Odette could often be found out here on the beaches, she loved the warmth of the black sands and now that she was a bit bigger, enjoyed climbing up the palm trees. She felt most at home within the branches of trees. The palms giving her the most fond memories after her first climb with her father. Since she was getting so big now her fathers did not hover quite as much and she was given much more liberty about what she wanted to do during the day. Of course she still had her curfew, but she was free the rest of the time.

She looked almost like a vulture in the cold, her wings were spread, the feathers having fully come in now, and her silvery eyes closed as she basked in the sun shine. She probably should have been doing her studies, but it was so hard when the day was so inviting.

"Odette"

Ignita looked over the Col from her own perch on the warlord's balcony. Where had Odette gone off to? Ignita padded down the natural stairs looking about for the little winged girl. A glimmer at the corner of her eye bid her gaze to travel up to the girl's favorite perch. Of course, she should have known. She nearly mistook her for a sea bird sunning its wings!

"Odette, darling, what were you hoping to study today?" She called up to the owling wolf child. "Is it something you could study up there?" She asked genuinely. If the kid could spin it into a learning opportunity Ignita was all for doing lessons outside and even in weird positions. With a child-like Selene, she had to adapt early to accommodating learning styles.

"Speech"

She may have fallen asleep there if given the chance, enjoying the sun with her eyes closed. Odette was content as a clam, until the voice disturbed her. Bringing back the reality all too quickly Ode blinked open her eyes to find her aunty Ignita calling her name. Reminding her of the studies that she was currently neglecting. She was called out, but in a gentle way so she could find an excuse if she thought hard enough.

"Um, uh…" She struggled slightly in her mind before coming up with something. "Just… studying the wind patterns!" She managed weakly, and knowing that wouldn’t fly she lowered herself from her perch. Swinging her body with her claws sinking into the bark until she could orient herself. She let go and allowed her soft wings to help her glide the rest of the way down to the sand below. "What are you teaching?" Odette went on, genuinely curious.


"Odette"

"Ohhh... Wind patterns. I see!" Ignita slyly agreed with a mischievous grin of her own. She knew it was bullshit. She watched as the little one came down with soft wings, nearly floating on her way.

Odette asked her what she was teaching and Ignita squinted into a smile at her for a moment while she thought carefully. She glanced back up at the tree and then back down to Odette.

"Hmm.... Do you want to learn wind patterns or how we can use a tree like this for something fun?" She asked with a smirk. Palm trees were palm trees, right? Surely they worked just as well here as they did in the desert.

She grabbed some discarded rope that hadn't seemed to have made it to the storeroom and showed Odette how to make a knot on one end, then swung it over the top of a smaller palm tree and gave it a few tugs so it would get stuck in the fronds.

"Someone showed me this once, I hope I can remember how it works better than I remember their name!" She giggled at Odette, "Why don't you test to make sure the knot is secure up there, Miss Monkey?" She offered as she held the other end of the rope. A makeshift trebuchet was probably going to be a bit easier to construct than a miniature...


"Speech"

Odette wasn’t afraid of heights, how could she be when her wings helped her to fall so gracefully? She loved climbing trees and finding high places, not unlike the cats she so closely resembled. Ignita said that she understood what Ode was doing, but her voice betrayed her. Her teacher knew very well that Odette was just enjoying the sun, but Aunty Ig baited her further. Study wind patterns, which really Ode wouldn’t have minded, or something ‘fun’ with her tree.

"Fun you say?" She asked as her fur tipped ears swiveled to give her whole attention to her aunt and teacher. Like Ignita read her mind she found a discarded rope and aimed to lasso the top of the palm. Then she sent Odette up to make sure it was tight. Of course, Odette climbed the palm as if she were indeed a monkey. "Yes, ma’am!" She said as she was already half way up the tree. Her leopard like claws sinking into the bark as she reached the summer and tightened the rope before returning. "Now what?"


"Odette"