Starring:
Date: June 28, 2015
Summary:
Ryouji attempts to bring the egg he found in Kirigakure back to Kumonoue with Michiko riding shotgun. But no good deed goes unpunished.
"Ryouji's Summon - No good deed goes unpunished"
Somewhere in land of lightning
"Huh…whoooya! Huh…huh..huh…" Ryouji says who's grunting with each punch and blow he's giving a wooden dummy. The mechanical device turns and swivels its arms around, which Ryouji just pivots and intercepts the movements. It seems Ryouji has recovered from his flu and is back into proper form. It's a nice early evening in the courtyard right outside the Reizei dojo and Ryouji has taken to a bit of training since he's been lax in it due to the flu. A few bamboo stands that have been hacked in two shows he's already finished with his swords which are laying on an open blanket sitting on the steps up to the dojo sliding doors. As Ryouji smacks at the arms of the dummy he spits out his lyrics, "Reizei Ryouji, back in his prime. Don't got time to speak in bad rhyme. A chuunin, ahead of his time. Spitting out better words than the nursery rhyme. It's a hard truth don't got no sweet tooth but these rhymes are less pain than an impacted tooth!" He stops for a moment and lets that last line sink in, "Nah, that's not going to work. Too cliche, need something better, throw those last words away." He chuckles to himself at that.
Michiko wanders into the Reizei Dojo, getting directions from one of the guards with ease, and looks around to see Ryouji training. She watches a bit for now as he trains, waiting for the Reizei to stop and take a break before she asks, "So you're feeling better, Ryouji-kun?" She shifts a bit so that she can move easier towards Ryouji, closer to the training area and peering a bit at the bamboo stands on the way.
Ryouji hears Michiko walking along the paved stones and loose stones of the courtyard. He turns and smiles, wiping a bit of sweat off his forehead with the sleeve of his hoodie. "I'm feeling much better, yes. Thanks, Michiko-chan." He walks towards her and asks, "Coming to check on me again? I loved the chicken sukiyaki stew by the way. Very tasty." He gestures to the steps and holds out a hand for her.
Michiko smiles and nods slightly. "Like usual," she replies, taking the hand and giving Ryouji a light nudge. "I'm glad you liked it, though I'm still not sure why you enjoy it so much. It's nothing special.." A small shrug before she says, "So, did you hear about all the interesting news? Yori-san's promotion and Takeo-san's entry into the village. All very exciting and paperwork-filled."
Ryouji, "Ah Michiko-chan, it's the simple things in life that are the best. I could have luxurious food. Fine clothes. Anything I want, but things don't always have to be flashy to be good. Sukiyaki is comfort food." He sits down on the steps. "I read the reports and heard the rumors from Akira-san. He's kept me informed. I'll congratulate Yori-san when I get the chance. Takeo-san though, I can't say I've ever met him. I know he is from konoha, right?"
"And I haven't gotten any congratulations on my own promotion," Michiko teases lightly before giving a small nod. "Yes… Takeo-san was a part of the Inuzuka clan when he was in Konoha. Though he's a bit like Naruko-san in that he doesn't really have his clan's abilities anymore. So I suppose he took a Turtle Summon as replacement and left when not granted the position of Jounin," she muses.
Ryouji teases back, "Nah, you're too tough for someone congratulating you." He kisses her on the cheek giggling, "You did do a good job though." He leans back propping his arms behind him, "A turtle summon? I wonder how he got that?" He chuckles, "Getting a summon would be interesting." He shrugs, "Not that I need one. All I've heard of is his turtle or your fox. Neither one I'd really want, I think."
Michiko pokes Ryouji lightly, though she does smile and turn a bit pink at the kiss. "Oh, I see. I won't congratulate you, then, the day you're promoted," she states with a small nod. Then she settles next to the Reizei, commenting, "He probably sought them out and they agreed to contract with him. The hardest part to getting a contract is earning the trust of those you'll work with. But somehow he did. And there are all kinds of summoning animals, so if you ever want one, I'm sure there's one for you." The girl pauses for a second. "My own summon was mostly by chance, though."
