Prompt 63 (10 August) – Behind the Scenes

Title: "Too Early to Be Paying Social Calls"

Words: 399

Characters: Kalasin of Conté, Roald of Conté, Thom of Pirate's Swoop


Kally and Roald, who had to be rousted out of bed at home in Corus, were always up before the sun when visiting the Swoop. Little Thom was an early riser, too, and tagged after them at every opportunity, delighted to have someone more exciting to play with than his baby sister and brother. Today, having managed to get into their clothes and out of the nursery without waking anyone else, the three of them – armed with a basket to collect shells in – set out to walk down the cliffs to the beach, certain they could outwit the Baron's guards on the wall just as easily.

Whether they were right about this they never discovered. Instead, as they made their way along the wall toward the main gate, Kally's attention was caught by a low, urgent cry. "What's that?" she asked of nobody in particular. Roald said, "What's what?"

"Shut up," said Kally, "and let me listen."

The sound was coming from up ahead, and they crept forward with extra caution. "Look!" Thom whispered suddenly, pointing a chubby finger at what looked, in the chilly dawn light, like a bundle of black and white rags.

The bundle stirred, and then raised a falcony sort of head and opened its beak to make that same low cry.

"What is it?" The three children knelt down and looked at it cautiously. It looked back with round yellow eyes.

"Well, it's some kind of bird," Kally began.

"Of course it's a bird," said Thom, witheringly. "D'you think it's sick?"

"Must be," said Roald. "Or hurt, or something."

"What should we do with it?"

"We could take it to my ma," Thom suggested, but the others could tell he thought this was a bad idea. And no wonder – it was awfully early, and the Lioness wasn't likely to be happy if they woke her to heal a bird.

Then Kally had what turned out to be one of her best ideas yet. "I know!" she exclaimed. "We'll take it to that girl – lady – Uncle Numair's new student, you know, that Mama and Aunt Alanna said was a mage."

Thom's hazel eyes lit up, and he nodded vigorously. "That's right – my ma said she helps animals! I forgot."

"Maybe she'll let us watch," said Roald hopefully.

It wasn't easy – the bird wasn't happy, and didn't want to get into any basket – but finally they were ready to set out again, back down the way they'd come, to look for Daine.


A/N: missing scene before the scene in chapter 8 of Wild Magic where Daine wakes up to find the three kids staring at her with an osprey in a basket. The title is the first thing she says to them.