You, Me, and the Wind (Aidara)

[Sira]

Timestamp: Spring 4, 511 AV Sira rose early as she usually did, but this day she did it with much excitement. It was spring, the skies were clear, and hunting season was officially on. The roads may have been iced over but that would not stop the eagles and their riders from flying out and bringing in kills. Sira always looked forward to the beginning of spring, but this year was a special one. This year she had Addy. The topic of their riding together had never really come up over the winter. Sira was always unable to fly either due to injury, weather, or some other calamity and so she had spent most of the winter in the warm confines of Addy's bedroom. But she knew both of them had thought about it. She knew she had, and even though Aidara had respectfully not brought it up Sira knew Addy wanted to fly with her. And Sira was determined that this day they would. Sira did not go back to sleep as she often did when sharing the bed with her love, but instead got up and tiptoed out the door into the common room. She didn't have to wait long before there was a light knock at the door and when Sira opened it she was greeted by the delicious smell of jellied bread, pancakes, and some sort of sausage links. Sira had requested the meal be brought up the night before, and accepted the tray from the dek placing it on a shelf next to the door. "Is everything ready," Sira asked. "Yes ma'am, everything you asked for will be there when you're ready." Sira thanked the dek and closed the door, picking up the tray and heading back to Aidara's room. Sira bumped the door open with her hips, bringing the tray of pancakes, toast, sausage, and two cups of milk into the room. "Addy," she said softly though loud enough for the sleeping healer to hear her. "Time to wake up, my little rose." Sira had decided she wanted a pet name for Addy, and so had chosen "rose," stealing the word from her name. She didn't know if it would stick, she sucked at pet names, but she figured she would try it out for a bit. Sitting on the bed and setting the tray in her lap Sira nudged Addy gently, "Come on now, I brought you breakfast in bed. You gotta wake up so we can enjoy it together." Her tone was playful but Sira hoped Aidara would take the hint and get up. Sira was too excited for what she had planned to wait on Addy to wake up naturally. When she finally did get up Sira showed Addy the tray of food and before long they were both munching happily on their breakfast. "So," Sira said between bites, her eyes all a glitter with excitement, "I have a surprise for you today." OOCThis is kinda a short first post.. but oh well. Thanks to Plague for the name suggestion though!

[Aidara]

From her dream world, Addy was vaguely aware of what was going on around her in the real world. There was a shift among her covers and a faint whisper. Her first instinct was to simply turn over and ignore the intruder, but the whispers and the shifting was persistent. "...My little rose." Rousing slowly, Addy was aware that the disturbance was Sira and only managed to catch the end of what she was trying to say. A languid stretch and green eyes opened to peer blearily up at the kelvic perched on the edge of her bed. "Okay, now that is cute. Sickeningly cute." Moving her mouth like she had something distasteful within, the woman softened the joke with a smile and an outstretched hand. Curling her fingers around the neck of whatever shirt Sira was wearing, Addy pulled the taller woman close to her for a kiss. It was just as slow and languid as her waking process and when the two pulled apart they were both slightly breathless. "See, that is the best way to start the morning if I do say so myself." Rolling off the edge of her circular bed, Addy started gathering the clothes she had left strewn on the floor the evening before. She was a clean woman, and liked everything neat and tidy. The fact that there were clothes thrown around for any amount of time told a great deal about how tired the healer must have been the night before. So, even after a full nights sleep, she dragged a little as she pulled on her clothes. "Did you wake me for anything specific, or just because you missed my lovely voice?" The promise of a surprise was repeated with an infuriatingly secretive smile and a teasing tone. All pretense of sleepiness disappeared instantly when Addy heard this, and she rounded on Sira. "What?! Really?! Tell me NOW!" Practically bouncing with excitement, the woman tried to stand on one leg and pull on her boots. When that was finished and she was fully dressed, she bounded back over to where Sira still sat waiting and threw herself onto the Kelvic's lap. "Puh-leaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaase tell me!"