Ryouji phifts, "I didn't say 'I' was going to be promoted. Not any time soon at least." He lifts an arm up to put it around Michiko, but stops as he has a flash of insight. He drops the arm and sits up, "Oh hey, I found something out about that egg. Since you mentioned summoning animals. I found the location of Kumonoue no yama, where the hawks live." He scoots away from Michiko and picks up the harness with the egg is, never too far away from Ryouji and still warm. He digs into one of the side pockets and pulls out an old crusty scroll, "It was in an old land of lightning map made before the founding of the village. Though…" he unrolls it on the porch showing the location of the place high in the mountains several days ride from the village. "…it looks rather dangerous to get there." He grins at the idea, "Want to come with?"
"Who knows," Michiko murmurs, shrugging softly before blinking. "Oh? Congratulations." She peeks at the scroll, eyeing it just a bit. "Hmm.. Kumonoue no Yama…" she echoes, considering the name. "Alright, I'll come with you," she says. "When do you want to leave? I'll have to prepare for the journey and make sure everything won't fall apart when I leave, after all."
Ryouji always has had the idea he's never quite to jounin, dispite how powerful he really is. He's full of humble when you brush past the bravado on the battlefield. His eyes shine brightly at that, "Great!" He shrugs, "As soon as you're able go, we will. Tenzen-sama already knows I'm going to leave, so my duties are handled with him. He's going to be busy for a little while anyway." He slips the harness back on for a bit more warmth adjusting it so it's snug. "So head out and make sure things are ok, I'll meet you at the gates."
<Weather> A light trickle of rain washes down from the sky, refreshing the air. Refreshing or not, though, few people venture out without an umbrella.
Michiko smiles and nods. "Alright. I'll be ready in ten minutes," she says, getting up and pressing her lips briefly to Ryouji's cheek. "You should shower before we leave," she then comments, giving him a teasing grin before disappearing into the ground to go get things taken care of.
Ryouji gives Michiko a confusing look, then sniffs himself. He wrinkles his nose and says, "Ewww…" He gets up and says, "Akira-san, ready a shower!" he calls out to his aid and bodyguard as he runs across the courtyard to the castle. Ten minutes later, Ryouji is freshened up, showered, and gear along with the harness and egg. Ryouji races along towards the main gates and skids to a stop by the doors.
Michiko admittedly comes to the gates about a minute late, jogging up with a sack of supplies on her back. She offers a light bow. "Sorry I'm late, Ryouji-kun. I needed to make sure everything was arranged." She then smiles a bit. "Also…" She makes a few handseals, metal pricking her finger to draw blood as she summons Kimura, who hops onto her shoulder. "For now, I think this might be a good idea," she says, giving a small nod. "Well, then. Lead the way, Ryouji-kun."
Ryouji shrugs, "I didn't notice." He watches Michiko go through the summoning ritual, making notice of the handseals and the blood needed. "Hello Kimura-chan." he says, taking a guess on the sex. It's not like he knows. Ryouji nods and starts off running. "We might need Kimura-chan if she's a tracker."
The trip has been hard, running for several days with trails dangerous for any horse. But according to the map they're nearby Kumonoue. Ryouji is reading the scroll as they walk along a trail running up towards a single huge mountain, hidden by clouds.
Michiko nods a but and follows Ryouji, trusting that his map is correct and that he knows how to read it. She'd make a sort of shelter and fire when they needed it, trying to ease the strenuous journey as best she could as they move. "So, is this is?" she asks, Kimura trotting alongside next to her with perked ears.
Ryouji even got some snuggle time with Michiko, so the trip wasn't all bad. He looks at the map every once in a while, even sharing it with Michiko when appropriate. Ryouji looks over at Kimura and Michiko, then back at the mountain in front of them. "I think so, but it's up towards the top?" Where they can't see since it's covered by clouds. "There's no trail though, we'll have to climb." he says, pulling off his pack and begins digging through it for the climbing ropes.
