Caden didn't need to know that Sam could probably scrounge a living from the forest and farms of Shim. "I'll have some bread," he said. Self-respecting parrots did not say 'please'.

"The next thing is to practise," he continued between mouthfuls of food. "I'd guess you've been doing that for years ...

Sam swooped in to meet Caden as soon as the boy was alone. "It's definitely when you're working," he said without preamble. "I think you're pushing people's attention away, or you might be feeling for their attention and then avoiding it by normal means. Possibly some combination of the two, it's ...

Sam supposed a response wasn't required of him when Caden took off. He gave him a few minutes head start. He wasn't concerned with finding the boy again; the he could feel the bond, sharp and strong, and it would be easy to follow.

The bond! He hadn't realised how much he'd missed it. He'd taken it ...

"First, we need to figure out how your magic works." Excitement. That was good. Sam decided that he could probably be completely honest with his new wizard; any fear he might have of his own magic was clearly outweighed by an understanding of its potential usefulness.

"The thing about magic is, it ...

Sam thought for a minute. If Caden's magic was flashy and exhausting, this would be easy. But it clearly wasn't. He was going to have to try something else.

Sam's ability to manipulate the bond was... underdeveloped. That was the word his creator had used, shaking his head in puzzlement ...

Play straight. Yeah. Go for it. It was risky, but the kid might not hang around much longer if he didn't.

Sam flew back down to a branch the kid could reach. He was far enough away that he could escape if Caden actually went for him, of course, but he needed to look like he didn't expect any sort ...

Sam wished, not for the first time, that he could snort derisively. But the ability to snort without sounding pathetic was not one of his many skills. "I talk like you talk, kid. How'd you learn to talk?" Being careful, eh? Unconscious magic. That made things far less convenient. But it would still ...

"Nothing dangerous," Sam lied. But it should be safer for this kid, surely? His magic didn't read as... active as Jason's. Admittedly it was very similar to Jason's in its pattern, if more centred onb the kid itself, but it wasn't illusions. There was no reason to think he'd overtax himself and burn ...

"I'll have you know, kid, that to a female parrot I'm as grand as it gets." Sam would be the first to admit that he wasn't the best judge of human emotions. He'd learned to judge Jason's by trial and error, and that's all he'd ever needed. But the kid certainly seemed sad or regretful about ...

Sam carefully preened a wing. He hadn't thought this far ahead, but this was no time to be admitting things like that. He had a soft spot for this kid -- he wasn't exactly like Jason, not much like him at all in fact, but he was the closest thing Sam had seen in a while and he was going to protect ...

Sam didn't want to hold a conversation in earshot of a crowd, but coldly ignoring the boy would probably get himself abandonded. Still inside the cage, if he was unlucky. Which he could break out of, but it would be a bother.

He gave the annoying whistle that everyone seemed to teach their pet ...

"Up here, kid. What're you looking at the cricket for? Have you ever heard a cricket talk?" Sam reminded himself to be patient with the boy. The last thing he needed was his best shot to walk off in a huff. "Name's Sam. Perfectly normal name for a perfectly normal magical talking parrot. Now are you ...

Sam perched in his cage, watching the crowd.

It was a village. A dingy farming village in the middle of nowhere, were his trappers insane? He'd gotten the impression from random snatcdhes of conversation that this area was a little more Puradyne than he was used to, but he still saw snatches of ...

Sam pecked halfheartedly at the small wooden cage holding him. He should be more indignant about being caught, but he was going to have to seek humans out again soon anyway. The pressure of magic building inside his small form was almost painful now, and he had no idea what would happen if he let it ...

Availability: Closed for now

Posting Speed: Standard

Characters Involved: Caden, Sam

Location: Shim, marketplace

Summary: Caden is a street rat unaware of his magical abilities. Sam is a quirky familiar with a soft spot for boys and serious need of a new wizard. Finding each other was inevitable ...