[Sira]

Sira laughed when Aidara jumped in her lap and shook her head. "No. You have to eat your breakfast before I tell you anything." Sira grabbed a fork from the tray next to her and speared a piece of sausage, holding the fork in front of Addy's mouth. "Don't make me force feed you now," she said playfully as she did exactly that, making a birdie sound and 'flying' the food into Addy's mouth. Assuming she played along, that is. Sira would continue hand feeding Addy until she either started feeding herself, or there was nothing left of her breakfast. Sira took her time eating her own meal, which would take even longer if she was still hand feeding Addy because then she would alternate between herself and the healer, but when they were both done eating she smiled and hopped off the bed. Sira picked up the tray, knowing Addy would have a fit if it was left on the bed, then grabbed the healer's hand and dragged her out of the room. Sira continued to lead the healer, going out the front door and down the hall. At some point she passed the tray off to a random dek and continued to drag Addy through the winding tunnels if Wind Reach. Any attempt to extract information from Sira was met with a laugh, a kiss, or a "You'll see," as Sira led them to wherever it was they were going. Whatever the surprise was, Sira was very excited, and Addy could visibly see her growing more excited the closer they got to wherever she was leading them. And then the hall ended abruptly and they were there, overlooking the Sakinas Valley from one of the most famous cliffs in Wind Reach, the Edge of the World. "Here we are," Sira said as she dragged Addy out onto the cliff with her, leading them around a large boulder where there was a saddle and full set of gear waiting for them. The saddle was far from the nicest Addy had ever seen, being that it was merely a loaner until they commissioned one of their own. But it was in good condition, if a bit worn, and would do the job. Along with the saddle was a bow and a few arrows, and after taking a second glance Addy would recognize the bow as her own. Sira squeezed Aidara's hand excitedly as she took it all in, practically hopping up and down in excitement. "So I thought since our first date started at the bottom of this thing, we should take the next step from the top." Finally releasing Aidara's hand Sira approached the saddle, inspecting it for flaws. It was the first time she had actually seen it as well, though she had been assured over and over that it was in good condition. "We don't need to practice with the bow if you don't want to, but I figured you should probably get used to holding it while we fly for when you do need to use it." Sira understood Aidara had trouble with killing, and that was something they would have to figure out eventually, but she still expected Addy to train in aerial archery just like any other rider would. After she was done inspecting the saddle she turned back to Aidara, "So.. are you as excited as I am?" Sira left out the fact that she was also extremely nervous.

[Aidara]

