Fun on the Hunt (Aidara, Ronin)

[Sira]

Timestamp: 55th of Spring, 511 AV Sira woke with a start. The air was unfamiliar. The lighting was different, there was a pleasant smell in the air. And what was this warm soft- her mind snapped into consciousness. The warm soft thing next to her was Addy, the pleasant smell was probably her too. The lighting was different because they were in a different part of the mountain than Sira's home. Sira still wasn't quite used to waking up in a different place, but the company definetly made it worth the temporary confusion. Hopefully she would get used to it soon, she was spending almost every night at Addy's now. Sira smiled down at the still sleeping Aidara, running an affectionate hand through her hair. Yes, she could definetly get used to this. Sira had always been an early riser, it came with the job. The best time to hunt was early morning, when all the animals were up and about. They were going hunting today, which Sira was looking forward to, but what she wasn't looking forward to was the other part of her assignment. Since she and Addy had begun riding together Sira had been required to play the part of a Wind Eagle more accurately. While she usually would do her own thing, splitting off from he group, bringing back her own kills, and generally doing whatever she pleased. But now that she had a rider, Sira was having to learn how to be part of a unit. And part of that, unfortunately, came with the responsibility of bearing an extra hunter from time to time. Like most Wind Eagles, Sira was very picky about who she let fly with her. Not only would this be he first time she and Addy would have a second rider, but it wasn't even somebody they knew. Ronin, if she remembered the name right. "Time to wake up sleepy head." Sira gave Addy just enough time to open her eyes before she pounced, jumping on top and rolling Addy about the bed with her. If Addy didn't wake when she talked, she was definetly awake now as Sira showered her with kisses and nibbles and other affectionate things. When the game was finally over, and Aidara had been thoroughly wakened, Sira rolled out of the large circular bed and landed on her feet next to her discarded pile of clothes. "Come on," she urged as she pulled on her bryda, nearly falling over as she got both feet tangled in the same leg, "Lets go get something to eat and see if we can get a look at this man before you two ride my backside." Sira went out to the common room to stretch and do a light workout, her usual morning routine, while she waited for Addy to get ready. Once both were ready they headed down to the Communal Kitchens. They could have had food brought up if they wanted, but Sira enjoyed eating among the other castes and more often than not the food was cold by the tine it reached the aeries. Plus they were looking for someone. Sira glanced around as they passed through the serving line to get their food. She didn't know much about Ronin, only that he had red hair and liked birds... which wasn't very helpful at all. Perhaps Addy knew what he looked like, or perhaps he would recognize them and introduce himself. Once they finally sat down Sira dug into the meal, her search momentarily forgotten. This wouldn't be her only meal of the day, it took a lot of energy to fly, especially with two riders, and Sira might have to have a snack later in the day. Sira was still a bit uncomfortable having people around when she ate her kills, but the small rations (even enlarged by the fact that she was an Endal) just weren't enough to sustain her when she was in eagle form. Hopefully Addy and this Ronin wouldn't mind. OOCI'm pretty sure Sira hasn't met Ronin before..

[Aidara]

