I was once more cradled in Taureen’s arms as he spoke with Alec. I was still drugged and mostly unable to move. They had lessened my dosage over the last two days, and I could lift my head for short times or move my legs occasionally, but that was it. Taureen had been carefully stretching my wing to loosen up the muscles and get them used to being moved once more.

Taureen ran a small piece of fruit along my lips, and I opened up my mouth. He dropped it in, and I swallowed the tiny sliver without even attempting to chew it. He insisted on feeding me these tiny morsels in fear that I would choke on anything larger. Even those newly hatched nestlings had far more energy than I did at this moment.

As much as I hated the situation, my stomach demanded food. Taureen wasn’t helping my attempts to be stubborn since he was offering me my favorites.

Alec watched from his seat as he commented, “No one was able to locate the wild flock this morning. The large storm might have kept them holed up wherever they hide.”

“It’s possible. I’ll admit that I have really missed hearing her sing the last few mornings,” Taureen replied.

Even if I hadn’t been unable to move, the drugs had dulled the drive to sing to an alarmingly low level – the call of the Morning Song had barely been noticeable.

Alec watched him feed me a few more pieces. “Do you think that these last few days will have an effect on her?”

Taureen nodded. “I rarely put her down and feeding her like a chick should build a bond like the one she would have had with her parents. At the moment, the drugs are making her helpless and dependant. This tactic usually works with most animals that care for their young, and considering the amount of care the wild ones seem to give, it should be very effective. The youngsters follow their parents around for years, and the parents never discourage them or drive them off.”

If I had the energy, I would have growled, but I didn’t. A spark of fear lit up inside of me though, I could see his plan actually at work in my own mind. After being held almost constantly for three days, it no longer bothered me. Even the presence and touch of the others barely bothered me.

One could only be irritated and angry with no real reason for so long, and they had simply worn out those emotions over the previous couple of weeks – and especially during the last few days. The drugs weren’t helping either, preventing strong emotions and keeping me calm as I accepted their care. I have got to get out of here, and the sooner the better…

~

I gently stretched my wings before shaking myself out. The dose of tranquilizers had been dropped over the last two days, and I could barely feel their effect. I carefully flew to the window and waited for the Morning Song to begin.

I gently folded my wings. I didn’t dare try to fly through the Morning Song – that dance was demanding and would have serious consequences with my still-strengthening wing. So far, I had only stretched and done short careful flights.

The Song began, and I ignored Taureen as he recorded my fluting song that rose and dropped in ways that would have made even the most talented birds envious. Once the Song ended, I turned and flew up to a perch on the wall. I wasn’t quite ready to give in yet.

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My bath water had disappeared during my recovery. Now, I had to let Taureen scour my scales and wipe them off. I wasn’t impressed with this recent change. He was making me come to him for almost everything in an attempt to make me dependant on him.

He had been right, though; the days spent in a drugged stupor while he handled me had made all of my discomfort around him disappear. Completely. I was somewhat disgusted to admit that I was perfectly at ease around him. If that wasn’t a symptom of Stockholm Syndrome, I didn’t know what was.

I had recovered my wits enough that I refused to let the others touch me or hold me, though. If they attempted to reach out to me, a hiss made them swiftly change their minds. Taureen found it humorous that he was the only one who could handle me without worry. Once I get out of here, I am promptly making miles to that other park where he won’t be able to find me.

Of all of the things he could have picked on, he had to choose my bath and cleaning. I hated being dirty or itchy. I liked to clean up at least twice a day, and now I had to approach Taureen. I had tried using the dry sand from the tray under the heat lamp, but it simply didn’t cut it.

Taureen patiently sat with the scouring pad, damp cloth, and oil beside him. With a sigh, I spread my wings and glided down to gently land on his knee. My claws lightly pricked his leg, reflecting my annoyance, but he showed no sign of it as he picked up the scouring pad.

As much as I didn’t like to admit it, he was able to clean some of my scales far better than I had ever been able to. The area around the base of my wings had always been a bad one, and he made sure it was spotless. I did enjoy the oiling though; it was like the best massage ever created. I always came so close to falling asleep during the oiling that it was scary. I refused to admit to the couple of times that I actually had fallen asleep.

He finished and gently stroked my back as my drowsiness faded. It didn’t bother me; I knew in theory that it should, but it didn’t. It was actually relaxing. With that disturbing thought, I stood up and sauntered over to the heat lamp for a nap.

Taureen must have taken time off from work while I was drugged, but he headed off to do whatever it was he did. From what I heard, he was one of the guards who patrolled the streets and the city wall.

I mindlinked Drake. “How are things going in the forest? Still picking up those odd scents?”

His mind was sleepy, and I could tell that he was seriously sunbathing at the moment. “Well enough,” he replied. “We are still picking up those scents on occasion, and we are no closer to figuring out what left them than we were before. A couple of us even let our stalkers watch as we circled and sniffed the ground suspiciously before disappearing. They did check that area very closely but didn’t seem to find anything. How is your wing?”

“Getting better day by day. If I try something too energetic, my water gets lightly drugged, so I have been taking it easy. I suspect that I can attempt flying the Morning Song in a couple of weeks. I fly well enough now to manage in the park, although I’m not sure that I could lose any followers yet. The Kymari are extremely quick when they want to be, and I can’t fly that far yet.”

With an unimpressed snort, he replied, “We noticed that. They don’t seem to tire easily, either. Our new tactic is to fly above the trees where they have no hope of seeing us. It has been working well so far.”

I considered that tidbit of information. “Well, I could manage that. From what I have overheard, they want to wait about two more weeks before attempting to release me. Over half of them are hoping that you guys will chase me away so they have a solid reason to keep me.

I felt Drake’s amusement through the mindlink as he replied, “Idiots. Amanda can’t wait for you to return. Some of the others are also getting excited. They want to hear your stories.”

With a yawn, I changed the topic. “So, what are your plans for the rest of the day?”

I listened to his drowsy voice as he told me what he and his mate felt like doing, as well as the bit of mischief that his fledglings had gotten into the other day.