Unsure of the weather, or maybe simply unable to pack light, Addy placed her carefully folded clothes into the largest saddle bag. She had her leather sandals at the bottom with a few spare pairs of bryda and matching Vantai on top, covered by the heavy Katinu. She had seen Sira pack her own heavy coat and it made the healer doubt her choices in light clothing. It was only half a season until winter, and it would suck to be stuck in the cold. Another heavier woolen pair of bryda was tossed in for good measure as well as her choice sleeping fur; it was dark brown and plush, the hairs tipped with gray throughout. The pelt had come from Avanthal many years ago, from a dire wolf she was told by the Skinner (though who knew if that was really true), and it was her favorite.
Perched on the edge of the bed, Addy was still lacing up her knee high, leather-and-fur boots when Sira announced she was ready. A furtive glance to her saddle bag showed it still open and with only half of her other necessities packed. Of course by now Sira had caught onto her love's inability to get ready quickly and was atop the bag trying to force the catch closed before Addy even had a chance to coyly ask for help. The efficiency in which they worked together made the woman smile. Sira took care of everything they needed... and Addy took care of getting Sira ready for flight.
"You're so lucky I love you, because otherwise you would owe me rations every time you threw the saddle." Grumbling softly to herself, though she knew Sira could easily hear her, Addy was stooped to retrieve the saddle that Sira had shook from her back. "Do you want me to like, just set it there and let you fling it around for a bell or two? I can go take a bath and you can call me when you're ready."
Feigning seriousness, Addy wasn't very careful as she plopped the saddle down onto Sira's feathered back, turning to troop noisily back through the Aerie door. From behind her there was an indignant squawk, as if Sira forgot her beak couldn't wrap around the Nari language, before...
Be nice to me, I'm pregnant. There was an injured tone to her voice, and even if she was faking, Addy couldn't keep walking away. Instead she turned right back around and stopped with her nose mere centimeters from the wickedly curved tip of Sira's beak. "Be nice to me then. I have to deal with you being pregnant."
After that, the epicness of the saddling was reduced by much. Sira sat still, shaking only once Addy had cinched the girth, complaining that it needed to be let out a few notches to include her new "puffy state", as she so coyly put it. Accomitations made, Addy had one foot in a stirrup when she suddenly remembered.
"Oh! Hold on! I have a surprise!" Hopping lightly back down, the little healer raced back into their home, was gone a few chimes, and returned with a big, black mass under her arm. Trooping proudly back over, Addy lifted the edge of her bundlet to show her love.
"A net! For fishing! And trapping!" They had tried the no-kill cages, which worked surprisingly well, but were ungangly to carry when more than one days supplies were needed. This net hung neatly over the top of the saddle bags and was strapped flat there, adding almost no weight that Sira would feel. Proud of herself, Addy finally mounted and then were off.
The initial drop sent her stomach into her mouth, as always, though it sunk down to it's rightful place after they leveled out for their coast towards the Bay. It wasn't a long journey, but it was a more interesting one for Addy, who loved to people watch. The road was packed, Addy leaning over to the right and left sporadically to peer around Sira's wing. She found a smile on her face at the sights, watching the carts trundle along with their ant-sized people and beetle-sizes horses. It was a view that the healer hadn't been able to enjoy since her bond with Sira.
Her lover patiently indulged her childlike awe of what was below, tipping a wing this way or that to accommodate her riders movements. At one point, she even followed a thermal down to fly lower over the people below, giving Addy a better look. Though the healer was enraptured by the sights, Sira was quickly bored, piping up inside Addy's head with an interest of a different kind: Their companions.
So this should be interesting.. Do you think Kovac will be with Shayth?
The names wiped the smile from Addy's face and she sat back up in a proper riding position. This caught Sira by surprise, who had to dip sharply left before she could level herself out, winging back up to their original height with a rather irritated shriek that made those below look up in surprise.
I don't know, probably. When she leaves her Aerie, she has him close in tow. Like a puppy she's trying to break in. Her voice almost spit with venom. The wind that whipped past no longer had an invigorating coolness, and the loose strands of hair that lashed at her face were now extremely annoying. One would think that Addy was the pregnant one, with mood swings as sudden as this.
Who else is coming? You only mentioned her. Crossing her fingers that there actually were other hunters joining them, Addy looked out ahead of them. Sira's prowess had brought them quickly to their destination; Addy could almost see where the water met the shore.
Fois, eh? I don't think I have had a chance to meet him since we bonded. I know he's never come to the infirmary, and I never see him at the Weather. Plus, I still have to thank him for saving your life. It's little things like that that endear my to a person. With a teasing mental laugh, a little excitement lit her voice now. With a third Endal pair, there would hopefully not be as much tension between Addy, Kovac and her.
In a gentle, lazy spiral that allowed a good view of the bay and it's bustiling activity, Sira was able to find a place to land on one of the emptier docks. Deks, Yasi and Avora all scampered out from under the looming shadow of the landing eagle, allowing Sira enough room to light comfortably on the wooden planks. Stretching her wings before shuffling them down against her sides, Sira hopped once, then twice, stopping next to a pillar onto which Addy could dismount.
"Thank you." Her laugh was light and she was quickly onto the dock, her hands on the girth when Sira stopped her.
Unless you want a recap of earlier, I'd leave that on until the others arrive. I can't see us doing much hunting here. Sounding a bit irritated, Sira was eyeing a pair of Yasi that was edging close to her side, their hands out stretched as if they could touch her when she wasn't looking.
Replacing the few buckles she had undone, Addy moved to Sira's head, gently taking her beak in hands and pulling her head so that she received kind of a birdy-nuzzle to the side of her neck. Her free hand shooed away the children while she returned to their mental conversation.
Are you going to be alright on this trip or are we going to have two temperamental women to deal with? Though, I guess it's alright cause at least you have an excuse. She was of course referring to Shayths reputation of being a cranky britches towards her fellow Endal. And also..... are we really the first ones here?
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