Scars matter not

A warm breeze carried through the coastal cliffs, where jagged rocks and overgrown vegetation met the rocky shores and the seemingly endless ocean. High above, gulls and other seafaring birds called out, announcing the high of noon as they lazily made their circles. 

In a sheltered cove beneath the cliffs, tucked away from the bustling colony above, little Timothy stood on a patch of soft, sandy ground. His crest was covered in an old victorian-style hat, firmly set on his head. The pale tapejara shuffled impatiently from foot to foot, his large, curious eyes fixed on the ocean as waves crashed against the rocks.

Faint wing beats drowned by the steady sounds of crashing waves failed to announce his arrival as Orchid landed beside him, an older Tapejara with a pleasant magenta crest. His landing was graceful, his wings folding neatly as he approached the younger pterosaur. Nestled beside each other, the two of them couldn’t look more different, Timothy pale and some would think him sickly, all while Orchid stood proud with his dark coat. Yet both have been given poor cards in life, both mangled but not truly broken. There’s nothing wrong with a weak wing or a torn throat after all, but it’s something that connected them in a way.

“What’cha doing, buddy?” Orchid attempted a playful chirping, tilting his head.

“Waiting for you!” Timothy replied once he noticed and regognised him, his voice bright and full of youthful energy. “I thought you forgot!”

Orchid let out a raspy chuckle. “I said I’d come. How could I forget when you look at me all woefully?”

Timothy laughed and hopped in place, though his enthusiasm was tempered by an awkward shuffle of his wings. One of them hung at an odd angle, its delicate membrane ragged and scarred. It meant he couldn’t fly like the others in the colony, but it’s nothing that ever held him down for too long. Today wasn’t about feeling left out. Today was about play, and they were determined to make it special.

“So,” Orchid began, angling his head to the side to meet Timothy’s excited gaze with his good eye. Then he jumped into a crouched down pose; a poor attempt at a ‘play bow’. “What are you feeling doing first? Climbing? Racing? Maybe scaring some skittish birds?”

Timothy grinned. “Let’s climb! I want to see if I can make it to the big rock before you!”

Orchid smirked, glancing at the boulder jutting out from the cove wall. It wasn’t terribly high, but for Timothy, it was a challenge worth taking on. “Alright,” Orchid said. “But no cheating, buddy. Oh, and watch your footing, these rocks are terribly slippery.”

“That I know!” Timmy called out, this wasn’t his first time after all. “You too though. No cheating!”

With that, before the older tapejara could think of an answer or a witty joke, Timothy already scrambled toward the base of the rock, his small claws tip-tapping on rockier parts of the shore. Orchid followed at a leisurely pace, his longer limbs would effortlessly keep up if he picked up the pace just a little. Despite the age and size difference, Orchid let Timothy take the lead, cheering him on with playful (raspy) squawks as the juvenile navigated the uneven surface.

“Almost there!” Timothy puffed, his good wing flaring for balance as he reached the top. He turned and spread his arms wide, wobbling slightly but beaming with pride. “I win!”

Orchid hopped up to join him, landing lightly beside the younger Tapejara. “Not bad, Tims. You’re getting faster.”

Timothy’s chest swelled with pride, though his voice was tinged with a wistfulness that didn’t escape Orchid’s notice. “I just wish I could fly up here like you do. It’d be so much easier.”

Orchid nudged him gently with his beak in the side. “Flying isn’t everything, you know. Look how well you climbed up here. Not everyone in the colony can do that, especially without the help of their wings.”

Timothy’s expression brightened at the encouragement. “You think so?”

“I know so,” Orchid said firmly, spreading his own limbs to catch the sun’s rays. His own scars spoke of the perils of growing up, and while he’s glad he could keep his ability to fly high despite the tears in his membrane, if he lost that too he’s determined he’d manage. “There’s so much more to life. Let’s enjoy the view!”

The two Tapejaras sat side by side, gazing out over the ocean. From their perch, they could see the waves sparkling beneath the warm sun, the horizon stretching endlessly in shades of blue and aquamarine. Below, small crabs scuttled along the beach, and tiny colourful fish darted in the shallows.

Timothy’s gaze wandered to the crabs and the youngling perked up. A mischievous glint lit up his eyes. “Let’s chase them!” he declared, hopping to his feet.

Orchid laughed. “Chase them? You’re going to scare them into hiding again before you can catch them.”

“That’s the fun part!” Timothy chirped, already scrambling down the rock. Orchid followed, shaking his head. At least he didn’t get the idea to play tag or hide and seek and hide on his blind side again. It would take him ages to find the lad if that’s the game they played.

The crabs, as expected, noticed the two Tapejaras barreling toward them and scattered in every direction. Timothy cheered with delight as he weaved between the scuttling creatures. Orchid joined in, his larger shadow sending the crabs scrambling into their burrows or jumping back into the pools of water.

“Watch this!” Timothy called, crouching low and creeping toward a particularly large crab. It looked at him with bold beady eyes and had stopped to wave its crusher claw at him. “I’m going to—”

The crab snapped its claw threateningly and swung it uncomfortably close to his beak tip, and Timothy let out a squawk of surprise, jumping back as Orchid burst into laughter. “Looks like that one’s not afraid of you, bud!”

“It’s just…really big,” Timothy protested, though his laughter soon joined Orchid’s. “And mean!”

They played like this for what must be hours, racing along the beach, investigating tide pools, and even daring each other to see who could get closer to the water without getting their feet wet. Timothy, emboldened by Orchid’s easygoing nature, grew braver with each passing moment.

As the sun began to dip lower in the sky, painting the cove in hues of orange and pink, the two Tapejaras returned to the rocky perch their first game had started on. Timothy flopped onto the flat surface, panting but grinning so much it threatened to bend his beak.

“That was the best day ever!” he declared, his hat slipping slightly from his crest as he spoke.

Orchid settled beside him, his larger frame radiating warmth in the cooling air as his dark coat soaked in the sun’s warmth. “It’s not over yet,” he said, gesturing with his beak toward the horizon.

Timothy turned to look and gasped. The setting sun had turned the ocean into a sea of golden and crimson shimmer, its colors rippling with the waves. Above them, the sky deepened into twilight, the first faint stars beginning to appear.

“It’s so pretty,” Timothy whispered.

Orchid nodded, his blue eye watching the wonder in Timothy’s eyes. “You don’t need wings to enjoy this view, Tims. This is something we can all share.”

Timothy leaned against Orchid, his small frame resting against the older Tapejara’s side. For the first time in a long while, he felt no sadness about his injured wing, no bitterness about the things he couldn’t do as other kids did. Today has been about what he could do. Climbing, running, playing and overall having a good time unbothered by anything else. For now, that was more than enough.

As the stars came out in full, the two Tapejaras remained on their perch, sharing stories and laughter until the sounds of the night lulled them into a peaceful, contented silence.

(1341 words according to Google Docs)