Cinderfall

Ashford Part 2

The bird didn't speak as much as the words flooded into her head. The voice far different than her own mind's and with a tone of amusement that annoyed her. She jumped in reaction, not knowing what she was expecting, but not expecting her own head to reply back. She might still be going crazy.

You're not. The voice came again with a chuckle this time, though I'm not sure how you've managed to stay sane with that much sensitivity.

"Sensitivity?" Ashford spoke aloud. She refused to answer back in her own head, even if the bird might be able to hear thoughts.

To the veins of course, the roots of all power.

"You're not making much sense."

Magic, My dear boy. How dense can you be? So dense for being so sensitive, and stiff with the stuff.

She noted now that though the voice spoke the common tongue, it was heavily accented. Not like how a foreigner's would be though, more like when reading a book a couple hundred years old where the words are common enough, but yet don't feel like your own. Curious.

Isn't this the part where you're supposed to freak over the existence of magic. Have an existential crisis or something? The words were still musing which slightly annoyed Ashford, but she let it pass.

"I see living things glow and am talking to a bird. I'm sorry that it's easy for me to figure magic exists."

The bird chirped at her, ruffling his feathers.

A wise boy I see, fair bit of trouble you must be.

Ashford shrugged. The tone of the voice meant to be insulting but somehow it grounded her. Even if he was magical, the bird was a person. Maybe not human, but not something like a lofty god. His attitude was far too human for that.

Strange. I wasn't expecting my first interaction with a human to be so bland.

"Sorry to disappoint." Ashford replied ruefully. "I am just a mere human after all."

The bird made an odd clicking sound with its beak. Denser than dense, and blander than flour.

He hopped from the windowsill and into Ashford's room.

I meant to watch you from afar, but this arrangement will probably be better still. I have much to show you and it's better if I can stay close.

"The only thing I believe I need to know is the origin of this necklace, and any danger it possesses."

The bird clucked again.

What a dull Boy-

"Yes yes, Dull and Bland and Dense and Dumb." Ashford ranted back, cutting the bird off. "If that's all you can say then you can keep out of my head! If however, you do have something of substance, and you clearly are intending on staying, then you can tell me what this is."

Ashford could barely believe the words she spoke. Had she truly snapped? These words were closer to something Adella would scream rather than herself. She was angry of course, actually seething. This bird, who was now helping himself to her bed, and had done nothing but insult her since appearing could not even give the decency to answer a straight-forward question. He actually seemed to enjoy boiling her blood, and she was letting him!

It's...a necklace. The voice was near laughing with amusement. The poor prince wanted to give a lad a trinket. My friend thought that this would suit a maiden better.

Ashford looked taken aback at this. "There's more of you?"

Only one of me, but a few of the like. None that are a danger to you.