"Wake up, sleepyhead" With a grumble, Addy waved a hand around her face as if trying to swat away a fly. No, she was definitely not going to wake up. The small woman was actually in the process of thoroughly and comfortably curling herself against Sira's warm, lithe form when she was brutally attacked. Kisses or punches, it was all the same as Addy thrashed around in a sleepy stupor, ineffectively trying to shield her face as well as the rest of her body all at once. Once sleep began to loosen it's hold upon her, she began to enjoy the attentions. Instead of fighting back, Addy changed tactics and struggled to get closer to Sira through the barrage of kisses, nips, and tickles to hold her to the bed with arms and legs wrapped tight. This was hardly an innovative counter-attack, as it was what Addy tried to do every morning Sira woke them up at the butt crack of dawn, and Sira squirmed easily away. So the physical attack had stopped, but the little woman had been completely denied in her advance and now Sira was up, moving around, making tons of noise and....talking. "You... really need to stop being a morning person or I'm going to find a deliciously cruel way to murder you while you sleep. Then, maybe, I can sleep in however late I want. I miss the single life." Though she grumbled convincingly enough, her heart wasn't in it. But she still tried to sound sincere. As Sira chattered on about the woes of being a Wind Eagle, Addy proceeded with a luxurious stretch, similar to that of a cat in the sun. She took as long as possible to work out the kinks in her muscles from toes to fingertips and back again. With that done, the healer casually rolled from bed, declining to respond to her Kelvic until she was good and ready, and began to straighten their sleeping space. Yes, Sira had not even officially moved in as of yet and Addy was already thinking in terms of "we". Who would have ever thought the promiscuous twin would settle down so quickly, letting go of single life most easily. Granted, Addy and Sira both still slept around with other people, sometimes the same person with the both of them, but it wasn't the same as before. It was better. Sheets were tugged this way and that, smoothed and straightened with meticulous care. Of the dozen pillows Addy usually kept on the bed, over half were strewn about the floor. These were picked up and replaced carefully. With that taken care of, she flounced right by Sira and out the door of their room, as naked as the day she was born. "I think I slept with him once, but after a while all the red hair begins to look the same. All men woo and flatter, while their hands go boldly forth with little thought to courtesy. Most times the head with the brain prattles on while the hands promise something their other head can't follow through with. It's all disappointment. Normally, I just show them how it's done but there is something in the way they flounder that makes them quite endearing, wouldn't you say?" Addy was completely aware of the fact that Sira was standing there, completely dressed, waiting to go eat while she washed her face and tidied up, intentionally taking far longer than necessary. Petty revenge is sometimes the most satisfying. Not wanting to completely piss her love off, Addy relented as she exited the washroom, heading back to the bedroom for her clothes. As she passed Sira, she went up onto her tiptoes and looped her arms around her neck. A soft, delicate kiss was shared between the two before Addy disengaged and hurried into her clothes. Food really was the way to Addy's heart. It was something she and her sister both shared. It was a rather well known joke that it was hard to find either of the twins out and about without some piece of food in their hands. And so it was with a genuine relish that Addy dug into the hot plate of food before her. Sira had brought the plates while Addy saved them a good seat on the benches; the rest of Wind Reach was beginning to wake up, and soon the tables would all be full. In between big, not-very-lady-like bites, Addy notices that Sira's eyes consistently darted up from her food and around the quickly filling kitchens. "Don't worry, love. He'll find us. I mean, who doesn't know who I am?" It was so like Sira to worry. With an exaggerated, lusty wink Addy gave her bond mate a full, dimpled smile before tucking back into her meal.

[Ronin]

Ronin rarely had trouble waking up in the morning, as it had been his custom to be among the first to lunch whenever he could. But today, he had slept much longer than he intended. Forgetting the big day he had planned, he had ignored his nagging internal clock and caught a few more winks of sleep. However, he now deeply regretted the mistake. He hurried about his room throwing on clothes and cleaning up. Fortunately, he had the foresight to make a trip to the baths the night before, so that was one thing he could check of his list. Today he was actually going to get to go hunting with a pair of Endals. Besides fetching the bear he had killed, with Fois, he hadn't worked along side many Endals. Ronin wanted to look and act his best, so he spent long that usual making sure his clothes looked sharp and that everything was in order. His hair had recently been trimmed down so that he no longer had a mohawk. Instead, his hair laid about two inches long, except of course for the small bald spot that was marked with a scar. The wound had healed, but he would most likely never have hair there again and would instead have a scar. It didn't bother Ronin, as he thought the scar looked rather edgy, but he would have to make up a good story for how he got it if he was going to impress chicks with it. However, he didn't have time for that now. He had to be on his way to the kitchens to meet Aidara and Sira. Ronin know who Aidara was. He had seen her at the Inclement Weather before, always with a different guy, but he had never had the nerve to approach her. Sira, on the other hand, he didn't know much about, beside that she was a Wind Eagle Kelvic, a true treasure. Ronin was unaware of the nature of the relationship between Sira and Aidara, and it was bound to catch him by surprise. Finally ready to leave, Ronin picked up his pack and quiver and threw them over his shoulder. He made sure his knife was securely in it's sheave, and he even had his sword on his hip in its scabbard. Ronin's shortbow was attached to set of loops on his backpack for now, since there was no reason to run the halls of Wind Reach with a bow in hand. And Ronin was going to do just that, run. He sprinted through the halls and tunnels, trying to take the shortest way the dinning hall. It was still early in the morning, despite Ronin's notion that he was late, so most people where still in their beds. This made it much easier to make his way to the dinning hall, since there were very few people to worry about running into. By the time Ronin arrived he was slightly out of breath, so he decided it would be best to compose himself before actually entering the dinning hall. He waited for his breathing to return to normal and wiped the bead of sweat that had gathered on his brow from the run. After straightening his clothes quickly, Ronin entered. His eyes combed the benches and tables for the pair of women he was looking for. Since the room was mostly empty, it did not take long to notice them. After all, they were the only young, beautiful, girls up at this ungodly hour. Ronin made his way over to where they were sitting and bowed his head slightly in respect. He would not sit until he was instructed to do so. Ronin was not one to break the protocol between Chiet and Endal unless he was told to do so. But even that was following the rules since he would only do so if ordered by an Endal. Regardless, he felt it was appropriate to introduce himself. "Good morning, I am Ronin. Thank you for inviting me to go with you today. I am honored." Ronin gave a small smile as he spoke to show that what he said was genuine.

