Linee is hosting the other farmers’ wives while the men plan the harvest. Bidi’s wife says to Linee “Why do you spend so much time with those Harpies?”
Linee says “Our farm is nearest to their home.”
Stasto’s wife says “How can you stand the smell. I mean don’t they smell awful? They don’t look like they bathe at all.”
Linee says “actually they like bathing. They fly better when their feathers are clean.”
Stasto’s wife speaks up saying “They why don’t they bathe more often?”
Linee says “The only bathing water they have access to is rainwater or in the woods.”
Stasto’s wife says “and why don’t they use the woods?”
Linee says “They can’t fly when their feathers are wet, and you all know what’s in those woods.”
Bidi’s wife says “indeed, if not for Boar Killer, we would have lost half our crop by now.”
Linee says “Tell you what. The next time you get the family to bathe outside, leave the bath out and just call to the Harpies ‘bath time’ and see what happens.”
Sharre’s wife has been admiring a new pillow of Linee’s saying “I am amazed at this pillow of yours. It is so soft and warm. Where did you get it?”
Linee says “It's Harpy chick down. The stranger turned me on to it. He had made a pillow from his Harpy’s down. I just cleaned the feathers and made a better pillow for him.” The women have begun to pass the pillow around. Linee says “The chicks are born with what they call Hatchling down to keep them warm. But they shed it once they start getting big enough to fly.”
Bidi’s wife says “really! How did you collect it?”
Linee says “I have made a comb to pull it off the chick. They like it because the down becomes itchy after a while. So I’m doing them a favor and get to keep the feathers afterward.” The women all look at Linee for a moment. Linee says “and many of the Harpies are soon going to have chicks that need their Hatchling down removed soon. So I could use some help.”
Glee is overlooking the work as the harvest begins. Farmhands from the other farms have come to help. The farmers decided to work Glee’s fields first and then move along the forest line to try and keep the damage the boars do down to a minimum.
Speaker comes in for a landing and hops up on a fence post saying “Hello, Hello.”
Glee looks at Speaker and says “Hello Speaker.”
Speaker says “what you do?” as she looks at the fields.
Glee says “We are harvesting the grain. I hope you don’t mind.”
Speaker says “Mind! You are making it easier to hunt now. Hard to see prey in tall grass. We like short grass.”
Glee looks to the field that has already been done and sees the Harpies circling and diving to grab prey. But they immediately head back to the nest after catching something. Glee says to Speaker “Why isn’t the flock going to get the meat cooked?”
Speaker says “Chicks too hungry to wait for cooked food.”
Glee says “I’ll send one of my daughters up to start cooking for you.”
Meanwhile, the Harpy Eagle is searching for food for her chick. The small game her lesser kin hunt would barely do for her chick. She is finally able to snag a piglet and starts taking it back. As she approaches her nest, she sees two of her lesser kin fly towards it. She recognizes them as the ones that hunt with her mate. They fly over the nest but drop something in the nest. The Harpy Eagle’s chick begins to eat it. The Harpy Eagle realizes that they are trying to help, but know to keep their distance from her chick.
