wanderer's lullaby

As usual, driver’s ed was a droll experience but she was learning the rules of the road bit by bit. This was going to take alongtime to fully get through, so she definitely saw how and why kids usually did this during the summer. It was a very long-winded explanation of the basics. She had never really learned to drive, but still… She felt like she could understand the basics on her own fairly well. She probably didn’t reallyneeddriver’s ed, but it was still better to take it rather than skip it. She wanted to do things the legal way simply because that was the right way to do things. They arrived back at the Patch house and she looked at Qrow. “You said something about getting the piano tuned? Summer seems to believe that it should be fine to get tuned, though it may need multiple tunings.” She unfortunately didn’t have much time to talk to him since she needed to head over to the general store for stocking, but she could at least ask him that much. She felt bad for not spending more time with him, but he was busy during the day with his job and making money. Qrow nodded. “If you wanna learn music, I can definitely get it tuned up. I’ll just need to find somebody though…” I know plenty of people you can call.Winter saw Qrow stiffen a bit as Summer spoke up. She couldn’t help but feel legitimately bad for the man… He’d loved a woman deeply but she hadn’t returned his affections… Qrow was a genuinely nice man that had only the best interests of those he loved at heart. He was trying to be loyal to Winter, but it was hard when Summer was still around and kept popping up… Still, she could hardly believe that he wanted to be withherrather than speak with Summer… She still couldn’t quite figure him out. “I’ll get those numbers from you after Winter leaves.” He looked at Winter. “Want me to heat up dinner for you?” “If you want to.” She was perfectly capable of tossing something in the microwave, but she knew Qrow just wanted to help her feel better and relax a little. So she walked into the kitchen behind him and sat down at the table. He went to the freezer and got their portions out, then stuck hers in the microwave. Once it was all heated up, he sat down and slid hers across the table. “So how was your day?” “I went out and found a hobby shop to get some different kits and supplies to see if I’ll be interested in any hobbies.” She wasn’t saying she’d have ‘fun’ with anything, but maybe she could find something she’d at leasttolerateand could kill time with. She wasn’t the biggest fan of different types of needlework, but it was something she knew how to do since she’d been forced to do it as a child. She knew Weiss legitimately enjoyed it, but she wasn’t of the same mindset as her sister. Who was she to say anything against it though? It wasn’t like needlework hurt anybody. If Weiss liked it, then she liked it. “Where’d you put all of them?” “Summer let me clean out the closet a little bit.” She paused. “She said that if I wanted to take over the closet, that I could. I just thought I’d bring it up to you and your family first, though… I don’t want to just throw away her old clothes because I know they mean a lot to you. She said to keep the cloaks, but aside from that, I could use it.” She would let Qrow handle that because he could handle the girls better than she could. She was at a complete loss when she’d had to spend time with Ruby that once. She was not good with kids. Their upbringing had never allowed her or her siblings to justbe kidsin that they got to play, have fun, have sleepovers, family vacations, and things like that. They were forced to grow up all too quickly and basically become mini-adults by time they were six or seven. Their emotions were stunted and their social lives not really existent. Everything was carefully controlled to force them to behave and conform with no room for individuality. Qrow sighed. “I suppose it does make sense, but even so… The idea of getting rid of anything of hershurts.I don’t want to dig through her stuff…” Get over it, you great lump. I’m dead and I don’t need clothes or anything like that anymore. Winter’s alive andactuallyneeds it. I don’t need stuff like she does. Qrow sighed again, looking defeated. “I’ll talk to the girls and Taiyang after dinner.” He looked at Winter. “Do you really have anything you need to hang?” “Notreallybut I may in the future.” She had only gotten a small amount of clothing in order to fit into the half of the dresser that had contained Raven’s clothing that Taiyang had gotten rid of. Summer’s clothing still took up half the thing. She could honestly use more clothes. She wasn’t one to really express herself through clothing or anything like that, but even so… She could use more space and more clothes. “I’ll have to get winter clothing in due time… I know it’s still hot now, but winter will be upon us soon enough, so I’ll need coats and thicker dresses.” She hadn’t gotten rid of her Atlassian clothing at least, but most of that remained in some boxes on her airship. She still needed to get around to