Turns out what we Americans call the Willow Ptarmigian (Lagopus lagopus) is the same bird as the Red Grouse that many Brits worship on August 12th. What in England is called Ptarmigian we call the Rock Ptarmigian (Lagopus mutus). I suppose Ptarmigian is the Tarshite word for the same bird that all* right-thinking DP Orlanthi call Grouse.
Likely after a few years as one of Peter Nash's cool hill-roaming, dogless, sharp-slinging Voriof shepherds most young Orlanthi decide they prefer their hares jugged or quail served on toast under a dry roof by a warm fire and return home to worship Barntar or one of the other settled cults while the few who prefer their partridge and squirrel roasted over an open fire gravitate towards Odayla. (Note: I take the description of Voria and Voriof in KoS to indicate that you are just as likely to find a girl herding sheep as you are to find a boy tending a herb garden, that is, often enough. YGMV)
"While crossing the Star Fire Ridges we asked directions of one of the local shepherds and asked her to share our evening meal once camp was made. To our surprise she produced several braces of fine, fat woodcock which she had taken with her sling while tending her flock, which impressed our guards no end. Plucked and put on small spits, undrawn, dredged and basted with lard the birds were done in a trice and served up on thick slices of toasted white bread with melted butter drizzled over all. The girl's open delight at the luxury of such bread was obvious and I think our cook made a friend for life when he gifted her with a whole loaf."
Gary R Switzer
Aero Hobbies
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