Of Air And Earth [Laeraix]

[Raiha]

"Good a place as any," Raiha grinned a little at that. "The Akalak are really good at weaponry and fighting. Me, I'm from Mura, originally... I don't think you'd like it there," the grin took on a slightly rueful overture before it dissolved. "I only arrived earlier in the season myself, so I'm still trying to fit in. But I've found a job and a home in Sanctuary. But me, I tend to stay out of trouble, and I think in most cities if you don't give them trouble, they won't give you trouble back." She was from the wild lands... and it seemed as such. Maybe she was a more feral sort, kind of like Asim. She couldn't imagine the big bear in Mura, either. She couldn't begin to guess, after all. Who knew if she had been bonded before?

Find out, Kanikra urged her. I like this one. She could be useful.

You only like someone if you feel they might be moderately useful to you, the Akontak sighed inwardly. It's not enough to simply decide you like someone for being them, is it? "If you want, I'll come get your pack with you, and I could show you Sanctuary?" Raiha offered. She, personally, found the eagle Kelvic fascinating. They were so massively different from one another, Kelvics were. Where others of a race tended to group with and support another... Kelvics found someone -or something- else, and called their bondmate their people. They didn't really hold much loyalty to each other as a race. But she could be wrong - maybe it was just that she hadn't seen enough interacting together to form any concrete opinion based on actual evidence for it.

She whistled at Uzima, then, holding an arm up, and the goshawk left her kill to perch on Raiha's leather gauntlet as the tall Akontak knelt to scoop up the remains of both moles in a leather pouch. The leather was knotted and attached to her hip. She could have left the carcasses, true, and without a doubt, something would have come for them. But it wasn't like they would go bad in this weather, and they had enough animals that could do with a bite of mole. Worst case scenario, she tossed them to Diallo, her Deerstalker. He'd eat them, and he wouldn't complain about it, either. Waste not, want not, or so should have been the primary rule of hunting. "You can fly if you want, and Uzima and I will follow on the ground... if you want some company, that is." And if she even wanted to. Who knew? Maybe she would prefer to fly away from here like the wind, and carry on. But Raiha hoped she wouldn't.

[Laeraix Cerys]

Laeraix was surprised. The conversation was flowing effortlessly and Raiha seemed genuinely interested in her and why she had journeyed to Riverfall. She was just as interested in the Akontak, though she tried not to seem too eager. Maybe it was her lack of social grace that made the conversation seem natural, and even if it was, she had learned not to care about such things. Life had many facets, and few of them dealt with the proper way to shake someone’s hand or anything silly like that. She turned her attention back to Raiha as the girl spoke again.

"The Akalak are really good at weaponry and fighting. Me, I'm from Mura, originally... I don't think you'd like it there,"

She wanted to learn more about how to fight with a quarter staff. Avari’s methodology was overly defensive in Laeraix’s mind, and she often pondered the best way to use the staff to kill, not just to maim. The weapon masters and smiths in Riverfall were spoken of highly, and their determination and skill saw few equals. Even if the price was high, she hoped that they would teach her. If that failed, it would be wonderful to simply witness the Akalak train.

“I don’t know where Mura is. I’m not much on big cities, if it’s one of those. Riverfall seemed like my kind of place, from the bits I’ve heard. I can’t wait to finally get there and learn as much as I can. I hope the people are accepting and not quite as loud as the Sylirans were.”

She grimaced as she remembered the incessant din that swept through the city at all hours of the day. It didn’t seem to bother the city folk, in fact they actually liked all the noise.

Raiha offered to take her to Sanctuary and walk with her while she gathered her belongings. It would be good to have someone to walk with and she was sure that Raiha would watch her back. It was a small comfort of the day and she would like to gather her belongings before a wayward child or adventurer found them.

"You can fly if you want, and Uzima and I will follow on the ground... if you want some company, that is."

She smiled and nodded. It would be good to be up among the clouds again, though she wanted to stay within sight of Raiha and Uzima. The goshawk still seemed bristly around her and she didn’t want to give the bird any more reason to suspect an attack. Laeraix stretched her arms while looking up into the sky. There were no enemies above her, and no humans around to witness her transformation, except for Raiha. She made sure to check twice, because a lack of caution could be fatal.

