A sharp bird song woke Aiden.

"I'm not lazy," he said as he crawled out of the tent.

Morning light filtered through the dense canopy of trees, casting long, dappled shadows on the forest floor. The remnants of their campfire still smoldered, sending up thin tendrils of smoke that curled lazily into the crisp air. Aiden stretched, feeling the stiffness in his muscles from sleep slowly ease.

Bram was sitting on one of his blankets on the far side of the fire munching on something as he puffed at his pipe. He had the gear pack next to him but clearly untouched yet.

“Did you sleep well?” Bram asked, not looking up from the fire.

“Better than I expected,” Aiden replied, stifling a yawn. “Ria kept watch, I think.”

A flash of red blurred past him, accompanied by a sharp, mocking chirp.

"No, we didn't need to post a guard; we had Bram's wards." He said.

More chirps echoed across the camp.

"Yes, you can have mango for breakfast. But, that isn't payment for my lack of taking a turn watching the camp."

Bram glanced over a twinkle in his eye. “Well, she’s certainly special.”

Aiden pulled down the food sack and cut up one of the remaining mangoes. Putting the wedges to the side of the table he took the remaining berries and a wedge of cheese to sit by Bram.

A short shriek came as Ria darted to the small table and began massacring the mango wedges.

"I didn't tell you they were ready because I thought you were watching." He chuckled, shaking his head. “I feel like I'm insane being able to understand everything she says.”

"It is a rare gift, but not unknown. Also, you've been trained as a woodsman. Finn also has a good understanding of animals. Although I don't think he can actually understand them. I'd be curious to see if he also understands our new friend here."

Aiden noticed some wedge-shaped black lumps in the low-burning fire. "Did you already have some mango?"

Bram glanced up and laughed loudly, "yes, I had a couple of mangoes set aside. Ria had one and I the other before you got up."

Aiden looked over at the table where Ria stood over a completely empty, moist stain on the wood plank. Not even a hint of the mangoes' skin was left. She'd consumed an entire mango in less than a minute. Ria looked at him with mischievous eyes and then launched up into the canopy with a sweet set of chirps.

"You sneaky thief!" Aiden called after her.

He glanced over at Bram, who had turned to meticulously repacking the magic gear for the trip home.

Aiden couldn’t help but smile at Ria's antics and got to work dismantling and packing up their tents, blankets, and other camping gear. When he'd finished packing all the camping gear he turned to Bram. Bram had about half of the fragile magical apparatuses packed for travel, so he moved to help Bram with the remaining items.

“I still can’t believe this chamber's properties. There’s so much we don’t know, yet.”

“True,” Bram agreed, standing up and brushing off his hands. “But we have a lot of information to work with now. We can regroup, analyze our findings, and plan our next steps. This isn’t the end, just the beginning.”

Finishing up, Aiden glanced around, making sure they'd cleaned the camp and packed everything up. Red flashes in the trees told him where Ria was watching them from.

“Ready to head back, Ria?” He called.

She chirped affirmatively.

"That sounded pretty positive," Bram commented as he lifted his pack onto his shoulders.

"It was, for a wild bird it seems odd she'd be excited to go a town."

Bram shifted the pack a few times before looking up at where Ria sat on a branch. "I don't think she's as wild as you think."

Aiden shouldered his own pack and grabbed the empty birdcage. Leaving no trace of their presence behind they started the trip back to town. The forest around them was tranquil, the morning sun casting a golden hue over everything.

As they moved toward the village, the dense forest gradually gave way to more open terrain. Birdsong and rustling leaves accompanied them, creating a symphony of nature that was both soothing and invigorating.

Bram walked beside Aiden, his walking stick tapping rhythmically against the ground. “So, what’s the first thing you’ll do when we get back?”

Aiden grinned. “Check on the forge, of course. And introduce Ria to the aviary. I think she’ll fit right in.”

Ria let out a series of chirps as she flew past.

He laughed. “Don’t worry, Ria. There are plenty of good perches.”

As they neared the outskirts of the village, the familiar sights and sounds of home greeted them. Cobblestone streets wound through clusters of thatched-roof houses, and the air was filled with the scent of cooking food and the distant clanging of metal from the forge.

Aiden’s heart swelled with a sense of homecoming. He had missed the village, the routine, and the people. They made their way through the bustling streets, exchanging greetings. At Bram's bookshop, Aiden helped Bram get his gear into the back and slightly sorted out.

"I'm fine Aiden. Go take care of your gear and say hi to Edlric for me. I'm looking forward to a bath and a fabulous dinner at Jumper's."

"I'll meet you for dinner. That sounds fantastic."

