Snowbird Week 2025

From Anywhere/wanderer's lullaby AU

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“Now, Winter, what’s the rule we’ve told you when it comes to large falcons and birds like eagles?” Qrow stood near Winter and she let out a breath. Kiyay and Mono stood on a perch nearby, Kiyay preening Mono. The two white-and-black gyrfalcons were wonderful birds, but Winter hadn’t been learning falconry for long. Her lessons had been inconsistent and mostly handled by Raven. She would prefer they be handled by Qrow, but with him having taken a full-time job, it just wasn’t possible. Driver’s ed also threw a wrench into things. They had a few hours of sunlight after driver’s ed, but it’d reallybe pushing it to try to get in any falconry anything during those few hours. Thankfully, it was Saturday today, so Qrow didn’t have to go to work and they all didn’t have to go to driver’s ed. “You get what you give. A large falcon can and will fall out of fitness if you leave it sit for too long.” She looked at the ring-shaped, leather lure in her hands which had little wings on the sides. The rope in her hands definitely felt rough and she wasn’t looking forward to this training session. She could see Kiyay standing at attention and the falcon chittered at her happily. He spoke too fast for her to understand and she shook her head. She really did care about him, but he could be soexcitable. It was only because of Celaecyal that she could understand him. “Whatever training you put into a large falcon is what you get out.” Qrow nodded. “Good; you’ve been paying attention. Now, how do you swing the lure?” She sighed. She hadn’t been practicing very much which…wasn’t a good idea, but she was just so lost and adrift without anything to do. She started to swing the lure around and about her, but the movements were amateurish and she clocked herself on the head. It didn’t hurt, as it was stuffed, but she felt her cheeks burning. Stupid, silly little girl for not practicing. And her hands were already burning. “Yeah, you definitely haven’t been practicing much… It shouldlook like this.” He started swinging the lure around and did it with an ease and smoothness that betrayed his long experience. “Show off.” She let out a bit of a huff. She knew it was completely her own fault for not actually practicing as much as she should’ve, but it felt like he was just rubbing salt in the wound. She was trying her hardest, but she wasn’t Weiss.She wasn’t a naturally gifted genius like her little sister; all she was good at was doing things through grit and determination. “Well, if you’d practice, then you wouldn’t be so off, Winter.” His tone was warm and soft, accompanied by a smile, but she just… Her heart dropped through her stomach. She wasn’t good enough and never was. “You can get there in time; you just have to practice more. I’m not trying to be a show off; it’s just skill. Swinging lures was part of my play as a child. By time I was actually flying falcons, it was second nature. Stuff’s a lotharder when you’re an adult.” “It still feels like you’re showing off needlessly.” She couldn’t help but be a little bit jealous… She even felt jealous of Weiss who improved so quickly. She tried not to be, but it just hurt to see people who were better than her at pretty much everything. She was pretty certain that, in due time, Weiss would be able to beat her in combat. She still needed to wait to see what the case with Kali and Sienna brought, but hopefully, Weiss wouldn’t even needto go to Beacon, but it still might be good for her… But she would have to wait and see what things brought. Qrow shook his head and walked over to her, offering a hand. “It’s not showing off, Winter; it’s just practice.I promise. You don’t need to be so upset. Here. Let’s run through it step by step, from the beginning. Just you and me. Okay?” His tone remained soft, warm, and gentle. Ugh, she couldn’t remain mad at him like this. So she gave a nod and put her hand in his. It really was on her, but still… She couldn’t stop her jealousy from flaring up from time to time…