sneak-thieves [ Fox! ]

[Kilnarak]

The day had been long and fairly uneventful, with little enough to do and less to occupy N'raan's attention. The weather was beginning to cool enough that heavier clothing was necessary to avoid the chill, and the overcast skies today had done little to allow the sun to warm the canyon. There seemed to be more people milling about the barracks than usual, likely staying in out of the cold.

It was around midday, when the winglets' chores were generally scheduled, that N'raan finally decided to do something about his boredom. His peers mostly all filed out to get their work done for the day, and he and Teimoph went among them - however he had no intention of doing actual work today; there were plenty of others to see to their share of the chores, and more likely than not the red-pair's absence would be appreciated - Teimoph's temper and N'raan's oft-times unsettling manner had earned them few friends among the other winglets.

While the two continued with the other winglets for a ways, they turned off on a side-path that lead up higher into the canyon. N'raan had never gone far along this path before, but from what he understood it eventually lead up to the riders' eylings. Canph had told him, some time previous, exactly which turns to take to reach his own eyling; while N'raan had yet to decide if that was their end goal or not, he intended to explore this new territory. He was curious about how the riders themselves lived - their rooms were likely nicer than those the winglets had been afforded.

For once N'raan lead, Teimoph falling into step behind him - the broad shouldered hatchling looked almost comical, attempting to skulk stealthily through the hallway. The red grumbled now and then, however more or less he was vocally quiet - of course, that didn't necessarily mean he was mentally quiet. Why must we sneak about like this, Mine? We aren't hunting. And this is our home, we shouldn't need to sneak, a low, nearly inaudible rumble left Teimoph's throat as he said this; but still, the red continued to move as quietly as he was able, looking up at His with a mix of curiosity and annoyance.

Sneaking because we're not supposed to be here, Tei, N'raan didn't even glance back at the red as he replied, continuing down the hallway. He paused as he passed doorways - listening for inhabitants and peering in briefly in interest if he heard none - but he didn't stop long, continuing onward. Most of the rooms, while large, didn't impress him much; for all that they were at the top of the Eyrie, none of them seemed particularly opulent. This isn't our home, it's theirs. They don't want us here, he continued, even as he padded silently along. His eyes were wide and dilated, and his ears listening for even the slightest sound in the hallway - of course, Teimoph would see or hear anything well before he would. For all that he had not, originally, wanted the red to accompany him - a fact that he refused to think about any further, after their initial argument and Teimoph's unmoving insistence upon joining him - he had to admit that his bond's greater sight and hearing were incredibly useful, even if he wasn't a creature inclined toward stealth.

We should be allowed where-ever we care to go. We were the first hatched, Teimoph's ruff fluffed outward, standing on end as he announced this - a seething wave of anger rolling off of him. Ahead of him, N'raan's lips curled into an amused and rather affectionate smile - not something he would wear in other company - and Teimoph got the sense that His was laughing, although no sound issued from the young man's lips. In time, Tei.

We are hunting, but not prey, N'raan offered again, after a moment. He drew to a halt outside of one of the doorways - listening, but it was empty. When he looked in he caught a glimpse of something glinting in the light, a flash of color. Intrigued, he moved into the room, being careful not to disturb anything. Something here.

The blonde boy moved near immediately to the glinting object - a rather ornate sword leaning against a weapon rack. While there were other weapons set there as well, the sword in particular was particularly lovely. There were no scuffs or marks to show use - it was likely only a decorative piece, unbalanced and of little use in a real fight - but still, the embellished hilt and clean shine were impressive. If he had been back home, he likely could have hawked the thing for a fair sum - enough to feed he and his brother for a good month or so. A part of him wanted to take it - it clearly was not used, and he could find a definite use in selling it - but another part insisted not to. He was a ghost here, he was not tangible - if he took it, he would be found out.

After a few hesitating moments, he reached out tentatively to touch the sword. He curled his fingers about the hilt with one hand, smoothing the other down the blade itself - likely leaving smudges - and lifted the weapon carefully. While he understood the general concept of combat with a sword, it wasn't something he had ever done - he preferred smaller blades, dirks and daggers, weapons that could be easily concealed. It felt heavy, awkward in his hands, but still he admired it - allowing it to distract him. Teimoph would surely tell him, if he heard someone coming...

