Completed Lesson Two: How to Care for an Egg

[Syveris]

57th of Fall, 513 AV

The Avora was exultant. She was almost bouncing when she made her way through the Inner Warrens and back to her room. Virat had lent her a book, and told her what he was going to give her for her birthday. Syveris had been at a loss for words, completely unsure about what to say, and the Avora was sure she had almost cried in front of all the Glass Reverie. Not that she cared. She would receive an egg, a falcon egg, and just the thought of it made her feel amazing and happy, as if she hadn't a single care in the world. Maybe the refreshing bath she just had helped her mood too, but mostly, it was the promise of the egg.

Well, she had. Holding the book against her chest, her smile broadened. She had to learn how to take of the egg, and then the chick, but that she would do gladly. She was happy with everything right now, and even the occurrences of Fall weren't boring her right then. Humming, she entered her room, eager to begin reading. She still didn't exactly like reading, and she wouldn't do it just for pleasure, but at least she didn't mind it too much anymore.

Still grinning, Syveris sat on her couch, making herself comfortable. If she stayed in her room more, she would maybe buy a better one, but she was rarely there, anyway, and so, there wasn't a need for spending money like that. Besides, she was comfortable enough with this one.

And there she was, trailing off the subject again. She did it even in her head. Shrugging, she laid down, opening the book. She would have skipped straight to the third chapter, but Virat recommended her reading the introduction first, so she opened on the first page and began to read.

Raising a falcon, or any other bird, is not an easy task. There are several steps one should take to ensure that the egg develops in the right way, and then there are several procedures to ensure that the chick does not die. Those who wish to continue must be aware of this difficulties, and should be positive that they will have the time and patience to care for the egg, raise the chick and then care for the adult bird. If there is insecurity that one of the process will be bothersome or if a person is not willing to care for the bird entirely, with all the drawbacks and difficulties, then this person is not ready to raise a chick, and should not proceed.

Was that why Virat asked her to read the introduction? For her to be sure she wanted to try and raise the bird? Well, he didn't need to worry. Syveris wanted to, and she wanted to do each step of the procedure. She knew that, sometimes, she rushed things and ended up skipping procedures, but she would take this as she took glasswork: one step at a time, making sure she did everything correctly. She would not rush, and she would be sure to read and do everything very carefully.

If one still wants to proceed with the project, then he or she should familiarize themselves with the cares the eggs need prior to actually receiving an egg, and, if still inexperienced, then it's recommended that a book is available during all the stages, so one can consult on it whenever trouble arises.

Well, that was quite obvious to her, actually. She was already planning to only give the book back once the chick had hatched and she had copied all the useful information in it. It would take a while, but Virat had assured her there was no rush, and thus, she wouldn't rush.

x Poppy

[Syveris]

The next chapter was about how to build an artificial nest, and so, she skipped it for now. Time was kind of running short, since she would receive the egg on the 60th, her birthday, so she would focus on the care of the egg for now. The actual building could wait until a little later. The second chapter was exactly what she needed, and she began reading it.

There are a few things extremely important to keep in mind when caring for an egg, and these are temperature, position, humidity and hygiene. All of them are important to enable an egg to hatch, and each procedure should be taken with extreme caution, so no step is skipped and no problem occurs with the egg or the chick.

First, there is the temperature. Raptors do not leave their eggs uncovered for long periods, and thus, the temperature must be kept constant during the process, as cooling the egg may kill the bird developing inside it. However, in natural circumstances, the temperature of the egg raises slowly. So, when adjusting the temperature, one should keep that in mind, and raise the warmth slowly, until the ideal temperature, which can be achieved by putting a lamp close to the nest.

So she would need to raise the warmth slowly. That was an useful information. Syveris thought about it. She could first let the egg for a chime near the wall on her room, so the warming system would heat the egg a little. Then she could add the lamp, and slowly bring it closer to the nest, until it was just like the picture in the book. That should be good enough.

Second, and also extremely important, is how clean the place where the egg will be raised is. Everything should be cleaned prior to the placing of the egg, and then, be cleaned during regular and constant intervals. Surfaces and the room in which the egg will be placed should be cleaned daily, to prevent any infection to kill the egg.

