Initium Finished

Mariah had spent the day doing one of her favorite pass times, bird watching. She had captured three birds already with her sketch pad, each one of them better than the last! Now, she was searching for her next model, looking around at the trees scattered across the grounds. It was during that endeavor she came across a familiar face. The boy- the odd Kaegan- was settled under a tree looking up at one of its branches. Mariah followed his gaze... and nearly dropped her sketch pad.

Settled on the branch, picking at its feathers, was one of the most gorgeous birds she'd ever seen. It's belly was as white as a polar bear's fur, but its body contrasted nicely with black feathers. A cluster of feathers large curved out from the top of its tiny head. It's wings, based with black at the very top, blended into a dark aqua, and finally bled away with a smoky maroon.

Mariah held back a gasp when she realized exactly what bird it was. It was strange to see them in this part of the country during such a cool time of year. Mariah crept up and settled herself gently beside Kaegan, her eyes intent on the fowl before them. She flipped to an empty page in her book and lifted her pencil.

She flicked her eyes sideways at Kaegan and her memory nudged her. Quickly, she pulled at a marble from her pocket. She had found it on the ground outside her common room and she had liked it considerably. Well... that wasn't the only reason she picked it up. Kaegan's smile when he handed her that leaf flashed through her mind and she had snatched it from the ground in Hope's of running into him at a later time. It was clear-blue with silver swirls sprinkled throughout the inside. She held it out to him, but kept her eyes on the bird, her drawing hand working furiously as she outlined the creature.

Kaegen was curious about this girl, drawing a bird with a sketch book and pencil. He wasn't very good at art, and he appreciated seeing other people do well at the skill. As she outlined the bird, the girl passed Kaegen a marble, which he took happily, slipping his arm inside his robe, and putting the marble in a little pouch.
She had seemed really excited about the bird, maybe it was a special kind or something. What had stuck out most to Kaegen was the fact that he had never seen anything like it before, maybe there was something more to the little creature that he had completely missed. He sat there a bit, watching the girl as her pencil scratched across the paper, until it looked like she had slowed down, at least a little bit, before asking his question.
"What kind of bird is that?"
He hoped she knew, and expected she did know. You didn't get that excited about a bird unless you had some idea why it was cool. Of course, she could have just been excited because it looked really cool. If that was the case, he would probably go find some book on birds around hogwarts.

"He's a lapwing," Mariah whispered, eyes still trained on the bird, but a smile touched her lips. "I can't believe he's here. They usually stay around Asia. He must be migrating and taking a break here." Mariah tossed her pencil to the side and dug in her bag for her colors. She pulled out a small leather case and opened it to reveal a vast amount of colored pencils and a few pens. She took a pen and traced her pencil marks, solidifying the drawing.

"Funny how Male birds are always prettier than females, don't you think?" She went on, grabbing a color from her pile and filling in the white spaces. "They use it for mating. You see that group of feathers on his head?" She pointed at her drawing. "Well when he sees a female able to produce, they lift up and spread like peacock feathers. He sort of dances for her." She smiled, embarrassed for the bird. She couldn't imagine having a boy dance to get her attention.

Mariah found birds so interesting. She liked the different colors they came in. That was why she preferred the males over the females. They were brighter. More beautiful. Most female birds were brown and one got tired of coloring in brown all the time.

Kaegen already knew about birds, just not what kind this one was. It didn't matter though, he was happy to listen to the girl talk about the lapwing. It seemed to him that the males were getting the short end of the stick. After all, they were the ones more easily spotted by predators, they were the ones that had to do the dance, and make sound that could attract still more predators.
On the other hand, the dimly colored females could hide, live longer lives and get more food.
He decided that it might to nice to get her opinions on it.
"They may be prettier, but that just makes them more likely to die."
The more he thought about the statement he made, the more meaning it seemed to take on. If he ever became a part of a group, it would be quiet. It would work in the darkness, instead of out in the open for any predator to swoop by and snag them. It would need a name, a cool name. One that had meaning, that carried weight. His thoughts seemed to constantly divert to the subject of a group, even when talking about birds. It was probably because of how difficult it would be to pull off. He would need to be able to more or less trust the members. Looking back at the bird he wondered if it knew how much more at risk it's feathers were putting it.

Mariah hadn't thought about it much, but after he brought it up she supposed it was true.... and it made perfect sense that it was that way.

"But that's how it's supposed to be, don't you think?" She asked rhetorically. "I mean think about it! They're animals. Eat and make babies, that's their way of life! So males would be prettier in order to do what they're supposed to. I mean, once they make the baby, they're essentially done. They've furthered their species."

Mariah put her sketch pad to the side, the drawing done. She adjusted herself to face him, her legs crossing.

