Summer 13, 503
Courtyard of the Sky
10th Bell
Courtyard of the Sky
10th Bell
Since Syna had first peaked her head over the crest of mountains separating the land and sky, Wind Reach had swarmed with activity like a hive of bees. Much of this activity had to do with the usual tasks that every member of Wind Reach participated in daily. Time stopped for no one. Endals still hunted for food to feed hungry bellies, avoras kept their betters equipped and happy, and who would take care of filthy tasks such as garbage disposal in their beautiful city if the deks ceased to do their work for even a moment? But though the city functioned as it always did, today was different. Special. It was not every day that Wind Reach was able to host a wedding between two Endal with mated Wind Eagles.
The early hours of the morning had found the Courtyard of the Sky possessed by a flurry of bodies. By the time Syna had been high in the sky for a few bells, much of the preparations had been complete and both the endals and Wind Eagles were already enjoying the festivities. Banners of gold, crimson, and mahogany brown had been draped around the amphitheatre, making the drab gray stone pop like a field full of wildflowers. Glass lamps had been prepared a season in advance for this exact occasion, and their colored light spilled a crisscross of beautiful patterns across the stone mosaic of an eagle and rider in flight embedded into the floor of the courtyard.
The courtyard was more than just a feast for the eyes. Cedar, the proprietor of Wind Reach’s dance club Inclement Weather, was infamous for never missing a celebration. Music echoed through the entirety of the Courtyard, propelled by hollow tubes that carried the sound from one end of the courtyard to the other. Giant metal chimes hung in arcs above the courtyard, a great source of fun for the Wind Eagles. The birds would take turns swooping at the chimes and striking them with their wings, adding their own music to the revelry below them. Couples danced between tables and on the steps, and in every free space that allowed even the slightest movement. The elderly Cedar took turns between playing music himself and allowing his employees to play while he sat and chattered beside with a dark haired woman with animated gestures, a bright laugh and a brilliant smile.
The feast extended to taste and smell as well. Chef Davoid had spared no expenses for the festival, and the chiets had hauled out massive tables that we're heaped from edge to edge with a literal feast for both the eyes and stomach. Meat dishes were the most prominent, but the bounty of the Summer harvest had assured that no tastes were neglected. The tables were heaped with all manner of fruits and vegetables as well, and many of the dishes were prepared by the brilliant and talented Chef Davoid as well and had been cooked and seasoned to perfection. In between dancing, Endals would snag bits of food, eating and resting before charging back into the fray of moving bodies once more.
Amidst the celebration, a solitary pair stood out among the festivities. As far as Kisar the Wind Eagle was concerned, this wedding might as well be for him, and he was letting everyone from the most prominent Endal to the lowliest dek know it. For much of the festival, Kisar had remained perched on the raised dais in the center of the Courtyard of Sky, with his beautiful mate Saakia nestled beside him. A season ago, the young Wind Eagle had defied all odds and won the affections of the most beautiful Wind Eagle in the entire aerie, at least as far as he was concerned. It was a matter of contention and bitterness among the older and unmated males of the aeries, made worse by the fact that he was rubbing his primaries in everyone’s face about it. The wedding was a perfect opportunity to preen. After all, this wedding wouldn't even be taking place were it not for him! In between nauseatingly sweet snuggles with his mate, he took to the air, showing off the feats of aerial prowess that had impressed his beloved. Most of the Endals found it amusing. The Wind Eagles, minus his mate, found it less so.
During one of Kisar’s aerial displays that drew the eyes and amusement of the crowd of endal, Saakia flew from her designated place on the dais and landed on one of the raised platforms next to a stone table. There, the Wind Eagle caught the eye of her dearly bonded, who was receiving congratulations from yet another of her fellow Endals. Lyanara carried every ounce of dignity, grace, and power that was to be expected of an Endal on her wedding day. The woman’s brillant dark red hair lay flush against her back, braided with the magnificent russet primaries of her noble companion, and accented by a few dots of white shed from Saakia’s soft head feathers and bright colored glass beads of crimson, gold and brown. The woman’s bryda and vinati were the most ornamental thing the Endal had ever worn. It was threaded in glass beads and buckles of brightly polished metal. She sparkled like stained glass in the bright light of the sun.
Saakia watched with her head tilted as the pair of Endal departed. She clicked her beak twice, drawing the endal’s attention.
“Something troubles you,” the eagle whispered in her soft but piercing telepathic voice. Saakia turned towards her companion with a curled lip, but the expression of haughtiness was softened by Saakia’s intense golden gaze.
“It’s probably nothing,” Lyanara replied with an unconcerned wave of her hand.
“And if it were something?” the Wind Eagle persisted.
The woman stared straight ahead, her gaze stony and blank. “Have you seen Arian? He disappeared an hour ago.”
Saakia was the type to take every word her dearly bonded said seriously, so she spent a long moment considering the question.
“Kisar seems unconcerned,” she said finally.
“If anything were amiss he would know. Perhaps your husband-to-be is overwhelmed by the festivities.” Saakia chose not to add that her mate was rather distracted in his preening, and might not be the most attuned to his companion at the moment. Regardless, her bonded’s concerns were likely unfounded, scattered intuition in the excitement and nerves of a lifelong union.
Lyanara was reassured by the eagle’s words. “No, you’re right,” she agreed. The inarta woman seized her companion by her massive head and buried her face in her neck feathers. “We’ve both been waiting for this moment. It will be as perfect as our bonding was.”
