Lucinda had Nassach’s gift in her hands, and was inspecting it for damage after having rescued it from the unknown bird she had accidentally scared away. Surprisingly it seemed absolutely fine. The dark wooden exterior was as smooth and polished as ever, and there was no sign of scratching or scuffing to any part of it. In fact, even the raised wavy pattern that decorated the border of the lid was in pristine condition.

That’s a relief… Breaking the box and missing my chance to befriend that bird would have been a bit upsetting.

Tucking the box into her pack once more, Lucinda turned her eyes to the scene at her feet. The bird had clearly been feasting on the remains the box held, but it was the nature of those remains that had triggered an idea for finding more of the bird in question, as well as successfully bribing any she did find.

Bones… I didn’t know birds of prey ate bones… I didn’t think any animals ate bones! But, that one was, I’m almost sure of it.

There were only a few bones remaining from the hare, which in and of itself was a clue, but the condition they were in was also illuminating. The cracks, the missing chunks, and especially the one that was broken in half, it all supported her conclusion. As did the distinct lack of anything else remaining from the hare. However, with the only bird of the species she had found having flown off upon seeing her, Lucinda was left wondering just how far she might have to travel to find it again, or even another of its kind.

If it leads me far away from the forest, food could become a problem. It flew off to the northeast, and I think the forest mostly curves round in that direction, but better to stock up now just in case. At least finding some bones won’t be a problem…

With her mind made up, Lucinda shifted back into goat form and began making her way back up to the plateau. Like the previous three days she had been in the mountains, the weather was as about as reasonable as one could expect, though Lucinda had noticed a slight increase in the chilliness of the wind, and a somewhat clearer sky above than the day before.

A short trek in goat form – which had recently reached the impressive height of rank 3 – up the rock face she had recently descended, brought Lucinda back to the mountaintop once more, where she decided to spend a brief time inspecting the residing birds.

It really would be a lot easier to choose one of these…

Despite her internal admission, Lucinda reached the same conclusion about the birds nested around her before long. Her opinion unchanged, she moved across to the opposite side of the plateau and then began her descent into the forest as a dragonling. Already she had lost count of how many such descents she had made, yet if anything, the experience had only grown more exciting as she had become more comfortable with gliding, and less concerned about injury.

Arriving back in the forest, Lucinda got to work gathering food for her bone-eating bird hunt. After taking a moment to scan her surroundings, she shifted into her boar form and made use of her forage ability, which soon led her to discover a patch of edible ferns. Then, once her pack was a bit heavier with the find, she set off to the west.

With the help of the knowledge of wild food she had improved under Waflaw’s guidance, Lucinda did not struggle to locate additional sources of plant-based morsels as she travelled, and by the time she reached the small mountain pass at the western end of the area, her pack was significantly more packed. Moving onwards through the small gap between the mountainous regions, Lucinda beelined to her destination, which was none other than the home of her wolfish friends.

“Hi,” Lucinda called out as she approached the den.

A quick look inside revealed that most of the pack were out, with just two of the female wolves, and one male wolf remaining, along with the two wolf cubs as she had expected. In response to her greeting, one of the female wolves let out a short bark, which was more than enough to ease Lucinda’s faint concerns about how she might be welcomed. Stepping inside the cave, Lucinda sank into a kneeling position to properly re-introduce herself to the residents, and soon discovered the wolves were abundantly eager to take part.

It was partway through that re-introduction – which involved a lot of furry body parts being rubbed against her, and plenty of tongue licks to her face as was the norm – that the remainder of the pack showed up. They too joined in, in greeting her, and it wasn’t until several minutes later that Lucinda was free to think about completing the task she had come to the cave for. However, there was another thing for her to take care of first.

With the deer body the wolves had brought back with them, there was no question as to what they had been up to. But, it was also clear that things hadn’t gone entirely as planned, as the largest wolf of the pack was sporting some unpleasant looking injuries spread across his sides and head. Lucinda hadn’t thought too much of it at first, at least until she watched the wolf slump to the cave floor nearby once it had briefly greeted her.

“You’re lucky I dropped by,” Lucinda said quietly, as she knelt before the prone wolf. “I’ll have you feeling better in no time!”