The transformation was quick and painless. A cloud of smoke surrounded her as her body reworked itself to fit the smaller frame of an eagle. Bones snapped in places and new muscles were formed to accommodate her strong wings. Her sight was sharper in this form and she clicked her beak once, as it had become a habit to do so. Everything was as it should be. She flew a few feet into the air, slowly, to allow Raiha and Uzima to keep pace with her. She wondered about Mura, about the Sanctuary, and about the mysteries that Riverfall held. If the people were as nice as Raiha in all the places that she traveled she could truly prove Avari wrong. As much as she wished for the fact to be true, she knew that devious people lay in wait everywhere, even in beautiful cities.

[Raiha]

"Mura is up on Konti Isle, to the northeast of Syliras," Raiha explained. "But yes, big city. Big, pale, quiet city," she amended after thinking about it for a moment. "I grew up there. For some people, they like it very much and it suits them. I didn't fit in very well there. But Riverfall has its own flavour. So did Syliras. I stopped in there on my way here... A little busy for me. But to each their own. I just have a tendency to enjoy something quieter where I can work with animals. I think I like them better than most people," she admitted. "They make more sense, and I can get along with them a little better." Raiha didn't worry overly much about how well she got along with people... but Kanikra was something else altogether, and her twin soul could do a lot of damage given the opportunity. Raiha preferred to just keep her from doing that damage.

"As for accepting... I suppose so. I don't spend a whole lot of time in the city, to be quite honest with you," the Akontak admitted. "I do a lot more work outside of it, in Sanctuary. I'm mindful of their laws in that I work, I keep to myself, and I don't bother anyone. Akontak or not, I'm pretty sure that I'm not going to get away with breaking a dozen laws just to see if I can," her lips quirked in a grin. She watched the Kelvic shift into her true form, and shook her head slightly. Beautiful. She was getting used to Kelvics from her interactions with Asim and Flick, and was learning more about them as she went. Kelvics, after all, were animals that walked around in a human skin from time to time... not the other way around. She had made that mistake before, and it had been utterly disastrous. She'd worked it out, of course, but still. She had never forgotten it... and chances were, she never would.

She set off at a quick pace following Laeraix on foot, Uzima on her gauntlet. The bird wanted to fly, too, but as far as Raiha was concerned, she could just stay right there on her gauntlet for now until she got used to the Kelvic's presence, especially if she decided to stick around. Besides, this way, she had the bird on her glove, and the leash attached to Uzima's jesses again once more. She looped the leash in her hand to make sure it didn't catch on any of the greenery while they traveled and wouldn't upset the goshawk by getting tangled and jerking her around. If she let that happen, Uzima would probably cut her arm open for it. And at the same time, she had to be careful - because one never knew what was lurking around, especially with their paddocks of horses and the other animals around Sanctuary. Sure, having a bear around helped discourage would-be predators, but the further one got away from Sanctuary, the more wild things could get. While Auristics could help in sensing something amiss, it was also a lot for her to comprehend at one point and would probably just make things worse.

Half a mile. It didn't take long for them to cross that distance - not with her long legs and Laeraix's wings. She kept an eye on the eagle, though, watching her and her body language for cues about when they were getting closer to where the cunning young woman had hidden her belongings. She had a feeling she'd probably trip over them before she'd see them, depending on how well Laeraix had hidden them. But this, she felt, was a good start. Unless she's leading you elsewhere to get you lost, Kanikra suggested. She could just be blowing smoke in order to throw you off her trail and getting you lost out here at the same time.

Aren't you just a ray of sunshine?

[Laeraix Cerys]

The conversation was simple, but she enjoyed the fact that she could be herself, in her true form with another once again. It had been too long, though she didn’t regret it, for her over caution had saved her many times. The grassy plains were altogether different from the ones she grew up around, and she tried to catalog the various foliage and nuances of the land as she flew, but she found that her mind was far more interested in what Raiha had to say.

The Akalak girl had a strong steady walk that few two leggers had in the wild. Raiha was mindful of the ground underfoot, but also keenly aware of that above and around her. It seemed that her first impressions of her were correct- the native from Mura was acutely aware of both the wonder and danger that the wild held. Laeraix pondered this for a moment. How could someone from a city become so intimately familiar with these wilds in such a short time? In truth, she didn’t know how long Raiha had been here. She hadn’t mentioned it, but it was still a curious puzzle to think on.