Saakia preened her companion’s hair, careful so as not to mess up her perfectly woven braids. The pair turned together from where they overlooked the courtyard and watch as a group of avora spilled into the sunlight from the inner warrens. There was a mixture of jeers and greetings at their entrance, according to the Endals nature. The avora were welcome to the wedding, assuming they had participated in putting together the festivities, or happened to be friendly with an Endal who had invited them to join in. But they were still just avora. No one was likely to take them too seriously.
The early hours of the morning had found the Courtyard of the Sky possessed by a flurry of bodies. By the time Syna had been high in the sky for a few bells, much of the preparations had been complete and both the endals and Wind Eagles were already enjoying the festivities. Banners of gold, crimson, and mahogany brown had been draped around the amphitheatre, making the drab gray stone pop like a field full of wildflowers. Glass lamps had been prepared a season in advance for this exact occasion, and their colored light spilled a crisscross of beautiful patterns across the stone mosaic of an eagle and rider in flight embedded into the floor of the courtyard.
The courtyard was more than just a feast for the eyes. Cedar, the proprietor of Wind Reach’s dance club Inclement Weather, was infamous for never missing a celebration. Music echoed through the entirety of the Courtyard, propelled by hollow tubes that carried the sound from one end of the courtyard to the other. Giant metal chimes hung in arcs above the courtyard, a great source of fun for the Wind Eagles. The birds would take turns swooping at the chimes and striking them with their wings, adding their own music to the revelry below them. Couples danced between tables and on the steps, and in every free space that allowed even the slightest movement. The elderly Cedar took turns between playing music himself and allowing his employees to play while he sat and chattered beside with a dark haired woman with animated gestures, a bright laugh and a brilliant smile.
The feast extended to taste and smell as well. Chef Davoid had spared no expenses for the festival, and the chiets had hauled out massive tables that we're heaped from edge to edge with a literal feast for both the eyes and stomach. Meat dishes were the most prominent, but the bounty of the Summer harvest had assured that no tastes were neglected. The tables were heaped with all manner of fruits and vegetables as well, and many of the dishes were prepared by the brilliant and talented Chef Davoid as well and had been cooked and seasoned to perfection. In between dancing, Endals would snag bits of food, eating and resting before charging back into the fray of moving bodies once more.
Amidst the celebration, a solitary pair stood out among the festivities. As far as Kisar the Wind Eagle was concerned, this wedding might as well be for him, and he was letting everyone from the most prominent Endal to the lowliest dek know it. For much of the festival, Kisar had remained perched on the raised dais in the center of the Courtyard of Sky, with his beautiful mate Saakia nestled beside him. A season ago, the young Wind Eagle had defied all odds and won the affections of the most beautiful Wind Eagle in the entire aerie, at least as far as he was concerned. It was a matter of contention and bitterness among the older and unmated males of the aeries, made worse by the fact that he was rubbing his primaries in everyone’s face about it. The wedding was a perfect opportunity to preen. After all, this wedding wouldn't even be taking place were it not for him! In between nauseatingly sweet snuggles with his mate, he took to the air, showing off the feats of aerial prowess that had impressed his beloved. Most of the Endals found it amusing. The Wind Eagles, minus his mate, found it less so.
During one of Kisar’s aerial displays that drew the eyes and amusement of the crowd of endal, Saakia flew from her designated place on the dais and landed on one of the raised platforms next to a stone table. There, the Wind Eagle caught the eye of her dearly bonded, who was receiving congratulations from yet another of her fellow Endals. Lyanara carried every ounce of dignity, grace, and power that was to be expected of an Endal on her wedding day. The woman’s brillant dark red hair lay flush against her back, braided with the magnificent russet primaries of her noble companion, and accented by a few dots of white shed from Saakia’s soft head feathers and bright colored glass beads of crimson, gold and brown. The woman’s bryda and vinati were the most ornamental thing the Endal had ever worn. It was threaded in glass beads and buckles of brightly polished metal. She sparkled like stained glass in the bright light of the sun.
Saakia watched with her head tilted as the pair of Endal departed. She clicked her beak twice, drawing the endal’s attention.
“Something troubles you,” the eagle whispered in her soft but piercing telepathic voice. Saakia turned towards her companion with a curled lip, but the expression of haughtiness was softened by Saakia’s intense golden gaze.
“It’s probably nothing,” Lyanara replied with an unconcerned wave of her hand.
“And if it were something?” the Wind Eagle persisted.
The woman stared straight ahead, her gaze stony and blank. “Have you seen Arian? He disappeared an hour ago.”
Saakia was the type to take every word her dearly bonded said seriously, so she spent a long moment considering the question.
“Kisar seems unconcerned,” she said finally.
“If anything were amiss he would know. Perhaps your husband-to-be is overwhelmed by the festivities.” Saakia chose not to add that her mate was rather distracted in his preening, and might not be the most attuned to his companion at the moment. Regardless, her bonded’s concerns were likely unfounded, scattered intuition in the excitement and nerves of a lifelong union.
Lyanara was reassured by the eagle’s words. “No, you’re right,” she agreed. The inarta woman seized her companion by her massive head and buried her face in her neck feathers. “We’ve both been waiting for this moment. It will be as perfect as our bonding was.”
Saakia preened her companion’s hair, careful so as not to mess up her perfectly woven braids. The pair turned together from where they overlooked the courtyard and watch as a group of avora spilled into the sunlight from the inner warrens. There was a mixture of jeers and greetings at their entrance, according to the Endals nature. The avora were welcome to the wedding, assuming they had participated in putting together the festivities, or happened to be friendly with an Endal who had invited them to join in. But they were still just avora. No one was likely to take them too seriously.