That the wolf did not understand her words mattered little, as Lucinda began casting her heal spell all the same. Her actions did not go unnoticed by the other cave occupants, with two wolves voicing their discomfort with low growls, while others seemed more curious than bothered. Fortunately, Lucinda wasn’t suddenly attacked as she continued, and by the time her spell went off, everything was mostly back to normal.

“What happened to you out there?” she asked, gently petting the wolf’s back. “Looks like one spell won’t be nearly enough.”

Two heal spells later, the wolf was in much better condition, and much better spirits. Lucinda’s worry turned to pleased satisfaction, as the wolf showered her with affection at suddenly being healthy once more. Though, that didn’t stop her from dwelling on possible causes of the damage the large wolf had taken.

It kind of looked like bear claw marks… Did they fight over the deer? Or was it something else?

As she continued to hug the healed wolf, Lucinda was struck by a sudden and most unwelcome thought.

Ah… is this my fault? By spending time with them as a bear? I really didn’t think that would make them trust all bears all of a sudden… Especially brown bears… Or maybe I’m overthinking things? I hope I’m overthinking things.

She let her troubled thoughts slip away as the wolf extracted itself from her grip and went to have its share of the deer.

Aww, I was going to have the wolves collect up the bones for me… But, maybe that’s a bad idea after all? If I’m getting them too used to other animals, the same might be true for humans…

With her lap suddenly free, the two wolf pups quickly took it upon themselves to change that. Lucinda absent-mindedly petted the two small wolves, whose cuteness was sufficient to keep a permanent smile upon her face, even while she considered if her concerns were truly valid.

Oh, of course! I can still have my fun…

Happily shooing the wolf pups away, Lucinda removed a spare shirt from her pack – which was a simple beige garment, much like the one she currently wore under her armour. Placing it on the ground before her, she shifted into her wolf form, and began enacting her plan.

As usual, the same young male wolf had continued to pay her the most interest, no matter what form she was in, and it was upon that particular animal that Lucinda focused her influencing ability. She started off with ideas of bones, and then of carrying them to her, much like what was done with the food the pack hunted. Her efforts paid off after a few minutes of struggle, and once the wolf caught on to her wants, it was a trivial matter for him to satisfy them.

This was definitely the place to come to… If people paid coin for bones, these wolves would be rich! Oh… Maybe people do pay coin for bones? Or do Necromancers dig up bodies themselves?

Lucinda let out a few amused snorts at the mental image her musings had produced.

Maybe there’s a spell for it… A robed Wizard digging in the dark with a shovel just seems so silly.

But, as her thoughts drifted to another method of human bone collection, Lucinda’s mirth dried up in an instant. Forcing her mind back to the present, rather than dwelling upon the unpleasant memory, she began directing her wolf best friend to continue collecting the bones for her, while nudging the collected items onto her shirt herself.

Sometime later, Lucinda was satisfied with the results of her job as a wolf den taskmaster. Alongside the first wolf she’d enlisted, a few of the others had lent a helping mouth, and the pile of bones had rapidly grown atop her shirt. Though there had been a few minor setbacks along the way, such as when the wolf pups had invented a new game, that involved jumping into the pile and displacing a large number of them as a result; or the numerous times where wolves had taken a break from carrying, to gnaw on the bone they held instead.

Shifting back to human form, Lucinda sorted through the pile. With the great number on offer, and the limited space she had remaining in her pack, she filtered out bones based on their size, shape, and condition, until she was left with a tightly wrapped bundle that was just the right size to be forcefully shoved inside her pack, with only a bit of effort.

With her pack once more in order, Lucinda offered extensive head and neck rubs to the wolves that had helped her out, though almost inevitably some of the others demanded similar attention, further delaying her intent to depart from the cave for several minutes more. Finally, managing to escape the demands of the den dwelling animals, Lucinda set off back towards the forest.

She didn’t make it far, before the additional weight of the unusual bird feed she carried began to wear her out, prompting a short break for water, and then a shift into wolf form to ease her burden. She continued to change form as she travelled, switching to lynx a short distance inside the forest, and then naturally to goat to scale the mountain back up to the plateau. But, as she walked across to the north-eastern edge of the uneven mountaintop in human form, she realised she needed to test her theory before proceeding.

Coming to a stop near the edge, Lucinda retrieved a single bone from her pack, and tossed it in between two of the dips that the white and brown feathered birds nested within. Sitting down, she took a few more sips of water, and began projecting calmness as she waited and observed.

