The eyrie was uncharacteristically noisy. The rohk had their own language that even the sky elves didn't fully decipher but they were noble creatures. They were not prone to chattering like a flock of budgerigars. There must have been some gossip within the community.
"Good morning Lejeera," Fynaurie said in her sing song voice. She stopped as she walked past the nest of one of the eagles.
Lejeera bowed her head in greeting. Fynaurie walked up to her, holding up a hand and stroking the feathers across her head.
"Derren still in bed again?" Fynaurie asked. Lejeera nodded. Derren was her older cousin and he had a habit of sleeping in. Lejeera was actually Vaxor's older sister. The Sy'tella line of elves was tied to the Abragastyr line of eagles. In their culture the family name was passed down the female line in both elves and eagles.
"The kitchens are going now he won't stay asleep for long," Fyn laughed. A loud clack from a few stalls down drew her attention.
Lejeera cawed something out to Vaxor. Possibly an admonishment for his impatience.
Fynaurie skipped away to find her own eagle waiting. He stepped from foot to foot.
"Hungry are we? Or just want to show off our new colours?" Fyn asked.
Vaxor stretched out his wings and gave a flap. After their first ranging they were allowed to wear the colours of the Sky Dragoons. Fynaurie didn't wear her uniform this morning, but Vaxor's feather tips had been dyed in the turquoise and scarlet of the dragoons. The eagles were as proud of markings that displayed their position as much as their riders.
When Vaxor was saddled up to fly they both walked out towards the doors. He had the odd swaying gait of his kind of foot. They could actually run and hop across the ground but usually reserved that for prey they had missed on a dive.
There were several wide openings to the eyrie. They feared no attack from the skies and needed no gates. Any smaller birds that accidentally flew in essentially offered themselves up as snacks.
Fynaurie paused by the rack of ether-glaives. Despite her promotion they had made clear that she was still in training in many regards. She wasn't allowed her own yet. She slowly reached out with one hand towards the glowing blade of the nearest. She wondered if they were warm.
"Fyn?"
She snatched back her hand and Vaxor gave a cackle of amusement. Fynaurie rolled her eyes and turned around. Hindras had his arms crossed over his chest. He was effortlessly handsome, but took himself entirely too seriously.
"Good morning!" she replied brightly, turning her back and continuing towards the exit.
Hindras fell into step beside her. "Have you filled out Bynthas' ranging charts?"
"Charts?" She asked innocently, feigning ignorance of the maps down in their headquarters covered in coloured chalk lines where each dragoon marked the territory they would cover alone.
"Yes. You haven't proposed a route yet. He won't be happy if..." Hindras came to a halt a few paces from the opening.
The tower of Kearth was ancient. They had lost the secrets of its construction. The opening was wide, but a long ledge protruded out into the air. Fynaurie kept walking out across it. The wind whipped a silver strand of hair free from her leathers. It was only a few paces wide and she was perilously close to the edge.
"Fynaurie!" Hindras called out. "Only eagles are allowed out onto the walkway!" he called out to her.
Vaxor plodded out after her, enjoying the wind through his feathers.
Fynaurie turned to face Hindras. She pulled down her flight goggles. They were formed of thin pieces of bone that covered her eye sockets. Wide slits were covered with a thin, translucent silk. They afforded better vision on such a clear day and kept the wind out of her eyes.
"Sorry!" she apologised. "Can't hear you over the wind!"
"Fynaurie!"
She pulled her scarf up over her mouth and took a step backwards. Her foot hovered over thin air. Then she fell.
"Fyn!"
Vaxor turned to him, offered an apologetic cant of his head and dropped off the ledge. His wings swept back into a dive.
"I know! I know!" Fynaurie called out over the wind as Vaxor sought out a thermal. He was giving her a particularly vocal telling off. Altitude was energy and power to a bird. Even on a clear sunny day with perfect flying conditions he had given up a great deal of height to dive and catch her. That particular party trick they practised wasn't supposed to be for every time a member of the community bothered her about chores that needed doing.
Still, the brief look on his face had made it worthwhile.
