Timestamp: Summer 15, 513 (Mid-afternoon)
As always, Vira woke with Syna. She never quite knew how she knew the sun was rising, but every day as the first rays peeked over the far horizon of the surrounding peaks, the teenager knew. And with the dawn, she rose and she dressed in her the black vinati and bryda she favored for working in the aeries. Her sontav was donned and Tulaj whistled down from his perch over the doorway, the albino harrier stirring with her and descending to land with claws anxious to get on with the day.
Except, today was slightly different. Two days ago, a teacher from the Yasi quarter had approached the nesting attendant, talking long with the one-eyed woman about taking on a couple of students who'd been asking for some skills training in falconry. The tutor had tried some of the Avora already, the go-to usually for this kind of thing, but none of them were available at the present time. The only reason Vira had been approached now was because of her own skill with birds. She was verging on an expert level and it made her an ideal individual for the younger generation to learn from.
Vira had been surprised, to begin with, since she had no teaching skill whatsoever. Her knack of communication with the birds was the biggest thing and the teacher hoped it would translate into being able to also communicate with the two youth she'd be assisting. So, with not as much begrudgement now, Vira agreed and told the tutor to have the two meet her for their second skills course after lunch bell down in Thunder Bay, on the Mud Flats. She would arrange for the use of two of the birds from the main falconry aeries for the pair since Tulaj was way too stubborn to be trusted for the youth.
She also arranged for a pair of training gloves for the kids, the bedraggled leather gloves nothing like the sleek sontav Chiet and higher wore but better and more effective at protecting a falconers hand than the cheaper, lower-class lontav. Vira also brought along her spare jesses and hoods, borrowing two perches from the aeries and acquiring a pair of Dek to help her transport the gear and birds to the flats.
With this on her mind, Vira headed up to the nesting aeries to see to the mama birds like usual. Each cavelet was cleaned, each bird fed and socialized in the usual way the teenager provided (Mohya and Heshvala given special attention), and then the two hatchling's seen to. The pair of young, down-covered broodlings were growing quick and had at last begun to show off their personalities. Vira loved it and loved seeing the growth in the birds, though she knew that before long the birds would be fledging and leaving the cave to setup their own unit within the greater colony. And that meant her opportunity at imprinting with one would end. These thoughts were not on her mind now, though; Vira had other chores to see to.
Finishing with the eagles, the woman headed for the main aeries to pick up the two red-tail hawks she was borrowing. Both birds were recently fledged, she'd been told (and given the appearance of lingering down, this proved true) and had not been imprinted. They were not yet let to free fly, however, which would prove to the two Yasi she'd be meeting with a challenge. The hawks would be wild enough to force the pair to focus but handlable enough for Vira to take over if things got out of hand. Once the hawks were caged, Vira sent the two Dek helping her ahead with them and the perches while she went to collect her jesse's and treat bag along with some meat from the kitchens that would serve as treats. This would be cut up there at the kitchens so that they were bite size, small enough to reward but not fill the birds up.
Last of all, she went to the crafts gallery to seek out one of the falconry suppliers to obtain a pair of feed sticks the treats could be put on, promising their return after she was done. Finally, as the 10th bell approached, she was ready to head to the Bay. It was going to take a couple hours to walk down there anyways. She'd use the time to let Tulaj free fly for a while, maybe he could catch himself a meal en route and not be a distraction to the two hawks. The raptor was notoriously ornery, after all.
OOCYa'll can just post meeting up at the flats if you want
As always, Vira woke with Syna. She never quite knew how she knew the sun was rising, but every day as the first rays peeked over the far horizon of the surrounding peaks, the teenager knew. And with the dawn, she rose and she dressed in her the black vinati and bryda she favored for working in the aeries. Her sontav was donned and Tulaj whistled down from his perch over the doorway, the albino harrier stirring with her and descending to land with claws anxious to get on with the day.
Except, today was slightly different. Two days ago, a teacher from the Yasi quarter had approached the nesting attendant, talking long with the one-eyed woman about taking on a couple of students who'd been asking for some skills training in falconry. The tutor had tried some of the Avora already, the go-to usually for this kind of thing, but none of them were available at the present time. The only reason Vira had been approached now was because of her own skill with birds. She was verging on an expert level and it made her an ideal individual for the younger generation to learn from.
Vira had been surprised, to begin with, since she had no teaching skill whatsoever. Her knack of communication with the birds was the biggest thing and the teacher hoped it would translate into being able to also communicate with the two youth she'd be assisting. So, with not as much begrudgement now, Vira agreed and told the tutor to have the two meet her for their second skills course after lunch bell down in Thunder Bay, on the Mud Flats. She would arrange for the use of two of the birds from the main falconry aeries for the pair since Tulaj was way too stubborn to be trusted for the youth.
She also arranged for a pair of training gloves for the kids, the bedraggled leather gloves nothing like the sleek sontav Chiet and higher wore but better and more effective at protecting a falconers hand than the cheaper, lower-class lontav. Vira also brought along her spare jesses and hoods, borrowing two perches from the aeries and acquiring a pair of Dek to help her transport the gear and birds to the flats.
With this on her mind, Vira headed up to the nesting aeries to see to the mama birds like usual. Each cavelet was cleaned, each bird fed and socialized in the usual way the teenager provided (Mohya and Heshvala given special attention), and then the two hatchling's seen to. The pair of young, down-covered broodlings were growing quick and had at last begun to show off their personalities. Vira loved it and loved seeing the growth in the birds, though she knew that before long the birds would be fledging and leaving the cave to setup their own unit within the greater colony. And that meant her opportunity at imprinting with one would end. These thoughts were not on her mind now, though; Vira had other chores to see to.
Finishing with the eagles, the woman headed for the main aeries to pick up the two red-tail hawks she was borrowing. Both birds were recently fledged, she'd been told (and given the appearance of lingering down, this proved true) and had not been imprinted. They were not yet let to free fly, however, which would prove to the two Yasi she'd be meeting with a challenge. The hawks would be wild enough to force the pair to focus but handlable enough for Vira to take over if things got out of hand. Once the hawks were caged, Vira sent the two Dek helping her ahead with them and the perches while she went to collect her jesse's and treat bag along with some meat from the kitchens that would serve as treats. This would be cut up there at the kitchens so that they were bite size, small enough to reward but not fill the birds up.
Last of all, she went to the crafts gallery to seek out one of the falconry suppliers to obtain a pair of feed sticks the treats could be put on, promising their return after she was done. Finally, as the 10th bell approached, she was ready to head to the Bay. It was going to take a couple hours to walk down there anyways. She'd use the time to let Tulaj free fly for a while, maybe he could catch himself a meal en route and not be a distraction to the two hawks. The raptor was notoriously ornery, after all.
OOCYa'll can just post meeting up at the flats if you want