If it is these birds, that will be quite embarrassing…

After several minutes had passed, all she had observed was a single bird’s curiosity in the offered treat, though it did not lead to bone consumption of any description. Lucinda rose to her feet feeling satisfied, yet slightly annoyed at herself for not trusting her instincts. Retrieving the bone, she returned to the edge overlooking her intended direction.

It’s a shame that bird didn’t fly off along the forest… Travelling on flat ground is quite a bit easier! Ah, I can’t wait to have proper wings of my own.

Glancing back at the stubby wings of her dragonling form, Lucinda released a growly sigh, before pushing off into the air.

Over the next several hours, Lucinda continued deeper into the mountain range in search of the bird she had encountered earlier in the day. With the amount of vertical ground she had to cover, she was forced to take frequent breaks whenever a likely resting place came within her notice. Unfortunately, her ever-increasing comfort with the unique method of travel, and the increasing rank of her goat form that came with it were hardly sufficient to prevent fatigue from overcoming her, leaving her bone-tired even a few hours before darkness was to replace the light of day.

With how tired she had become, and with the drop in her spirits at the lack of bird sightings, Lucinda was struggling to push herself onwards. It helped that she had found a section of mountain that was mostly flat, though in a thin windy strip, rather than a large plateau, but even still, each small step in her dragonling form was becoming increasingly wearying.

However, as she neared the end of the strange path she had found – which ended quite abruptly into a sheer drop a short distance ahead of her – Lucinda was halted by the sound of faint chirping that reached her reptilian ear holes. Having been quite bothered by the thought of having to commit to another intensive gliding session, Lucinda perked up at the noise, though it certainly helped that she hadn’t seen a bird of any kind since shortly after departing from the plateau hours before.

I really hope that’s from something nearby…

Spurred on by the potential discovery, Lucinda retraced her steps along the thin mountain walkway, keeping her eyes peeled for hidden avian creatures as she did. It was not until a handful of minutes had passed that she encountered the noise again, and even then it took some additional searching to locate the point of origin. The answer turned out to be another ledge just a short distance beneath where she was, whose edge was just visible when she extended her dragonling neck over the sloping edge of the mountain’s top.

Must be a nice spot for a perch, but it’s going to make getting there a pain…

Lucinda carefully considered if she wanted to risk trying to glide down to the ledge. She was confident she could make it, but not confident with how the occupants might respond to the sudden appearance of a small dragon in their midst. After some deliberation, she decided to take the safer route, rather than risk upsetting the bird, or birds. Moving to one end of the natural walkway, Lucinda shifted back into human form, and gave herself a short break to drink and eat a light snack.

Well, this has to be a spot no one has ever come to before… Only because there’s almost nothing here except mountains… Not that I’m complaining, snowy mountain scenery is still pretty.

Once she was feeling more confident about another journey, even with how short it would be, Lucinda shifted to goat form and began edging her way down the cliff. The lower ledge soon came into view, which turned out to be more of a wide crevice that had appeared a short way down the cliff, rather than an actual ledge itself.

It was only after a number of mountainside cliff hops, that Lucinda’s relatively poor goat eyes could correctly identify the birds that had caught her attention, and even then only because of how the mountainside curved inwards near to where the opening in the wall sat. But, as she did catch sight of them, more of her remaining fatigue was eased away by excitement.

At last! I was starting to think I might never find one… Now, I just have to hope they don’t mind a visitor.

As Lucinda approached the highly secure nest, she began projecting calmness as soon as she felt she was near enough for it to have an effect. She was sure the birds had spotted her, but other than the occasional chirp that continued to reach her across the gap, they didn’t react in any overt manner. Which in her opinion was good a thing, especially when she drew close enough to see how little room remained in the crevice that wasn’t taken up by the large nest.

This is going to be awkward. But, I can’t just hang out here forever…

After a few minutes of calming suggestions, Lucinda cautiously edged closer still, until she was right on the edge of the nesting site. From her new vantage point, she was able to fully inspect the nest and its occupants.

One larger, two smaller but about the same size, and the smallest of all, which has black feathers. Ah, this is weird… A mother with her young, and then two fathers? Or maybe one of them is just visiting… At least, they seem okay with me being here.

