Lost Fledgling [MadEmperor]

[DragonSong]

@MadEmperor

Lenore had been gone for a long while; that in and of itself wasn't so unusual, the raven was a free spirit—even by bird standards—but she had indicated that she would be back at the nest by sundown.

"Maybe I should try to find her," Lanaya mused aloud, frowning out the window of her little treetop home. Norn, perched on a twisting branch above her, clucked softly.

"I know she can take care of herself," the witch sighed, getting to her feet. "But it's not like her to be late. Not when she gave us a time she'd be home." She pursed her lips, then nodded to herself briskly. "I'm going to look for her. If I'm not back in two hours—"

Before she could finish the sentence, the cacophony of a full murder of birds rose from just beyond the glade where her home tree grew. She caught a familiar outline rising above the trees, and...a stranger. A bird she didn't recognize. A juvenile crow, though it was difficult to tell at this distance. Lenore seemed to be trying to lead the youngster from the rest of the flock, who were clearly quite unhappy with the other two birds.

[MadEmperor]

Grimr was confused by the vehemence of the birds' rejection. It wasn't like he even wanted to join a flock, or a murder, or whatever it was called. He wasn't going to be a bird forever; he had to believe that.

He was even more perplexed when a raven swooped in to scare the angry crows away. Awkwardly dodging other birds with all the grace of a bird half as developed, he slowly and hesitantly made his way to the raven. Even though it had helped him, he was too used to being afraid of everyone and everything to trust trying to speak with it. Because it had gone so well with the crows.

[DragonSong]

Larger than the crows she may be, but Lenore was severely outnumbered. At least, until Lanaya appeared at the base of the tree where the raven had perched with the youngling in an effort to avoid the diving murder.

The witch frowned up at the bullying birds. "Off with the lot of you," she shouted, throwing her hands up in a shooing motion.

Lenore squawked and fluttered down to her shoulder. Clucking, she looked up at the juvenile crow.

"Yes, I saw." Lanaya nodded and reached a hand up to the young bird. "It's alright, little one, I won't hurt you," she said with a smile. Though she spoke aloud, her beastspeak always seemed to translate for avian creatures.

[MadEmperor]

The crow eyed her with a very human wariness. The woman lived in the woods like a witch; as far as he knew she would cook him in a stew or take his eyes for a spell. But... what if she could help?

How can I know that you won't?

[DragonSong]

Lenore clucked at him: Because I say so, you little runt. Now c'mere.

"Lenore!" Lanaya frowned at her. "Gently, if you please," she urged the raven with a sigh, "he's just a youngling." Looking up to the crow, she added with a small smile, "You don't have to come to me--but I have food and water and a safe place to sleep nearby. You're welcome to them all, if you like."

[MadEmperor]

After some hesitation, Grimr nodded without considering that birds don't nod. He had hoped not to give that away just yet. Fluttering down to the ground, he asked, Where?

[DragonSong]

Both Lanaya and Lenore stared at him for a long moment, then exchanged a look.

"Ah...follow me," Lanaya offered, mildly bemused. Most birds didn't choose the ground, when tree perches were available--and they certainly didn't nod.

So. Not a proper bird then. Or at least, not a bird like any she'd known. But he didn't seem eager to share that, so she played dumb, turning and picking her way back along the game trail that led to the tree where she'd made her nest.

[MadEmperor]

Grimr flew after her, flitting from tree to tree in an effort to not outpace Lenaya. He wasn't good enough at flying yet to keep pace any other way.

Are you a witch? Flit. You won't eat me?

[DragonSong]

"Yes, I am," she replied as they walked. Well, walked and fluttered. "And no, I won't. Not unless you give me very good reason to." She tossed a quick smile in his direction. "Ah, here we are."

Entering the glade, she gestured up to her "nest"--which was frankly a marvel of earth magic. A tiny house situated in the branches of the largest tree in the glade, woven together from vines, leaves, and other branches themselves. It was so well-crafted as to be almost invisible in the canopy, until it was pointed out.

[MadEmperor]

You live... in a tree? The crow's voice was equal parts perplexed and awestruck.

But he had more important concerns and didn't wait for an answer. "You said you had food?"

[DragonSong]

Lanaya laughed quietly. "Yes, I live in a tree, and yes, we have food." She walked to the base of the tree and reached a hand up, calling down a ladder of woven vines with a twitch of her fingers. "There's a window on the northern wall--you can perch there for a while, if you like. I'll get us something to eat."

[MadEmperor]

Grimr flew up to the window to wait for her to climb up.


The juvenile crow peered into the house curiously, but timidly. He had never seen a witch's house before. It was much less frightening than he had imagined.

[DragonSong]

Due to its location--and Lanaya's lack of need for extravagant space--the "nest" was really only one room: there was a small dip in the center of floor, packed with earth and stones to form a firepit, a sleeping mat pressed up against one wall, a wall of shelves carefully grown from the tree's branches, a small hand-made chest, and a frankly ridiculous amount of feathers littering the place.

A barn owl was roosting higher up in the branches that wove together to form a roof. He hooted softly at the strange bird who perched on the windowsill, though unlike the crows from earlier he seemed more curious than aggressive.

[MadEmperor]

What? The fledgling flicked his tail in agitation. His tone was that of a petulant child. He was tired of birds judging him as if they knew he didn't belong among them. On further thought, people had treated him the same way when he was human.

[DragonSong]

Who are you? the barn owl asked with a slow, considering blink.

Finally making her way up to the platform outside her little tree-but, Lanaya nudged the moss-covered door open and added, "A good question; do you have a name, youngling?"

[MadEmperor]

He hesitated, still not sure he could trust her. Grimr.

Who are you? he asked her and the owl both. And why help me? What's in it for you?

[DragonSong]

"Grimr," Lanaya repeated thoughtfully. "Not the most avian name." In fact, most birds she met didn't have human-sounding names at all.

"That's Norn," she introduced the owl. "I am called Lanaya. And you met Lenore here earlier."

The raven cawed and fluttered up onto her own perch in the woven ceiling.

"And I helped you," Lanaya continued easily, "because no one else seemed likely to. And you clearly needed the help."

[MadEmperor]

... It's not my fault it's hard being a bird, Grimr said defiantly, not admitting weakness. But, considering he looked half-starved, he didn't need to.

[DragonSong]

"And how long have you been a bird, exactly?" Lanaya asked, taking the opening he'd given—whether it had been intentional or not. "You look like a juvenile crow—but that doesn't tell me much, all things considered."

[MadEmperor]

Grimr winced. A few weeks, he reluctantly admitted.

With a sad croak as if he would be crying if he were human, he said, I...  got cursed.