Upon arriving at Port Adúnë there had been a weird type of sent floating around the mist curling around a bird’s beak. Even that smell, although small had seem to cause her body to move in an almost gagging motion. Dawn at that funny way with her, and some even declared that she had morning sickness. Why in the world she would have morning sickness was an enigma to her. A snort escaped her nostrils to push those misty fumes away from her breath, because it smelt like acid from what a skunk would set loose.

For obvious reasons she loathed that smell, it had reminded her of the many times his curious younger self would go and sniff around odd little critters. Many woodland critters were harmless, but skunks she grew to stay away from. The smell coming from her feathers that day was so bad her own family refused to sleep in the same nest as her with that smell clinging to her. Being kicked out until spring (one season later) she had never forgotten how the stink not only made her sick, but made her lonely as well. How could she possibly talk to anyone if they ran from the very smell of her? She couldn’t.

Unlike the skunk, this wasn’t her fault, no it was those blasted pirate’s fault. Unable to defend herself, they had caught her with some gagging tool made out of string. The air had been knocked out of her throat, and then blocked her lungs. Friskily those long wings of her beat insanely in the air, but no such luck to get away from the hunting pirates. Soon everything turned dark, so she figured they must have gotten her by pulling that string made tool. When she awoke, her vision was slightly blocked by cold black iron bars. That was when she knew she was in big trouble.

As the light became to seep into the sky, they had stopped their boat, and pulled the cage from the boat to the docks. The size of the cage was cramped, surely they weren’t expecting her, yet they sure seemed to want her badly from how long they had to fight with her. Not wishing them harm, she hadn’t swung her wings when the pirates were close to the cage bars. Hurting others wasn’t in her nature, even if she was in this type of setting. The heart inside her ached because she had so longed to show that the avian race were great beings, and weren’t to be fears. So if she attacks anyone, then just like dragon hunters, and demon hunters, so would her race be hunted.

Mosha bowed her long neck down to the cold iron floor. In the corner of her brown right eye she saw the sparkle of the sea. For the moment, she wished she had someone, anyone to help her. There were four locks on the cage, all different locks belonging to different keys. Even if two keys feel right into her cage, she didn’t have hands to use to unlock the cage. Not even her talons could help her now.

“I need someone with some thumbs,” she spoke softly in a matter of fact voice. But it sounded more like caws and whistles then the language of man.

Not being able to understand common language worried her, because people would talk to her in the same type of language, but all she couldn’t understand it at all. By movement and voice levels combined with facial expressions, what was said could slightly be understood. Mosha longed to be able to speak common language then to just have to talk with her avian brethren. But as long as she had that long bird like neck, and sharp beak, it was impossible.

Sadly, unable to call of help, she folded her wings honorably on the deck, inside the cage to wait for her death. Because surely that’s why they taken her, to eat her, and it wouldn’t be the first time people have hunted birds for food. The white wings folded in front of body as the morning sun cast a light blue glare on her white feathers.

As Thal browsed the shops in the Port, he found one particularly interesting one. He took a closer look.

"One fish, two fish, red fish, SHARK!" Thal almost fell over from the shock. There was an enormous shark hanging from a few ropes that were looped around some wooden beams above the stall. People stopped and stared at him, looking at him like he was an idiot. Which he was. Or at least he had made himself out to be one by screaming at a dead fish. Thal got up and looked around. Everybody immediately turned back to what they were doing, pretending like they didn't see him. They were probably frightened by the fact that he was holding a razor-sharp katana in his right hand. He sheathed it, and continued to browse the stalls.

The pungent smell of fish wafted up into Thal's nostrils with each stall he passed. Each time, he wanted to throw up. There was nothing more disgusting than the smell of fish. Except, perhaps, the smell of skunk. Or B.O. Trying to ignore the smell, the Quendi continued through the port until he reached the docks. He walked along the docks for a bit until he came upon a group of raggedy looking sailors. He assumed they were pirates. The pointy hats and rapiers sort of gave them away.

He noticed that there was a bird in a cage. It wasn't just any bird however, of that Thal was sure. He knew animals, and there was something about this one that was different. There was a majesty about it, an intelligence of sorts. He decided to break it out. Without stopping to look at the pirates, Thal continued along the docks until he reached an alleyway. He ducked into it for a second.

"Karadi," he whispered, and began to fade into nothing. He looked down at his arms, or rather, the air where his arms were. So his father had been right about this spell. It did work. He had been skeptical a few weeks before when his father had tried to teach him and the spell failed. But now, Thal was living proof that it worked.