With care and caution, Lucinda gradually moved into the crevice, squeezing around the nest in the small gap that existed between it and the rock face. All four of the birds watched her as she moved, but they remained silent, and more importantly, passive. By the time Lucinda reached the slightly larger space that existed behind the nest, she was comfortable enough to try introducing herself properly to the family, even though she knew she wouldn’t be trying to bond with any of them.

The smaller one is too young, and the mother needs to look after her still. If only I could ask them who else lived in the neighbourhood!

Shifting back to human form seemed to cause the birds some mild alarm, which was made known through more quiet chirps, but with Lucinda’s innate ability remaining active, they settled down again quickly.

“Hi,” Lucinda called out softly from the edge of the nest, in a gap that was only a bit taller than she was. “Sorry if I scared you, but I brought some food!”

At least, I hope I did…

Setting her pack down, Lucinda undid the bundle of bones within, before pulling out a small sample for her plan of bird targeted temptation. Almost immediately, things looked promising, as the birds’ watchful eyes snapped to the bone in her hand, almost as soon as she brought it into sight above the side of the nest.

“Are you hungry? I’ve got plenty more I can spare,” Lucinda said, as she dropped the first bone into the nest.

Her treat didn’t go ignored for more than a few moments, as one of the male birds quickly moved forwards to claim it. Lucinda watched in fascination as the bird eagerly bit through the bone almost as soon as it had picked it up with its beak, and then swallowed down the more manageable sized pieces.

I knew it! Wow…

A burst of relieved giggles emerged from Lucinda’s lips, causing the closest bird to back off at the sudden noise.

Not that I doubted it… Now I just need to find one I can bond with!

Unfortunately, Lucinda’s enthusiasm diminished almost as quickly as it had appeared, as she considered how difficult her task might be.

Aww… No, I can’t lose hope! I don’t think it was this female bird that I saw anyway. I can’t imagine her leaving her young like that. Unless they take it in turns to find food…?

Her thoughts were interrupted by a powerful need to yawn, that reminded her of just how tired she had become.

Maybe I can sling bones through the sky tomorrow… But, time for bed I think.

Removing a few more bones from her pack, Lucinda dropped them in the nest before shifting back into goat form. It was far from her first choice as far as forms to sleep in go, but so worn out was she, that even the thought of spending a few minutes more letting the birds get familiar with another form was simply too much.

Collapsing on the rocky ground, she fell asleep without difficulty.

As morning arrived, Lucinda awoke to find herself, and her bird hosts – except for one of the males that had vanished – to be in one piece. Climbing to her feet, she shifted back to human form and greeted the nesting birds, who mostly ignored her words. Deciding not to take it personally, Lucinda spent some time stretching her not quite fully recovered body, before sitting down again for a light breakfast. But, as she sat, she noticed a chunk of bone had fallen down the side of the nest next to her.

If they can do it, why not me too?

Focusing her influence animal ability on the three birds, Lucinda shifted into her pig form, which wasn’t one she had used very often at all. However, despite her intention to use its ability for an imminent taste test, there was one thing she had not quite thought of.

Ah… I thought it might be a bit cold, but it’s actually freezing! Poor pigs, no wonder you don’t find any of them relaxing in snowy mountains… Not that I’d handle it much better naked.

Not wishing to spend any more time than was necessary soaking up the far too cold air, Lucinda forced herself to proceed with her newest breakfast idea. Bringing her snout to the ground, she pulled the bone chunk into her mouth and with just a brief moment’s pause, began chewing.

Oh… That’s crunchy… Really crunchy…

The noises of her teeth grinding against the bone as they gradually broke through the hardy snack filled the crevice and likely carried a fair distance away. Thankfully, the process wasn’t painful, and no unpleasant flavours assaulted her as she continued.

Crunchy with a soft centre… It’s not so bad really. I won’t be surprised if my jaw starts aching soon, though.

Once Lucinda had finished chewing the bony snack into something she could consume, she did just that, while experiencing only a minor discomfort as she swallowed the remaining hard fragments. Giving her breakfast a moment to settle – even though she didn’t think it was actually required of her – Lucinda then shifted back to human form, and from there, dragonling form.

Ahh, that’s so much better! Not cold in the slightest…

With her discomfort rapidly abating, Lucinda rested her foreclaws atop the side of the nest, and peered in at the occupants.

