[Wind Reach] Off for the long hunt (Closed)

by **Kovac** on October 20th, 2010, 2:17 pm

Kovac nodded to Renol at his direction to load his gear on the large dark eagle. The archer's gaze swept the other members of the party again, grasping a snapshot of the dynamics he observed. Sairque was all business, and the flat look she afforded him spoke loudly of the flight leader's suspicions. He wondered if she knew he had been living in Shayth's aerie, under the auspices of giving the Rider archery training. Regardless, no doubt she knew his reputation, and would scrutinize him to judge for herself his worth. Admirable and typical for an Endal leader. Renol did not seem overly anxious to have the flight leader along for the hunt, confident in his leadership of the hunting party.

After a second glance, Kovac had decided that the fight leader and the other woman were related, even sisters. The similarities in their features were striking, both being attractive women. But the color of their hair and their demeanor separated them. Where Sairque held herself up in Endal pride, the darker haired woman seemed to almost cower before the blood-redheaded Endal. Her cheeks were flushed as if embarrassed, and she avoided eye contact, even with him. He wondered if the conversation he had interrupted had lead to the woman's shy behavior. She surely wasn't Endal, but perhaps a Chiet, or an Avora like himself. Though she strapped a bow to the flight leader's raptor, he had never seen her among the hunters, and wondered what she was doing on a prolonged hunting trip.

Lugging his gear next to Fereo, Kovac lay a cautious hand against the great bird to indicate his presence and where he intended to attach his equipment. Kovac strapped his pack and bundles to the eagle, ensuring his bow and quiver would be easily accessible. Tugging his katinu and scarf free of the luggage, he donned the cold weather gear, replacing his talon sword across his back once again.

Turning his attention to Renol, the archer listened carefully. He had taken a risk coming, putting his life in the hand of a Rider, one he did not know well. It appeared that the man had prepared sufficiently, and there would be time at camp that evening to obtain further details. As Renol mentioned, there would be risks on this hunt, and the more information they had, the better prepared they would all be.

Double and triple checking his strapped gear, Kovac nodded in gratitude to Fereo as the eagle lowered itself for the man to climb into the saddle. Kovac chose to sit forward, since the day would be spent travelling, though he surely would avail himself to the rear-facing position when it came to the hunt.

The Avora watched the curious girl scramble onto Catabasis, then began strapping himself securely to the saddle. Kovac turned to see Sairque as she posed her question. It was a valid question, a by-the-book kind of inquiry he would have expected from the female rider who seemed to exude authority. After Renol answered her curt question, Kovac realized he had not introduced himself. If one of his straps came loose, he wanted to make sure the others could alert him more accurately than 'hey you.' He raised his voice so all could hear. "By the way....I am Kovac."

by **Dreamcatcher** on October 20th, 2010, 6:09 pm

As everyone loaded up their gear upon their eagles, the view from the rocky mountain perch extended for miles. Wind Eagles graced the sky, carrying large tuna’s, elk, bear, even large strings of rabbit in their claws back to Wind Reach. It was fall in the Unforgiving Mountain Range, snow covered ridge-lines from mountains extending to others, crossing the landscape like several dense spider webs. Below Mount Skyinarta the Sankias River seemed to be flooded with the migration of salmon. The group could see the river sparkle from the sun striking the scales of the salmon when they jumped. Dek and Chiet were also heading down the Sankias Road to harvest the rice and potatoes that had been planted in Thunder Bay. The city was preparing for winter, within thirty more days the first snows would be coming, and harvesting the fields would be impossible.

A cool wind blew from the west as the hunting group mounted their saddles. Catabasis seemed quiet and confident in Sairque’s mind, he had flown several times with Aidara and the extra gear didn’t seem to be a bother. As Kovac mounted, Fereo adjusted himself to the new weight. For a brief moment Kovac and Renol felt the great Wind Eagle shift under the saddle, seeing if it would shift or chafe during the ride. Then Fereo settled himself down.

Though the riders had packed some of the essentials on the back of the eagle; tents, sleeping blankets, cooking gear, and long term food stores had needed to be carried within the eagles talons. Light copper rings that the eagles could thread with their talons were fixed to stiff leather packs. Fereo began by flapping his wings, the powerful muscles under Renol and Kovac rippled under the saddle. Slowly they began to rise as Fereo pumped his long feathered wings. Catabasis closed his eyes as the air from Fereo’s wings began to bring up dust and sand. Catabasis brought up his wing protecting Sairque and somewhat Aidara from the sand storm. Though both were mainly protected from the sand and dust, Aidara and Sairque could feel it landing on their skin, lips, and hair. Finally, Fereo was floating off the ground by a few feet and he threaded his talons through the copper rings. The heavier packs had been arranged close to the edge of the cliff so that Fereo could simply move forward and fly off the cliff.

Renol felt the downward adjustment of Fereo’s neck and then they began to move forward. Renol and Kovac saw the open sky began as Fereo moved forward wings pumping. Fereo moved his head to and from looking for a wind updraft to raise upward. Then Fereo adjusted his body, Renol and Kovac were perhaps no more than thirty feet off the edge, when Fereo mentally spoke to both. Hold on tight, was all that he said when he tucked in his wings and dove. To Renol and Kovac the air began ripping fast past them. The skin on their faces began to feel as if it was being peeled back, while the ground that had been 10,000 feet below began to rush up very quickly. Renol and Kovac could see jagged rocks rushing past them as Fereo seemed to be aiming for a lava vent of black broken obsidian. The diving began to stretch out time as the vent began to get larger and larger in Renol and Kovac field of vision. As the vent appeared to be no more than 700 feet from Renol and Kovac’s vision, thoughts of them crash began to come to mind. From previous experience of Kovac on Turiska, he knew that Fereo was cutting it close. Fereo quickly sprung out his wings and started banking into a sharp turn, a brief spike of fear cut through Renol’s mind from Fereo. Fereo hadn’t been completely sure of the added weight and now his wings were stretched to the max.

