Completed Seashells down by the Seashore (Aidara and Sairque)

[Sira]

Timestamp: 1st of Winter, 510 AV "You want me to what!?" Sira stood outside the door to her room arguing with a man who stood nearly a foot taller than her. The man was an Endal, like her, but he was also a flight leader and anyone watching would be taken aback by the attitude Sira was giving him. But this wasn't just any flight leader. This flight leader also happened to be her older brother, and while she didn't usually fly with him, he still outranked her. "Look, they've got me real busy right now. It'd be doing me a huge favor. All I ask is that you fly down and pick out some good ones, and I promise I wont forget it." Sira shook her head angrily, her hair waving back and forth and falling around her face. "No," she said as she shoved the hair out of her eyes. "Get someone else to do it! I've got better things to do than go looking for shells for some girl you haven't even worked up the nerve to talk to yet." "There is no one else, Sira. All the riders are busy gathering for the winter." He paused for a moment as Sira gave him a look sharper than the sword dangling at her waist. The man shook his head and sighed, "Sira, face it. You slow us down. We don't need you right now. Maybe if you wouldn't throw such a fit every time we suggest letting some of the hunters ride you, but-" "Now wait just a minute, there! I don't slow anybody down! And don't bring up that crap about the hunters! Would you ask your eagle to carry around a bunch of random strangers? I don't think so. I'm not about to let just anyone ride me, so you can go fall off a cliff for all I care." "Sira, this isn't about the hunters. I'm just asking you to do me a favor, that's all. Now say yes before I have to order you to do it." Sira stared at her brother for a few tense moments before finally letting out a resigned sigh and saying, "Fine... I'll do it. But you owe me!" That being said, Sira promptly turned and slammed the door to her room shut, leaving her brother standing in the hall shaking his head. Sira stormed over to the large cushioned couch, the only piece of furniture in the room, and plopped down, muttering to herself. "Can you believe that... I can't believe he'd say those things about me. He knows I do the best I can. I work my feathers off out there and I might not bring back as much as everyone else, but I do my best. And now I have to go looking for shells? The nerve!" After a few minutes of quiet brooding Sira stood and headed for the back door, which led to what would normally be a nesting chamber for an eagle, but for Sira it was just a quick way to get to the sky. Sira had long ago cleared the room of nesting materials, but left the metal chimes which she tapped with her fingers as she made her way toward the edge. "..maybe it will be warm enough to swim," she muttered as she pulled off her clothes and stuffed her katinu and sword into a bag, which she tossed off the cliff. Sira stood and watched the bag for a split second before diving after it. She fell for a few seconds before shifting, folding her wings back and quickly catching up to the bag, snatching it out of the air and heading off toward the coast. The sun was fully in the sky when she landed on the sandy beach a short flight away, dropping her sack and shifting at the same time. She didn't bother retrieving her coat, instead enjoying the cool winter breeze against her skin, and not particularly worried about visitors this early in the day. She walked over to the waters edge, wiggling her toes as a small wave pushed the loose sand over her feet. The water was cold, much too cold to swim though she might give it a try once the air warmed up a bit. If she didn't have to hunt, there was no reason not to try to have some fun while she was doing her ridiculous task. The task which she was suddenly reminded of as she stepped on a small shell. Sira bent to retrieve the shell, looking it over. It was pretty, but it was just a clam shell. She was looking for something a bit more fancy, one of the spiral shells.. a large one. Several really, her brother wanted several so he could pick out the best. It was a job deserving of someone of lower caste, but after a few minutes of walking along the beach Sira decided she didn't mind so much. It wasn't often she got to relax during the day.

[Sairque]

Catabasis was in fine form this afternoon. He wasn’t the type to kiss and tell, but Sai was fairly certain that Aidara had done something to offend him. Something that Aidara hadn’t been aware of at the time, because she had happily hopped aboard for their pre-planned excursion down to the Thunder Bay area this morning. The trip had started out smoothly, the twins saddled up, Sai perching lightly atop the dark Eagle while Addy hunkered down as the massive raptor carried them through the cold winter air. Surfing up drafts, they had flown over the rocky valleys and ridges claimed by the Inarta as home until finally emerging out over the rough blue waves.

With the elder twin accompanying her on more and more hunting excursions, they had planned their coinciding day off to build up Aidara’s flight experience. Sairque, as usual, eschewed the safety straps tucked neatly away in the low profile saddle, the same straps that had the healer tied down tighter than a clam. Which is probably why the raptor had deigned to warn the Endal that he was going to throw some tight maneuvers a scant half second before folding both wings, one expanded just far enough to turn their dive into a corkscrew spiral. Yelping, she ignored the sensation of her stomach climbing into her throat and scratched at the saddle, trying to dig her fingernails in to fight the momentum that carried her inches off of his back. Wind tearing the breath from her throat, and biting coldly against the exposed parts of her cheeks, she finally hooked the middle finger of her left hand into the curving jug hand-hold; the finger felt like it was about to rip off at the first joint but she fought to pull her shoulders down far enough to grab the other hold. At this point she was already slipping to the outside of the turns, off to the right, but with her hands firmly in place, the muscles of her arms and shoulders balled up and rippling, legs shifted from a perching position to clamping with her calves, pulling to keep her bottom seated.

