[Flashback] Show Some Respect

[Renaria]

56th Day of Summer, 510AV The sun had been up for less than 2 Bells, but already the streets of Syliras were filling with people. Among them, two young children ran with the early morning energy only one so young seemed to possess. The faster one, long blonde hair flying out behind her, was Renaria. She called out to her friend to hurry up. Larel, though out of breath, increased her speed a little, while pushing her short brown hair out of her face. They were advancing on The Tooth and Claw, a favourite haunt of theirs. The girls would often be found in the shop, observing the various animals that Lirelle kept in stock. Larel was fond of the dogs, while Renaria would watch the birds. She was especially fond of a particular raven, who had been in the shop since her first visit. Soon enough they reached the shop door, and they paused to catch their breaths. Well, to catch Larel's breath anyway. The young Kelvic on the other hand rarely tired from running. After a few moments, the two friends stepped inside, and immediately split ways; Larel to the dogs and Renaria over to the birds. She had been watching the raven on it's perch for no more than 2 chimes, when she heard someone behind her. "Back again young one?" It was Lirelle, holding various buckets of food for the animals of her store. Renaria merely smiled and nodded. The shopkeeper scooped out a handful of pellets and gave them to the Kelvic. "Here, feed your feathered friend for me?" With a wink and a smile, the woman was gone, moving on round the shop to finish her feeding rounds. Slowly, Renaria emptied the pellets from her hands into the empty bowl by the bird. It cocked it's head, staring at her with a single beady eye before letting out a loud caw and moving to eat. The Kelvic smiled. In her mind, that was the raven thanking her, though in reality it was probably just making noise to guard it's food. She turned and moved off round the store in search of her friend. Larel was closer to the front, and as Renaria passed the window a blur of movement caught her eye. She called out to the girl before rushing out of the door and into the street. Larel was not far behind, and she stopped just next to her friend. "What did you see Ren?"

[Renaria]

Renaria was scanning the street ahead of her as her friend spoke, her keen cat eyesight helping her out. She nudged Larel gently and pointed to the roof of a building a little way down the street. "There! A bird!" She crept closer, never once taking her eyes of the feathered creature. She stopped at the foot of the building it had perched on, and turned to Larel again. "Oh look! It's an eagle! Renaria dropped her gaze to the ground, while Larel stared, open-mouthed at the bird. She picked up a small stone and aimed. Larel grabbed her arm. "Ren, what are you doing?" The Kelvic shook her friend's grip off. "It's fine Lar, I'm not going to hit it."With that she flung the stone forwards. It hit the building three-quarters of the way up, startling the eagle into flight. Renaria took off down the street after it, with Larel trailing behind her. They rounded a corner, and Renaria was just quick enough to see the eagle fly beneath an arch and out of sight. She stopped in her tracks with a pout. Larel, who wasn't paying attention, ran right into the back of her and the pair toppled over. "Ah! Sorry Ren!" They helped each other up before Larel looked at Renaria with a scowl. "You shouldn't have done that you know, what if you had hit it?" The Kelvic shook her head. "I wasn't going to hit it, I told you. I just wanted to see it closer. C'mon." She tugged on the girls sleeve, and hurried over to the arch. It led to the Stone Gardens, and upon entry Renaria spotted the eagle. It was perched on the shoulder of a man. He obviously heard the pair enter, as he turned to face them, the eagle cocking it's head at them. The man was old; he had a grizzled mane of silvery hair, and shockingly blue eyes. He looked at the two girls. "Was it you two that be scarin' my bird here?" He took a step toward them. "Well?"

[Renaria]

In a fit of nerves, Larel searched for Renaria's hand and gripped it tightly. The Kelvic on the other hand stared the man directly in the eye. "Sir, I'm sorry, I just wanted to see him closer." The grizzled man was silent for a moment, his eyes slightly narrowed as he observed the two girls. "You need to learn to show some respect missy." He huffed. Renaria let her head fall forwards, an admission of guilt and shame. She tentatively glanced back up at the old man, who spoke. "What are your names girls?" She raised her head again and motioned to herself. "I'm Renaria, and this is my friend Larel." The man nodded. "Very well, Renaria and Larel. I will let you see my bird, but first you must understand that animals deserve the same amount of respect as other people do." Renaria flushed with shame. She knew that already - being a Kelvic - but she had let her selfish want get the better of her. "I...I know Sir. I am Kelvic." The man's eyes narrowed again. "Then you should have known better young lady." He reached up and stroked his eagle. "When you grow up and leave here, you will encounter many creatures, and if you do not give them the respect they deserve then you may end up with a missing limb or two." He paused. "However, if you do show respect, it is very possible to end up with a companion." He moved his head ever so slightly to motion to the bird, seemingly indicating they had met in the wilds. He raised his arm so that it was parallel with the ground, and the eagle hopped onto it. "You may touch him, but be gentle. You don't want to loose a finger now do you?" Larel blanched at his words and hung back, but Renaria stepped up to the man. The eagle watched her with a beady eye as she slowly reached out to it. She gently stroked it's head, and a smile wound it's way over her face. "He's beautiful." The bird fluffed it's feathers, causing the girl to step back. The old man nodded proudly. "Aye he is that." He lowered his arm and the bird returned to his shoulder. He then reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a single feather before handing it to Renaria. "Now, you take this, and you treasure it. Use it to remember the respect you have shown my bird today, and use it to remember to show every animal you meet the same." With that, he turned and strode away, leaving the two girls standing in the gardens. Renaria turned the feather over in her hands. It was beautiful. Long, golden and silky, it seemed to have come from the eagle's tail. She carefully stowed it in her pocket. She would indeed treasure it forever.

[Templar]

Renaria: Running: 3 – Observation: 3 – Bird Keeping: 1 Lore: Why one should respect animals – Respect is important. Treasures: One long, golden and silky eagle’s tail feather. Additional notes: As you said, not much to grade in terms of XP and sadly, I am not known for giving out large volumes of inane lore. But I gave what I deemed fitting, if you feel unfairly treaten, send me a pm