Closed [Sanikas River] A Chiet and her Charoda (Una)

[Lavira]

Time Stamp: 14th Spring, 513

With the ice finally gone from the Bay, many had gone down to take advantage of the slightly warmer weather and see what their rods could bring in. A good catch in the bay could mean a good trade at the market on the twentieth, but that was still a week away, and not something Lavira was looking forward to.

There was a lot at the nests to take care of right now, not the least of which was an antsy mother eagle whom Vira was working hard to befriend and help her overcome the new-mom syndrome that the matron was struggling with. THankfully, Heshvala had a good attendant. But the early mornings were only busy if the eagles were returning from hunts. The nests being looked after currently were all situated and settled, and thus left the Chiet mildly stress free. She'd gone up to the raptor aeries immediately after her primary duties to talk to one of the handlers and had learned of a new fishing hawk that had fledged. The handler said it needed a trainer to start working with it before it could be used, gifted, or purchased. Lavira had, thus, offered her time to help get the young one started.

She'd taken Tulaj's gear with her down to the river, the spring thaw making it surge against its banks, and the hawk as well. The fledgling was comfortably perched upon her glove, a hood covering its head to help it stay calm while Vira cooed softly to it in Nari. Unlike with her harrier, she did not offer strokes to its feathers nor carresses to its black-scaled feet and legs. The bird was already somewhat nervous about being handled and the woman didn't want to accidentally get claws for touching it wrong.

The hawk had a leash and bell attached to its right foot and a second loop rope hung from Vira's waist as she walked the slick path to the river. Her gentle voice was keeping it from trying to take off at least and she hoped the young hawk would do well on his first expirimental bait trial. The relatively empty shoreline would make her a little less nervous, she hoped.

Speaking directly in Nari, more for her sake than the hawks, she cooed, "Alright, lass. We're just going to do some take offs and hits, okay? Just trust me with the tether and we'll both do fine." Lavira relaxed her grip on the tether some once she reached an emptier spot and let out a soft exhale. Using her free hand, the tether was extended a few feet further to allow the hawk to rise without crashing into her, the rest of it mostly held loosely so it could be released further once the hawk got her bearings.

In immediate response to the slack that was given, the hawk dropped her wings, opening them a little further and giving a muffled scree as well. Vira smiled and nodded. The hawk was on her good side so adjusting to see her better wouldn't be a problem. She took a few bits of meat out next and palmed it in the glove, ready to reward the hawk as soon as she followed the simple directives. "Okay girly..."Her free hand rose to the hood, preparing to remove it. "Nice and easy." And the hood came off.

The hawk twisted her head to look at the hand which had removed the hood, blinking at it brightly and letting her beak hang open some as if in thought. She did not bite, she did not pinch, and she did not fly. She simply sat there, getting her own bearings for a moment. Then came the testing of her wings, flaps pushing wind against Lavira's face and lightening the load on the handlers wrist. It was a good start. A promising one. The hawk was so far showing trust in the handler; the Chiet made a note of this and readied to give the bird a launch to see how she'd do on the tether.

[Una Tanta]

14th Day of Spring, 513 AV, Morning Lazily Una floated on her back in the warm water feeling it surge beneath her as the melted ice added to the water level. Smiling to herself she ran her fingertips over her stomach where the hook from two days ago had pierced her. The little healer had done a marvelous job but Una was anxious to leave her and see her parents. Every moment that she held the knowledge that could save them to herself was another moment she was allowing them to needlessly suffer. She had spent the majority of the last night swimming, her memory of her parents home was foggy and she had gotten turned around several times. Having caught her breath she slipped below the surface. Feeling a current pressing against her from the left slipped her back into her past. Every emotion from the last few days surged into her heart, making her body shake. In only moments she would be applying the salve that would fix her entire past. Excitedly swimming toward it she reached out and pulled herself into the small cove from which the current was being emitted. Searching the depths jubilantly she peered around for the pale blue home with images of throwing herself into the pale pink arms of her mother. Not spotting it instantly she searched, with increasing panic every nook and cranny of the small water-filled hollow. Peeking above the surface she gazed at the Sanikas River. Her heart sank. Frustrated with herself she slapped the surface in a fit. Usually introspective and calm the trauma of the last few days had worked over her nerves like the rough surface of floor coral she felt internally bruised. Throwing herself beneath the water she released the anxiety, fierce excitement, pain, and disappointment in underwater screams and thrashes. Several moments of well-controlled fury finally released she found herself exhausted her limbs heavy and her stomach aching from the frenzy she swam towards the sandy edge and laying on her back stared up at the frustratingly pleasant blue sky. Jolting upright she stared at the girl before her, the birds frightened wing beats momentarily reminding her of Cy. Staring at the modestly dressed Inartan her beluga white skin turned a faint pink as she realized that it was she that must have startled the bird.

