Blake winced a little at the text notification. Who would—

  Edgar.

  Something was up with one of the birds.

  Blake, I think Sabina could use a few days away from the building. Think you could shack her up in your mews for a bit? She sighed heavily. That goshawk was such a problem. But she went crazy if given to any sort of breeder to live out her days…

  Yeah, I can pick her up tomorrow. Let her know? Hopefully it would be enough to get her to stop screaming for the night. Kuro and Noire wouldn’t be happy about it though.

  A thumbs up came as the response and she slid down on the couch. What a fucking night… Another glance at her scroll and a sigh. Just who had that girl been? It felt almost too good to be true. Someone to actually talk to…

  That wasn’t Sienna, at least. But it was just a matter of time. When she came clean with who she was…

  She probably shouldn’t get too attached.

  It’d end up like every other perspective friendship.

  A pillow flopping over her face made her squeak and she looked up, Sienna’s grinning face greeting her. “Okay, I know you’re serious, Blake, but you don’t need to be so gloom and doom. I’m sure your perspective new friend will be great.”

  Blake rolled her hard. “What; like every other friend I have?” More bitterness than intended colored her tone. So many people left… Her parents weren’t crazy people that hurt others… It was people like Taurus that irreparably damaged the White Fang name… Five years in Vale and she was still alone.

  “It is hard, but you’re only seventeen; you still have a long time to find your place.” Sienna smiled and Blake shoved the pillow back in her face.

  “I really don’t need your zen fortune cookie bullshit right now. Plus, I have homework to do. I’m gonna have my hands full with Sabina this weekend.” High Mother, what a long night… Twenty fucking pages of ethics reading with an essay… Did the teacher really think she had nothing better to do? Though, predictably, Kuro let out a loud scream that made her ears flatten.

  “What?! That damn gos is coming back?!” The raven’s feathers laid flat against her body and Blake sighed. Accipiters were way too aggressive in general. Whoever raised her had apparently imprinted her so wrong…and now they had to deal with the consequences.

  “She’ll impale someone with her talons if she doesn’t get out fo there for a while and I’d rather avoid that.” She couldn’t imagine the consequences of a puncture with a raptor’s talons. With all the guts and gross stuff they ate… High Mother, what a medical nightmare. She’d take her raven being huffy for a few days following than someone getting footed or bitten.

  “Well, as long as you bring food back with her. I am not paying out of pocket for her again.” Sienna groaned and Blake nodded.

  “Shouldn’t be a problem.” She’d need to borrow a freezer bag but that wouldn’t be a problem. The pre-portioned food was easy enough to carry. The bus drivers probably wouldn’t be too happy, though…

  Oh well.

  With another sigh, she stood up and held her arm out. “Are you coming or are you going to stay down here and sulk?” The raven looked away before stepping up and the crow fluttered onto her shoulder. She was in for a very, very long night. Stupid ethics teacher always overassinging on Fridays…

  ??

  A sharp nip to the human ear earned a hiss from Blake and she glared. “Noire…” It came out as more of a growl than intended. Damn bird! She really needed some—

  Her hand flew to her neck and she groaned. Oh High Mother, she’d fallen asleep at her desk. Again. Stupid ethics homework managing to put her to sleep. And she did not have time to meditate to help work it out with her aura. Sabina needed to get out of the rescue for a while, so she couldn’t dawdle too long.

  She quickly ran through her morning routine, smiling when she saw a small container on the counter. She definitely couldn’t skip breakfast but there was no time to cook. Hell, she didn’t even have time to set up the birds’ usual morning enrichment. At least she’d get a start before dealing with the difficult accipiter.

  Thank you! She shot the text to Sienna, dashing out the door as quickly as she could. Damn it, what would Sabina need that weekend? She was so finicky and high maintenance… Accipiters were so hard to deal with at the best of times… If only she weren’t every bad thing about them distilled into one bird…

  A quiet train platform and car greeted her, her ears twitching in the direction of the blonde. Despair marred her soul. Just what had happened? Her body language barely showed it—the only hint being the clenched jaw. But how odd. Inactive aura yet an aura spark that burned as brightly as many high-Grade advanced aura users. The train really did bring out some of the most interesting people. The girl truly was odd even as much as she’d travelled…

  Edgar’s ultrasonic ringtone sounded and she sighed. Seriously? He couldn’t have waited the half hour or so for her to get there? What was so important that he had to interrupt—

  I think Sabina needs to hunt for the weekend. Blake’s heart dropped through her stomach. What? Normally she didn’t mind getting out of the city—High Mother knew she would’ve preferred living in the country—but she normally had more warning than this! Azaria and Steph wanted more warning! But now she had to call them on the way there with a bird on her glove. At least she had clothes there, she supposed… But to spend a day and a half hunting the high-strung accipiter on such short notice…

  This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

  She put the lid back on her breakfast box, ears flat against her head. She really was nothing but a burden to those around her. She really should’ve gone back to Menagerie. She really should’ve. At least she would’ve been useful right away and she wouldn’t have been friendless…and she’d know Leila…

  Nothing good ever came from her decisions, did they?

  Well, the birds benefitted but that was small consolation.

  She would’ve been best off with her family…

  All right; I’ll let Steph and Azaria know… They would be so annoyed, not that she’d blame them. Aura users burned through energy like there was no tomorrow. The bird was so much more trouble than she was worth. But it had been Sabina’s last chance. If Star of Hope rejected her, she’d be put down. And Blake was the only one she truly liked.

  The bird was such a pain in the ass. But seeing her put down… None of them would’ve been able to handle it.

  Might as well make the call…

  ??