"Bring Eldric if he doesn't have other plans."

"See you in a few hours." Aiden said as he put his pack over one shoulder and stepped out of the door. As he turned to close it the streak of red feathers blurred past him.

"How'd you get into his shop?" Aiden called as he finished closing the door. A rude chirp from the roof line of the shop was all he got in response.

When he got back to the smithy the doors were braced wide open to the fresh air and Eldric was working on repairing a flatbed wagon that sat just in front of the forge.

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Aiden stepped in and whistled a greeting, not wanting to disturb his father's concentration.

Eldric finished pounding on a metal brace rod and returned it to the fire. "Welcome back. I could use some extra hands with this. The wheel broke, and when it fell, the animal bent the supports when it spooked."

Aiden set his pack to the side, but Edlric waved a hand. "Don't leave your gear here. Put it out of the way and get into your work clothes." He glanced at the empty cage. "Didn't get your bird?"

Aiden looked at the cage and then smiled. "Oh I got her. But, that is a longer story. Let me put this stuff away and I'll come help. Bram and I were going to meet at Jumper's for dinner, do you have plans?"

Eldric pulled one of the many rods he had set in the forge out and picked up the three-pound hammer called Manny. "Manny and I have a lot of work to do. But, I'd love to join you and Bram at Jumper's tonight. Go put stuff away and get out here as soon as you can."

Aiden headed out the back to their small home. He put his pack on the floor of his tiny room and got his work clothes from the small chest, which doubled as a side table for his reading desk. A quick change, and he went back outside after putting all the remaining fruits and bird bait in his pocket. A questioning chirp came from the roof; looking up, he saw Ria watching him.

"I have a lot of work to do. You can either explore the area or I can show you the other birds."

Ria tilted her head, thinking, then made a pair of notes.

"Okay, then aviary is this way common." Aiden walked around the back of the house to the second small building partially tucked under the roofline. It was almost as wide as the house. Aiden had ensured it was well insulated and had some fine glass windows to let in the daylight.

As he grabbed the door, a sudden weight on his shoulder made him stop. He turned to see Ria sitting on his shoulder, looking back at him expectantly.

He opened the door and stepped in. The sounds of chirping birds filled the air, creating a familiar and comforting symphony. As he closed the outer door and went through the inner netting door, Hanna, his blue parrotlet companion, flew up and landed opposite Ria's shoulder. After a quick head bump, Hanna ducked down and squawked at Ria past Aiden's chin.

Hanna chirped a greeting, and Ria responded with a series of whistles and clicks.

In a mere second, the two birds were chattering away, both leaning down and forward to talk past and under Aiden's chin. The conversation was fast and complex. Ria was explaining something to Hanna while Hanna explained something about her patterns.

Aiden stood frozen by the realization he understood the chattering conversation. It was just the odd disjointed bouncing between subjects that made it difficult for him to follow along.

"Hi, I'm Hanna, First Mistress of Sunfeather Hills and Perch Matron. Are you going to stay? You look like you know Aiden. What is your name. How old are you? Do I smell mangoes? Oh, he has some sweet mush. I can't wait for that."

Intermixed with Hanna's unending chatter was Ria's own chatter.

"Hello Matron Hanna, I'm Lady Larzaria Luminous Lightbeak, The Matron Of Majestic Meadows. I'll come and go. I've been learning him. You can call me Ria. He has mangoes, I'll make sure you get some. You like the mush? I prefer the peach one over the berry one, but they are good with fresh nuts. Aiden put the food out. Matron Hanna, are any your brood? Oh I know Hillinocker, I thought Frenilly finally got him."

Both birds launched and Aiden just watched in amazement at Hanna flew and walked around the aviary with Ria as she introduced each bird by name. The other birds chattered back and Aiden could understand them too, except they spoke very simply compared to Hanna and Ria.

"This is Killinotch. This is Kallanotch. Their brood mates. You know Hillinocker."

"Matron Luminous Lightbeak, hello did the man boy catch you?"

"This is Dee, and that is Noia. Oh and Meelilly is shy."

"Hello Hillinocker. No I caught him. Hello Dee. Hi Noia..."

As he listened to the conversation of chirps, tweets, whistles, and clicks for a few moments. Then Aiden pulled the remaining fruits and fruit paste bait he'd brought from the pack and put those in a series of feeding bowls mounted around the cage.

The chatter was getting louder and all the birds were now talking and flittering back and forth to sample the various foods he'd put out. Aiden watched with amusement, feeling a sense of satisfaction.

Looks like they’re getting along just fine.

Aiden decided to just leave them to it and left for the quiet of the forge.

