Tie the Knot

Flint cocked his head to the side and squinted at the nest. Even through narrow lids, something seemed off about it. He quickly flopped his head over to the other side for a different perspective, but the feeling remained. The nest was not complete. There was still more to do.

Determined to get it just right, he stepped back up to the side of the mound and began to remove fern fronds once more. He’d been working on the nest all morning, and for the most part it had been going extremely well. Flint felt confident in laying in the groundwork. Which Clover seemed pleased with.

Then he hit a snag. No matter what he did, Flint wasn’t happy with how the nest looked. He was now on his fourth attempt and he had begun to wonder if he had missed something. In an attempt to reassure himself, he went back over everything he’d already done in his head. Once the checklist was ticked off, though, it only made him wonder even more. What was missing!?

Flint was so caught up in trying to figure it out that he didn’t notice Clover returning. She walked up, beak full of more fern fronds, and stopped beside him. Flint startled when he finally noticed her then he waited anxiously as she surveyed his progress. At first, he thought she was unhappy because she moved to set down her mouthful of materials before turning to him. However, as soon as she smiled, he knew that everything was okay.

“Why do you look so worried? It looks fine,” she said, and she reached out to nuzzle him reassuringly on the cheek. He sighed and shrugged.

“I just want to make sure it’s as good as it can be,” he finally said after a brief pause. Clover searched his face for more answers, but then Flint moved to pick up the fronds she had just dropped and she sighed softly.

“Alright. One more trip then and that should be enough, I think.”

“Sounds good,” Flint replied, more curtly than he intended to. He winced and glanced over at Clover. She seemed puzzled, and she left without replying which made him sigh once more.

Determined now more than ever, Flint threw himself into arranging the new set of fern fronds on to the nest. He was so absorbed in it that he didn’t notice the figure looming just at the edge of his vision. It wasn’t until the figure moved away that he noticed a change which made him turned his head just in time.

Flint locked eyed with Magma, who had a mouthful of some of the fronds Clover had just returned with moments before. The two stared at each other for a few seconds as the tension slowly rose. Then Magma snorted and lowered his head into a defensive position.

“Back off! They’re mine now,” Magma stated definitively, though his words were a bit muffled since he had to talk around the fronds. Still shocked, Flint just stared at him in response.

Clover, however, had plenty to say. Unfortunately, her response was also muffled by a mouthful of fronds. The distance between her and the two males didn’t help either. To them, she just sounded like she was spouting off gibberish. As she charged closer, though, the words became clearer and Magma quickly decided he didn’t want to listen to the rest.

While he moved to spin around and dash away, Flint sprinted past him and cut him off. While they had yet another stare down, Clover rushed up and flanked Magma from behind. Now pinned, he glanced between the pair and then sucked in a big breath. At first, Flint thought the hothead was going to try to take them both on. Thankfully, Magma relented and let out the breath he’d briefly been holding in a whoosh.

‘Fine,” he snapped after spitting the fronds out. With one last withering glance at the two, Magma stomped back up the hill.

Clover watched Magma until he was out sight. Flint, on the hand, went straight back to working on the nest. He meticulously gathered up the fronds that had been misplaced and began to place them on to the mound. He was nearly done when Clover finally snorted and turned to him. She dropped her mouthful of fronds at his feet and then wordlessly stepped away so as not to be in the way.

Moments later, Flint finally stepped back. He silently surveyed the nest for several tense moments before nodding to himself. Once he turned to Clover, she knew that he was ready for her to look at it for the final decision. She smiled reassuringly at him then stepped past him to closely inspect the nest.

Flint’s heart lurched every time Clover moved in closer or nudged a twig. Thankfully, she didn’t do so very much, and when she finally turned to him it was with an approving smile. She had already chosen him once in the ravine, and he had thought then that his heart couldn’t feel any fuller. However, it now seemed to press against his chest as if it were going to burst free from the inside.

Moved beyond words, Flint spontaneously threw his head back and happily trilled. Surprised by his outburst, but equally moved by his display, Clover trilled in return. The sound carried over the hill top to the other pairs making their nests and caused a chain reaction. Each pair trilled in response, filling the warm spring air with a chorus of voices.

While Clover watched the hillside erupt into song with a delighted expression, Flint merely stared at her. Even though she wasn’t even trying to, she continued to surprise him. Some of that was his fault since he kept doubting her, or rather himself. The rest of it was all her, though, and it fascinated him.

Flint smiled as Clover turned to looked at him. She smiled in return and for a while they just enjoyed each other’s company in peace as silence fell over the hillside once more.