getting more clothes for Vale. She wasnotequipped to handle this heat and she needed clothes that she could get dirty while in the falconry field. “So you want the dresser cleaned out too?” “It would be helpful.” There was a point of trying to balance whatsheneeded with what thefamilyneeded. Summer was being entirely practical. Even if Winter wasn’t good with emotions, she could see how much it tore them apart in order to get rid of anything of Summer’s. She wasn’t trying to ask them to get rid ofeverythingand just accept her into their life. She just needed space to have enough room for her clothes and maybe a little betta fish buddy on the desk. That was all she was asking. Also room to study for her GED. She felt like she wasn’t asking a lot, but for them…it was a lot. “I’ll handle it after you leave. There might be some blow ups with Taiyang and Yang so…yeah, best to just leave that to me after you leave. Are you gonna be going to bed when you get back?” “Most likely, yes. I have to get up for the bakery in the morning.” She usually wasn’t one that was so early to bed, but she needed to find a balance or else she had a feeling Summer would be hounding her ass about pushing herself unnecessarily. Same with Qrow. It felt bad to slow down, but she was pretty sure Coco was cheering about her being forced to not spend 15-20 hours a day working. She often worked just on four to five hours of sleep. It was odd having a full night’s sleep consistently now… Well. She was still struggling with it but the meds were helping a lot. “All right then.” She finished up eating and put her plate in the sink. She found Ein and had the dog lead her to the general shop. Several other of the teens had joined in as usual. Sarah bounded up to her with a bright smile on her face. “Well hello, Miss Winter! It shore is good to see you again!” “It’s only been a few days,” Winter said. It wasn’t like it’d been months and months since they’d last seen each other even if it could feel like that at times. “Well, still! It’s nice to see you! What are you up to?” “Not much. I went into the city today. I found a hobby shop and craft kits to see if I like various crafts. I also found some supplies for the various types of needlework I know how to do.” Winter paused. “You said you were interested in learning?” Sarah nodded enthusiastically. “I would definitely be interested! I know how to do some basic sewing like patches and stuff, but that’s about as far as it goes. I wouldn’t mind learning to do fancy embroidery, cross stitch, or multiple things like that. It’d give me some more things to sell at the craft fairs! How good are you at them?” “I haven’t done them in a few years, so I am most likely a little rusty. But I imagine it won’t take me too long to get back up to par.” Weiss was the genius out of the two of them (she wasn’t sure about Whitley’s intelligence as she had never interacted with him) while Winter had to struggle and figure everything out through sheer grit and determination. She’d had a teacher for needlework, but it had taken her time to get adjusted to it and to pick it up. Just like everything else. She wasn’t naturally talented at anything; she was juststubborn.She wouldn’t take no for an answer if she wanted to learn something. She absolutely could andwould notaccept defeat if it was something she wanted. “Oh, okay. So should I give you a few weeks to practice then?” Sarah didn’t seem offended at least… That was good. Winter frankly didn’tenjoyneedlework but, right now, she needed to fill her time with things other than just studying for her GED and falconry. Raven was teaching her quite a bit, but when the birds were fat and fed up, they generally wouldn’t fly, not as much as they wanted. These birds could be motivated to fly more than that, but right now, Raven was keeping it to a minimum because she was also getting the birds in shape for the falconry season. It was a delicate balance between fitness, feeding, weight management, and teaching. “Also, think you could go into town with me at some point for that lil rescue you mentioned?” Sarah looked hopeful. Winter frowned a bit. “It would have to be on the weekends. I have driver’s ed every evening for about an hour. That wouldn’t leave enough time to get to the city to work with the birds at Star of Hope.” She still hadn’t been there once after her initial visit. She really felt bad because it’d been a decent amount of time. But there was only so much she could do with her limited time in general. She still hadn’t found a rhythm to her days yet. She just…didn’t know how to handle having so much free time. It was really hard for her to deal with to be honest. Sarah frowned. “Oh, I see… Right now, it’s craft show season and I’m going to one every other weekend. Granted, craft show season will be over by next month, but it’s gonna start gettin’ cold in the next month or two.” Winter shrugged. “Cold is no problem for me.” She didn’t particularlylikethe cold, but by the same token, she’d grown up in Atlas. She’d learned to tolerate it and being out in the field