Closed [Smokey Waters] Whether to Weather the Weather(Alori)

[Lavira]

The smell of wet in the air was thick as they hurried through the fern and brush beneath the evergreens. Vira tried to pick the best path through the undergrowth but with every gust of wind through and over the trees, it made it even more difficult. "Not much further!" She shouted back, though she did not want to admit how unsure she really was.

It took another half a bell to escape the trail and when they emerged on the flat where Mohya waited, the wind had become a gale and the snow had shifted back to rain. Only, it was far worse than rain: it was freezing rain. Mohya was constantly shaking her feathers to keep the frigid liquid off as the squall unloaded upon them and their home a bell's flight away.

"Petch, Alori, hurry!" There was nothing ceremonious about it now as Vira pulled the basket harder. Once they reached the impatient and anxious bird, the Endal would drop her end and fetch the rope from the bags to tie the tote to the eagles leg. Then, grabbin one end of the long sticks that had acted as the handles, she stepped down on the part closest to the basket hard, trying to break it. But the stick was thick and it took three more attempts before she managed to snap it off with a resounding CRACK that send the teen sprawling on the slick ground. With an oof, she struggled to get back up, muddy and sodden as a result, and hurried back to the basket. The process was repeated with the other two handles, of which were then pushed through the "bars" at the top of the basket to keep the kill inside during flight.

"Quick, get on." Mohya was sending a torrent of urgency into Vira's mind as she offered the other a hand up. "No time to strap in. Just hang on to me, okay?" Vira climbed up afterwards, sliding in front of the other and slipping her hands into the holds for the harness. "GO." Was all she said, the giant bird kicking off with enough force to nearly throw the girls off her back in the process as the winds buffeted them ferociously, the icy rain making hanging on even more difficult.

~Hold on, girls, we've got to climb a bit. You'll see the steam fields below; when you do, it's a few ticks out that the cave is.~ The eagle pressed into both of their minds before veering into the unrelenting winds and beating wings with all her might to push through and up without losing altitude.

[Alori Sai]

Alori was depending completely on her Endal companion to lead them through, the gusts of wind rolled in lower sending slips of cold air up her nose and chilling her bones. Her cheeks grew rosy and she tucked her head in hoping the hood of her Katinu would protect her face from more icy chills. The teen only nodded when Lavira replied and hoped that they would get there soon.

Luckily for the Avora with Ivak's blessing, she didn't feel as cold as she would have without it. With the thick fur of her Katinu to help, she felt warm enough as long as she could keep the cold wind from tunneling into her nose again. A bell later, they reached the Wind Eagle and Alori was glad to see it. "It's about time.." She sighed in relief and hurried on to meet with it.

She hurried along after Lavira, being just as ready to get out of there as the Endal was. "Alright now what?" Alori dropped her end of the handle as Lavira did and waited for more instructions. But the woman didn't say anything and started to try to break the arms of the handle. Moving to help, Alori started to stump on the branch-like handle as well until a loud crack snapped it, and sent her legs up and backside smacking the ground.

"Petchin.."

Alori was ready to pout, she wanted to curse more, but as she looked up and saw the muddied Endal looking equally sad, the girl pushed herself up and continued to help until they had gotten all the handles broken. Once the basket was secure, Alori took the Endal's hand and climbed on behind her. She squeezed one arm around the woman, burying her head into her Katinu and reached to hold on to the eagle with the other. It was going to be a bumpy ride.

"Alright, I'm on, let's go!!"

x

[Lavira]

The next ten chimes were absolute hell as Mohya battled the wind and rain to get the girls to safety. At one point, they nearly slammed into a mountain, the eagle giving a righteous scream and hauling her claws up hard to keep from striking it.

A few ticks later, the steam fields from Smokey Waters was visible below, though much of the steam had been suppressed in the unrelenting torrent, exposing the lethal terrain it concealed most of the year. The bodies of all kinds of creatures were visible, from bears to larger, more terrifying predators. Even birds and large prey creatures could be seen. A handful of the living were among the carcasses and bones, mewling or woofing in misery as they tried to navigate to less hazardous terrain and escape these lethal fields.

