[Flashback] Finding her Place

by **Sira** on January 25th, 2011, 1:50 am

Timestamp: 50th of Fall, 508 AV

Excitement was the foremost emotion on Sira's mind as she walked through the halls of Wind Reach next to her brother Kavik. Today she was going to get what she had been working towards since she took her first flight. Today she was going to be officially assigned her caste, and she was sure she would be named an Endal. Even though she was technically neither eagle nor rider, Sira believed she had proven time and again that she could hunt with the best of them, and felt she deserved no less than to move into the aeries and become one of the Endal.

They were headed for the Valintar to see Kaden directly. Normally the assignment of caste would not have been such a big deal, at least in the sense that it needed so much attention to any one individual, but Sira was a very special individual. She filled the roles of both eagle and rider, and yet neither. Sira understood there was some controversy around making her an Endal, but was certain they would go through with it.

As they entered the Valintar's office Sira marveled at the impressive display of glass work all around her. She had seen many impressive works of glass, having lived in Wind Reach her entire life, but rarely had she seen so much magnificence all crammed into one place. Sira and Kavik took their seats on one of the comfortable couches sunk into the wall as they waited for Kaden to see them. Sira passed the time watching Starvine, who was perched atop the large bird stand near the door pruning himself.

After what seemed an eternity but truthfully only spanned a few minutes Kaden came out of his office to see them. "Kavik! Always a pleasure. I hope the skies have been clear for you?" The Valintar turned his gaze to Sira, who stood shyly behind her brother, "And you must be Sira, whom I've heard so much about. Yes... we've spent quite a while discussing your situation, but you'll be interested to know we've finally come to a decision." Sira could not help but like the man, whom everyone in Wind Reach had at least seen once or twice in their lives. He seemed friendly, and genuine, but something about what he said made Sira uneasy.

Kaden invited Kavik into his office, leaving Sira waiting in the hall for a few minutes while the two spoke. When they finally came back out, Kavik would not make eye contact with Sira, and she knew it could only mean the worst. "So.. after considering everything, Sira, I have decided to place you as an Avora, a hunter." Sira's eyes widened, and her jaw dropped slightly. Though she had seen it coming, actually hearing it out loud nearly knocked her off her feet. She was not going to be an Endal? She would not move into the aeries? Everything she had worked toward... for nothing? Kaden seemed to see the disappointment on her face, and voiced his concern. "..is there something wrong, Sira?"

Sira was barely able to speak, dumbfounded as she was by the decision. "I... you mean, I am not going to be an Endal?" Kaden shook his head, "Well Sira, the Endal have all bonded with Wind Eagles. You have not. True, you are... special. But you are not a rider." Sira shook her head, still trying to process the bad news. "But... but... I thought I proved myself already? I can keep up, I can hunt as well as any Endal, I'm as dedicated if not more to protecting Wind Reach as anyone I know. ...I just thought.. maybe that would mean something."

Kaden sighed. Normally he wouldn't have accepted argument, but as he said Sira was special. "I'm sorry Sira, but I've thought about it long and hard, and it would just be unfair to promote you to Endal when you aren't one. You can still hunt, you just are not a rider. Do you understand?" Tears were coming to Sira's eyes as she finally shook her head in acceptance, "I... understand."

On the way back to her brothers place in aeries Sira remained silent, contemplating her fate. Most Inarta would have been happy to be placed in the Avora caste, but Sira was not happy at all. In her eyes, she was every bit an Endal as any rider out there.. but the Valintar did not see it that way, and who was she to question the most powerful man in Wind Reach? Sira paused at the door to her brothers place, causing him to turn and look at her for the first time the entire walk back.

"Look... Sira, I know you were hoping for something different, but Kaden is right. You are not a rider. You're just going to have to accept that."

Sira shot him a dark look, then slammed the door shut, remaining outside in the hall. Behind the door she heard her brother sigh, then heard his footsteps going off in the opposite direction. Sira wandered the halls for a while trying to ignore all the sideways glances she was receiving from everybody. She was used to such things, being the outcast she was, but that night it was particularly difficult. Finally Sira found herself walking down a hall she knew led to the face of the mountain.