Unfortunately, it was at this time that Catabasis snapped both wings out and abruptly raised in the air, leveling out and causing the poor Endal to smack down on the tree of the saddle with no way to cushion the change in inertia. While she didn’t have certain anatomy that would make this event traumatizing, her bottom lip was sucked in tightly and tears sprang to her eyes, only to get dragged out of the squinting organs and across her temples by the wind.

Why are you doing this to me? Sairque begged of the Eagle, to which he snarkily replied You need practice, as well. And with nothing else, he tipped back and beat furiously to climb through the clouds. His wings folded coming up to minimize resistance and flared out on the way down to create lift and power the trio high into the skies. At some point, the factors of which were only known to the Eagle and deemed as acceptable, he stopped flapping and let his inertia battle with gravity, a losing fight. Sairque was well used to both these sensations. On the way up she had hunkered forward, moving in tandem with his furious strokes, the undulation of his body to provide power, a motion that for some riders never became natural. Again, when he slowly stopped upward motion and finally started falling back to the ocean, Sai swallowed her stomach, the ends of her hair mimicking the motion of both her insides and the raptor.

And down they went. Riders first. This wasn’t a new maneuver for the rider, having Catabasis flip over, wings left unfurled but limp, as though he had lost consciousness, but it wasn’t something that they had done more times than she could count on one hand either. It was gentle, the gradual loss of momentum, the slow-motion turn over onto his back. The first few seconds after that, however, were always the worst, when she could feel herself falling, when it still felt like the earth was rushing up, and her trapped between it and the gargantuan bird. Gasping for air, always, always the air whipped around her nasal cavity or her mouth, but never slowed enough for her lungs to be able to pull it in, that’s what it felt like at least, but somehow she never suffocated. This time those yellow eyes were snapped shut and her teeth gritted, a white knuckle grip on her hand holds, thighs clenching the stiff leather, the panic staved off long enough for the falling sensation to pass. It was almost a curse, having him in her head like this, because he knew the moment they had accelerated enough for the woman’s body to acclimate and stop feeding her falling sensations, Aidara had also experienced this. And that meant they were both relaxing and opening their eyes again, the only unpleasant sensation that of blood rushing to their head , and the confusing need to look up to catch sight of the mountain peaks that had just moments before been below them.

Sai just barely had time to realize how fortuitous it was that she had checked over and maintained Aidara’s safety straps just last night before the determined bird started with the spinning again. Not a nose dive spinning, but like a barrel role type spinning. This was a new one for the flight leader, and she desperately hoped it would be a one-time deal. Bones stressing under the pull her muscles were putting on them to maintain her perch on the birds back, Sai cried out the split second her sweat slickened fingers lost grip on the saddle. Normally it wouldn’t be a big deal, not even during an adventurous trick, but they were spinning so hard that she knew there would be no time to get a second grip, with her hands or her legs. Off she went, her heel connecting with Aidara’s shoulder on her way past, though the flight leader hardly noticed the blow so junked up on adrenalin was she. The connection wasn’t felt, but it could have been a lot worse. Sai’s first concern was flailing limbs hitting her sister and further frightening the woman and possibly shattering whatever control she had, her second was flailing limbs damaging the crucial flight feathers of Catabasis’ wings if she should blow past them on her way off.

Tumbling end over end, head over heels over hips over knees over shoulders, the Endal was tucked into the tightest little ball she could manage, jaw clenched as she fought to catch sight of her raptor to know it was safe to unfurl and slow herself down by assuming the belly flop position. She never did spot him, which only meant that he wasn’t within the small scope her squinting eyes could see, and he flared to life as a calm presence blanketing her mind. Away. One word from him was all it took and she threw arms and legs wide, feet dangling above her, silk scarf finally ripping free of her hair and billowing up like a flash of red lightening. The ocean was disconcertingly wide and blue and dark beneath her, the beaches seeming so far away, Mount Skyinarta a faraway wet dream from here. We are not playing ‘Fetch’ this time, he sounded too forceful, and Sairque realized that he had been repeating this over and over again. While free falling was probably the best past time ever invented, the reason behind this one must have shaken her more than she thought.

The flash of ideas and images was too fast to categorize as speech, but he finally entered her line of vision, huge, blacking out the ocean and the sun, until all there was in her existence was a ball of black and fiery feathers. With one thin chest strap. She winced, feeling the feathers jumble against her knuckles as the digits were tucked into the leather, and as though this were a crack on an overhang at the Edge of the World, the toe of her left foot boot was pulled up to tuck into the strap further across his chest as well. The great bird leveled out in an arcing sweep, gentle on both his passenger, himself, and the dangling lichen formerly considered a very dignified Endal. It wasn’t entirely clear why he hadn’t let her ‘walk’ herself up to the saddle while she was still weightless, but perhaps it had to do with encouraging her not to fly off of him during maneuvers. He glided along a thermo cline, turning his great beak back to fix her with a massive yellow eye and release a chilling screech. Only know did she realize her fingers were stiff and creaky from the low temperatures.

“Love you , too, buddy,” she told him and blew an air kiss, pulling her foot out of the leather strap and putting her entire weight on her stinging fingers, dangling hundreds of feet over the chilly ocean. And the hungry marine animals that lived there. No worries, though, this bit of tack was a climber’s dream compared to the teeny little crimper holds found so often on the Edge of the World.

