Thalassa sat on a high branch, well hidden by the dense tree so that she could quietly watch what went on around her. She shot off of her wobbly branch and into the thick, humid air. She practiced flight exercises that she learned in training, but the entertainment only lasted so long. She'd already mastered these basic skills, so what was she to do now? She had an idea; she would think of new flight challenges for herself, and construct her own obastacle course to occupy her mind. She dove downward, gaining speed rapidly. She cooed in delight as the wind blew in her face; this was by far the fastest she'd ever flown. She twisted and turned, and curved under a small, young tree that was still fairly low to the ground. Her long, sharp talon barely skimmed across the muddy surface of the ground, so close, she thought. She rocketed back up into the air, landing on the very top of her Oak to rest. She took a deep breath, and stared at her course. How could she could do it again, but this time without touching the ground? She darted downward again, and gained speed too quickly. This caused her to fall to the cold, hard ground and tumble around. Her neck ached, but that didn't stop her from trying again. She wearily stood up on her trembling legs, and slowly flew up to the starting point. She shook her feathers and attempted her trick several more times. She was on the brink of giving up, when she decided to try just one more time. She aimed for her target, and shot back down again. She stopped flapping when the tree was coming, and went into a slow glide. She closed her eyes, in fear of hitting her head against the tree. When she opened her eyes again, she smiled from cheek to cheek. She'd done it! She gracefully landed on a low branch, and rested. She looked forward to her next goal, waiting ever so impatiently for the next day.