[Lavira]

"Easy now, nice and easy. Just up and back down." Vira said calmingly to the hawk and gave her wrist a quick thrust up to encourage the bird to fly. She did, and immediately, pushing off with strong legs and thrusting down with stronger wings. The bird rose smoothly a few feet up and then descended and landed heavily on the glove. "Good girl." The hawk bent immediately to receive its reward from the palm of the gloved hand, a bit of shredded rabbit meat to encourage good behavior.

That was how things went for the next hour, rising, landing, and sometimes flying around the Chiet while remaining tethered, slowly encouraging her further and always allowing a safe place to return to after each successful action. It was all going smoothly and Vira felt the fledgling might even be ready for a few hit practices on the long tether, baited with some larger pieces of meat. But all of that changed when a froth was raised in the river nearby, Vira distracted for a moment from the hawk. But the froth and bubbles subsided, and the woman turned her focus cautiously back to the bird instead, figuring whatever it was just having been a some fish or another.

Her fingers were just working loose the main length of leash on the young hawk, preparing to give her some free flight for the tether-hits, when something came flopping on shore. It was enough to startle the bird off her arm and into a semi-paniced fly/flop from the glove. Lavira gave a surprised "Ah!" and looked between fisher and not-fish in the river, working to get the half flailing youngling back onto the glove safely. "Good gods! Hey, hey, easy girly, easy!" The normally pleasant face, scarred or not, turned sour and frowny as she finally got control of the bird and returned the ruffled hawk to a more dignified place on the glvoe itself, the Inartan scowling to the side at the charoda that had appeared.

Words escaped her for the moment, however, the unusual creature a very strange sight for the Wind Reach native. Rubbery, moist skin, pupilless eyes, fins instead of hair...Una looked very strange to the eighteen year old, who'd never met or seen a Charoda in person, before. When Lavira was finally able to speak, however, it was more clipped than usual. "That's not exactly the most intelligent thing to do to someone, you know...I hope nobody put you up to it." Startling the bird, she meant. Young and untrained, the hawk could've been hurt in her panic!

[Una Tanta]

14th Day of Spring, 513 AV, Morning Una gazed at the girl blankly the whistles, trills, and clicks emitted from her mouth foreign to Una. The girls stiff body language betrayed her irritation despite Unas inability to tell her clipped tone from the already clipped language of Nari. Rising from the water, slowly adjusting the lack of weight of air she quickly adjusted her balance but her motions remained sharper than they would be beneath the water. Not sure if the whistles, trills and clicks had been meant for her or the bird she inquired, "Char? Vani? Common?" each in its subsequent language hoping one would be familiar to the Inartan. Creeping her eyes away from the girl she stared at the bird. After Cy, birds held a mystique she had never contemplated before. Watching the irritated bird bat its wings as it crawled back onto her arm she longed for wings to sprout from her own back so she could join it in flight.

[Lavira]

There was a moment of frowns and stares at the creature now rising from the water before it was supplemented by a pursed lip quirk upon the clipped three word response she received. The other didn't seem to understand the unusual bird-like speech Vira favored in the presence of avians. Nari was typically only used amongst Inartans and the Wind Eagles anyways. She switched to Common, instead.

