Through Dragons Eyes and Heart

Chapter 17 Feathers

(Just saying this now some of this is based on realistic bird autonomy then the rest is made up for the book so don't complain that that isn't correct, please. Tho I would like to hear of ways to make it a tad more accurate:D)

*Zander and I were now walking back to the Archives filled with books. As we entered Archimedes met us.*

"Hello Zander, who is this,your girlfriend?"

"No she isn't my girlfriend this is Iceis,remember?"

"Now that you mention it it does look like her...how did you get so mature looking so fast?"

"Who knows,I ate a lot of fruits and veggies. Oranges mostly."

"Isn't citrus bad for reptiles?"

"Normally yes,but I am different."

"Well,what are you looking for today?"

"Books on bird feathers."

"Feathers?"

"Yes,feathers."

"Well here are a few books that might be of use to you."

*Archimedes handed use a few books on the care of feathers,different types, the meaning of the colors shapes and sizes and how they function depending on the different seasons.*

"Ok let's start with the care of your feathers. Well it says here that birds normally preen themselves to keep their feathers clean as well as compact together so it doesn't fray. You should have downy primary and secondary feathers. (I couldn't remember the name for the third type) do you preen your feathers?"

"I haven't needed to due to my factors of growing and molting of my feathers everyday."

"Ok well as long as I give you gentle scrubbing with your feathers and don't rub then the wrong way I can wash your feathers.Do you think your feathers are stronger than birds?"

"Very much so."

"Well would you like to try the scale shine?"

"We can,but not too much in case it clogs my feathers and makes them stiff."

"Ok,well can I see your wings again?"

"Ermm,you do realize how long they are right?"

"There should be enough room for you to spread them out in here."

*I disentangled my wings from their cramped position and spread them out fully. I could hear my wings popping from the stiff pose they were in.*

"I really don't think your wings should be making that popping noise."

"Well it's not like I can walk around letting them be in a relaxed position. If they are then I don't think it would be pretty."

*Zander gently took my wing and rubbed along the joint releasing the stress from it and helping to relax them. He started to move my feathers aside in one spot. It wasn't very comfortable,but it wasn't painful.*

"Hey,I don't see any downy."

"Yeah only my primary and secondary feathers will be where you are feeling. My downy is at the very top of my wing,but secondary covers it as well as along my sides which no longer have downy just secondary."

"Ok,well onto your feather shape. It looks as if your feather shape is differing the father up and down I go. The top is round which is closer to your bone. Towards the middle it is more pointed and areal like then the very bottom for two rows it look like a long sharp blade. Your secondary follow the same pattern. Your wing color went from a silverish white to a silver like your hair. I also noticed that the red around your eyes got a lot darker as you molted and shed. The feathers that were once mostly downy around your bust and abdomen became more primary and secondary expect all primary around the top of your bust and abdomen and around the sides round secondary feathers all of your feathers are a silverish white."

"Yeah,my feathers have gotten a lot bigger and so have my wings and body as they shifted around,but all in all it feels a lot lighter."

"Here can you step onto that scale over their I want to see how much you weigh compared to as a baby."

*I stepped onto the scale which I thought was a chair when I was little. Zander made a few marks then looked back and it was like his spirit left his body for a moment.*

"How is this even possible?"

"What possible?"

"You are eighty pounds lighter than when you were a baby. That leaves you at ten pounds!Can you let me hold your wing without you supporting it?"

"Sure."

*I relaxed my wing in Zander's hand and he had to test for a second weather it was really their or not.*

"Your wing is like holding air."

"My bones are probably structured so as they aren't dense they are probably hallow on the inside now with very little bone marrow."

"This is hardly believable you went from nighty to ten pounds in a month! Not to mention you eat everything!"

"The lighter I am in flight the faster I can fly. If I didn't eat as much as I did then I would be far faster then when I let you join me for a flight your weight, weighed me down. I still am working on my landing tho. I just can't seem to land correctly even when it's just me flying I just have too much speed landing to be able to stop."

"Well,I am sure you will eventually be able to land correctly. Can you put your wings in a relaxed position fold for me?"

*I folded my wings up and the tops poked out with a hooked claw at the very top and the largest primary feathers at six inches that were blade shaped just barley didn't touch the ground. The way my wings were now it looked as if I was a ghost floating around with my coloration of my feathers and hair then the fact my wings moved smoothly.*

"I think you could fit through doors like that. No need for your cramped wings to be folded so tightly."