Blindness Training: Flat Course

Hama woke to the sound of things being moved. She tilted her head standing up and stretching out. "Newt?" She called out confused.

"Oh sorry, Hama did I wake you? I was just setting up a little obstacle course for ya. Gotta keep going. You did great with the commands so I wanna see you try this flat obstacle course." He grinned. "And if anyone can do this it's you." He said being encouraging.

She shook herself to wake up more. "And does Dainty know your messing with her meadow?" She teased back.

"I asked first of course!" He said mock offended but nudged her. He lead her to the start of it and smiled at her. "Alright I've used vines and logs to keep you on track but you just follow this until you get back to me again ok?" He said.

Hama nodded and tapped her claw on the ground to test where things were placed. "Ok, I think I can do this. Everything is low or able to be walked around right?" She said.

"I have a couple of things you can easily walk up and over other than that yes. It's all flat here besides that. The harder training won't be until later." He said.

She nodded. She heard him take off feeling the beat of his wings and the air rush against her for a second before hearing him land at the far side of the meadow. She took a deep breath and began. She walked carefully tapping her claw as a form of echolocation. She felt a rock underfoot and stepped back and walked around it. She slowly and carefully traversed the course sniffing and tapping to guide her.

She used her claws and talons to step over a big root in her way perching on it and clicking her beak this time to listen to her surroundings. She estimated she was getting to the halfway point. She carefully walked down the root using her wings for balance. She weaved around two very close rocks and jumped over a pit that wasn't deep but could have cost her a leg injury if she had stepped into it wrong. She shook herself to shake off the jitters she was starting to get. No, she had to do this. It would help her in the long run.

She kept walking on. She came to a trickier section and took her time to think of a way across. From what she could sense it seemed Newt had made this divot deeper than the last pit. She felt along the edge with her feet and found a log she could use to cross. She carefully stepped upon the log and slowly crossed it. She stopped when she sense a branch in the way. She carefully lowered herself down and felt on either side of her feeling another log on her right. She stepped onto that slowly and carefully before making it across to the other side. She could smell Newt was much closer now. She could tell she was almost done.

She walked on jumping over low roots and rocks. She weaved around logs set up vertically. She ducked under a higher set log then hopped over another just behind that. Her heart raced as she neared the end. She had almost done it! She felt the ground start to incline a bit and stepped back. She clicked her beak and noticed it wasn't that high just enough to make her glide to the end into her friend. She climbed back up to the edge then jumped and glided down and landed in front of Newt who nuzzled her.

"You did it. I'm so proud. The next part you will do yourself but I will be watching of course. Can't let you get hurt." He smiled.

Hama pressed into him. "That was challenging but I liked it. It was a learning experience I won't forget." She said.

He chuckled. "Alright, let's go eat. You wake Dainty and I'll get the stuff." He said.

She nodded and as they ate that day Hama felt a glow of pride that she could navigate despite her blindness. After she ate she curled into Newt and Dainty to sleep off the meal.