"Sorry, but you should really be more careful about thrashing around in the water and startling people. You might get shot." Lavira let the frown dissipate fully now and moved away from the river to secure the hawk to a rock on the ground, a suitable enough perch for the bird that would let the Chiet free her hands completely. "What're you doing in the river, anyways? It's not the safest place, you know." Then again, not many areas outside the city up above were. It was the nature of the region, and most of Mizahar, afterall. Vira still tried to keep her curiosity about the odd looking maiden in check, but she felt it rising out of control and knew before long she'd have to ask her just what she was.

[Una Tanta]

14th Day of Spring, 513 AV, Morning Following the Inartan as she placed the hawk on a rock she struggled to tear her eyes from the bird. Only when silence slipped between them did Una look back at the girl, "Oh. I-" she replied in common carefully, her understanding of it quite poor. "The water is not dangerous, I almost never leave it. It is home and beautiful." Glancing back at the hawk she took small steps toward it, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to startle you or the sky being." The word for hawk or bird in common evading her. "I was fishing." She lied, "Big fish, Big struggle." She explained smiling, revealing her sharpened teeth. Taking the opportunity to look at the Inartan more carefully she decided she was young, and very likely, considering her confidence, considered beautiful among the Inartans. The cool wind from the ocean blowing against her nudity, Una shivered, not anticipating time on land she hadn't brought her cotton dress and was instantly regretting it. Despite how uncomfortable the fabric was it was unarguably useful. Torn between the hawk and the water she decided to tolerate the cold discomfort and stepped toward the bird slowly, "What is it?" Una thought aloud not tearing her gaze from the Osprey. Her movements toward the bird were slow and fish-like, a gentle weaving. Glancing at the Inartan she stopped and extended her webbed hand taking the girls and squeezed it, a friendly gesture. "I am Una Tantum. Who are you-Who is that?" She nodded towards the bird, this time directing her curiosity to someone else.

[Lavira]

The behavior of the other and manner of speech was very bewildering to the Inartan. It was an encounter she'd never expected or had before! However, the surprise of it all was starting to wear off as Vira studied the other closely. Una's discomfort was becoming immediately apparent and the other could not let this stand any longer. Undoing her overcoat, she stepped towards the approaching Charoda and offered it up.

"Here, this is warmer. If the water is your home, these cold altitudes must be frigid for you. I'd not wander around without something to protect your skin; it looks somewhat delicate." She had the chance to study her more closely, the strange fins and skin, the pupilless eyes; it reminded her of a whale and squid. The sharpened teeth, however, were more shark-like, which was just as unusual.

The apology was shrugged off. "Sky being; I like that one, though prefer sky king and queen myself, at least when referring to the wind eagles." She gestured up to the city above where silhouettes of the mighty birds could be seen. "She's called a fish hawk, or osprey. She's young, though, and this is her first time on the tether; she's pretty nervous and jumpy already. She doesn't have a name yet, however, but once she's purchased by someone, she'll have one. Pretty girl, isn't she?" Vira crossed her arms over her bare belly and smiled over to the hawk who was curiously picking at the tether. Only wearing her bryda, shoes, and vinati, the bite of the early spring wind brought goosebumps to her skin. It wasn't unbarable, however, the warmth of the volcano-city quite contrasting to the chilly atmosphere outside it.

The Chiet turned back to the creature now only to have her hand suddenly grabbed and the other introducing herself. The woman laughed and shook it companionably. "You have an awful lot of questions, Una. It's nice to meet you, I suppose. Call me 'vira. Are you new to the region?"