GAME: Save complete.
<Weather> The sky is clear, the stars twinkling brightly. The air is warm; a trace of summer lingers still this autumn.
Michiko eyes the mountain before them, frowning just a bit. "Fun…." she murmurs, anticipating the climb. "Kimura-san, try and go as far as you can with your tree-walking skills and see if there's a ledge somewhere up there that we can take a rest on," she tells the fox, who nods and suddenly disappears in a gust of wind, leaving behind only a whisper of wind that shows she was standing there a second ago.
There are ways up, but farther up the mountain. It's not un-climbable, one just needs to be diligent in their climb. Kimura finds several ledges where the team can stop for a rest up the length of the mountain. Ryouji eyes up the mountain saying, "She's fast." He checks the egg in the harness, stroking the shell as it starts to move a little. Just a twitch, but it was noticeable. Ryouji looks at the egg a bit longer before covering it with a flap and says, "Let's go…" he ties a climbing rope around his waist and hands the end to Michiko. That way if one falls, the other can catch them. Ryouji starts climbing once they're ready as he pulls his cloak tighter the higher they go. It's not a sheer vertical surface, but it's not someplace you couldn't stop unless you were up against something, like a jutting rock.
Michiko takes the rope and ties it around her middle so that she doesn't fall if she slips. Hopefully they don't end up going down at the same time by some odd turn of fate. She uses her chakra to ease the strain and better her grip, even when the surfaces are slippery. "Ryouji-kun, there's a ledge about ten meters above us. Let's aim for there and then take a small break," she says about fifty minutes into the climb. She didn't want them to exhaust themselves too quickly.
Ryouji nods as he climbs, using chakra in the hands and feet to keep a grip. He could even go full blur to pump up his muscles, but this really isn't needed. He continues finding hand holds and pulling himself up with each step. "Hey, sounds good." he says, "I need to adjust the egg anyway." He reaches the ledge and climbs up onto it, perching himself to help Michiko up. After a bit of a rest, there's a screeching sound coming from above and in the clouds overhead.
Michiko glances upwards to try and see just how far yet are from the peak, listening to the screeching. Kimura had long since proofed back to where she usually lives, so hopefully the Hawks didn't mind the fox. She takes a few deep breaths to calm her breathing and glances to Ryouji. "I think we're on the right track, at least," she comments lightly.
Ryouji adjusts the egg in his pack, turning it over when…crack! The egg's hard shell cracks and splits showing a black wet body inside. It wiggles inside the shell some more and sticks a beak out which starts peeping. "Um…Michiko-chan? The egg…." he says looking the hatching chick. The screeching stops for a moment before several figures break out of the clouds, several LARGE hawks begin to decend.
Michiko blinks at the crack and eyes Ryouji. "Ah… Do you have anything to feed it?" she asks. "Actually, never mind… We have a more pressing issue to deal with," she says, pointing up at the Hawks as they all come down from their perch upon hearing the cheeping. "Just.. Umm… Figure out what food you have to give it," she suggests.
Ryouji thinks about it for a moment and shrugs, "This one hasn't hatched yet, so it probably won't eat anything right now." He pulls out a blanket from the harness to give the egg a bit more room. "I don't think we should fight them either. If we show them the egg, maybe they won't attack?" He watches the hawks circling but getting lower every time they complete a circle. "If they were going to attack, wouldn't they have been diving out of the clouds?"
Michiko nods. "Well… Let's just set the egg down on the ledge. Not near the edge, though. Then they'll know we weren't trying to mess with it." Maybe. It was worth a try. "Ah… Just be ready, Ryouji-kun. Two more circles and they'll be upon us. They don't seem to be very aggressive for now, so let's try to keep it that way. And just tell the truth. I don't know the whole story, so I'll let you do the talking.