Third, humidity is also important for correct development of the egg. Too much humidity or too little of it can cause trouble to the egg. Place a small cup of water near the egg, so it can maintain the air near the nest humid.

And finally, there is the position. The egg should be turned frequently in the first seven days, and then the frequency can drop. The turning must be done side to side, and not end over end.

Syveris mused over the figure showing how the proper way of turning an egg was. She was pretty sure she had understood everything. It didn't seem like it was that hard, but then, she had been wrong on thinking like that before. Resting the book on her lap, she looked at the ceiling, thinking. Maybe she should also talk with someone, maybe a falconer, who could answer some of the questions she might have or that could say something about what she had read in the book. She trusted it, of course, but it was always safer to have someone explain that to her. Maybe she could even go to Lavira. If it were just some questions, the Endal wouldn't mind, would she?

Well, the Avora would think about whom she could ask about it. She was sure she would find someone, after all, specially if she went to the Aviary. There had to be someone who would give her some answers. She could also research more by herself on the Enclave.

Syveris chuckled. Yes, there were many things she could do.

x Poppy

[Syveris]

But now, there was something she needed to do, and that was to plan how she could make the room the best for the egg. Syveris re-read the whole chapter, carefully noting what she would need to buy for it, and repeating it in her head until she remembered everything. She could have written it down, but she actually didn't have paper in her room, nor a pen, and she didn't want to fetch the items right now.

Well, she also needed to make the room very cleaned. She should probably ask someone else clean the room very thoroughly, since she wasn't very good with any domestic chores. Maybe if she paid something, a Chiet would be willing to do a job well done. The Avora knew that, if she ordered, they would have to do it for free, but she wanted them to do a very good job, and payment was her guarantee that she would get what she wanted. If it were a Dek, she wouldn't have bothered with it, but just the thought of talking to one made her cringe. A Chiet would be, then.

Syveris looked around, evaluating her room. Then getting, up, she decided to push the table closer to the wall already. It would at least give her something to do. She supposed she should just read more of the book, but then, she was afraid she would forget her mental list.

Suddenly, the Avora smiled, closing her book and putting it on the top of the table. Then, she stormed off the room, running through the Darnivas Commonroom, stopping only in front of a door she already knew well. Syveris knocked on it, and waited.

It took a while for the door to open, but when it did, Virat's tired face appeared, and greeted her with a half growl half smile, if that was even possible. "Syveris, what are you doing here?" her mentor asked, and she noticed by his voice that he had been sleeping.

"Need some paper and pen."

Virat looked at her for an entire chime, a look of disbelief in his face, as if she had suddenly turned blue. Then, he scowled at her and began to close the door.

"No, wait! Really, just give me some, please? I need to make a list." Syveris pleaded. She knew her mentor was never in his best mood when he just woke up, but she truly didn't expect him to be already sleeping. "Please?"

Another groan, and Virat turned, going back to his room and going through his stuff. A little later, he returned, shoving the items she had requested in her hand.

"I'm making you work double tomorrow, and the day after tomorrow, you hear me?" before she could answer, he closed the door, and the Avora could hear him rambling in a very annoyed voice. She giggled to herself, knowing that, by the morning, he would have forgotten. Sleep worked the same way as alcohol, to him.

Smiling, Syveris walked back to her room, decided to read the book once again, to make sure she had everything written down.

Maybe she would even buy a journal, so she wouldn't need to bother Virat again.

x Poppy

[Harrier]

Skills	Amount
Animal Husbandry	3
Planning	2

Lore

Introduction to Birdkeeping

How to turn an egg

How to keep an egg warm

When in doubt, ask around

Eggs need a lot of climate control

Virat hates to be woken

Bonus: 1 pen, 1 sheaf of parchment

Additional Comments: I didn't award Falconry because the chapters you read didn't really have anything to do with the skill. Animal Husbandry is more useful than Birdkeeping as it encompasses all spectrums, not just birds; for the specifics, I awarded the Lore in it.

(c) abstract