Tack had chosen a direction he thought to be north and took that direction to fly in. Only to end up by a large lake. Only thing he would find here is mud. And with mud came,
"Worms!" He darted down to the muddy borders of the lake, pecking at the ground. He wasn't too far in, that was more an area for water birds.
@Tywyll
The lake had begun his favorite spot as of late, watching the water birds and fish swim and splashing around in the shallow ends. So it was no surprise that he was there when the weird bird landed and began to root through the shallow end. He was so bored and still a young kid so without hesitation he charged, splashing through the shallows and shouting "I'm gonna eat ya!" like a massive dork.
Tack looked up, hearing something splashing nearby. And then...shouting? He looked, and gave a shriek as he lifted off as quickly as he could. Some mud stuck to his talons, flicking off as he flew and headed straight for the closest branch that there was. "No! No no no!"
Tywyll had pounced just as the small bird took flight and landed empty pawed in the slick mud. Ungracefully his paws slid and he ended up flopping awkwardly into the brown substance, nose and muzzle sliding right through it. "Awww hell! Man... Im gonna smell fish mud for days now." he whined as he stood up and shook off, pawing at the mud all over his face.
Tack watched down at them as they slid through the mud, and chirped in a laughing way. "Wolf is all muddy now! Good, wolf smell for trying to eat me! Smell like wet dirt, should take bath!" He began chirping happily, walking along the branch as it looked down at the messy wolf.
Tywyll paused in his grooming, eyes narrowing as a surge of his hotheaded temper made him growl. "Oh yeah? Well at least I can wash it outta my fur. You birds always smell the same, like feathers, and poop, and bird piss!" he shouted up at the jovial, mocking bird.
The bird puffed their little chest out, glaring down. He was prepared to lay out a whamming of knowledge. "First off, birds do not pee! Second all birds have different scent, as I am sure you must be able to smell with better scent than most animals." She hiked along the branch, glaring down. "And thirdly, I have seen wolves roll in their own poop! So do not tell me of smelling like poop!"
Tywyll paused for a moment a look of dumb frustration on his face at being caught in lies. Then a look of disgust and shock took it's place "Whichever wolf rolls in poop is nasty. I've seen birds pick seeds and plants out our poop and eat it though, that's even grosser then rolling in it!" he made another retort in an almost petulant voice, this time not lying at all.
Tack gave a disgraced chirp. "I would never! I eat bugs and worms!" He gave another shrill chirp. Glaring down at the wolf that dare try to insult her. "You wolves lick each other clean! Imagine what you are licking off of yourself?! We birds preen off parasites and clean in water, we clean properly!"
Tywyll snorted at the bird's lack of knowledge, assuming it was hers and not his own. He began to school her in a voice like he was talking to a very small pup "Our spit keeps our mouths clean, otherwise we would have infection and stuff in there. So when we groom one another it cleans our fur. That's why my fur was sleek and shiny before I missed you by mere inches." he sighed and climbed out onto shore, shaking out his fur and sending mud flying everywhere. "parasites are nasty...doesn't it make you sick?" he decided to move on from the arguing, deeming it pointless.
Tack watched as they voice as if talking to a young one. He gave a trill once they were done having shaken mud everywhere, little bits hitting her wings. "Dirty dog! Parasites little bugs, birds good at eating little parasites! Clean other animals of parasites. Ticks and fleas make good meal!" He said, putting his wings out as if to show his love for the tasty treat.
Despite the bird telling him this as if he should have known it, Tywyll was more impressed by the information then annoyed. "That's....pretty cool. I got a tick attached right to my back leg, would you get it off?" he suddenly sounded not mean at all. Mainly cuz he found someone useful and he needed their skills. "Sorry 'bout trying to eat ya. I won't try it again if you can get it off"
Tack glared down, and made a little huff sound. As if he would help the wolf, they might just try eating him again! And yet...he was tempted. It was what he had so far to do. "And why should I help you? You say you won't try till it is gone, hmph. As if, you'll try to eat me once it's gone!"
The bird refused to help him, for which you couldn't really fault it, but Tywyll chose to be annoyed rather than practical. He huffed. You're too small to be food. I need something bigger to eat.
It was the truth, although it could have been phrased a little better. He pirouetted and lifted his hind right foot, wiggling the toes comically and trying to entice the bird. Just above his hock was a small tick, as he had said. It had been there for an hour or so and wasn't about to leave willingly. Come on, its a free meal....
Wiggle wiggle wiggle. Nice and fat and juicy, yum yum...?
The bird let out a cry of disbelief, hurt by such a temptation. As if the bird would even go for such things. "Me? Eat your toes? You misjudge me, I would not eat such things!" he cried out in almost disgust. Why would the bird even want to eat toes, Tack highly disagreed with this. "Juicy to a bear, perhaps. Mere appetizers."
The boy groaned and rolled his eyes. This was the dumbest bird he'd ever met! And so far he'd nearly been eaten by a very bold hawk, so that's saying something.
No, you dummy! Not my toes!
He stopped his playful wiggling and put his foot down, because keeping it raised obviousl didn't help. At the crook of his ankle joint was a bulbous bug wedged against the flesh, gripping tightly. He couldn't twist enough to point it out so he explained — There! That! That there! Right --- ooph, there! See it? That's not a toe! That's some kinda bug!
Bleh. If that didn't get the bird's attention he didn't know what would.
Then again, Tywyll could just leave the little pipsqueak alone and find someone to actually get the tick off of his leg. That would probably be easier than trying to convince this bird brain to do it - what was he, a bird whisperer? No thank you!
Tack narrowed his eyes. Trying to look closer, and there it was. And immediately he understood. "Ohhh...tick. I sees it now..." He was cautious yet still he flew down, right next to the paw. He pecked at it carefully, then paused. "This will be painful, removing the tick. Do hold still, yes?"
Carefully Tack put his beak over the tick. And then, he clamped down on it...and pulled. And pulled, and pulled until it came off. And he crunched right down on it.
This was probably the most disgusting moment of Tywyll's little life. He was elated that the bird finally agreed to help him, but as soon as the warning was sounded (which he only sort-of listened to, being an airheaded little twerp), the bird got to work and the boy was met with a sharp pain in his ankle.
That kinda stings thou—GHhow ow owow wowowo OW!
Until the bird had pulled the thing free. At this point Tywyll felt downright sick, his belly flip-flopping and head swimming with a little shock of adrenaline. There was a thin line of blood draining down his ankle but it was already starting to clot, which was good. He never, ever, ever wanted to do that again.
The boy turned at the sound of a pop, and when he failed to spot the bug in the bird's beak, he realized — in that slow-dawning, horrible way often ascribed to children — that the pop had been the tick. That the bird had swallowed it. If Tywyll could've turned green at the thought, he would've. Instead he staggered backwards and with a whimpy little squeak, soundlessly headed for home.
The bird had some very good manners, though. Top notch bedside manner. A+, would recommend for impromptu pest removal again.
Tack hopped back as soon as the bird could, crunching on the tick now. At least it was gone, but the bird saw some blood. He had warned the wolf. "Ticks, nasty little things. Yet tasty....with a touch of wolf blood" the last part he complained in disgust, shaking his feathered head.
The bird shivered a bit, having tasted the wolf's blood. And then, they started going off. "Wolf! A thank you would be nice!" He huffed, puffing his little chest out. Then flew off, muttering to himself.