“Hey, sister, stop hogging all the seat!” she teased, loudly to ensure the sound would carry all the way around the bird and up to the healer. As much to confirm to the woman that she had indeed been snagged by the raptor as anything else. It was still slow work, and sweaty, pulling herself hand over hand around the girth of the strong Wind Eagle. She had to hold her entire weight on one hand, pulling up with it and holding long enough to delicately insert her other hand between the cinch and the feathers. Couldn’t go around damaging the beautiful boy’s ‘do. And when she was no longer dangling, but climbing up the side, most of her body pressing against those feathers and having to reach around the curve of his body to get the next hand hold, it was even more difficult, she couldn’t kick her legs out, or lift her knees to get an advantage of shifting weight. The two appendages were just useless limp things while her arms did all the work. But eventually the healer came into view and Sai dropped her head against her clenching hands, resting, appendages warmer from the increased blood circulation.

While she had been busy trying to reclaim her seat, he had dipped low over the beaches, whizzing along, one wing rushing over the sand and the other over the breaking waves. Sai heard the chilly water smack the back of her katinu, felt the wet spots in her white bryda and hurried to pull herself up the remaining distance, being wet out in the icy winter air would make for a miserable afternoon. He let out another call and Sai glanced up, knowing the difference in the screech even as his voice echoed We have company, Sairque. Would you like to stop?

Sai settled into place, wiping the sweat from her brow and hunched over in the saddle, eyes glancing up the beach to a woman bent down and picking something from the sand. Of course, I need a break. What were you trying to do to me?

Just a short bit of routine practice, Sairque, he responded, unruffled by the fall she had taken. Your sister did better than I thought she would.

And that’s when she realized that this was all Addy’s fault. Sighing and shaking her head, the flight leader reached back to pat her sister’s thigh. “We’re gonna take a rest here, I think that’s our friend Sira up ahead.”

He was already banking to slow enough for a few hopping steps before coming to a complete stop, about two hundred feet from the previously solitary Kelvic.

OOCAs per request, Juliemo, one detailed post with lots of flight stuff. Let me know if you two want Sai to pop out of the thread here soon, I'll pull her out. But I do have to warn you, Sira might as well get used to not having any privacy with the healer right now. ^.^

OOCOkay, I think I winterized the post, or at least pulled out everything about warmth and fall

[Aidara]

OoCI just wanted to make an ooc to join the cool club. It really was a good thing that she was strapped down. Used to the normal routine of hopping up into the hind seat of their saddle, Addy would secure the straps that Sai left attached for her without a second thought. However, half the time, as Catabasis winged lazily down the mountain or whatever it was they were doing and Addy questioned the need for the straps in the first place, shrugging it off as her sister being overprotective, as usual. Little did the woman know that Catabasis was going to throughly show her why exactly she was strapped and secured. With her hair tied back into the braid both women wore when going for a fly, Addy's fingers wound into the back of her sisters bryda, just for mental security reasons. She was able to peer down over the side of the great eagle, for once completely enjoying the cold air as it whipped and stung at her face. Her eyes quickly began to water but it made no difference as the moisture was immediately pulled away anyway. "Sai, are you going to tell me where we are going, other than "to the coast" or why...like, ever?" Addy knew she should be irritated as she shouted up past the wind at her sister, but the early winter air was so crisp and everything was so beautiful.... she couldn't find it in herself to be irritated. Ah, but she would have reason soon enough. "Oh, it's beautiful..." was whispered to herself as the forest below their mountain proudly displayed itself in a glory of late, brightly colored leaves that clung tenaciously to their branches, as well as the frost covered fingers of the trees who had already shed their leafy hair. It was in this quiet contemplation of all things beautiful that Catabasis decided to take his first plunge. A scream tore from Addy's throat as he tucked in his wing and began the corkscrew. However, Sai would never hear her cries of panic as the wind whipped them away into their wake almost before the sound left her mouth. The cold air restricted the movement of her chest, and she found it intensely hard to draw a breath. Compressed by the force of their dive, it was all the small woman could to do cling to her sister's waist. She was suddenly very aware of the strips of leather that anchored her in place. The way they dug into the flesh of her legs, at her hips and waist made it painfully obvious how lightly secured she really was to the giant eagle as they plummeted, when only minutes before she was mentally complaining about the use of the straps in the first place. "Holy thank mother of peaches and cream and I want a huuuuug." Completely unconcerned about what words actually came from her mouth, Addy squeezed her eyes tight and told herself to keep them that way until she felt Catabasis return to a normal flying pattern. Yeah, but then he flipped over. Crying out again in panic, Addy instinctively clamped her legs down on the eagles sides, anchoring herself with her leg muscles as she tightened her grip around her sisters waist. Really, they had only been doing these aerobatics for a few minutes, but it felt like a quarter of an hour had passed by the time that Addy's legs began to shake with the effort of holding her butt in the saddle. All the blood rushed to her head as she hung by the straps on her thighs, just a few inches of fickle leather between her and horribly jagged rocks that probably waited to happily take her into their arms below. Cursing Catabasis with every word she could think of, she quickly ran out and they were still upside down. So instead she vehemently spat normal words at him with a snarl as if the thought of the bird made her stomach turn. "Dirty sack of stinking...if I had a petching pastry right now I know where I would shove it and let me tell you, you good for nothing...raspberry filled? YEAH! I HATE RASPBERRIES!.....SAI! NO! WHAT THE PETCHING HELL!" It was then that her twin flung herself from not only Addy's grasp on her waist but the saddle it's self. But her sister never fell! Had something happened while she was busy trying to cuss out Catabasis? Had she lost consciousness and therefor her grip on the saddle? NO! Was it her fault her sister was no longer occupying the seat in front of her? Crying out, the healer felt her heart stop as she watched the little ball of Endal grow smaller and smaller below them. With a wail of dismay, her panic too thick in her mind, Addy wasn't able to think clearly nor realize that this was planned and that Catabasis would never just let Sai fall to her death. But, logic was lost on her, this much was clear as the woman began to look around for the buckles to the straps that secured her. Somehow, in her befuddled and startled mind, flinging herself after her sister seemed like the perfect way to save her. Either he could read her mind, or had perfect timing, because as her fingers closed around the first buckle Catabasis launched himself downward after the free falling form. Positively throwing herself forward, Addy latched onto the front of the saddle, fighting against the wind as it rushed by and tried to lay her flat against the eagle in his dive. Sooner than she expected, or maybe she had passed out, a familiar voice struck her ears “Hey, sister, stop hogging all the seat!” Opening her eyes, Addy was convinced now she had fainted. Catabasis was level again, winging lazily as if nothing at all traumatizing to his inexperienced passenger had happened. Sai was grappling her way, much like a small, wind burned and redheaded monkey, back into her seat. With a cry, Addy threw her arms around her sister and hung on with her face buried into Sai's back until they were on the ground. Sai claimed the understatement of the year, as she announced a break was needed. Addy struggled from the saddle, finally managing the buckles with shaking fingers before she flung herself to the ground. "I hate you" She spat at the bird before promptly curling up into a ball, her head tucked between her knees as she made an attempt to not pass out for the second time in an hour, and to slow her breathing. The mention of the curious Kelvic caused Addy to raise her head, tilting it to the side as green eyes sought out the woman in question. Ah, yes. She was there, cleaning the shoreline, it appeared. Addy could respect that. Clean things were good things after all. Oh. That reminded her. She looked down at her hands, noticing the dirt that clung there now, and the debris that covered her previously pristine clothing "I hate you more now" was shot at the bird before a shudder took the small woman and she rose to her feet, stalking with clear determination towards the water for a wash, and the woman.

