Closed Hanging with an Endal (Lavira)

[Azira]

   

59th of Fall, 513AV Evening
 
Lavira's home was a source of fascination for Azira. She couldn't say that she'd seen many Aeries, never having seen the inside of one up until a few days prior after the disastrous incident in the Inclement Weather. It was such a beautiful place. It was wonderfully furnished though she suspected that the Endal saw it as simple. To her the whole place was magnificent and spoke of luxury and power. The huntress so desperately wanted one.

The main door opened onto a large round common room with glass to look out through. The view was spectacular. She had a view of the sky which was covered in clouds except for a few patches of blue that had managed to peep through. Other mountains were visible through the clear glass, some of the ones further away were just visible and she could make out the white caps atop them. It wasn't winter yet but some mountains had already received their first snows. Soon Mount Skyinarta would be the same but for the moment their home was snow free.

The huntress had moved to the window without thinking, gazing in wonder at the sight outside it. Now coming to her senses, she moved back to the centre of the room looking a little sheepish. They were here for a reason. They were supposed to be getting cleaned up and here she was idly gazing out the window. The teen didn't know where to go though. The woman was going to provide her with clothes she knew but she didn't know how to go about asking for them or anything.

They were both covered in gore though so a bath was probably a good idea. The Endals had their own baths she knew, a luxury that she could only dream of. There was no worse social experience for her than visiting the public baths so to be able to have a bath in peace and privacy would be wonderful. However, it would still be somewhat awkward having a bath with the young woman. Sure, she had shared a bath with Euthisa but there had been nothing awkward about that; they hadn't been able to see each other because of the steam. Here though she'd be able to see the other, worse still she'd be able to see the woman's scars in full, something that she didn't want to happen. Azira's own scars weren't anywhere near as noticeable. The pale burns on her waistline were usually invisible unless they were pointed out and the jagged scar from the bear on her right thigh would be invisible below the water. At least she hoped so. They were nothing compared to Lavira's anyway.

"So are we going to sort out clothes or  what?" she asked the ex-Chiet.

x

[Lavira]

Once inside the aerie, Vira let Azira look about at her leisure as she headed to the bathing chamber to add some cleansing oils to the water that would help clean them both up. This part of the ritual took a few chimes, however, as she grabbed the soaps and scrubs from the shelf and put a set on either end so as not to make Azira uncomfortable. Vira had grown used to bathing with Kovac, but that experience was far more intimate than what would happen with the two women. And it tended to dissolve into things even more sensual, not something she wished with Azira. That would just be weird.

Sitting on the edge, she ran her hands across the surface, occasionally stirring her fingers through to help the soaps mix with the water even more. In here, the view was just as nice as the glass wall looked out on the world, a mountainous beauty that seemed to expand forever and ever. The sight was made even more enchanting when Eagles were flying outside and the birds were in full flight.

With the bath ready, Vira left the chamber and returned to the commons. "Bath's ready; go ahead of me, if you want, I'll sort through the closet for something you and I can wear." Before heading to the bed chamber, Vira stopped and studied Azira, calculating in her head which outfit might work better. Her selection was generally sparse, and tended to be mostly work clothes, but she thought she might have something that would fit the other slightly shorter woman. Then, it was off to the bedroom, leaving Azira to get started at her leisure.

In her bed chamber, Vira began digging through the closet, pulling out her standard dark brown bryda and the reddish black vinati she typically wore along with the scarf (now glad she it had not been taken on the hunt). The clothes were set on the bed and she undid the braid quickly, using her finger to loosen it before grabbing some underwear and dropping it on the pile too.

Once this was all done, Vira stripped out of her filthy bryda and folded it neatly and carefully to be added to the other pile of dirty laundry that would later be delivered for cleaning. She would loosen her vinati from in here but kept it held up with one hand as she left the bedroom and went to the wash room, purposefully avoiding looking where Azira might be. The young woman had lost some of her shyness over the last season or so, but still had enough decency to be considerate of others just as she hoped they would be considerate of her.

Once inside, the woman left Azira's set by that end of the tub, only saying, "They should fit; I've lost a bit of weight since mid-summer but you like a little wider in the shoulder, I think." It might not be true, though, Vira's monocular vision making those kinds of minor perceptions harder to verify. "You can bring them back whenever; they're just stuff left over from when I was a Chiet."

