~Bird songs~

by Ola

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A/N~ this fic starts out a bit slow for people who like fast paced action. Don't worry, it won't be all like this. So please give it a chance. Legolas and the elves make their appearance in the second chapter. If you are tired of Legolas stories, just change his name into another. I used his name because I like his name and his character. There is no Legolas romance here. Everything you recognize is not mine. And for those who were waiting for a new story from me (mm, wonder how many that would be. Looks expectantly around), sorry, but I was really busy and did not want to start a story that I could not finish in an appropriate time, and I didn't want to leave you hanging. Am I nice or what? =) but now, I will post REALLY quick, since I've written most of this fic already! Yea. Anyway, please review and tell me what you think. I would appreciate it. And in case you don't like it, just say so. And now, enjoy the fic.

***The full story, in one installment is now uploaded as chapter 14, if you don't feel like changing chapters every few minutes. The story hasn't been changed, except that there are no author notes in between chapters, nor answers or comments to reviewers.***

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Part 1~

            I couldn't believe how beautiful it was, as I stood in awe, overlooking the valley. I have been a field researcher for three whole years now, and have been "out in the woods" ever since I was a little girl, but every time I went on a new assignment, I marveled at how…wondrous certain places still were. And I can tell you that I am often sent out into the most remote places. Part of that is because my boss has a happier life when I'm not around (don't ask. People think I'm a bit strange), and because not many other scientists appreciate being alone for 6 months, away from their family and kids, studying common little brown birds. And I ask (very strongly and loudly according to my boss) to be sent to those most remote places. Don't get me wrong. My boss is a funny little guy (but he has a strange sense of humor) and I do have friends (who understand that I want to lead my life a certain way). They are happy every time I come back, but do not plead for me to stay. They understand. So that is why I was standing on the rim of a wide Canadian valley, with a wide smile on my face, and a rather heavy hiking backpack digging into my shoulders. I was happy. This is what I was born to do.

            I have been dropped by a helicopter about fifty miles away from where I was now standing, and left to make my way to wherever I needed to go (standard procedure): on the map I carried in my bag, it was a small dot right in the middle of the Canadian wilderness. It was early spring and a cool northern breeze just barely swayed the topmost branches of tall dark pines. Still a few miles away, a silver sparkle in between tree trunks caught my eyes: the Bernille. My plan was to make my base camp near the banks of that river (still rather small at this point near the mountains) and to make trips from there, so as not to carry all my baggage. Not that I had much. Only what I could carry, and what I could not somehow borrow form the land. It was out of the question to bring food for 6 months (for obvious reasons), nor a good idea to be weighted down by unnecessary things. I preferred traveling light (although I would never journey without a few necessary objects such as rope, knife, flint, radio…). I was not completely a bush woman. But I would construct myself a mini-hut and hunt or gather my own food. But by now, you are probably wondering what exactly I was here to study. Nothing magical or out of the ordinary. There is a little story attached to my assignment that I will tell you as I sit down on this sun warmed rock to rest my feet.

            Some time ago, two Canadian trappers were hunting in these parts of the country. One of them was an amateur bird watcher and during their excursion, he heard, several times, the trilling of a bird. He was interested in what specie the bird belonged to but he could not, only by looking up in a book, find out about the creature. He was a curious fellow, so he went to an avian expert and explained the noise the bird made. The scientist was baffle. No such bird was known! That was 5 years ago. I guess no one was really interested in a new little bird way out in nowhere. Finally, my boss dredged up some money (not enough by anyone's standards) and so I volunteered. So here I was, contemplating a piece of land untouched by man (mostly), and looking for a mysterious little bird.

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A/N~ you should expect the next update tomorrow or in a few days at the latest. Oh, and by the way, my knowledge of this kind of field work is a bit rudimentary, so I apologize if I make any errors. 9and if I do, please point them out to me so I can change them! =)

Ola