[Sira]

Sira didn't notice the company at first, caught up as she was looking down at the ground for the elusive perfect seashell. She still thought the whole thing was ridiculous, and her brother's harsh words echoed in her head... "Sira, face it. You slow us down. We don't need you right now." Sira sighed, that last bit repeating over and over in her mind. "We don't need you right now." Was it true, was she really not needed? Did she really slow them down? Despite her worries Sira had to admit she was enjoying herself. It wasn't every day she was tasked with walking the beach, playing in the surf, skipping shells on the waves in search of the perfect one. She knelt next to a small curly white seashell poking out of the sand and picked it up. It was in perfect condition, and to her it was beautiful, reminding her of an icicle. It wasn't what her brother was looking for though, and she considered putting it back for a moment, but thought better of it. It was then she noticed something out of the corner of her eye, up in the sky out over the water. The eagle was doing some kind of corkscrew barrel roll dive and the rider... where was the rider? Then she saw it, a tiny speck against the blue, she saw someone falling toward the water. Sira was too far away to recognize the person, even with her eyes, but she recognized the bird trailing behind. Catabasis. The person falling had to have been Sairque, the flight leader. Were they in some kind of trouble? An experienced rider such as Sairque shouldn't be falling off her mount unless something serious had happened. Had she believed she had any chance of getting to her in time, Sira might have shifted and tried to save the falling rider, but luckily her trusted companion had no intention of letting her crash into the gentle blue waters, which would have felt as solid as the ground to her. Sira could only imagine what it felt like to fall, with no hope of survival other than that she be caught before it was too late. Catabasis did catch her though, much to Sira's relief, and as they made their way toward her beach Sira was suddenly reminded by the cool wind that made her shiver from top to bottom that she wasn't wearing any clothes. She doubted her guests would be offended, but still she ran back to where she landed, snatched up her katinu and pulled it closed around her. She threw the shell she had been carrying into her sack and slung it over her shoulder, the hilt of her sword smacking against her back causing her to wince in pain as she ran back toward the sisters. Sira waved as she approached, seeing Addy already making her way toward her. Or was she going to the water? No matter, Sira was glad to see them both. It would be nice to have some company. Maybe if it warmed up some they could all go for a swim. If not, they could still help her look for a good shell. As she got nearer she shouted out to Sairque and Catabasis both, a grin on her face. "That was some fancy flying. For a minute I thought you might have been hurt." She gave Aidara a shy smile as she headed for the water to wash her self off. "Hey Addy." She didn't know why she was so shy around her. She certainly liked the woman, but she couldn't help herself. It was a feeling that left her very confused. Sira watched for a moment as Addy cleaned the debris from her clothes, then shook her head clear and turned back to Sairque. "So, what are you two doing out here?"

[Sairque]

One arm extending toward the sky, Sai waved back to the Kelvic as she hurried toward them. It was a warm welcome, and affection blossomed in her chest. Maybe Sira just liked the twins, but there was a feeling that the Kelvic wasn’t as bitter as she could be, considering the way she was treated as an outsider despite her contributions to the city. Of course, she did get treated like an Endal, at the same time, so maybe she didn’t really have terribly much to be upset over.

Behind her, she felt Addy stirring to dismount and patted one of the hands wrapped around her katinu-thickened waist. “You did well, Addy. I’m proud of you,” and that was that, her firm voice invited no response; she wanted to give the woman her due acknowledgement and be done with it. Granted, that didn’t often keep Aidara from saying exactly what she wanted to. But then the healer was slipping from the Eagle’s back to grovel in the sand, at which point Catabasis dropped his head and opened his great maw to screech at the tiny woman.

