Private Tales En Route

A private roleplay only for those invited by the first writer
As she whipped around to fix her tunic, Valdr would tighten the laces at her back. "No need to apologize. I don't want you losing your cover." He laughed lightly.

"You will ride behind me and just hold on. You'll be buckled in, so you can't fall off. I will take care of the rest. And in time, I will teach you how to ride one of your own."
 
"Thank you," she said after he finished helping her.

"Very well," Esme took a deep swallow and waited for Valdr to show her how exactly she was to mount the gryphon.

"I would  love to learn how to ride...how do you mean one of my own?"
Esme slowly approached the large creature, taking in the wonderings of the beast.
"Can I touch it?" She asked, her eyes full of fascination.
 
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Taking her hand, he would lead her up beside the Gryphon. "Scratch gently at the neck, go with the feathers."

I would  love to learn how to ride...how do you mean one of my own?

"Well, you can't be the wife of the First Warden and not have a gryphon, can you?" He asked her with a side glance. "I embrace your traditions, you embrace mine?"
 
"Its a deal," Esme replied on his note if embracing each other's traditions. She had never actual taken into account that if they did get married she would have to follow some of Valdrs traditions, but now that the realized that...Esme was surprised to find it did not bother her as she thought it might.

She did as he instructed, scratching the gryphons neck. A sound left its body that she could only assume qualified for a pur. "Does it have a name?" She quired, switching between light strokes and scratches.
 
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The Warden that had been prepping the Gryphon would speak up. "Her name is Enyalius. I raised her from hatchling." She added the last bit as fastened a pair of straps to the harness.

Valdr, did seem pleased with her response to learning the ways of his people, and it was just one more thing that would ultimately bring them closer together. Valdr's hand would come to rest on Esme's lower back.
 
Esmes eyes widened
"Really? How did that come to pass?" She asked the Warden, truly intrigued. Esmerelda could only imagine the amazing connection the Warden had with Enyalius.
 
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"We all do." Valdr would answer. "We're bonded with our gryphons while they're hatchlings. S'agara has a Roost where we raise them. Where we train the new Wardens how to respect their new companions. Losing one.. is devastating."
 
Valdr smiled as his free gauntlet scratched along the beak of the Enyalius. "Argestes is in S'agara. We have been parted for many moons, and I miss him greatly. He is Lord of the Gryphons, so I am sure he's seen to there being more hatchlings."
 
"Why not bring him back to Route with us?" Esme suggested. "If things are to go as planned we will inevitably build him a Roost. We can send a dove with instructions and my people can already begin the process."
She offered him a smile, turning away from the Gryphon and now looking up into his golden eyes.
 
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He would smile warmly at her suggestion, his hands cupping her face, before stooping down to give her a fierce kiss on the lips. "I will ensure he comes back with us. Though, the Roost will require a specific sort of engineer.. they will return with us. Argestes will be fine in the Wilds near Route."
 
Esme had a slight look of shock on her face after the kiss, "Lord, we are in public." She teased.
"Well Warden, we ready when you and Enyalius are." Esme said to the women tending her beast, but not before looking at Valdr for conformation.
 
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"We are out before many are up.. and on private property." He teased with a grin, before saying lowly so only she could hear. "Besides.. I need to enjoy it before we are prisoners of the palace." At her glance to Valdr, he nodded in affirmation.

"Excellent." She would begin as she took the reins to Enyalius. "My name is Raithrien, Queen." She offered with a bow of her head.

Valdr would take Esme's hand and lead when to the side of the Gryphon. "Okay, so similar to mounting a horse, but once you're seated, I'll buckle you in." He then helped her up into the saddle and tucked her boots into the stirrups.
 
"It is a pleasure to meet you Raithrien." Esme smiled at her and was then lead away by Valdr. She did as he instructed and carefully mounted the Gryphon waiting for Valdr to buckle her. Esmerelda knew that this was definitely going to be an experianced and a half.
"Alright, what now?"
 
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Once she was mounted, he would pull the harness over her shoulders before clasping it before her on the saddle. Another cord would be pulled around her waist and fastened. Each length was then inspected by Valdr until he felt she was secure. "If its too tight.. You'll be thankful. I won't do any aerial maneuvers, just a few climbs." He reassured her.