Heading for the end of the wash tub that Azira did not occupy, Vira wiggled out of her underwear and stepped in, the mud and grass and blood that had been accumulated during the hunt lifting off of her, or at least some of it did. The rest would need some scrubbing with the ocean sponges. With her back to Azira, Vira pulled the vinati off and dropped it beside the tub, away from the neatly folded clean clothes.

With her back to the huntress, the scarring was less noticeable and the water did ripple enough to distort anything significant. Excluding that, there was some distinguishable bruises from the hunt that day, large welts from where the wolves had knocked her back along her hips and mid back, but none of them looked painful.

The bathing ritual was done faster than she would otherwise have preferred as she dunked her head and scrubbed her scalp beneath the water, running her fingers through her hair to cleanse if of the gore of the wolves. Then, the sponges were taken in hand and massaged all over her body, scrubbing al of the remaining debris free until her skin tingled in the lavender and honey infusion. Mindful of Azira, she scrubbed more sensitive locations quickly but carefully, keeping herself positioned so as not to be observed, before grabbing one of the soap bars and lathering herself up hastily. By the time she had finished, her skin felt smooth and clean, the faint tingle from the sponge-scrub beginning to fade.

[Azira]

The huntress breathed a quiet sigh of relief when Lavira allowed her to go into the bathing room alone. True, she ought to be used to being naked around others after spending so long attending the public baths but that wasn't the case. There was nothing she hated more than having to share a bath with someone. It made her feel terribly self conscious, certain that she was being scruntinised the whole time.

She slipped into the room, pausing for a moment to marvel at the size and luxury of the place. Here too like the common room there was a window but this room was much better thanks to the large bath that occupied the space. The water was warm and inviting and the girl wasn't keen on the idea of dawdling when she was unsure when the Endal might put in an appearance. It was better to just hurry up and get on with it.

Moving to the water's edge, she slipped off her hunting boots and began to work her bryda off. The garment was thick with gore and the teen wondered how she'd walked around in it so long. The blood had managed to seep through the cloth and into her undergarments a bit but they'd only be slightly stained. She wasn't expecting the other woman to provide her with underwear too so what she had would just have to do. A bit of staining wouldn't kill her although perhaps the stench would. She'd get fresh ones later. For now she concentrated on her bath.

Slipping her lower half into the water, the girl reached back to loosen her vinati before pulling it off entirely. Once she was fully undressed she allowed her entire body to sink into the water. The water immediately began to take off the surface layers of grime, the water stained with the debris of the day's hunt. It was disgusting but at least it was coming off of her. A glance showed that much of the grime was still stuck fast to her skin but Lavira had been kind enough to provide her with the scrubs necessary for the task.

Picking up a sponge, the Avora worked on her more private areas first, taking the time to clean them thoroughly while she still had the privacy. It had been a wise move as the woman entered the room while Azira was in the act of cleaning. Her companion was careful to avert her eyes but the huntress felt rushed and finished that cleaning in a hurry before seeing to the rest of her body. As the other slipped into the water, the huntress averted her eyes also, turning away slightly to protect her own modesty as she continued her cleaning. She scrubbed at her skin until it was pink and raw but the important thing was that she was clean.

Moving onto her hair, the young woman pulled her bun loose, freeing a cascade of thin braids. She was considering whether or not she ought to release her hair from its confines. She did not often literally let her hair down, the act of undoing all those braids and then doing them all over again was too much of a hassle for the girl to bother with. Usually washing them in the braids was enough but she wanted to be certain that they weren't filled with gore. Groaning softly, she set to work loosening the multitude of braids.

It took her a few chimes and she was sure that Lavira herself must have finished herself at this stage but it was a time consuming task and she couldn't speed it up. When all her hair was free, she ran her hands through it to loosen it further before ducking her head under the water. The strands became instantly waterlogged, swirling around her and trying to clog her airways for the brief ticks that she was submerged. She resurfaced with a gasp before dipping her head again, not so low this time so that she could scrub at her scalp. After a chime of vigorous scalp scrubbing, the girl was content to believe that she was clean.

