of the twigs and limbs had come free from the kindling basket, Terhi fluttered down to restack the items to his satisfaction and soared upright, looping a lazy circle overhead as Sovanna laughed and teased him. He was pleased to see her grey mood vanish.
“Being one of us would only go so far if I went about breaking the hearts of others.” Terhi argued, swooping down to perch on Sovanna’s offered wing. He craned his head down and preened a strand of her mane, quietly fond. “And a quiet revenge, a player’s revenge, would be a fitting retaliation if I did indeed shatter your heart. Stuffing a pillow with me might be ideal, in their next comedy. Maybe I’ll manage it if one of the hens or the ravens irks me? Londyn or Duman might think it particularly clever.”
He filed away the possibility for later, thinking that with the proper approach they may indeed work the idea into a comedy play or show. Maybe one of the fools could stuff some of the hens in a sack and make a ‘down pillow’ for his equally foolish love. Only to have the birds riot and escape when she tried to lay her head upon it. That in itself would be worth a few laughs, and far easier than baking a piecrust cover for some of the ravens to hide beneath and burst through.
“Are you suggesting the lady-hawks are not taken with me now, with my trailing mist-colored feathers?” He murmured archly, fluffing his feathers in mock outrage. “How harsh you are to me, Lady Sovanna! I certainly will not let you practice on me now. You will have to paint feathers on some other test-chicken, perhaps the players will assist you? With paints or dyes, their plays might be splendid indeed.”
He gave a shrug, shuffling a bit to get a more comfortable perch. “Yes, I know how you tend to friends needs when you can. Still, I think a collaboration with some of the mask-makers or the jewelers might be fine indeed. Of course this will be after you have offered your dye options to Forest for her to use in her next works. Perhaps if you design something matching for us both, it would be best? We are sure to cause quite a stir at the next masquerade.”
“Alright then, on to check the dye cakes… Then I think I shall go in search of herbs and kindling, and seek out any newly felled trees. I will check in with you in the afternoon, if that is alright? Let you get to work on the clay without my interference for a while.” Wordcount: 474
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Posted: Tue Nov 01, 2016 2:02 pm
“You’re my dearest friend, you know you wouldn’t break my heart…” Sovanna laughed. “And you have allies among the herd, I wouldn’t be surprised if all of the birds came by to tell me how I had disappointed them, if you were actually upset with me. Truly though, Terhi, if you really don’t want me to dye your feathers, I won’t. At least, not without a really, really good reason. Since you haven’t managed to irk me that greatly in forever as I recall, you should be safe. Besides, you would be so very tricky to catch. On that same note, I am unlikely to recommend you for pillow-stuffing, for the same reasons I must admit.”
She smiled fondly when he preened her mane, giving him a playful grin. “Though I think, based on that look in your eye, you’re going to be the one to talk to Duman or Londyn about it as part of one of the shows. So then, are those the choices? Volunteering yourself, the ravens, or some of the hens for the task? The Condors would be too large and the songbirds too small… Though a tiny velvet pillow exploding into a dozen jewel-bright hummingbirds might be a delight for the magic act, if you know someone that can manage it.”
She would have to ask some of the stage-wizards or the magicians later, to see if they had any ideas or suggestions that might lead to such a trick. Then they could look for a seamstress to make a trick pillowcase and talk to the hummingbirds about the idea. “I would never suggest you need help with the lady-hawks, my friend… I just think your air of mysteriousness would be enhanced by some subtle paints or dye work. Think about it, will you? If you decide against it, I’ll just make all the chickens look like birds of paradise… And you’ll have to contend with everyone looking grander and more mysterious than you.”
The grey mare dissolved into quiet laughter, shaking her head. “We really will have to think of something stunning, if we are to match. But that can wait until later, when you’re in a better mood and not so inclined to think I am going to paint you pink out of spite? So then, let us put it aside for now.”
Sovanna nodded understandingly when Terhi mentioned a supply flight, pacing along to cave where her dye cakes were set to dry or store. “Will you check the wild lavender while you’re out? If it’s getting a little long again, I’d like to get some more for tea, and one of the bakers wants to try it in a new cake. Do be sure to tell the woodcarvers if you find some good trees, or the cooks if you find those that are only fit for the fire. If you happen to see any of the girls, don’t forget to say hello.”
Drawing to a halt outside the cave, she stretched her wings to give him the best takeoff. "I will see you later." Wordcount: 513
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Posted: Sun May 14, 2017 12:09 pm
Momentarily struck with bashful pleasure at the admission, the hawk bowed his head and preened some of his chest feathers idly. The smoke and sand colored mare that was his spirit sibling was also his dearest friend, an artist that tended to underestimate herself and was always on-hand when someone was in need. He was honored to be her confidant and companion, even during their foolish arguments.
“I am happy to be your closest friends, as you most certainly are mine.” He countered with a flash of a bright eye. “And though I have allies in the herd, you do also! I am sure that no one would truly believe that we were feuding to the extent that they would take sides. But if they did, I am sure Yilmaz and several others would be on your side, and numbers are not everything! When you have the great heroes, the Kings of the Faire, on your side? Well I should think that we small, troublesome rabble-rousers would be doomed.”
He clicked his beak in a soft laugh, mantling his wings and eyeing the feathers in contemplation. Truly the dying or painting would be interesting, particularly if his ‘sister’ painted her own plumage to match. And naturally shed feathers could be collected and painted with pictures or dyed colors, then distributed as part of jewelry, costumes, or pieced together to be wares in their own right. He’d have to ask one of the artists if they had any desire to include painted or dyed feathers in their wares. It would be another business avenue for Sova, and help to keep her busy with new challenges.
“I admit I have no interest in being pillow-stuffing, my friend. But that aside, I think talking to Duman and Londyn about the painting, dying or something similar would be a good plan. Duman’s feathers are too dark to dye, but if we could make a sparkling paint, or paint them white and then apply other colors… Surely something would show up? I can inquire as to if he has any feathers lying about for us to test.” He hoped that the idea would be more amusing to her than actually stuffing him in a sack of any kind, for his dignity if no other reason. “But all of that aside, I will certainly be happy to mention the humor act options with finches or hummingbirds exploding out of pillows. It would be a nice change from the pie gag, and the fools do like to change things up. To that same end, a pair of birds that were ‘knocked out’ and then put on a hat as decoration could wake up a few times throughout the act before finally flying off… Possibly with the hat?”
Shifting in preparation for launching into flight, the hawk preened a flight feather into order and then nodded. “I will indeed check the lavender field, and to keep an eye out for good trees for the woodcarvers or the cook-fire keepers. And of course, as always, I am companionable to any of our herd mates and sociable with our friends. You need not ask.”
Leaning forward to preen a strand of her forelock in farewell, he clicked fondly at her. “Good luck with your project, my friend, and I will see you when I return!” Wordcount: 555
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