[Sira]

Sira had no problem with the manner in which Addy ate, not being much better herself, and laughed at the comment she made. It was true there were few people in Wind Reach, especially men, who did not know Aidara. Sira had no problem with that, and in fact it was probably one of the reasons she was drawn to Addy. They both loved to enjoy life, and so long as their hearts belonged to each other, what did it hurt to enjoy life with the occasional man now and then? When Ronin walked up and introduced himself Sira's eyes quickly swept over him, sizing him up and checking him out all at once. He's cute. Sira's words sounded in Addy's mind, a slightly amused undertone to them. She had been doing that more and more since their bond had formed, having secret conversations that nobody else could hear. I think I'm going to have some fun with him. The man looked nervous to her, though it was understandable. He was a Chiet about to go on a hunt with two Endals, one the well known and recently elevated former Avora, Aidara, and the other the infamous Wind Eagle kelvic who stirred up so much controversy, Sira. Was it a reward for the Chiet to work with two Endal, or a jab at the Endals for having to deal with a barely known chiet hunter? That much was left to be determined, but Sira did intend to enjoy herself as much as she could on this little venture. "We didn't invite you, you were assigned to us, Sira said coldly, though the light in her eyes suggested she was just screwing with him, "Now go get something to eat. I don't want your grumbling stomach scaring away any game." Sira waved dismissively at the avora, clearly amused at herself, but in an uncharacteristic (or at least uncharacteristic considering how she had just treated him) shown of kindness she tossed Ronin a food voucher. "Get yourself some meat. I want your energy high for later." To Ronin it may have seemed she was just being practical, but his face would likely turn red if he heard what was going on in her head. Addy heard everything though, as Sira had not closed the link, and the two women shared a private laugh. Sira watched appreciatively as the young man left to retrieve his food, a slow smile spreading on her lips. "Mmm.. I think this is going to be a fun hunt." The rest of breakfast passed without too much eventfulness, and when they were done and all were ready Sira stood and led them to their destination. "I had the equipment brought to my aerie. The saddle's a loaner, I don't have a two person one so hopefully it will be in good condition." Sira hated wearing a saddle, and hated even more the idea of having to wear an even larger one, but she wasn't going to complain about it in front of the chiet. Addy knew all to well how uncomfortable this situation was for Sira, even if she did feign excitement, and as they made their way through the mountain Addy could sense Sira's growing uneasiness across their bond, though Sira was keeping her thoughts to herself. This was also the first time Sira had ever taken Aidara to her place, they always ended up back at Addy's, so maybe that was part of her uneasiness. When they finally reached their destination Sira wasted no time in throwing open the door, only to pull it shut just as quickly. If Addy or Ronin wondered at all why Sira had had the equipment brought to her place instead of Addy's they were soon given the answer as a foul fishy smell wafted into the haul and assaulted their noses. The door slammed shut, giving them a reprieve from the scent and Sira turned to face he two, biting her lip uncomfortably. "Okay.. So.. There was a reason we were assigned an extra person today. For reasons I can't even begin to fathom, we've been ordered to hunt shark. We're supposed to bring back at least two... Problem is, sharks don't usually swim around where you can catch them." Sira sighed, giving Addy an apologetic grin. She hadn't told Addy about this particular detail yet. "That smell.. Is chum. It's used to attract shark. Throw it in the water and we'll have shark in minutes. Now.. I can't just swoop down and grab them like I would tuna or a sea lion, a shark might pull me out of the sky and eat us. Especially when they are in a chum frenzy. So one of you will have to throw the chum and keep the sharks busy while the other kills them. Once we do kill one, I'll have to act fast and snatch it up before the other sharks get to it and eat it... So yeah. After we are done we can go to the valley and hunt deer. AFTER a stop by the river to wash off." Sira looked nervously between her two companions, a timid smile on her lips. "So... Um... Any questions?"

