darkSpyro

"Indeed." Sybil answered, agreeing completely.
"You shouldn't have made that deal though. Cairo seems obsessed with the matter, he's not being his usual self at all." Sybil pointed out, clearly worried, but since she didn't want to worry Rose too, she told her plan.
"But it doesn't matter. I will make a deal with him instead. I'm sure I can get him to his senses. I'll just wait until morning, and I will speak to him. He always listens to me." Sybil assured, knowing that, like Warren with Sholeh, Cairo was loyal to her. However, she was still a bit worried. Cairo had changed quite a lot ever since Jet was allowed to stay, so she was a bit scared of the outcome.

"I'm not sure. Whatever it takes. This obsession of his is becoming dangerous, but... I trust that I can get him out of it. And like you said, Sholeh deserves a chance." Sybil explained, though this last sentence sounded a bit insincere. Just like Cairo, she thought Sholeh was never going to change her ways, but she was willing to try for Rose's sake. Plus, in reality, she didn't want to give that permanent punishment not because of Sholeh, but because of Warren. Sybil had noticed that the vulture was very nice and simply misunderstood, but since he was so attached to Sholeh, she didn't want him to suffer.

Jaerl is fast asleep in the Sybil's tree. Royal had caught him a large fish for dinner and he has left half of it for Sybil. Though when Sybil returns he will most likely awake.

After Warren was done talking to Sybil that night, in the lapse of time that passed when Sybil was talking to Rose, he proceeded to return to his now signature branch... but his sleep would have to wait, since Sholeh was wide awake... and waiting for him.
"And just where were you?" she asked suspiciously, and of course, Warren couldn't hide it.
"Well... I was just talking to Mademoiselle Sybil so that she could mellow your punishment." he admitted, but Soleh became furious.
"Just mellow? You stupid idiot! You could have prevented her from inflicting the punishment in the first place!" she yelled angrily, and even though Warren was offended, he faced her for the very first time.
"Listen Mademoiselle Sholeh, wether we like it or not, there are rules here! Stealing eggs is a crime here, and I was just trying to make your punishment as soft as possible." Warren justified, believing that after all the severe rivalry and murder attempts, Sybil was vengeful enough to end Sholeh's life by feeding her to Cairo.

He was waiting for more insults, but much to his surprise, Sholeh calmed down and actually talked nice.
"You know what? You're right. I did something wrong, and I appreciate you getting all the way to Sybil. It was a nice gesture, and I am ready to face my punishment for all the time needed." Sholeh said slowly and kindly, shocking Warren to no end. Sholeh then decided to rest in the tree for a while, smiling at the plan she had. She was playing with Warren in an manipulative way, and just when he was at his most vulnerable, she was going to use him as a pawn in that latest plan. No silly punishment was going to prevent her from having her way.

"Nah, I don't think so. He is just stressed and only wants to help. Now that I think of it, I haven't spent much time with him. I wonder if it is that. I just don't want to bother him much when he has a pod to take care of." Sybil pointed out, realizing that she has spent a lot of time with Jet and neglected it with Cairo.
"But don't worry. Cairo would never turn on us. And if he acts rude towards you, let me know and I'll put him in his place." Sybil expressed, confident in her ability to get through to him. However, a small part of her was actually worried of Cairo's behavior. Her worries grew when she saw the sun rising and it will soon be time to talk to him.

"Come on Mademoiselle. It's not like you to just accept this punishment without a talk or some reasoning. I know how much you value freedom." Warren commented, still too in shock about Sholeh.
"Well, since that's the best you could do, do I have any other choice? Physically, I am no match for that group, especially that Sayan. So what chances do I got?" Sholeh said, wanting Warren to feel guilty.
"But... if you really want to make it up to me, there is a way..." Sholeh said slyly, putting her plan in motion. She then whispered something to Warren...
"No... but... but with that, I will get punished too!" Warren expressed, finding that plan outrageous.
"Well, if you really want to make me happy, then this is the only way." Sholeh manipulatively said, knowing hat Warren would do anything to appeal to her.

"He's normally quite a gentle giant. I'm sure we'll be able to calm him down-- if it comes to that.," Sayan said reassuringly.

With the conversation over, Sybil noticed that the sun was already up. Finally! That little talk with her friends was just what she needed to kill time.
"Well now, I better go find Cairo. You two better get somebody else to do the watching and get some breakfast." Sybil suggested, leaving them in order to go to her and Cairo's meeting spot. But as she was about to call to him, she halted, looking at the reflection of the morning sun through the water. Now what a view! She couldn't believe she didn't stopped to look at it before. Her talk with Cairo could wait for a while. That view was almost as relaxing as Light Beach.