Sira came out onto a small balcony overlooking the Sanikas valley. Her eyes wandered the valley before eventually turning skyward, spotting an eagle flying above. So at peace it appeared, soaring high above the valley, away from all the petty politics of the Inarta. Sira longed to be away from it all, to just soar away and not look back. Almost without thinking about it she began to undress, dropping her garments on the ground, and stepped up onto the ledge of the balcony. Anyone else might have been worried about falling, but Sira wasn't worried. In fact, after standing in the breeze for a moment she did fall... seconds later she rose into the sky as a Wind Eagle.

by **Sira** on January 25th, 2011, 3:31 am

Sira spread her wings and caught a plume of hot air from one of the many volcanic vents dotting the mountainside, rising higher and higher toward the clouds. She had no particular destination in mind, wanting only to escape the confines of the city at the moment, and so up she went until she was high enough up that even to her strong eyes anything moving below would look like ants. Up in the sky she was free.

Sira soon spotted the eagle she had spied earlier, currently floating lazily on a warm thermal most likely scanning the ground for his next meal. Hatari, she believed his name was. He was a young male, still yet to have bonded with a rider. Rumor had it he came close once, but the young Endal to be angered the bird one night and was thrown from the mountainside. Such things were not unheard of, and as far as the eagles were concerned, the death was a necessary one. Sira knew little of such things, truth to be told, but she assumed the eagles knew what they were doing.

After a while Hatari seemed to notice Sira as well and eventually drifted her way, sending her a friendly greeting once in range. "Sira, right? The kelvic?" Sira rarely spoke with the eagles directly, and never had she held an actual conversation with one, so she was surprised when Hatari spoke to her. "Uh.. yeah, that's me. And you're Hatari?" Hatari did not so much as answer her as transmitted a feeling of approval towards her in remembering his name. For a moment the eagle was silent, then sent her another message. "Hunt with me."

Sira was even more surprised by this, but there was no way she could or would turn down his request. As Hatari angled off toward the valley Sira followed, dropping in altitude until she was level with the other eagle, then followed a short distance behind. "I heard they placed you as an Avora, a hunter, right? That's a great honor, considering how young you are." Sira couldn't hide the sadness from her thoughts as she responded to the young wind eagle, "Yes... it is a great honor.."

"But not the honor you were hoping for," the wind eagle retorted.

Apparently gossip spread fast among the eagles. Not even an hour had passed and Hatari already knew all about Sira's caste placement and her obvious disappointment in it. There was no point hiding her feelings from him, he could see right into her minds eye if he wanted too, so after a moment Sira responded truthfully. "I... I just don't get it. I worked so hard to prove myself to them. I learned not only to hunt as an eagle, but with a bow as well. I can bring back just as much as they can, but still they name me a hunter... I know I'm not a "rider" but... I think I deserve the title just as much as they do."

Sira felt foolish complaining to the eagle, she should have just accepted her fate and been happy with it. At least she wasn't a dek.. that would have been awful. But Sira just knew she was destined for great things, and she wouldn't be held back just because of caste restrictions. Hatari didn't mock her or ridicule her, however, and merely responded with a feeling of understanding. For a while they flew in silence until Sira spotted a large moose walking through the tree's below. Before she could say anything Hatari spoke up, "I see it too," and immediately changed the angle of his flight, circling back around.

Sira followed suit and waited for Hatari to dive, but he never did. "You catch it," he said, surprising Sira yet again... but perhaps the eagle wanted to see her in action. Sira circled back around, following the path of the moose who appeared to be on his way to drink from a nearby pond. That was where she would catch it. Sira waited until its head was down and it began lapping water from the pool before she dove, folding her wings back and racing toward the ground. Every dive was always a rush for her, if she was even a second late she would die.. but she had never been so unfortunate, and as always she pulled out of the dive just in time.

Thrust her talons forward and letting out a fierce screech she snatched the moose right off the ground, who only had time to look up in shock as the giant eagle plucked it up. Sira carried the moose several yards as it squirmed in her talons, which were dug deep into the moose's side. She could smell the animal's blood as she landed in the clearing, and lowered her head finishing the moose off with her sharp beak. As the lights went out in the creature's eyes Hatari landed softly in the clearing next to them, "Well done."

