Chiaki tried not to laugh when she saw Curtis covered in tiny scratches caused by the short winged birds. He was covered in them. With leaves tangled in his hair- Chiaki burst out laughing.

Curtis blushed a bright red, knowing why his mate was laughing. In his attempts to capture her unharmed short winged birds, the birds had... done a great deal of fighting back. Half a dozen of dead birds were tied together and slung over his shoulder, his failed attempts at catching them unharmed. Another three were tied together at their feet, flapping their wings in anger and calling out loudly.

"I just need a knife to trim their flying feathers down." Chiaki said once she stopped laughing.

Curtis didn't own a knife, between his strength and bite he had never needed to make one. Still he had the perfect substitute. "You can use one of my loose scales." He coiled up his snake tail and with his free hand began to run his fingers over the large scales until he found one that was ready to be replaced with a new scale. He would need to shed his whole skin soon as he continued to grow larger. He could then use the skin to make clothing for Chiaki.

He liked what he'd made for her out of the skin he'd shed last hot-season. It was form fitting at the top and billowed out like a flower bloom. He had tried to make her an outfit that clung to her whole body, but for some reason his mate kept insisting that she was 'too fat' to wear clothing like that. Curtis didn't consider her fat, she was round in all the best places. She was round in most places, like a healthy female should be!

Curtis held the short winged birds in place, their wings spread out for Chiaki to trim the feathers with his sharp scale. He would have just pulled the unwanted feathers from the animal, but let his mate do as she pleased. His eyes roamed his mates body. There was one place on her body that he wished was even rounder, round with his growing offspring. He didn't quite understand that desire, yes all males wanted their mate to have their children... but the young snakes were only a trouble to their parents. So why did he want offspring with Chiaki when he knew his first desire once they were hatched would be to chase them away?

Mechanically he followed Chaiki's request to do the next wing, then the next bird, and then the last bird as his mind was occupied with his conundrum. "I think we should keep them tied to a post for now." Chiaki said, bringing him out of his thoughts. "I'm not sure if I trimmed their wings enough and even without flying away they would be impossible to tame if I can't get near them."

When Chiaki's watchers appeared that day they were surprised to find the female attempting to lure short winged birds closer to her with a hand full of dried seeds. The birds flapped about in anger unable to fly off for some reason. Even those who noticed the thin rope tied about each birds leg saw that the birds failed to fly long before it was taunt. Sniffing about told them that the females mates were near, but out of sight.

"Chick-chick-chick!" Chiaki called out to the birds softly as she tossed the grains towards the nearest bird. It flapped away and she would swear the animal was glaring at her. It pecked at the ground, ignoring the offered food.

The males were drawn into the event as it unfolded before them like a story. Never had they seen a female doing anything like this. Most weren't sure what exactly she was doing. A few were faster on beginning to understand. They knew the female wanted the birds alive, but that was as far as their understanding took them.

As the day passed the events outside the wall began to change into the same antics as the day before. A few males wandered away, a few joined in later in the afternoon. Again there were bouts of showing off, as the males vied for Chiaki's attention.

As evening rolled around the area cleared once more. Chiaki sighed at the sight of the top of the wall where several gifts had been left this time. One stood out though, as it was a hide bag tied closed and had writing scribbled on it. Curiously she smoothed out the side that was written on. She couldn't read it. It was written in the language of the Beast Men. She sighed, of course it would be.

She left all the items that had been gifted right where they were. Their owners would find them the next day untouched, not accepted.

The next three days passed in exactly the same fashion. Chiaki would spend most of the day trying to entice the short winged birds closer to her with offered treats, while the males outside the wall would try to entice her with offered treats. She did not find humour in the parallels of that.

On the forth day, Chiaki was halfway through her daily taming attempts with the short winged birds when a leather bag dropped down on the ground right in-front of her. She turned to glare at whatever male had the nerve to toss a gift at her like she tossed seed at the birds. None of the males looked smug. None looked like they wanted the credit for the idea of throwing a gift at her feet.

She turned to grab the bag and toss it at the gathered males. The short winged birds, all three, were gathered around the bag pecking at it, attempting to get into it. Cautiously Chiaki reached out to get the bag, the birds didn't rush away as her hand closed around it. Picking up the bag she turned it around in her hands, yes it was the bag with writing on it. It looked like it had been opened and tied closed several times and the writing was now smudged with dirt.

She gave up and pulled the hide bag open, dropping it when she saw the contents. "Ah!" The bag hit the ground spilling out the writhing mass of ground worms. The short winged birds dived at the pile, squawking at each other and flapping their wings in an attempt to be first at the 'offered' food.

Chiaki backed away and sat with a heavy thud. Her heart was pounding nearly out of her chest. She watched as the birds made short work of the worms, leaving behind only the bag.