Chirp, chirp, chirp~

Tao Qiu worked with great care. Once he peeled away the top of the shell, he could see the little white bird curled up, wet and miserable, in fluid streaked with blood.

Having helped the little bird through the hardest part, Tao Qiu peeled no further. He simply cradled the bottom of the shell, hoping the little bird would be strong enough to shed the rest herself.

Eldest Cub and Second Cub kept Tao Qiu company as he waited. It was actually well past their mealtime, but neither of the little ones made a sound. Even Second Cub, who hated being kept in the stone "prison" most of all, lay there obediently, barely moving.

With his heart heavy, Tao Qiu lost track of time. He had no idea how long had passed; he only knew that as he watched, the little bird gradually absorbed the streaks of blood in the shell, and the bird, who had been on the verge of death, slowly began to respond.

But even though Tao Qiu had helped peel away half the shell, the little bird still had great difficulty hatching. Eldest Cub had crawled out steadily, and Second Cub had kicked her shell flying with her claws, but Third Cub was like someone stuck in a swamp: every movement left her needing a long rest before she could continue.

Tao Qiu was worried sick, but his hands remained rock steady, without the slightest tremor. He was terrified of startling the little one.

At last, after struggling to move, the little bird freed her body from the shell, leaving only her two tiny claws inside.

Utterly exhausted, the little bird lay against the edge of the shell without moving for a long time. She took longer to regain her strength than Eldest Cub and Second Cub combined.

Once she had recovered a little, Third Cub didn't chirp like her older brother and sister. Or rather, she was hungry but lacked the strength to beg for food. Unable even to lift her head, she only opened her beak slightly and let out a very faint whimper.

At this rate, the little bird wouldn't be able to eat on her own.

Tao Qiu set the shell beside Eldest Cub's and Second Cub's, then placed the little bird in a newly made feather nest. He held her beak open, bit his finger, and fed her his own blood before giving her any meat.

He knew what his blood could do. That little bit of pain and blood meant nothing to him; his only thought was the hope that it would help the little bird.

Even though she had hatched, she was so weak that she might still die prematurely.

Afraid that too much might cause problems, Tao Qiu fed her only two drops, deciding to take it slowly.

While Tao Qiu fed Third Cub, Eldest Cub stayed nearby. He smelled blood unlike that of prey and looked up to see blood coming from Tao Qiu's finger. Although he was still too young to understand, instinct told him that bleeding was no good thing.

He called out worriedly a few times and gently pecked at Tao Qiu.

Tao Qiu took a moment to stroke his head and reassured him softly, "I'm fine. Don't worry."

Hearing her brother call, Second Cub also noticed that the atmosphere had eased a little, so she began making noises again to attract Tao Qiu's attention.

Only then did Tao Qiu remember that Second Cub was still "locked up." He hurriedly scooped her out.

It was also then that he discovered Second Cub had opened her eyes at some point. Her irises were green like his, and even the shade was very similar.

Before going out, Tao Qiu had checked that Second Cub's eyes were still closed. When he returned, he had been so concerned about Third Cub that he hadn't paid attention to Second Cub, so he didn't even know when she had opened them.

Tao Qiu stroked Second Cub, his voice apologetic. "I'm sorry. I didn't notice."

He should have witnessed such an important moment with his own eyes.

Second Cub stared at Tao Qiu for a while, probably memorizing what he looked like. Once she was done, she obediently rubbed against his hand, as if to say it was all right.

Tao Qiu was both comforted and sorry for her, but he had no time to dwell on his feelings. He turned back to feeding Third Cub, though this time it really was meat.

Chapter 15: Chirp, chirp, chirp~

After drinking Tao Qiu's blood, Third Cub looked a little more lively, but she was still very weak and even ate slowly.

Afraid Third Cub wouldn't be able to digest the meat, Tao Qiu cut it into even smaller pieces. He had picked up one of his own fallen outer flight feathers to use as a knife and brought over a cleaned stone slab as a cutting board, allowing him to cut the meat to whatever size he wanted.

That was how he had prepared Eldest Cub's and Second Cub's food for the past few days. It was quicker and more convenient than tearing it with his beak.

Third Cub's appetite was not even half that of either of the other two. Tao Qiu had only been feeding her for a short while when she turned her head and closed her beak. Then she lay down in her nest and quietly fell asleep.

Being weak and eating so little were no good signs for a newborn chick.

Tao Qiu sighed, covered Third Cub with an extra little blanket, and put the feather nest somewhere he could see it at a glance.

Once Third Cub was settled, he turned and picked up the other two cubs, who had been good and quiet all this time, setting them in front of him.

"You two must be starving."

Tao Qiu had only just remembered that it was past the two cubs' feeding time, and he had also realized that they had kept quiet for his and Third Cub's sake. He was comforted by that, but also felt a little sorry for them.

"Chirp, chirp."

The two round little chicks, one black and one white, stood side by side, calling for their father in their soft, young voices.

"You're both my good little cubs." Overflowing with fatherly affection, Tao Qiu lowered his head and kissed each chick on the head.