Sira was proud, though she didn't know why. The kill was nothing special, nothing she hadn't done before, but getting praise from an eagle seemed like something worth being proud of. She released the moose from her talons and hopped back, nodding her head to Hatari who gave her a sideways look then hopped forward and tore a chunk of meat out of the animal's backside. "Won't you join me," he asked as he swallowed a large piece of moose flesh.

Sira had to admit the moose did look rather tasty, and while she liked the taste of cooked food most of the time she couldn't deny her love for a fresh kill. "You killed it. Have some." Sira shyly hopped over and lowered her head, smelling the fresh blood of the moose, still warm. "O... okay." Hunger getting the better of her she dug in, ripping a chunk of meat off the front leg and swallowing it whole. The fresh meat felt good going down, and left a satisfying feeling in her stomach as it was ground to bits. Sira and Hatari continued to eat, finishing off the moose. If it had just been one of them, they might have brought the leftovers back to Wind Reach to be used for food, but between the two of them there was little left to be worth taking back. After a short rest Sira and Hatari took to the skies once more, bellies full and Sira's spirits high.

by **Sira** on January 25th, 2011, 4:25 am

Sira and Hatari spent the rest of the day floating lazily through the sky and chatting with one another about this or that. After a while a couple of the other young eagles joined them, and things began to get interesting. Three teenage eagles and a teenage kelvic all flying high in the sky together, it inevitably led to one thing...

So Sira, one of the young males, Sira believed his name was Carabas, "Can you... I mean.. are you.. functional?" Hatari's laughter rung out in their minds and the female who was with them, Anabi, shouted, "Carabas!" Carabas stuttered defensively, "What? We're all wondering it?" The eagle tilted his wing toward Sira and cocked his head in her direction, "So... are you? I mean, can kelvics do that?"

Sira found the entire topic amusing, though after a moments though she was at a loss. She had never tried anything.. like that. She had never even given it thought. Leave it to the boys to bring up subjects best left untouched. "Honestly... I don't know. I've never really thought about it. I mean.. I don't really know anything about kelvics, but I know I have to give birth in human form." Hatari continued to laugh as Carabas continued to probe into forbidden territory. "Yeah, but... you have all the parts, right?" Hatari's laughed roared louder in their minds and Sira even laughed a little, but Anabi firmly shut them all up. "I, for one, think this is highly inappropriate discussion. You should know better, Carabas. And Hatari, stop laughing. You're making all us eagles look bad. Sheeze, get control of yourselves, perverts."

The topic was eventually dropped as the four eagles began to play, seeing who was the most daring of the bunch. The game consisted of diving down at the rocks and waiting until the last moment before pulling up. Whoever got the closest without getting smashed was the winner. Carabas was the first to start it off, diving at the rocks and pulling up a few short yards before crashing to his death. "Hah! I'd like to see you beat that!" Hatari went next, followed by Anabi who got the closest, a mere few feet before pulling up and then it was Sira's turn.

Now was her chance to impress the eagles, to show she could fly with the best of them. Sira pumped her wings hard, rising higher and higher into the sky. "Where you goin, Sira? Running away? You chicken or something? Don't you know chickens can't fly!?" Sira ignored their taunts as she went higher and higher until she was in the clouds, then folded back her wings and dove. The wind rushed over her body as the ground grew closer and closer pulling out a few loose feathers. Sira held her wings back tight as the rock she was aiming for, no more than a pebble moments ago, turned into a massive boulder.
"She's going too fast," she heard Anabi comment but ignored it.

"Better call a cleanup crew," Carabas joked, but Sira could feel the worry creeping into his thoughts.

A mere wingspan from the rocks Sira spread her wings wind, spread out her tail feathers and thrust her talons forward using what little backward momentum it gave her to help. She could feel her muscles straining, could feel the pull of gravity urging her to just let go.. to crash into the rock and end it all. But Sira resisted with all her might, and pulled out of the dive just in the nick of time, barely scraping the rock with her tail feathers and letting out a triumphant shriek as she flew over the heads of the watching eagles, their own screeches joining hers as they cheered for her.

