Chapter Text
Hal looks up, alarmed by the hawk's screech, and raises his arm just in time for the bird to smoothly land on his leather glove. She flaps her wings a couple times to regain her balance, then leans forward to look at him, her tail seesawing up and down. Her claws dig deep into the leather, although she's being careful not to hurt him, he knows. Still, may be time to get a new pair of gloves - reinforced ones, this time.
"Welcome back," he greets her, pulling at Fenris's reins with the other hand to get the stallion to turn. "Did you find what you were searching for?"
Ash gives a short screech, inclining her head forward again - their pre-established sign for ‘yes’. He lets out a relieved sigh.
"Good. Now then, let's get to planning."
When they reach camp, he dismounts and carries her over to his tent - well, their tent really, as they took to sharing it since the start of their… situation. Would be a waste to keep up two, and Sparrow is used to cuddling up to Ash at night anyway. The girl isn't here right now though - too risky to have her close when the two of them are on the hunt. She's spending some time in Saint with Hal's sisters, where she couldn't be safer.
He places the bird on the desk, where she immediately hops to pick up the small stick he's placed for her there in her beak. She looks at him expectantly while he pages through his journal until he reaches the page he's been looking for and places it on top of the table. He's written out letters, numbers and a couple words for her to point out, a method that lets them communicate with relative ease, no matter which one of them is currently in animal form. She doesn't miss any time and hops onto the page, waiting for him to get out his pen to write along.
East… 5 mls… cmp b rvrsde… 3 grds w rifls… 1 snp… 6-7 othr… vis on trgt
A wide grin spreads over his face. They'll wait until nightfall. Then it's time to hunt.