With the sun's rays passing through the foliage, Sholeh was already up.
"Well, I suppose it's time for breakfast." she said with a grin, terrifying Warren.
"Oh don't worry. I already ate two eggs yesterday. I'm not going to risk it. Those warblers are surely to be vigilant these days anyway. I'm going for something else." Sholeh assured, calming the vulture. She climbed higher to her new tree, catching lizards, another thing she liked to eat though not as much as eggs. They were far easier to catch there than in the outback.

Warren wasn't hungry, so while his dear Sholeh fed, he started to walk around the forest, though not for exploring like yesterday. He was hoping to get acquainted with some of the non native animals taking refugee at Sybil's sanctuary, even willing to risk being treated as an outcast if he met somebody...

Royal is grooming his feathers as he is perched on a rock. Seeing Warren, he stops and takes off, landing beside him. His golden eyes glisten in the brilliant sunlight.

"Well, hello there young one, I don't think we've met. My name is Royal and I am a Harpy Eagle. Who might you be," he asks gently.

Warren looked blankly at nothing, a bit confused. That eagle looked nothing like a native animal, so it must have been one of the Haven residents. It was so rare for Warren to be treated that nicely the first meeting.
"I'm... Warren! Yes! I'm a vulture." he said nervously and rather loudly, not used to that kindness. However, as he was greeting the eagle, he realized the name he just told him. Royal... now where has he heard that name before?

After gazing at the sun's reflection for a few minutes, Sybil decided it was time to talk to Cairo, but she didn't need to call him. Cairo was already in front of her, going to her when he saw her from a distance.
"Good morning Sybil. Enjoyed the morning sun?" he greeted kindly, embarrassing Sybil.
"Cairo, how long have you been standing there?" she asked, but before he answered, she got to the point.
"Never mind. Listen Cairo... about yesterday, about Sholeh..." Sybil began, but she was interrupted by Cairo, who imagined what was coming.
"You want to persuade me to think otherwise, don't you? Yeah... well, sorry if I creeped you out yesterday. I admit I wasn't my usual self. I was rude to you and little Rose. I want to apologize for that. It's just that... having that mongoose around, knowing how much damage she had caused and the terrible harm she meant to the both of you..." Cairo excused, believing that Sholeh will continue with that rampage in a matter of time, and he swore that he wasn't going to be as merciful the next time if that happened.
"I understand Cairo. You only wanted to help. But Sholeh... well, may I remind you that she was a native animal of the forest. Being banished really hurt her. So I want to give her a chance to live here, and eliminate her habit of stealing eggs. I wonder... why eggs alone? Mongooses have a great variety in their diets, why is she so obsessed with them?" Sybil wondered, prepared to take the challenge in changing Sholeh for the better.

Royal smiles and bows politely.

"It is nice to meet you, Warren. Would you care to take a small walk with me? I assure you, you'll enjoy it," the eagle says.

Jaerl wakes up from his sleep and gripping the remaining half of the fish, takes off into the air in search of Sybil. Seeing her, he lands on a log and waits patiently for her to notice him. His silvery blue eyes sparkle in the sunlight.

Warren was surprised by the invitation.
"Sure... I mean... yeah, of course Monsieur Royal." Warren respectfully accepted, living the Haven a lot already. Many nice creatures.

Cairo and Sybil continued talking about the Sholeh problem for a while, when finally, they oth came to an agreement.
"Alright Sybil. I will stop insisting on the matter, though that doesn't mean I like this. You and little Rose continue giving that Sholeh a chance to change her ways, but know this; if you are unsuccessful or if she still proves to be a threat, well, you know the rest." Cairo warned, sounding very serious. At least now he will stop harassing Rose about what she didn't let him finish, but he was still open to the plan. He wasn't sure if Sybil was going to reclaim her leadership of the Haven, but for now, it was Rose who was in charge, and he was going to let her know that he was still willing to do the job they agree to.

It wasn't exactly the results that Sybil was expecting, but at least Cairo didn't seemed obsessed like before. Plus, she believed that if Sholeh knew about Cairo's threat, that would keep her in line, though she hated the idea of having an animal live in fear, even if it was someone that tried to kill her so many times in the past. With her job done, she left the beach, but to her endless moments of surprises, there was Jerl again, his eyes shining brightly with the morning sun.
"Oh, good morning Jaerl. Feeling better?" she asked, seeing him a bit more spirited than yesterday.

Jaerl smiles at her, before speaking.

"Good morning, Sybil. As to your question, yes, thank you. I have some fish for you," he says, flying over to her and handing her the remaining fish.

Royal walks with Warren through the forest. His golden eyes glistening in the light. The gentle wind ruffles his feathers as he walks.

"Thank you." Sybil said, as she began eating. She usually prefers to get her own food, but that rather long talk with Cairo didn't put her in the mood. Plus accepting Jaerl's offering was probably going to raise his spirit further, which was one of her priorities at the moment.