The three hawks circle once as Ryouji sets the peeping egg and harness down against the rock wall. Ryouji comes back next to Michiko and says, "Well, if you think that's best, Michiko-chan." The hawks circle a final time before swooping down, two stay above while the third swoops down at both, but not anywhere close. As if taking a better look at the situation. Ryouji steps forward and calls out to the hawks, "I am Reizei Ryouji, we mean you no harm."
A second one sweeps down and flaps in front of the pair blowing wind all about with each flap of huge wings. His large form, red feathers, and eye patch label him as someone you shouldn't mess with. The hawk's voice calls out like rocks tumbling down the mountainside, "Little ninja. You should not be here. You're outsiders. Outsiders are not welcome here. Leave ninja children, go back before we line our nests with your corpses!"
Ryouji bows, "We mean no disrespect, we are searching for Kumonoue no Yama, the mountain above the clouds. If you are from there, we have something for you. I found it in Kirigakure and I want to bring it back to your people." He slowly backs up to the egg and picks up the harness to flip open the flap. There's really no other way to do it when lives are being threatened instead of saying 'hello'.
GAME: Save complete.
<Weather> Dark grey clouds fill the sky, blocking out the light of the sun. Although no rain has yet fallen, with little wind to move the clouds it seems a distinct possibility.
Michiko watches the Hawks a bit warily, giving a bow of her head but letting Ryouji speak first. "I am Iwata Michiko. Myself and Ryouji-Kun, as he said, just wanted to return what we believe to be cyours. We apologize for coming into your territory, but we weren't sure how else to get this egg to you."
The large red hawk's one yellow eye opens wide at the sight of the egg. He roars and says, "Interlopers! Egg thieves! I should roast you both alive myself! You have broken the laws of Kumonoue and the punishment is death!" He flaps harder with his wings to go higher and snaps his beak threateningly. But another of the three dives down to get between the pair of ninja and red hawk. This one is gray and white and looks female, if sexes of hawks can be told apart just by looking at them. She calls out in a kind motherly voice, but stern at the red hawk. "Sukaimaru-kun, no! Stand down, you know the laws of Kumonoue. Yes, these ninja have broken our law by coming here, but look what they have. Are you so blind by your anger that you do not notice one of our eggs? They should be taken in front of Kenmeina Sora for judgment."
Sukaimaru gives a throaty purr of annoyance at that, "That old dottering fool? I would rather pass judgment on them, myself. As the next in line for leadership, Kobirama-chan." Kobirama ruffles her feathers, "Thankfully for you, you're NOT in charge. They will be taken to our Roc, their fate will be decided with him." Kobirama turns towards Michiko and Ryouji and says, "So, you are officially under arrest. Do not resist, if you please. I'm sure this will be all sorted out. Your actions here are not going unnoticed."
Ryouji has his hands full of egg and harness, but he takes a step back as Sukaimaru threatens them. "Oh man, that's not good. Get ready to run for it, Michiko-chan." But where would they go on the side of a mountain against hawks? Michiko could do her earth thing, but Ryouji would have to make a run for it down the mountain. It's not something he'd be looking forward too. But then the other hawk steps in. "Ah…thanks?" he says, not sure if this is a good thing or bad thing. He straightens up and lifts his chin, "Do not punish my companion. Returning the egg was my idea. I found this place and talked her into helping me. I am the leader of this mission and accept the responsibility in whatever punishment your leader gives us."
"Thank you for giving us the chance, Kobirama-san," Michiko says with a bow to the female hawk. She glances to Ryouji, saying, "I'm coming with you every step of the way." She gives him a smile, trying to be encouraging, and then readies herself to follow the Hawks… somehow. Hopefully they don't mind giving a ride, as climbing would take longer than they like… Both parities.