Do not misrepresent your feelings, Aidara, the Eagle whispered in her mind, on top of the verbal rebuff, knowing that Addy didn’t hate him. She couldn’t hate him, he had kept her sister alive too many times. In addition to the fact that it was his bond with her that allowed her the freedom to fulfill her duty to their people. Sai could be nothing less than what she was, there were no other options for the resolute woman.

Still perched atop the Eagle, Sai returned the grin whole heartedly. “It should be, he’s been doing it for years now. But next time, I think, he should give a warning before subjecting me to it,” she admitted with a wry glance at him, not worried about the Kelvic knowing she had been clinging onto him for dear life. Sira wouldn’t need her to keep up the hard face of a flight leader. Without questioning why she was comfortable with the Kelvic, she gave her another big smile.

Fondly, Sai watched Addy stumble off toward the water, unaware that Sira was doing the same in a similar but slightly more puzzled manner. The healer was going through a hard time right now, so angry and wounded for some reason. She lashed out at anything and everything, of course, she was so naturally gentle that even her anger was mild. Granted, she had a reason to be pissed off. Sai was even a little annoyed with Catabasis, herself.

That didn’t stop her from leaping from his back with well practiced ease, legs folding to absorb the shock of hitting the ground from such a height, and immediately turning to start checking his feathers and skin beneath the saddle straps. A few buckles needed adjusting, having either loosened or tightened during the unwanted maneuvers, and there was a bit of chaffing, some feathers were damaged. Shaking her head, the Endal started jerking the buckles open and Catabasis lay down obligingly, allowing her to pull the simple leather device from his back. While she worked at it, Catabasis fixed Sira with one big yellow eye, not having missed a single thing that passed across the woman’s face.

“We’re just out and about today. I’m hoping to get Addy some more experience riding.” Settling the saddle carefully on the ground, balanced on its edge so the shape wouldn’t be warped, Sairque turned to Sira. “What brings you to the coast?” As Catabasis had been taken care of, he was already fixing the disturbed feathers, she headed slowly toward where her sister was cleaning up in the waves.

OOCSo, this post is pretty much filler, sorry guys. And could we possibly date this thread a bit later, maybe around the ninth or tenth? Sai is going to be heading off to rendezvous with Fenilen around this time. I forgot.

[Aidara]

The water was frigid, and the moment her toes hit the water Addy regretted this decision. Having shed her boots back on the sand, the healer had trooped purposefully towards the water, determined to wash herself clean of the icky dirt that caked her hands, arms, and the backs of her legs. However, the cold water lapped around her ankles and she practically squealed in distress, torn between braving the cold water or staying dirty. Her need for cleanliness finally won over and she finished stripping off all her clothes, taking a deep breath and plunging into the surf. The only thing Sai and Sira would be able to see from the shore was Addy's dark red head popping above the surface, out far enough that the water was surely over her head. Ah, but once you got all the way in, it wasn't that bad. Enjoying herself now, Addy splashed and dove, kicking her way back and forth along the shore, picking up random shells from the sand beneath the waves, grabbing as many as possible before raising for air. "Sira! Sai! HERE!" Was all the warning they got before random shells began raining down upon them and falling to the sand at their feet. Addy floundered around in the water for a little bit longer, and the two women would be able to hear her laugher as it echoed across the clear, calm waters. Finally, fingers waterlogged and pruney, her skin clean and definitely dirt free, as well as her spirits lifted back to their previously insanely energetic levels, Addy began to make her way back to shore. "Oh...Well, I didn't think about this. No towel." Laughing a bit as she approached the two, wringing the water from her hair, the small woman shook herself like a dog and then simply looked back and forth between their faces, finally focusing on Sira. "Hi, doll. What brings you out here? I'm assuming Sai told you our reasons. Her bloody bird decided it would be a good idea to try and give me a heart attack for the sake of a lesson. Never again. Never. Again." Shaking her head vehemently, her pale brow furrowed as bright green eyes sought out the bird in question. Addy seemed completely comfortable with the fact that she was standing there, dripping wet and naked in the presence of her sister and woman they barely knew. Sai was used to such displays, for in their aerie, Addy almost never wore clothes. Around those she was attracted too, the petite woman was ridiculously aware of her surroundings and her actions. It was all quite intentional, if the little flip of jealousy she felt in her stomach she saw Sai and Sira walking and talking together along the shore while Addy bathed. "I assume you don't mind our intrusion?" With her signature bright grin, delicate fingers began to plate the long wet hair, starting at the crown of her head and falling into a complicated zig zag pattern. It only took a few moments before the long thick braid hung under one shoulder. "I was going to ask how you got here, but that is a rather stupid question, don't you think? I've never been all the way down this far. Are you familiar? You should show us around."