All of a sudden the fear in Fereo was gone has his wings relaxed and the hot wind from the lava vent began to push them skyward. Renol and Kovac began turning lazy circles as they climbed, and Renol felt Fereo began to rest, for the pumping of his wings had been at great cost to the bird’s strength. Kovac and Renol were lazily flying up to 16,000 feet on the heated airs of the vent.

Sairque and Aidara watched the spectacle of Fereo and their riders. Catabasis simply shook his head and a private comment flew to Sarique. Show off, was all that Catabasis said, as he too began to pump his wings. Sairque had heard the comment from Catabasis and rather than feeling at ease, she began to realized that the two eagles had entered a good old fashion pissing match. As Catabasis picked up the supplies with his talons, his mind filled with thoughts on winds, pressures and flight paths. He zeroed in on the lava vent that Fereo had used, he gave Sairque a moment for her to tell her sister something, and then he dove. Instead of a straight dive, Catabasis opened his right wing slightly and began to turn in a right spiral. The force from there dive not only began to pull the sisters back, but the spiral began to push them off their seats. In Catabasis' mind the spiral helped keep balance and accuracy of the dive. The supplies were pulling away, while the riders were counteracting the pull. To the riders they saw themselves turning every few moments to the side of the mountain and to outstretched rock croppings. Though it strained their arm muscles keeping the grip on the saddle, the ride was perhaps more thrilling for it. Renol and Kovac had missed the few chiet goat herders waving to Fereo as he pasted. Sairque and Aidara not only could see them, but Catabasis had timed one such turn so they could reach out a hand and almost touch a goat herder. As they approached the vent Catabasis broke the spiral into a right turn and the pressure on his wings was considerably less then expected.

Two wind eagles now rode the hot upward draft created by the lava vent tube spiraling in the morning light. Catabasis and Fereo obtain a mental link which now allow the riders to past communications to one another. As for Kovac and Aidara if they wanted to talk they would have to yell at the birds and hope that the eagles would past on the message to the other. Finally, the birds reached their flying attitude of sixteen thousand feet. The air was thinner then Wind Reach, but still breathable especially if the riders weren’t doing anything, as the eagles headed south. Everyone knew they wouldn’t be landing till evening, so the riders took in the sights. The Unforgiving Mountain range seemed peaceful as grizzly bears, elks, moose, and bobcats seemed to be moving here and there. Crystal clear lakes, with wooded forests ringing them were in some valleys. While, open lava spilled out of a few peaks, giving a dark smoke stack. Flocks of birds heading south, flew below them, while a herd of elk ran across a valley to avoid another Wind Eagle hunter.

As afternoon approached the group saw the coast line off to their left. The riders were tired just as much as their birds. Fereo began looking for the previous campsite that Renol and himself had found. Finally, the large open edge of ridge-line on the coast appeared, and Fereo began to glide down for a landing.

The landing and take-off zone was a large leveled dirt patch close to a rock outcropping. The dirt patch led to an open valley with a lake. The valley had grass growing up to waist, while a few lavender flowers still bloom here and there. The lake was perhaps a bell’s walk away from the landing zone. On the rock outcropping dead thorn bushes could provide a decent fire for everyone, and with the ocean so close the birds could fish for their meal. The evening looked clear of clouds, while the ocean gave a soft sound as the waves broke against the other side of the ridge line. Fereo and Catabasis softly set their talon packs down onto the dirt patch and then flapped a little bit more to land a few more feet clear of them. Renol and Sairque could tell that this had been a long fight with so much gear, and their birds were tired. Normally, they had only covered three fourths the distance that a Wind Eagle could manage, but the supplies and extra people had kept the birds searching for updrafts to lessen the strain of flying.

OOC :

by **Renol** on October 21st, 2010, 5:38 pm

OOCSorry for not posting yesterday. Fallout: New Vegas has consumed my life...

Renol had started making his way over toward Fereo to saddle up so they could head out, but Sairque’s question caught him before he got there. He smiled to himself I Knew I forgot to add something. He hadn’t really thought of that info for the quick briefing, but realized that it was pertinent information. He nodded a little as he turned once more,” The information has been delivered to the Valintar on where we are headed, the most direct route that we’ll stick to. The lookouts will be watching to make sure that Catabasis and Fereo are checking in every few days with the kills to ensure we’re still safe. If the birds don’t show up, they have a QRF (Quick Reaction Force) already informed. But the trip will last as long as we want up to a week, not including travel time. Like I said, both eagles will be ferrying back any kills we get while we’re out. We’ll strip everything off of them at the camps so they can fly freely and make better time to and from the camp.” Renol waited a second to make sure there wasn’t another question before he mounted the eagle and readied himself for takeoff.

As the bird took flight, Renol looked back, feeling rather guilty for his bird peppering the other with sand and dirt. He knew he hated it when it got done to him, and he was sure that they wouldn’t like it any better. He urged Fereo to hurry and get away so they could take off without debris hitting them in the face. Renol watched ahead of them, trying to watch and anticipate where the bird was going to be heading. He was leaned a little bit forward, looking for what thermals he could, when he got the warning from Fereo. He looked over his shoulder and told Kovac the message only a second before the bird plunged into his dive. Renol gritted his teeth, leaning forward to help streamline himself against the bird, using a hand gesture to get Kovac to do the same. It would ease the wind sheer that was pushing against them.

Renols feet pressed against the side of the saddle and one hand gripped the front tightly. His eyes watered from the wide from the wind whipping past him, causing him to blink quickly to clear them. Remind me to get a pair of flight goggles when we get back in case you pull a stupid stunt like this again. Fereo chuckled slightly, his dark laughter ringing through Renols head. But the laughter cut short as the birds wing stretched out once more. Instead it was replaced with an Uh oh...[u] mixed with the sensation of fear and a little pain as the birds wings were over taxed trying to come out of the dive. Renols teeth clenched harder and his feet kicked out to the side, pushing down with all his might to try and help the bird’s wings compensate for the added weight. After a second the eagle compensated, breaking off from the dive to catch the hot air and start ridding it up again. Renol shook his head as he straightened back out, gesturing to Kovac that it was all right. [u] Pull something like that in the near future and I’ll start pulling tail feathers. We’re lead element right now. Knock off the show boating. Fereo just sighed slightly as they set in on the direction the needed to travel. Renol was quiet most of the trip, working hard to keep his thoughts to himself. He knew Fereo and Catabasis would be linked for communication. So he wanted to try and keep his thoughts to himself, lest they be transmitted by his bird, who would think it was hilarious.