The goshawk remained on Raiha’s thick armored gauntlet, and the girl clipped a leash to the bird to ensure that it wouldn’t go anywhere. Laeraix rustled her feathers at the thought of being chained to anyone or anything, to have wings, but to be flightless. She was not surprised at the level of trust between the goshawk and her falconer, not with the obvious care she showed towards the bird, but it was an idea that would take time to accommodate to. She wondered why the bird was not in the air, but it was not her place to dictate how a falconer trained and raised her flock. It was something that had interested her for quite a while ever since Avari had brought home a book on raising birds. Some of the info, about breeding and care had been enlightening, but some of it had sickened her. She had come to terms with it now, and hoped that Raiha could show her the better side of being a falconer.

After a bit of walking Laeraix recognized the oddly shaped patch of grass where she had stowed her belongings. Even from here she couldn’t tell that anything was hidden under the patch of grass. It occurred to her that she would have to shift back to her human form to carry her belongings. At least now she would have clothing and wouldn’t stumble into the Sanctuary looking out of place. She shifted back and dug through the woven grasses to find her belongings. Her pack was closest to the open air, as it was the least valuable, in her mind. Her clothing was next, and finally her quarterstaff. She had buried the quarterstaff under a layer of dirt a few feet away from everything else. It was wrapped in a rough burlap cloth to preserve the material and keep the insects and worms away. She twirled it over her hands a few times and was pleased that nothing had happened to her weapon. Avari had loathed this method, as he preferred to hide his weaponry amongst the trees. She had found a snake wrapped around her staff once and was convinced from that point forward that the Earth could hold her possessions far better than the trees.

Once she was prepared she smiled brightly at Raiha. “So, how far are we from Sanctuary?”

[Raiha]

“Uzima’s very possessive,” the Akontak explained as she walked, knowing the Kelvic could hear her even as she winged overhead. The sense of hearing on these birds was phenomenal. “Even though you’re bigger than she is, and you could probably pluck and truss her like a roasting chicken, she would still pick a fight with you.” She pulled out the first mole, the one that Uzima had caught and maimed, holding it up to the bird. Uzima let out an approving screech and sunk her beak into it, beginning to rip and pull to get at the moist morsels of flesh she wanted. It was her reward for a hunting session well done. They had to keep the pastureland clear of menaces that would ruin a horse’s leg, after all.

“That’s why I clipped the leash to her jesses. Besides, once we’re out of this stand of trees… one little hawk can attract a lot of attention from bigger predators.” They left the trees and moved into the open grasslands, Raiha’s long legs picking up the pace. This wasn’t a good place to be caught in, she knew that much. She kept an eye on the eagle overhead, and from the shadows on the ground. By the time they’d covered the half a mile or so to where Laeraix had cached her belongings, Raiha had put the remainder of the mole back in the pouch, now that the goshawk’s crop full. Uzima ruffled her feathers as Raiha paused to get a closer look at some sort of herb that caught her eye. That was ribwort, a dark green, slender herb with lance-like leaves sticking out of the grass, the long stalks protruding from the undulating blades of grass. Each of the stalks was capped with a single, dense, cylindrical cap – that was the flower, with the tiny, yellow filaments that seemed to dance around the cap. The whole thing would have to come up – every part of the ribwort was usable. Poultices, tea, syrups… it worked as an antibiotic, and helped to soothe coughs and to clear up insect bites, stings, and itchy rashes.

So while Laeraix got dressed, Raiha dug up that plant with one hand while Uzima complained about being jostled. The Akontak made a face at her goshawk. “You’re fine,” she told the bird with a smile. “Just let me get this out…” she had a bit of dirt on her blue-skinned face when the Kelvic addressed her, and she smiled at her. “Remember where I was?” she stood up, holding the plant with both hands, Uzima inspecting the fronds with disinterest. “I was maybe five minutes outside of it, so we’re maybe ten chimes away from it,” she grinned. “But we’ll go back there, and I’ll show you around. I think you’d like it to see it. I sleep in the mews with Asim. He’s a Kelvic bear I met in the Sylira region when I was traveling from Zeltiva to Syliras. He and I bonded recently. He can be a bit of a grump… but you get used to it.”