[Una Tanta]

14th Day of Spring, 513 AV, Morning Taking it gratefully from the Chiet, Una slid it on. Wide eyed she stroked the soft fur of the inside and wished that she could possess something so lush and warm without ruining it in the salt waters of the north. Her mind momentarily slipped to the polar bears of her homeland and she made a mental note to inquire about the costs of a coat such as this made from a water resistant fur. Smiling back at the girl the peculiar generosity stole her attention from the bird. As the Inartan moved the ribbon in her hair gave the ginger weave a coiling look as if her hair was composed of living strands that tangled and moved against each other. The girl was well muscled, comparable to the Charodas own well muscled legs and stomach, however her arms and legs were much longer than Una's, whose height came from her long torso. Built for agility rather than speed like it appeared this young woman was built for. She had the etched beauty of a sculpture that reminded Una of coral that wormed its way along sunken boots. Supporting itself on the sodden wood of the boat its edges were typically much more brittle and dangerous. Catching sight of the white covering the Inartans right eye Unas mouth made a small o of pity her hand subconsciously touching her own newly healed stomach. Scars were a part of Mizahar life but they were no less piteous to Una who though of scars as the physical manifestation of internal strife and trauma. Those with peaceful souls did not often put themselves in situations to attain physical trauma in her minimal experience. The rounded eggs for teeth all humans had amused Una but she wasn't aware of how odd she must also look to the humans for her lack of it. The strangers hand in hers felt odd, used to the rubbery and sleek feel of other Charoda the fragile velvet of human skin made her blush. Despite being of the water human skin felt more filled with waters essence than her own. "Wind Eagles?!" She exclaimed in response, remembering the fall of massive feathers that would sometimes land on the bays surface and the shadows their great wingspans. When Una was younger she used to swim beneath those shadows, diving through the water jubilantly trying to out race the great creatures. Following the Inartans gaze she smiled broadly and pointed at them blatantly ignoring the answer to her other question. Not familiar with social protocol her attention shifted quickly and without apology to what interested her in the moment. "Oh no." She replied still staring at the sky as she squeezed Viras hand. "I was hatched in Thunder Bay. I haven't visited in many years, I live now North. Just South of Avanthal." Meeting the beautiful girls eyes directly as is the custom of the Charoda. "I came to see my parents firstly." She had meant originally, but seeing the Wind Eagles soaring above them her parents evaporated from her minds eye and all she saw was Cy above her. "But, I also wish to be there." She indicated the Wind Eagles with a nod of her head, "I want to know what it is to fly..." She murmured under her breath the words taking her back to the intoxicating sensations she had felt when Cy was flying. "Don't you?" She asked meeting the girl with her gaze, made invariably intense by the lack of pupils. "Want to fly? All Inartans want to fly do they not? You must feel like your wings have been....plucked? when you are not in the sky!" Her mouth again made the small o. Though in her mind her words came out in a rush of excitement her lack of familiarity with the language made her appear childish and possibly dimwitted to those not familiar with the feeling of using a less than fluent language. However her Charian accent also curled the words making each sound like the rush of a wave the end of the word escalating like the crash of it against the chore, or round like she was emitting little bubbles into the air. Furthermore, her lack of social constraints could be equally be viewed as childish and narcissistic if not analyzed for she always invariably turned what she was saying to the person before her once she had completed a thorough conversation on the topic with herself. As of yet she had given little thought to the Inartan before her but her friendly demeanor and whistle-like accent was so contrary to the sailors she had grown up with that she was as soon as fascinated with Vira as she was with the birds and watched her sharply following her movements enthralled. Underwater she must look like a duck, she speculated, but on land her arms and legs moved like a birds. Sharp and quick with little energy used on useless movement.

[Lavira]

As Lavira returned her sight to the charoda, a wave of discomfort washed through her. The other was staring at her. Not in a hostile way, though, but it no less made the woman uncomfortable and she was quick to avert her gaze to the side and downwards, if only to avoid visual contact with those bizarre eyes. Being stared at wasn’t a super common thing with Inartans. They all pretty much looked the same, red hair, a small range in eye color, same general height. Most tended to act the same: blunt of tongue and thought, quick to speak their mind. Vira was something of an exception to this rule in terms of personality; she tended towards a more maternal nature, gentler, less outspoken, and kinder by far. It made her very strange, but perfectly suited for her job.

