After another hour or so, Kel began to feel tired, so Neal suggested that
they set up camp in the next clearing.
"Good idea." she agreed, and they rode on for another five minutes.
The egg that Kel had found was wobbling, she noticed, so she put in her bag.
A few hours later, when she and Neal were enjoying a well-earned rest, there was an almighty crack, and her bag started moving. She dived for it and opened it up.
Inside, was a beautiful baby bird, with lilac coloured baby fluff, and a platinum coloured beak. It found a warm spot in the crook of her arm, and it reminded her of being a mother...
"Neal!" she cried.
"Yes?" he asked, leaning towards her.
"Where is my baby?" she asked.
Neal looked sad for a moment.
"Kel, she didn't...make it."
A tear went down her cheek, and she cradled the bird baby in her arms.
"I can't believe I didn't think about her all this time...What kind of mother am I?"
Comforting her, Neal put his arm around Kel and rocked her gently. Then he lifted the bird from her lap, and put it in a warm area beside the tent, where it wouldn't go away.
Then he tucked a blanket around Kel, and climbed into the tent.
The next morning, Neal awoke to the sound of scrabbling. He lifted the goatskin flap of the tent, and crawled out, only to see Kel looking confused and trying to feed the bird some bacon.
"It's not very hungry, Neal!" she said, and Neal laughed. Even he knew what to do.
"Give it a worm!" he laughed, but his laughter faded when Kel tried, and had no success.
"Maybe some berries?" he said in a small voice, and Kel angrily stomped off into the trees. "I never chose to take bloody responsibility of this beastly animal!" she yelled.
Neal raised his eyebrows, surprised at Kel's lack of patience. Usually she was a as cool as a cucumber!
Grinning, he realised that she had become a mother again.
"Good idea." she agreed, and they rode on for another five minutes.
The egg that Kel had found was wobbling, she noticed, so she put in her bag.
A few hours later, when she and Neal were enjoying a well-earned rest, there was an almighty crack, and her bag started moving. She dived for it and opened it up.
Inside, was a beautiful baby bird, with lilac coloured baby fluff, and a platinum coloured beak. It found a warm spot in the crook of her arm, and it reminded her of being a mother...
"Neal!" she cried.
"Yes?" he asked, leaning towards her.
"Where is my baby?" she asked.
Neal looked sad for a moment.
"Kel, she didn't...make it."
A tear went down her cheek, and she cradled the bird baby in her arms.
"I can't believe I didn't think about her all this time...What kind of mother am I?"
Comforting her, Neal put his arm around Kel and rocked her gently. Then he lifted the bird from her lap, and put it in a warm area beside the tent, where it wouldn't go away.
Then he tucked a blanket around Kel, and climbed into the tent.
The next morning, Neal awoke to the sound of scrabbling. He lifted the goatskin flap of the tent, and crawled out, only to see Kel looking confused and trying to feed the bird some bacon.
"It's not very hungry, Neal!" she said, and Neal laughed. Even he knew what to do.
"Give it a worm!" he laughed, but his laughter faded when Kel tried, and had no success.
"Maybe some berries?" he said in a small voice, and Kel angrily stomped off into the trees. "I never chose to take bloody responsibility of this beastly animal!" she yelled.
Neal raised his eyebrows, surprised at Kel's lack of patience. Usually she was a as cool as a cucumber!
Grinning, he realised that she had become a mother again.
