Avyra Moeryr [fancy]+ Kyella![/fancy]
| The forest was still, save for the rustling of a certain Accepted and her Warder for the day. Although the cold breeze made the day uncomfortable for Avyra, the changing leaves made the forest a portrait of warm color which made her feel just a little bit warmer inside. Besides, she had Terric beside her, keeping her hand warm. They each carried supplies; Terric held a large, metal and rope contraption and Avyra had a bag full of various other supplies. They would be trapping a bird. Or, at least, Avyra would be. She had read everything she could on the subject, even was able to help out with the current birds in the aviary. She was ready. She hoped. She had seen a few birds of prey flying about. Since she would have all the equipment she needed in all sizes back at the Tower, she wasn’t constrained by the size of the bird. She would take whatever flew out of the sky for her bait, provided that it was healthy and ready to go. The process was simple. Catch the bird. Put the bird in a box. Keep bird in box, making sure box is dark. Get it used to eating off the glove. Hopping up. Slowly bring light and space back. Whistle when the bird hops up for food. Get the bird used to human touch. And then, only then, begin tethered flight. If that proves successful, free flight. She had even looked up games birds liked to play. Avyra was ready. Once they were in a suitable location, on the edge of a field, Avyra set up her trap. It was a simple thing, a small cage with a mouse inside. When something touched the box, a net would spring up and catch the bird. Then, working quickly to take advantage of the shock trapping caused, she would examine, put jesses on, and hood the bird before boxing it up and taking it to the mew back in the Tower. Easy enough, right? Well, she knew that reading and doing were two different things. She could read about swordplay all she wanted, but would she be able to do it? No. A sudden grip of unease took her heart. No, this wasn't swordplay. She could do this. She hoped. And so, they waited, Avyra snuggling into Terric’s side as they watched the trap from over a hundred feet away. If the bird saw them, it wouldn't come down. They didn't move or speak. Avyra kept her eyes on the sky, following a soaring shape up there. Please be hungry and stop. Please. The shape seemed to be growing closer, and she held her breath. It wasn't a hawk. It was too big for even a hawk. A huge dark bird landed on the trap, the net snapping down over it. It squeaked, flailing with huge wings and talons. Light. She had caught an eagle. Well, she couldn't leave it, so she ran in almost instantly, embracing the Source to bind the bird with even more air to pull the net from her. Then she grabbed the legs, holding the talons back. They were longer than her fingers. The bird herself, she knew it was a she by the size alone, was unmoving, wings as long as Terric was tall spread out, beak open in shock. Avyra quickly examined the bird. None of her feathers had been damaged, nor did her feet have any discoloring. She seemed healthy. Avyra quickly grabbed the largest hood she had, slipping it comfortably over the bird’s had before attaching two jesses on the legs. Then she opened the box with one hand, using the other to shove the bird inside. She had an eagle. --- The mew was dark. Avyra had kept the currently unnamed eagle, a golden eagle to be exact, in the darkness for the past day, to make sure she didn't spook. If she couldn't see anything, there was nothing to be scared of. Avyra had another glove tailored for her, using up the rest of what money she had to begin with. Her usual glove wouldn't work with a bird of that size. This one went all the way up her forearm, and had twice the protection that the other gloves had. It would be her first real meeting with her bird. She knew the eagle must be hungry, so she was going to do food training. She kept the bird in a box, reaching her hand in with a piece of food on it, when the bird took her food, she whistled once. Cutting up another piece, she put her hand in and whistled. Her arm hurt; she had been at this for hours. She held the food farther away that she had been. Then, she felt a thud on her hand and felt talons grip the leather, a new obvious weight on her forearm. She smiled, whistled again, and moved the bird back to her perch, taking out her arm to see that the food was gone. Good. --- She whistled. Kyella stared at her arm, about a foot away on her perch, considering the offering on top of it. Avyra whistled again. Kyella obviously wanted the bit, but didn't want to get near Avyra. Well, that would have to be fixed. Yellow eyes were fixated on the prize. All she had to do was get it. She spread her wings, hopping over to the glove. Avyra smiled, reaching out with her bare hand, gently touching the eagle’s neck with two fingers before putting the bird back where she wanted to be, on the perch. Taking another bit of mouse, she held it out once more, whistling. Kyella didn’t hesitate this time. She jumped over, swallowing the piece with a sharp beak. Avyra praised her, smiling. The eagle had taken quickly to her feeding in the darkness, so Avyra had finally put her out in the actual mew, where she could see everything. She was tied to the perch, Avyra sitting down beside the perch to begin her training. Small hops were the key to training the bird. Going slowly was the proper way to man a