Addy was very good at milking things. So she lounged and was difficult for a while, finding immense enjoyment in the little noises and creative way's Sira used to try and get the food into her mouth. Half the time, the other woman only succeeded because the little healer was crowing with laughter. "Ah, gimme." With a final laugh, Addy took the breakfast Sira was holding for her and pulled it onto her own laugh. She made quick work of the food after that, and was pleased to do so as it also allowed Sira to eat. Oh, that's nice. She thought with a smile as Sira took the plate from her lap and whisked it from the room. It was the little things, like Sira noticing just how neat she liked things to be, that made Addy's heart swell for the woman. And so she was dragged by the hand and lead out the door by her love. She didn't put up much of a fight, just enough for the act. Sira was insanely excited about whatever was going on, and Addy wasn't going to ruin that for her. Every once and a while, she would dig in her heels and refuse to go any further until Sira told her where they were going and what they were doing. When she was inevitably denied this information, her lower lip stuck out in a pout, green eyes twinkling beneath her lashes as the healer tried the puppy-dog face as a final resort. Failure on all accounts. So busy was she in trying to figure out where they were going, Addy didn't even pay attention to where they were actually going. It wasn't until the wind started to whip at her hair did she look up and around at her surroundings. "Oooooooooooh." Came the coo then, and holding tightly to Sira's hand, she bounced up and down "I think I knoooooooooooow!" Dimples plied and the woman gripped tightly to Sira's hand, quickening her pace to keep better stride with the taller woman. Excitement mounting as they wound their way out of the city and out towards the cliffs, Addy was practically skipping along. The view was beautiful and she could hardly pull her eyes away from the picturesque valley below. "We're here." When Sira finally spoke, Addy pulled her gaze away from the beauty below, and it was because they had stopped...At the foot of the Edge of the World. Like air out of a balloon, Addy deflated. "Oh...." The climbing wall had been the site of their first date...their disastrous first date. "You...want to try again, or something?" Trying to keep the disappointment out of her voice, Addy shielded her eyes and tilted her head back to look up at Sira. "'Cause...uh... I don't know if I'm up for it. I mean..I did just wake up and all...What's so funny?" Stomping her foot as a mysterious smile twitched at the corners of the other womans lips, Addy pulled her hand from Sira's grasp and crossed her arms. With another laugh, Sira simply recaptured the hand and pulled her around the side of a huge boulder to reveal all of the riding gear she had prepared there. "Oooooooooooh!!" The light was back in her eyes, the excitement scrawled plain on her features. Tearing her hand again from Sira's, Addy dashed over towards the gear. "So I thought since our first date started at the bottom of this thing, we should take the next step from the top." Sira was saying, "We don't need to practice with the bow if you don't want to, but I figured you should probably get used to holding it while we fly for when you do need to use it." As the woman spoke, Addy was picking up each piece and examaning it. She had gone flying frequently with Sai and Catabasis, so she knew what she was doing. The gear looked sound, though it was obviously loner stuff. Addy caught herself ticking off a mental list of expenses of what they would need for their own gear, before she realized she hadn't responded to Sira at all. "You're going to let me ride you?!" It was more of an exclimation than a question, once Addy had come back to the moment. Dropping the saddle pad back on top of the worn leather equipment, the healer sprinted back over to where Sira stood. It was a flying leap and Addy had wrapped her arms and legs tight. "Are you as excited as I am?" The kelvic asked with a knowing smile. Addy laughed and didn't bother to respond with words, instead crushing her lips tight against Sira's before climbing back down. "Where are we going to go? Anywhere in particular? Isn't all this very uncomfortable?" Mentioning nothing about her bow that was laying with all the other gear, Addy moved back over to the pile and began to shift through it more slowly. "I know how to put it all on.. but have you ever flown with it before?" It was a legitimate question. Sira didn't need a rider when she went out on hunts, since she doubled as eagle and rider for the most part. "'Cause I can help you get this all on and you can fly about for a bit to get used to it. Unless you wanted to practice aerobatics as well." She flashed the dimples again and hoisted the light saddle into her arms. Whether Sira wanted to go up with Addy on board right away or not, the small healer none the less began to separate out what needed to go where, double checking everything for security as she did so. Once Sira changed, Addy would be ready with the saddle and the blanket, throwing them expertly over her back and tightening the girth down. Never having used reigns even when flying with Sai, Addy would instead attach leg straps to the sides of the saddle, to hold her down in the seat so she could be free to use her hands and arms. The bow would be strapped to the back of the saddle for the time being, while the two women got used to each other. However, after all this was done, Addy stood by Sira's side, refusing to mount until the Kelvic gave her express permission.

[Sira]

Sira laughed at Addy's enthusiasm. If she wasn't excited she sure was doing a good job pretending. After their kiss Addy started asking questions and working with the gear. Sira couldn't help but smile as she watched the healer work, "Its a little weird, but I want this so I can put that aside." She was referring to Addy's question about it being uncomfortable. She might have meant it in a literal sense, but Sira assumed she was talking emotionally uncomfortable. It was a strange feeling for her to actually want someone riding her, but Sira did want it and there was no discomfort at all. "I don't really have anywhere in mind. I figure we can just fly around the valley. You know.. Get used to the feel of it. You've probably got more experience in this than me, really." "I know how to put it all on.. but have you ever flown with it before?" Sira regarded the saddle for a moment before shrugging. "I've worn medical and cargo saddles, and those are both a lot bulkier than ones for Endal. If anything it will probably be easier." Being that she was riderless, Sira had often been used to carry heavy loads or injured hunters, so she at least had some experience with saddles. But her riders had always been injured completely strapped down, so Sira had almost no experience with a rider that was able to move about. "I think I can handle it," Sira commented as she kicked off her boots and started to remove the rest of her clothing, which she tucked into one of the saddlebags. "But we're definitely going to have to get a prettier saddle. No way I'm wearing this old thing forever." Once she was undressed she shifted and waited as Addy fastened the saddle to her, fidgeting all the while. Did I ever mention I hate these things? We have got to find a way to make them more comfortable. Sira shifted on one foot as Addy tightened a strap, causing the entire saddle to fall to that side and forcing Addy to start over from scratch. Sorry.. It was itchy and I couldn't resist. The complaining and fidgeting went on through the entire process, and at times it seemed like Sira was intentionally messing with Addy.. which she was. After about twice as long as it would have taken for Addy to saddle up Catabasis, they were finally done and Sira was dressed to be ridden. Sira stretched her wings and moved them up and down, testing her range of motion and flexibility, asking Aidara to make adjustments here and there, and when she was finally satisfied she gave the healer a sideways look. Addy was waiting for permission to board, and even though she was nervous Sira stilled tried to keep her humor up. Well? What are you waiting for? Hop on. As soon as Addy was on and secure, something Sira made sure to 'casually' double check by looking over her shoulder at the straps, she made her way to the Edge of the World. They were at the top, a place they hadn't even come close to reaching on their first date, and the whole of the valley was spread out before them. Hopefully this time won't end in disaster, Sira joked as she hopped off the cliff. She wanted to be as smooth as possible, and quite frankly no matter how scary they were, a diving start was much easier on the body than a straight up takeoff. Surely Addy had experience dives before anyway, and Sira only fell long enough to build up a little bit of speed before spreading her wings and leveling out as smoothly as she could. All in all she did a fairly good job for a first timer, and Addy wasn't jostled around too much. You doing alright up there, Sira asked as they floated out over the valley.