[Aidara]

Quietly amused, Addy allowed Sira her speculation of Ronin as he approached. Keeping her mouth shut (well, as shut as possible while shoveling down foodstuffs), a hand was lifted in pleasant acknowledgement when Ronin's eyes danced in her direction. Addy wasn't about to ruin Sira's fun and negate the treatment of the boy, so she settled into an easy middle ground of indifference. This proved to be a bit harder than expected, as Sira kept up a running commentary while the women waited for their companion to finish eating. It wasn't until the pair were heading back to Sira's aerie, with Ronin trailing a few steps behind, that Addy decided to pipe up. Yes, quite fun. I'm half torn between keeping him flustered for the entirety of the trip or lulling him into a false sense of security before pouncing. I guess that depends on the nature of our little hunt...[/b] To supplement these silent words, Addy cocked her head slightly to the side and raised a curious brow. She had been trying to wriggle this information from the other woman for [i]days now and the suspence was killing her. COME ON! Tellllllll meeeeeeeeeeeeee! Resorting to what she hoped was a pitiful whine when Sira didn't crack, Addy crossed her arms over her chest and huffed along for the rest of the journey. When Sira pulled at the handle of her front door, Addy anxiously skipped forward to slip in first. She had never seen Sira's place before, and while she knew this was done with intention...well, her curiosity was going to get her killed one day. The small woman simply couldn't wait to see what was so bad or scary or disgusting that Sira would avoid it all together. The fishy Smell hit her in the face almost as hard as the actual door. With a yelp of pain and an involuntary "Ugggggh", the woman retreated a few paces, rubbing her cheek while trying to waft the smell away from her face. "Uh...Sira? Do you...want me to hire you a Dek to...clean?" It was with a furrowed brow and a slightly scrunched expression that Addy tried to suggest this in the least offensive manner possible. Her question was answered only moments later, after a somewhat severe look from the Kelvic, that the smell was chum and not a permanent fixture of the household. "Ah...well that's good." Taking a deep breath, Addy pinched her mouth shut and clamped a hand over her nose. Unable to talk for holding her breath, she reverted to an exaggerated nod for Ronin's benefit while she mindspoke with Sira "Alright, let me through. I assume your Aerie is in the same place as Catabasis. I'm going to bully through to the fresh air while Ronin...does whatever he needs to do to get ready to ride on the back of a giant womanbirdthing." Ducking away from Sira before she could be swatted at, Addy pushed her way through the door and sprinted for the door to the aerie. On her way, she grabbed random pieces of equipment that they would need while flying. Conveniently, she chose a path around all the buckets of chum and they were all out of reach. Oops, looks like Ronin was gonna have to do it. Giggling as she reached the fresh air, Addy turned, placed down the gear she had collected and waited for the other two.

[Ronin]

Sira's cold rejection of the idea that she had invited Ronin to come hurt him more than he knew it should. He was aware that he should not expect to be wanted on this hunting trip, but he had still hoped for the best. But now, he knew his place and was entirely willing to comply with it. On the other hand, she had shown some unusual kindness by increasing the quality of Ronin's meal. Of course he could have interpreted that as something as simple as a logical course of action, but he choose to believe she was being nice to him. He quickly left and returned with his meal. Ronin did his best to eat quickly, as the other two had a head start and even at his hurried pace would have to wait for him to finish. To his relief, neither of them mentioned him being the last to finish eating, and Ronin was able to follow them to Sira's quarters without saying much. Ronin made a habit of memorizing the ways to get to places so that he would be able to make the trip again easily, and this was no exception. Though his mind often wandered to other trivial things, there was part of his brain that was paying attention to exactly where they were going. Ronin didn't know exactly how to reply to what Sira said about the saddle, but seeing as Aidara also refrained from saying anything, he figured there was nothing expected of him to say. Finally, they arrived at Sira's room. Ronin was caught completely off guard by the offensive smell and it caused him to turn away slightly. He would have reacted in a much more severe way, but he didn't want to be anything short of respectful in the presence of the two Endals. He was relieved to here that the smell was not an ordinary thing for Sira, and did his best to maintain a straight face as Aidara rushed in. Any semblance of a smile was quickly wiped from Ronin's face when he realized he was next to enter the room. It was even worse when he saw that he would be carrying all the buckets. There were four of them, each carrying approximately ten gallons of chum and weighing about fifty pounds. Ronin was in shape, so the two hundred total pounds of weight wasn't an issue, but the smell nearly caused him to vomit. He tried not to breath as he hurried into the room behind Aidara and gathered up the buckets. It took him a few moments to get them all positioned so that he could carry them in one trip, but it was going to mean less time in the room than if he had to come back for one. Luckily, they all had handles fastened to them to make transportation easier. Once he had them collected, he followed the way Aidara had went, still trying to breathe minimally. Once outside the room, Ronin looked for where he was supposed to put the buckets. He was anxious to set them down and get as far from them as possible.

