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"I do not know exactly, nothing to worry about" he replied, " --but it is a matter for the council" he walked on, touching her wing in the traditional greeting of family as he passed.
"Father, I will soon be on the council, I am not a hatchling anymore" she said sternly.
He stopped and caught himself, sighing he resigned, she was right. Two more weeks and she would be on the council, not as a speaker of course but still.
"I have noticed the expansion and movements of some of the lesser clans. One has moved down into the valley of goldborn, the other has grown immensely and are now spreading closer to Dreadlore. Neither pose a threat at this point, nor will they for some time but still. But the damage from the last time we let the lessers grow still burns in some. So we shall see, for now, they are living happily oblivious to us."
She looked at him and knew what he meant. His wife, her mother, had been killed in the battle of which he spoke. She was but an egg at the time, so the fire that burned in his eyes was not quite the same as hers. She felt grief and anger for the mother she never knew, but is did not burn her to the core as it did he. She let the matter drop and brought up another.
"You will be here for the ceremony, won't you father?"
His beak dropped, "Um, yes dear"
He had successfully avoided that question for weeks, and he knew she knew that he had been, it was a touchy subject after all.
He shook his head and touched one of his primary feathers to his head, "D-d-don't you not think you are going a little fast--dear?"
"Father, it has been a year already! Plus we have already had this discussion! I am not going over it again!" She now was pacing and fuming,"Father, I need you there, I need your blessing! If you don't show up I will be a mockery! Do you want that, don't you trust me?! I want this, I know what I am getting into!"
He grabbed her mid pace and held her in a hug. "I do trust you, dear, it's just that-well" I don't trust him!!!, he bit his tongue, "I just don't want to lose you"
"You will not be losing me, Father, you never will. Soon, when you have a dozen grandchildren running around, you'll believe me"
He almost fainted at the thought, "I know dear, now go on! I have important matters to attend" he hugged her once more then let go.
"So you will be coming?"
"I wouldn't miss it for all the spring berries in the world"
She smiled and hugged him back, "thank you"
"I will kill him! I will strangle him and throw his body to the buzzards!" Stormed Graylord as he turned into his den and headed for the water sink, "I w--"
"You will what? Do not tell me this about that son of Goldglare?
"That is exactly whats it's about! He has gone a filled Summer's head with horrid ideas! Grandchildren, she says, DOZENS OF THEM!" He took a deep drink and turned to Azuregaze, "I don't know what to do!"
"Nothing, brother, they are in love! There is nothing wrong with that, you silly old cockerel! She came and sat beside him, "You know, I seem to remember a certain son in love the daughter of a certain chief"
"But that was different, Azure!"
"And how so?"
"He's a pheasant!!"