away from the warming system had definitely taught her how bundle up and not complain about it. Sarah was too used to Vale’s more temperate, mild winters, so she no doubt though that Vale’s winterswerecold… She wouldn’t know cold until she want to Atlas. “I don’t like goin’ out in the cold and snow.” “Well, according to Qrow and Raven—” It felt weird using the woman’s first name…”—the cold seasons are the only ethical time to go hunting with falcons and other raptors. If you want to learn to work with raptors, you need to brave the cold. Did you want to learn to work with them for show or for hunting?” She wasn’t entirely certain where Sarah’s desires lay. It was hard to know. “The bird you saw me with is a hunting bird. He’s used to hunting during the cold seasons after he’s done with his molt. He’s not just apetif that’s what you want.” The falconry laws in Vale were technically pretty strict, but they were circumventing the laws… Sarah looked down. “Well… I don’t really know… I just wanted to learn to work with them… But they’re hunting birds?” Winter nodded. “At least the ones I’m learning to work with. I’m uncertain about Star of Hope. Those are rescues, so I’m uncertain if they hunt or not.” She couldn’t have any real idea as she hadn’t spent any time there yet. “Would you be available this weekend?” It was Wednesday, so Winter wasn’t sure what Sarah’s weekend would hold. She had promised Sarah’s mother that she’d accompany the girl if they went into town. They could take a taxi over the general public transit system even if it was more expensive… It’d probably be a bit safer than having to walk from designated bus stops to their destination. And it’d take less time too… The stipend the general was sending her was helping immensely. She hadn’t had to dip into her savings yet. “Yeah, I’m free. No craft shows this weekend. So we can go then?” Sarah smiled at her, eyes wide. Winter couldfeelthe hope rolling off her in waves. “Yes, we can. They have morning feeding and evening feeding. I’ve had to feed raptors and bear in mind the fact that you’ll be working with raw meat. Butchered animals with bones, feathers, and fur still attached.” There was no getting around that. People in the modern day weren’t used to whole or partial animals. They were used to their food coming in neat little packages without any attachment to the animal they had been part of it. It was all so sterile and removed from what food production actually was… Winter was seeing it now with falconry. She really didn’t want to gross Sarah out…but it was part of working with raptors. Sarah grimaced. “Fur…and feathers attached? That sounds…gross.” “I’ve been told raptors needallparts of the animal, fur, feathers, and bone included.” She wasn’t trying to dissuade Sarah; it was just the reality of working with these animals. There were mutes which were excrement and casted pellets which were the undigested fur, feathers, and bones… It was really just the way of nature. There was nothing amazing about it; she would just have to deal with it. “I…guess I can try. I don’t even like touching raw meat without gloves on.” Sarah shivered. Winter didn’t have any sympathy. She had been forced to get over it after leaving Schnee manor. Granted, shecould notwash dishes by hand without breaking out in hives and she had to be careful when it came to her shampoo and washing liquids for her clothes. She’d learned to get used to rougher clothes, but she broke out intohivesand rashes when she used the wrong detergents or washed anything by hand. Even the gentlest dishwashing soaps were too aggressive for her delicate skin. “I suppose you’ll just have to try and see if you can handle it. The first step in getting a raptor to trust you is to feed off the fist. You’ll have a leather glove on, but even so… You’ll need to position it in your fingers with your other hand.” Winter didn’t relish the idea of killing other beings, but hunting was what the birds did naturally. The food they caught in the cold months could be used to feed them in the off season or even the family if they so chose to. Granted, Winter had never eaten wild-caught animals, only slaughtered domestic animals… It was so odd to think she was doing something so against what she’d been raised to be. But shelivedto spite Atlas. She would choose to learn falconry a thousand times over just to see their outrage. She wasn’t a delicate little flower that wouldn’t be able to handle killing. She hadn’t taken lives yet, but had she stayed in the military longer, it was basically an inevitability. There really would’ve been no avoiding it… Sarah nodded a bit, though she looked a bit pale. Winter raised an eyebrow. “Are youcertainyou want to try this?” The girl really didn’t look like she was even handling theideawell, let alone the reality. Winter had no idea how she’d handle actually trying to tidbit a raptor if she was so pale justthinkingabout it. She was willing to accompany Sarah and let her try, but shereallyhad a feeling that Sarah wasn’t going to handle this wellat all.Winter had had to