Renol was relieved to see the campsite come into view, just as they had left it. They already had a small fire ring set up and some clear tent sites under the outcropping. And the dirt area that the birds set down to land in would give them a nice clear view of the area round the camp while they watched at night. Renol held tightly as Fereo came in quick, setting the large talon pack and then set down next to it. Renol leaned forward, patting his friend’s neck a little,” Good work. Take a little time to rest while we get this crap off you, and then go get yourself something to eat. But take a circle overhead on your way back and make sure you don’t see anything, alright?” He quickly climbed off when Fereo leaned forward again. He looked to Kovac,” Lets get this stuff off him. Just set it all down over by the outcropping. We get get it situated into the tent when we get it up.” He waited for the other hunter to climb off before he started unlashing all of the gear that was attached to the saddle. He gave Kovac room to get his gear, not sure if the man would want someone else handling his belongings. And once all the gear was off, Renol quickly unstrapped the saddle and pulled it off, taking the saddle blanket with it. He carried it over to the camp site, setting it down on a large log to help it keep a little shape while it was off for the night.

Renol looked over to Sairque and Aidara and smiled,” Well it shouldn’t take too long to get the camp set up and then we can look at getting some food for the night. There are a few tent sites already marked out a little. The most level spots, clear of debris. Take whichever one you want. There’s more then a few around. I set up the fire pit the first night Fereo and I used this site. It’s pretty solid. Good enough for what it’s designed for, at least. I do recommend slinging you packs off the ground though. Lots of things like to go poking around into bags, spiders and such. So just keep an eye out. Shake out anything that you’re going to be putting on and watch where you step. That kind stuff.” He looked to them both to make sure they heard him, his eyes lingering on Sairque a little longer then they probably should have. Through his link with his eagle, all he heard was a deep, agitated sigh Are you going to do something, or am I going to have to keep passing info off to Catabasis? Renol’s eyes flashed over to Fereo, taking slight edge to them I’ll handle it in my own way, thank you. Any information you have can be kept. to. yourself. The last words said with utter finality to them, indicating the matter was closed. Fereo grumbled something be left the subject alone for now. Renol went back to making sure that the camp site was getting set up properly.

by **Sairque** on October 21st, 2010, 9:44 pm

Sairque nodded with an almost imperceptible smile after Renol informed them of the safety net he had set up. It would have been a serious disappointment had he needed to be educated on the proper methods. Not to mention her part in the hunt would have changed to the a mentor role, instead of the carefree participant she was planning on being. Renol would have also started looking a good deal less appealing, while she had no doubt that the man would find her constant presence over his shoulder just as off putting. But, they had been saved from travelling down that road by his thoughtful preparation.

Sairque watched Fereo for the subtle flexings that denoted the powerful wing strokes necessary for lift off were about to begin. She glanced back to make sure her sister was in place. Her saddle didn't have the short 'seat backs' that cupped riders and helped to hold them in place like other saddles did. It was a simple design of leather and padding that easily formed to the riders lower body so that when they were seated they could clamp with their thighs and slide their toes into brass rings and hook their heels under a stiff leather lip. The system let a rider clamp their feet in and otherwise relax for long flights while they could easily gain full freedom of movement if they needed it Of course, there was a currently stowed system of straps to tie things on, whether they be people or objects, if needed. Addy had pulled a few out to attach herself more securely.

Catabasis' wing came up protectively just as Sai closed her eyes and tilted her face down and away from the onslaught of grit. Accustomed to the wash from other birds, patiently she waited for the pebbles and dust to stop striking her face. Some of the grit left stinging sensations on the sensitive skin of her eyelids, but she knew that scrunching her face up tight wouldn't actually help, so her face was tranquil, like she was sleeping, only twitching when a bit of dirt hit an unfortunate spot-like her tear duct. Her long coat protected the rest of her body, the collision of dust on the sturdy material was a dry mimicry of the pitter-patter of rain. Taking a cue from Catabasis, yellow eyes opened and looked over the lowering wing to watch Fereo gain distance. At first, it had been tempting to lick her lips, the skin dry and stiff from the wind and dust kicked up by other birds, but over the years she had learned that that just got grit in her mouth. Wiping her mouth firmly with the back of her hand, she shook her head, creating a small shower of dirt as it fell from her hair, skin and coat.

If Catabasis could see the strain Fereo was under to bring his dive under control and harness the power of the updraft, he didn't share it. To Sai, it was a daring maneuver. Utterly unnecessary for the amount of risk it put the Eagle and riders in, but it didn't end in disaster so the displeased twinge she felt quickly faded away when the group climbed out from among the mountains. She wasn't here to lecture the boys on responsibility. Show off, Catabasis chimed in, and he probably felt the agreement she didn't bother forming into words. Which is why she had no idea why he thought it was a good idea to show them up. But, having just had a great example of what not to do, she had faith that his plan improved and refined the maneuver. That and she knew he was the kind of soul to take the high road if the popular and highly traveled low road led to unacceptable consequences. He knew what he was doing. And if he pulled off a graceful and safe stunt, and if for some reason she ended up needing to chastise them, at least she wouldn't look like a hypocrite. That made her chuckle.

"Stay low, we're gonna have some fun," she told her sister over her shoulder, a brief, but darkly excited, smile crossing her lips. Her heels snapped into the lips on either side of the saddle, and she tightly gripped the low profile finger jugs made for just this purpose. From the corner of her eyes she saw the wings contracting, and felt the pre-tilt shift of the muscles beneath her. It was all the warning she needed to lean into the great bird, hugging his back and attempting to become as small of a wind-resistant-bump as she could. Down they went, Sai hoped that her braid, which was whipping in the wind, wasn't beating her sister silly. The resistance created when Catabasis opened his right wing slightly jarred Sai, and she instinctively leaned in to counter the centrifugal force created by the spiral dive. Her face was practically in his feathers, her legs clamping the sides of saddled, but still she felt the dangers of lightening her hold even a little bit. Eyes narrowed into slits, she kept careful track of their progress, both around and around, and lower and lower. Four, five, six revolutions, and still they went down. The cliff face she was using as a spot suddenly had people on it, reaching out to touch them would have been suicide, but she didn't stifle the smile on her face. A smile that was far wider and friendlier, more full of the emotions that were actually affecting her at the moment, because of the nature of their meeting. The goat herders were blessed with the beautiful sight of Catabasis' maroon colorings brought to fiery life by the bright sun in the thin air, his expertise with wind currents making the ride on the up draft smooth and impressive.

