Tailyn’s Parrot Preserve
Spring 50, 518
Early Afternoon
There were many things that could be said about Tailyn, but at the very least she wasn’t lacking in ambition or optimism. Now, as Tai stared up at a fruit tree heavy with mangos high out of reach and contemplated the ambitious plan that had been whirring in her skull the past three days, she couldn’t help but wonder how much of that was a good thing.
“Do you think it’ll work?”
Tai glanced at Abanath, perched in his usual spot in the hammock facing the seaside. Atypically for him, the verusk was watching Tai with a keen interest. Abanath didn’t often take much interest in Tai’s day to day tasks and chores, preferring to keep himself occupied with his mechanical toys when he wasn’t helping out his parrot taming friend. Tai had a sneaking suspicion that his interest today had to do with the anticipation of Tai’s impending failure. Typical.
Tai squinted at her verusk friend, expression flitted with mock offense. “Are you doubting my parrot training abilities Ab? I’ll have you know I’m the best bird trainer in Syka! If anyone can teach Blue to fetch fruit from tree tops, it’ll be me!”
“Yes, the best out of a community of less than fifty,” Abanath said gravely. “I have every ounce of faith in you.”
On one hand, Tai was enjoying the newfound comfort between herself and Abanath that had bloomed into a healthy friendship. On the other hand, that comfort was leading to a heavy dose of sass from her adolescent prodigy.
“Oh shut up,” Tai grumbled, and ignored his smirk as she turned her back on him and looked back up towards the tree.
Blue watched the scene, as she usually did, with a cat-like curiosity disguised as disinterest. Tai’s parrot companion sat on her driftwood perch near Sisi and Nobody, occasionally ruffling her feathers with her beak and attempting to look bored. The bird knew Tai well enough to know something interesting was going on, but hadn’t quite worked out what the new thing was yet.
“Alright lady. You know the drill. Over here Blue.”
Tai raised up her arm, covered in the heavy leather of her falconry glove, and Blue shed her disinterest like a shroud. The bird came to Tai’s hand in an instant, clicking her beak in excitement.
“Okay girl. You think you can fetch some mangos for me?”
Blue clipped her beak together once. The bond Tai shared with her bird at times seemed to be almost telepathic. If Tai were a romantic person, she might compare it to the bond an endal shared with their wind eagle. It seemed Blue just simply understood her sometimes. That said, Blue was, in a word, capricious. Tai couldn’t necessarily count on her to do what she wanted, even if Blue did understand. Still, it was worth a try.
Tai pointed to the upper branches of the tree, hanging heavy with fruit.
“Up, Blue!” Tai said, throwing her arm towards the tree. As she had been trained, Blue launched herself off the glove, and after a few brief wingbeats, landed in the tree. The bird turned around to face Tai from high above and tilted her head.
“Alright,” Tai said purposefully. “Bring me a mango!”
(Words 541, Total 541)
Spring 50, 518
Early Afternoon
There were many things that could be said about Tailyn, but at the very least she wasn’t lacking in ambition or optimism. Now, as Tai stared up at a fruit tree heavy with mangos high out of reach and contemplated the ambitious plan that had been whirring in her skull the past three days, she couldn’t help but wonder how much of that was a good thing.
“Do you think it’ll work?”
Tai glanced at Abanath, perched in his usual spot in the hammock facing the seaside. Atypically for him, the verusk was watching Tai with a keen interest. Abanath didn’t often take much interest in Tai’s day to day tasks and chores, preferring to keep himself occupied with his mechanical toys when he wasn’t helping out his parrot taming friend. Tai had a sneaking suspicion that his interest today had to do with the anticipation of Tai’s impending failure. Typical.
Tai squinted at her verusk friend, expression flitted with mock offense. “Are you doubting my parrot training abilities Ab? I’ll have you know I’m the best bird trainer in Syka! If anyone can teach Blue to fetch fruit from tree tops, it’ll be me!”
“Yes, the best out of a community of less than fifty,” Abanath said gravely. “I have every ounce of faith in you.”
On one hand, Tai was enjoying the newfound comfort between herself and Abanath that had bloomed into a healthy friendship. On the other hand, that comfort was leading to a heavy dose of sass from her adolescent prodigy.
“Oh shut up,” Tai grumbled, and ignored his smirk as she turned her back on him and looked back up towards the tree.
Blue watched the scene, as she usually did, with a cat-like curiosity disguised as disinterest. Tai’s parrot companion sat on her driftwood perch near Sisi and Nobody, occasionally ruffling her feathers with her beak and attempting to look bored. The bird knew Tai well enough to know something interesting was going on, but hadn’t quite worked out what the new thing was yet.
“Alright lady. You know the drill. Over here Blue.”
Tai raised up her arm, covered in the heavy leather of her falconry glove, and Blue shed her disinterest like a shroud. The bird came to Tai’s hand in an instant, clicking her beak in excitement.
“Okay girl. You think you can fetch some mangos for me?”
Blue clipped her beak together once. The bond Tai shared with her bird at times seemed to be almost telepathic. If Tai were a romantic person, she might compare it to the bond an endal shared with their wind eagle. It seemed Blue just simply understood her sometimes. That said, Blue was, in a word, capricious. Tai couldn’t necessarily count on her to do what she wanted, even if Blue did understand. Still, it was worth a try.
Tai pointed to the upper branches of the tree, hanging heavy with fruit.
“Up, Blue!” Tai said, throwing her arm towards the tree. As she had been trained, Blue launched herself off the glove, and after a few brief wingbeats, landed in the tree. The bird turned around to face Tai from high above and tilted her head.
“Alright,” Tai said purposefully. “Bring me a mango!”
(Words 541, Total 541)