Mohya's wings beat hard at the air, finally rounding a mountain and getting a break, landing upon a ledge a few ticks late. Without ceremony, she stretched the leg carrying the carcass forward and deftly snipped the rope with her beak while she encouraged the girls off with a well-positioned wing. Vira nodded to a large opening in the mountainside then, big enough to house the wind eagle and two humans, though it would be cramped and no fire would be able to be lit.

Sliding off after disengaging the straps that had been hastily secured over her legs before they leapt into the sky, Vira slid off and grabbed one end of the basket, waiting for Alori to grab the other before they hurried inside. She was soaked and cold, shivering as they hauled the gear into the enclosure and waited for Mohya to follow them. The bird hunkered low, chirping in displeasure at the tight fit and positioning herself so that neither girl was too exposed by the ceaseless gale and rain but neither was she to the freezing skyfall that had already slickened the whole area. Crystals had even begun to form at the top of the cave (which Mohya had easily snapped as she followed the teens inside).

The question now was...when would the storm stop?

Ignoring these ominous thoughts, Vira began stripping out of her soaked clothes, her teeth chattering and her balance nearly lost a number of times as she set katinu and vinati over one rock, and bryda and undergarments on another. Her shoes she left on, the gritty interior suggesting strongly the chance that they would cut their feet otherwise.

"A-a-alori, p-pull the skin out. We can prep it better to help warm ourselves up. Petch it's freezing!"

[Alori Sai]

Alori huddled closer to the Endal and buried her head into the shoulder of the taller woman. It was a terrible downpour and only the speed of the eagle could save them now. The teen had to admit that she was impressed with her friend, the woman rode the eagle proudly and didn't seem as bothered by the brutish rain shoving against her as the Avora did.

Smokey Waters was in sight now, and from above they could see it all, all the happenings on the lands below. Alori didn't look much and concentrated on keeping her nose covered so that rain water didn't find it's way in. Once they found the cliff in the side of the mountain she was relieved and squeezed Lavira a bit tighter. With Mohya's encouragement, she slid off after Lavira and quickly retook her end of the basket and hurried inside with it.

"Ahaa,,we made it. But now I'm soak. I'm pretty good about not getting sick, but if this keeps up.."

The teen wasn't complaining, just speaking her thoughts out loud because Lavira had fallen to silence for some time now. Alori started to remove her clothing as well and separated them on rocky stumps to dry out. Shivering, completely nude save from her tall boots, Alori rubbed at her shoulders before taking her friend's advice and drawing out the skin. She took another look at the basket and everything that they had brought and hoped there was something to build a fire with.

"Alright, let's hurry it's way too cold now." she said as she returned from the basket with the skin and moved towards Lavira.

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[Lavira]

Mohya looked at the two girls and gave a mental eyeroll, shifting her position to expose her feathery breast. She then chirped at them both and flared the bald spot common in hens, a warm place for chicks to nestle when the air was too cool for them.

Vira looked upon the eagle from where she stood shivering and rubbing her hands, blowing on them for warmth then over at Alori. She had to laugh because the whole thing was just silly, truly it was. The bird had a better ability to stay warm than either of the Inartans could (though neither Mohya nor Lavira knew of Alori's gnosis). "We'll need a fire eventually but looks like we can warm up there for now!"

It was then that the Endal noticed the curious marks on Alori's hands, both looking like strange vines or chains of some kind (and was that an egg?) Bizarre! She tactfully refrained from inquiring of it so far and moved into the warm feathered mass that had been offered by the giant bird. "Let's wait till we do warm up a bit before we try anything, or at least dry off." HUnkering down against the balmy heat of her eagle, she put her blind and scarred side against the bird, continuing to blow on her hands as she did so, the howl of the wind deafening in the little cave when it gusted in while the rain continued to fall in icy sheets.