Once she was secured, he would climb up into the saddle in front of her, with only a single strap looping into his greaves to lock his legs down. "Ready?" He turned to Esme in the saddle.
 
Esme watched as cords were wrapped around and menouvered in different directions, eventually stopping.
Climbs? She thought, but remained silent, she was most definitely new to this but had no intention of showing it.

Peering over Valdrs shoulder she saw he was not even half as stapped in as herself.
"I am ready but you don't seem to be."
 
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I am ready but you don't seem to be.

A grin would grace his features. "I've been doing this a long time. And I am about as strapped as the rider needs to be. Passengers require more security." He then looked back to Raithrian. "We will send her back once we reach Tar'shan."

She bowed her head as she stepped back. "Lord, Queen." Too the latter. "Enjoy your first flight." It was accompanied by a smile.

Valdr leaned forward to scratch the base of the Gryphons neck. "Enyalius, show us what you can do." A look back to Esme. "Hold on tightly."

Enyalius rose to her full height and flared her wings once, then twice to stretch them out. She then surged forward, charging about six meters before vaulting into the air, the flapping of her wings trapping the air beneath them and pushing her upwards with the full flap. They would sink a touch as the wings pulled back up, only for the second beat to send them higher.
 
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Esmes entire body felt a sudden push back as the creature accelerated forwards, instinctively she wrapped her arms around Valdrs waist and held tightly as the trio launched into the sky.
She did not know how to describe this feeling that had come over her, a combimation of adrenaline, joy, excitment and most likely a little fear that any moment now the trio would drop out of the sky and hurdle towards their untimely deaths.
As they climbed higher, eventually all of her fears melted away and she was left with pure ecstasy.
"This is amazing!" Esme squealed like a small child who had tasted cake for the first time.
 
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It was only natural for there to be some fear during the inaugural flight, she was just lucky it wasn't out of S'gara. The starting dive from the Roost. Now that was a way to kick it off.

Higher they climbed with every beat of the wings until Ragnarra was just a tiny blip of houses and walls. It was at that point that the beating wings stopped, but instead of falling, they eased into a gentle glide.

This is amazing!

Esme squealed from behind him, and instead of speaking, just one hand would move to rest atop both of hers at his waist and give them a squeeze.
 
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As they began to glide through the air, Esme slowly let go of her grip on Valdr, stretching our her arms.
The breeze and momentum causing her hair to fly loosely behind her. Fresh air filled her lung and in eighteen years, she had never felt more alive.
 
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As she stretched out her arms, an air current would pull them backwards, threatening to pull her with them. If not for the harness. Valdr's gauntlet would reach behind him to grab ahold of her leg before cautioning a glance back. There would be a shake of his head, with the tinge of a smile behind it.

His feet would twist down in the stirrups, and as if on command, Enyalius would pull her wings back to her body and furl them tightly together, before her beak angled downwards and she let out a mighty shriek, signaling her dive.

Any calm breeze disappeared as the majestic beast dove towards the earth below them. Trees, river, hills, all of it began to approach quickly. Even a scream would struggle to escape.
 
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Esme gave Valdr a small squeeze of thanks as he saved her from having possibly going in a solo flight trip.

A scream definitely battled to escape her lungs as they hurtled downwards, the hard ground below them quickly becoming more visable and slightly threatening.
 
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To say losing her mid-flight didn't terrify him would be a bold-faced lie. He had never lost a passenger and yet of all those he rode with, he cared for her the most. So at her squeeze, even he settled some. That almost made the next part give him a feeling of pity. Almost.

The dive came quickly and as they careened towards the last fifty feet, Enyalius flared out her wings, the wind pushing along the underside of her feathered wings and lifting them back up, until they leveled out. The flapping would resume as the Gryphon began to climb again.
 
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Once their free fall came to a more peacefull glide and she could once again hear herself think, she spoke up.

"Are the two of you trying to kill me?"
Esme asked, but her tone indicated she did not mean it in a rude or untrusting way.
 
As they leveled out, Valdr would lean back and turn his head, trying to speak over the wind. "Not at all. Controlled dives, wanted to give you a chance to feel alive."
 
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