It has to be one of their kind. I can’t settle for anything else now… Even if I have to spend weeks searching for one! They’re big, their beaks are scarily sharp, and the fluffy feathers look so inviting. And who wouldn’t want an animal companion that can eat skeletons? Well, maybe not a whole skeleton… And probably not while it’s ‘alive’, but… Still!

Letting out a few draconic snorts of amusement, Lucinda continued watching the birds, who seemed to be contenting themselves with some early morning relaxation. But, she could only delay her quest for so long.

“It was nice meeting you,” Lucinda offered from her human lips. “If you see any of your friends, tell them to come find me!”

Maybe if I spent a few days using my innate ability on them, I could get them to do something like that… Ah, that might be fun to try… But, I’m getting distracted here!

Shifting back into goat form, Lucinda precariously transferred herself to the cliff face outside, and from there back up to the mountaintop path.

As midday came and went, Lucinda was resting on a small outcropping she had stumbled across. With her fatigue having returned after spending all morning climbing mountains, she had stopped early for lunch, and continued resting well after she had finished the light meal from her pack. However, as with the few other breaks she had taken earlier in the day, she had left a few bones on the ground nearby, in the hopes of attracting her target while she recouped some energy.

At least goat form is ranking up nicely, rank 5 can’t be far off now. Maybe I’ll even get a new ability that makes this less tiring… Or less dangerous

While it was true that Lucinda was highly comfortable climbing mountains as a goat after so much practise, the real danger lay in the transition period between goat and dragonling form, which had led to more than one close call since she had discovered it.

Ah, I should probably get moving… Oh!

Lucinda had been admiring the mountain scenery while she ate, but the noise of bones knocking together caused her to spin around to the pile she’d left in a heartbeat. Her eyes fell upon a large bird that unsurprisingly matched the type she was seeking, and seemed sufficiently sized to potentially be the correct gender too. Wasting no time in projecting calming emotions, Lucinda instead focussed all of her will into compelling the bird to stay put.

However, even at the best of times, her ability required some time to do its magic, and the bird gave her almost none. Gobbling down a single bone, it picked up another in its talons, and flew off without pause.

No! Wait! Stay!

Shifting into dragonling form, Lucinda pushed off from the mountain in the direction the bird was heading, while maintaining her mental efforts as she did. Unfortunately, as she continued to gradually descend, the bird maintained its elevation, and it wasn’t long before she had to concede she was likely too far away.

Growling in frustration even as she steadily sank towards the lower parts of another mountainous slope, Lucinda made sure to take note of the bird’s flight path, all the way up until it disappeared out of sight. Focusing back on the approaching rock she was gliding towards, she guided her trajectory to place her safely on a part of the slope that looked suitable. Eager to pursue her fleeing target, Lucinda returned to human form, but as she made to shift into a goat, the snow that had cushioned her fall started to give way, and before she knew it, she was sliding down the mountainside.

Oh, crap!

Reacting quickly, Lucinda managed to keep hold of her staff as she shifted into bear form in the hope that her increased weight and sharp claws might give her a chance at stopping her momentum. But, even once her shift was complete, the snow continued to carry her, and her attempts to find purchase in the ground failed. However, that soon changed, when she collided rather painfully with a large rock that appeared in her path. She took some damage in the process, but it did allow her to arrest her unwanted descent.

Owww…

The snow eventually stopped moving, leaving Lucinda in slight pain, and experiencing a fair amount of annoyance. Healing the small section of missing health she’d suffered, she carefully tested the ground near the rock before daring to shift back to human form once more. Sighing loudly, she looked back over her shoulder at the slope heading downwards.

Well, at least I wasn’t in danger of sliding off a cliff… But, now I’ve got even more climbing to do. I think I’m getting a bit sick of mountains.

By the time Lucinda reached the peak of the mountain she had seen the bird disappear over, she was already concerned about how much daylight might be remaining, and fervently hoping the bird hadn’t travelled too far in the time her flightless status had cost her. However, as she shifted out of goat form and regained her superior vision, an interesting sight caught her eyes.

The area ahead, was a valley quite unlike any of the dips between mountains she had encountered during her time in the mountains up to that point. It was roughly like an upside-down cone in shape, with a large patch of snowy ground at the bottom. But, in one corner of the valley, Lucinda’s eyes found green grass, that was out in the open, and joined by several trees that were not the usual type she had come to expect of the area. There were also two other points of interest to be found: A lone cave, whose mouth emerged a short way up the mountain from the ground; and the bird she had been seeking, who drew her attention when it dropped the bone it had pilfered onto the rocky outcropping that sat before the cave mouth.