  Blake opened up the office door, folding her arms as she looked at the goshawk. Her tail flicked a few times and she let out some soft noises. “You are such a drama queen.” Seriously. Put up a fuss for anybody that wasn’t her until she got there. And Nebula had a habit of divebombing her favorite caretakers when they entered.

  “Well sorry I need to get out of this damn white hell.” She opened one brown and one mottled wing, starting to drag her feathers through her beak. Yes, she understood how boring it had to be for an accipiter. They were so twitchy. They needed exercise which the rescue couldn’t entirely provide. But it was this or she screamed so much no falconer wanted her. There were really no compromises here.

  “Yeah, yeah, yeah. So what exactly do you want to do this weekend? Do you want me to leave you to your own devices or do you want me to hunt with you?” This bird was so mood. But if she wanted to co-hunt, she’d grabe Ofeliya… The dog was great in the field despite her advancing age.

  “I’d rather spend some time with you. It’s been lonely without you.” The gos’ tone warmed. Blake sighed. Really? Now of all times?

  “Oh no, do not go hormonal on me. It’s not even spring yet.” She was not looking forward to February and March rolling around. Sabina was way too territorial and hormonal. She was not a well-trained bird. She was really was the only one the damn bird liked. Then she was going away in a year… How was the bird supposed to cope? And that didn’t even get into when she went to college…

  Why was she stuck with such an unmanageable charge?

  Blake poked her head out of the door, glancing around. “Hey, Ofelia, you around anywhere?” The Brittany was probably sunning herself outside most likely, but it didn’t hurt to ask.

  The complete lack of response for several minutes seemed to confirm her suspicions. The door to Sabina’s door clicked behind her. A glance to the large dog run brought a smile to her face and a twitch to her ears. “Hey, Ofeliya, I need to take Sabina out. Want to come with?” All she need as an answer was the Brittany trotting over, ears raised.

  “You really don’t even need to ask. I may not be a spring chicken anymore, but I’ll be game until my body rebels.” Blake smiled and nodded.

  “Thanks.” She could pick up on anywhere prey was and flush it herself, but she always welcomed the extra helper. The dog was also extremely sweet so Steph and Azaria wouldn’t mind her being there. Sabina on the other hand… Yeah. At least they didn’t have to worry about feeding the bird. If anything, she would feed more birds than anything. She didn’t need to bring all the prey back and it would be more of a hassle than anything else. Oh well, at least something would get a free meal from all of the accipiter hunting…

  She headed back inside with dog in tow, then grabbed Sabina’s falconry bag before heading back to the room. “All right; let’s go.” Plus it was the first time in weeks she’d gotten away from the city…

  ??

  Blake stepped off the train and inhaled, a small smile on her face. Golden sunshine dappled through the emerald leaves with some fiery hues. Peak falconry season truly was upon them. She really wished she could get the gos out more, but Kuro would skin her alive if she did. That and Steph and Azaria didn’t want to feed her every weekend.

  The gos was such a big pain in the ass. But she did love her regardless.

  She divested the bird of her hood and smiled when she beat her wings again. “So when are you going to let me go?” The twitchy bird’s head moved to and fro, looking for any sign of prey. Blake still had the bird’s jesses clenched firmly in her hand. She was not letting her go until they started hunting. That and she needed to switch over to the flying jesses first anyway.

  “I need to let Steph and Azaria know I’m here. Let me get to the house first. Until then, relax and enjoy being out here.” Of course, that wasn’t liable to happen. The gos was at the end of her rope and ready to get hunting. It was about a half hour walk to the small farm, not that she minded. And there was always the chance someone from the community would give er a ride to the house.

  With that, she set off down the path with Ofeliya walking lazily beside her. Fall really was a magical time of year and it reminded her of the first time she’d come to the mainland. She’d only ever seen trees be green—or in other natural colors—before. The crisp air had chilled her something awful back then. She’d grown a greater tolerance since then, but she still wasn’t fond of the cold. Winter would arrive soon enough unfortunately. High Mother, why did that wretched season have to exist? She started freezing once the first frost hit. She looked so ridiculous bundled up, but her cold tolerance simply didn’t exist. Even after being exposed to Atlassian winters at times.

  It really was the winter that made her question her desire to stay in Vale the most. Way too cold for her. At least the weather for that weekend promised sunshine and warmth. Really a perfect time to get out and go hawking.

  The next little while saw her walking and humming while she paid attention. A squirrel here, a rabbit there, signs of prey everywhere. Good. More than enough for Sabina to hunt…and get the nervous energy out.

  Eventually, they made their way to a lovely little cottage and Blake knocked before letting herself in. “Steph! Azra! I’m here!” No response for a few minutes. They were probably outside then. Not too unusual for them to talk out in the forest this time of year.

  She smiled and shrugged before heading out to the barn. She quickly swapped out the flying jesses and saddled up, holding her glove out with the accipiter. “All right, then; let’s go.” With a single cluck, the horse trotted out of the barn with Ofeliya on her heels. Something told her that today would be a great hawking day…

  ??

  Blake flopped down on the bed with her eyes shut. Every muscle in her body ached. She was not cut out to be in the saddle all day… By the High Mother, everything hurt.

  But Sabina currently sat asleep on her perch, crop bulging and bird completely happy. She wouldn’t be as long tomorrow. It would probably only be a few weeks until she was back out unfortunately too. Once fall rolled around, the bird screamed her head off until she could go hunting. She’d have to let Steph and Azaria know that she’d be out every third weekend until it snowed. Then somebody else could take her out.

  A look at her scroll made her ears prick. A text from the previous night’s number?

  Hey. Sup? Thought I’d check in with you since things ended so abruptly. Feel free to call when you get a chance.

  Apparently who ever this was did want to talk to her. But how long would it be until she left? Well, she might as well enjoy it while it lasted…