[Aidara]

It did take an infuriatingly long time to get the saddle in place. More than once, Aidara almost had the buckle in place and was matching it up with the correct hole when Sira would shake herself vigorously and fling the saddle practically across the room. There was also a steady stream of complaints and apologies through their connection, most of which Addy just ignored. Despite how hard Sira was making this on her, the little woman just kept plowing forward; She stopped to pick up the saddle each time it slipped, scratching or adjusting feathers under Sira's direction whenever they pinched or itched. She would stop and step away, allowing the kelvic woman to fix the feather herself Addy's attempt was unacceptable, stepping back in to fix the saddle...again... as it had been disrupted by the movements. "You are..." The girth was clinched snugly, but not tight. "... the worst.." Sira fluffed out her feathers as she felt the pressure of the girth, as Addy expected. "...most spoiled..." Waiting patiently for the feathers to lay flat, Addy then quickly cinched the girth tight and clasped the buckle. A few fingers slipped under the leather strap to make sure it was not too tight and the woman was finally able to step back away from a fully saddled Eagle. "..brat in the whole entire world, you know that right? No, don't even!" Though the process had taken long enough to thin even Addy's abundant amount of patience, she had to laugh as Sira turned her head to eye the ugly leather thing on her back with distaste. "That took far longer than necessary, my dear. Catabasis would be proud at the hard time you gave me. You're both jerks." While Sira stretched her wings and prepared herself, Addy gathered up the few pieces of gear they had left and tied them down to the back of the saddle. Since it was a loaner, there was no pretty saddle bags or any of those nifty pockets that Sai's saddle had. The women were lucky that Addy was so small since everything had to be strapped in behind her, leaving hardly any room for her to actually sit. She wasn't going to complain, however. Now that the hard part of dressing Sira for flight was over and done with, Addy was left to contemplate just what she was about to do, and it filled her stomach with butterflies. This was a huge step for them. Looking up from her work as she tied the last knot, the healer smiled into the big golden eye that watched her, Sira having to practically crane her head to her shoulder to observe Addy while she packed. Letting the secured gear settle into place, she moved around the side of the giant kelvic until they were nose to beak. "Don't bite me. You'll regret it later." Leaning in, Addy wrapped her arms around Sira's feathered neck and placed a kiss on her huge, deadly beak. "I've always wanted to do that. Catabasis never let me. I'm sure your feathers are softer than his as well." With a laugh and a wink, she stepped away and felt the butterflies flutter. Now what? Did she just..climb on? Did she have to ask first, or wait for Sira to offer? Torn and now unusually shy, Addy stood awkwardly in front of Sira with her hands clasped tightly behind her back. Thankfully, Sira took pity on the poor woman. "Well? What are you waiting for? Hop on." Addy didn't need to be asked twice. Scampering to the saddle, she hoisted herself up with the ease of someone who had been doing so for years. After shifting around in her seat, trying to find a comfortable position and failing, Addy grimaced and bent down to secure her legs to the saddle with the straps. "Wow, this thing is extremely uncomfortable. I hope I have some of my backside still intact by the time we land. I'm going to use the leg straps, if you don't mind. Unfamiliar saddles make me nervous, and I'd rather not find out yet how good you are at catching healers as they speed towards the earth." A few more shifts and adjustments of the packs and Addy nodded with satisfaction. "Alright. I'm ready." "Hopefully this time won't end in disaster," Sira said with what can only be described as a mental smile. "You fill me with confidence. Maybe I'll stay here and you can..." But the rest of the words were ripped from Addys mouth, as Sira moved to the ledge and immediately dove off the edge. Oh yes, it's so much more fun when you're not expecting it. The snarky thought was sent silently, as there was no way that Sira could hear her if she spoke aloud now. When the kelvic declined to respond, Addy knew she had done it intentionally and couldn't help but lighten up and laugh. She and Sira were flying together! There was nothing to be upset about right now. The dive was shorted than Addy was expecting; Sai and Catabasis liked to give their passengers and onlookers alike a heart attack, diving towards earth, water, or rock at top speed and only pulling up at the very last second possible. They fancied themselves dare devils of sorts. Addy found Sira's laid back approach and concern for her comfort refreshing. As Sira leveled her dive and started to wing herself back up, Addy leaned around Sira's wing to watch the ground as they gained altitude. This was always her favorite part, watching the ground fall away beneath them. Again she was shocked at the reaction she was having. She had seen this very sight hundreds of times before. But now it was different. Knowing it was Sira lifting her away sent the butterflies fluttering again. It wasn't until she was off the ground and flying with only Sira's strong feathered form beneath her did she realize how important it was for them, this first flight. They were both learning to completely trust the other. As they flew, Addy didn't try and give any direction. She sat still hunched forward, to reduce the drag. Since Sira wasn't used to carrying a person, the healer wanted to make this as easy as possible. She dipped her weight into each turn the made, and leaned back whenever Sira did any dips or dives. All and all, she was the perfect passenger. It was part politeness and part shyness that had Addy so quiet. She, quite frankly, didn't know what to do.... again. So instead, she did what she knew; She watched the ground race beneath them, smiling at the glimpsed of wildlife she spotted in the breaks between the trees. It was a sunny day, and cloud free. The view was spectacular. As usual, Addy had no idea where they were going, Sira hadn't told her. She had not paid enough attention to the land below her to have figured it out for herself; there had been a falcon that took to flying in Sira's shadow, and watching him had amused the healer until Sira broke the silence and asked how she was, Addy smiled. I am fine. A little out of my element, if I'm being honest. I just realized this was the first time I've flown as something other than a passenger. Sai always worked with Catabasis. I was just on for the ride, I guess. I'm realizing there is a lot more to this Endal thing than I thought at first... She paused for a moment, as inspiration struck her. Let's not go up too high yet. I want you to see if you can throw me. [center]

