sweeps a wing toward the glowing ice Cool.
Indeed. Now, have you come to claim me as your mate?
Oh good, because I’m looking for a mate, so be prepared!
You’re not getting off that easy! Now show me your strength, fly with me!
flapping wings lift them into the air
flies high, high above, high above the clouds Wheeeee!!! dips and swoops, playing with the wind currents
Now we go into the caves, high up into the peak, where the aurora borealis is!
they arrive at the peak Look!
It’s beautiful! This will be our home for the next many moons! And I can’t wait to have your eggs! purrs seductively
you settle into the nest made of feathers and moss
nuzzles against Stonets This is nice! lays a large clutch of eggs There we go! Time to sit on these and make sure they don’t get too cold!
Better than that. Have some warm kisses.
Warm kisses, huh? What exactly are you trying to do?
Suddenly, Stonets melts, dissolving back into the river
What the—? Oh, you trickster! Come back here, you!
Stonets reforms from the water What happened to your sense of adventure? Don't you like surprises?
Awww, come back here, you sneaky little creature!
Wait, my precious eggs! They’re hatching?!
Look at all those adorable little faces!
Those are not just adorable little faces. Those are my children. My precious offspring. My legacy.
Think they're ready to fly yet?
Hmm… if they’re as strong and tough as their mother, they should be able to handle it. Let’s find out. gestures for the little ones to come
Very cute! When they get bigger they'll probably hunt birds like us.
Yes, they shall be great hunters. And then one day, they’ll grow up and create their own nests. Just like their mother. Just like me.
But first they need to learn to catch their prey first.
Indeed, they must learn this before they can have a nest of their own. But, they won’t be able to do it alone. We must teach them, guide them.
How else would they survive?
Exactly. And now, we must help them. extends a wing, guiding one of the chicks Now, little one, let’s practice catching prey.
I think they got the hang of it.
watches as the little ones catch their first prey successfully Yes, they’re getting the hang of it! They’re learning fast.
See how proud they are? They’ve become such fierce hunters. And they learned all of this from their mother and me. proudly preens a feather