The hard part past, Sai sat up and prepared to enjoy the remained of their flight. A stretch here, then she reached forward to run her hand down the feathers in front of the saddle. Show off, she teased her favorite man nonverbally. I'm glad you took my decision to make this a relaxing and fun trip, free of all duties and responsibilities, seriously. That was also relayed teasingly, but honestly, Sai was relieved. The big bird brain was awfully responsible and she worried that he over worked himself.

She could feel her sister still behind her, having been latched on tight and resisting the strong forces that could rip a rider from their seat and send them to their death. Like Renol, she was also minimal in communication between the birds, and even refrained from talking to her sister about her Gnosis problems.

While they were descending to land, Sai carefully took in the topography so she would be as close to the same page as Renol was when he started outlining where the hunting was good, where to avoid. She was more than ready to hop off when they felt the little bump that signified the dropping of the talon packs, then Catabasis landed gracefully. Sai and Addy needed little communication between them to start unloading, Addy focused on their gear and Sai focused on getting the saddle off and checking Catabasis' feathers to make sure the saddle hadn't damaged any. Then she went through and felt the skin under the feathers that were cinched under the leather straps to keep the saddle in place. He seemed fine, just in need of rest.

Sai, checking for hot spots on Catabasis' feet, straightened when Renol addressed them. She glanced over to Kovac briefly, just to see what he was up to, and then Addy, then back to their party leader. She tried, she really did try to keep the amusement from her face at being lectured. Renol would probably think she was laughing at him, but it was so great to not be the one having to worry about informing everyone not to do stupid things. And he really was so cute, all in charge. It was comforting.

"We'll be careful, Renol," Sai assured him. "It'll only take us about ten minutes to have camp ready so we can go hunting. After Addy and I get our gear situated we'll go get firewood and get it ready to cook whatever we catch," she volunteered in a rather authoritative tone. Not that she was trying to dictate who he assigned what duties to.

I predict that he is going to make an overture, Catabasis informed her sagely once the link had been dissolved, his eyes certainly didn't miss Renol's little facial cues that Sai's weak ones did.

"What? Who? What overture?" Sairque asked in confusion.

An amorous overture, he clarified cheerfuly.

"Good, he should, then we can have lots of little Endal babies together and live happily ever after," she retorted sarcastically, still not appreciating her Eagle's prompting. He, however, simply took that has permission to edit her statement and relay only the parts that worked for him.

Fereo got a short and sweet, Sairque said he should make his intentions known, that way they could progress to the delightful parts. But he didn't know that Fereo had just been told to keep any information he had to himself.

by **Aidara** on October 22nd, 2010, 12:04 am

Wrapped up in her own little world, Aidara missed most of the tedious discussions. All the unimportant information like where they were going, what they were doing and what kind of danger to expect. Nothing of concern to her, clearly. Confident that one or the other of the Endal's had everything under control, she let her mind wander as she gazed out at the beautiful mountain ranges that lined the horizon, various snowcapped peaks dotting the view. She really was lucky to live in such a picturesque place, although she often took it for granted. Absently, Addy reached behind her to check the ties on her pack one last time, one more mental check list and a visual inventory of her room the way she'd left it. Shoot, her extra fletching was on her table, next to the spare bow string she’d also forgotten. No time for them now, she realized as she glanced around at the rest of the group, most of them doing the same as her; checking and double checking their equipment. Except Sai, who stood there like the little queen she thought she was, haughtily bossing the boys around. Tuning out her sisters voice, Addy peered back at the mountains again, once more getting lost in her thoughts. Why she kept going back to those thoughts was even beyond her, for “her own little world” was not a happy place to be, right now. Countless rides with Sai and her raptor had taught Addy to strap herself in the second her butt hit the leather, toes sliding easily into the brass rings. Anything could happen, and especially when in such a brooding mood as she was now, it was never a good idea to be taken by surprise when on the back of a large, dangerous flying animal when you lived on the top of a very tall mountain. It just spelled “death” any way you looked at it.

Suddenly, something struck her eyelid, burning and causing her to look up with a gasp of pain. Bad choice, as she received a face full of sand and gravel as the wind whipped out from under Fereo’s wings. Ducking her face under her arm to shield it, Addy spat sand onto the ground, trying her best to remove all the grit that coated her tongue. Cursing under her breath, she reached up and tried to swipe more sand from her eyes. They watered furiously, her eyelid still stinging from the initial strike, cheeks smattered with shallow scratches from the pebbles she took to the face. Catabasis had done his best to shield the girls from the onslaught, but it was obvious that his primary concern had been her sister, who sat all smugly in the front, untouched and unharmed. And then she shook herself like a dog, causing even more sand and dirt to cling to Addy’s face and clothes instead. Not even making an attempt to clean herself off for the second time, the woman sat there grumpily, scowling at the back of her sisters head. Addy’s dark red hair looked almost the same shade as Sais for the moment, lightened by all the dust that had settled atop her head. Normally, the situation would have made her laugh and smile, or at least teasingly complain to her sister for her lack of care. But her lips just puckered into a pout, and she lowered her gaze as Fereo lifted off, grabbed his luggage and practically dropped off the edge of the cliff, childishly refusing to watch the offending creature depart.