[Sira]

The ground fell away from them as Sira's strong wings lifted them higher and higher until they reached a good flying altitude. Each time her wings would rise and fall the saddle shifted allowing small gusts of air beneath, keeping her body cool. Though it was far from the most comfortable experience, it wasn't as bad as Sira thought it was going to be. The feel of Addy's weight on her back felt good, like she was supposed to be up there. When Addy shifted to look down at the ground Sira was forced to alter her flight a little bit so as not to be thrown off balance, but she realized that it would make it harder for Addy to see down below so instead Sira banked slightly in the direction Addy was looking, going into a gentle and wide turn. Sira wondered what Addy saw when she looked at the ground. At their current altitude Sira was still easily able to see even small details on the ground, such as the small bunny that darted back into it's hole when Sira's shadow passed overhead or the tasty looking deer that grazed in a small clearing of trees. To Addy there was probably only a carpet of green beneath them. Let's not go up too high yet. I want you to see if you can throw me. Sira leveled out, gliding lazily along through the clouds. You sure? Well, I guess you are strapped in so you won't fall far. Sira though about it for a moment, wondering how best to do what Addy had asked. After a moment she decided on a maneuver that was sure to throw the healer off her game. Alright, I have an idea. Hold on tight now. Sira beat her wings hard and fast, quickly gaining altitude. The motion probably jostled Addy around quite a bit, but it was nothing she couldn't handle. They didn't go too high, but Sira did want to gain some more altitude just to be safe. Okay, pretend we are going fishing. A few more quick wing bursts had the duo going almost straight up. Once they were nearly vertical Sira's wing movement ceased, and they started to flip over backward. Minor alterations to her tail feather's and wing positions kept it all under control, but for a brief moment Addy was turned completely upside down in her saddle. It was only the speed of the flip, and of course the straps, that kept her in her seat, and before she knew it Sira corkscrewed into a straight down dive headed for the tree's below. The wind whipping over them was fierce. Sira's streamlined body hardly noticed it, but if Addy sat up even a little she would feel the full force of the wind blasting her in the chest. The twisted in the air, spiraling down and down. Really they were going a bit further than Sira would have normally gone in such a dive. Usually she would have only twirled once before hitting the water and whatever fish they were after. And now we hit the water. Sira envisioned the water rushing to meet them. She imagined she could see the Tina swimming just below the waves. At the last second she thrust her talon's forward, her wings spreading to either side and her tail feathers flared out. At this point her talons would have splashed into the water, latching on to the fish or in some cases grasping nothing. Fish were quick to move out of the way, but in her imagination Sira envisioned herself catching the fish. She beat her wings hard to keep her aloft and pull her away from the water's surface. Clutched in her talon's was her imaginary fish and Sira flew away with her prize. Sira didn't know what kind of forces Addy felt from the maneuver's, but she imagined they were quite brutal. That was a fast maneuver with a hard stop at the end. How are you doing up there, my love? Still strapped in? Of course she knew Addy was still strapped in, she could feel her weight still on her back, but she didn't know her condition. I hope that wasn't too much for you.

