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 protection70ＰＥＮＡＮＡBS8rpD3cKc
"Are you following me?" he asked.copyright protection70ＰＥＮＡＮＡLj7XYtYe3Z
"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 protection70ＰＥＮＡＮＡCd2n3DtVZt
"Maybe you should ask the villagers. I can hardly take a break from patrolling the border without getting punished for it."copyright protection70ＰＥＮＡＮＡHBlP3Kt6Xd
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 protection70ＰＥＮＡＮＡiIxqGwTELX
"And how exactly were you punished?"copyright protection70ＰＥＮＡＮＡDnbGLejeaj
"I don't want to talk about that. It's too traumatic."copyright protection70ＰＥＮＡＮＡHSU3HXOa3L
Adan looked like he wanted to ask more, but he took a look at Bryant's expression and let it pass.copyright protection70ＰＥＮＡＮＡomuWMasFPe
"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 protection70ＰＥＮＡＮＡDtCO9n2sBd
"I know. There's just too many people who want me out of sight to say so."copyright protection70ＰＥＮＡＮＡLj5GmNEbXH
"Just go home, Bryant. I said I'll fix it."copyright protection70ＰＥＮＡＮＡWm3riPBLvq
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 protection70ＰＥＮＡＮＡ08TCW2ZZvB
Bryant hadn't gone very far when he saw Adan's falcon in a tree ahead of him.copyright protection70ＰＥＮＡＮＡdhUjXh6Bs4
"Kyii!" she called insistently.copyright protection70ＰＥＮＡＮＡjprnQJdsvJ
"Karenyen, not now, please. Maybe tomorrow...?"copyright protection70ＰＥＮＡＮＡSvRM7OP7Ok
"Kiii!"copyright protection70ＰＥＮＡＮＡI2CDlAVsco
"I've been practicing. You don't need to worry about that. But do you really have to check it today?"copyright protection70ＰＥＮＡＮＡwwNYTEI66d
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 protection70ＰＥＮＡＮＡPZJHLRwBYl
"You don't have a report to write, by any chance?"copyright protection70ＰＥＮＡＮＡWHnykJ9fbl
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 protection70ＰＥＮＡＮＡDIRrGL6oRc
"Of course she took care of her reports," Bryant muttered.copyright protection70ＰＥＮＡＮＡCHblpXdVyb
"Kyet!"copyright protection70ＰＥＮＡＮＡhvSE3doctz
"Can I have a lesson tomorrow instead? I'll practice extra hard."copyright protection70ＰＥＮＡＮＡy6ipyZaEn2
"Krrr. Krii."copyright protection70ＰＥＮＡＮＡR0K2m90z5z
"So... you're letting me off today, but only because it's my birthday. Thank you!"copyright protection70ＰＥＮＡＮＡLm4E18Rqlk
"Kyuuri riii. Kyrri kriii..."copyright protection70ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0TrijZhuEF
"That's where the pantry is? And there's cookies? Is this a trap?"copyright protection70ＰＥＮＡＮＡxvFhy1qyBw
"Ruuhrii ki ki. Krii."copyright protection70ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8mTd0UlRkG
"I see."copyright protection70ＰＥＮＡＮＡckAEDTDVni
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 protection70ＰＥＮＡＮＡAUNgclhCUS
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 protection70ＰＥＮＡＮＡ92f2ffWB7h
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 protection70ＰＥＮＡＮＡhkCRYfLBa9
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 protection70ＰＥＮＡＮＡUL3H1f2jSX
Bryant started walking again. He had most of the day ahead of him, and he intended to spend it at home.copyright protection70ＰＥＮＡＮＡc1Zr3fH0QO
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