She felt wonderfully refreshed after her bathe but now she had to work out how to get out while still preserving her modesty. While her hair could hide a fair amount it couldn't hide everything and she was worried about how to go about getting out and dressed. Lavira probably felt the same way she did but she couldn't be sure.

x

[Lavira]

The warm waters of a private bath were a luxury Vira enjoyed thoroughly. They offered her the comfort of an empty wash room that lacked the curious and sometimes lusty eyes of men (and at times women) folk who occasionally used the baths as an excuse to accrue new love interests. They also afforded one the opportunity to just relax without worry about being somewhere or clearing out of a dirty bath for another to use. It was a measure of wealth in Wind Reach and one of the few things that Vira treasured in her new position. The luxury of her simple homes furnishings could be forsaken for the commoners quarters if she could just have a bath like this.

With her cleansing done, Vira spared a glance behind her to see if Azira had finished and noticed that she was as well. Azira may have felt more awkward about stepping out in front of the Endal, but the young falconer felt less qualms in this. She was respectful enough to not stare at the other woman and similarly modest enough to want to hide her own nudity. It was a matter of confidence that Azira would not judge her of her own disfigured appearance. Considering the pointed looks away from herself, Vira had to assume it was for that reason.

Allowing for a final rinse of her hair, the teen stood, her back to Azira, and gathered the long and sodden locks in both hands so that they hung in a pony tail that sat high on top of her head. Water poured down her back in a crystalline cascade as she stood. With one hand holding her hair in place, she used the other to wring the rest of it out, twisting and squeezing measuredly as more continued to fall out. Once the thick set had been drained, she twisted it tightly with both hands and then wrapped it into a string-less bun atop her head so that the tail end stuck up against the top of her skull.

Now that her hair had been seen to, Vira placed one hand on the edge of the pool and swung her left leg over. She sat easy for a moment then swung her right leg after it, standing straight thereafter and moving to get a towel for herself. Pulling one of the four from the pile, she wrapped it around herself without a word and grabbed a second to toss onto the clothes that she’d brought for Azira. “I’m going to see if Mohya needs anything before we go. Just wait for me at the entrance.” She said, putting the huntress on her blindside before leaving the bathing area to dress in her own room.

Leaving Azira where she was, Vira went down the short hall to hers and Kovacs dwellings, the towel loosened as she walked. Once she was inside, the towel came off and she went to the bed to dry off, rubbing it under both of her arms and flossing it against her back and front. One hand was used to dry around and under both breasts before moving down to her legs. Her right side was attended to with more tender care before finishing with her toes, the methodical way she went about the whole thing clear.

As soon as she was dry, the Endal carefully folded the towel and put it with the rest of the dirty laundry before returning to the bed to grab up her bryda. The dark brown garment was compulsively rolled down both legs and set on the floor before she stepped into the right, and then the left, and finally began to roll it up, wiggling her hips until it had settled comfortably. Now the hard part came. Her vinati was really quite simply structured, a single piece of fabric that tied at the bottom of the skull and between her shoulder blades, allowing for quick securing and quick released.

The problem was that the position of it was hard for her to access now with the damaged muscles on her right side. Sitting on the bed, she tucked the bottom of the material under her breasts first. Then, she grabbed the top two straps and secured them behind her neck, the silky material knotting comfortably. Vira could already feel the tension building in her side from the movements and she hoped she would not need to ask Azira for help.

With a deep breath, the teen took the two straps at the bottom and rolled her shoulders forward as she arched her back. Both hands twisted to accommodate the angle and she thought she almost had it before the build up made her cry out, face contorting miserably. She let go of the ties and brought her hands back forward, back straightening afterwards and a low, painful moan released. It lasted a full chime before relenting and allowing her to relax.

“Well damn, I didn’t want to do this…” She let out a breath and got to her feet, the clean vinati held against her chest as she went to the door and opened it, calling out, “Hey, Azira? I hate to ask it, but do you think you could give me a hand for a moment?” It was embarrassing enough that she couldn’t even do the task alone, a simple ordeal before that was made infinitely more complicated by the incident. “I’m really sorry, and I understand if you would rather refuse, just…it may take longer to get to the kitchens otherwise.”

[Azira]

   

Dipping her head under the water again, the teen pretended to still be washing her hair. If Lavira was done then hopefully she'd just leave and give Azira the chance to get out of the bath and deal with drying and dressing in privacy. She really shouldn't be so particular about it but normally in the public baths, she didn't have much choice in the matter but to just clamber out and somehow move from one bath to another while protecting her modesty. At least if she was filthy enough to use the first bath, she was also filthy enough not to be seen normally. Here it was a different thing entirely. 