As Warren walked with Royal, he was admiring the foliage and the rays of the sun passing through it. It was something out of his word. Everything he knew about was the outback, but he was ready to accept that new environment as his home. But besides all that calmness, a corner of his mind was restless, trying to remember where he heard Royal's name before...

"Not at all.," Sayan replied.

All was well in both the Haven and Hunted island. Everybody was getting breakfast, Shadow was contained, and Sholeh didn't show any signs of wanting to cause trouble. While everybody was calm, Warren was still the only one restless. Not only was he trying so hard to remember where he heard Royal's name, but he was also very unease with what Sholeh whispered to him earlier...

Sybil had finished with the fish, and with that over, she knew that she still had a task to take care of.
"Well Jaerl, once again thank you. I'll see you later. I need to do something." Sybil explained, as she headed deep into the forest, towards the direction of Sholeh's new tree.

Sholeh had once again retreated into the small, mossy cavity where she stayed after her lizards meal. Now that was the life she wanted from the very beginning. However, she was still reminded that she needed to learn to live with Sybil's constant, annoying presence, plus she still had a punishment to fulfill, which angered her to no end. Despite that, even if she was imprisoned, there was no way somebody was going to stop her for getting her way, and luckily for her, she still had the forever loyal Warren to take on her desires.

Before heading to Sholeh's tree, Sybil took a detour to the strikes warbler's home. At the ground, there were still some of the remaining ropes which were they were imprisoned with before Royal cut them down. She then started to make knots herself, though she believed Whirlpool would do a much better job than her.
Bonnie was on the ground, still mourning the cruel loss of what would have been her very first offsprings. Her husband was among those warblers that were traveling all the time, giving news of the Haven. Those warblers were one of the few lucky to escape the imprisonment due to being away. She then heard the rustling and went to investigate, but when she saw Sybil, she perched on her head, letting her know that she was still grieving.
"Don't worry Bonnie. I'll make sure Sholeh get her punishment." Sybil assured, sensing her great amount of distress.
"But this knots are too hard. I will go to Whirlpool and ask him to do the rope for me." she then explained, though with that comment, she was afraid that lately, she was becoming too dependent of him. But since he did that spendid trap for Shadow, she couldn't find someone better for the job.
"I'll go with you." Bonnie said with determination. She has never been to Hunted island, and believed that a change of scenery would help with her broken heart.

As Sybil went to the beach, she passed besides Rose.
"Hey Rose. Enjoy your meal. I'm going to Hunted island for a bit. See you later." Sybil said kindly, not wanting Rose to know what she was up to. Bonnie was perching on Sybil's back, and gave a glare to Rose, very upset on the poor leadership she believed Rose had for allowing a monster like a mongoose live there. Sybil took no notice of this, and headed her way. She was about to to call Jet, but knowing that Cairo was probably going to be jealous, she called him instead.
"Cairo! Cairo! Where are you? I need you." she called, but there was no answer. Cairo was currently on a meeting with his family a bit far away from there, so he could't hear Sybil.

"I'll go right ahead. You catch up later." Bonnie said after a pause, and took off. She couldn't stand Rose's nearby presence, so she headed her way. Sybil believed Bonnie just wanted to explore as quickly as possible, so she considered that normal. Since Cairo never answered, she decided to call Jet.
"Jet? Jet! I need transport." she called, in a bit of a very loud whisper. She didn't want to risk Cairo being near and hearing her.

"Jet, I need you to carry me to Hunted island and wait for me there until I find Whirlpool." Sybil quickly explained, immediately assuming that Jet's nervous tone had everything to do with Cairo.
"I called Cairo, but he's probably very far at the moment. Family responsibilities I presume, so if he becomes harsh to you because you continue helping me, let me know and I'll give him the scold of his life." Sybil said quickly, wanting Jet to know that she supported him and that she wasn't going to let Cairo bully him.

"I would be honest and explain my reasons for doing do. Try to get her to see how it was for the greater good and... and so that we don't become that which we fear.," Sayan glanced at Shadow for a brief moment. "At the same time-- reassure her and show that we are doing our best to.. rectify the situation.," the Amur leopard then added. As he spoke, Sayan kinda worried as he mentioned the greater good and not becoming something worse. He worried about himself, but didn't want to worry the Tiger about it.

OOC: You forgot about Jet.

While Sybil was still at the Haven, Bonnie arrived at Hunted island. Not as beautiful as her home, but it was something different. She decided to wait for Sybil though, before exploring, since she could get lost in that new terrain.

Sybil climbed, quite full of vigor. The responsibilities of the Haven, but deep inside, she missed all that.
"How is Cairo's pod treating you?" she asked, wondering if he was still being trated as an outcast due to Cairo.