“Stay low, were going to have some fun”

Great. A sigh escaped her lips, because no, this was not going to be fun. Sai was apparently completely oblivious to Addy’s temper, or else unwisely choosing to ignore it. The former made her bristle slightly, while the latter made red splotches of anger rise to her cheeks. Addy clamped her legs down tight around Catabasis’ sides as she felt his muscles bunch in preparation to his take off. Reluctantly, she wrapped her arms around her sisters’ waist, since there was nowhere else in which to hold on, and she defiantly wasn’t foolish enough to risk not holding on.

And they were off. Aidara took no particular enjoyment in the ride to the hunting grounds, jaw clenched, face pressed into her sisters back as she attempted to avoid the thick red braid that was instead whipping her in the face. Even if she was in a better mood, it would have been hard to find something to enjoy about the ride. Her eyes stung from being packed with sand, and began to water like mad as the cold air streamed past them. Addy was pretty sure her eyelid was cut and bleeding, and she was freezing cold- having foolishly packed her winter coat away. Luckily, the eagles and their riders seemed to be having a “who is the coolest Endal around” contest, and while their rise and decent was riddled with unnecessary drops, twists and turns, the speed was decent and before she knew it, Addy felt Catabasis winging backwards as he slowed his descent to the earth.

“… Well it shouldn’t take too long to get the camp set up and then we can look at getting some food for the night…”

Climbing off the raptor lightened her mood significantly, her face smoothing from its former grimace as she helped Sai relieve Catabasis of his burden, though she was in no way her usual bubbly self. Addy set her packs on the ground, despite the warning speech that Renol was in the middle of giving. They would hang them up later, and she had a bone to pick with her sister that took precedence. Taking Sai by the arm, Addy pulled her around behind Catabasis, where they were shielded from the boys.

“I’m not setting up the tents. If you want too, you can, but I’d rather sleep under the stars. A few bugs don’t scare me and well…I really don’t feel like setting up the tent. ‘Cause we both know I’d also be taking it back down and packing it back up, Flight Leader Ma'am”

Her voice was low and hard, sounding almost exactly like Sai’s normally did. Green eyes flashed as Aidara challenged her sister to argue, before turning on her heal, snatching up both of their belongings and striding off towards the camp site, away from the rest of the group. Even though she was in a bad mood, she wasn’t about to let the boys see it, nor was she going to bring down the atmosphere of the entire trip. Although in Addy's mind Sai was acting like a princess, in reality she wasn't. But anger does strange things to ones perceptions of reality, and Aidara was no acception.

Finding the campsite with no trouble at all, complete with the basic campfire that Renol had described, Aidara marched over to a tree with low hanging branches. Being 5’1 had its limitations, and this was one of them. Even the lowest branches in the clearing were still far out of her reach. Setting the packs down by her feet, the woman jumped, stretching her arm to its max as she reached for the branch. Missed. Swearing, she tried again, crouching down before she sprang, trying to give her jump more height. Missed again. Determined now, and not caring if any of them had followed her to watch this pitiful display, she jumped again and again, her arms swinging wildly over her head, her braids bouncing and flying in all directions as she sprang and landed.

by **Kovac** on October 22nd, 2010, 1:06 pm

Kovac triple checked his straps and braced himself for launch. Fereo lifted into the air and swept off. And then he began his maneuvers. Kovac was not afraid to ride the eagles. That wasn't to say that there was not a thrill at the breathtaking experience, and admittedly some fear for his life when they showed off. The archer gripped tight to the saddle, leaning forward, grit his teeth and waited until the giant raptor finally reached level flight. With a sigh of relief, the Avora loked back to see Catabasis lfit off with the women aboard.

The day long ride was tedious, and Kovac attempted to occupy his time surveying the terrain below, trying to find familiar landmarks. Occasionally he glanced back at Sairque and the other woman, Renol had called her Aidara. She did not seem to be enjoying the long ride any more than he was, bundled up and slouching behind the flight leader in the saddle.

Thanking the gods as Fereo finally descended to the landing site, Kovac took a quick look around. It was a good site for camp. Unstrapping himself, he slid from the saddle, legs stiff from the lengthy trip. He glanced over as the second wind eagle landed, then heeded Renol's request and unstrapped his gear from Fereo's saddle. As the team unloaded the raptors, Kovac listened to Renol's reminders. Pretty typical stuff, but he supposed it was a good idea to repeat it. The hunter nodded in affirmation to the man. The observant Avora caught the tattooed Rider's lingering gaze on the female flight leader, a look that, for a moment, could have been misconstrued for something...unprofessional.

Sairque's response somehow sounded both acquiescent and authoritative, but he assumed it was not easy for the woman to just take off her leader's cap. Kovac turned to Renol. "I will get my stuff set up, then you can let me know what you need me to do." The hunter spoke matter-of factly. He understood his role on the hunt, the Endal were in charge. It was a bit chafing, but Kovac abided by the order of things when it came to his work.

Gathering his gear, the archer saw Aidara pull Sairque behind Catabasis. He could see the darker haired woman was agitated, but could not hear the conversation that ensued hidden behind the eagle. Curious for a lower caste to be so...insistent with an Endal, a flight leader no less. They surely must be sisters. Aidara reappeared snatching up the bundles of gear and headed off to the campsite as if on a mission. He was beginning to believe there was more to these three than a simple random responses to a post for a hunt.

Kovac followed at a distance, noting where the woman chose to set up and eyed a place nearby. But the Avora stopped to watch Aidara as she attempted to hang the packs. He could already see that the small statured girl would not be able to reach the branch. He stifled a grin as she cursed, standing in amusement as she crouched and jumped again and again, her braids whipping around her head. It was endearing in a way. Kovac finally walked up behind her, reaching around to take the pack from her hand and lifting it up to hang it from the limb. Leaning down he grabbed the other packs and likewise suspended them from the tree. He glanced down at the attractive, freckle-faced girl and gave her a wry grin that could be construed as either flirting or mocking. Aidara could not be sure which was the intended expression. Kovac gathered his gear again and strolled to a site nearby to begin assembling his tent.

by **Dreamcatcher** on October 22nd, 2010, 3:37 pm

OOCQRF? LOL don’t do that! Brings back flashbacks! Also, I would be remiss in my duties if I didn’t mention to be careful with the language. Now, I don’t usually get upset, but you never know who is out there. So I will change the rating on the thread for language.

