|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Sun Nov 02, 2008 5:18 pm
Liam was rearranging his nest again. Three eggs, all Shadows from the same clutch, were nestled together in one corner, with Skurri fur and his own underfeathers keeping them warm. The rest of the nest was perfectly spotless; even Roth had no complaints, which was unusual for the surly companion. Still, he fussed over its appearance. Not even a professional-going over could assuage his concerns about its neatness. Really, he shouldn't have worried- the hatchlings were all in the main nests of the enclave, being fed; he wasn't watching any in particular right now- and eggs didn't make a mess. But perhaps he was entitled to some worry. After all, tonight was no ordinary night. He was feeling quite giddy; rumors had been flying for a while, and last night, he'd been told that his beloved Hazel was on her way home, most likely arriving tonight. She'd been out on a particularly long assignment, and he was very strongly feeling her absence. He couldn't wait to see her! Humming to himself, he tucked sticks under sticks as he waited for his mate's arrival. He felt like a newly-matriculated fledgling, out a-courtin' for the first time.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Nov 02, 2008 5:27 pm
Ahh, she was home! The wind in the denser forest of her territory that she shared with her dear Liam smelled even more wonderful than she remembered. How long had she been gone? Too long, no matter the count of days. How much would the place have changed, she wondered? Oh it didn't matter, she just wanted to see her Liam again, to spend more than a moment's thought with him. She'd missed her dearest mate on her travels, and felt that no one had the power now to keep her from being with him.
With a flurry of feathers she lit on a branch that was deliciously familiar to her. She didn't rush towards the nest she knew was nearby, no. She wanted to drink the moment in, savoring it, every moment. "...I'm home!"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Nov 02, 2008 5:44 pm
A noise, a landing, a rustling of leaves... somebody was in his territory, and he knew that voice. Hooting joyously, Liam threw himself off the edge of his nest, swooping around the tree to where the voice had come from. "HAZEL!" he cried loudly enough for the entire enclave to know that his lady was back. Landing near her, his face was the picture of happiness. Ever feather was standing on end, and his eartufts were practically flying off his forehead, he was so excited. He gazed fondly at her for an eternal moment, savoring the sight of the gorgeous Deep Woods female. "Oh, my Hazel. You're home!" he managed to stammer before practically falling on her and preening her eartufts.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Nov 02, 2008 5:57 pm
Hazel broke from her daze at the most wonderful sound in the world. Her eartufts shot up and she whipped around to watch her Liam diving to meet her. Her joy was reflected in her golden eyes when he landed, and she bathed in the moment between his landing and their rush together. To see him again...she hadn't realized how much she'd missed him. "Oh Liam! I am! At last!" She didn't mind when he fell onto her, she warbled in pleasure when he began to preen her. She nibbled gently at his chest feathers, simply glowing with love for her mate. No words could express how she felt at that moment. All that mattered was that she was home, with her Liam, for a long, long time.
Eventually she straightened and her eyes met Liam's. "How have you been, my love? I've missed you so..." She nipped his beak fondly, pressing herself to his side in a warm sort of embrace.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Nov 02, 2008 6:13 pm
"How I've been is nothing compared to how I am now. Oh, Hazel... it's been cold here without you." The Wildtype Sentinel buried his face in the top of her head, snuggling into her very essence. "It's so good that you're home!" The words were muffled, he knew, but his meaning was clear in his actions. How long had it been since he'd last felt her heart beat against him, how long since her tender beak had sweetly nipped his feathers? Far too long. He longed for the day when she'd never leave the nest, but loved her for her rambling nature and her devotion to her task. Such a dichotomy in one lady! Pressed together, Liam's ingrained sense of hospitality began to return. "Are you hungry, dear? I've got some fresh vole back at the nest. You must be exhausted from the trip!"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Nov 02, 2008 6:34 pm
"Oh that can wait, my love. I'm only hungry for your company." Hazel giggled at Liam's affections. She'd been good so long, she felt like a youngling, and a newlymated one at that, spending her first night with her new lover. While Liam was focusing on her, she took a moment to look her home over a little better. There were more holes than she remembered, the enclave had grown it seemed. "How is the business? Any eggs in the nest?" Something stirred in her, and she paused. How long would she keep at her work before her own eggs were in the nest? The longer they waited the more she longed for that day. Waking every evening to her wildetype mate, coddling and cosseting their brood...In a flash she realized she was jealous of...something. She wanted to stay here forever this time...but how would Liam feel?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Nov 03, 2008 9:39 am
