Private Tales Once upon a time

[Fynaurie]

"Are they? I wouldn't know," Fynaurie replied. "We trade with some of the dwarves from Holban but they never let me do that. There are humans living there."

When Fynaurie realised Cali was watching the humans closely she tried to surreptitiously lean back for another look at the avariel's wings.

Fynaurie didn't control Vaxor. He listened to her as much as he wanted to. They both were of a single mind usually when they were being told what to do by their Squadron commander. Vaxor was as proud of his position and crimson-painted feather as she was.

 

[Caliane Ruinë]

Caliane cast her eyes subtly to her fellow elf when she spoke. Fyn seemed completely disinterested in the humans which was rather hard for her to get her head around. The Sky Elves seemed to be as sheltered as the Avariel's had been and yet Cali hadn't been able to wait to be free of the trapping of her society and Fyn, though the outside was right there before her, didn't seem to care one bit.

She reminded her of home, oddly enough.

"You can touch them," Cali offered a little smile and stretched one wing out to its full length showing the subtle change from the snowy white at the base off her wings to the scarlet red at the tips. "But for future reference you shouldn't unless an Avariel gives you permission, it is considered very rude."

 

[Fynaurie]

The flickering firelight was more than enough to see the russish hue that Fynaurie cheeks took at the small admonishment.

"Sorry," she said quietly. She took off her glove and ran her fingers down the length of the wing. It was habit to smooth out a few feathers as she went.

"I grew up with a small group. Just used to being familiar with each other."

There wasn't that much space in the tower of Kearth. She lives with a group of six in one room in the barracks. It was either as she said or because they had enough years to become accustomed to how familiar Fynaurie made herself with everyone.

"Vaxor has red tips, but they're dye. It must be hard to preen all your feathers," she remarked.

 

[Caliane Ruinë]

A tiny smile curled the edges of her lips but made no comment on the intimacies she might be used too. The blush was enough, probably not the right time to tell her that caresses of the wing from Avariel to Avariel were most often reserved for lovers. It was something she had been getting used to being back in the world, the desire for strangers to brush against her wings and almost tell themselves they were real.

"It is not too hard, we have combs and the such and then we tend to help one another when there is a specific spot that's just out of reach... but for the most part our wings create a type of oil that keeps them clean, a little different to your eagles."

 

[Fynaurie]

"Oh make sense. It was just because, you know, you don't have a long neck and a beak and a head that can turn all the way around," she said, smiling.

An attempt at humour felt a little piece of normal in this madness. Her world certainly wasn't normal compared to those that lived on the ground, but they were actually a simple people.

They were set in their ways and kept everything orderly. Their magic was subtle, almost exclusively about the movement of air. Even she could move the air a little, but the best aeromancers could shape the weather to their advantage. A magical world in a book was entirely removed from everything she knew.

"Lot of responsibility getting this lot out," she grumbled. Fynaurie threw a piece of jerky into her mouth.

"Coof ge' a ba' ev'ers you wan'" she offered.

 

[Caliane Ruinë]

Caliane couldn't help but giggle at the image Fyn presented. She supposed it was a sensible question from an eagle rider who was used to feathers and seeing how important it was for flight to keep them clean and straightened. Yet the idea that Avariels would do it with their mouth like an animal was... bizarre. Her attention drifted back to the humans as they all settled down for bed. They would need it.

"It is the right thing to do," Cali said quietly yet the conviction in her voice was like that of a Queens; righteous, passionate, caring. "And when we get back I'll take the book to the Monster Hunter, it deserves to be locked away before it impacts anyone else."

 

[Fynaurie]

"Couldn't we just burn it?" Fynaurie asked. She was straining slightly, sticking her tongue out the side of her mouth as she tried reaching behind her own back with one hand. She barely even noticed she was doing it, imagining how much of an imaginary wing she could reach.

"I don't know what else is in that book," Fynaurie said, looking to the child being settled down to sleep. "They're setting a watch schedule, we should probably do the same. All I got is a few knives."

 

[Caliane Ruinë]

"Magic like that is quite hard to destroy," Caliane's lips twisted down into a thoughtful frown at the same time her brows knitted together thoughtfully. Would she be able to burn it to a cinder? The Soulfire stirred in her breast at the challenge but she quietened it down before the thing was inconsolable. At the suggestion of a watch the Avariel sighed and spread her wings in a whisper soft motion, flattening the grass about her with the sudden movement.

"I shall watch, you sleep. I won't be able to settle enough anyway so I might as well do something useful."

 

[Fynaurie]

"Won't you need some strength back to fly again?" She asked, thinking of how small the piece of jerky was. Cali hadn't gone far, but she had lifted Fynaurie from the ground.

Fynaurie managed to started drifting off very quickly. She pulled up her hood, which could be fastened to keep it down during flight. Whisps of silvery hair fell forwards, caught by the exceptionally bright moon. She slid off her purchase to rest her back against it and started to snore quietly.

Fynaurie blinked her eyes open to the morning night. Nothing disturbed her even slightly through the night. From below her hood she watched the world for a few moments, remembering that she was not in her own.

That fact was not hammered home by the travellers milling around. That was done by the sky. Fynaurie pulled her hood back and hissed through her teeth. Sun beams cut across the myriad of colours. Pastel blues and blacks and reds.

In a few seconds she realised what it looked like: ink blotches on a fresh page. A few minutes more and it was back to a more organised gradient from pink to blue across the sky.

 

[Caliane Ruinë]

Caliane waited for most of the camp to be asleep before she slipped off to run a parameter. She was curious what there was around them and how nearby the danger was. Also, if she remembered the stories quickly there were things nearby that travellers could eat. Sure enough by the time she returned her arms were full with different fruits which she set down for the morning. When the first travellers awoke they gave a few noises of surprise but tucked heartily into the fresh melons and strawberries.

The fruit was enough for her along with the little bit of Jerky Fyn had given her.

"Morning," she smiled, finishing off another apple when she saw the other elf was awake. "Ready to get out of here? I think I've found the best route."