Speaking of Teimoph, the young red had made his own exploratory circuit about the room - however, unlike His, he was not distracted by shiny weaponry. Where His did his best not to touch, Teimoph had no qualms with climbing over and nosing at things that got in his way. He sniffed briefly at a cast off shirt that had been left lying on the floor only to sneeze abruptly and withdraw - had he been able he would have wrinkled his nose at the scent, instead he merely put his ears back and hissed softly before continuing his exploration. Whoever the man who lived here was, the little red did not approve of his scent. Teimoph only harbored further disapproval as his meandering brought him out onto the simourv-ledge, and he spied the large red feathers strewn about.

It is not Canph, but this one belongs to another red, Mine, he huffed lightly, looking back over to N'raan... only to put his ears back again at the interest he felt from His. Another...? But this room isn't K'huna's... Curious...? Teimoph hissed again, padding back into the room to set himself up beside his, glaring balefully at the red feathers on the ledge. His shouldn't be so interested in Canph's and certainly shouldn't be feeling a sudden surge of interest about whoever lived here!

[Fox]

The midday sun was hot on Seronaph’s wings as he glided smoothly over the Eyrie, eyes scanning for the familiar, welcoming sight of his own eyling ledge. The day had been a long one; K’ean’s meticulous nature had had the redpair out on the wing before dawn had even begun to tinge the sky pink and orange, and they had just gotten back from Itnala bare minutes ago. And yet, surprisingly, the large red was riderless, the flying gear hanging forlorn and empty on his back. Seronaph grumbled absently to himself (and to K’ean, but he was blocked out), annoyed at having to make the wide detour to the Kitchens for his rider to grab something to fill his stomach. It had wasted so much effort to land and take off again when he could have easily arrowed straight down into the eyling from the air. Instead, he had been forced to flap his laborious way back up into the air before he could finally reach his own little sanctuary. Stupid humans and their small stomachs.

I’m sorry if evolution disappoints you. Came his rider’s voice, interrupting Seronaph’s discontented inner monologue. There was far too much amusement in that tone to satisfy the red, however, and K’ean received the unique sensation of a mental huff before Seronaph turned his attention away. Shaking his head, the young man sank his teeth into the roll he had snagged from the kitchens and continued his slow, relaxed stroll up to the caves, taking the time to enjoy the scenery and fresh air before he had to return to his eyling and to the drudgery of paperwork. The walk would fortify him. It was relaxing. Of course, he wouldn’t have had to walk if Seronaph hadn’t decided to fly off without him, but when life gave you lemons… And Seronaph could certainly be as sour as the yellow fruit at times. K’ean didn’t love him any less for it, but it could be… tiresome.

The way to his eyling was not a long one; the young man wasn’t breathing remotely hard as he reached the top of the incline and turned into the stone corridor that led to his and Seronaph’s eyling. What with having to accommodate a simourv at least as large as a green and likely larger, the eylings were spaced quite far between, and the ones he had passed were as yet not occupied. They would be, K’ean mused in a pleased manner, when the simourvs of the Alpha winglets finally reached maturity. Then they would move out of the hulking winglet barrack and into these rooms, and it would be an interesting experience. Only little over a year left to go. K’ean himself kept his eyling extremely tidy-- well, except for that morning, he’d dropped a shirt and forgotten to pick it up-- and almost dust free, but there was only so much he could do with regards to the latter when Seronaph was constantly tracking in with the dust from their expeditions clinging to his feathers. The red was vain, but dust got everywhere, and it was hard to prevent the tiny particles from clinging to his feathers. Besides that, the eyling was somewhat impersonal; a desk and chair, a neatly-made bed, a wardrobe. The only other sign of an inhabitant was the weapons rack he had in a corner, currently one sword less with his more unattractive, serviceable dirk hanging from his sword belt.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity of scanning the multitude of openings in the canyon walls, Seronaph made a beeline for his eyling. He folded his wings, letting his red-feathered body slip into a controlled fall, amber eyes gleaming in anticipation of a nice nap. The red’s wings snapped open to backwing ferociously as he landed on the jutting ledge, and Seronaph mantled his wings, inordinately pleased to be back. It was only after a moment in which the simourv stretched, almost catlike in position, that he realized that he was not alone in the eyling. Far from it. Oh, hel-lo.[/color] He said, clicking his beak in surprise at the sight of a red hatchling (the spirited one from the Hatching?) and his bonded, in the room belonging to His. Were they snooping around? We seem to have intruders.[/color] Curiously, almost amusedly, the large red fixed the new redpair with one large amber eye. Do you intend to stay? I advise you to hide. Mine is at the end of the corridor.[/color] Because K’ean would flip if he found someone sneaking around his room, and although the red would be highly amused by the show, he didn’t think it would set a very good example. Not that offering to hide them was showing a good example either, but the red had a strange concept of what it meant to be a good example. Basically, not K’ean. [/size]