[Aidara]

A smile bloomed across Addy’s face when Sira went along with her idea without question, leaving her pleasantly surprised and suddenly very excited. She had expected the Kelvic to balk, even a little, at the idea of trying to throw her rider. Either Sira knew she couldn’t, or had complete faith in being able to catch falling persons. Addy’s thought process on the matter had been sound, even if the idea sounded crazy; Humans didn’t have wings, so they weren’t meant to fly. Addy riding upon Sira’s back was unnatural to nature, even if the Inartans had been doing it for centuries. Even though most flights an Endal took were not life threatening, the worst case scenario would be that something would happen and the rider would fall if not prepared. Addy wanted to be prepared. “Alright, I have an idea. Hold on tight now.” In fact, Addy was so caught up in the fact that Sira was going to go along with her preparedness plan, that she was caught unawares when the Kelvic shot upwards. The initial jostle from the strong wing beats were barely noticed as the rushing wind caught her straight in the face. With her seat completely in the saddle, and her legs strapped to Sira’s side the wind bent Addy backwards at an unnatural angle. Blinded by the wind, Addy scrabbled for purchase on the front of the saddle. Her fingers closed around one leather edge and she started to pull herself forward. It took most of her strength to even gain an inch on the air holding her down. “Okay, pretend we are going fishing” After what had seemed like an eternity of trying to fight for an upright position, Addy wasn’t really quick on the uptake, and basically ignored Sira’s mental comment. It wasn’t until all movement stopped and the pressure suddenly let off her chest at the same time she heaved herself forward, that Addy noticed. Her face practically slammed into Sira’s feathered neck as they started to flip, and it was only the healers prior grip on the saddle that kept her from hanging completely upside-down. Holy crap holy crap holy crap.. Finally in a position to enjoy the maneuvers comfortably, Addy practically cemented herself in place with her arms and legs; she lay plastered along Sira’s back, flat on her stomach with her nose buried in her golden neck feathers. While Sira arched gracefully backwards, Addy did take a moment to glance down. With her hair whipping across her eyes, the woman was just barely able to catch a glimpse of the ground so far below; it was practically just a green blur. Startled at how high they had climbed, Addy felt her stomach lurch…and then Sira began to fall. Addy thought she had been ready for this. Catabasis and Sai were quick to show off their flying expertise, doing flips and spins and other unnecessary tricks in the air whenever they could. Taken along for the ride for a few of these occasions, Addy couldn’t deny that it was breathtakingly fun and figured that it would be just as fun, if not more so, to practice aerobatics with Sira as well. But as the healer was quickly figuring out, things were very different this time. Catabasis was a huge bird and bigger than almost all of the other Wind Eagles. While he had the giant wingspan and stamania to boast about, he didn’t have the agility of the smaller birds. Catabasis could dive quickly, and had always sent Addy’s heart up into her throat when he did so..but Sira’s dive took her breath away. Compared to Sira, Catabasis was large and cumbersome. The smaller Eagle could slice through the air with hardly any resistance at all. As the pair fell into a corkscrew, Addy had to flatten herself as much as possible against Sira’s form, or face the danger of being ripped from the saddle even despite the straps that held her down. They were going that fast, and Addy had never felt anything like it. Their spirals were tight and concise, like a bullet speeding towards the earth. As they fell, Addy felt a welling of pride; Sai and Catabasis had ruled the air for long enough, but the large black bird couldn’t hope to touch Sira if it came down to it. Unable to peak over the side, Addy had no idea how close they were getting to the ground, but at the speed they were going, if Sira didn’t pull out soon…Addy liked the way her face looked, and quickly decided that she would rather it wasn’t splattered on the forest floor. Ahhhhhhhhhh!!! And now we hit the water Again, Addy felt her face slam into Sira’s neck as they pulled out of the dive. Lucky for the Kelvic, she was protected by all those feathers and hardly felt a thing as Addy was slammed around in the saddle. The sudden reduction of speed drove all of the breath wooshing from her body as she lost her grip on the saddle, slipping off the right side of Sira’s body. Gasping and trying to scrabble back into place, Addy found her seat just as Sira thrust out her talons. It was almost like she had slammed on the brakes, but they kept moving anyway, skidding through the air. Addy was thrown forward, again, but this time she held on. By the time Sira began to beat her way back into the sky, Addy was so jostled that it hardly made a difference whether the wing beats buffeted her or not. I don’t know how, but I am still here. Came the breathless reply, though Sira would be able to hear the smile in her voice. The endal was grinning from ear to ear. With her clothes completely disshevled and her hair completely windblown and sticking up all over the place, Addy had never looked happier. We need to do that again. Do you realize that together, we could show Sai how it’s really done? Catabasis has gotten cocky, no one dares challenge him because of his size. But after this…. Riding Catabsis felt like riding a cart with a missing wheel. Though it came out a little harsher than she expected, Addy was too ecstatic to care. Still breathing hard, it wasn’t until the adrenaline wore off that Addy realized how much the exersize had taxed her. Collapsing forward in her saddle, Addy gave a suddenly weary sigh. I don’t really want to go back yet, but man I am tired. A pause, as inspiration struck her. My love… Tell me, is there anywhere you go when you need to be alone, or escape? I imagine that since all of Wind Reach and beyond is open to you, you’ve found some beautiful secrets. They’re probably much better than my little cave-hidey-holes in Wind Reach. Please, will you show me? With her voice as sweet as honey, Addy would have been giving Sira some big, green puppy dog eyes if she could have seen them. It was safe to say that the woman was used to getting her way.

