2 A New Home

When they reached the home, the family closed and locked the door. The little boy took Endru to the sink, softly dropping him inside. Endru moved around, observing the sink. He looked back at the boy and chirped, 'What is this?'

Even though the boy could not understand the bird, he still answered, "I will wash you and make sure you do not have any wounds."

"Jalan, honey, make sure you are gentle." The mother commented as she moved her daughter to the dining chair to check her ankle. "I want to wash the little birdy too." The little girl whined.

"Carlyn, please do not start." The mom stopped, moving the ankle around. Carlyn winced in pain.

Endru watched them as he moved closer to the edge of the sink. He could hear them speak, but he did not understand the actual words coming out of their mouth. 'This is confusing; what are they saying?'

Jalan came back with a bar of soap and a towel. Endru looked at the weird bar and rag with confusion written on his face, 'What are those things?'

He kept chirping, trying to get his questions across. But like how he couldn't understand them, they couldn't understand him. Jalan came closer, turning the faucet in the other sink before turning on the water. Endru jumped in surprise and looked amazed at how the water was coming out of something so small.

Jalan put the towel in the water, and once it was soaked, he turned the water off. Then he squeezed the excess water out of the towel. He rubbed the soap on the towel, causing small bubbles to appear.

Endru kept watching in fascination at what the little boy was doing. Jalan brought the towel over to the baby raven and started to wipe him down, softly. Endru wanted to move away from the unfamiliar feeling, but the soap smelt pleasant, and at least the boy wasn't rough. So, he let the boy continue whatever he was doing.

Jalan hummed a tune as he cleaned off the little raven. The door to the house opened, and in walked the father covered with blood while holding three dead Khisuze bodies. The Khisuze was 26 inches high with six legs and a big belly. They had sharp claws and teeth; even though they are blind, the Khisuze have heightened smell. They had poisonous drool that they could spit as far as 12 feet. They are also fast and usually hunt in groups. However, the Khisuzes are only a rank three on the listing of creatures.

"Dad!" Carlyn yelled as she tried to get up, but her mother stopped her. Endru looked over due to the noise and wonderful smell entering his nose.

Jalan stopped wiping the raven, setting the towel down as he made his way to his father. "Dad! Are you hurt anywhere?" The boy worriedly asked, surveying his father for any wounds. The father dropped the creatures and shook his head while flexing, "I am okay, everyone. Your father still got it in him."

Jalan and Carlyn rolled their eyes at their father's antics while the mother started sighing, shaking her head. "Jonathon, please, can you not do that?"

Endru started to croak to catch everyone's attention. When he smelled the beast, his stomach started to rumble, and he did not realize how hungry he was until now. His wings were flapping as he tried to get out of the sink.

The father looked over, asking, "Oh, is that a baby raven?" The kids nodded excitedly as the boy walked back to the bird, picking it up. Endru shook in the boy's grip, trying to get some of the wetness off of him while chirping, 'I am hungry. Feed me, please.' His eyes stayed glued to the creatures.

Jonathon looked at the bird for a while before glancing down at the dead creatures. "I think you little birdy is hungry."

The mother stood up, clapping her hands, "Okay, honey, go wash up, you are starting to stink. And I will take the creatures, gut them, and then start dinner. Jalan, help your sister to the bedroom."

Everyone started moving as Jalan put the bird back into his pocket. He moved towards his sister, helping her stand as they made their way to the bedroom. There was only one bedroom in the home that the whole family shared. When they reached it, Jalan set Carlyn on her futon (a shikibuton).

Endru started chirping, 'Food, food,' repeatedly. Jalan set his hand on top of Endru's head and started rubbing him. "It is okay. You will eat soon." Jalan tried to reassure the birdy. Even though Endru could not understand him, he started to calm down due to the rubbing.

"I want to pet him too," Carlyn said as she watched her brother calm the little raven down. Jalan stopped his petting and pulled the bird out for his sister. They both started petting him, waiting for their mother to tell them food is ready.

It has almost been an hour, and Endru was starving. He was also tired due to the little ones petting him the whole time they talked. Even though he enjoyed the soft touches and warmth, Endru felt like his stomach was eating itself. He needed food at this point; he felt so weak.

'Is the food ready?' Endru whined. He even did a dramatic fall to show the little ones that he was starving. The kids looked at the bird and didn't know what to do with the way it was acting. Endru looked back at them, wondering if it worked, but only saw the little ones looking at him with a blank look.

So Endru popped up and started to angrily chirp while using his wings to point at his stomach. "Eh," Jalan began, "I think I will go see if mom is ready with dinner."

Jalan stood up, with the bird in his hand, and made his way to his mother. Smelling the aroma filling up the room, Endru popped up with renewed energy and started happily chirping. The mother was standing at the stove, stirring some soup while checking the oven that rested under the stove.

Hearing the bird, the mother looked over at them. "Dinner isn't ready yet, hun."

"I know mom, but birdy is starving. I don't think he has eaten at all."

Endru started to drool at the smell, his stomach rumbling each time. The mother chuckled, scooting back so she could open the stove. She grabbed a cloth and pulled the meat out a little bit. Then she grabbed a knife and fork to cut a piece out.

The mother held a piece of meat on her fork, "I guess the birdy can have a small piece before dinner starts." She beckoned for her son to come over.

Endru jumped with joy; it looked like he was getting some food after all. When the boy came over to the mother, Endru started flapping his wings and tried to reach for the meat.

"He is so eager." The boy laughed. 'Food, food!' Endru continued to chirp. The boy took the meat off the fork, using his hand that was not holding the bird to feed him. Endru took a piece of the food and felt like he was in heaven. 'The food is divine.' Endru thought as he started chewing on the meat.

Jonathon came in, looking clean, as he watched the scene in front of him. "I want to try some meat too."

'My food!' Endru warned as he used his wings to cover the food while he ate. The family laughed at the way the bird was acting possessive over the piece of meat.

"You will have to wait, dear. Food is almost ready."

Time passed, and the family was sitting down at the dining table. Endru was eating more food that the family set out for him. They gave him a small bowl they owned, and the kids thought of engraving "birdy" on it so that everyone knew the bowl belonged to him now.

After a while, Endru felt full and stopped eating. His stomach is bloated from the delicious food, and now all he wanted to do was sleep. He made his way to the little boy and chirped, 'I am sleepy.' He moved forward, poking his head on the boy's pocket. It would be so much easier to fly into it, but Endru hasn't figured out how to fly yet.

Jalan understood what the bird wanted and picked him up, dropping him into his shirt pocket. Endru moved around before settling down. 'Goodnight,' he chirped, closing his eyes to rest.

Endru enjoyed being with the family and wondered what he would learn or do next.