"Chirp, chirp!" At their dad's affection, both chicks called out a little more excitedly.

Tao Qiu smiled and said no more. He brought over the meat he had prepared earlier and began feeding both little birds at once.

After several days of feeding them, Tao Qiu had gained some experience and knew how much meat the two chicks could eat in one meal. He usually cut up a whole day's supply in advance, so he wouldn't have to scramble when it was time to feed them.

In bird form, Tao Qiu fed the chicks with his beak. In human form, he used wooden chopsticks he had made himself. Each method had its advantages.

Only after the two had eaten their fill did Tao Qiu finally have time to rest.

Patrolling and hunting outside had drained his strength, and caring for Third Cub, who had nearly died, after he returned had exhausted him both mentally and physically. All he wanted now was to lie down and rest for a while.

It was easier to care for the three chicks in the cave in human form, so Tao Qiu didn't change back into a bird. He lay flat on his back in the big grass nest, resting his head beside Third Cub's nest so he could keep an eye on the little chick at all times.

Eldest Cub was accustomed to Tao Qiu changing forms and sizes, and Second Cub didn't wonder why her dad sometimes looked different from her, either.

Their little heads couldn't yet ponder such complicated questions.

After eating and drinking their fill, Eldest Cub and Second Cub didn't return to their own feather nests. Instead, they hopped onto Tao Qiu and settled against his chest. Listening to his heartbeat, their heads resting together, they slowly closed their eyes.

They were tired too and wanted to sleep.

Watching the three chicks sleep soundly, Tao Qiu couldn't resist his own drowsiness and gradually drifted off.

Before long, the only sound in the cave was the even breathing of the family of four.

As Second Cub slept, she grew hungry. She smelled a sweet fragrance, the scent of the wild berries her dad had fed her before.

In her dream, wild berries lay in heaps not far away, waiting for her to taste them. Second Cub swallowed her drool, pushed off with both claws, and pounced.

But when she opened her beak, what she got wasn't sweet wild berries, but something soft and furry that almost kept her from breathing.

The wild berries had grown fur!

Frightened, Second Cub backed away again and again, waking herself up in the process. She chirped as she retreated, and was just about to tumble out of the nest when Tao Qiu reached out in time to catch her.

Second Cub sat in Tao Qiu's palm for quite a while before fully waking up. When she opened her eyes, she found her dad looking at her with a smile, and hurriedly told him what she had just discovered.

"Chirp, chirp! Chirp, chirp!"

Dad! Berries! Fur! Scary!

Although Second Cub was clever, she was still a chick who had hatched only recently. Tao Qiu's constant chatter over the past few days had gradually rubbed off on her, and she had a vague understanding of her relationship with her dad, Eldest Cub, and Third Cub, as well as the names and uses of some things around her.

Even so, she still couldn't express herself accurately in language, not even bird language. Those few words were only the rough meaning Tao Qiu had pieced together from her jumbled chirping.

And because she was so little, she still couldn't tell dreams from reality.

Once Tao Qiu knew what she had dreamed, he could no longer hold back and burst out laughing.

"Hahahaha, is this the berry you're talking about?"

Tao Qiu cupped Eldest Cub, who had also woken up in the nest, and held him in front of Second Cub. The down on Eldest Cub's chest, once smooth, was now ruffled, with a small dent in the middle where his flesh-colored skin was faintly visible.

Eldest Cub looked down at his chest, then at his still-bewildered sister, a trace of helplessness in his eyes.

"You still don't understand what happened?" Having witnessed the whole thing, Tao Qiu smiled and reenacted the "crime scene."

He nudged Second Cub in front of Eldest Cub, then gently pressed down on her little head. Her pointed beak plunged into the small dent, fitting it perfectly.

Three seconds later, Second Cub's eyes lit up as she realized what had happened.

She waved her little wings at her brother and dad. "Chirp, chirp, chirp! Chirp!"

Brother berry! Furry!

Her brother was a berry too, but a furry one.

Eldest Cub: "..." He didn't quite understand, but it didn't seem to be anything good.

Tao Qiu: "Pfft!"

Tao Qiu's shoulders shook, and tears came to his eyes from laughing, but he didn't forget to give his daughter a thumbs-up. "You're so clever, sweetheart!"

"Chirp! Chirp!" Vaguely understanding that he was praising her, Second Cub hopped about happily.

Eldest Cub's dark green eyes remained placid. Seeing that his dad probably wouldn't stop laughing anytime soon, he simply lowered his head and slowly smoothed his ruffled down back into place with his beak.

There was a reason Second Cub had dreamed of wild berries: Tao Qiu had just been using his power to ripen some.

After waking up, he had moved the two chicks from his chest into their feather nest and placed it on his lap. Then he had planted wild berry seeds in the soil in front of him.

That was why Second Cub had smelled the sweet fragrance, and why Tao Qiu had been able to catch her in time.

There hadn't been much time, so Tao Qiu hadn't produced many wild berries. He divided them all among the three chicks.

He thought the wild berries grown with his ability might also benefit the three cubs, so he fed Third Cub a few extra, hoping she would recover her health soon.