Evening by the Ocean

It was about 5:30 in the afternoon when Nicholas came by the Aviary. I was still busy collecting feathers for the Storyteller's Symposium, which doesn't take place till Autumn, but as my beautiful birds shed their feathers reluctantly I always like to have a good head start. Greeting me, he gave me a sympathetic smile - I must have looked a right state, with my bird nest hair and my dusty gray bloomers.
- I think you could do with a good wash! he said, offering me a handkerchief to wipe my sweaty, gritty face. I'd have answered him with a glare, if I wasn't so exhausted.
- I was heading to the beach, fancy a break?
I was happy to oblige, just to get away.
We made short work of the lengthy path to the coast and once there, despite my tiredness I surrendered to the wonders of the ocean... I carried home with me some constellation pebbles, and a small wave kissed quartz, while Nicholas gathered some samples from the oceanic rockbreaker . We also made two new acquaintances: a pelagic penguin with an appetite for scones and blueberry jam (I always take a dozen or so with us when we are exploring) and a nautilus diver who almost made me clap with childlike enthusiasm as he gracefully took off and dived over and over into the waves....