Rainbird was a very happy sort, Amberfeather knew. Everyone loved her, and she was as bright and cheerful as one of the pretty birds that lived in the Vale and were used as messengers. He never could remember her being anything less that cheerful, not matter what. He had never seen a look like the one currently on her face, as she thought how she was going to start her story.

"Well, mine is not quite as tragic as Winterflower's," Rainbird started, "and it's really more like Amberfeather's. One of those days that just nothing worked out."

"That's perfect!" exclaimed Amberfeather. "It'll make me feel even better, knowing that someone else can feel as depressed as I was over things that really aren't life-shattering." He thought about how it sounded, and blushed. "Of course, I'm still sorry you had to go through that day…"

Rainbird laughed, and told him she understood what he was trying to say.

"My bad day was the first day I was scouting with Tareth. I had just been promoted by my teacher to being able to go out on my own and having my own area of responsibility. I had also just bonded with Tareth. It was a late bonding, because I couldn't find a bird that was a fit with my personality, or something." She smiled, then said, "Or, at least, no parents were willing to trust their precious eyas to me."

"I had not bonded more than a week, and I had just gotten the hang of being able to talk to her. Tareth was older when we bonded, not a young bird at all, but more of a young adult, and so able to fly. My teacher warned me as he promoted me that I needed to be careful since I did not know how Tareth would react to things, or how I would react to her. I didn't listen."

"We set out, and I was so proud to be on my very own circuit. I asked Tareth to scout ahead and tell me if there was anything there, and I would follow slowly. I walked for a few minutes, and then I decided that I wanted to practice tree-walking. I got out my stuff, and quickly scaled the tree. I then continued the way Tareth had gone, moving from tree to tree."

Starsong shuddered theatrically. "I cannot understand how you can do that! Go skipping from tree to tree like that! I must confess I was thrilled to find I would be a mage… I just knew that the second I tried it, I would fall and break my neck." He joined the laughter of everyone, then quickly said, "Sorry, Rainbird… I won't interrupt again. I just didn't know you were telling a horror story!"

"It's only a horror story to you, you great goof," answered Rainbird. "Now be quiet!"

She adjusted her position in the pool and said, after shooting a mock-glare at Starsong, "Now, where was I?"

"Tareth then came winging in, screeching alarm. I just knew that she had seen something terrible, and I needed to know what it was immediately. So I quickly mind-linked to her."

All of the assembled young people groaned. They all had bondbirds, and they knew that the first time you mind-linked with your bird, it was very disorientating. It was not a good idea to do that in the middle of your scouting circuit, let alone in the treetops.

"You guessed it; I was immediately confused by all of the information that I was getting from Tareth. I saw things that looked like great monsters, but turned out to be trees. I couldn't break the link, so I just started screaming in terror."

She looked chagrined, and continued. "Luckily, my teacher had followed me, since it was just my first day. He knew I would do something foolish, he said, though he wasn't sure how he'd known. He caught me as I feel out of the tree, and talked me through closing my eyes and convinced me I would die."

"What was Tareth doing this whole time?" asked Silvercloud. "My Erlin would have been attacking everything in sight. But, then, he is a bit… overprotective…"

"That was the most embarrassing thing yet. Tareth was standing on the ground next to us, staring at me like I had lost my mind. When my teacher talked me through the proper way to mind-link, I saw that what Tareth had spotted was a rabbit burrow surrounded by rabbits out of it eating lunch! She was just excited, and was asking permission to hunt!" As Rainbird thought of that day again, she started to laugh.

Everyone laughed along with her.

"That is embarrassing, Rainbird. Especially since you were so proud of being all grown up and having your own patrol." Amberfeather could picture what he would have felt if that had happened to him, and shuddered. He told Rainbird, "I know I shouldn't like hearing these stories, but they sure are improving my mood!"

"That's why we're telling them," said Winterflower. "Okay, now I think it is Starsong or Silvercloud's turn. We've had two girls in a row, so now it's a boy's turn."

The two young men looked at each other, and seemed to come to a quick silent agreement.

"I'll go next, Winterflower, though you sure are bossy!" Silvercloud said. "I think my most embarrassing day was the day that some of my "friends" decided to play a trick on me…"

Thank you for making it this far! Silvercloud had some very not-very-nice friends, and his bad moment was definitely embarrassing… something about moving the signs on the paths to garden pools so it said that it didn't say "privacy wanted" when it definitely was…

Anyway. As a completely off-topic, side note, I just wanted to mention the fact that I detest my apartment complex. They are turning our apartment complex into condos (and don't buy them; they are a pile of junk) and they have blocked our satellite dish for over 3 months now. NO TELEVISION! I don't watch it that much, but still, it's now officially annoying. They also destroyed our walls (the outside ones, you know, the ones that keep the outside outside) and now the entry way is molding. I HATE THEM. Thank you for listening to my rant.

Author's Note UPDATED 3/21/07 I am SO sorry I haven't updated in quite awhile. I was doing so well… Anyway. I have moved now (see apartment woes above) and I also got a new computer, so everything is crazy right now. All of my story stuff is on the old computer, and I can't manage to get the stuff off of it onto the new one… however, I am feeling the writing itch, so I will simply have to do something soon, or go crazy. Look for poor Silvercloud's story within the next week or so… and I am already planning a little story detailing Amberfeather's and Winddancer's growing friendship… so be on the lookout for that, as well, once this one finishes up. Thanks for reading, and a review or two will really encourage me to keep writing!

Author's Note 4/22/07 - I have updated! Yay! Thanks for sticking around... please review so I can improve my writing... what worked really well? What didn't? Everything helps!