Summer 2, 518
12th Bell
In Route to the Syka Mercantile
Syna had reached her peak for the day, and the burning sun pounded down on Tailyn’s neck. The woman’s half year in Syka had burned her pale skin a brilliant bronze, accenting her fire red hair. She was almost used to the heat, though she wasn’t quite used to the sweat. She always kept her hair up with the pins that Randal had given her and though she had seriously debated slicing it all off, she had eventually decided against it. If Randal liked her hair long, and she had happily worn it that way her entire life, who was she to argue?
Today’s outing put the young inarta in route to the Syka Mercantile. The woman had finally grown tired of her poor method of carrying the bird’s fruit meals, and had decided she would endeavor to buy some damn baskets. Blue, extraordinarily, hadn’t been interested in coming along and had decided to stay home and hang out with the other parrots. Tai was pretty sure her bird companion was hard at work making friends with the wild birds that hung out around her home. Tai had been watching for another bird that resembled Blue… but said bird hadn’t appeared yet. Tai could still hope though.
Lost deep in thought in her walk, daydreaming of tiny baby Blues, Tai almost missed the methodical cluck cluck cluck coming from behind her. When she noticed it, she halted. The noise stopped. Suspiciously, Tai turned to peer behind her. The flattened dirt road was empty of all traffic. However, there were plenty of bushes here and there of any number of kinds of plant life, and anything could be lurking nearby. Tai narrowed her eyes, then turned back around, heading back down the dirt road. Once again the ‘cluck cluck cluck’ resumed. Still in midstep, Tai spun around, just in time to see a blur of red, orange, and blue rush into the bushes.
“Okay, what the heck?”
Grumbling, Tai moved towards where she had seen the blur disappear to, and parted the cluster of bright green ferns. A moment later, the inarta woman found herself staring into the beady yellow eyes of a brightly colored chicken. The two of them were equally startled by each other. Tai leapt back quickly, and the chicken let out a frightened cluck and fluttered a ways down the road. Heart pounding, Tai grasped her chest and stared at the bird. The bird, in return, stared at her. Tai was immediately struck by how extraordinary beautiful the hen was. Tai was used to chickens being drab and brown and docile. This bird was bright orange in color with a brillant red crest, and blue linings on all of her feathers. As the two of them stared at each other, the hen let out a cautious, but not unfriendly, cluck.
“Why is there a chicken following me? Why are you following me?” Tai turned her accusation towards the brightly colored bird, who simply stared at her. Tai wasn’t quite sure what she expected the bird to do. Tell her what it was doing? Somehow she wouldn’t have been surprised if the chicken decided to talk. As it was though, it simply ruffled its feathers at her and stared. Tai sighed.
“I don’t have time for this. If you want to come, then come.” Tai stepped past the bird and headed back down the path towards the Mercantile. The methodical clucking at each of the bird’s steps resumed behind her.
(Words 582)
12th Bell
In Route to the Syka Mercantile
Syna had reached her peak for the day, and the burning sun pounded down on Tailyn’s neck. The woman’s half year in Syka had burned her pale skin a brilliant bronze, accenting her fire red hair. She was almost used to the heat, though she wasn’t quite used to the sweat. She always kept her hair up with the pins that Randal had given her and though she had seriously debated slicing it all off, she had eventually decided against it. If Randal liked her hair long, and she had happily worn it that way her entire life, who was she to argue?
Today’s outing put the young inarta in route to the Syka Mercantile. The woman had finally grown tired of her poor method of carrying the bird’s fruit meals, and had decided she would endeavor to buy some damn baskets. Blue, extraordinarily, hadn’t been interested in coming along and had decided to stay home and hang out with the other parrots. Tai was pretty sure her bird companion was hard at work making friends with the wild birds that hung out around her home. Tai had been watching for another bird that resembled Blue… but said bird hadn’t appeared yet. Tai could still hope though.
Lost deep in thought in her walk, daydreaming of tiny baby Blues, Tai almost missed the methodical cluck cluck cluck coming from behind her. When she noticed it, she halted. The noise stopped. Suspiciously, Tai turned to peer behind her. The flattened dirt road was empty of all traffic. However, there were plenty of bushes here and there of any number of kinds of plant life, and anything could be lurking nearby. Tai narrowed her eyes, then turned back around, heading back down the dirt road. Once again the ‘cluck cluck cluck’ resumed. Still in midstep, Tai spun around, just in time to see a blur of red, orange, and blue rush into the bushes.
“Okay, what the heck?”
Grumbling, Tai moved towards where she had seen the blur disappear to, and parted the cluster of bright green ferns. A moment later, the inarta woman found herself staring into the beady yellow eyes of a brightly colored chicken. The two of them were equally startled by each other. Tai leapt back quickly, and the chicken let out a frightened cluck and fluttered a ways down the road. Heart pounding, Tai grasped her chest and stared at the bird. The bird, in return, stared at her. Tai was immediately struck by how extraordinary beautiful the hen was. Tai was used to chickens being drab and brown and docile. This bird was bright orange in color with a brillant red crest, and blue linings on all of her feathers. As the two of them stared at each other, the hen let out a cautious, but not unfriendly, cluck.
“Why is there a chicken following me? Why are you following me?” Tai turned her accusation towards the brightly colored bird, who simply stared at her. Tai wasn’t quite sure what she expected the bird to do. Tell her what it was doing? Somehow she wouldn’t have been surprised if the chicken decided to talk. As it was though, it simply ruffled its feathers at her and stared. Tai sighed.
“I don’t have time for this. If you want to come, then come.” Tai stepped past the bird and headed back down the path towards the Mercantile. The methodical clucking at each of the bird’s steps resumed behind her.
(Words 582)
