Private Tales Royal Sortie

[Fynaurie]

"For goodness sake Fynaurie, straighten out your leathers."

"Sir."

Fynaurie shouldered her aether-glaive and made a perfunctory attempt to straighten out her leathers.

Wing Commander Brynthas had already moved down the line of dragoons, but his assistant officer Hindrath had remained.

She would have found him particularly handsome if his head wasn't usually obscured by being wedged right up Brynthas' backside.

Fynaurie kept her gaze level and ignored him.

He made a sound of irritation in the back of his throat, stepped around Fynaurie and started to straighten out her tunic for her. She balled one hand into a fist.

"Might I remind you that you are part of the Princess's esc..."

"Hindrath!"

"Yes sir!" Called the toady and he was gone.

Fynaurie relaxed a little. There were two lines of dragoons forming an open route to one of the platforms of the eyrie. Fynaurie was one of four that stood with their eagles behind them.

She felt a beak nudging her thigh.

"Vaxor," she hissed. She was in enough trouble as it was. Unfortunately she was well matched to her rohk and he was as easily bored.

Gyiarie, the venerable rohk of Flight Leader Lewel squawked quietly and Vaxor returned to attention. The great eagles could understand elven, but the elves could only understand intent in the noises the eagles made. Given how noisy they could be and how intelligent they were, the sky elves assumed they had quite a complicated language. Vaxor had just been chastised.

Gwynnestri Ravaneiros

 

[Gwynnestri Ravaneiros]

Gwynnestri Ravaneiros had just pulled her elegant riding clothes on, which she thought was rather impractical considering her escort wore much more reasonable clothes. She gave a resigned sigh; at least they were letting her wear anything but her traditional white dresses and robes. She would be allowed to ride her own rohk, Gavne, as well, which she considered a blessing. She knew that, thanks to her father, the entire escort was only the best of the best and they would treat her with more respect than she deserved.

As she exited her chambers and walked up to where she would be meeting the riders, a calm smile rested on her face. She knew what she had to do and she had long ago accepted her duty as heir to the throne, a fact which her father had taken much more seriously now that he was in fading health. The burden of the throne would hasten one's aging process, even that of an elf.

The sky opened up above her and the constant lifted strands of hair around her face and ruffling her clothes. She soaked in the warmth, her smile growing as she surveyed the two lines of dragoons. For a minute she thought it might be too much but the thought was quickly dashed from her head when everyone on the platform noticed her presence and her father, the king, behind her.

Fynaurie

 

[Fynaurie]

Fynaurie was trying not to fidget where she stood. She and Vaxor were two of the very best Dragoons in the air. Whilst they occupied this high tower and had this relationship with the great eagles, some of their kind were born to be in the air.

She would regularly practise jumping from Vaxor's back at a great height. Feeling and sensing the way the wind moved herself before he rescued her.

Remaining patient and carrying out the formal duties of the Dragoons did not suit her so well.

Her eyes were supposed to remain straight forward, gazing into the middle distance. Instead, she glanced sideways to serupticiously watch the Royal party approaching.

The young princess - by their standards - and her rohk. Fynaurie might have been said to look delicate, but she always wore workers leathers and had a rough and tumble way about her. Fynaurie knew she could never have been a graceful creature, but she did wonder what she would look like if she tried wearing elegant clothes and jewelry like that.

"Attention!" cried the Wing Commander.

"Third flight will escort the Princess on her diplomatic mission. Be ready."

Most of the dragoons stayed in their line, but Fynaurie and three other riders mounted up, waiting for the Princess to pass between them and take flight.

 

[Gwynnestri Ravaneiros]

Gwynn still got shivers whenever people snapped to attention in her or father's presence, but she pretended as if she didn't as she walked over to where Gavne waited, saddled and ready for light. The great eagle's head was held high and every feather gleamed. This was the rohk of a princess.

Gwynn stroked Gavne's neck, ignoring the others' stares at her turned back. Not wasting any time, she boosted herself onto Gavne's back. She leaned forward, her cheek against the soft feathers of Gavne's face. "Hey girl," she whispered. "You ready to give my father a show?" Gavne released a short exhale and vaulted off the platform. She tucked her wings into her side and princess and eagle plummeted at a breathtaking speed. Gavne spread her wings and caught the air at what appeared to be the last minute, and they pulled back level with the platform.

Gwynn was smiling and her usually tame blonde hair was wild and full of wind. This was a diplomatic mission, but that didn't mean they couldn't have a little fun first.

Fynaurie

 

[Fynaurie]

One pale silver eyebrow went up at the Princess's display. Fynaurie stayed where she was. She could almost feel Hindrath's eyes on her.

There was good reason for it too. Fynaurie took the display of aerial prowess as a challenge and wanted to meet it.

This was a member of the royal family, not a fellow cadet from her years of training.

"Flight Four, head out!"

Fynaurie mounted up and Flight Leader Lewel lead them out onto the platform. Four rohk took turns to spread their wings, feel the air and jump.

They formed a diamond around the princess as they banked away from the wind and turned north for the mountains.

 

[Gwynnestri Ravaneiros]

They were to head for the mountains for a diplomatic meeting with the dwarves. Diplomacy was Gwynn's strength, which was the main reason her father had sent her here.

As they began their hopefully smooth journey, Gwynn made a point of making eye contact with all of her protecters on all sides of her and giving them a smile. Perhaps they would think she wasn't taking this seriously enough, but she felt if one was serious all the time they would be very unhappy.

The rocky landscape passed beneath them embellished with fluffy clouds. Other riders could be seen below them on daily training routes or just for personal enjoyment.

Fynaurie

 

[Fynaurie]

Whilst they could still be given orders by hand signal up here, Fynaurie enjoyed the feeling of isolation up in the air. No one could berate her up here for not showing enough self-discipline.

The Sky Elves had been around for a very long time, even if the stone towers had been built long before their time. There were murals of sky elves participating in great battles down in the lower levels of the tower.

Even now, with a decimated population and sky elves living in just one tower, they had remained militant even in isolation. Dragoons like her were held in high esteem.

Fynaurie, a free spirit, did not exemplify the disciple they aspired to.

A screech cut through the air. Fynaurie lifted her head. That had been a rohk crying out in warning.

Before she could see the danger a shadow passed over them.

She could only watch in horror as its poison stinger came down once, striking Gyiarie. The venerable Eagle started to dive before the poison took hold, escaping the wyvern's Talons. Fynaurie could only watch as the flight leader and Eagle plunged towards the ground.

"Princess! DIVE!"

 

[Gwynnestri Ravaneiros]

Gwynnestri's good mood immediately dissipated with the appearance of the wyvern, and the downed eagle and rider. She heard someone call out to her and she managed to return to her senses; a little too late, as Gavne had already taken the lead and dived to avoid the wyvern. It was not necessarily a targeted attack, but wyverns could still be dangerous.

The dragoons around her shouted commands back and forth and they reacted immediately to the threat. Gwynn marveled at how well they worked together, even better in the sky than on land.

She glanced quickly over her shoulder as they continued to dodge the wyvern, her heart reaching throat. She had never seen a wyvern in real life; merely marveled at their size and power in the murals in the towers.

Fynaurie