i've aged a year this week

It was evening, and Marshal, his father bird, was restless. The Warlord had never seen the stoic creature act in a manner other than perfect obedience for as long as he could remember. But as the raptor shifted from tree to tree in agitation, the Warlord knew he wouldn’t be settling down for the night, not yet.

The Warlord wasn’t sure if even Marshal knew what bothered him. But the instincts of a warrior weren’t to be ignored. “Come on, old friend. Let's take a walk, see if we can shake loose what's bothering you.” he said softly, and waited for Marshal to settle into the nape of his neck.

The old warrior resisted the urge to sigh, his day had begun earlier, and might well go on for a while yet. Together, Warlord and raptor walked from Armada territory and into the woods as evening grew long around them. The tiger and the bear melded into the shadows somewhere behind them. A familiar, unobtrusive presence.

The travelling party was quiet for a time, until he could feel Marshal shifting on his back. His curved, deadly, talons biting in his fur. The Warlord squinted into the dusk. “What do you see?” he asked softly.

"Speech"