[Sira]

Sira chuckled at Addy's comments about out maneuvering Catabasis. True, she was smaller and more agile, but that move was probably something he could easily have done as well of he wanted. Catabasis and Sairque often practiced insane stunts that Sira had never even tried before, solely because she had never had a rider to encourage her to do so, but the corkscrew was a perfectly natural maneuver to her and probably to Catabasis as well. All that being said, Sira was certain if she put her mind to it she could out maneuver the larger eagle easily with a little practice. If Aidara wanted to show off, Sira was more than willing to help her. That was one of my favorite dives, but I bet I could do more if I tried. Addy's mental voice sounded tired, but she did not want to go home yet. Neither did Sira, but she wasn't even tired at all. They would definitely have to work on strengthening the healer's endurance if she wanted to try to show up Sai and Catabasis in the air. Sira considered Addy's request for only a moment before turning in a wide circle and heading toward one of the smaller peaks surrounding Mount Skyinarta. In the distance Sira spotted another rider and his eagle and Sira tipped her wing to him, mentally smiling at the silent congratulation the eagle sent her for finally finding a rider. So, Endal, how does it feel up there? It was true, Addy was officially an Endal now. All it took was for an eagle to choose you, and to fly with you, and you were an Endal. Sira had been receiving congratulations from other eagles ever since they had first taken to the sky, and she had never felt prouder. Of herself and of her new Endal. That's what you are now. It's official. All the other eagles are so proud of you, Addy. I am too. Sira was fairly quiet for the rest of the flight. Not an awkward quiet but a content one, happy with the way things had turned out. When they finally reached their destination it was to land on a small cliff overlooking the Sanikas valley. Sure there were other places she could have taken Addy that might have been more breathtaking or beautiful, not that the view wasn't beautiful, but none of those places had the meaning that this one had. The cliff was large enough for her to land and Addy to dismount, but other parts of it were so narrow that one could sit with their back to the mountain and the legs dangling over the cliff. This was where I stayed when they told me I couldn't be an Endal and I ran away from home. And it's where I was when the eagles first told me I was one of them, and I realized that my home was all of Skyinarta.