The shine outside as the temperature continued to drop became more and more apparent as time went on, though the wind began to lessen and the torrential downpour ebbed until it was just a steady rain that left icicles hanging from the eaves of the entrance.

It would probably take a good couple of bells for either girl to warm up, and in the meantime, Vira tried to pass the time with conversation. "Petch its cold, I hope the rain lets up soon. I wonder if any of the others that went out made it back in time. I know there were a few that flew out ahead of us. What made you choose to fly with a rookie, Alori? I'm not...I'm not exactly the best hunter or archer out there. I feel naked without Tulaj most of the time, though I'm sure he's giving hell about it right now. That bird is absolutely in sane, I tell you. I don't know how he's managed to stay alive so long for all the havoc he wreaks."

Vira shifted some and sat now, cross legged, on the stone, her arms folded over her chest and her head leaning against the giant birds flesh, the embrace of her down and feathers creating a warm blanket for them both. "If the damn thing wouldn't try and kill your bird the first chance he got, I would ask you to go hawking with me some time. I could probably pick up one from the general aeries now, though. I hate that about this position...demanding another citizens stuff? What if that's their livelihood? It isn't right that your Caste entitles you to whatever someone beneath you has...Heck, I wouldn't ask for your bird just because he's probably smarter than mine; or, at the least, less likely to take out my other eye." The teen grinned and it softened her otherwise sharp features. It wasn't often that Vira chatted, but when she did it made the work-driven teen's personality really shine.

[Alori Sai]

It was beyond cold and the chilling winds upon her moist flesh wasn't helping. Alori wondered to herself it she would have been better keeping her clothing on, at least her undergarments. There was a chance that she would get sick, but that chance still remained while she stood there in the nude shivering. The teen had been lucky to remain healthy during the rough parts of her life and she didn't easily get sick. Looking to the skin in her arms, Alori started to unroll the skin to prep it.

She took the Eagle's invitation and hurried to it's side after Lavira. Mohya was Lavira's bond and the woman didn't have the blessing of warmth that she did, so she let her friend go first and snuggled in close behind her. The extra warmth was noticed quickly with the blowing winds dying, but it would take longer for her to warm up. Alori nodded that they would wait and dropped the skin on the ground so that she could squeeze in closer with Lavira and Mohya.

It turned out to be an uneven event however, but the girl was glad to have the Endal and Eagle with her. If she had gone out on foot, she might be in a lot worse shape than she was now. Glancing at the bird again, Alori recalled how they were always so picky about who they spoke too. So far Mohya and Lavira had been speaking through the trip and leaving Alori out. She wondered now if they were doing it again.

"So was this the plan? I was kinda hoping to do more hunting and less...Well anyway, at least we won't freeze."

It was very different hunting with another again and she felt out of her element. It was almost as if she was out again for the first time, and her thoughts seemed to go blank. But it wasn't a complete waver, she was on top of a mountain somewhere flown by a bird, not much else she could do. Moving a bit closer, Alori slid her arms around the teen and hugged her closer. It was the least she could do and try and get more warmth between them.

"I'm sure they made it back ok. You know, mostly but I'm just thinking about us. They can do fine on their own, gotta be more places to hide and wait." Alori huffed softly and shivered against the woman. "I don't think it's a big deal, I mean we all have to start somewhere...and if you haven't noticed..you are naked." She laughed a bit and continued. "Well yea..like I said, mommy dropped him on his head right? Something had to happen." Closing her eyes for a bit and opening them again, she curled her knees together and leaned her head on Lavira's shoulder. "I think Skye can handle himself, he's even more tougher than he looks to be honest.."

Alori fell silent a bit, and thought over what the woman had to say about the caste and her new position. It was the law after all, but she knew that if Lavira wanted Skye she would have to give him up. Then again, she had gone against the law before, was she really that different now? "Oh Skye is pretty good. He can be a baby but..I love him."

x

[Lavira]

"Uh no, this wasn't the plan, Alori. I didn't think the storm would come in that fast, honest." She frowned at the cave entry, discouraged by the foul weather that had shortened their hunt so dramatically. There was the worry that they would be stranded here; what if the weather got worse? It was icing up pretty bad and so early in the season too! It was going to be one hell of a Fall, to say the least.