The elf snuck out of the alleyway. Even though he was invisible he could still make noise. He snuck along the docks, silently, invisibly, until he reached the pirates. They were laughing and yelling and, of course, drinking rum. Thal snuck around them and onto their ship. He found an oil lamp in the captain's cabin, turned it on, took it back to the deck, and smashed it upon the floor. The ship's deck caught on fire immediately. It took a few seconds for the pirates to realize what was happening. One began to shout orders at the others. Thal snuck up behind him and chopped the base of his neck, knocking him out. He grabbed four keys from the pirate, and brought them over to the caged bird. He slid each key in its respective lock, and turned. Unfortunately, only one worked.

Thal swore under his breath. He grabbed the cage and hefted it up. He cradled it between his arms in front of him, and ran to the nearest building. He knocked on the door with his foot until somebody opened it. He pushed his way inside, brushing past the man who had opened the door.

"Hey! What are you-"

Thal set down the cage and whipped out his katana. He tossed five coins onto the table. "Go to the market and stay there for a few hours. We'll be gone by the time you get back," Thal said.

Reluctantly, the man took the coins. He walked out the door as Thal promised that nothing would be stolen. The man didn't believe him, but what choice did hi have? The Elf had a katana, and it looked like he knew how to use it.

Thal turned to the caged bird.

"What are you exactly?" Thal asked. "I know you aren't a bird. Your eyes are far too intelligent." The Elf turned and paced back around the room. "Now we just need to find two more keys." Thal grabbed the one key that fit from the lock and slid it into his cloak. "Any ideas?"

Mosha thanked whatever being of fate that was responsible to have her off of the ship, and on the docks; because the horrible blaze of fire frightened her. Kaw of worry left her beak as the crackles if flame echoed in her ears. Orange colors merged with the dawn sky like madness, and all she could do was look with her scared jewels. Of course she hadn’t noticed herself trembling from the fright, but the feeling of fear gaped at her soul. Besides her shaking feathers, the bird looked motionless, thinking, what if the flames reach me? The phobia of fire was on if the strongest fears she has ever known. There was no horrible experiences with fire that lead her to this fear, it was just the mystery and power the element wielded. Not even humans could control fire perfectly if at all.

Just way all this madness of fire had started from, she couldn’t quite tell. Dark brown orbs searched for the source of flames, but nothing in the smoke could be seen. Many of her pirate capturers were rushing left in right, bumping into one another to get buckets of water, or even dirt to spray upon their beloved ship. But not even the chaos in front of her would blind her eyes upon the frantic man who came near the cage.

Twisting her neck over to the man, she stared at him with a no judgmental look that an animal might posses for its master. Mosha wasn’t able to tell where the man stood in her life at this moment. Surely he didn’t belong to the pirate crew, because he didn’t look familiar, nor did he dress in pirate-wear. Trusting others was something that the avian creature could do with ease. Soon as he slipped the keys into their slots, she knew where he stood in her life, not as a capturer but as a savior. In joy the two white wings slightly flapped almost in a clap at the man’s success for the lock. Yet sadly only one of the four locks opened. Sounds for joyous feathers flapping soon stopped into a slow halt, but instantly something odd happened.

Once the man couldn’t life the cage, her picked up the iron cage, plus the over two hundred pound bird up. His strength surprised her as he began to run with the heavy load. Since her face was towards the man, she couldn’t see the door behind her open with a man inside. Shortly they had stopped, but soon entered and she found herself inside a cave like place. There was no stone in this cave, but wooden walls like a forest with no green leaves. Such oddness was something she couldn’t understand, and soon realized that it was much hotter inside this “shelter” than it was outside.

After the man left, it seemed her cage carrier was the only on in the hot room. Dark orbs gazed at him, trying to understand what he was saying. She sat down on the cold cage from a crouched position to continue to look at the man. “I can’t understand you,” the bird spoke in avian tongue which sounded like whistles and caws. To try to have the man understand her better, the bird shook her head from side to side. Some common words of speech she could understand, but as long as she had a bird like throat, even if she did fully understand, she couldn’t speak.

Quickly the long beak nuzzled at the opened lock, and a small space from bar to bar was created. But her body was too big to fit, and would surely need at least one more key to get out. A key could work, but maybe another option like forcing the cage open by force. There were many stories of mighty people who could either force a lock to open, or magically open one. Yet they were only avian folklore, so Mosha failed to believe that.

Taking a deep breath, the bird became frantic to leave from her cage. THRASH! Was the sound that came from the cage as the bird flung its body to the half opened side of the cage. THRASH! And then another THRASH! Freedom was what she longed for, and soon angry pirates would be coming back for her any minute now, she had to hurry now. THRASH! But no matter for many times she slammed into the iron cage, all she could feel was pain with no progress. And that was when her stomach began to growl.