A Deliberate Bow

My talons gripped the cool, speckled stone beneath me. I blinked, the weight of stillness suddenly lifting from my neck. Right beside me stood a small figure in dark robes, clutching a slender wand. She remained perfectly still, offering no sudden threat. In return, I tilted my beak down slowly, measuring the space between us in a single, measured bow, before rising back up to hold her gaze.