When she heard the Endal's voice, her head snapped up and she just nodded, waiting for the woman to actually leave. She listened to the slap of wet feet on the floor until it faded and then clambered out of the bath herself. Her hair left the water reluctantly seeming to take much of the contents of the pool with it. The water logged strands were heavy and seemed to pull her head back. It was too heavy to just shake her head and it would splatter the room with droplets as well so she squeezed it, wringing out some of the moisture before tying it back do she could braid it.

All the small braids would be very time consuming to do so instead she'd make do with a simple plait. Loosely dividing her hair into three segments, she began to cross the strands over each other in an alternating pattern. It was awkward to reach back and plait the heavy and hair and it became harder the lower down she went but at last she had it plaited, the end of the arrangement coming to rest at the bottom of her back.

Lavira's voice startled her and she glanced around in shock, certain that she hadn't heard the woman enter but to her relief, the voice had come from another part of the apartments. She seemed to want her for something but the  Avora hadn't even dried herself yet alone gotten dressed. While she could wrap a towel around herself and go to see what the girl wanted, the huntress would prefer to be dressed.

"Okay I'll be there in a bit just give me two chimes to get dressed and I'll be with you," she called back, hurrying to grab a towel. She quickly ran the towel over her body, drying her top half first, focusing on drying around her breasts, her neck and under her arms before sliding it over her back and the plane of her belly to her legs and between them. The whole procedure was rushed but she was confident that she was dry.

Slipping into her undergarments, she picked up the clothes that the other woman had given her. They were simple but made of a good cloth. The cloth wasn't as fine as what Endal garments were made of but it wouldn't itch either. Using the wall for support, the teen tugged on the bryda, a difficult task because her ski was still damp. When she managed to get them on, the girl discovered that they were a little long for her but rolling them up fixed that problem. Taking up the vinati, she gathered the material to her and tied it shut.

Snatching up the towel that she'd used, she carried it with her as she left the room using it to squeeze more moisture from her hair as she walked. She found Lavira clutching her vinati to her chest, the straps hanging loose. The woman's breathing was slightly laboured as if she'd been doing a difficult task or was in pain. Quickly her eyes took in the scarring on the woman's side and where it was and realised that she probably couldn't close it herself without some difficulty. 

"Sorry I took so long. I was braiding my hair when you called me and I wasn't dressed. Did you want a hand with that?" the young woman told the Endal in a rush, gesturing to the vinati straps.

x

[Lavira]

The teen waited in the doorway the few chimes it took for Azira to finish drying and dressing, she leaning against the stone frame by the time the other made it to her. Once she had reached her, Vira straightened and nodded, "Yes, I hope you don't mind. I try not to ask if I can help it; but things were rough today..." She left it as it was, knowing Azira would understand, or at least trusting that she would.

Opening the door a little wider, Vira turned her back on Azira, explaining, "Just knot it between my shoulders, if you could, please." With her hair in the bun like it was, it wouldn't get in the way of the other tying the vinati. During the few moments it took to do this, the girl talked a little. "Look, Azira, you know I'm sorry about what happened at the aeries, right? I feel a little responsible, though I couldn't have known all of that was going to happen. I hope you can forgive me, honestly; and maybe, gods willing, we can be friends and not just colleagues."

As soon as she felt her finish, Vira turned back and stood there silently a moment, looking at the others features for signs of a reaction. "And I wanted to say thank you for coming with me on the hunt today. It may not have gone as planned, but we have a great story to tell." She laughed a little then scratched at her neck. "Well, let's get down to the kitchens."

Now that everything had been finished, she let her mind drift to Mohya's, inquiring if the bird needed anything before she departed for the evening. The eagle replied in the negative and let her go. Exitting first, she waited for Azira to leave before pulling her door closed and giving it a cursory check, before leading the way to the kitchens.

-------------

The walk to the kitchens proved quiet and uneventful. The warrens had the least amount of traffic right now than they might have any other day, if only because most of the work in these parts could be finished quickly and early before the Dek moved on to other areas they were needed in. The rough stone of the walls was reflected lazily in the light of the braziers that hung near the ceiling. The further in they went, the more sounds rose to meet them, primarily from the main forges that worked closer to the deep magma chamber. The clangs and clunks and gongs of hammers working away at metal and leather and glass helped to create a symphony in the city of the birds.

Vira smiled comfortably to herself at this thought and rounded a corner, eventually coming to the bend that led into the large dining hall and kitchens. When the corridors weren't packed with people, it was very peaceful, the hum of life in the mountain permeating throughout. She preferred the open ledges of the higher points in the city, but sometimes, the deeper corridors could be enjoyed just as much.