"Come on you silly bird, let's go north!"
Vaxor stretched out his wings, finding a rising current.
"Good morning Lejeera," Fynaurie said in her sing song voice. She stopped as she walked past the nest of one of the eagles.
Lejeera bowed her head in greeting. Fynaurie walked up to her, holding up a hand and stroking the feathers across her head.
"Derren still in bed again?" Fynaurie asked. Lejeera nodded. Derren was her older cousin and he had a habit of sleeping in. Lejeera was actually Vaxor's older sister. The Sy'tella line of elves was tied to the Abragastyr line of eagles. In their culture the family name was passed down the female line in both elves and eagles.
"The kitchens are going now he won't stay asleep for long," Fyn laughed. A loud clack from a few stalls down drew her attention.
Lejeera cawed something out to Vaxor. Possibly an admonishment for his impatience.
Fynaurie skipped away to find her own eagle waiting. He stepped from foot to foot.
"Hungry are we? Or just want to show off our new colours?" Fyn asked.
Vaxor stretched out his wings and gave a flap. After their first ranging they were allowed to wear the colours of the Sky Dragoons. Fynaurie didn't wear her uniform this morning, but Vaxor's feather tips had been dyed in the turquoise and scarlet of the dragoons. The eagles were as proud of markings that displayed their position as much as their riders.
When Vaxor was saddled up to fly they both walked out towards the doors. He had the odd swaying gait of his kind of foot. They could actually run and hop across the ground but usually reserved that for prey they had missed on a dive.
There were several wide openings to the eyrie. They feared no attack from the skies and needed no gates. Any smaller birds that accidentally flew in essentially offered themselves up as snacks.
Fynaurie paused by the rack of ether-glaives. Despite her promotion they had made clear that she was still in training in many regards. She wasn't allowed her own yet. She slowly reached out with one hand towards the glowing blade of the nearest. She wondered if they were warm.
"Fyn?"
She snatched back her hand and Vaxor gave a cackle of amusement. Fynaurie rolled her eyes and turned around. Hindras had his arms crossed over his chest. He was effortlessly handsome, but took himself entirely too seriously.
"Good morning!" she replied brightly, turning her back and continuing towards the exit.
Hindras fell into step beside her. "Have you filled out Bynthas' ranging charts?"
"Charts?" She asked innocently, feigning ignorance of the maps down in their headquarters covered in coloured chalk lines where each dragoon marked the territory they would cover alone.
"Yes. You haven't proposed a route yet. He won't be happy if..." Hindras came to a halt a few paces from the opening.
The tower of Kearth was ancient. They had lost the secrets of its construction. The opening was wide, but a long ledge protruded out into the air. Fynaurie kept walking out across it. The wind whipped a silver strand of hair free from her leathers. It was only a few paces wide and she was perilously close to the edge.
"Fynaurie!" Hindras called out. "Only eagles are allowed out onto the walkway!" he called out to her.
Vaxor plodded out after her, enjoying the wind through his feathers.
Fynaurie turned to face Hindras. She pulled down her flight goggles. They were formed of thin pieces of bone that covered her eye sockets. Wide slits were covered with a thin, translucent silk. They afforded better vision on such a clear day and kept the wind out of her eyes.
"Sorry!" she apologised. "Can't hear you over the wind!"
"Fynaurie!"
She pulled her scarf up over her mouth and took a step backwards. Her foot hovered over thin air. Then she fell.
"Fyn!"
Vaxor turned to him, offered an apologetic cant of his head and dropped off the ledge. His wings swept back into a dive.
"I know! I know!" Fynaurie called out over the wind as Vaxor sought out a thermal. He was giving her a particularly vocal telling off. Altitude was energy and power to a bird. Even on a clear sunny day with perfect flying conditions he had given up a great deal of height to dive and catch her. That particular party trick they practised wasn't supposed to be for every time a member of the community bothered her about chores that needed doing.
Still, the brief look on his face had made it worthwhile.
"Come on you silly bird, let's go north!"
Vaxor stretched out his wings, finding a rising current.
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