“What!?” I stepped to one side, and the giant bird thing followed. I stepped to the other, and again the bid creature stepped to block my path. “HEY, I try leave.” I again tried to dance around her, but this bird creature just was not having it. She was a stubborn thing! Stubborn birds! Gosh, she smelt too, the tinge of dirt and earth - and other things. It wasn’t very pleasant. I wrinkled my nose. This day just was not turning out how I wanted. All I wanted to do was return to Barchie, and sleep on his counter whilst he gave me head scratches, was that too much to ask?

The bird woman spat an accusing question at me. As though I had done something wrong.

Apparently yes, it was too much to ask for.

“Eteri took bad part of grumpy man soul.” I stated, huffily, crossing my arms over my own chest as I tried to focus on any one aspect of the creature before me. Big black shiny beak, black feathers all prim and proper, a part of me felt like pulling a bunch of them out. Maybe I could sell them, or use them to make clothes or just shred them. All of those things sounded fun. Far more fun than being questioned by some stinky ol’ sticky-beak! Literally

“You so rude!” I huffed, choosing to focus on a tiny metal clasp that sat upon the bird-womans chest. “All questions! No polite, very rude.” I turned my face away, shutting my eyes and shaking my head to and fro to further exemplify my distaste for the creature.
“Not even introduce. Why Eteri tell you? Why so demanding? Who think you be? Just demanding, like you is all the highs and mightiest!”

“I am not rude,” Stare frowned, “You are for taking that man’s soul.”

Her eyes went narrow and looked the odd cat-girl up and down. Rather tetchy, if you asked her, a little too close to a natural predator. Ears flicking, tail twitching - cats were not friends to birds, it was well known. And the old tales that existed for the delight of kenku children, those that said that they were once crows, ravens and magpies …

She shivered and then made her decision.