Another bend in the tunnel would eventually bring the two women to the dining hall entrance, the tables and benches clean and waiting for the next shift to arrive; and with Azira's input on her mind, she went to get their meals. "One loaf of rye, and chowder and whatever meat there is right now for two, please." She asked, nodding over to a table that they would be sitting at. "And two cider, as well." It was a simpler order but would work for what they needed. A lot of energy had been expended on the hunt this morning so they would need lots of fat and protein to replenish the lost calories.

[Azira]

The huntress shrugged to show that helping the woman didn't bother her in the slightest. She imagined that the Endal must definitely be having a hard time if she was asking her for her help. Turning around, the teen bared her back, the straps dangling loosely down over her shoulders. Her hair was bundled up and out of the way meaning that it was a relatively simple task to just tie a tight knot to hold the vinati closed.

Pulling the two strands over each other and tugging them taut, Azira made a loop and pulled it tightly. Looping it again, she pulled it tight again tugging the straps to make sure that the knot was tight enough. The simple action was made slightly more difficult than it ought to be because of the fact that she fumbled the whole thing when Lavira had voiced her hope that they might be more than colleagues, that they might be... friends. She managed to grunt in reply, feeling a little odd at the idea of herself and Lavira doing more than being civil to one another. Well the Endal was being more than civil anyway but still it was a shock to hear her suggestion.

The woman turned to regard her critically as if trying to judge her reaction better but the girl kept her face curiously blank. The Avora moved automatically to comply with the suggestion to go down to dinner though as soon as it was voiced. Walking quickly ahead of the woman, she left the room, dropping her damp towel as she went. Leaving the apartments ahead of Lavira, the teen paused for only a moment to allow her to catch up before heading in the direction of the kitchens, lost in her own thoughts as they walked.

--------------

The young woman was pleased that her companion did nothing to break the silence between them. She seemed content to just be walking along. Azira wondered if her being there mattered at all. The silence between them made the huntress feel awkward, the relative quiet of the tunnels not helping matters for her at all. She was still ill at ease around the other girl and so had no idea how to act or what to say around her. It was extremely frustrating.

When they arrived in the kitchens, the two women crossed the dining hall to order their food. Lavira seemed to walk with the confidence and self assurance of an Endal. It wasn't very obvious but the huntress was watching her closely. It made her wonder how she herself must look to others. Definitely not confident and self assured that was for sure!

Her companion ordered a simple but nourishing meal for the pair of them, nodding towards the table that they'd be sitting at. Azira made a face at the mention of cider but she didn't comment on it, simply making it over to the table that her companion had indicated. The girl perched on the edge of a seat and placed her hands in her lap. She gazed downwards as she twisted her fingers together, still thinking on what Lavira had said.

Could we really be friends? she wondered. Even after what I did? The girl had no idea but if the eagle rider thought so then maybe, just maybe, it might be possible.

x

[Lavira]

Vira did manage to notice the blanch the other girl gave at the mention of cider, and couldn’t help grinning at her in return. “What? You don’t like cider? I suppose you’d be more wanting of a hard liquor then, huh?” She wiggled her eyebrows at Azira, referring to that evening at the club before they’d all left. “But then, maybe not. I’m not much of a drinker myself; a glass of wine at the Clam and I’m fine for the season.”

The young woman was trying very hard to be social and accepting towards the huntress, but Azira kept making it awkward! How could she have a conversation if the other wouldn’t even speak? The teen cleared her throat and picked at a rough spot on the table, single eye focusing upon it while she mulled over what to do or say to her colleague. “You know, I know you said you don’t like to chatter much, but it’s hard to make friends if the conversation is one sided. I get weird enough looks for talking to the birds when I know they can’t understand me. Well, Mohya can, but she’s different. And Tulaj’s just weird. But it would sure be easier if you would just open up a little; please? I won’t judge what you have to say, honest.”

Here, the endal brightened and looked up, the effect of her time spent around Alori and Kovac obvious. One’s positive attitude and the other’s social endeavors had truly brought the best out in the oft serious young lady. “Perhaps we could make a game of it? No drinking or betting or nonsense like that, something simple like twenty questions. I ask one that is yes or no, and you answer; then you ask me one.” What Azira couldn’t understand is that what she thought as nonsense jabbering was a great deal more to Vira. While Alori and Kovac had managed to bring more of this positive side out of her, the rider had once been not much different from Azira. It had taken the fall in summer to open her up and then their acceptance to summon it from the depths of her existence. That, and talking was one thing that helped to keep her mind off the pain.