[Sira]

Sira tried to focus on what Sairque was saying, but found herself having trouble as her eyes kept drifting back to what might have been a speck to anyone else. To Sira, she was seeing Aidara strip her clothes off and dive into the water. Sira laughed as the beautiful woman tossed the shells their way, and would have run out to join her, but Sairque had just asked her a question, hadn't she? "Oh, uh, just collecting seashells. Enjoying my day off." She wasn't about to say she had been ordered to collect seashells, not to Sairque anyway. She didn't want to lose face with the flight leader, who despite her higher status treated the kelvic like an equal. "I was thinking about going for a swim.. but it looks like your sister beat me to it." Sira glanced back Addy's way and saw the woman heading back towards them, ringing the water from her hair. Her eyes couldn't help but linger on the Avora's dripping figure as she greeted them, saying something about a towel. "Hi, doll. What brings you out here? I'm assuming Sai told you our reasons. Her bloody bird decided it would be a good idea to try and give me a heart attack for the sake of a lesson." Sira laughed at the statement, giving Catabasis as sideways look. "She didn't quite put it that way, but yeah, she told me. Me? I'm just out here collecting shells.. you should have waited for me, I was thinking about going for a swim too. Just didn't have the courage to jump in myself. Might have needed you to push me." Sira couldn't wipe the smile off her face, her anger at her brother and nervousness around Aidara temporarily forgotten as she conversed with the two sisters. How could she be angry now when they had so conveniently showed up to brighten her day. Sira stood there feeling rather dumb for a moment, having run out of things to say, until an idea came to her head. Unable to hide the mischievous grin that was spreading on her face she dropped her bag, shouting "Oops," as she did so. Kneeling to pick it up, she grabbed a handful of sand in her other hand and stood back up. "So um... ahah!!!" Sira shouted as she threw the loose sand into the air, getting it all over Aidara and herself and probably Sairque as well. "Oh no!! You're all dirty again! And so am I! Better go clean ourselves off." And with that, Sira took off towards the water, tossing her katinu into the wind and not looking back to see if the sisters were following. She hoped they would, otherwise she'd feel really stupid, but either way, she was in play mode now and she would find a way to get them out there with her even if she had to fly over and drop them in the water herself. OOCShort post also. *shrug* Had to get things moving though

[Sairque]

By the time that Sai had seen to her bird and accompanied the Kelvic down toward the surf, Aidara popped up to chuck things at them. How fortunate it was that she was showering the woman with exactly what she had been out looking for. The interruption didn’t hinder Sai from noticing the stare the healer was getting, either. It had colored the features of many a man and many a woman in the handful of years since the healer had reached adulthood. Before she could focus on the displeasure that sprang darkly over her mood, she felt Catabasis’ attention shift directly to her mind. Not completely uncommon, but not common with social events; it was enough to bring the short Endal to a mental standstill.

She almost missed the jolt of jealousy that shot through her bond with Aidara. It was a dark, slimy feeling that settled like a writhing rock. It was exactly what she had felt that day on the parapet. It was exactly what she was feeling right now. She had a name for it now, now that she could hold her own mysterious displeasure up to the familiar one of her sister. Sai pried on the bond, wondering who exactly Aidara was jealous of. It was a futile exercise, the emotion passed too quickly, but her own foul manifestation of it reared high before Catabasis metaphorically took her and gave her a good shake. As before, everything within her froze.

Answer her, Sairque, he prompted in the silence of her expectation. It wasn’t what she had thought was going to happen, but promptly followed orders, off-center. Aidara shivered her way toward them, the object of Sira’s conversation.

“She’s hard to keep up with,” answered in a tone that betrayed her awareness of being half a conversation that the other half didn’t necessarily want to participate in. There might also have been a tinge of possessiveness laced in there, as well. Aidara was her sister, tied by blood and love, utter devotion and loyalty, and Sira was nothing, a random acquaintance. It wasn’t quite the same tone that other potential suitors got. They got something less personal, more indifferently threatening. Sira got a hint of a warning; an innocuous tug boat chained far ahead of the dark, broiling mass that was Sairque’s every capacity for destroying the Kelvic, emotionally, physically, and mentally should something untoward happen to either of the twins.

Sai didn’t look at the Kelvic, instead her eyes, still bright, followed the Avora up to them. Not that it mattered, Sira was staring at the woman, too. However, appearances had to be kept up to keep the healer from looking too closely at their bond in an attempt to figure out exactly what Sai was feeling. And Catabasis was still there, not so much hovering over her mind as sitting atop it with clear intentions. She would behave herself. He had made it clear early on that he had a far better grasp on her than she did and wasn’t to be argued with at times like this.

A lopsided grin hooked the corner of her mouth at Aidara’s comment on their flight in. Behind her, the Wind Eagle in question was still preening, but had moved to his other wing. The sand around his feet was torn up in long gouges from the sharp talons as he shifted. “You’ve had worse, Addy,” Sai commented in the small space between the other women’s statements, one eyebrow jumping significantly at the healer. The nudity was indeed commonplace, as was the act she currently engaged in. Granted, it wasn’t so much an act as a carefully calculated manipulation, which is why Sai was surprised she wasn’t playing up the great show of skill that had been executed right in front of the woman she was attempting to impress. Addy hadn’t had worse, so maybe she would get the hint. If not, they had just been showered in sand in a clear challenge to their swimming prowess.

Or their sanity. Considering there had been snow on the ground for weeks at this point. And that water wasn’t the magma heated stuff of their mountain. These thoughts didn’t slow her down one bit as she sprinted after the retreated figure, clothing shucked along the way…maybe Aidara would be nice and gather them all up and put them with hers? Sisterly love? Hopping along on one foot, trying to get her knee high boot off, she watched the Kelvic slow in the opposition of the crashing surf. The water splashing and chilling various parts unequally, it would be way better to just dunk in all at once. The thought had barely zipped through her mind before Catabasis leapt into the air and with two powerful wing-strokes bore lazily down on the tiny flight leader. His curled talons suddenly hovered on her right and she didn’t even need the Grab on prompting to leap into the air and catch hold with both arms around one toe.