put her squeamishness away alongtime ago. “I…I wanna try but it just sounds so nasty. I can’t imagine having to cut up a poor, defenseless animal and use it not cleaned for food… Can’t they eat steak or something?” Sarah looked down, tone dejected. Winter shook her head. “Think about what would happenin nature.There’s no such thing as a raw steak lying around on the ground. These arepredators.Theyliveto hunt. That’s what they’redesignedto do. I don’t know all the specifics behind it, but theydoneedallparts of the animal in order to be healthy.” She wasn’t judging Sarah, but thinking a raptor could eat a steak or chicken breast or something wasverywrong. She didn’t understandwhyraptors needed all parts of an animal, but if that was what Qrow and Raven said, she believed it. They had been hunting with birds for a good chunk of their lives. They had imprinted their own birds.Theywere the experts. If they said something in regards to the birds, she would believe it. Sarah shuddered. “They’re right pretty and amazing animals but I just… I can’t imagine how hard it must be to hunt with them. I don’t even like the thought of having to kill something.” “Honestly, it sounds like you’re better off just watching rather than attempting to handle them.” There was no judgement in Winter’s tone, just an observation. Sarah wasreallynot handling the idea of giving the birdwhat it neededwell atall.Winter didn’t relish the idea of killing either, but there was a difference of hunting for sport and hunting for sustenance. This was for sustenance. Shedespisedtrophy hunting because it was such unnecessary wastage in her opinion. Taxidermy of some sort was usually the endgoal for Atlassian upper-class hunting trips. It was so gaudy and uncouth to kill an animal just to take its head or pelt and waste the meat… Sarah sighed. “I do want to try… Do you think you could bring your bird and let me try?” She looked desperate. Winter sighed. “Your mother said that she doesn’t want you working with such large birds… Gyrfalcons are big…but Kiyay is gentle. Just don’t wear anything intensely bright. Birds seem to not like things they’re unfamiliar with.” Raven had told her that birds had to be brought up in a specific way to not freak out over things they weren’t familiar with. The bright neon tone of Sarah’s bag that one day had scared Kiyay because he was only used to softer tones. Neon had been absolutely unnatural to him because it just wasn’t in his mental lexicon. “Oh, I don’t really wear things that are super bright. Why are you bringing it up?” “Remember how Kiyay freaked out about your bag being shades of neon?” Sarah formed an ‘o’ with her lips. “Ohthat. Yeah I do remember. Ireallylike that particular bag for gatherin’ stuff. But I don’t have to bring it. I added a liner that way it can be organised easily. I won’t bring it unless I’ve been out by the beach.” “Well,don’tbring it. I don’t think Kiyay would appreciate it again. He’s an aura breed, but he still has instincts that will be hard to override.” She wasn’t certain if he’d freak out again over the bag if he saw it. It was best to just remove it from the equation. She didn’t want to stress him out unnecessarily. Dove had been kind enough to give her a bird when she knewnothingabout falconry. She wanted to make sure that bird didn’t stress out and lived the best life he possibly could. There wasno reasonto stress him out so unnecessarily. “All right, all right. I get it. You don’t have to jump down my throat… Do you think we could do it tomorrow after you get home from driver’s ed?” “I’ll have to set it up with Raven first. She’s currently taking care of the birds and she knows them.” Tomorrow would be a bit rough in the evening then… Driver’s ed, dinner, then bird stuff. “Can your brother bring you? Anddon’ttell your mother about this. Say you’re just meeting with me.” Sarah nodded a bit. “It feels odd lyin’ to Ma like that but…” She frowned. “It’s just the easiest and quickest way to see if I’m fit for it or not. Those birds are awful big though…And those talons…” “Don’t worry about it at all. If they puncture you, yes, it will be a mess, but Kiyay is incredibly gentle. I’ve seen Qrow and Raven handle them gloveless. Not recommended, but he only puts enough pressure on you to balance. That’s it.” She trusted Kiyay, but she really didn’t fancy trying to handle him without a glove on. She could only imagine what would happen if one was pierced by a raptor’s talons though… Those were nasty things that no doubt had all sorts of bacteria in them from picking apart dead flesh. Winter heard the door bell ding several times and looked over. “We’re wrappin’ up for the night, girls. C’mon! Time to leave!” “See you tomorrow.” Winter offered Sarah a dip of her head and left the door. She looked at Ein and he led her through the forest. Winter got back to Summer’s room and stretched. She changed into her pajamas and settled down for the night after taking her tinctures and medication. She closed her eyes and her dreams were full of white wings while she soared through the clouds.