Betting on Azira to say yes, Vira offered to start the interrogation. “Alright, so, I know you’re a hunter already and you know I’m an Endal. You know Kovac and I are living together and that we’re friends with Alori. I know that you are good with a bow and can be a little judgmental of people, but it’s alright. So, let’s go back then: before today, had you ever flown with an endal?”

[Azira]

The huntress shrugged at the Endal's question about cider. She hadn't had it before but her experience with wine had made her think that anything alcoholic wasn't her thing. She could be wrong but she wasn't going to try to explain that to the woman, she'd think that she was being silly reacting negatively to something she had never even tried. The woman seemed to be exasperated by her lack of response however. The teen could certainly talk a lot when she got started or maybe it just seemed that way because Azira wasn't talking herself.

"Sorry," she mumbled as if that single word response could make things better. She was still hardly talking and that was no way to treat someone who had been so kind to her today, not only bringing her hunting but also giving her a bath and clothing and going to dinner with her. The huntress wasn't exactly being fair and she knew it, she just didn't know what to do about it.

The mention of a game made the Avora grimace but she listened attentively to the suggestion of the other. It didn't seem too bad but she was worried that the woman might ask her something that she wouldn't want to give an answer to. The Endal didn't even seem to want to wait for her take on her suggestion, instead launching into a list of things they knew about each other before shooting her a question. Apparently she didn't have too much choice in the matter.

"I've hitched rides with Endal once or twice to get to places for hunting but I've never gone hunting with an Endal before, at least not before today anyway. It's hard to get rides though so I don't go too far away if I can help it. Wind Eagles hate me you see. Mohya is the first bird to not try to get rid of me," she replied then lapsed into silence, considering what to ask the other woman.

The teen had no idea what she wanted to know about the rider. Lavira had asked a straight forward question, using a topic that she already knew about to come up with a query. She considered what she was curious about. The girl did want to know about the other's reaction in the Inclement Weather a few evenings prior but that was obviously a sensitive subject and one that was highly personal as well. She was also curious about the Endal's relationship with Kovac. They were clearly very close although the huntress couldn't see how the pair could have met. That also seemed personal.

Biting her lip, she asked a less interesting question than the one she wanted to ask. "So... have you ever been nearly eaten or killed by wild animals on a hunt before today?"

x

[Lavira]

It was going to be a measure in patience when it came to talking to Azira, Vira could see that. Thankfully, working with birds a lot, it was something the young woman had. So she was glad that Azira chose to go along with the little game.

"Well, Mohya's a good bird. She's kind of motherly, I guess it fits for the two of us, heh. She keeps me humble, and I keep her happy." Not that Vira needed much reminding to be humble, but the giant bird knew how to keep the girl from getting carried away or over stressed. "Maybe it's how you approach them; I am sure if you asked her nicely, Mohya could help you out when it comes to approaching and addressing them. Sometimes, it's all about how we present ourselves to them."

Their food arrived while the Avora tried to figure out what to ask Vira and the endal grabbed the loaf of rye to break it in half and offer to the other. With her chunk, she dipped it in the chowder and chewed on the part that had been soaked, mm'ing at the yummy taste that filled her mouth afterwards. Then came Azira's question.

"Yes, actually. Do you remember the ice storm? Alori had accompanied me on a hunt the day that it struck. We were attacked by a bear when we were stalking an elk cow in a valley near the Mists to the south. He was a huge petcher, too, probably ten feet or more when he stood up with paws the size of dinner plates! We must have really startled him because he chased us down the valley and up the ridge on the other side before he relented, and that was only because Mohya was there to frighten him off. I felt the wind a couple of times from when it tried to swipe me or Alori off our feet."

"Other than that, I've never really been in a situation that put my life at risk because of an animal attacked me." Vira had only glazed over how she'd gotten the one on her side, but had said nothing of how she'd lost her eye. Just the way it looked did not suggest something caused by a weapon or natural causes; it had to have been an animal of some kind.

"So you've flown, then; wonderful. What kind of aspirations did you have as a Yasi? Did you want to be an Endal like all the rest? Or was there something else that you were interested in?"