"Wow Sira! That was awesome!"

"That was stupid is what that was."

"That was great! You're good, Sira."

Sira landed a short distance from the other eagles, breathing heavy with exhaustion but swelling with pride. She'd shown them! "Oh, it was nothing, you guys. Just a little dive." Sira tried to keep the exhaustion from her thoughts but she knew as well as the others did it was a close call. But she had impressed the eagles, and that was all that mattered. They respected her now, as much as she respected them. The rest of the day was pure joy for Sira as the four of them flew and played together, taking down a large whale for an evening meal before finally parting ways. Hatari was the last to go.

"I had a lot of fun today, Sira. You're a great flier, and a great hunter. It's too bad the others can't see that. Well, I guess I'll see you later then."

As Hatari flew off toward his nest, the sun setting in the background, Sira watched him go and wondered where she would go. She didn't want to go back to Wind Reach, unwilling to face her brother yet, but she didn't know where else to go. After a while it started to get dark and Sira knew she needed to find a place to sleep for the night. Eventually she spotted a small indention on a cliff that looked like it would be shielded from the wind and landed there, huddling up and falling asleep for the night.

by **Sira** on January 25th, 2011, 9:52 pm

Timestamp: 51st of Fall, 508 AV

Sira awoke the next morning with the rising sun, a sight she rarely saw sleeping in the halls of Wind Reach. She sat on the ledge, enjoying the feel of the sun and the cool breeze on her bare skin, reveling in the fact that she didn't have to get dressed and deal with all the crap that her life was usually filled with. She had no intention of being lazy though. She still had a city to help feed, and had no intention of letting them go hungry through the winter simply because she was too stubborn to accept her fate.

Once the sun was up high Sira shifted and took to the sky, heading out toward Thunder Bay to catch some breakfast and something extra to bring back to the city. About mid flight she was joined by Hatari once more who greeted her warmly and asked to accompany her on the hunt. Sira accepted, of course, and once again they spent the entire day together hunting and playing. Sira managed to bring in a good haul throughout the day and was rather proud of herself when she returned to her little nook in the mountainside that night. The next few days were the same, for the most part. Sometimes Hatari or one of the other Wind Eagles would join her, but not always.

Timestamp: 56th of Fall, 510 AV

Sira and Hatari were floating lazily above the valley, having already completed their duties for the day. Soon it would be dark and Sira would head back to her makeshift nest for another cold night's sleep. Just before they were about to part ways, Hatari asked Sira a question. "Sira... have you been sleeping out in the cold all these nights?" Sira was surprised by the question. How did Hatari know where she had been sleeping. She was sure he'd gone back to the aeries each night before she headed home, but perhaps one of the other eagles had passed on the information. "...so what if I have," Sira responded defensively.

Hatari shot her a glance and drifted her way, "Why don't you sleep in Wind Reach? Surely you'd be more comfortable in a warm bed?"

"I..." Sira wasn't sure how to respond. She was rather embarrassed by the entire situation, and knew she was being stubborn, but she wasn't willing to go back to the city yet. "I... I just can't face them. My family, the other Inarta. ...not after having worked so hard only to have been shot down."

Hatari was silent for a moment, leaving Sira feeling suddenly alone up in the sky, but after a bit he responded softly, "Come and stay with us in the aeries tonight. I'll take you to the eagles only section, that way you don't have to see anyone you know. Don't worry, you are welcome there."

Sira didn't know what to say. Technically there wasn't an "eagles only" section that she knew of, but Sira knew what he meant. They'd be in the areas where the youth or eagles that didn't have riders usually stayed. There would most likely be dek attending the eagles, but she probably wouldn't see anyone she knew. "I... are you sure?"

"I insist."