Fereo still hadn’t gotten over Renol’s comment about pulling out his tail feathers. His large eagles eyes dilated, and Renol received the mental picture of himself being very bossy. He also saw that if Fereo felt one feather plucked from his tail, he was just as likely to lose of chunk of meat from his. After Fereo’s communication, he flew over to the rocky outcropping and placed his head under his wing. The hazily fog of sleep settled over Fereo, though the eagle was hungry, he needed the sleep more than the protein from a fresh kill.

Catabasis eyed Sairque and then Aidara, while allowing Sairque to check his feathers and skin. He allowed himself some time to relax as Aidara spoke to Sairque. When she stormed off Sairque felt like the bird was smiling somehow. Well, my dear, it’s not so easy being family and a leader at the same time is it? Catabasis looked at Aidara for a moment jumping and trying to reach a branch on the tree. He simply shook his head, his massive beak going from side to side. Since Fereo truly lifted most of the weight during the flight, he asked me to fetch the food, I will be half a bell hunting. Hopefully we can catch a big fat tuna, and if we do we can share. However, if you want to prove to Renol that you can carry your own weight, I saw plenty of hares and a few foxes on this prairie. Catabasis hopped over to the edge and with a jump and with a wing flap was air born. The ocean breeze rushed up the edge of the cliff catching his wings and Catabasis began gliding over to the deep ocean currents. A fleeting thought came to Sairque, A good hunter knows the signs of their prey. A great hunter gives their prey time to relax before they approach. With that Catabasis shared the aerial view of the mountain top with Sairque.

The mountain top was a large oval prairie, with a lake in the middle of it. The lake was fed by the rains and storms that came from the ocean. Overall the prairie was probably six miles in diameter, mountain goats had fed from the grass keeping its height to about knee deep. Still as the wind blew across the mountain top, green going to gold grass swayed like ocean waves. There were a few hardy trees that had survived the terrible ocean storms on the west edge. In fact, Aidara had chosen the youngest one. However, to the east edge of the mountain a forest of trees seemed to scattered themselves down the slope. Catabasis had seen some mountain goats jumping from edge to edge downward the north edge, but they were well out of reach of the hunters now.

The tree that Aidara was trying to find purchase on was perhaps the youngest one on the east side. It had survived 60 years of storms, freezing winters and goats. The trees trunk was as thick as Aidara’s body, while its bark showed signs of horn scraping. Rams and bucks had apparently done battle on the prairie where they stood, using the lone tree to sharpen their horns. As Kovac swung the packs over a branch, he almost stepped in a rabbit burrow. The tree had hosted a great many of rabbit families over the years. It provided them with protection from the storms while the roots soaked up the water well enough to provide a dry warren for them. Tracks coming and going from the tree told Kovac that the burrow was still being used. However, with all the noise that Aidara made, it would be a while before the rabbits ventured out.

As Renol unpacked he noticed that the Valinator had sent along a small emergency food package as well. It was packed in a small tin and as he opened it up, the blue mold paste looked up at him. The paste had been fashioned from mold and turnips, used in case of emergency rationing at Wind Reach, a person could survive off of a spoonful three times a day. The highly nutritious paste had been invaluable to Wind Reach during long winters, never mind that no cook had ever figured out how to make it tasteful. Childhood memories told Renol, that the paste in front of him would be incredibly bitter and disgusting. Still if they weren’t able to catch anything, or an emergency came up that forced them to live without hunting, the paste would allow them to eat for another three days. To Renol it was almost a sick joke, it took a person a week to finally numb there tongue against the horrible taste of the paste. Every day of living off of the paste would be a cruel hell, still the paste had a shelf life that was close to an Inarta’s lifespan, and if the need arose they had it.

Overall, there were still a few more things for the hunters to do. A fire pit needed to be cleared, then a fire needed to be started. Someone needed to take the two large cooking pots down to the lake and get them all water. Whether they needed the water for cooking, dish washing, or just to get the grime off of them; it was another chore needing to be done. Thankfully the grass would provided a decent bedding if they choose to sleep without tents tonight. However, if they wanted meat tonight, someone was going to have to go kill something.

Though arrows were usefully for larger game, to use them on rabbits or foxes was a waste. The chance that the person would miss and damage the arrow was greater than them killing the animal. Of course, Renol saw that there was plenty of rocks about and several of the riders saddle leathers doubled as slings. Renol had never figured out if that was by chance or design, it seemed to helpful for it not to be by design of the saddle markers, yet the eagle couldn’t afford extra leather chafing them. Besides, if the hunters failed to kill anything, perhaps Catabasis could bring back something. Whatever Renol decided they only had a few more bells before night came. From previous trips he knew that the night sky would be filled with stars and glowing colors.

by **Renol** on October 22nd, 2010, 10:08 pm

Renol looked at the tin, shaking his head slowly for a second. He hadn’t really thought about the emergency rations if any were needed. He never figured any would be. After all, there were more than a few of them there. If anything happened to one of them, someone else would be able to hunt for food. But he was glad that the Valinator had thought of it for him. He just wondered when it had gotten packed into the bags. He had been with them most of the time and hadn’t seen anyone come up to put anything in them. He made a mental note to ask about that when they got back. As it was, he closed the tin and stuck it back into the bag, carrying it over to the camp site. He looked over to Kovan and nodded to his comment," That works. There will be enough work to go around for the night. And we'll have to get it done before too long, lest it not get done tonight." Renol watched as the man walked away, noticing the 'to-the-point' manner the that man had right now. Renol smiled a little calling after him," Hey... loosen up a little bit. This trip is supposed to be at least a little bit fun, too. I know the ride sucks, but that's the worst part of it." renol looked around for a second, sizing up the area once more. There would be three tents it looked like. He wasn’t sure if Kovac had brought his own or not. He'd have to see. He didn't mind sharing a tent, it was large enough, after all. But he did like the ability to sprawl out a little bit when he slept.