Shivering when a gust pressed against the girls, Vira pressed closer still against the Wind eagle, trying to stop her teeth from chattering only for Alori to talk about the fact that the pair of them were stripped bare and now one was hugging the other. It was in that moment that the young woman colored something fierce, hiding her face against the birds chest. "What's that supposed to mean, Alori? It's cold and we'll catch cold if we wear our wet clothes like this! Or worse, hypothermia!" Vira tried not to cringe when she felt Alori's arms slide around her, though the other would definitely feel her shift to the left sharply when her hands brushed her side.

Distracting herself from the momentary discomfort, she tried to keep up with the conversation. "Well, yea, I'm fairly certain his parents kicked him out. I just know I found him in some rubble one day trying to chew a stone to shreds. He's never been right since." Vira turned a little, nodding Alori to take a spot in front of her instead of behind her so that she could share Mohya's warmth.

There was little dialogue going on between bird and human now, Mohya concentrating on keeping the ice of her tail feathers and keeping the girls warm for the time being, acting like the very matronly bird that she really was. It was about that time that something came stumbling into the cave, form covered in ice and giving it a very hellish appearance.

The shaggy shape shook, spraying ice everywhere before looking around the room and spotting the wind eagle and two humans shuddering against it. The girls would be able to tell that it was some kind of wolf though its odd, multi-colored fur did not look like any normal wolf. Neither did it appear in the mood for a fight as it shied back towards the entrance for a moment, ears back and tail tucked. It gave a wary growl, turned its head quickly to the entrance and the wind-swept rain it had come from, and then back at them before slowly backing to the wall away from the girls and bird.

Mohya had shifted the moment the canid had appeared, the birds head turning on the wolf and a low warning hiss countering its growl. The wolf should have ran, but it really looked like it was just wanting some shelter too.

Vira nudged Alori again to point towards the entrance where the wolf had entered. She whispered to her hunting partner, "Never seen one do that before...don't they usually flee from the eagles?"

[Alori Sai]

The twin braids swayed against her cool flesh and chilled her even more. Still, Alori was glad that she had decided to twist her hair into braids If she hadn't her hair would be a mess now, not only disheveled by the raging winds but also matted and tangled into a wet mess atop her head. The teen lightly wiggled her toes back and forth inside her boots. There was already a mile dampness forming in the soles and along with the icy winds her feet were falling asleep.

"Yea this kinda blows. Guess it wasn't our time to bring in big game. Petch."

It was an unfortunate event, but they were stuck there with no way out, and for the time, they needed to share as much warmth as they could. As bold and outgoing as she was, huddling naked with a woman she barely knew wasn't something the teen did easily. She only did what she thought would help them stay warmer, but as Lavira cringed and pulled away, Alori glanced up at for her a tick and pulled away herself.

"It's n-nothing, n-nevermind." She had tried to make a joke when Lavira said that she felt naked without her raptor Tulaj. Given that they were both already in the nude, Alori thought it was funny for the woman to say that, but it didn't seemed like she didn't got the joke. "But anyway I agree, I hope this storm lets up soon because I really don't want to be forever."

Sighing softly, she reached up and lightly squeezed her pigtails to draw the rest of the moister out so that her hair would dry faster. She even palmed each braid and squeezed them into her hands to add warmth so that the dangling twirls of locks wouldn't drip icy water upon her bare shoulders. Glancing up, Alori waved the woman off when she offered to change places with her. The Avora saw herself as a tough girl, and one that could brave mostly anything. She knew that she would be fine, and with Ivak's gift she was in better shape than her companion. "Skye, he was...given to me as a gift. My gyrfalcon. He's not bad really just..spirited."