Ah, found you again!

Not willing to miss another potential opportunity, Lucinda shifted back into dragonling form, and practically threw herself down into the small valley below. As she glided through the air, her attention remained fixed on the bird, who seemed unsatisfied with its first attempt at breaking the large bone, and had flown back up into the sky to try again.

They make it look so effortless…

Feeling another pang of envy at a perfect demonstration of the ability she so craved, Lucinda continued her descent while trying to guide her thoughts towards something more positive. Her pale imitation of flight brought her just shy of the cave mouth, forcing her to shift into goat form, and scale upwards around the sides of the small outcropping that was a few metres above the ground. The bird was in the air as she emerged onto the flat ground, and Lucinda hurriedly checked the cave for signs of danger, so she could attempt to charm the bird without interruption.

A quick glance revealed the cave opened up into a large cavern-like space, and though she saw no signs of hostile creatures, what she did see brought a wide smile to her face.

A nest! It’s still being built, and there’s nothing inside it too! Ah, this could be it. This could be her!

Removing her pack, Lucinda undid the bundle of bones as fast as she could, before placing the pile in the opening of the cave. She chose a spot that she hoped was visible from high up, but also close enough that a swooping thief couldn’t steal anything easily. Sitting beside the bones, Lucinda was caught off-guard by a loud crack, as the bird’s snack collided noisily with the ground just outside the cave, causing her to jump in surprise. She had barely recovered when the bird descended onto the rocky ground nearby.

“Hi,” Lucinda called out. “Why not trade for a tastier bone?”

Alongside her almost certainly pointless words, Lucinda focussed intently on projecting the thought of food. The bird noticed her presence, and the pile of bones, before she had even spoken, but it took a few moments before it decided to venture closer. Taking one of the smaller bones in hand, Lucinda held it out for the bird, while continuing to project thoughts of food. However, her efforts were hindered by the sudden outburst of giggling that overcame her, which was brought on by the way the animal moved towards her.

Aww, it waddles! How adorable!

Fortunately, her sudden verbalisation didn’t entirely put off her desired friend, who continued to approach while watching her with its pale orange eyes. Lucinda was beset by waves of nervous excitement as she held the bone out while hoping her search was over at last. The bird, however, seemed far less worried, and pulled the offered treat from her hand, before swallowing it down without delay.

“I’m Lucinda. I’m hoping we’re going to be best friends,” Lucinda offered with a smile, as she adjusted her influencing to project calmness.

The bird’s response was to waddle over to the pile of bones, and pick out a few choice pieces. Lucinda followed it, and slowly reached out and began petting the bird, as it guzzled the bony meal it had been provided with.

Oh, so soft! Even better than I expected.

Her gentle caresses didn’t seem to phase the bird, whose head snapped back and forth as it moved its gaze from her to other points nearby. But, before long it decided to wander into the cave, that was its home.

It must be a she-bird. I think the size is similar to the mother in the nest, and here it is building its own nest…

In the centre of the interior, Lucinda took a closer look at the nest, which appeared to be only about half as big as the one she had slept by on the previous night. However, as her bird friend continued to waddle into the cave, Lucinda’s attention was drawn to a pool of water that occupied a space along the wall, just right of the entrance. Following the bird to it, she was surprised to discover the water was warm to the touch, at least until realisation dawned within her.

Oh, that must be why there’s a patch of missing snow outside… This is looking like quite a nice place to live. Well, apart from the lack of food…

After taking a few sips from the water, the bird returned to its nest. With the light starting to fade outside, Lucinda agreed with the sentiment, but the pool of water she’d discovered was begging her to give it a try.

A warm bath would be so nice.

Even a cursory inspection had revealed that while the main part of the pool in the cave was shallow, there was also a deeper section at one end, and Lucinda wasn’t prepared to take a dip, without first ensuring there were no surprises waiting for her. Using her staff, she began prodding the deeper part, whose depth turned out to be discoverable, and that discovery was enough for her to commit to her plan.