[Kilnarak]

Of the two, Teimoph was the first to notice Seronaph's approach. The young red hissed yet again, the sound sharp and harsh to alert His, and he turned abruptly to face the ledge as the much larger red was landing. His feathers had ruffled up and puffed out, like the fur of a frightened cat, and his wings lifted slightly, fanning out to make his already sizable (for a hatchling) bulk seem larger. Seronaph was, for the moment, a threat - and Teimoph wasn't one to be put off from his posturing, even if the older red was so much larger than himself. He wasn't afraid of Seronaph, however, but he didn't trust the other red with His - Canph had seemed to want to steal His away, this one might mean to do the same.

We do not intend to stay with you! We will leave. Won't we? Teimoph turned his burning amber glare away from Seronaph just long enough to glance to N'raan for affirmation. However, the little red rather suddenly put his ears back, glaring pointedly at His - N'raan had ceased admiring the sword and had stepped away from it. Now, instead, his interested gaze had turned toward the much larger red. While he did not wish to be bound to Seronaph instead, N'raan's gaze was a touch too admiring for Teimoph's liking. The hatchling shouldered into the boy's side, none-to-gently knocking him a bit off balance so that he had to look away from Seronaph. We are leaving, Mine, Teimoph grumbled, his tail lashing behind him.

N'raan blinked down at Teimoph - while the mask he wore was a perplexed one, he did understand Teimoph's jealous nature to an extent. He wouldn't trade his Teimoph for this full-grown red, but the larger creature was certainly interesting to look at. He wondered if Teimoph would ever grow so large - he was bigger than many of the other hatchlings already, but the adult simourv easily dwarfed his size.

"Nah, na' leavin' jus' yet, Tei," he responded to the hatchling after a moment spent studying him - trying to imagine what Teimoph would look like set in Seronaph's proportions. He shook his head slightly, taking a step toward the larger red, one hand tangled in the feathers at the scruff of Teimoph's neck to drag him along with him, if need be. At the very least, the physical contact seemed to ease the hatchling's jealousy a touch. "Even 'f I wanted t', which I don', th' rider 'n th' hall'd see us leavin' his room an' stop us, yeh?" He tried to reason with Teimoph, his gaze focused down on his red now - ignoring Seronaph for the moment. He didn't particularly care to leave, not yet - the prospect of watching this red's rider, of perhaps startling him, was both intriguing as well as potentially entertaining.

"But y' aren' gon' tell him we're here, are y'?" The boy's bright amber gaze flicked up to Seronaph again, suspicious now instead of admiring. He wasn't sure he understood why the creature had offered to hide them - perhaps he was like Canph and enjoyed tormenting his rider? That might prove entertaining. An amusing game, and perhaps if it went well he might repeat it - of course, that would require staying on this red's good side. "Mayb' we can get b'hind y'? 'm sure w' could jus' duck b'hin' yer legs 'r somethin', s' he can't see us?"

He padded lightly out onto the red's ledge, ushering a stubborn Teimoph along with him. The young red's gait was stiff-legged and tense, not exactly hesitant, but definitely not relaxed. He growled low in his throat as they drew nearer the giant simourv. I do not like this, Mine, he projected clearly to His, but only received a sense of amusement and vague comfort in return. For all that he was uncomfortable, N'raan seemed decidedly more at ease with the situation. For all that he had initially been terrified by the creatures, N'raan had quickly grown used to the larger simourv. Hell, he was nearly on friendly terms with Canph, even after hating the red initially - not so with his rider, of course. Perhaps he might befriend this one too; allies in high places could prove useful...

[Fox]

Seronaph had to admit; it was great fun to torment K’ean. He was almost inordinately proud of the fact that no one else could reduce his rider to actually shouting with rage, as he had several times over the course of three years. His was rather pesky with his emotional control; it was just so much fun to see him lose it every once in a while. Of course, there were limits to the red’s needling of His. And, he couldn’t deny that for all that he might rag K’ean aloud to others, Seronaph could turn downright nasty in an eyeblink if he so much as caught a breath of disapproval of His from anyone else. Therefore, to an extent the much larger red could understand Teimoph’s protectiveness, perhaps more than he could understand Black Dionyph’s melodramatics. After all, Teimoph was a red and Seronaph was a red. There were some things that just went with the colour.