Sira followed Hatari back to the aeries and was greeted warmly by all the eagles she encountered. It was much warmer there than her nook on the side of the mountain, the volcanic vents heating the place quite nicely. Sira spent the night chatting with various eagles, some she had met before, some who she had never even seen, before falling into a deep and comfortable sleep.

by **Sira** on January 25th, 2011, 10:26 pm

Timestamp: 57th of Fall, 508 AV

Sira, Hatari, and Carabas were all perched on a cliff overlooking the coastal settlement of Thunder Bay. Even though winter was still a ways off preparations to shut down the town were already underway. People were traveling back and forth between Wind Reach and the seasonal settlement bringing in supplies and preparing for the eventual shut down of Thunder Bay for the winter. Earlier that day Sira had helped fly in some heavy loads of lumber after the wheel on a cart had broken, rather than having the crew wait for a replacement, but otherwise the day had been rather easy for her.

When she woke up she met up with Hatari and they hunted together for a while before parting ways for a while. Hatari apparently had eagle business to attend to and so Sira was left to amuse herself for the rest of the day. When she spotted the broken wagon she quickly offered her assistance. "Would you like some help with that," she asked, still in Wind Eagle form. She didn't want them to know who she was, and so wouldn't shift unless she had to "Strap some ropes on there and I can fly that load up the mountain for you. No sense wasting time to wait for repairs." The workers were very grateful for her and quickly began tying up the logs into manageable bundles that Sira could carry up to the city. She spent a half a bell assisting the crew before taking up her perch above the road, where she was eventually joined by Hatari and Carabas.

"So... what are we doing again," Carabas asked, giving Sira a sideways look. He was obviously bored watching the workers roam back and forth between Wind Reach and the town.

"We're waiting to see if anyone needs our help."

"Oh... okay then." Carabas sat quietly for a few chimes before ruffling his feathers and speaking up again. "Why are we waiting to see if anyone needs our help?"

If eagles could sigh, that is what Sira and Hatari both did then as Carabas continued to question their reasons for being there. It wasn't enough for him to just relax and watch, he had to be doing something. Sira ignored his complaints for the most part, her eyes following a particularly interesting figure walking among the dek, apparently unnoticed by the workers as he made his way casually up the road. It wasn't so much how he looked or how he was dressed that caught her interest... she couldn't quite place it, but there was something different about him. He almost seemed to glow with power, though by all appearances he was nothing more than an old man with a lute on his back. Sira watched the man for several minutes before noticing that both Hatari and Carabas were staring at her. "What?"

"You can see him, can't you," Hatari asked. All three of the eagles glanced in the direction of the strange old man, then Hatari and Carabas looked at each other and Sira suddenly felt herself blocked out of their minds. What was the deal, she wondered. Why were they acting so weird about her seeing an old man? Granted, the old man was strange, but why the sudden silent treatment? "What's going on, guys?" she asked timidly. Carabas glanced over at her but the two continued conversing in silence for a while longer before finally Hatari spoke up.

"Sira... that man is no ordinary man," Hatari explained mysteriously. "...you know that we eagles are the protectors of Wind Reach, but the Inarta are not the only thing we protect. ...what I'm about to tell you is top secret. You can't tell anyone who isn't a Wind Eagle about this, alright?" Sira was confused, but responded curiously, "Okay.. I wont tell anybody."

Hatari and Carabas exchanged glances then looked back at Sira. "Good.. okay, here goes. See... the thing is..." Sira, Hatari and Carabas talked for a long time, all the way until the sun had begun to set in the sky. They spoke of many things, history, religion... secrets. When they were finally done and Sira returned to the aeries that night she had much to think about. What Hatari and Carabas had told her was big.... really big. It was a lot to process and a bit hard to believe, but the eagles were completely serious about the matter. Even Carabas didn't crack a joke during the conversation, so Sira knew it had to be true. She didn't sleep much that night, and the following morning would be one of the most important mornings of her life...

by **Sira** on January 26th, 2011, 2:48 am

Timestamp: 58th of Fall, 508 AV

The next morning Sira found herself floating among the clouds over thunder bay pondering everything she had been told the night before. It was a lot to think about, and she was honored the eagles had considered her worthy enough to tell her at all. After a while Sira spotted another eagle approaching. At first she thought it might be Hatari or Carabas, but quickly realized it wasn't when she spotted a rider on the eagles back. She was too far way to recognize the rider, but it didn't take her long to recognize the eagle who was all too familiar to her.