[Sira]

The reason behind Sira's reluctance to show Addy her place became apparent as soon as Addy set foot inside. It wasn't that it was dirty or a mess. In fact, with the exception of the chum filled buckets in the room, the place was rather spotless. The issue was.. it was very dull. while Sai and Addy's aerie was decorated and furnished with all sorts of odds and ends, Sira's was almost completely empty. There was nothing on the shelves lining the walls, only one rug which sat in front of the lone but rather comfy looking couch. There were also two comfy looking chairs, but other than that there was little else in the room. Despite the lack of decoration and color the room was actually very bright. A few candles were set about the room but none were lit. There were also no windows in the room to provide light. the source came from a long shaft that had been carved out of the mountain which let in a stream of sunlight that bounced around the room off a series of reflective surfaces that gave the place an almost outdoor feel as far as lighting went. Even at night the light of the moon and stars shined in, though it wasn't always enough hence the reason for the candles. The doors to all the adjoining rooms had retractable panels that, when open, would allow the light to shine inside lighting those rooms as well. Though Addy wouldn't see it, most of the other rooms were just as bare as the common room. Even Sira's bedroom was somewhat dull, though it was a bit more lively than the others. There was only one exception to the general dullness of the place... Addy would also notice as she tried to navigate her way to the 'nesting' chamber of the aerie that it wasn't even shaped the same as hers. While Addy's common room was circular, Sira's was hexagonal. Each section of had a door, five leading to the different rooms and the sixth being the entrance. Still the chamber should be in the same general place as Catabasis', right? Wrong. Sira lived on a different side of the mountain than Addy did and when she threw open the door she thought led to the nest she found herself looking at the one redeemable room in the entire aerie... the bathing chamber. Central in the room was the bath itself, a large bowl carved into the very stone itself which was dyed a myriad of reds, blues, and purples. The walls of the room, except for the one with the door, were lined with reflective glass rising about three to four feet from the floor, reflecting the colorful tub and anyone who might be in it. Sira apparently had a thing for mirrors. What truly gave the room it's life though was the strange glass ball which hung from the ceiling, turning slowly in the gentle breeze from the grated opening near the ceiling which let fresh air in and steam out. As soon as Addy opened the door, allowing light into the room, the ball started sparkling, causing the light to dance all about in an almost mesmerizing fashion. The effect was only slightly diminished as the door let light into the entire room rather than directly through the panel which would shine right onto the ball, but it was still somewhat entrancing. Sira followed behind Ronin as the entered the common room, pulling the door shut behind her. She smirked as Addy barged across the room seemingly knowing exactly where she was going. When Addy threw open the door Sira chuckled to herself. She would go straight for that room. Sira walked up behind Aidara, hand slipping around her waist and pulling Addy close as the other reached around and gently pushed the door shut before Addy had a chance to even think about skipping out on the days hunt. "Don't worry love," she whispered, giving Addy a playful squeeze and kiss on the cheek, "We'll come back here after we're done. I have deks waiting to come frshen the place up as soon as we leave." Sira reluctantly released Addy and turned to see Ronin trying to figue out a way to pick up all four buckets without spilling them. Though he looked like he could probably handle it Sira showed her softer side again by rushing over and grabbing two of the buckets from him. "Here, let me take those. Don't want you spilling them, now do we?" Sira led the way to the nest, which was through the door directly across from the entrance. the nest reflected the common room in it's bareness. While there were a few chimes and bells dangling from the ceiling, left over from the previous owners, they were rarely touched since Sira only used the nest as an exit. A few glass mirrors were leaned against the wall along with some boards and a couple other random items, as if at some point a project had been started but never finished. The two person saddle was sitting against the wall near the ledge and Sira set her two buckets next to it. "We'll strap those on last." Sira helped Addy gather up any other gear they would need, piling it next to the saddle which would all be loaded after Sira was strapped in. Among the items was Sira's own sword and bow, along with a quiver full of arrows, for when and if they decided to hunt in the forest later on. Next Sira started to undress. "Now time for some fun," she mentally whispered to Addy as she began to strip and shot Addy a playful wink. Sira purposely made sure she was in full view of Ronin, taking longer than necessary to remove each garment. Well, except for her boots which she kicked unceremoniously to the side. Grasping the bottom of her shirt with both hands she slowly pulled it up and over her breasts then her head, stretching her arms high and twirling the shirt on one finger before flicking it at Ronin. "Be a dear and put that in the saddle bags for me." She took her time with the pants too, bending lower than necessary and making sure to put on a good show for the man and her lover. The same care was taken as she removed the remaining undergarments, tossing all toward Ronin. After all the clothing was safely out of the way Sira walked toward the middle of the nest, pausing to give Addy a long fiery kiss as she passed by. Then, in a swirl of colorful smoke and lights, she was replaced by a large golden-feathered Wind Eagle. "Alright, get me strapped in and let's go hunt some shark!" Her voice sounded in both their minds, though she added privately to Addy, "That was fun!" OOCI don't know if that was sexy, but lets pretend it was. ^^