The little one was suspicious, but Teimoph’s was practical enough to realise that there was no way that he could slip out of the eyling without bumping straight into K’ean. Seronaph inclined his head once to the man’s suggestion and shifted to accommodate them. The ledge was not small, and there was plenty of space. Once the two were in position, the large red lowered himself to his stomach, curling his black-tipped tail around the man and the smaller simourv. Just in time, too, as barely moments later K’ean’s footsteps sounded outside the room. Sure enough, he strolled relaxedly through the doorway, stomach now pleasantly full from the roll he had consumed on the way up. It had been jam-filled, and K’ean did like his peach jam.

You took awhile.[/color] Seronaph grumped loudly, broadcasting to both His and the two extras in the room. Something shiny distract you on the way up?[/color] Distractedly, the red shifted, as if trying to make sure that K’ean could not see N’raan and Teimoph from where stood in the doorway. It would be funny, yes, if his rider were to find the intruders, but Seronaph wasn’t normally one to get others in trouble. Besides, he rather liked their spunk. In the adjoining chamber, K’ean snorted, rolling his eyes at the red. He was all too used to the verbal barbs by now, and it helped that he could feel his simourv’s protectiveness and annoyance every time someone agreed with him, even in jest. The redrider did not bother to respond- because really, there was nothing he could say that would not garner another comment- but instead turned to the rest of the room, taking a step towards his desk.

K’ean stopped dead. Seronaph let out a gusty simourv sigh. Couldn’t they have been neater if they wanted to snoop around? His was notoriously fussy about cleanliness, and it was all too clear that someone had been in his room. To them and only them, he grumbled. You didn’t need to make such a mess. Mine’s noticed. [/color]

After a moment of standing stock-still, K’ean was suddenly across the room, his long legs eating up the space with his stride. He picked up the sword that his father had given him; a peace offering on his return that he had taken but never really accepted. The elaborate blade felt more like an ornament than a weapon, and as such almost insulting, considering that K’ean’s father had been a Guardsman and should have known his blades. The redrider’s first act after that had been to buy himself a more useful sword; plain and serviceable, but some impulse had led him to keep the gifted blade polished to a shine. Now, there were fingerprints on it. Someone had definitely been in his room, without permission, touching his things. K’ean’s voice, when it finally forced itself past a throat constricted with anger, was a fierce rumble. ”There was someone here.”

He was met with silence from his simourv. Seronaph could not lie well. He could be scathingly sarcastic, but when faced with the option to outright lie, he did not do it at all well. And what was more, His knew when he was lying. He might have been able to fool a stranger with his paltry attempts at fibbing, but not His K’ean. And K’ean… well. He knew his simourv very, very well. ”Where are they, Seronaph?” His frank, blue-eyed stare was fixed on the red, the drawn sword resting lightly against his thigh opposite where its plainer sibling sat at his belt. Why would you suspect me, Mine?[/color] The large red squawked indignantly, head rearing backwards in affront. Still, his insult was woefully transparent, and K’ean did not respond. Waiting.[/size]

[Kilnarak]

Near as soon as Seronaph gave his assent, N'raan was moving to place the creature's bulk between himself and the entrance-way into the room. Teimoph moved less readily, his steps deliberate and slow, and his molten gold gaze turned up to meet Seronaph's - challenging, although there was little way a creature as young and small as he might truly challenge one of Seronaph's age and size. N'raan hissed sharply at the young red as he dropped to a crouch, partially sheltered beneath one of Seronaph's wings, "Get yer slow ass movin', Tei!" Teimoph's feathers ruffed up at the command, and his bright gaze dropped down to His and narrowed. He wasn't slow! Couldn't His see that he was only being cautious, around this, a rival male?

Still, he did pick up his pace a touch as he stepped into Seronaph's shadow - moving more swiftly to His' side and placing himself between N'raan and the older red. Without much thought to the matter, N'raan wrapped an arm over the back of Teimoph's neck, leaning against his red a touch as he tried to peer around Seronaph's body. Really, to see much of anything he'd need to move out of the protective cover the simourv provided them - but he could listen, at least. N'raan's fingers curled in Teimoph's feathers as he heard the sound of movement in the adjoining room - the shuffle of footfalls, a derisive snort.

