Gyrfalcon's Keep There's an albatross around your neck

God damn, it was loud here. Phocion supposed that was his fault, disturbing the birds and all. But-- "Hey, stop that," he snarled, as one bird's beak came dangerously close to his left front shoulder. He trotted quickly away from the gyrfalcons, especially the cluster of nests made by the females, and reached the top of the summit, overlooking the sea.

It was a clear day, nearly cloudless, and the sunlight glimmered off the blue expanse of the ocean. Phocion sat and watched, deep in thought. He was feeling good after Steady and he had resolved their conflict. Not only that, but he was finally allowed to see the pups, and he was rising up the ranks of Silvertip. His ascension was accelerating.

A skinny little bird was a few feet away, pecking mindlessly at a fish nearly as big as it was that it had apparently snatched from the water below. "Good food?" he mused quietly to the creature. Its head shot up in alarm, but it relaxed and went back to eating as Phocion remained still, frozen on its haunches. He suddenly felt faint, vision going blurry, swaying in the wind. He had not had a bite to eat and days, all of his hard work going toward the young mouths in the pack. Phocion stared at the gyrfalcon covetously, mouth watering. If he were to continue hunting for his pack, he must have something to eat to keep up his strength.

"Sorry, buddy," he murmured under his breath. I'm talking to a bird, he thought cynically at the same moment as he pounced, landing on the small creature and breaking its neck with a satisfying crunch. Phocion began to tear into the bird, chewing down the meat and small bones and spitting out the feathers in distaste. For good measure, the remainder of the fish the gyrfalcon had been eating went down the hatch, as well. He licked his lips after he had finished, and continued to watch the sea, feeling a little more satiated and steady than he had a few minutes ago.