Bryant was glad to go home after training. On the way, he was stopped by Adan, who didn't bother trying to look casual.copyright protection139ＰＥＮＡＮＡFK1HE3JWK7
"Are you following me?" he asked.copyright protection139ＰＥＮＡＮＡUJ2WxiwaIU
"Yes," Adan replied. "Your mother said that you haven't been home for two days, and that you've been leaving like that all year. What's going on?"copyright protection139ＰＥＮＡＮＡLWINGVtX2s
"Maybe you should ask the villagers. I can hardly take a break from patrolling the border without getting punished for it."copyright protection139ＰＥＮＡＮＡWIdXpR19OL
Almost imperceptibly, Adan's eyes narrowed. Bryant knew that this meant he was trying to figure out whether he was lying or not. It was, however, pointless to wonder. Although Bryant had already stolen the dried food Adan carried in his pocket, he almost never lied about anything.copyright protection139ＰＥＮＡＮＡhIvjF2Cbdk
"And how exactly were you punished?"copyright protection139ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6YhOMYJfVL
"I don't want to talk about that. It's too traumatic."copyright protection139ＰＥＮＡＮＡIRtVPTNQ3B
Adan looked like he wanted to ask more, but he took a look at Bryant's expression and let it pass.copyright protection139ＰＥＮＡＮＡCkj7EZahao
"Fine. You can take a few days to rest. I'll get it sorted out. You're not supposed to be on the border anyway. You're supposed to be protecting the interior."copyright protection139ＰＥＮＡＮＡBgmT49ROoM
"I know. There's just too many people who want me out of sight to say so."copyright protection139ＰＥＮＡＮＡA7E42uXQl1
"Just go home, Bryant. I said I'll fix it."copyright protection139ＰＥＮＡＮＡrXmL50KghU
Bryant nodded and began to walk away. Adan kept going as well, then noticed that his pockets were much lighter and turned around. Bryant was already gone.copyright protection139ＰＥＮＡＮＡETb1MgaD4z
Bryant hadn't gone very far when he saw Adan's falcon in a tree ahead of him.copyright protection139ＰＥＮＡＮＡqFG5JJzGzU
"Kyii!" she called insistently.copyright protection139ＰＥＮＡＮＡI1S4MX5xen
"Karenyen, not now, please. Maybe tomorrow...?"copyright protection139ＰＥＮＡＮＡsSgDU3U4GZ
"Kiii!"copyright protection139ＰＥＮＡＮＡE7Ekcn4L4E
"I've been practicing. You don't need to worry about that. But do you really have to check it today?"copyright protection139ＰＥＮＡＮＡFMFxRrvWYK
The peregrine falcon made another adamant call. She believed it to be imperative that Bryant had a thorough knowledge of Falcon. Although she was a bird of prey, she was smarter than any crow Bryant had ever seen and probably smarter than most humans. She could at least spell better than Mikael.copyright protection139ＰＥＮＡＮＡjqDz4xCYCj
"You don't have a report to write, by any chance?"copyright protection139ＰＥＮＡＮＡXgqCBDZFo4
Karenyen continued to stare at Bryant. It looked as though she would eat him if he didn't comply. She was not an old falcon, but she was intimidating.copyright protection139ＰＥＮＡＮＡj4QYCIq8Ep
"Of course she took care of her reports," Bryant muttered.copyright protection139ＰＥＮＡＮＡSYQvyU2bTE
"Kyet!"copyright protection139ＰＥＮＡＮＡuRVVtwztbY
"Can I have a lesson tomorrow instead? I'll practice extra hard."copyright protection139ＰＥＮＡＮＡxv2ouF6UOL
"Krrr. Krii."copyright protection139ＰＥＮＡＮＡjGKaci5etY
"So... you're letting me off today, but only because it's my birthday. Thank you!"copyright protection139ＰＥＮＡＮＡTYQPUkltOx
"Kyuuri riii. Kyrri kriii..."copyright protection139ＰＥＮＡＮＡrl3uKxaRrY
"That's where the pantry is? And there's cookies? Is this a trap?"copyright protection139ＰＥＮＡＮＡDLEnVQF159
"Ruuhrii ki ki. Krii."copyright protection139ＰＥＮＡＮＡZZ7QO2a9vY
"I see."copyright protection139ＰＥＮＡＮＡHXkKs5hCWJ
Karenyen flew away. Bryant took a minute to stop and think about how much different it had been when he first saw her. The bird had an interesting backstory.copyright protection139ＰＥＮＡＮＡAAvfXr6Dsb
Bryant had seen Adan in a clearing one day, looking at the sky. He had been watching a hawk in flight with an expression that seemed almost sad. Bryant had later climbed the cliff until he reached a falcon nest he had been watching for a while. The chicks had fledged, but were still dependent on the parents. There were three of them. Bryant took the largest; it was a female.copyright protection139ＰＥＮＡＮＡMsaUiZWt9r
The only reason he wasn't attacked when he got close to the nest was that he had his hood up and his sleeves rolled down so that he would be difficult to see. He had a leather pouch slung about his neck in order to carry a fledgling. He would need both hands, especially climbing down. He didn't have a rope to secure himself, but if he were a poor climber, he would have died years before.copyright protection139ＰＥＮＡＮＡsQpNBRSTtP
Bryant came back in the evening tired, sore, and triumphant. He hung the sack o' bird on Adan's door with a red ribbon bow and a dead mouse. Adan had kept the fledgling and raised it. He had wanted to name it Karen, after his sister, but Bryant said, "Karen'yenrhiasa," and from then on, the shortest thing the falcon would answer to was Karenyen. She somehow learned to read and write and had been writing status reports on the village crops ever since.copyright protection139ＰＥＮＡＮＡC4p7jnyp01
Bryant started walking again. He had most of the day ahead of him, and he intended to spend it at home.copyright protection139ＰＥＮＡＮＡBMtMGMLDfU
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