[Aidara]

Blind to the parts of the aerie that Sira thought dull, Addy had only absently noticed as an opportunity to decorate. Instead, turned around as Sira had correctly guessed since her own Aerie was on the other side of the mountain, Addy had inaccurately headed into the washroom "are you serious?!" Starting as an awestruck whisper, the healers voice was soon high enough that it broke a little, like a teenage boy going through puberty, in her distress. Distress because Sira had kept this from her in all the time that they had been together. Distressed because, sure enough, she felt Sira's arm close around her waist as the door was rudely shut in her face, effectively cutting her off from the beautiful display. Sira's whisper and the gentle kiss she gave did little to stop the melancholy that began to drift over the little woman. Holy petch, that bathtub... was all Addy could think as she mourned, Sira turning her towards the correct entrance to her nest. Luckily for her companions, Addy's distress didn't last for too long, because Sira promised her they'd be back later. Life was good once again. Life was great as Sira decided that Ronin deserved a little strip tease. This left Addy grinning and blushing happily as she tried to occupy the extended amount of time it took Sira to undress with checking and double-checking the saddle and straps. Frays in the rope or fabric, or cracks in the leather could mean death for any one of them, should the gear fail. Addy was very used to dressing an eagle for flight; She had done it many times with her sister and Catabasis. The woman was particularly blessed in this, as it was very rare for another Endal's eagle to allow anyone other than their bonded to saddle or ride them on a regular basis. But then again, the twins were far from ordinary. Yes. That was fun. Now you owe me double. Even as Addy replied, Sira the woman was gone in a puff of awesome to reveal Sira the Eagle. Wasting no time Addy hoisted the double saddle that was almost taller than herself onto her shoulder, quickly covering the few feet between them, and gently placing it on Sira's back. Perhaps it would have been easier to let Ronin do so, since he was taller, stronger and just more musclelly-inclined to pick up heavy things, but Addy knew how sensitive Sira was on the subject of being ridden. It would only make matters worse for Ronin if he was to set the saddle down and break or dislodge some of Sira's feathers. Just the thought of that made Addy shift uncomfortably from foot to foot. She would have been listening to Sira complain for weeks. Nope, the job was better done by herself. After the saddle was strapped down and secured, Addy attached some securing ropes to the back saddle seat. This was for Ronin, who may or may not be used to riding a giant bird, to go across his lap and strap him down into his seat. Should they have to dive, flip or hit a rough patch of air, Addy would feel personally responsible if the Avora fell off the back as a result. Next, the saddle bags, their extra packs and the weapons. There was room enough for Addy and Ronin to each hold on to their own bow and quiver. Holding up Sira's weapons, Addy raised a brow questioningly. "You're holding the chum in your talons, do you want these put away?" Depending on Sira's response, she would then either strap them down with the packs or place them aside for Sira to hold herself. Finally, Addy took the buckets of the disgusting smelling dead stuff and placed them in two groups of two on the ledge to the aerie, for easy pickup. That being done, Addy turned to Ronin with a smile. "I don't know if you're used to this or not, and perhaps I should have asked. As you have already experienced, Sira has opened the telepathic connection between the three of us. In the air, we are going to be unable to talk out loud. The wind will rip the words from your throat before either of us will be able to hear them. The connection lets us communicate, obviously. The straps I attached are for your own safety. They attach to your other stirrup, but if you have trouble I can do it for you. Not wanting to insult him by treating him like a child, Addy finished this little speech with a dimpled smile before she vaulted up into the first seat of the saddle. She didn't have leg straps, like she did on Catabasis' saddle, because the primary seat had a pommel on which Addy could cling if things got desperate. As she settled down, Addy idly inspected the loner saddle as she waited for Ronin to acclimate himself. This one wasn't as nice as the double-seater Sai had made for them. She could feel the curves of the seat poking into her bottom in the wrong places, the width of the whole thing just a little too wide for her comfort. But since she'd bonded with Sira, Addy was used to ill fitting saddles. We're going to have to tell whoever it was you commissioned for our saddle to hurry the petch up. I'm tired of my butt hurting at the end of every ride. Plus, Sai's is so pretty. I want a pretty saddle. Sent only to Sira, Addy's voice was wistful as she thought of her sisters sleek, beautiful, minimalistic saddle. She had also spoken in the "We", which obviously meant "you", charging Sira with the job of hurrying up the poor Avora. Feeling the weight distribution change as Ronin settled himself in, Addy looked over her shoulder and wobbled her hand between a thumbs up and a thumbs down sign, asking if he was ready or not. OOCHey, sorry I didn't progress the thread too much. I WAS going to hurry it along and get us flying, but I figured we could afford a little time and description of the three of us getting ready. I hope you guys don't mind. If so, I can add more, just let me know.

