Closed Chasing Boxes (Shona)

[Kiran Pelyna]

Timestamp: 16th of WInter

The day started out normally, even if it wouldn't end that way. She had woken in her Aerie and left before dawn, with Pelyna still snoring in his room. He would always deny the fact he snored, but Kiran would always tease him about it.

She was making her way to the Courtyard of The Sky, her Kantinu snug around her body and mittens on her hand. It was winter, and they were on a very tall volcano. Outside it was freezing, literally. She wasn't stupid, she had been out hunting earlier this season and it had been cold then. She wasn't taking any chances with getting her fingers or other parts frozen off. But she did want some fresh air, it was getting crowded in the city seeing as many wouldn't venture into the cold outside. So she'd go where most people wouldn't.

Her dagger thumped at her hip, comfortable and reassuring. She didn't carry her Glaive or bow with her when she was just walking, that was silly and hinder-some. But she'd willingly carry around her dagger. One didn't know when they'd need to give a lower caste a lesson in respect. Or another Endal.

Kiran finally made it to the courtyard, coming out into the pale winter sunlight and crisp air she breathed in deeply, letting it cool her throat and mouth as she tasted the air. It tasted like freedom. It wasn't as good as the air she tasted when flying but it wasn't the stuffy air of the city.

Kiran closed her eyes and for a little bit just enjoyed the cold breeze and sunlight playing on her skin. Finally she opened her eyes and looked around the empty courtyard. Her eyes focused on something on a pillar, high above her small height. Wrinkling her face in confusion and curiosity she walked closer to it. She had gotten close enough to tell it was a box, small and she couldn't tell what was on it. Suddenly it did a very unbox like thing.

It hopped. Yes, it hopped. Kiran pulled back in shock as the small box hopped from the pillar and down a corridor. Well she couldn't very well let a jumping box go, what kind of Endal would she be? So she followed the strange box as it hopped through the city. It hopped through the legs of Avora an Chiet, who either moved out of her way or were shoved ever so gently out of her way. She would not lose this box.

Whenever someone did try to touch her box, for it was hers, it would hop out of reach and Kiran was spared yelling at the unfortunate person. The box led her through the city in a tiring race, through tunnels and walkways she chased it, it always staying just out of reach.

Kiran was getting annoyed at the box, but she couldn't call for Pelyna to help her, the time it took for her to mount him would have the box out of her sight. So she neglected calling to her Eagle in favor of keeping close to the box.

[Shona]

Shona's day had already been long, but she did not mind it as much as another might. Rolling out of bed in the light of early morning, the young Inarta had made her way immediately down to the halls where the Yasi placed in her care would soon be waking. The early hours of the morning were spent looking after them, ensuring that no one had too many preventable accidents. Injury in this life was unavoidable, but there were certain things that simply should not happen under the eyes of a watchful Chiet.

Now, though, with her morning duties attended to, Shona found herself stuck with an unfortunate slot of free time and no idea what she wanted to do with it. All of her friends seemed to be working, and she would not have dreamed of distracting them from their work. Responsibility must always come before play, no matter how alone it left Shona.

With nothing else to do, Shona wandered off to the other of her favorite places. Donning her heavy Katinu and a thick scarf of gray wool, Shona made her way up to the mews to visit with the falcons. Children had always been, and would always be, of incredible importance to Shona. She adored them and enjoyed her work in caring for them, but Shona knew she would give it all up in a heartbeat in trade for the chance to work with the birds. Especially if it meant the chance to bond with a Wind Eagle.

Jaime perched on Shona's arm, gripping onto the thick leather Sontav that wrapped around her right arm. Constant noise from the birds in the mews kept the barn owl awake, and he was not pleased with the situation. Jaime had fallen to clacking his beak against the blue glass of the beads in her hair, tugging on her to get her attention. Shona ignored the owl, suppressing a smile. He could be so grumpy when he was kept up into the day, but he would have protested if she went without him, too.