As Renol picked out his tent site, he nodded slightly to Sairque’s announcement of their time frame. He smiled a little bit, looking over his shoulder to say something back, but she wasn’t there anymore, causing his brow to furrow slightly as he knelt there, looking around for a second. He sighed, shrugging slightly for a second before he started to unpack the items for his tent. 10 minutes would be enough to get his things situated and find enough rocks to try picking off some dinner. He had been thinking of just using his bow, even with the risks of damaging an arrow, but figured that would seem irresponsible on his part. And he didn’t want to do that. So he’d just use the leather strap to pick off the small game with the rocks. It was a brutal method that he didn’t like using very much. But it would work in a pinch. Next time he’d remember to bring some line with him so that way he could set snares for the game. That would be quicker, and less painful, for the animal when done right. Renol was all about hunting, but he still didn’t like to see the animals suffering needlessly. He always made sure to end a wounded animals suffering as quickly as possible if his arrow hadn’t landed as true as he desired. After all, he was still a novice with his bow. Not nearly as good as he wanted to be. But that changed with practice. And the best practice was during hunting.

Renol looked over to where Kovan and Aidara were standing under the tree, slinging up some of the packs. He smiled a little bit, shaking his head slightly for a second,” You know what’s even easier?” He shouted over to them, teasingly,” Tossing a rope up over the branch and hauling it up like that.” He looked back down to the tent, unrolling and unfolding the canvas over the area that the tent would occupy. A few more minutes and the poles would be up and the whole thing was staked down. Renol didn’t have to worry about staking it down too much. It didn’t look like inclement weather any time soon. Just enough to stay up in a good breeze.

Once the tent was completed, and his belongings stashed inside, Renol walked over to where Fereo slept, patting his friend on the side slightly. He was sorry for having to have his friend carry so much weight. It wasn’t very often that he had to carry two riders and their gear, plus the talon bag. So it was still tough on him. And he’d been hard on him after the little show boating incident and the little jabs he’d been getting in. He’d make it up to him, though. Get a few extra deer or something for the birds to eat. Or an extra rabbit or so as a nice little treat for him. Either way, he’d make it up to him. For now, Renol walked around, starting to find good, solid, round rocks to use as projectiles for the sling. They’d be going out to hunt soon, and he needed some good ammunition. As he walked around, he made his way over towards the twins’ camp, seeing them both there for the moment. He looked to them both cheerfully,” Hey, sorry to bother you two, but I was wondering if I could get some help with a few things. I’ll get Kovac to help out, too. But we need some firewood and water and I would like someone to help me hunt. The fire pit that I left behind is good enough for what we need and water can be brought up from the lake down below. I figure it would be easy enough for everyone do go down there and wash up real quick after we get enough drinking water for everyone. But I want someone to come hunting with me, help to find something to eat and carry it all back, you know? Or I could send Kovac out hunting with someone. Either way, really…” He perked his right eyebrow quizzically for a second, seeing what their response would be. Whatever was left, he’d task out to Kovac if the Avora was willing to do it.

by **Sairque** on October 22nd, 2010, 11:25 pm

Had it been anyone else speaking to her the way Addy was, Sai would have beat them black and blue with their own bow. But it was Addy, and while anger flared hot, flashing in her yellow eyes, she let the woman walk off again without reproach. Addy had always been too sensitive toward her sister, and too aware of her own shortcomings. She should have already developed the confidence to have put both of those immature flaws behind her, but somehow, she hadn't. Nothing Sai did would change that.

But she could make sure that her lying sister didn't wake up screaming when bugs crawled over her face, and then stress over trying to get her sleeping bag dust and dirt free before she packed it up again for the last leg of their outbound flight. Standing near Catabasis' wing, she watched her sister struggle to hang their packs. At least Kovac stopped to help her. Hopefully, he would do it with a few admiring remarks to snap her out of her funk. Frankly, Sai didn't want a repeat of Addy's disrespectful behavior. It wouldn't end well for her sister if it was done where the boys could see or hear it. Hell, who was she kidding? It wouldn't end well for Sai, because Sai would be the one looking like a soft coward by not putting her twin in her place.

Then Catabasis decided he needed to comment on it as well. Yellow eyes were turned to his archly, though she could see the humor in the situation. Only because he was connected to her in a way that no one else in Wind Reach was. She could laugh at herself easiest with him. "Wait 'till you get some wee little ones and we'll see how well you do," funny she should compare her relationship with her sister to one he would have with his children. While she gathered up the last of the gear, this stuff necessary for camp, she listened to his advice.

While he hopped toward the edge, Sai headed off to start setting up the tent, pausing in her motions briefly when he sent her the mental image. As soon as the great bird's shadows streaked across the ground, prey tended to scatter, so most of the animals in the image were likely pointing right to their dens. Thanks. Good luck with your hunt. Be careful. Make good choices, she responded with one last smile over her shoulder in the direction he had disappeared. Having him looking out for her when she was distracted, nudging her in the right direction, was familiar and comforting. Every Endal said their Eagle was the best, but over the years she had figured out that they had their faults just like people did. Catabasis just had fewer than the average Eagle.

Old hand at setting up tents, it only took a couple of minutes to set up the one man tent that Addy and she would share if the weather turned bad. Arrange the material, arrange the poles, the guy lines, the stakes. Feed the poles through, hook them in, keep the tent from springing in random directions before they were all set... repack the stakes, retie the guy lines. Their gear should be enough to keep the tent from moving in the non-existent breeze. She tossed the sleeping bags through the door before closing it.

The remaining bags were set outside the door so she could rifle through them. After a bit, she pulled out some twine and closed the bag back up. No rocks or arrows for her. She was gonna use some simple snares. Renol made his way over at this point and she straightened, amused at his apology for interrupting them to hand out duties. Glancing at Addy, Sai answered.

