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Jaeger Erdarastrix Vice Captain
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 Posted: Thu Sep 11, 2008 10:18 am
A black shadow glides silently through the trees; a fat, limp squirrel dangling from his talons. Hawthorn has had a successful early evening with Dodger, and now the fledgling, so close to graduation, is off on her own putting the lession to practical use. The Teacher, free now for an hour or two before they meet up again later in the evening, has taken the opportunity to catch a bit of lunch. Now he simply has to find a bit of unclaimed forest in which to settle and eat; a task that is often difficult in the densely-packed territories of the Deep Woods.
Hawthorn hoots periodically, keeping an eye on friend and stranger alike as he flies. It wouldn't do to lose his plump meal to a larger bird due to lack of attention on his part. Finally, he spies a likely-looking tree-- the male executes a graceful wing-over and lands precisely on the branch, the abnormally sharp talons on his feet digging into his meal.
The Shadow male glances around warily, then lowers his head to eat. Mmm. Finally!
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Posted: Thu Sep 11, 2008 10:34 am
 Hawthorn is not the only one looking for somewhere to spend a bit of time. Talons no longer full and belly no longer empty, Hollyhock is uncertain how to spend the rest of his night. His dinner completed and his hunt for the rest of the clan not yet begun, Holly is merely looking for someplace to sit and give himself time to digest before returning to his chosen task.
The young Deep Woods also calls out regularly, just to make certain that he won't be mistaken for an aggressor and driven out of a territory. Unready for anything of his own, the search for an unoccupied bit of space in which to sit, even in which to spend a night, is a regular event of Hollyhock's night. He is learning which bits of the Deep Woods are safe for resting and which get him in trouble, and currently he's on his way to a spot he found a few nights ago, which hopefully will remain unoccupied.
The tree he has in mind is empty, but one nearby is not. Holly hoots quickly, trying to gauge the possible reaction of the stranger and alter his course if possible. The other bird is bigger than him, a Shadow with bright primaries, and not one Holly has seen before. Taking his chances, he lands somewhat less gracefully on a branch in a neighboring tree and smiles slightly at Hawthorn, doing everything he can to look nonthreatening. He is most definitely not in the mood for conflict with an older Sentinel.
"Evening."
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Jaeger Erdarastrix Vice Captain
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Posted: Thu Sep 11, 2008 10:48 am
The squirrel is large, and Hawthorn takes his time with the meal. It's a luxury; generally, he's forced to gulp his meals in order to have his beak available to answer the questions that constantly tumble from Dodger's mouth. He has learned to take his time when he can, and enjoy the silence. Unfortunately for the male, he only has his meal half finished when he hears a hoot from nearby; his ear-tufts slick back, and the first quick glance he gives the 'intruder' is not entirely friendly. Figures.
But Hawthorn is a bird who never burns platforms for no reason. It takes a bit of effort to shove the annoyance to the back of his mind, but the Shadow straightens after a moment or two. He slicks his extremely well-kept plumage, and bobs his head at Hollyhock in a genial enough manner.
Hawthorn automatically ticks through recent fledglings and graduates that he's kept track of in an attempt at categorizing the newcomer, but he ultimately comes up empty; the young male is a stranger. Therefore, it's best to be friendly. "Good evening, and good hunting to you." With his usual formal elegance, Hawthorn bows, one wing spread with a flourish, over his perch. He does not wait to be asked to introduce himself. "Hawthorn, a Teacher, at your service."
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Posted: Thu Sep 11, 2008 11:12 am
Ah, a teacher! Hollyhock has the greatest of respect for teachers, certainly since he has so recently come from one. Returning the bow somewhat less elegantly, still learning the mannerisms that are required of adult Sentinels, he gives a gracious nod. His expression, though friendly before, has already become moreso, since this particular Sentinel does not seem to be hugely incensed at Holly's arrival, and especially since he is not being chased at the moment.