Boredom was just creeping up to bite Shona when the pounding of footsteps distracted Jaime from his constant bead-chewing. Both bird and Inarta looked up as a box... hopped... through one side of the mews and out the other. All Shona could do was stare after the thing. Hopping boxes? Somehow she could not quite comprehend that one. Not quickly, anyway.

The next thing she knew, though, an Endal went dashing through the mews. Jaime gave a hoot of startled protest, opening his wings and beating Shona twice across the back of the head before he settled down. Shona stood near one of the walls, staring in amazement as the Endal ran away after that impossible animate inanimate object.

The Endal had just rounded the corner and vanished from sight when she decided that this was probably going to be the most entertaining thing she saw all day. Maybe the Endal needed help catching the hopping box. Pushing off of the wall, sending Jaime hooting to the wing, Shona took off after her superior.

[Kiran Pelyna]

Kiran followed the dratted box through the mews, which were right next to the gate. She could guess at this point where it was going. She sent mental images to Pelyna, thinking up words would take too long, and let them tell him what was going on. She told him via pictures to follow above her in case she needed help, and to get a dek to put his saddle on. She didn't wait for his reply as she followed the box to the gate, the one that led to the very long staircase single travelers took.

Someone was just opening the door, a dek, and the box slipped under his legs. Kiran called out for him to hold the door open for her and the dek obeyed. She slipped past him and down the stairs, hopping down the sitars as quickly as she could without getting herself killed. The stairs were very close together and very troublesome, she usually just rode Pelyna down the volcano.

She could feel Pelyna's questioning presence in her mind. Be careful and don't get hurt Kiran. Why are you even chasing this box? Kiran growled at the questions. She didn't have time for questions, she needed to catch this box that was eluding her. Her steps slowed and something interesting happened, as she slowed so did the box. It seemed to only stay just out of reach, no further. So Kiran slowed her reckless speed a little more.

The box turned onto the wider road and off the stairs, Kiran following behind it. She sped up again to try and catch it, as if to trick it. No luck, instead her feet slipped out from under her on a bit of ice and Kiran began to fall towards the edge of the road, towards a very long drop. her heart stopped and in her mind she screamed. PELYNA.

Her bond mate was frantic as the Dek just finished strapping on his saddle he flung himself out of the aerie, flapping his wing trying to get to his rider who was too far for him to save.Kiran! NO! His mindvoice screamed back, pain ripping through it at the thought of losing his rider.

[Shona]

Shona was starting to give up and, more importantly, question why she was even chasing this Endal and her box. There was a small but concerning likelihood that the Endal would be angry Shona thought she could, or should, help, and Shona was not certain she wanted to take that risk. She was just starting to slow down and turn back towards the warmth and safety of her familiar home when she rounded a corner and saw exactly what she had not expected, but was very glad to see.

Digging the heels of her leather boots into the rock, Shona propelled herself towards the falling Endal. Her breath scraped in her throat, over and over, rubbing it raw across those last four yards it took to reach the Endal. For an instant, as she threw herself to the dirt, tearing open the knees of her Bryda and not caring in the slightest, she thought she had been just that much too late.

Then, Shona's hand closed around the Endal's. She hissed in pain as the Endal's momentum jerked her arm backwards over the cliff's edge, nearly tearing her shoulder out of its socket. The ground underneath Shona seemed suddenly unsteady as the Endal's weight pulled her several inches forward. Shona's heart flew into her through and she stared down the cliff at what, if she fell, would be certain death. She dug her knees and her one free hand into the ground as hard as she could, leaving behind a trail of blood from her palm.

All at once, the movement stopped. Shona grunted and cringed, holding her breath, but suddenly everything seemed very quiet. Slowly, Shona opened her bright blue eyes and looked down at the Endal. Still holding on... good... good...

"Just hold on for a second," Shona whispered, trying not to sound like she was giving orders. But in this moment the Endal was really more of another person than a superior, and if the stranger thrashed around Shona was definitely going to lose her. "Can you try to climb? I can help pull you up."