"I'll go hunting with you if Addy wants to start the fire?" Sai responded and asked her sister at the same time, all traces of her earlier tension gone. And she also assumed that Addy would know that she had set the tent up for her, and hopefully would be feeling a little better. "I can make a few snares over the top of rabbit dens that they'll get caught in once they come out again," she offered. If he was planning on trying a sling, they could increase their chances of catching something if they tried two different methods.

by **Aidara** on October 23rd, 2010, 4:03 am

In mid-jump, Aidara felt the weight of the pack leave her hand. Having heard no one approach, her head whipped around in sincere shock. The momentum of her jump and the loosening of her grip on her pack set her off balance and she fell with a soft thump into the dirt. Addy gazed owlishly at Kovac for a few seconds before she really comprehended what she was seeing. The blush that was the predominant fixture on her cheeks today crept back into place. Silence greeted the Avora as he hung the pack snatched from her hand on the first branch. As he reached for the others, she opened her mouth to speak

"You don't have to-" She cut herself off, her voice coming out in no more than a squeak. Apparently she had swallowed a bit of sand when Fereo provided them with a dirt bath, or else her voice was reacting to her long period of moody silence. He smirked down at her, though was that a trace of amusement on his lips? She couldn't tell. Thoroughly embarrassed now, Addy pulled her knees up to her chest and rested her chin on them, lacking anything to do at the present, as the rather handsome man having completed her job for her. It wasn't until Kovac had strode away that she realized she hadn't even introduced herself yet. This was so unlike her.

Her twin marched purposefully into the clearing moments after Kovac had walked away. Addy watched as Sai eyed their packs, and dropped the remaining ones beneath those branches. Considering Catabasis was no where to be seen, she figured he and Fereo were resting, or hunting. It didn't matter to her either way, so she didn't waste another thought on it. The flight hadn't been that long, and she knew both of the birds were strong enough to handle the trip. Not to mention, Sai wouldn't be in the process of setting up the tent if there was something wrong with her precious eagle.

...Wait, setting up the tent? Aidara blinked, her mouth slightly open as she watched her sister methodically put the poles together and tie the whole structure down, tossing their bedrolls inside. Despite her claims of being able to sleep under the stars, she despised bugs and excessive amounts of dirt. Sairque knew her too well, and saved Addy the shame of having to put up the tent, despite her hissy fit that she wasn't going too, once the first bug crawled in to sleep with her.

Aidara caught her sisters eye, and whether she was unwilling or unable to speak, she nodded once, a smile finally cracking her moody expression. Sai would feel a surge of gratitude and love along their connection, and there would be no need for words, or for the boys to know what transpired between them. It was over in seconds.

Renols appearance at the campsite gave the women an excuse to break their gaze. Addy listened to him carefully divy up the tasks still required to make camp. They were only staying there for the night, but there was still a lot to be done. The firey haired woman opened up her mouth to claim a task when Sai spoke for her.

"I'll go hunting with you if Addy wants to start the fire?"

Addy nodded, closing her mouth and accepting the task her sister assigned her. Normally, this bossy flight leader attitude would have irritated Aidara, but considering they just made up....she let it slide. Standing, she left her sister and Renol to discuss their hunting techniques and headed to where the small fire pit was dug. Crouching down, Addy peered into the divit. Peices of burnt wood still lingered from the last time the pit was used, but it was dry. Good, she didn't have to clear everything out. Doing her best to remove most of the leaves that had blown in, to prevent excess smoke when the fire caught, she sat back on her heels. Brushing dark strands of hair from her eyes, the woman gazed around for firewood.

Pushing herself to her feet yet again, Aidara moved off into the woods. Fallen leaves crackled underfoot, as well as a twig or two. Those she stooped to collect, placing the good dry pieces in the crook of her arm, throwing the green ones over her shoulder back into the brush. With an armful of small twigs, Addy went back to the fire pit and plopped her bundle on the ground, heading right back to the edge of the forest again, this time in search of bigger pieces.

The slender woman didn't return to camp until her arms were heavily laden with thick, dry, rather large, pieces of wood. Almost staggering under the weight of her load, Addy trooped back towards the fire pit. Logs were dropped with a crash, and she methodically began to brush the pieces of bark and dirt from her arms and clothes before continuing. "There." Was said with satisfaction, brushing her hands together to remove the last specks of dirt.

Searching through her pile of larger logs, Aidara chose a few around the same size, and laid them side by side in the bottom of the pit. Next, she took the smaller twigs she'd gathered and laid those in a criss-crossing pattern on top of the logs. On top of that she began to make a tee-pee with the remaining twigs. It was all very tedious, as Aidara needed even her fires to be perfect, and she wasn't satisfied until it was. Minutes passed before she sat back with a small smile on her face. Rising, she strutted to the acursed tree, with its too-high branches and tugged on the flap of her pack, the first one Kovac had hung for her. From within she produced a flint and tinder. Back to the fire, and she was on her knees, striking the flint and tinder together until there was a spark. Cupping her hand around the tiny flame, she silently urged it to grow. The hardest part for Addy was always actually getting the fire to light. Carefully, oh so carefully, she lowered the tinder down into the middle of the tee-pee she had made. A slow, gentle breath was blown on to the feebly flickering flame, providing it with the oxygen it craved as it struggled for life.

"YES!" Jumping to her feet, Addy smiled happily as the flame caught, thanks to her gentle tending, and began to lick up the dried twigs. It wasn't long before Aidara was standing at a distance, poking at the logs that now burned with a long stick as the flames ate away hungrily at the wood.

Mission completed, and in a far better mood than when she left Wind Reach, Aidara focused her attention on the other members of their hunting party. Renol and Sai were still chatting quietly off to the side, and Kovac was well into his preparations on the boys side of camp. Taking a deep breath, rather unsure why this man intimidated her so, Addy strode towards him.

Positioning herself so that he would surely see her from the corner of his eye, she waited for acknowledgement, more out of courtesy than anything else. He was busy, after all. When he didn't immediately didn't look up, Addy extended a hand to touch his shoulder, and then thought better about it, clasping her hands behind her back.

"Um, excuse me...I never introduced myself. I'm Aidara."

Her voice had lost all of the former edge it carried when she was arguing with her sister. Now she sounded rather subdued, and still not quite herself, not that Kovac would notice. She did smile at him though, a smile that reached her eyes for the first time that day.

"Thank you for helping me with the packs, that was nice of you.... I just tended to the fire, and I'm about to go down and get some water. You're welcome to come, if you'd like." She paused, waiting for him to accept or decline her offer before scooping up the buckets Renol had set down for this purpose and striding off towards the stream.