empirefire
she responds back with his language, and for a moment, caleb wonders about languages—how the bird came to understand common with no one speaking it to her, and if that knowledge extends to other languages as well; a mental note to find a book on kenkus to supplement his knowledge if the girl is to continue to travel with them. he rubs his face for a moment, pushing both hands through his hair, takes a moment to think of an answer as he wakes up. “ ja. you just scared me a little. ” the silver thread is pulled out of the pocket of the coat he hasn’t taken off, and he rises from the bed. “ sit still for one minute, okay? ”
he doesn’t fully expect her to obey, but begins casting anyway, both kiri and nott added to the exceptions allowed to pass. the end clings to thin air, turning invisible the moment you stop looking at it, and he’s grateful he had the spell prepared before going to bed. “ i have this little thread, you see? and when you walk across it and i’m not expecting it, i hear a little bell— ” a turn to the kenku, a point to his temple, before returning to his process. “ so i know if someone is coming that could be danger. …it’s a cool trick. ” it’s not a cool trick.
she listens with great interest, cooing lightly as her feathered hands smooth down frumpkin’s fur with care. then she watches, that same interest reflecting out of bright yellow eyes, moving with caleb’s figure as he casts his magic spell. of course she knows little things, stuff here and there that are common knowledge for most children in the world, with the little bit she’s seen since being rescued by these people. his magical cat and different voice already leaves caleb standing out in her eyes, a clear cut choice for who she wants to be given attention from aside from the other women.
“ja, ja, ja,” she repeats idly, blinking sleepy eyes as her feathers ripple ever so slightly. as the thread disappears kiri gasps, blinking more times before practically squawking out, “it’s a cool trick! it’s a cool trick!”
she doesn’t pay attention to whether or not her delighted and somewhat surprised cry, upsets or startles frumpkin. in fact, the little girl slides out of the bed, still holding the cat in her arms as she all but toddles toward caleb, uttering inquisitive trilling sounds as she bumps into the man’s leg, looking up at him, then toward where the silver wire had disappeared.
“this little thread!!?” she cries, puffing herself up a little bit.