41st of Spring, 508 AV
Thin laces of white frost from the morning’s chill spread hungrily across honeycombed fixtures of colored glass along the eastern wall of Raif’s aerie, a gray sky’s murky light providing a more solemn luster to the common room with which to see by. Passing through it as no more than a cloaked silhouette, Raif moved diligently about its hollowed space with the sort of anxiousness one could only find on the dawn of a hunt. His industrious pace seemed to stir the air around him to life, and ignited an endless trail of thoughts that considered all manner of things.
It was to be his first time riding out into the wilderness with passengers in tow, a command given to him by the Valintar to allow for a yasi to test her mettle against the elements. A yasi… That thought alone twisted his lips into a rueful smile whose intention could not be defined. His only hope was that she would be no more than a tenth of the trouble he suspected, stories of other Endal concerning yasi partners coming to mind in a way that left him shuddering to think about.
Kneeling over his travel pack near the middle of the room, Raif began to neatly fit an assortment of odds and ends into the empty space. He busied his mind with memorizing every items niche in case its purpose became necessary in the event of an emergency, a habit formed from lessons learned the hard way over time. Within a minute the hide sack was filled to capacity, its weight something Zibas would have the privilege of bearing for him as they flew into the wilderness. Shouldering it hastily, the Endal rose and stepped to the closed door that led to his friend’s sanctuary.
Zibas’ home was what many considered a giant rat’s nest of baubles and bones, the wind eagle somewhat of a guarded hoarder when it came to things that fascinated his aesthetic appetites. Wind chimes littered the high ceiling made from all manner of materials found around Kalea, a catastrophic symphony given life by a light draft that moved through the cave. Raif cared very little for the raucous noise it made, having installed the thickest door Inartan craftsman could build to keep the sound from bleeding into his personal living space. Zibas, on the other hand, felt it was the most charming thing in the world.
I can barely concentrate on talking to you with all this racket, Raif’s eyes darkened, though a glimmer of a smile brushed his lips.
It’s beautiful, Raif! It gives the wind a voice. Can you hear what she says?
That you’re still the fledgling you were seven years ago and need a new hobby?
No! Don’t be so red-headedly stupid. It’s saying today is a good day to fly.
Of course…how could I have missed it?
Stepping into the rustling dark of the Wind Eagle’s den with demure grin, Raif approached his companion’s side and set about strapping his pack to the harness wrapped around the raptor’s broad chest.
These saddles are larger than what I’m accustomed to, Zibas shared conversationally.
I’m sorry. Is it uncomfortable? I can try adjusting the fasteners. Raif’s russet eyes gazed up at his friend questioningly, hands mindlessly working the ties to his travel bag as he secured it in place.
No…But, do you know who we‘re taking? The Endal could feel the slightest hint of apprehension in the creature’s tone.
A yasi by the name of Lavira, if I remember correctly.
Is she nice?
Raif shrugged his shoulders, then realized that Zibas eye was trained on the opening to the cave. What he saw or didn’t see, the Endal did not attempt to glean even a grain of understanding. I wouldn’t know. I’ve never met her before. Then a pause. You’re going to be nice to her, right? A questioning tilt of a brow.
The bird gently adjusted it’s viciously sharp talons against the stone floor, a loud tapping like a hammer to ice that echoed along the walls. Just as long as she doesn’t pull out one of my feathers. Zibas wasn’t prone to making threats, but neither did he understand the ambiguities of a joke. It left Raif with a stone that settled uncomfortably into the pit of his stomach.
Please please please try not to kill her, Zibas. This is your first time with another, and I’d like it to be a fond memory.
A hiss of air sped through the raptor’s beaked nostrils, something akin to a sigh perhaps, if Raif knew his friend at all. Then I rely on you to punish her if she gets out of hand.
Thank you kindly, my friend. I’m sure the girl will appreciate not being traumatized by a thirty foot monster capable of effortlessly halving her. Are you ready?
A resigned chirp filled the air in the cavern, prompting a soft chuckle from the Endal who quickly retrieved his longbow and stocked quiver from the floor a few feet away. Tossing the holster of arrows over his shoulder, he scaled his friend’s back with all the grace of a cat, mindful of the meticulously preened black feathers Zibas took such pride in. Settling into the cold leather of the saddle, Raif’s hand gripped the pommel and gave an assenting trill that indicated he was ready.
Without preamble, the wind eagle scraped forward across the long floor of the cavern at a jogging pace, a gentle rush of adrenaline filling his rider’s veins as he felt the pressures of gravity lurch at his core, pressed down as they broke past the mouth of the cave and lifted into the sky. To each side the great bird’s wings spread, a long cape of sooty feathers that were perfectly suited to catch the currents that leveled them out gingerly.
The cold air callously bit through Raif’s nose and stung miserably at his ears, a whip of crimson hair caught in the breeze as the eagle circled around the valley of their home. The day would take some bells of Syna’s light to warm the lands, but it promised to be a good day for the hunt. No storm clouds kissed any part of the horizon that the Endal could see, head turning as he carefully scoped the area around him through narrow slits of eyes.
Feeling a gentle tug of external force rise through his body, Raif felt Zibas begin to make his descent towards the Courtyard of the Sky. The large creature skillfully navigated the pockets of warmer air, reading the wind’s language as though it were second nature. He lazily drifted into the large opening the mountain dwellers used for both commerce and revelry, setting down in an opening much more softly than a beast of his size seemed capable of. From his back, the Endal removed himself from his saddle and slid easily to the ground.