Placing her staff and pack down nearby, Lucinda removed her armour, before stripping down out of her clothes completely. As the cold air hit her in full force, she barely delayed entering the warm water. The first touch of it upon her tired body was pure bliss, and Lucinda was soon lying back in the pool, submerged up to her neck.

Ahhh… This is great…

Lucinda emerged from the pool sometime later, feeling warm and tingly all over, as well as utterly relaxed. However, the cold air was as piercing as ever, and without delay, she dried herself off, and donned her clothes and armour once more. Moving over to the nest, her bird friend stirred at the noise, but soon nestled her head back into her feathers. Shifting into her goat form, Lucinda climbed into the nest and lay down next to the only other occupant.

I’ll have to get up early tomorrow… Don’t want her to fly off before I can stop her.

With the edge of the nest protecting her from the wind, and the warm body of her bird friend pressed against her, Lucinda fell asleep.

Having awoken several times during the night, Lucinda was feeling tired and grumpy when she finally saw it was time to start the day. But, the sight of the morning sun filtering in through the cave mouth, and the bird still nestled next to her was enough to cheer her up considerably.

Today is the day… It has to be! I’ll have to treat her, no, spoil her! All the bones she could ever want, and petting as often as she likes! And we’ll have fun too… Oh, I can’t wait!

Leaving the nest, Lucinda shifted back to human form and then sat beside it. She waited with barely suppressed excitement for the bird to wake, while considering how she wanted to truly befriend the animal.

“Morning,” Lucinda said happily, as her eyes met the bird’s a short time later. “I’ve got breakfast for you.”

Lucinda had waited with bone in hand, and smile on her face, as patiently as she could manage. But, even as the target for her affection returned from its slumbering, she felt nervousness well up inside her, as the thought of somehow failing at recruiting the bird was hard to dismiss entirely.

The bird waddled over to her, and seemed quite amenable to the idea of a free breakfast. However, based on the event she had witnessed yesterday, Lucinda had chosen one of the larger bones as an offering, all so she could demonstrate just how useful a friend she could be.

“Ah, let me,” Lucinda said, pulling the bone back, as the bird reached out to take it from her.

Holding the bone between two hands, Lucinda brought all her strength to bear upon it. But, despite her best efforts, she failed to break it in two. Without delay, she adjusted her strategy, placing one half under her right foot, and using her left hand to try and snap it instead. However, that too failed.

This is harder than I thought…

Whether or not the bird had guessed her intent, she wasn’t sure, but it continued to watch her passively, as she moved to her third strategy of bone breaking. Projecting calmness, Lucinda shifted into her bear form.

You’re going to pay for making me look weak, bone!

Lucinda reared up on her back legs, let out a low growl, and then let herself fall forwards, bringing most of her considerable weight on top of the bone with one of her forepaws. The bone stood no chance, and splintered apart with a loud crack, sending pieces careening off inside the cave.

Ah, whoops…

“Sorry,” Lucinda said, once she was back in human form. “Umm, I broke it for you, though… Let me help you find the pieces.”

A few minutes later, her avian friend was helping itself to the fragments and shards of bone that Lucinda’s efforts had prepared for her. Lucinda watched happily, and offered the bird plenty of petting along her head and neck as the food was consumed.

Once breakfast was finished, Lucinda found herself with a new opportunity to prove her worth to the bird she hoped so dearly to charm. As she had noted, the nest was clearly unfinished, and the bird opted to begin collecting more branches almost as soon as the last of the bone pieces was on its way to being digested. Lucinda felt some concern as she watched the bird move towards the exit, but ultimately she could do little to stop the animal from taking to the skies if it so wished. As such, she was quite relieved to watch her fly over to a nearby tree, and collect up a branch, before returning to the nest.

“This looks like another job for Lucinda the bear.”

Sliding down the short distance to the ground from the cave, Lucinda moved to the nearby collection of trees and shifted into bear form. A few low hanging branches were swiftly removed from one of the smaller trees, and then Lucinda found she could quite easily climb up the trunk to reach more branches further up. Her efforts were noticed by the bird, who helped herself to the branches that were rapidly piling up on the ground around Lucinda’s work area, leaving Lucinda feeling quite pleased with herself.