The force of his lift dropped her down to dangling from her hands, but when her bare feet almost hit a breaking wave her entire body recoiled, curling up into his splayed foot. The Eagle dipped back, kicking that leg up, and, probably thinking himself just so funny, flung the naked woman into the air. Naturally, feeling his limb ripped out of her hands, she started out with a rather graceless flail. “Petching bird!” she howled. Her creamy white body only made it about twenty feet into the air, it was a little kick, and just out deep enough to land on the other side of the breaking waves. The end came much as the beginning had, unforeseen. Her wind milling limbs never did help her control the fall, and she smacked the water in an undignified tumble. It was probably pay back for all the times she leapt off cliffs and made him play fetch. And certainly wasn’t with the style that she had envisioned.

Rubbing salt water from her face, away from her eyes, she bobbed back toward shore in search of the other women, a bit dazed by the whole experience. On the upside, being startled had made her forget to focus on the icy chill of the water. Still, she couldn’t help but laugh at herself and call out, “Who’s next? Bet the next person can’t beat my three flips!” Yeah, because those had clearly been on purpose. Above her, the Eagle circled, feeling quite happy with himself.

[Aidara]

There was a violent reaction when the woman felt the sand splatter all over her face, neck and arms. Recoiling as soon as she felt the grit against her skin, Addy flung enough of her weight away that her natural center of balance was disrupted, shifting behind her. Before she knew it, Addy was sitting down hard in the sand, watching as Sira laughed uproariously and shot past the twins towards the water.Sai had received a face full of the stuff herself, but while Addy expected her sister to react with insulted dignity, she actually...just stood there glancing between Addy, the water, and the naked kelvic, clearly torn. Aidara could see the emotions fall all over her sisters face. From intrigue to amusement, concern and finally careful consideration. With a snort of mild disgust, the healer shoved her hands deep down into the sand, pushing herself to her feet. In the process of wiping the disgusting stuff from her hands, she was almost thrown back to the ground when Sai rocketed past, clothes flying with wild abandon. Tugging the bryda that was flung and connected with her face, Addy felt the scowl from being covered in dirt deepen into something else. "Hey! Wait for me!" The shout was half hearted, and instead of sprinting in behind her sister, the small woman started forward with more of a trudge. Normally Addy would have raced to the water and joined the fun, but there was... something wrong. A sudden gust of cold air swirled around the naked womans form, causing her to curl in on herself and shiver. A quick glance to the sky showed Catabasis swooping low over head, shooting towards her sister. Simultaneously, he extended a foot and Sai jumped up into the air, grabbing on to one deadly looking talon. Moments later she was doing impressive, acrobatic flips through the air to land in the water not far from Sira. "Petching show off." Normally Addy would have laughed with delight and gone rushing into the water after her sister, begging for her to have Catabasis sweep back by and pick her up so she could have a go at it. But there was an ugly, dark feeling curling in her chest, tightening around her heart and her lungs. The first started to beat faster, while the second struggled to draw a breath. The glower on her face deepened the more she thought about how much better at everything Sai was. The shock of the cold water as it hit her toes broke Addy from her revere. Oh awesome, now they were frolicking in the waves and having a good old time. With a petulant expression and crossing her arms over her chest with a huff, the woman turned on her heel and headed off down the shore to cool off, turning her back completely on her sister and her...no, on her sister and on Sira. What is wrong with you, woman? Pouting like a spoiled brat that just had their sweets taken away. Shape up, Aidara. She mentally berated herself, kicking angerly at stones that had been worked loose in the sand as she passed. I have worked hard to get my relationship with Sai back to the way it was. What is this feeling then? This anger towards her? I don't get it but I want it to go away...UGH Her mind had drifted back to the play-date behind her, lasing out at a rock with her toe in frustration. Bad idea. With a cry, Addy hopped on one foot, holding her stubbed toe with both hands. The rock was well cemented in the wet sand, the part sticking above the surface only hinting at the mass that lay beneath the land. A new emotion washed over her. Letting go of her aching foot Addy crumpled to the ground, laying on her side in the sand...sobbing. Her body heaved and the force of her cries as they left her chest tore at her throat, leaving her hoarse in a matter of minutes. She was losing Sai...even more. First to the petching eagle, now to...another woman. Addy could see the way her sister looked at Sira, and it was only a matter of time until Sai had given up Addy completely for this new mysterious being overloaded with sexual desire. Or at least that was part of her anger. The longer the healer laid there in the sand, the occasional wave reaching up to lap at her skin, the more she realized there was more to this dark, disgusting feeling than fear of loosing her sister. She was jealous. Jealous of Sai finding Sira more interesting than her, jealous of Sai's attraction to the woman and... jealous because Addy wanted Sira, herself. Another thing she and her twin had to compete for. The black jealousy in her chest screamed for fruition, pounding and beating against her heart and mind for Addy to make a move, to solve the problem and claim what she thought should be hers. From the first time Addy laid eyes on the red headed kelvic, she felt a twang on her heartstrings. Assuming it was just because the woman was stunning, and Addy was a collector of beautiful things and people, she ignored it. Her sister was about to get mauled by a rabid panther, after all. Sex was the last thing on the womans mind. However, the longer they had known each other...the more this desire swelled and grew inside of her. Ignoring it still, writing it off as unfulfilled lust, Addy worked on building a friendship with the woman, having a good ol' time hanging out with Sira and Sai, randomly bumping into each other (they were both confined on a mountain, after all), laughing.... Ah, but the feelings had developed. And it was different than anything Addy had felt before. She thought she had felt something more than lust for Kovac, and maybe she had but.. Well, the man had denied her enough. This was more. Addy felt her heard pull and tug in the direction of the kelvic woman. But Sai... she wouldn't approve. The way she looked at Sira... the intrigue... Addy had never seen it in her sisters face before. Was she willing to hurt Sai to get what she wanted so badly? Deciding enough was enough, she pushed herself from the sand, straightened her back, squared her shoulders and marched right on back down to where Sai and Sira still splashed around. Taking a deep breath, Addy plunged into the breaking waves, knocking off balance as first wave caught her mid chest, pushing her below the water. Well, at least now she was sand-free. Breaking the surface with a gasp, hands moved to push wet locks from her face, green eyes scanning to find where the pair of women were. Sai was diving beneath the water just as Addy spotted them, coming up beneath Sira and wrapping her arms around the womans legs. Addy watched as Sai used her powerful leg muscles to propel herself upwards, lifting Sira out of the water to fling her a few feet away- despite their height differences. That was enough to send the small women over the edge, the tenuous grasp on her wildly bucking emotions slipping away. Blinded by anger and jealousy, Addy didn't even remember swimming over towards her sister, but she was in her face before she knew it, bellowing. "What are you DOING?! She's mine" Even before she finished her sentence, Addy had begun coiling her muscles. Almost as if to punctuate her last word, she heaved herself at Sai with a snarl, grappling, scratching, punching or pulling at whatever body part she could. Tears ran fresh down her cheeks, unnoticed this time, as well as the way she declared an unconfirmed claim on the kelvic without really realizing what she was saying. Belatedly, Addy gasped. Her head had cleared and she found herself on her sisters back, hugging her arms tight around her chest as they wrestled in water far over their own heads. Instantly she let go, casting a horrified glance between the two woman. "I...I...Sorry!" That last word was a wail this time, and she flung herself away. She expected the beating of her life for attacking her sister but that's not why she fled.

