A sky full of wings [Search]

[Stranger]

"So...do you need anything else sir?"

"Nothing else Cedrick," Horatio dumped the laden haversack onto his bunk as he turned; at the sight of the fidgeting lad at the door, he took care to smile, "You can run along and let Myrna know I'm settling in at the moment. I'll join her in the pantry when I'm done."

"Okays," the youngster, who could not have been more than 12 years of age, was abrimful of energy and alertness. Horatio wondered, amused, if he might ever have been that way at his age, "What time you'll be joining her, Sir?"

"Horatio," he corrected, glancing at his packs and bundles and the trunks, "Just...half an hour maybe? I just need to see where these should go."

"Rights," Cedrick nodded, "I'll see you around them Si...emm, Horatio."

He was gone before the older boy could place a reply, and with a lingering smile he turned to sorting out his scattered belongings on the floor.

****************

Sunset found him wandering the canyon bed, following the lay of the stream as his eyes picked out the dark spots of caves dotting the upper stretches of rock all around him. Pleasantries and packing and genial offers of lunch (or dinner) aside, the feel of the ground caverns' encompassing stone walls were stifling, and at the first chance he had put together an excuse coupled with some mentions of how thankful he was, then fled the caverns for the open air of the canyon bed beyond.

Little sun entered the tall walls of stone, but light touched the jagged heights of the cliffs, striking bright hues from chromatic shades that would have been monotone during the day. Horatio, pondering the sight, hazarded a guess on what it might be like to see many sunsets in this way, and felt his lips turn upward. It would be strange not being surrounded by trees, a feeling that had cut especially keen when he first moved to Sayaie years ago. It felt more like a dull ache now, a dim sense of something missing that should have been present; and the thought of it caused his smile to widen. No matter where his rotations or his future might take him, Chydyn would always be home in many ways.

A flare of color drew his eyes to the cliffs above. With a flurry of wings two green feathered forms launched from the heights, broad primaries taking them on a distant glide to the eyrie gardens. From the opposite side, a larger, more bluish shape fell off a ledge and flapped furiously to arrest the drop and shift upwards. The bright wings flashed sapphire for a moment as the simourv cleared the clifftops and came into the full swath of the sun's rays. Horatio realised then that he had paused and was watching them.

That was another thing that would take getting used to - the sound and sight and feel of wings in the sky.

[Lan]

A dark form blocked the waning light in the canyon for a moment as the Captains of the Northern Sweep were returning from their evening flight. The large black backwinged, majestic and purposeful in his powerful and methodical movements, and slowly he and his rider were lowered down to the bed's red and clay-like soil. While he was a bit farther than his rider might have liked from the kitchens, there was a purpose to his detour. There was a small figure slowly growing larger beneath him that had called him like a moth to a flame. He didn't know what it was, but he knew it was important. The scientist on his back, as always, seemed to just be dragged along for the ride.

Alianph landed in what could have been described as "all his glory" just a few yards in front of the one called Horatio. From high above, his amber eyes scanned the man's form in a discerning sort of way. He was contemplating--what, was indistinguishable to those without a glimpse inside his brain. Fortunately, there was one that was bonded to his mind. Unfortunately, it was G'len and his ability to communicate like a normal human being was usually severely impaired by his nerddom and his constant state of thinking about something else.

The Senior Commander dismounted, landing as always a bit less-than-graceful but still at least able to keep his feet. The man... he is one of us... You must- G'len chuckled and patted the overgrown bird's side. "Yes, I know. I think I'm learning now what your mannerisms mean."

Alianph looked over at his comparatively small rider and snorted, unamused. My mannerisms? Well, perhaps I should no longer communicate anything to you? Then you'll go about tripping all over yourself, as you feel you must. While there was a tone of a joke, the black was also giving somewhat of a threat. G'len stopped chuckling and skewed his smile, scratching the back of his head with one of his gloved hands.

"You win, my friend. I'd be useless without you." With one more genial pat he removed his gloves and approached the man that Alianph had selected as being rider-worthy.

"Hello, there!" he called, stuffing his gloves into his back pocket. As he approached he held out a friendly hand to shake, "Saw you walking about--or, rather, Alianph saw you walking about--and I thought I should introduce myself. I'm G'len." At the mention of the black simourv he chuckled lightly and gestured with a nod of his head toward the towering beast behind him. Conveniently, he left off his title of Senior Commander. It usually gave the wrong impression, and most of the time it seemed people would randomly know who he was anyway and so he logically saw no point.

[Stranger]

A rush of wings, massive and solemn in the evening light, drew Horatio's attention from the blue he had been watching on the heights. With immense decorum, dark and powerful, a black simourv made its way up the canyon and began the gradual process of backwinging towards the stream and rocky ground. Just metres from where he stood as a matter of fact. The wind flung out from the huge wings buffeted his brown travelling tunic with each sweep, driving its hems into waves and rivulets as he backed away.

It was one thing to hear about simourv, another to see them from the distance, and a new experience altogether to encounter one up close. It. Was. So. Big. His breaths came faster as it approached; his mind ran in small circles on the little he knew of them. They were usually contained and tame enough with their riders, but reds were the most dangerous; everyone knew that. Greens were the smallest...no, there was another colour smaller than that, but he'd forgotten what they were. And blacks...blacks were the masters of the Eyrie, ridden by its leaders and Guard Captains.

The black beast descended almost on him and he jerked back a few more steps. Instinct screamed at him to run; curiosity and awe kept him rooted, staring. He had never seen a simourv so close before, and this one was...majestic. Words fled him as the creature touched ground in a soft puff of dust and he found himself gazing up and up again into unreadable amber eyes. Inscrutable as a cat and no less graceful. the black simourv seemed to be examining him; he felt almost as if its great eyes could see into his soul and ducked his head, embarrassed for staring. A mistake perhaps - the movement led his gaze to the massive talons, and his heart leapt into his throat at their size.

A softer thump broke his thoughts - the black's rider had slid from its back and landed almost before him. He blinked, then stepped back a little more, self-conscious. It wasn't as if he wanted to ask something, and by standing so close he would not be able to avoid gaining the rider's attention, which he hardly wanted when he had just arrived and had not even been acquainted with his new supervisor yet. Trying to appear discreet and nonchalant (a difficult prospect with a giant feathered bulk blocking sight of much of the cliff beside you), he began to saunter off towards the opposite canyon walls.

Fate, however, had other plans for him. A voice called out behind.

"Hello, there!"

Horatio turned, uncertain; at the sight of the black's rider approaching his brow went up. The result made him look quizzical, in an arrogant way almost. It wasn't his intention of course, the action had been involuntarily - the startle taking the form of a facial expression instead of a start.

"Saw you walking about - or, rather, Alianph saw you walking about - and I thought I should introduce myself. I'm G'len."

The breath went from him again at the name. G'len. Senior Commander. Just about the second highest person in the entire Eyrie. New arrival though he was, he had been told the names of the higher ranking members in case he happened to run into them. That off-chance had occurred, and now he stood tongue-tied, his thoughts eddying in flurries. He collected himself within the next moment, and his natural sense of manners took over.

"My pleasure, Sir; I'm Horatio, healer apprentice and newly arrived from Chydyn."

He turned towards the towering simourv with a deep nod as well; there had been something Myrna, his guide earlier, had said about showing respect for both the simourv and the rider. He couldn't remember it exactly, but it seemed imprudent to greet one without greeting the other. And what was it that G'len had said was his simourv's name?

"Alianph," he found the word, "A pleasure as well."

His eyes went back to G'len, cool and gray, "Is there anything I can do for you?"