"Females, on the other hand, need to be camouflaged in order to survive long enough to take care of the eggs for those few months," she continued. "Then, essentially, she's completed what she had to do, too. Males have to survive for a few minutes and females months. It's biology at its cruelest."

She ducked her head, embarrassed at how excited she got. Then she added, as an afterthought:

"If I were a bird, I'd want to be a Male. I'd spend the first few months of my life as an ugly little chick so I could survive in my weakened state, and then, when I was older, I would leave my mark. People would look at me the way we look at him. He's beautiful and he's majestic, and he's probably created generations of birds."

Something about what Mariah said clicked. Made sense. Go out with a bang. Go out leaving a legacy that would be remembered. That was one way to survive, to live on forever. Looking at her, focusing his eyes on her for a split second before deciding to give it a shot. Taking a leaf, he placed it in the water and blew on it, watching it float out a fair distance before turning to the girl and asking the question.
"Can you sink it?"
It was a little bit of a challenge, a little bit of a question. He was going to start, he was going to rise to the top in a flame of color and glory but he wasn't going to die. He was going to live on, somehow. He was going to survive, and he was going to do it with the help of his group, his organization. This girl, she clicked. He wasn't sure why, but he did. It probably had something to do with how she talked about the birds, about how she would rather live out a shorter life in glory and splendor than live a longer one hiding in the rushes. But he wasn't sure if that was actually it, he couldn't be sure.
And he shouldn't decide to ask her, until after he saw what she would do when faced with his challenge.

Mariah snorted and stood, dusting off the back of her clothes. Her sketch book lay forgotten by her belongings at the start of Kaegan's new game. Mariah thought it was a particularly easy game, but a game none the less. What could she say? She liked to win.

Mariah pulled her wand from her pocket quickly before the leaf floated too far away. She bent around the middle by the bank and picked up a firm, medium sized pebble. Mariah positioned the pebble flat against her palm and pointed her wand at it. With a swish and flick, she muttered:

"WinGARium LeviOsa." The pebble, an ugly brown little thing, lifted into the air. Mariah steadily bounced her wand to keep it floating and then moved her it in the direction of the leaf. The rock followed and when it hovered over the leaf, she lowered the pebble gently on top of its surface and watched it sink.

Mariah gave a smug little smile before it grew into a widespread grin.

"Not to shabby, I think," she joked, tucking her wand back into her back pocket. "I don't suppose it's your turn now, is it?" Mariah grabbed a leaf from the ground and mimicked his actions, blowing it gently to have it float a little away from the bank.

Kaegen just watched as the leaf floated out farther and farther.
He didn't really have anyone else, and that girl did sink the rock. Indirectly, with a careful rock. It was a decent way to go about things, but it did make him worry that he had been wrong. Looking at her, he decided on a question. The leaf had been a inconclusive test, the results could be viewed either way. This answer, her answer, would decide. The leaf was unimportant, forgotten. His own results didn't interest the boy, just her's.
"Which direction will you go, and why?"
This could be taken so many different ways. This could resonate with a person, or fly over their heads. He was going to know exactly what kind of a person she was. Everyone would answer this differently. Some might say up, or forward. To the side, or backwards. And all for different reasons. If she gave a good reason, if she knew her direction, then she would be perfect. Assuming she wanted to join. Assuming what she was joining wasn't going to be banned, or wiped from existence. But that would probably not happen, after all, who would wipe a group out of existence? If they didn't kill anyone, they should be fine.

Mariah looked at Kaegan with an odd expression. The leaf she blew away floated forgotten in the lake. She was starting to gather that maybe this wasn't a game, but a test of some kind. Given his expression, she was sure of it. But a test of what? For what? Mariah pondered his question about directions. It was an odd question and Mariah had already established that Kaegan was a little crazy. She thought back to her comment on the bird, pondered why she had answered the way she had. Surely lions or serpents or any animal could be as beautiful as that bird. She could have said she wanted to be any one of those aninals. So why would she want to be a bird?

The sky, she decided. Flying, she realized. It was why she loved the broom so much. Her answer was decided in a matter of seconds, the reason moments after and she looked at him, matching his expression, slightly. She mirrored his seriousness, but her eyes held a steely sort of determination.

"Up," she stated, her hands crossing over her chest. "Because the ground has an end, but the sky... well, its limitless."

She lifted her eyebrow at him, wondering if she passed his little test, but also slightly indignant, because who was he to test her. She was kind to him, careful to greet him in ways he seemed to understand, going out of her way to make him comfortable, and yet he still felt the urge to test her worthiness. One thing Mariah knew she was was worthy. No matter the test.