It was Tenembra, the eagle who was bonded with her brother. Sira had been dreading the moment when he finally came looking for her, but she knew it would have to come eventually. Tenembra took his time approaching, apparently in no particular hurry to catch up to her, and when he was finally in range he called out to her in the silent speak of Wind Eagles. "Good morning, Sira. Your brother would like to speak with you, if you please." Sira shot Tenembra a dirty look that even from her distance said, "no way." "I promise, Kavik will not yell at you." After a few chimes Sira finally agreed, and the two eagles headed back toward the city.

They headed for Kavik and Tenembra's home in the aeries, Sira leading the way as the descended. Sira landed and shifted, then quickly moved out of the way with practiced ease as Tenembra came in right behind her. This was a drill she had done many times before with her brother when she assisted him during hunts. She would land first, then Tenembra, and she would help her brother with all the straps, unsaddling the great eagle who hated the encumbrance and constantly complained that they needed to find a better way to ride.

Sira and Kavik were silent as they put away Tenembra's gear and once the task was complete Kavik motioned for Sira to follow him inside. Sira went in first, tense and waiting to be reprimanded for disappearing for so long. She was surprised when Kavik said in a rather calm voice, though she could still sense a bit of tension behind it, "Well, Sira. I don't know where you've been all this time.. but apparently Tenembra says I am not to be cross with you. So welcome back... now, if you don't mind, the Valintar would like to speak to you again regarding your caste assignment."

Sira's eyes widened, wondering what the Valintar could possibly want with her. She didn't dare think he might have changed his mind, more likely he was angry with her for running away and was going to make her a dek as punishment. Sira walked in silence behind her brother all the way down to the Valintar's office, a long walk indeed, the dread inside her building every step of the way until she thought she was about to explode. When they arrived, Kaden greeted them personally, then invited Sira into his office... alone.

Rarely did anyone get to see the inside of Kaden's office besides the riders and a few select artisans, but it was a wonder to behold. Unfortunately Sira could not enjoy the moment, so nervous was she that she could hardly even stand much less appreciate her surroundings. Kaden motioned for her to sit, though he remained standing and paced the room. "So.. your brother tells me you've been gone for several days now." Kaden stopped moving and turned to look at Sira directly. "He says I should punish you, make you clean floors for the rest of your life for questioning my judgment."

Sira could barely maintain contact with the man as he spoke his harsh words but managed to squeak out a reply, "If... that is what you wish of me, then I accept it." To Sira's surprise Kaden laughed out loud, drawing a shocked look from the frightened Kelvic. "That's not what I wish of you at all! Even while you were gone you still upheld all your duties to Wind Reach, from what I hear. You brought back plenty of food, made friends with many of the eagles, and according to them you are more than worthy of being an Endal."

Sira's eyes widened as Kaden said the word Endal, and she could scarcely breath. "That's right, I said Endal. As I told you before, all the Endal have bonded with an eagle. ...you apparently have bonded with three. In the eyes of the eagles, Sira, you've earned it. And who am I to question their judgement? Congratulations, Endal! You're duties start immediately. For now, you will report to your brother, but we'll have you assigned to a new flight leader shortly. Good luck out there!" Kaden finished his sentence with the opening of the door to his office, the signal that it was time for Sira to leave. Sira did leave, but not until after thanking Kaden a million and one times, to which he simply replied, "It's not me you have to thank. You're the one who impressed the eagles. You have only yourself to thank."

by **Gossamer** on January 29th, 2011, 8:48 pm

.

Character: Sira
Experience: +3 Observation, + 3 Rhetoric, +4 Hunting,
Lore: Being Assigned a Caste, Interacting with the Valintar, Teamwork – working as part of a cohesive team, Following Instructions, Hunting in Groups, Bantering – taking it and giving it, Knowing the Secrets Wind Eagles Know

Additional Note: Thank you for asking permission to use Kaden. He’s normally a non-use NPC. Sorry this took so long to grade, someone else said they were doing it so I held off.

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