Kobirama dips her head and glides down to perch on the steep side of the mountain. "Once we arrive, I will want to take the egg so we can find its parents. The egg will have their scent on it." She listens and hears the peeping, "Oh my, it's already hatching? We should hurry then, or you'll be imprinted as the father when the hatchling finally comes out." She gives what could be a grin by a hawk, but it looks odd. She offers a wing for Michiko and Ryouji to climb on as Sukaimaru just glares from above. Eventually he looks up at the other hawk and says, "Fly ahead and tell the others of our arrival. Outsiders in the nest is almost unheard of, so many will be nervous." The other hawk takes off as Sukaimaru looks back down at the three. He shakes his head and ruffles his feathers again at the thought of people in his home. The pair of hawks, once the humans are settled in, take off flying higher and higher until they reach their home. Kobirama says behind her to the pair flying on her back, "Welcome…to Kumonoue no Yama." A giant stone colored monastery building has been built on the peak of the mountain. It is ancient and in bad repair. Holes have been dug into the walls to provide access to the larger areas inside as hawks of all sizes swoop, glide, and dive in and around the huge building. It truly is a sight to behold. One massive hole in the side of one of the walls leads into darkness and that is where the pair is flying into now.
Ryouji reaches out to touch Michiko's forearm and nods, "I know you will." before he climbs up the wing and settles on the back of Kobirama. He's a little nervous, if only because the peeping inside of his harness. "Kobirama-san, I agree, I'm not ready to be a father…or Michiko-chan a mother." he teases to Michiko as she starts climbing up. As the hawk launches into the air, Ryouji instinctively grips the feathers in front of him. He realizes this and loosens his grip, "Sorry…" he's just lucky he didn't pull any out.
Michikk smiles lightly and pokes Ryouji. "Well, I'm fairly sure those before us would have a child by now… Hiei-san's turning twenty and he had Shun-kun about two years ago," she comments, climbing onto Kobirama's back via wing. She holds onto Ryouji instead of the giant hawk below her, trusting the Reizei wouldn't let them fall (and neither would the hawk, since they were carrying the egg).
Michiko smiles lightly and pokes Ryouji. "Well, I'm fairly sure those before us would have a child by now… Hiei-san's turning twenty and he had Shun-kun about two years ago," she comments, climbing onto Kobirama's back via wing. She holds onto Ryouji instead of the giant hawk below her, trusting the Reizei wouldn't let them fall (and neither would the hawk, since they were carrying the egg).*
Sukaimaru snorts at that, "A human as a parent to a hatchling? Absurd human. We would NEVER allow it. How would you hunt it's food? Or teach it how to fly? Or even teach it how to be a fledgling, let alone a hawk? Truly absurd." Kobirama winces as Ryouji grips a little tighter than he should and sighs, "It is ok, dear. Here we are…" and they fly into the large hole. The pair of hawks land and takes the egg once Ryouji slides off Kobirama's back. It's darker in here, with no light streaming in but what is coming in from the various holes in the walls. Cracked timbers hand here and there and spider webs hang in places. Bits of twigs and grass cover the area here and there in the largest of rooms in the monastery. And it needs to be the bigger, for in the far corner of the room sits a nest the size of a medium sized building in Kumogakure. Sitting in the nest is a giant mound of gray feathers lumped together. It stirs as the hawks and humans enter and stirs a bit more when Kobirama gives a soft chirping sound, "Master Roc? Kenmeina Sora?" she asks, "Are you awake? We brought trespassers here for judgment. They were climbing up the mountain when we spotted them. Also, they had with them a hatching egg with them." The Gamabunta sized hawk sits up and untucks his head from under his wing. He smacks his beak together and licks it with his old tongue. "Huh? You what now? W…who are these humans you have here?" He sniffs the air, "Yes, indeed humans." He ruffles his feathers sounding like a gust of wind as he listens to Kobirama explain the situation. "Well now…commere you two. At least tell me why you've tried to climb our mountain. Don't tell me…" he sighs, "…you came to steal eggs, is that it?" He sniffs again, "And you succeeded it smells like. Well now…" he tisks tisks, "…very serious." He waves a large wing, "So come now, tell me why you've come and be truthful, least you be called a food….er…fool." He giggles a crusty chirping sound, "I get those two mixed up sometimes. Seriously, you're ok here, for now. Why have you come?"