"Good hunting to you as well, as I see you have had," he says pleasantly, dipping his head to quickly preen one of his wings before continuing. "Hollyhock, a hunter, at yours," he answers Hawthorn's introduction with his own and settles comfortably on the branch, taking a moment to sort out his priorities. He has interrupted the other in the middle of a meal. While not a grievous insult, Holly still feels a bit awkward, and isn't sure whether to talk again or let Hawthorn finish. Prudence tells him to leave him be for at least a bit, and instead of talking, he begins to preen his other wing in an effort to keep the silence comfortable...or at least not unpleasant.
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Jaeger Erdarastrix Vice Captain
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Posted: Thu Sep 11, 2008 2:47 pm
It would be hard to miss the relief that crosses Hawthorn's face when he realizes that the hunter isn't about to launch into a conversation that will keep the shadow away from his dinner. Thank Noctus! He does return to his meal, then-- with a bit more haste than he usually shows when in Dodger's presense, but with every evidence of still enjoying his food. When he has nibbled the last bit of meat off the tip of one of his talons, the older male rouses all of his feathers and settles comfortably in place. The night is fair, and this patch of the Deep Woods is surprisingly quiet.
"So," Hawthorn drawls, finally breaking the silence, "A hunter, mmm? Your patterning certainly suits that. That is a masterful dye job, if I may say so."
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Posted: Sun Sep 14, 2008 10:40 am
Hollyhock, though he's an adult now, is still young. A compliment from an elder can still make him sleek with embarrassed pleasure, and that's what he does now, ducking his head shyly before looking back up at Hawthorn. "Thank you," he says, rousing all his feathers to settle himself down. "I'll probably be paying it back until the moult," he adds with a light laugh, nibbling on one of his talons. "But it is worth it."
Anything that gives or will give Hollyhock an advantage in his career as a Hunter is well worth it. Holly scans the sky briefly, tracing the path of a bat, and then looks back over at Hawthorn. The male's accents are nice, and they add a certain charm that those brightly-painted, wickedly sharp talons might otherwise rob from him. He smiles. "Though you are a teacher, I don't believe I have heard your name before," he admits. "Perhaps I know some of your students, though?" he continues after a moment. After all, he did just Graduate. Perhaps one of the other fledglings was a student of Hawthorn's. It was a possibility.
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Jaeger Erdarastrix Vice Captain
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Posted: Thu Sep 18, 2008 9:32 am
Hawthorn chuckles quietly-- both at Hollyhock's reaction (it betrays his youth, even if the older teacher hadn't been able to tell already), and his comment. The teacher's biggest and greatest skill is the trading of favours, and he fully understands the cost that an expert dye job represents for a young hunter with few contacts built up.
"I'm not surprised," the shadow drawls in response. "I only take one student at a time-- a special tutor, of sorts. My most recent student's name is Dodger; you may have noticed her around." Most Sentinels of Hollyhock's age noticed her, certainly-- as the freaky aberrant with the strange white patches all over her, and the horrible habit of infuriating teachers. She did not graduate with the others of her age group, and disappeared from classes.
The male dips his head to preen idly at one wing.
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Posted: Thu Sep 18, 2008 11:21 am
Ah, he recognizes the name, though he never met the Sentinel in person. Dodger, the strange and worrying female. He suspects she's a bit older than him, but he certainly didn't see her at graduation. How...odd, among other things. She makes him uneasy, but he suspects that saying as much, or even indicating it in expression, would upset the Teacher. So instead, he nods. "I have heard the name and know the face," he says, and then settles down.
Truth be told, Holly hasn't met all that many other Sentinels his age. Other than Osprey and a few he has met in passing, he really isn't social enough to want to meet them. Friendly, but not seeking company. And now he's at a total loss of what to say, because he's in the presence of a much older male and has intruded on what should have been a private occasion. Oops.
So he simply rouses his feathers and nips absently at the leather thong of his hunter's emblem.
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