The boy tensed as their cover suddenly loosed a great heavy sigh; he fell completely still. Teimoph also tensed at the noise, and the young red's muscular form all but vibrated with tension - he wasn't a creature that should be hiding, it went against his instincts to merely stay here, still and silent. But that was what His wanted from him, and for all that he didn't like it, he would try his best to please His. Still, Teimoph loosed a low and nearly inaudible growl as Seronaph's mind touched his own, touched that of His. He felt the boy start again, and turned his narrow-eyed glare up toward the wall of feathers to his side. We did not make a mess. Mine would have put that hunk of metal back, as it was, had you not arrived.

And it was true, in a sense - Seronaph's landing had distracted N'raan, and he had not set the blade back as he had found it. The boy soothingly flexed his fingers in Teimoph's ruff, Hush, Tei. Don't growl. He wasn't entirely sure yet how to direct his thoughts to another simourv - he wasn't even sure if it was possible. Teimoph bristled slightly at the words meant to soothe, but again he did listen - the oh-so-low rumbling of his growl dying into silence. Mine, he will give us away, his mental voice was still a growl, however, when it touched upon N'raan's mind.

And then the other rider's voice broke the silence that had been building upon the simourv's ledge - harsh with anger. It piqued N'raan's interest, and the boy leaned forward slightly as if to peer around Seronaph and catch a glimpse of the man that they had offended. Teimoph stopped him, however, the young red shifting to interpose himself between His and His' object of interest again. He did this both for the practical reason, that he was protecting His, but also because he didn't like the surge of interest that blossomed in the young man's head as he heard that voice. Teimoph's tail twitched, slithering across the stone floor and swatting against Seronaph's side.

Let the elder red lie for them until those lies were found out. Then they might show themselves, but not before.

[Fox]

K’ean was angry, yes, but he was also somewhat resigned. He should have known that something like this would happen sooner or later. There would always be that one person whose curiousity outweighed their good sense, and to them snooping around a rider’s eyling probably seemed like a good idea. And it wasn’t as if he didn’t expect his simourv to hide the intruders from him. K’ean was fairly sure that almost everything that embarrassed him had Seronaph’s marks all over it. The red loved to make him squirm, and if the methods to do that included hiding an intruder and afterwards possibly feeding them information on him, K’ean didn’t doubt for a second that his simourv was-- not just capable of it-- but likely to do it. He fixed the red with an ice-blue stare that had the fifty-eight foot long creature practically squirming on his roost. Then he addressed the room at large and, he suspected, the hidden troublemakers.

”Come out.” He ordered tiredly, mouth twisting into a scowl as he pricked his ears for any sounds of movement. He didn’t care if he seemed stupid, addressing an empty room. ”It’ll be easier for all of us if you stop this silly little game. If I have to come and find you I will be very displeased.” The redrider’s voice was deadpan and dripping in sarcasm as he turned to reach for the ornamental sword’s scabbard and a polishing cloth, keeping his back to the room. He didn’t particularly want to see where the person (or persons) were hiding. K’ean could give them that much. Talking to yourself is the first sign of madness, you know.[/color] ”I think even a conversation with myself would be more fruitful then a conversation with you, O Grumpy One.” With a snort, Seronaph fluffed his feathers and shifted slightly away from N’raan and Teimoph, allowing them a view of the room and K’ean’s turned back. His disgruntlement was apparent in the huff to his words as he responded to the smaller red. There are fingerprints on it. And you wouldn’t be in this mess if you hadn’t been nosy.[/color] He sighed, settling down on his stomach, amber eyes still fixed on the young redpair. No matter, though. I think you should probably come out now and say hello. Mine probably won’t get too angry unless you continue to hide.

On the edge of his mind, K’ean was vaguely aware that Seronaph’s silence had the ring of a distant conversation to it, but he reined in his temper in favour of running the soft cloth along the mirror-bright surface of the blade. The fingerprints on the metal blurred and slowly disappeared under the methodical ministrations. It helped him to think and calm down. After a long moment of silence in which he gave the intruder ample time to come out of his hiding place, K’ean spoke. Quite calmly, and almost without anger, though in truth the anger had merely boiled down to a simmer. ”The sword’s reach is a little too long for me.” He mused aloud, shifting the blade into his left hand and extending it. Even for his long arm, the blade still exceeded the proper balance by a couple of centimetres. Not made for his proportions, but for his father’s. ”A shame, really. It’s a decent blade. Good make. My father was stupid for not taking into account the height difference between us.” Because, as tall as K’ean was at six foot three, his father, Rhys, had topped him by a few inches. He hadn’t been quite as tall as Ri’ley, but still taller than K’ean. The sword had been made for him but presented to K’ean. The redrider had to wonder, bitterly, if there was some message in that. ”I’ve never used it.”[/size]