"Oh..." Sybil said rather sadly, thinking it was all her fault. She remained quiet for the rest of the trip, imagining Jet didn't want to talk...

Back at the Haven, Sholeh found it a bit odd on why Sybil hadn't come to arrest her yet, but it didn't matter. She wanted to enjoy whatever freedom she had left. She called Warren, ready for a little trip.
"Warren? You have been to the other island before, haven't you? Well, I haven't, and I want to explore it." Sholeh said happily, though Warren didn't like the idea. He thought she simply wanted to escape punishment, but either way, he just couldn't contradict her.
They both flew off to Hunted island, and while Warren was getting in the mood to explore, Sholeh simply wanted to see what kind of birds there were to steal eggs. She was craving them... yet again.

Quote: Spyroconvexity

"Sayan could you help me?" Rose asked.

"Of course.," Sayan replied with a nod.

Arriving at Hunted island, Sybil could see Bonnie waiting for her. Still, she remained perched on that palm tree, waiting for her to get off Jet.
"Thank you Jet, as always. And... remember what we talked about." Sybil assured, still willing to defend him from Cairo.

With Jet gone, it was time. Bonnie couldn't wait to meet the wombat that would imprison the monster that took away her happiness.
"Let's go Bonnie. Let's go find Whirlpool." Sybil said with a sigh, still feeling bad for the poor warbler. Her grief was strong enough to sense it.

Whirlpool was near his burrow, cleaning the entrance, with the calm and welcoming presence of Angus. It was really so quiet there. With Nia grounded, all was standing still.
"I really feel bad for cousin Nia. I think uncle Barloc went a little too far this time. Staying at the Haven isn't a bad thing..." Angus commented, missing playing with his mischievous cousin. Staying at the Haven for one night wasn't a bad thing, but if his uncle, or even his aunt knew the dangerous games she had been playing with Jet, he could swear the punishment was going to be even more severe. If only he knew about Nia's nighttime strolls...

As Sybil walked with Bonnie on top of her head, the warbler was appreciating the scenery. Similar, yet also very different from back home. She was determined to come there very often and meet the native birds of there, especially the cockatoos. But in the meantime, there was a more important matter at hand. Although she was agreeing with Sybil's decision of imprisoning Sholeh, deep down inside her shattered hear, if it was up to her, she would have ordered the mongoose killed...

Cairo's meeting was over, and he wasn't in the mood for anything.
"Oh hey Jet. Please move aside." he said rather kindly, as he swam past him. He was actually being nice for once, but he seemed awfully tired. While Sybil and Bonnie were reuniting with Whirlpool, all Cairo wanted to do was be in solicitude.

"Jet? Jet, here I am with Whirlpool." Sybil called, waiting for his reply. Bonnie was indifferent even to the wombat. She was still too hurt, and the change of scenery didn't do any good either. She just hoped Sybil would get over all that fast, or she herself was going to arrange a meeting with her neighbors and dictate a punishment for Sholeh.

Jaerl lands beside Sybil and her companions. Smiling he rubs his head against the upset warbler mother. Taking a deep breath he speaks.

"You know miss, I could umm," unsure how to say it, I hope the warbler understands. I know I can't truly replace her children, but maybe I could give her, a kid of her own. It wouldn't be that weird to have a Harpy Eagle, father and a warbler, mother.

Bonnie didn't know Jaerl much, but have seen him from time to time. However, she couldn't understand what he meant, so continued be indifferent. But Sybil understood.
"She needs a little more time." Sybil whispered, and Bonnie pretended that she didn't hear.
"Jet, we need another lift, if you please." Sybil said kindly to the orca, not wanting him to feel ignored in all that conversation.

Jaerl nods and says nothing more, as he walks beside Sybil. His silvery blue eyes glisten in the light. He folds his wings and remains beside her.

Although Sybil didn't express it, she didn't feel comfortable with that approach. Did Jaerl still maintained that weird crush on her. It was enough to give poor Sybil a headache, especially since it was the same thing with Cairo. It was so difficult to bear all that, and so, as Jet swam to the Haven once more, she remained silent from the rest of the trip.

Warren was pacing along the beach, very nervous. He has seen Sybil going to Hunted island on Jet, but she was far and he didn't dare to approach, developing a great fear for Jet after that threat. But he was going to be even more afraid with what he was about to suggest. Sholeh wanted to have things her way no matter what, and that was something Warren wanted to correct...

Warren retreated into the forest when he saw Jet approaching. He wasn't going to talk to Sybil until he left.

"Thank you as always Jet. And don't worry. I'll keep an eye on Cairo. I'll make sure he's not mean to you." Sybil assured, now finding it too obvious why he was so nervous, and who else could be the source?
Bonnie was about to say the same, but she was still too indifferent to be in the mood of talking.