The Long Way Home: Chapter 2 - A friend and foe

The tyto came out of nowhere. Samber was happily still stuffing her beak full of stolen fish when she heard the battle cry ring out above her. Snapping her head up she saw the blue streek shoot over the cliff edge and come barreling at her. She barely managed to hop clear of the smoking shakes and opened her wings before she felt sharp claws rake across her back. The cuts didn't go deep, it was a warning strike. But it was enough to hurt and make Samber scurry away cawing her fear. Half running, half hoping she scrambled along the beach in a very undignified manner. Her wings where to tired and her stomach to full to fly. 

 

When she was sure the tyto wasn't following her Samber stopped and looked back. The humans had gathered around the huts. A thick line of smoke from the hole she had made in the hut now wound it's way up into the clear blue sky. The blue and white tyto just stood there with the humans glaring in Samber's direction. Ruffling her feathers back into place Samber turned her gaze away from the tyto. She didn't want to fight. She was too tired from her long battle with the storm. So she refused the hostile eye contact from her fellow stryx and settled down on the sun-warmed shale instead. She'd just have to keep her distance and keep half an eye on where the tyto was. Feeling the warmth from the shale seep into her Samber started to try and preen her feathers into some kind of order. The salt spray had done a good job of sticking them all together and destroying the waterproofing. It would take days for her to get them back into any kind of reasonable condition so she might as well start now. 

 

Samber was deep into her preening routine when she noticed the tyto moving. She and a small handful of humans were walking along the beach slowly towards her. Pausing her preening Samber watched them closely. The tyto had a less than friendly look on its face but the humans seemed relaxed talking to one another as they walked. The though to flee before the tyto could get anywhere close crossed Sambers mind but at the same time, she felt a pull towards the humans. It had only been a night and a morning but she missed her rider, she missed chin scratches and being brushed and hearing their tiny little voice. Against her better judgement, the colour little corva opened her beak and called softly to the humans. 

 

The humans paused while the tyto ruffled her feathers dismissively. Again Samber called softly to them climbing to her feet. She didn't want to be caught laying down if the tyto attacked again. Though as she watched one of the humans said something to the others and two of the humans and the tyto stopped in her tracks. The one that had spoken moved forward alone. 

 

"Hey, Hey pretty birdie, you're not from around here are you?" Samber tilted her head at him. She didn't understand the words but she liked the soft smooth tone he used. 

 

"Hey, careful Seth! she might be a wild one!" The call came from one of the humans stood with the tyto. Samber's gaze flickered from human slowly approaching her to group with the tyto and back again. He didn't seem to care about whatever the other human had called to him. Cautiously Samber chirped softly to him. 

 

"Good girl, your not a wild stryx are you...you were just hungry" The human smiled and held something up in his hand. It was a slab of fish. With a smooth movement, he threw it. The slab landed with a slap on the shale just at Sambers feet. Samber sniffed it then picked it up in her beak. It was more out of wanting to please the human than still being hungry that she threw it back. It seemed to work as the human gave her a wide smile before the others called to him again. He waved a hand at them. 

"No more breaking into the smoking huts ok? you'll have to go hunt your own food" Samber chattered back to the human then thrilled a couple of notes when he turned and started to walk back towards the group he had come from. She didn't want them to go but with the blue tyto stalking along behind the group she didn't dare follow them. 

 

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Words 755 - 3.5 AP
Other stryx (Glacier 11865) - 2 AP 
Handler (Seth) - 1 AP 

 

Total : 6.5 AP