Between the pair of them, Raiha trimmed her step a little bit to enable Laeraix to keep up. With her long legs, she covered a lot of ground quite quickly. She knew it could be difficult for others to keep up with her, and she didn’t know just how much time this one spent in her two-legged form. But they crossed the grass quickly enough, and Uzima seemed to warm up to Laeraix, now that she was dressed and carrying what was, to the goshawk, a big stick. Raiha’s calm demeanor probably didn’t hurt, either. “We’ll put Uzima in her flight so I can show you Sanctuary… and I can put the ribwort up, too,” she grinned a little, hoisting the plant she had dug out. “I like learning to help others with herbs,” she confessed. “Kavala, the Konti who runs Sanctuary, is a healer as well, and likes to dispense syrups and such around Riverfall when she hears someone with a cough, so it’s useful to always have what we can find on hand… here we are,” they’d reached the stand of trees where Laeraix had first come across the odd-looking girl. “Just beyond here are the pastures for the horses and the cow… but groundhogs and gophers will tunnel out here, and then move further in, so I like to start watching for those tunnels here besides those that pop up in the pastures. If a horse breaks a leg… we’re in trouble,” she explained. “This way.”

She climbed over the wooden rail fence when they got to it, keeping her balance easily enough. An enormous dog, white with grey patches on it, came charging out of nowhere, racing easily enough around the horses, baying at the top of his lungs. “Shush,” Raiha told the dog, shaking her head at him. “This is Diallo,” she introduced him to Laeraix. The dog was eying her almost suspiciously, but Raiha gave him a light shove with her leg. “Stop that. She’s a guest. Be nice.” He wound himself around and between Raiha’s legs, and she shook her head at him. But the dog did calm down, as if Raiha’s telling him that she was allowed to be there was all that the dog needed to know. He came over to sniff at the Kelvic, nosing at her hands and feet before turning to follow Raiha as she went through the pasture. “This is just about all Kavala’s herd, but my mare is in there somewhere,” she explained to her guest. They cut through the pastures until they came to another wooden fence, and upon scaling that one as well, they found themselves in a courtyard.

“Here’s the mews,” she led Laeraix up a flight of stairs and into the second floor. There were some rows of flights on either side, and in two of them were birds. “They’re recovering,” Raiha explained to her, making her way to the end, where there was an enormous bear dozing beside a low-slung bed. “Found one in the water by the river… silly boy didn’t realize to be wary of the spring floods. He’s just a baby. The other one had a run-in with some sort of predator. Torn up and broken wing, but he’ll pull through. When they’re healed up and they can make it on their own, they’ll go back out.” There was more furniture, but not much – a hammock in the corner, a table with chairs, some rather filled shelves, and a chest of drawers. But hanging from the ceiling were different types of plants in various stages of drying. Still, it smelled earthy and clean, almost like a forest with the wood and the plants. The plant went on the table, and Raiha put the pouch with the moles beside it before taking Uzima to the flight closest to the bed. “This is where I sleep, most nights,” she explained. “Some nights we go out, or sleep in the pastures. I like to go swimming sometimes at night,” she explained, grinning a little sheepishly at that. Uzima settled on a perch, fluffing her feathers, pleased after the morning’s hunt and exercise to take a break. The look she gave Laeraix, though, told her to be nice to her falconer, or else so help her, she’d take one of those fingers clean off.

“Well, on with the tour,” Raiha grinned at her after sticking half a mole in each of the flights with the other recovering birds who didn’t seem to mind being waited on. With that, Raiha took Laeraix back out of the mews, into the courtyard, and through the place, though Kavala’s room she left alone. That was Kavala’s after all. But they went through the different buildings, from the stables to the mews to the smithy, and everywhere else. They eventually ended up back in the courtyard, Diallo having followed them just about the entire time. “That’s about it,” she smiled a little. She was clearly proud to live there, and pleased with the work they did. “What do you think? I can show you Riverfall, if you want.”

[Gossamer]

. Character: Raiha Experience: Falconry +5, Observation +1, Herbalism +1, Teaching +3, Rhetoric +4, Hostessing +2 Lore:. Finding Kelvics in the wild, Knowing Kelvics transform. Acting as a tour guide. Explaining Sanctuary to a newcomer. Making newcommers seem welcome. Soothing skittish animals and Kelvics. Character: Laeraix Experience: Hunting +1, Observation +1, Interrogation +1, Rhetoric +1 Lore:. Revealing herself to strangers. Approaching strange falconers. The possessiveness of another falconer’s birds. Additional Note: Interesting thread. I’m sorry it ended so soon. I loved the intro to Sanctuary. It would have been nice to see more… emotion, feeling, realism from Laeraix.. .