[Aidara]

So, Endal, how does it feel up there? Endal. The word rang strangely in Addy's mind. Endal? ......ENDAL! Shouting in unexpected joy, Addy couldn't help the grin that bloomed across her face. The thought never occured to her, that by flying together like this meant Sira had chosen Addy as more than a lover. It... It was unbelievable. Just like that, huh? There was laughter in her mental voice, and had she really tried, she could have sent Sira images over their connection; the Healer-turned-Endal still failed to fully grasp all of what just happened, and the benefit of it. I guess I didn't know what to expect. Fireworks? This crazy snapping inside me or a loud boom to signify the change... She left off with another laugh, extending her arms around Sira's feathered neck for a rather awkward hug. I'm proud of you too, Sira. Ah, there it was. Addy was starting to get emotional now. Having given up on her dream of ever being picked as an Endal, the reality of the situation hit her all at once. Not only was she Endal...but she had been picked by a wonderful Wind Eagle, a beautiful woman whom she could spend her life with... It was perfect. In that moment, Addy's life seemed to just click into place. Unknowingly, this was what she had been waiting for. You mean the Eagles all know right when it happens? Am I added to their mental catalog or something? They would have to discuss the nuances at a later date, Addy knew, but she couldn't help but ask the question. Feeling Sira smile with her mind (as odd as that sounded) as a response, Addy leaned back in her saddle and just took in the view. It was good to know that even though none of the other eagles had chosen her as their own rider, that they were at least happy to have her. Lost in her daydream as she turned all the new information and happenings in her mind (Like how the hell she was going to deal with the infirmary AND her Endal duties), Addy had paid no attention to where they were flying. It was definitely a surprise when Sira moved to land. Dismounting quickly, Addy was removing her saddle before Sira even had a chance to completely finish her description. Tossing the ugly loaner saddle against the cliff wall, Addy grinned as she turned back to Sira. "We should accidentally let this fall off the cliff. Then we'd have to get a better one." At this raid, the pair would be stuck with the cumbersome, uncomfortable thing for the rest of their lives. While she waited for Sira to shift, Addy pulled a set of clothes out of the saddle bags and set them on top of the equipment. She always thought ahead when it regarded Sira's comfort. Finally, she settled down on the cliff where it was still wide enough that she wasn't scared of falling; her feet barely dangled over the edge. "I bet that was hard for you, hearing that you couldn't be an Endal. I was told the same thing, you know." Green eyes shifted to find Sira's face and she smiled. "I wanted Catabasis. I spent every minute in the aeries trying to get an eagle to pick me, and they never did. The biggest blow was when Sai bonded with Catabasis. She hadn't even cared about the birds..." The little woman could feel herself getting worked up at the memories, and took a second to breath and calm down. "It almost broke us apart, the fight that ensued. She told me I would never be an Endal, that I'm not what an Eagle looks for. I'm glad she was wrong. I'm glad it was you." Loose strands of auburn hair whipped around her face, tugged free of their constraints by the wind. Addy tucked these behind her ear, falling into silence for a few moments as they looked out over the valley. "This is a beautiful place, Sira. We've both become something here, in a way." Turning and pulling the Kelvic close to her, Addy slipped her arms around Sira's neck. Her eyes were glowing with happiness and contentment, tears brimming at the sheer amount of emotion the woman felt. Slowly and carefully (Since she was on a cliff) Addy leaned in and pressed her lips to Sira's. The kiss was soft, almost timid and shy, yet turned excited and playful when she bit down on Sira's bottom lip. Her hands moved from around the other woman's shoulders and her fingers tangled in her hair. It was only extreme self restraint that kept the woman from going further than a kiss. Or maybe fear of the ledge. They were really high up. "I love you." Was the whisper when she pulled away, smiling shyly at Sira. "I love this place. Thank you for showing it too me." OOCUnless you wanted more flying training, I wasn't sure if you wanted to end it here or not. I have a few ideas of how to continue the thread if you wanted to add some excitement, but we don't have too. Let me know, and I'll edit this post.