Ryouji blushes at the idea, "A baby, at my age?" He smiles at the idea and says, "Michiko-chan, I..I didn't know you were thinking of that. A little soon, don't you think?" He grips her hand around him and gives it a small squeeze. "At any rate, bad timing if we're going to be eaten to bring that up, you know." He snickers as they come in for a landing. He hands over the egg to Kobirama and looks a bit worried, "I hope you'll take good care of it, we've grown attached in the weeks I've taken care of it." He turns to face the old Roc and steps forward as he addresses them, "Yes, hello." He bows and says, "My name is Reizei Ryouji and my teammate is named Iwata Michiko. We are ninja from Kumogakure. We did have an egg in our possession, yes, but we came here to give it back to you. I found it during a visit to Kiriagakure. A youngster tried stealing it from an exotic pet vendor, but I stopped him and took the egg. I knew it was special, so I did some research about the type of egg it was. Once I knew what the egg was, I knew I had to return it, Roc sir. It was the only right thing I knew to do. I also couldn't keep it from dying, so I made a harness to keep it close to my body to keep it warm. As well as using chakra to warm the pack. I kept it for a few weeks while I searched for the location of this place. So I've returned the egg and got arrested by Sukaimaru-san and Kobirama-san. For that, I am sorry that I violated your laws. But it was out of necessity, I could not care for the egg once it hatched. So please, do not judge us too harshly. Also, I request you do not hurt my companion. I love her. She's very speical to me and had I known this was going to happen, I would never have asked her to come. She had no part of this but her company. I was the one taking care of the egg all this time. So punish me if you must."
"Not now, Ryouji-kun. When we're older, Baka…" she says embarrassedly, poking Ryouji for the comment. Michiko can't help but smile a bit at the hand squeeze, though. When they arrive at the destination, she joins Ryouji before Roc, once again letting Ryouji explain. Then she gives him a glance. "Well, I would have followed Ryouji-kun on this mission, even if he didn't want me. I'm not letting him go on a journey alone, after all. But everything he said is, from what I have heard, true."
The super sized hawk swings his head around in a stretch and yawns, "Well now, that is some explianation. How do I know you didn't just steal the egg and try to claim you're bringing it back hum? I can't very well know that, now can I?" Another hawk comes in and bows, "Excuse the interruption, Master Roc. But we have a situation with the baby. It has fully hatched but refuses to eat. We have found its mother, but the young hatchling refuses to eat." As the hawk gives the report, Kenmeina Sora turns towards Ryouji. "We shall just see if what you say is true." He perks his head up, "IF you have taken care of the egg for that long, you have a bond with the hatchling. So go to it and see if it'll eat for you. It probably misses it's 'mother'." The old roc cracks a smile and chuckles, "If not, and it's sick because how you mistreated it, then we will have two lives lost today!" He narrows his eyes and says, "Hawk…" the one who gave the report perks up, "…take these intruders to see the hatchling. Tell its mother that I have allowed this. Assure her that no harm will come to her child. But this one is to see if a bond has been made between the hatchling and this boy. If it has, we will deal with it." He looks down at Ryouji and continues, "As for your friend, it's doubtful she had a part to play with this from what you both say." He looks to Michiko, "You are free to go, when you are ready. You may need to take your friend's body back to your village if he hasn't bonded with this hatchling."
Ryouji gulps and says, "I took good care of the egg, I'm sure it's that and not sick. I treated it like it was my own son." He walks over towards the hawk and climbs aboard it. "Common Michiko, we should see if the hatchling is alright."
Michiko sighs softly. "Hai. Thank you, Roc-sama." She glances to Ryouji. "Well, Ryouji-kun, I hope you knew what you were doing," she says, climbing aboard the hawk behind the Reizei. "Let's go, and I'd rather not have to drag your body back to Kumo…."