bird. She had already seemed to associate the whistle with her meal. It was tiring; it was long. Occasionally, Avyra would stop for a moment and put her hand closer to the bird. Kyella nipped at her the first few times, and Avyra instantly drew back, as to not get bit or make the bird uncomfortable. But she had to get Kyella to accept her touch. Once that happened, Avyra would be able to conduct exams on the bird without fear of the beak or talons. Kyella watched her glove, tilting her head at the piece of meat on her first finger, yellow eyes fixed on her prize. Avyra whistled and tapped the glove again, and the bird hopped on, swallowing the piece whole, looking at Avyra for more. She carefully reached out, lightly touching the golden eagle’s soft plumage. The bird clacked her beak, looking straight down at Avyra’s hand as she did so, but didn’t strike, and Avyra pulled safely away, smiling. --- Kyella spread her huge wings, watching Avyra from well over ten spans away. Avyra had set up a perch outside the mews, perching Kyella where she couldn’t see much around them. It had been two weeks since the bird’s trapping, and Kyella had responded wonderfully to Avyra’s training. Although she lacked other socializing, Avyra knew that such a thing would be easy for the smart eagle. She was untethered now, free to leave if she so wished. Avyra would find a new bird if such a thing happened. But free flight had to be successful for the bird to hunt. Falconry was not an excuse to own a pet. Falconry was taxing. Falconry required actual work. Arm held out, Ashley let herself relax. Kyella had done great so far, watching the glove intently and not showing any signs of wanting to fly away. She whistled. The eagle lifted from the perch, gliding low to the ground, the span so short she didn’t even need to beat her wings again. She landed smoothly, taking her prize, letting Avyra touch her keel and tarsus with her ungloved hand. Swallowing her piece of rabbit, Kyella tilted her head, rubbing her beak next to Avyra’s cheek, opening and closing her mouth as she did so. It didn’t hurt; it tickled actually, and Avyra laughed, touching the bird’s wing. “Stop that, silly. Do you really think me a fellow bird?” Apparently the answer was yes. --- Three weeks. Avyra held Kyella on her arm, the bird wearing her hood to keep her from spooking. It might not have been the best idea to walk through the grounds with such a bird, but Avyra didn’t exactly care. It wasn’t like she was taking the bird inside or anything like that. She had selected a field, usually used for riding and nothing else, but Avyra thought it would be perfect for flight training. Taking off the hood from the eagle and tossing it to the ground, she gave the bird a chance to examine the surroundings before gently tossing her up in the air. Kyella spread her wings easily, taking off into the sky, settling down on the Tower wall. Avyra looked up, hoping this wasn’t the end. Surely she knew she was untethered now. Whistle. The bird spread her wings, flying back down, landing comfortably back on Avyra’s fist. The Accepted laughed, letting go of all her fear that her friend would choose not to return. They were flying now, as a pair. A team. Avyra’s problems seemed very far away. --- She let Kyella take to the skies again, once more in the field. The bird had been out of the wild for seven weeks now, and Avyra knew she had to test the bird’s hunting abilities. It was almost time for them to get to the field. Her device was crude at best. She had been unable to find a falconry lure in the aviary, so she improvised one with a rope of leather with a dead rabbit tied to the end. But it would do the job it was designed to do. Lifting her arm, she began to swing the rope, whistling to get the eagle’s attention from her chosen perch, a tree this time. Kyella watched the rabbit intensely, golden eyes unblinking, a wild liquid. The only movement from her was a slight breeze occasionally playing with the crown of feathers on her head. Spreading her wings, she dove, talons stretched in the dive. Avyra purposely adjusted the lure, letting it spin a different direction, making Kyella miss and climb back up into the sky. The bird dove again, and Avyra evaded her talons again. Finally, Avyra let go of the lure, tossing it to the ground. Kyella was on it in a heartbeat, wings spread out in a huge fan, mouth open to reach for air from her flight. Avyra did not approach; she let her bird rest and eat. Then, she whistled, Kyella hopping back up on her fist. She would put a stop to the eating after a kill later, for it would have to be addressed. For now, though, Kyella had done a wonderful job, and deserved her “kill.” Taking that away now would only make backwards steps in their progress. Kyella accepted her hood without any hesitation now, Avrya beginning to make her way back to the Tower grounds, joy bursting through every pore in her being. This bird was hers now, her friend. Her hunting partner. She knew deep down that it would not help anyone to get attached to this bird. But, Light help her, it was hard not to. After all, how could one not love and cherish something that they basically created, mentored, and cared for? Time would go by fast, she knew, and soon she would have to release Kyella and trap another passage bird. But, for now, she could enjoy what they had. Tomorrow they would go on their first real hunt.  |
(bonus: check it
she big
av not)