Paradise Falls bless this good and solid ground

Random Event: Magpies have overrun the forest! All welcome!
Historically associated with bison herds, it now lands on the backs of cattle to glean ticks and insects from them. Large predators such as wolves are commonly followed by black-billed magpies, who scavenge from their kills. The species also walks or hops on the ground, where it obtains food items such as beetles, grasshoppers, worms, and small rodents.

There was a shelf of slate at the bottom-most pool of the falls that Addison was growing incredibly fond of. It got full sun the longest of any other spot she'd yet discovered, and so the small girl could often be found curled up upon it, snoozing blissfully. About two hours into her latest nap, things started to get noisy, to the point of rousing her from deep sleep.

She lifted her auburn head and looked around for the source of the noise. They were everywhere. In the trees, on the ground, and even some standing on the sun-warmed stone with her, staring directly at her. The sound of their songs was loud and carried through the forest. She blinked back at them, head tilting in curiosity.

"... hi."

(This post was last modified: Jul 07, 2023, 12:12 AM by Addison.)

Flair too was resting in the sun, following her daughter's example. She’d found that, surprisingly, watching the pups tended to be the calmest part of her day – both of her children had inexplicably been blessed with calm tempers, and tended to enjoy their naps. Addison being especially peaceful, perhaps taking after the grandmother who’d inspired her name; Or she’s all her own… Either way, the mother had stopped worrying about her docility, accepting that Addy was simply a very different pup than she had been herself. Of course, none of that meant she’d stop hovering – the world still held a thousand dangers that could come for her children, even if they weren’t seeking them out. Every few minutes, her eyes would open to glance at the pup and all around her, making sure she was still safe. It didn’t make for the best rest, but at least it kept off the nightmares. She saw the birds gathering, no doubt drawn by the bone fragments and other remnants of past meals, spread around the pool and cave openings. They were common enough scavengers, but usually nothing to worry about – too weak to break into caches and too scared to make a move on a fresh kill – though, as more and more arrived, the fiery woman’s hackles began to prickle. As soon as one got too close to her daughter, Flair would be on her feet, a growl rumbling deep in her chest; Magpies might be no threat to adult wolves or their caches, but that beak could do serious damage to a pup. ”Speech" Thoughts

dawnthieves.de, FairieGoodMother @DA & Lakela @DA

As Addy stared, it stared back. Pup and bird locked in a moment of mutual curiosity. She thought about getting to her paws, leaning closer, but then her mother's deep growl rumbled through the air and the magpie took flight, gone just like that. Addison's eyes had followed it up, hoping for a moment that it might come back. When certain it wouldn't, she looked earthward once more, taking in the fiery presence of her mother.

She tried to mimic the sound she'd heard, a soft gurgling seeping from her throat. There was no anger or menace upon her tiny features, in fact she appeared a bit goofy. Eyes crossed to try and see wherever her own voice came from. Addison gave up quickly, and focused again on the multitude of magpies around them.

"Birbses?" she asked her mother, head twisting as though to emphasize the query.

As expected, the bird took off instantly, flapping into the trees with a few affronted caws. Flair snorted, shrugging her shoulders to settle back her hackles. All around, the remaining magpies had turned their attention to her, ready to take off at any sign of her aggression turning on them – but as she settled back down, they all appeared to relax, some even letting out a few cackles, as if laughing at their startled friend. Shaking her head at the birds’ shenanigans, the mother couldn’t help but crack a smile as she looked back at her daughter. Her puppyish growl was adorable, especially pared with the clear lack of understanding, leaving her face rather goofy. Flair had to fight back a laugh, not wanting to discourage the girl, biting her lip for a moment before she trusted herself to speak. Meanwhile, Addison had turned her attention back to the magpies, clearly curious above all else. “Yes,” She replied softly; “They’re magpies.” Walking closer to the pup, she lowered her muzzle to nudge a scrap of bone on the ground before looking back up, explaining: “They like t’ pick through our scraps.” ”Speech" Thoughts

dawnthieves.de, FairieGoodMother @DA & Lakela @DA

As the bird went away, so did her mother's show of anger. Addison was glad to see the happiness in her features as she neared and her tail lifted to wag in show of this. Magpies. Observant eyes watched where Flair's nose directed, and her ears lifted again at the words. It clicked into place, or so she thought.

"Share," she answered as though asked a question. Her bright gaze looked expectantly for confirmation. This is what they were doing with the flock, right? Sharing what they had? Especially since they clearly hadn't been in any rush to eat it, huh? Addison could understand that.