[Sira]

The water was freezing as Sira splashed out deep enough that she could swim. She assumed Sai and Addy were in hot pursuit as she dove beneath a wave, rinsing the sand from her body. Her hair was covering her eyes and so she didn't notice the shadow passing overhead or realize what was happening until she finally cleared her eyes, only to see Sai flipping wildly through the air as she splashed down into the water. Sira glanced up, seeing Catabasis overhead and couldn't help but laugh, catching a wave full of salt water as she did so. Sira swam up behind Sai interrupting her challenge by dunking her head under the water. When she popped back up Sira playfully shouted, "I'd show you all up but I don't want to show off!" For a few minutes she played with Sai, playfully splashing water and wrestling in the waves, until it began to dawn on her that they were missing a part of the trio. By then Aidara was already on her way back over, and Sira would have tried to swim towards the woman except that she suddenly found herself being propelled into the air from beneath. Sira screamed with delight as she flew through the air, not aware of the mood Aidara was in and figuring maybe the woman had just been momentarily distracted. So it was with great surprise that Sira bobbed back to the surface to hear the angered shouts of the usually happy twin. All she caught was the last part, "She's mine," before the fighting began. From a distance it might have been mistaken for the playful scuffling of siblings, but Sira could see the look of fury in Aidara's eyes and the look of surprise in Sairque's as she was attacked. Sira tried to get to the twins and break it up, but an exceptionally large wave knocked her beneath the surface and by the time she reoriented her self and popped back up the fight was already over. Aidara was looking between her and Sai, a horrified look on her face. "I...I...Sorry!" Sira was stunned by the entire ordeal, wondering what might have brought this on. They were just playing, and Sira clearly had wanted Addy to join them. In fact, she purposely threw most of the sand on Addy so she would have to get back in the water and wash off. After a heartbeat or two Sira found herself in pursuit, swimming after the fleeing twin and shouting, "Addy wait!" Seeing Aidara in that state hurt Sira in a way she had never felt before. She had no idea what she or Sai had done to anger Addy so badly, but she was determined to find out and make it up to her. Sira had a lot of ground... water to cover and Aidara made it to shore before she did. Having got a good start on Sira, and most likely on Sairque, Addy might have gotten away.. at least until she realized she had no where to go without a ride. But Sira wasn't going to let that happen. The moment she hit solid ground she went up in a could off sparkly smoke, beating her wings hard and kicking off the wet sand. She lifted a few feet off the ground but was already moving faster than her legs would have been able to carry her, and quickly closed the distance between herself and the distraught sister. Shooting over Aidara's head Sira came in for a crash landing right in front of her, shifting before she hit the ground. In a shower of sand she rolled unceremoniously to a stop, inadvertently showering Addy in another lay of sand most likely. Partially dazed she jumped to her feet light headed from the crash landing and shouted, "Aidara stop! What is wrong with you?" She stumbled forward, grabbing Addy by the shoulders and implored much more softly. "Where are you going? What happened back there? Did Sai and I do something wrong? What did you mean by she's mine?" By now Sairque had probably caught up to them, but Sira ignored it. She knew the flight leader would want a word with Addy just as much as she did, but Sira had gotten there first and wasn't about to let another fight start up until she found out why.