The Long Way Home: Chapter 3 - A little fishing

It had been three days since the storm had dumped Samba out to sea. A few things had changed in those five days. The condition of her feathers though not perfect had improved, It had taken several long preening session and many baths but by the third day her feathers at least lay flat and she could fly unencumbered by them sticking together. Another change was she found herself being far quieter than normal. She had tried to talk to the humans a handful of times like she did back home. She didn't expect them to understand her humans weren't smart enough for that, but these humans didn't even try to talk back to her. They just got scared when she called out to them, most of them ignored and avoided her. Only one of them ever approached her and gave her a tidbit to eat now and then. But the biggest and most annoying change since the day she crashed landed into the beach was the constant presence of the vicious little blue tyto. If Samber dared to even look her way she got hissed and spat at and if she got anywhere remotely close to one of the smoking hurts the tyto was more than ready to attack her and pluck out some of her brightly coloured feathers. 

It hadn't bother Samber too much at first. This was the tyto’s territory after all and she had gorged herself on smoked fish that first day. But as the days slipped past hunger was building up once more. The tiny treats that one human brought and the crabs she could scavenging wasn't enough to satisfy her hunger. Twice she had tried to raid the huts and only ended up getting her feather pulled out and a scratch across her belly for the effort. She and the tyto were a good match in size but not in fighting and flying skill. There had never been any need to fight over food back home. The riders always made sure there was enough for all but here it seemed all the food belonged to the tyto and the humans. Sending the blue stryx a glare Samber ruffled her feathers into place and took flight. Never had she had to hunt alone. Pacu has always been at her wingtip but now she would have to make her first solo hunt. 

Without much thought, Samber flew seawards. Perhaps there where sands bar a little way out that would attract fish. Below her, the sea glittered with blues and greens right the way to the horizon. It was a warm day with the summer sun hovering high overhead. With the sun bouncing off the water it was a beautiful sight, but not the best conditions for fishing. The glare off the water made it hard to peer down into its depths and find the prey. It was tough to tell if the flash of silver was a fish or just sunlight catching on the crest of a wave. It quickly became apparent that fishing was not going to work with such glaring sun but there was another option.

Not far off the shore, something had caught her eye. Winging her way towards it Samber saw a cluster of tiny grey islands poking out form the sea. The mostly flat Slabs of rock barely stood above the gently rolling waves. Creatures almost the same shade of grey as the rocks lazed around on the outcrops sunning themselves. She hadn't seen anything like them before. There were large almost fish-like in the way their body tapered down to a tale. but they were rounder than any fish Samber had ever hunted and made strange barks to one another. She wasn't too sure what the best tactics would be to catch one. Where they fast? slow? They seemed to have difficulties moving, flopping forward in an awkward looking way when they wanted to move. But when they slid into the water their movement turned sleek and fast, they quickly disappeared into the green murk. So, speed rather than stalking seemed like the best way to go about it. She'd have to catch one before it got into the water. But would they fight back? did they bite? or have claws? or some other hidden weapon. How easy was it to snap their spins or crush their heads? It was risky to attack something so unknown and on her own. Puca wasn't here to fix her mistakes if she didn't manage to make a clean kill. But with the blue tyto guarding any food on the beach and the sun shining so blinding on the sea, it was her best shot for a meal. 

Pumping her wings hard and fast Samber climbed up higher and higher in a spiral. Hopefully, if she flew over the rocks high enough the creatures wouldn't notice her, spook, and disappear into the water. Keeping the sun at her back it seemed to work. If anything looked up, they'd be blinded by the light all around her. The rocks looked like little grey splotches on the face on the sea far below. The creatures on the rocks took no notice of her as she came to hover far above them. There were several of the things on the largest of the rocks and a handful on much smaller outcrops. Fixing her gaze on the one closest to the centre of the largest island Samber folded her brightly coloured wings and began to dive. Air whistled past her beak and her heart started to thunder in her chest at her anticipation of a kill. She was just over two-thirds of the way down to the rock when the creatures began to notice death descending on them. Alarm calls rang out. The ones nearest the edges of the rocks slipped into the sea crying in alarm before disappearing into the water. She didn't spare a glance at them, her eyes where fixed on her target, it moved, heading for the edge of the rock in its strange flopping motion. But just as she hoped it was too slow. Brightly coloured wings flared, and white claws flashed in the sun. 

Samber's Talion sunk deep into surprisingly soft flesh. It wasn't the quickest kill she had ever made. The impact hadn't been enough to break the creature’s spine, it struggled for a time but Samber refused to let go. The creatures red blood spilt over the grey rock. Sinking her talons in deeper she clung on until the life had drained out of it and it lay still in her claws. When she was sure it was dead the colourful little corva gave a sting of loud victory cries. She had done it! It hadn't been so bad! it hadn't been the cleanest kill, but she had all the meat she could stuff into her beak. Heart still soaring from the thrill of the hunt Samber happily tucked into her meal. It wasn't the best meat she had hunted. The flesh was fatty and tasted of neither fish nor land meat but a strange mix of the two. The texture wasn't bad simply different. Still, it was something she could fill her stomach with and that was enough to distract her from the question of how she was going to get home. 

------ 

Words 1226 - 6AP 

Background - 2AP 

Biorhythm (diurnal) - 1AP 

Fishing - 2AP 

Survivalist - 1AP 

Total: 12AP