Goody, Goody, Gull-drops
Notch, 'Squawky' [Punch], Dangeon, Viddick
Hunger gives in and the rat prince tries to eat a rock before deciding better of the idea. He grumbles and glares and pouts. Throwing the rock and just missing one of his companions, "I'm hungry, " Notch sits down in one place and is determined not to be moved.
The wind and the balding head of rock have a difficult relationship. Unlike the Isle of the Unforgiven, where gusts seldom penetrate the interior, here they are constant and fickle, cutting first one way then the other, tugging the grassy fringe of vegetation in one direction then the other. The air is icier, sharper, wetter. And it is through this trying maelstrom that a young gull tests its wings. The bird is... not /entirely/ unsuccessful. It manages, at least, to stay aloft. For a while. Its wings dip to one side, its body careens to the other, it over-adjusts, and... Well, in a word, it wobbles with increasing ill-composure as it readies its claws for landing. And just before touchdown, it's punched onto its side by a renewed burst from mischievous Zephyrus (or was it Favonius?)
Notch's resolve manages to last not very long at all as it becomes apparent that nobody is paying attention to him and he approaches the queen.
Dangeon is on her back, holding her ears over her face. "We're all hungry... 'nd thirsty..." The Queen mumbles. "And it's windy here. 'S cold."
Mercifully, the bird's dignity is preserved by the simple lack of attention he is paid during his ungainly descent. For all his pitiful squawks as he strives, feathers akimbo, to right himself against the tyranny of the wind, the whistling of air past igneous provides sufficient auditory cover. He restores himself to his former composure and dons a visage of unruffled dignity, or the closest that his walleyes allow, and strides with that avian strut toward the recumbent royalty. "Queen, yup yup! Dangeon, yup yup! Queen Dangeon!" Whatever dignity he thought he'd saved up evaporates immediately.
Notch plops down next to the queen and dares to touch her with a nudge, "The bird, its talking to ya, " He eyes the bird critically but can't help but get a good chuckle at the antics of the bird brain.
Viddick is pacing near the ship, eyeing the bird's flight and screamings directed at the Queen. He'd certainly want to hear this if he could; he pretends to be busy at gathering rocks and makes his way over in that direction. He gets a good arm full of them, medium-sized stones, maybe to build another firepit? There are other roasting spits on board in the galley..
Dangeon lets one ear raise just a little and peeks out at the bird and Notch. "'S Squawky. 'Llo." She mutters and gives a little wave to the bird. "Friendly bird." She tells Notch. She seems more 'awake' but remains laying down.
"Yup yup yup," 'Squawky' nods eagerly. Somehow his sturdy little legs don't collapse beneath the shear effusiveness of the gesture. "Squawky is here! At your service, yup yup. Squawky is. Yup. Hello!" He looks at Notch. "Friendly, yup yup. Very friendly. Squawky is! Look, bring fish!" He looks down at his talons. A shred of piscine flesh dangles from the end of one claw. "... No fish, yup yup. Nope!" He looks faintly confused, but that may be his default expression.
Notch sits up on his knees, laughing at the silly bird, "Food!" The rat prince stares at the small bit of fish, salivating and shaking the queen, "Ya just gonna lay there all day?"
"Yes." The doe responds, still laying there. "I bally well intend t' lay here until such time that I am moved or in such a bloomin' state that I will cease to remember having moved anyway." That said, she turns her head to peek at the bird again. "I think most of your bally fish got away from you, wot?"
Viddick isn't impressed by the meager showing of fish. He could probably spear a few just on a whim with the skewers he's hoarded. They are, afterall, the only weapons they have, not being allowed on board the other ship with any. He's wondering if it's because that was a general rule for the slaves or whether he and Cirith are under suspicion. He doesn't say anything to the bird, just hoping there's something of substance to be offered, preferably information.
The little bird examines his talon once again, somewhat incredulous. "Musta ate it, yup. Yup yup. All full." Perhaps that explains the semi-drunken walk that carries the little bird closer to Dangeon, whom he examines somewhat dubiously. "Squawky gets another fish. Look hungry, yup, Queen Dangeon."
"I'm a prince, ya should get one for me too!" Notch nudges Dangeon again, "Get up Queeny, don't just lay there!"
The haremaid's stomach grumbles just after Notch nudges her. She waves a paw at him. "'m n't getting up." She grins at the bird though (or rather, at the sky, as she's looking that way now) "Another fish f'r 's all could be jolly nice though."
Viddick is hesitant to ask anything, to bring needless attention to himself. He sets to work setting the stones down right in front of the queen, only mumbling, "Ehem.. st'ns f'r a fire, if'n we'll be hav'n fish an' Her Majesty ain't f't to walk."
Gingerly, 'Squawky' hops up to light on the shiftless hare's stomach. (He ignores the prince for now.) Tail swaying, he lopes up to look her in the eye. "Squawky bring news! Yup yup, news, yup." He nods eagerly. "Not just no fish, yup!" He cocks his head to the side to appraise Dangeon closely with his good eye, which, after the manner of birds, is gigantic and black. Next he looks at the ill-dressed rat bringing stones. "Why your slave not bring fish??" he demands of the queen.
Notch hmphs.
"I think he said the stone was for cooking the fish; he's not a bally good fisher like you." Dangeon tells 'Squawky', one eye on the bird as he hops onto her. "Bloomin' good thing you're all hollow-boned." She grumbles.
Said rat turns around and scowls at the bird, tossing a stone in his general direction, "I'm not /her/ slave! You'd better watch your beak, bird!" Viddick continues setting them down, in a neat circle, as another slave brings sticks over and wood gathered from the other fire. Meanwhile, there's a group coming back from the center of the island, looking downtrodden and empty-pawed. They at least have some roots and tubers, coconut, and various other things; nothing of significant protein, though.
"Watch beak!" The bird repeats, ducking to avoid the stone. 'Squawky' lets out a cheerful chirp and dismounts to the sandy soil. Mid-hop, he's carried off by the wind. It whirls him talons over tuchus and deposits him in the path of the oncoming slaves. "Watch beak! Yup, yup!" He appropriates the phrase for his own rather ambiguous purposes. "Watch beak!" Suddenly he stops and blinks. "Squawky find fish now." He takes wing.
Notch rolls onto his stomach and does his best to bury his head in the sand, quiet and having stopped presturing Dangeon for once. Simply laying down next to where she is.
Dangeon snores, having fallen asleep nearly as soon as the bird has left her. Her ears flopping back over her face again.