[Ronin]

Ronin was astounded at the size of Sira's quarters. He knew Endal's had plenty of privileges, but he had never actually been inside an Endal's room. It was hard for him to not be a little resentful of all the special treatment they got. However, he knew why they got it. He didn't think himself worthy of higher treatment, but there were people he knew who worked harder than any Endal he had met. Regardless of his personal ideas, he had a job to do, and he was honored to have the privilege to work with these women. They both seemed nice enough, and Ronin held no ill-will toward anyone. Any distaste he had was for the system, not so much the people, and he was very good at hiding it and following the rules. Ronin subtly watched as Sira and Aidara interacted with each other in such a playful way, and he couldn't help but smile. The two beautiful women seemed to make a wonderful couple, and the thought of them together was exponentially more enticing than either of them by themselves. When, out of the corner of his eye, Ronin saw Sira turn toward him, he quickly wiped the smile off his face. He was very grateful for her offer to help and quickly picked up his two buckets once she had the others, and Ronin followed on her heels as they made their way to the nest. He placed the buckets next to the ones Sira had carried. What happened next was completely unexpected and left Ronin unsure of how to respond. At first, Ronin watched, assuming that if she had intended to have privacy she wouldn't have started to strip in front of him. However, once she through her shirt at him, he turned away and walked toward the saddle bags. Still, while he was working, he used the few mirrors in the room to keep an eye on her strip tease. Once he had put all of her clothes away and latched the saddle bag, he turned back to watch the naked girl walk toward the center of the room. The kissed shared between the tow Endals made Ronin's heart race. Sure, he had seen lesbians before, as they weren't that uncommon in Wind Reach, but he had never seen anything quite like this. Ronin had to fight hard to hide his thoughts at the time. After all, if the other two knew what he was really thinking, they could probably have him locked up. What happened next was something even more shocking to Ronin. He knew who he was working with, but he had never seen a Wind Eagle Kelvic transform. It was unbelievable. What had once been a naked woman just a moment ago was now a giant eagle. Ronin took a step back in awe of what he had just seen. Then, immediately after such a shock, his mind was invaded with words the his ears did not hear. This was a lot to take in for Ronin, and he tried his best to process it all in short order. Ronin would have offered to help with the saddle, but he knew that if his help was wanted Aidara would have asked. He stood silently and waited for further instruction. Ronin listened as Aidara explained what he had just expierence. 'A telepathic connection', this would be something interesting to use. He wasn't entirely sure how to communicate across it, but he was too embarrassed to ask. He was also thankful for the straps. The only other Wind Eagle he had ridden was Seeler, and that one didn't seem to like him very much. After he watched how Aidara had mounted Sira, he tried to duplicate the action. He was nearly as good at it, and he hoped he didn't do anything to hurt Sira. This entire morning had seemed alien to him, but this only made Ronin more excited to see what the rest of the day would bring. After briefly adjusting himself in the saddle, he looked up and saw Aidara asking him if he was ready. "I'm good. Did this work?" Ronin tried to use the telepathic channel. He wasn't sure if it was working or not, but he figured it was worth a shot. He concentrated on what he wanted to say and then just thought about saying it over and over, without actually open his mouth. If neither of them responded, he would just ask how to do it, despite the embarrassment.

