[the griffon is soft and an actually quite fascinated audience from beginning to end, cocking her head now and then, round-eyed and intent as the bird of prey she borrows a form from. she's too young to understand all the nuances, but she's responsive to the flow of the words and the journey of the birds]

You say that was a story, but I wonder . . . I wonder if the first flocks started like that . . . a little bit? Long ago . . .

[her voice is soft; wondering]