The hawk takes off as Michiko climbs up on it with Ryouji. It a manner of moments, the hawk launches out of the giant hole and climbs up towards a smaller hole in one of the wall. The hawk swoops in and lands on a damaged section of floor, but it holds nicely. They know their monistary very well and know what's going to fall in and what's not. The hawk says, "Please hop off, the nest is right over there." As soon as the pair get off, the hawk walks over and explains the situation to the yellow hawk standing next to the nest of tree branches and rope. "Please, I had the egg stolen and then returned to me. Thank you for that. If you can help again, please do so. I respect Kenmeina Sora's decision." She gives a low nod to Ryouji and Michiko, "I just freshly killed a mountain goat, she should want to eat that." She gestures with a wing into the nest, showing a depressed young hatchling covered with downy fur. Her head is resting on the wall of the nest and her eyes seem distant and unmoving.
Ryouji nods to the hawk and says, "Michiko-chan, can you make sure there's nothing wrong with the hatchling? I don't know how much of your medical jutsu could help, but give it a try, ok?" He climbs into the nest and spots the white furred carcas, then the hatchling. He smiles at the human torso sized hawk. "Wow, she came from the egg?" he says softly, "I didn't think you'd be this big." He walks over to the goat carcass and pulls out a kunai moving slow so as not to spook anyone.
Michiko nods slowly and bows to the Hawks. "Please allow me to check on your hatchling," she requests. If granted permission, she would approach the 'small' bird, ready to jump back, but mostly trying to approach slowly. Once she's within arm's reach, she places a hand on the baby hawk and sends a pulse of chakra through the bird to see what's going on with its body. She'd be able to tell if anything were 'wrong' or injured.
The mother hawk allows it with a slow nod. "Do what you can for my hatchling." she says. The young hatchling looks up at Michiko and gives a little peep, but as soon as it sees Ryouji, it widens its eyes and gives a string of peeps at him. The diagnostic jutsu shows that this one is a little malnourished and dehydrated, but nothing worse than that. She seems excited upon seeing Ryouji though. She sits up and waddles towards him and opens its mouth at Ryouji.
Ryouji looks surprised at that, "I…she…wow." he says and hurms. He reaches down with his hand towards the hatchling and is about to pet it, but it snaps at his hand which he retracts quickly enough that it doesn't get bit. "Wow…hungry aren't ya?" he says and walks over towards the dead goat. He pulls out a kunai and slices off a large chunk of meat. Picking it up, he nearly gets pushed over by the hatchling trying to get food. "Ok ok, hold on there." he says, pulling himself up and holds the chunk of meat over the bird. He drops it in the open mouth which the hawk quickly snaps and swallows down.
"Just feed her, Ryouji-kun. She clearly thinks your her mom," Michiko says with a soft chuckle. Then she glances up to the momma hawk. "Your daughter's fine, at least. Just needs to be fed," she reports. "Ah… Yes, it seems that she's very attached to Ryouji-kun."
The hawk that brought both Ryouji and Michiko to the nest says, "This is good to hear, I shall go report about the situation to Kenmeina Sora and be back for you both shortly." The yellow hawk who is the mother says, "Actually, I can take them back to master Roc when things are ok here. You just go back and don't worry about them." She smiles at the hawk as he nods and takes off. She turns back to Ryouji and says, "I do not know how you did that, but thank you very much for saving my hatchling's life."
Ryouji wrinkles his nose at Michiko, "I am trying to, Michiko-kun. Have 'you' ever fed a giant hawk before? I haven't…it's not all that easy without losing a finger." He cuts off another chunk of goat and lets the hatchling eat it before looking at the hawk leaving and nods. Then over to the yellow hawk who is the mother. "I'm glad to do it, if it means to save someone's life. I faught for the egg and took care of it while looking for this place. Though I wonder how long the bonding is going to last?" He looks over at the hawk for an answer who responds, "Emotional bonds last forever, but once she gets her strength in a day or two, she should take a feeding from anyone."
Michiko smiles faintly. "Well, no. I haven't. And I don't think I'll ever get a chance, considering… I suppose I should head back to Kumogakure, since things seem to be going well now," she then adds, moving to stand near the Reizei. Actually, a bit behind him because the baby hawk was still looking to eat.