Once she had stripped a large quantity of branches from the nearby trees – while ensuring no single tree was too badly harmed – Lucinda returned to the cave to watch the bird construct her nest. The process was as interesting to observe as she had hoped, and barely even realising what she was doing, she began humming quietly to herself, as the large branches were carefully laid around the central area, either as they were, or cut down to size by the bird’s strong beak. Of course, still wary she could be abandoned at any moment, Lucinda sat with a bone in hand, providing a tempting meal, if the bird became hungry, or so she hoped.

However, sometime later, the bird waddled to the cave mouth, and took to the skies before Lucinda could think to intervene, leaving her alone and slightly bereft.

Aww, I know she’ll come back… But, I hope it’s soon.

Eating a small lunch, Lucinda moved outside of the cave and shifted into bear form, before lying on her back to look up at the sky. It didn’t take long for her unhappiness to fade, as her eyes caught sight of the bird she had been doting on high up above the mountains. Bringing the bone atop her stomach, Lucinda watched in amazement as the bird swooped about, diving at incredible speed, while twisting and turning in ways that caused her heart to almost miss a beat on more than one occasion. But, every time the bird recovered from each of her progressively more spectacular aerial manoeuvres, Lucinda couldn’t help but bring her paws together in thoroughly impressed applause.

Back in human form, Lucinda was ready to greet the bird as it eventually returned to the cave.

“That was great!” Lucinda said, as she held the bone up in offering. “I guess you didn’t find a mate… But, you have me still! You’ll always have me, if you’ll be my friend.”

Though the bird didn’t appear interested in the bone, she did allow for more petting, and even moved about to ensure Lucinda found the right spots. It was during that relaxing session, that an idea came to Lucinda, one that she was sure would be fun to try out.

Retrieving a few small bones, Lucinda slid down from the cave again, and moved a short distance away from the opening. With the help of her influence animal ability – or so she assumed – the bird followed her movements from the outcropping where she had left her.

“Okay, let’s see if you can grab this.”

Lucinda held up a small bone in one hand, high above her head, and began projecting encouraging thoughts to help the game along. With a mixture of projections, covering food, bones, playfulness, flying, and swooping, her intent finally seemed to dawn upon the bird. Spreading her impressive wings, the bird took flight, and swooped across the intervening distance, bringing a wide smile to Lucinda’s face.

Just a few short seconds was all it took for the bird to reach her, and then remove the bone from her grip entirely. Lucinda laughed happily as her plan bore fruit, and didn’t mind at all that she received some minor scratches from the bird’s talons. Then, with some more encouragement, Lucinda managed to persuade her game partner to bring the bone back to her – at least once she was sure the bird wasn’t hungry.

“Now we can try something more difficult! I’m sure you won’t have any trouble, though.”

From holding it in her hand, Lucinda moved to throwing it into the air a short ways, and as she had suspected, the bird proved herself to be more than up to the challenge. The same held true, even as Lucinda began throwing the bone higher and higher into the air, and even when she delayed throwing the bone until the bird was nearer to her, or threw it away in a random direction. Of course, the first bone was eventually eaten, and so were the other few she had brought over the course of their playing.

It was around the time that the bird began begging her for another bone, that Lucinda felt reasonably sure she had won her affection. The gentle clicks of the bird’s beak, and gentle pecks on Lucinda’s hands that signalled the bird’s desire, had her giggling in amusement as she led the way back to the cave and the remaining bird feed.

But, even as night fell, there was nothing to suggest that she had been successful in her attempts at bonding the animal, leading Lucinda to another stint of troubled sleep.

The following day proceeded in much the same way, with plenty of bone feeding, aerial fetch, and more nest building. Lucinda also got to watch more intense displays of flying skill, although her enjoyment was diminished by her secret desire for no male bird to respond to the impressive showing.

Much later in the day, Lucinda took another dip in the delightfully warm pool, and even managed to coax her new friend into joining her. Then, after splashing about for a time, and drying herself off, Lucinda joined the target of her companion seeking in the nest.

With the day’s end rapidly approaching, Lucinda was seated in the considerably larger nest she had helped build, with the bird in her lap, who was resting and enjoying a thorough petting from her. And it was during that time that Lucinda’s happiness blossomed into purest joy as a new notification appeared before her eyes.

Would you like to form a permanent bond with: Bearded Vulture (Female)?

Please think either: "Yes" or "No"

If no answer is detected, this message will reappear in half a day’s time, provided the conditions are still met.

Smiling down at the bird in her lap, Lucinda did not hesitate.

Yes!