Una’s attention wandered from her blinded side at last and the Chiet let out a low breath of relief as the other stared up at the mighty birds high above. They were amazing animals, by and large, ones whom Lavira respected greatly, though such was true of all avian species. None were really greater than the other and all were cared for equally. The woman’s eye watched the soaring hunters with a longing so deep and tangible it nearly brought tears to her own eyes. How she wished she could be up there with them, not for the glory, or the money, or the fame. She yearned for the freedom of the sky and the sheer release soaring with the eagles brought. It wasn’t a matter of pride, but a matter of the heart. To fly was her greatest desire so that she could be one with the birds she so lovingly cared for and know what it was like for them. Their heavenly freedom was the most awe inspiring and beautiful thing Lavira knew.

And it broke her heart each time she watched the nesting mothers or their mates, or even a hatchling testing its wings alight from the aeries with or without their riders. In that respect, the woman knew exactly what it felt like to the charoda beside her to always be looking up, instead of looking down. It was in these moments staring heavenward that she missed the part about being hatched in Thunder Bay but living south of Avanthal. She might have asked about being hatched otherwise. In a voice barely broaching a whisper, she replied to the sentiments, “Everyday.” This was amplified by the discouraged sigh and lowering of her head to the ground and the fish-hawk still contently sitting on the perch.

“I don’t know if that’s true of every Inartan, but a lot of those that I know think that being Endal is only about glory. There’s more to it than that, though. The responsibility is higher than nearly everything else in Wind Reach. The riders must supply food and protection to the city and its inhabitants. But those aspiring to that forget about that. They think it’s all about the rank… They have no idea the devotion being an Endal takes.” She kept talking, though, her thoughts spilling forth as her gaze returned to the skies. “I wish I could share in the experience the eagles have and those truly blessed to be their riders. It must give them such a sense of peace to fly above it all and know that the work they do is truly great. The riders only let me ride if there’s another hunter in the Flight. I don’t think they trust me yet, eventhough I’m one of the ones who’s made certain the matrons and their young stay healthy and strong.” Her jealousy was palpable, but so was her sadness.

She wasn’t quite an outcast, and though her friendly demeanor might lead one to believe she was popular, Vira was always kind of that odd bird, no matter what Una perceived of her.

[Una Tanta]

14th Day of Spring, 513 AV, Morning Blushing guiltily Una realized the inappropriate nature of her question. There were certainly questions Vina could ask her that would appropriate the same reaction, and any of these questions would threaten her control over her emotions. She could tell the Inartan was no longer really speaking to her, her thoughts slipped out but in essence they were meant for herself. No Inartan in Una's experience would so willingly share their emotions and thoughts. Her tale was curious and Una wondered why the Inartans wouldn't trust one of their own but this was hardly the time or place to ask such an intimate question. Instead she stepped forward and reached out to touch the girls arm gently and pinched. It was something her mother had done to her and her father, both with the tendency to be too internal, the pinch was a sign of love that told them she was there for them and that they needed to return to their bodies and to her where she could help them with their internal dilemmas. Knowing the girl was unlikely to understand this, and may take offense Una leaned forward and whispered it across the small distance between them, a coveted secret. Having grown up near the Inartans Una was familiar with parts of their culture but had grown up in a culture and family who were emotive and expressive, and she found the gesture easy and natural despite just having met the girl. "You get to be near those great birds often?" Una inquired quietly and smiled, "You are very fortunate. I have never been closer to the sky than a meter or two into the air when I jump with the...erm..." She gestured leaping with her hands, hoping the girl would understand what she meant. "...Sea waves." Gesturing to the hawk with a nod of her head she changed topics letting, what the Inartan likely perceived as uncomfortably emotional moment, fade away. "Must you leave now or can we watch him fly?" Una wished that the girl would stay and let her watch the infamous talent of the Inartans with their hawks, however she also equally wished the girl would insist upon returning home and would invite her along. Even if she could never fly an eagle, being so close to the sky might approximate the sensation. Chewing her lip, happy with either answer so long as Vira didn't leave her alone. Her mind gently tugged at her, urging her to return to her parents as quickly as possible but her selfish heart insisted that a few hours wouldn't make a difference. Cy was so close when she felt the breeze and watched the gulls fly overhead at home, at this moment so close to a woman of the sky she could feel him standing next to her.