Holy saints, I thought they were noisy before I could understand them. How can they talk over each other and keep up?

Leaving the birds to their own devices, Aiden made his way to the forge. The familiar heat and smell of molten metal greeted him, and he found Eldric hard at work, hammering away at a piece of glowing iron.

“Welcome back, lad!” Eldric called out, not pausing in his work. “Ready to work?”

"Absolutely!" Aiden walked over and examined the pile of metal parts waiting for repairs for the wagon. Picking up a bent locking strap, he moved to his own furnace and set it in with a smile. He looked for Nell. But the hammer was missing.

"Where's Nell?"

"Oh sorry, she's been over here for a couple of days. I've been needing to do finer details. But, with you back I'll take on the front axel now. Here." Eldric reached down and behind, producing the little two-pound hammer and tossing her to Aiden, who caught her easily.

Giving Nell a couple of practice swings at the anvil, Aiden grinned and got to work. When they had a few moments, Aiden caught Eldric up on the events in the forest. “The ancient chamber is still a big mystery as the new special bird.”

Eldric raised an eyebrow, glancing at Aiden. “A special bird, you say?”

Aiden nodded, "she is smarter than expected and Bram's magic was needed to catch her." Aiden recounted his attempts to catch Ria and how she'd overcome all his traps. He and Eldric spoke about the little adventure as they worked side by side. Eldric listened intently, occasionally asking questions or offering insights. The rhythmic clanging of metal punctuated their conversation, creating a steady, familiar backdrop.

When Aiden had finished explaining that Ria had followed him home, Eldric’s eyes twinkled with amusement. “So, you’ve brought home a new friend, eh? Let’s see this bird of yours.”

"She is in the aviary getting to know the other birds." Aiden sidestepped the fact he understood what the birds were saying as much as he could.

A mocking whistle and a few notes drifted down to their ears.

Aiden looked up in surprise. Ria sat on one of the pulley lifting ropes that was just tied off high on the nearby wall to stay out of the way but be quickly available when needed. She was leaning down and looking intently at everything.

"How?" was all Aiden could get out.

Eldric chuckled. “Well, she’s certainly a beauty. And she seems to have a lot of personality.”

"Did you let the other birds out of the aviary?" Aiden couldn't help but ask, panic at the loss of fully trained birds that he'd need for the traveling merchants.

Ria let out a couple of chirps.

"Oh, okay. Um, Ria this is my Dad, Eldric. Dad this is Ria."

Ria flitted down to land on a bench close to Eldric. She actually bowed slightly, making some formal-sounding noises.

Eldric gave her an appreciative look and whistled, bowing slightly back. "Nice to meet you too Ria. You are certainly the most beautiful and charming birds Aiden has befriended."

Ria made a very pretty noise and turned, letting her vibrant feathers catch the light from the forge. She landed on a nearby anvil, inspecting her surroundings with keen interest.

"Gods, really?" Aiden covered his face with a hand. "Are you really that much of a showoff?"

Ria gave him a scolding chirp.

"I'm not that young!"

Chirp, whistle.

"What do you mean plain looking?" Aiden asked, looking at himself.

Eldric let out a room-filling belly laugh. "You can talk to her? That is amazing. But we should keep that in the family. Folks around here might get ideas."

Aiden realized he'd gotten used to talking to Ria without thinking about who was around and went bright red.

Tweet, whistle, chirp.

When Aiden didn't say anything Eldric looked at him. "What did she say?"

With a deep sigh, Aiden looked back and forth between the bird and his Dad. "She said you're way too cute to be that smart."

Eldric stared at Aiden for a moment then straightend up and looked down at his arms and clothing. He smoothed it out brushing some dirt off and nodded to Ria. "Thank you."

Aiden groaned. "My metal is ready. We have work to do."

Eldric laughed then turned back to his own forge. But, said over his shoulder, "Ria you are welcome in here any time. Just be careful, there are a lot of dangerous things."

Aiden pulled the metal strap out and started shaping it back to its proper alignment. "You are taking a smart bird I can talk to pretty easily Dad."

Eldric chuckled as he glanced at Ria, who was flitting around, inspecting the smithy with keen interest.

“Animals can be more perceptive than we give them credit for. And it sounds like this one’s got a bit of magic about her. Plus, it is more normal than talking to our tools.”

As they continued their work, Ria flitted around the forge, occasionally making comments that Aiden interpreted as You’re doing it wrong or That’s not how you hold a hammer.

Eldric chuckled. “Well, it seems like she’s got a lot to say.”

Ria chirped affirmatively.

“Yes, she does.”