Alori turned hr legs up, sliding her feet together and hooking her arms around her legs as she leaned in to rest her chin on her bent knees. Lowering her eyes, the girl appeared thoughtful and her gaze didn't reach past the rocks beyond her boots. She hadn't noticed the wolf approach, nor heard it's feet until it was already inside with them. The little huntress gasped, legs jumping as she quickly looked around to find her bow and quiver. Twice in the past had she found herself in a battle with wolves and she wasn't looking forward to another.

But there was something different with this one, it was a lone, didn't attack and yet it didn't run either. Alori wasn't sure what to think, but she did know that she needed to get to her bow or sword quickly. "Shyke, this is just my luck. Hey..we better get our weapons, we don't know what it will do."

x

[Lavira]

It was Mohya who intervened this time, the bird tilting her head down to look at the girls as the wolf huddled against the wall near the entry.

~No. Let it be. It will not hurt you; see? The wolf just wants warmth and dryness too.~

Vira was surprised when Mohya did this, the eagle not usually one to speak to others. The one-eyed woman looked up at the bird with pride; Alori should feel very honored! The eagle hadn't even done that with Kovac yet. "Guess that's that then." She whispered to Alori again, relaxing a little further as the wet-cold began to creep out of their forms.

The rain went on for bells, gusts of icy wind blasting into the cave and tormenting all for residents with its bite. When it wasn't raining or the wind wasn't blowing so badly it seemed to make the mountains tremble, it was lightning and thunder. The flashes outside were bright and the booms even louder as they resounded off the surrounding mountainfaces. It was a frightening experience, say true, and it still went on until night began to creep over the land.

With the recess of Syna, the cold became even more apparent, even Mohya shuddering some as she huddled over the two Inarta, sparing a glance to the wolf from time to time. The beast looked miserable over there by itself, but nobody wanted to invite the wild wolf over to share in the avian comfort. Darkness crept across the ice-slicked plateau throwing the cave even more into darkness.

The winds were beginning to ebb enough that they could chance a fire. And it was then that Vira nudged her friend with pasty skin and slightly blue lips. Exposed that long with only a giant eagle to keep them warm, the skinny teen was freezing. "We need to get a fire going; I can't go like this much longer. Help me with the tote, huh?" She said through chattering teeth and a finger pointed at the meat that was closer to the wolf than the girls and eagle.

Most of the bells had been spent in silence to conserve energy and stay warm. During that time, Vira had wondered at the higher body heat Alori had given off. Was the Avora huntress sick? She didn't act like she was running a fever, though.

[Alori Sai]

"Yea...ok."

Alori glanced up, legs tucking beneath her as she shifted beside the eagle. For a bird that didn't seem to like her, Mohya had spoken to the teen a few times in the same day. However the feeling of honor was shortly delayed as she was more worried about the wolf attacking them. Lavira was more relaxed, simply staying in place as if what was across from them was a pup. But the Endal hadn't been there in the forest that winter. She wasn't the one who had to fend off three wolves alone after they already had tasted human blood.

It was an awful memory and still to this day Alori didn't know if that traveling hunter had made it to the city ok. By the time she made it back to the city he would have been dead or long gone, unless he decided to stay and live. But she hadn't seen him anywhere, but was worried that it would raise questions if she asked about him. Sighing, the little Avora dropped her head into her lap and stayed that way for a while before looking up again.

The teen rolled her eyes when Lavira mentioned starting a fire. If she had listened to what Alori said before they would already have a fire and something to keep the wolf back. She stared at the teen in disbelief, her mouth open as she realized what she expected them to do.

"Petch Vira are you serious?"

Huffing loudly, the huntress slowly crawled out from the eagle's wings and slowly moved towards her bag. She kept her eyes on the wolf as she moved, making sure that it didn't leap out and attack her. Once she was next to her bag, Alori reached under it and pulled out her talon sword. Hazel eyes narrowed and she turned her shivering form back towards the wolf.

"Okay, let's go for it."

x