Post by zeis on Sept 8, 2010 21:11:52 GMT -8
"This is amazing!" Shaegir laughed delightedly, but the wind tore the words from her mouth and scattered them, heard by no one. Perhaps mistaking these words of joy for an exclamation of terror, Serapais wrapped her arms more tightly around her sister's stomach, pressed her face into the girls back, and shrieked in honest fear. The two identical girls clung with equal parts excitement and fear to the harness of Valenph, who was soaring as gently and evenly through the air as possible. Shaegir was sitting in front, Serapais behind her, and braced behind them the rider M'ari.
They both clung to the thick leather straps tightly enough to make their fingers numb, even though both the rider and simourv had been especially careful hooking them safely on. Beneath them, the muscles of the green simourvs shoulders pumped with each wingbeat, and they could feel the rhythmic and slow beating of her heart. Even further beneath them at this dizzying height, stretched a thawing mountain range, and nestled almost in the heart of it a narrow canyon dotted liberally with canyons. Their destination. To Shaegir, even though she was excited by the sight of it, she was sad to see it all the same. It meant that they'd have to land, and this awesomely terrifying experience had to end. Serapais, had her eyes been open, would have been relieved.
Hold on. Valenph warned with amusement, and folded her wings slightly into a shallow dive as she winged her way into the Eyrie. The sudden dip forward caused Serapais to constrict her sister tighter, making it difficult for the other girl to breath. "Sera! Open your eyes, it's beautiful!" Shaegir urged her sibling, marveling at the way the early morning sun lit up the red rock like a canyon carved of ruby. Caves of all sizes and depths zipped past them, and inside the girl thought she saw people and other great colorful simourv like the one that bore them here. It was so exciting, like something out of one of her books.
"I'll look when we're on the ground!" Serapais moaned, and jumped at the comforting heavy gloved hand that touched her shoulder, belonging to the rider behind her. He had told them not to be afraid, that everything was as safe as houses. She supposed he hadn't just been condescending to them, as grown-ups usually did, as they seemed to have made it wherever they were going in one piece. And, to her credit, she hadn't been afraid before the large green simourv had taken off, only after. It hurt her pride a little to think of her self so obviously terrified in front of a person she had just met. What kind of first impression was that to make? Regardless of how brave she thought she was, she kept her eyes firmly closed until Valenph settled down for a gentle, prancing landing.
I remember when you were afraid of flying. Valenph teased her rider playfully as she trotted calmly to a halt, and settled herself gently down on the canyon bed for dismount. She'll get over it, I did. M'ari grinned at her, and went about unbuckling first himself, and then the two girls he had brought back from search. It was no problem getting the one in the dress down from Valenph's back, but it took a bit of coaxing before Serapais also set her feet on the ground. Once that was done, he pointed off in the distance toward the Candidate's Barrack. "That's where you'll be staying ladies, I'll go ahead and move your bags into your rooms. Why don't you go take a look around? Kitchens are that way if want some breakfast."
"Thank you, sir." Shaegir smiled indulgently at him, and turned her dark blue eyes curiously up at Valenph. "And thank you!" She giggled, finding it all too strange and fantastical to be talking to such a creature as a simourv. The girl had seen them standing guard on the towers in Itnala, but she never had any idea they were so intelligent, or so friendly. Valenph in response offered a trilling tweet, and a faint click of her beak that reminded Shaegir of the colorful terran birds she sometimes saw at the Itnala market.
Serapais, now fully recovered from her unfortunate and unseemly bout of totally uncharacteristic fear she could assure you, offered the green-rider only a dismissive nod before turning her eyes appraisingly on the Eyrie around her. It was nothing like Itnala. She hadn't gone a day in her life without the smell of the ocean, but here the mountain air was crisp and clean. It hit her suddenly, what she and her sister had agreed to, and how far away from home they really were. The look in her eyes, critical and challenging, dimmed slightly, as she surveyed her new home for the first time. Wordlessly, she reached out for Shaegir's hand, and her sister, understanding completely, took it in her own.
They both clung to the thick leather straps tightly enough to make their fingers numb, even though both the rider and simourv had been especially careful hooking them safely on. Beneath them, the muscles of the green simourvs shoulders pumped with each wingbeat, and they could feel the rhythmic and slow beating of her heart. Even further beneath them at this dizzying height, stretched a thawing mountain range, and nestled almost in the heart of it a narrow canyon dotted liberally with canyons. Their destination. To Shaegir, even though she was excited by the sight of it, she was sad to see it all the same. It meant that they'd have to land, and this awesomely terrifying experience had to end. Serapais, had her eyes been open, would have been relieved.
Hold on. Valenph warned with amusement, and folded her wings slightly into a shallow dive as she winged her way into the Eyrie. The sudden dip forward caused Serapais to constrict her sister tighter, making it difficult for the other girl to breath. "Sera! Open your eyes, it's beautiful!" Shaegir urged her sibling, marveling at the way the early morning sun lit up the red rock like a canyon carved of ruby. Caves of all sizes and depths zipped past them, and inside the girl thought she saw people and other great colorful simourv like the one that bore them here. It was so exciting, like something out of one of her books.
"I'll look when we're on the ground!" Serapais moaned, and jumped at the comforting heavy gloved hand that touched her shoulder, belonging to the rider behind her. He had told them not to be afraid, that everything was as safe as houses. She supposed he hadn't just been condescending to them, as grown-ups usually did, as they seemed to have made it wherever they were going in one piece. And, to her credit, she hadn't been afraid before the large green simourv had taken off, only after. It hurt her pride a little to think of her self so obviously terrified in front of a person she had just met. What kind of first impression was that to make? Regardless of how brave she thought she was, she kept her eyes firmly closed until Valenph settled down for a gentle, prancing landing.
I remember when you were afraid of flying. Valenph teased her rider playfully as she trotted calmly to a halt, and settled herself gently down on the canyon bed for dismount. She'll get over it, I did. M'ari grinned at her, and went about unbuckling first himself, and then the two girls he had brought back from search. It was no problem getting the one in the dress down from Valenph's back, but it took a bit of coaxing before Serapais also set her feet on the ground. Once that was done, he pointed off in the distance toward the Candidate's Barrack. "That's where you'll be staying ladies, I'll go ahead and move your bags into your rooms. Why don't you go take a look around? Kitchens are that way if want some breakfast."
"Thank you, sir." Shaegir smiled indulgently at him, and turned her dark blue eyes curiously up at Valenph. "And thank you!" She giggled, finding it all too strange and fantastical to be talking to such a creature as a simourv. The girl had seen them standing guard on the towers in Itnala, but she never had any idea they were so intelligent, or so friendly. Valenph in response offered a trilling tweet, and a faint click of her beak that reminded Shaegir of the colorful terran birds she sometimes saw at the Itnala market.
Serapais, now fully recovered from her unfortunate and unseemly bout of totally uncharacteristic fear she could assure you, offered the green-rider only a dismissive nod before turning her eyes appraisingly on the Eyrie around her. It was nothing like Itnala. She hadn't gone a day in her life without the smell of the ocean, but here the mountain air was crisp and clean. It hit her suddenly, what she and her sister had agreed to, and how far away from home they really were. The look in her eyes, critical and challenging, dimmed slightly, as she surveyed her new home for the first time. Wordlessly, she reached out for Shaegir's hand, and her sister, understanding completely, took it in her own.
