Post by Nelistra on Aug 1, 2012 14:59:36 GMT -5
Nelistra Cunningham enjoyed sunsets. She had always considered dusk to be the most beautiful time of day. Most sunrises were comparatively dull - there were exceptions of course but typically it was just a slow brightening of the night sky into day. No no, it was sunsets that always tickled her latent muse. It was the time where the sky catches fire, and rolls through the color spectrum. Where clouds could be cast as any shade of red or orange or yellow or purple. Where summer heat would subside and one could watch the stars appear one by one.
It was also when her Falcon liked to hunt.
Fargo had been a gift from her family when she was sent off to school. Though "from her family" meant that the cage was just there among her luggage with a small note card tacked on that hadn't even been hand-written. Honestly, the house staff had always been more considerate than her family. But that was to be expected, old money and all that. And a Falcon of all things was a silent message saying, 'Learn Falconry, it is a status symbol.'
Still, a bond had been formed between the pale Ravenclaw and Fargo. She was fairly certain that it had some sort of magical lineage in addition to being an intelligent bird. It was a beautiful and large specimen - female, lush plumage, and was definitely fierce enough not to be bullied by the owls. It had taken some training to keep the bird from trying to eat other students' Rats and smaller birds. That very problem led to her formation of this evening ritual those years ago - before the Tower was destroyed and rebuilt and all that lovely horrifying nonsense when she was a young girl.
Nelistra would go up to the top of the Tower, the uppermost balcony with sitting room and such - early enough so that students wouldn't be bothered while trying to stargaze. Fargo would be perched happily on her shoulder [oh that got much easier growing up, she used to be larger than my head] and then transfer to the tower's railing. Nelistra called Fargo's feeding "Fetch" for obvious reasons.
The albino girl would take a small satchel of meat [one meal's worth with an extra de-feathered chick for desert] and toss one piece out at a time in different directions, and call out "Fetch!" at different points, both training the Falcon, exercising her, and recreating the natural hunting conditions.
It was always fascinating to watch the Falcon at her varied perches, diving, swooping up, snatching bits of meat. Sometimes she would read, sometimes she wouldn't. Tonight, she just intended to play Fetch, and watch the sunset....and then intimidate all of the Astronomy students by looking like an all-too-solid-pink-eyed-ghost-with-a-Falcon-on-her-shoulder walking down.
Fun routine.
It was also when her Falcon liked to hunt.
Fargo had been a gift from her family when she was sent off to school. Though "from her family" meant that the cage was just there among her luggage with a small note card tacked on that hadn't even been hand-written. Honestly, the house staff had always been more considerate than her family. But that was to be expected, old money and all that. And a Falcon of all things was a silent message saying, 'Learn Falconry, it is a status symbol.'
Still, a bond had been formed between the pale Ravenclaw and Fargo. She was fairly certain that it had some sort of magical lineage in addition to being an intelligent bird. It was a beautiful and large specimen - female, lush plumage, and was definitely fierce enough not to be bullied by the owls. It had taken some training to keep the bird from trying to eat other students' Rats and smaller birds. That very problem led to her formation of this evening ritual those years ago - before the Tower was destroyed and rebuilt and all that lovely horrifying nonsense when she was a young girl.
Nelistra would go up to the top of the Tower, the uppermost balcony with sitting room and such - early enough so that students wouldn't be bothered while trying to stargaze. Fargo would be perched happily on her shoulder [oh that got much easier growing up, she used to be larger than my head] and then transfer to the tower's railing. Nelistra called Fargo's feeding "Fetch" for obvious reasons.
The albino girl would take a small satchel of meat [one meal's worth with an extra de-feathered chick for desert] and toss one piece out at a time in different directions, and call out "Fetch!" at different points, both training the Falcon, exercising her, and recreating the natural hunting conditions.
It was always fascinating to watch the Falcon at her varied perches, diving, swooping up, snatching bits of meat. Sometimes she would read, sometimes she wouldn't. Tonight, she just intended to play Fetch, and watch the sunset....and then intimidate all of the Astronomy students by looking like an all-too-solid-pink-eyed-ghost-with-a-Falcon-on-her-shoulder walking down.
Fun routine.