"Actually, I'm watching three eggs right now, a clutch of Shadows, two boys and a little girl. Their daddy dropped them off a few nights ago, saying that their names were Quill, Tuft, and Frond- it's a lot easier than calling them Eggs One through Three!" Liam laughed a little bit at thinking of the impersonal way some Minders in his father's day called their eggs. All the minders and parents he knew referred to their eggs by name before they hatched. "Business is about as good as it can be. There's more Minders here since you've left, all of them Wildtype Males- it's kind of a niche Enclave, but it works nicely. They'd all love to meet you; I've told them all about you!" Liam tried to look at the enclave through Hazel's eyes. "But don't worry; there's not too many that living privately is impossible. It's a pretty good balance. We made the central nest a lot larger, too; that's where all the fluffballs are. Maybe later tonight we can feed them; would you like that?" He continued to preen his mate. He knew how much she liked hatchlings, and how wonderful it would be to have some of his own with her. She'd make such a wonderful mother.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Nov 03, 2008 10:12 am
"Three? The parents must have been exhausted." A glimmer of fear darted across Hazel's face. That was what she feared. An already small breed, by Sentinel standards, she was even tinier than most. What if the eggs were too much a drain on her? No, no, she mustn't think like that. "Quill, Tuft, and Frond...those are fine names. I hope they like them too." She perked up immediately at the offer to indulge herself with the hatchlings. Those were her favorites, so small and round and fluffy! "Oh could we? I really would love it! And maybe you could show me some of the renovations before then so I won't get lost coming back home...Not that I could ever get lost, I can always find my way back to you." She shifted, taking a turn at preening him, gently cleaning feathers and laying them in place just so.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Nov 09, 2008 7:48 pm
"I don't think they were exhausted so much as overwhelmed; he's a scout, she's a hunter. They decided to keep one of the eggs to raise themselves as well. Must've been a hard decision- I think that's one of the advantages of raising eggs in the Enclave, you can take care of them all yourself and have all the help you could need..." Liam's eyes took on a dreamy, half-closed expression as he thought about possibly raising hatchlings of his own in the Enclave, as his father had raised him and his siblings. Gone was the awkwardness of discussing children with his beloved; he was looking forward to them, and knew she was, too, when the time was right. "Righty-oh, then, darling!" he cooed, leaning into her preening. "I'll give you a tour of the place, and we'll end with the hatchlings. First stop- my nest! Roth's been missing you, I know, and I'd like you to meet the eggs."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Nov 10, 2008 7:40 pm
Hazel nodded. Three here and one at home? No wonder they had given some over to the minders for care. One at most would do for a family with active tasks, or two if one was something like a keeper or teacher or artisan who could stay on hand at all times and not lose their business. Oh, she recognized that look on her Liam's face! Well soon enough, she thought, leaning up to nibble the feathers around his beak. "That would be wonderful! I've missed Roth too. I've been thinking, maybe I should gather a companion of my own that could keep with him when I'm gone. You think he would like that? Maybe not a skurri, unless he wanted, but maybe...oh, I don't know. Just something." She fluffed herself and spread her wings, ready to take off after her love.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Nov 10, 2008 8:37 pm
"Any companion would be nice; if it stayed here, I'd always have a little tangible reminder of you when you were gone. Maybe you could even get two- one to take with you and one to stay with me! We could get them together, even. Any kind would be good, really- I think it's a fun idea." Liam smiled at his mate as he dropped off the branch, swooping around to meet Hazel. "First stop's right where it's always been; right on the other side of this tree!" Assuming she was following, he quickly turned up and landed on the edge of his nest, where the three Shadow eggs were right as he'd left them."Roth?" he called for the Skurri. "Somebody's home!"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Dec 04, 2008 11:39 pm
Hazel laughed, so very glad to feel the wind under her wings and feel her feathers brush occasionally across her Liam's when they flew together. It was a quick flap, but it made her happy. She lit on the branch and squealed with delight at the eggs settled in the nest. They'd be cuter as little hatchlings, as fluffs, she knew. "Should I hide maybe?" She whispered to Liam. Roth might well think it was Thorn who'd come home...and Hazel could probably hide behind Liam himself, if pressed. But then, Roth might have a heart attack in surprise when she leapt out, and then what?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Dec 05, 2008 12:47 am
"Ooh, do!" Liam fluffed himself out as large as he could; being a rather large male Wildtype, he could fairly easily hide his petite Deep Woods sweetheart. That was one of the things he loved about her, how beautifully dainty she was. "He'll never guess it's you!"
The Skurri poked his nose out, his whiskers twitching. Something was off... Hm. A visitor. Odd. Usually Liam didn't bother announcing visitors; they announced themselves. But Liam was calling, and he should go. Scurrying over the edge of the nest, he looked around for his master. "Comin', comin'!"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Dec 07, 2008 3:01 pm
With a giggle Hazel ducked down, hiding the bit of her that was exposed behind Liam's bulk. She fidgeted behind him, very much like a child, playing hide and seek, not wanting to be seen, and yet wanting so bad to leap out and surprise her friend. "Ready!" She'd whispered once hidden, and then gone silent to lay in wait.
Hazel nearly had to jump, hearing the Skurri's voice. It'd had been ages, it seemed...oh he was in for a surprise! She could hear him clambering closer, closer..."Boo!" She burst out from behind Liam, wings flared and feathers all fluffed up to try to look large. Or at least, larger.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