[Sira]

Sira shifted uncomfortably under the saddle, hating the feel of it completely, as Aidara strapped it on and made sure it was secure. Her complaining was endless throughout the entire process, something that Addy was probably used to by now, but it didn't mean Sira was going to complain any less. She loved flying with Addy, it was an experience more intimate than she had ever known in her life, but she hated that she had to be strapped into a large cumbersome leather thing that weighed her down and itched and got her feathers all out of place. If only there was a better way... Just strap them on, Sira answered in response to the inquiry about her weapons, knowing she was going to have her talons full with nasty buckets and she didn't want anything to get in the way of that. It would be just her luck she would spill the buckets and get all dirty and the smell probably wouldn't come out for weeks. When Aidara hopped on and started complaining about the saddle too Sira turned her head and gave her a sharp look. Hey, at least you have some kind of pad to sit on. I think there is a wire or something poking my back right now. Sira wiggled, trying to reposition the saddle to something more comfortable, and giving Addy a good shaking while she was at it. She stopped when she felt Ronin climbing on, glancing back at them again. When he tried to speak his question was returned with a stream of psychic laughter, followed by an amused response, Yes, it worked. But you only have to think it once, not over and over like that. We hear each one. You'll figure it out after a while.. just be careful what you think, cause until you get good at it we'll hear everything. Sira gave him a sort of mental wink, or a feeling that she was just kidding, but there was truth behind her words. If he wasn't careful they would hear his every thought, or at least Sira would. If she really wanted to she could separate the two, but that was unlikely. Okay, lets do this. Sira hopped back a few steps, bouncing Addy and Ronin up and down and all around as she lined herself up with the chum buckets. Riding an eagle while it was on the ground was much less comfortable than while they were soaring in the sky, but Sira wasn't about to risk spilling the buckets on herself or her floor so her two passengers would just have to deal with it while she prepared. When she was finally satisfied, sure that she wouldn't knock the buckets over or miss them and have to come back, Sira started beating her wings. This part wasn't very comfortable for any of them. The riders were being bounced up and down, and Sira's wings were rubbing against the slightly too large saddle, but she did lift of the ground and started to move forward, carefully grabbing the two buckets as she passed over them. Once they cleared the entrance to the aerie Sira sent a "hold tight" message to the two of them then dropped from the sky. Well.. not so much dropped as dived, using the fall to pick up speed rather than trying to just power her way up into the sky while weighed down by two riders, some buckets, and a saddle that didn't fit. Sira skimmed the face of the mountain, picking up speed, and when they had descended about a quarter of the way down she leveled out and changed direction, heading toward Thunder Bay. They would have to go pretty far out to find the sharks, especially since they didn't want to lure them close to shore, and it would be a bit of a flight, but they had plenty of time and were in no particular rush considering they had left so early. It was a nice day out, not a cloud in the sky, and while the breeze was cold the sun was warm resulting in almost perfect flying conditions. Normally Sira would have been in a playful mood, subjecting Ronin to all sorts of aerial acrobatics, but with the buckets of dead stuff in her talons she wasn't about to risk anything. They had already been sloshed enough from the takeoff, but luckily none had spilled. Down below Addy and Ronin would see the winding Sanikas River as Sira followed it's path toward Thunder Bay. Occasionally Sira would spot a deer or moose and at one point a bear drinking from the river, sending a mental snapshot back to Aidara and Ronin, mostly just to make the flight more scenic, but also because it annoyed her that they were going so far out of their way to hunt something when there was perfectly good game right below them. After a while, when they were about half way to the coast, Sira piped up in their minds. So, Ronin, are you doing alright up there? And remember, only think your answer once.