Closed. Asim, Akasha, and Laeraix, please!
Time Stamp: 25th Day of Fall, 510 AV
Raiha had already cleared it with Kavala to take off for a couple of days with Akasha, Asim, and Laeraix. The two birds that Raiha had been nursing were well ready to go back into the wild, and now would be as good a time as any to take the osprey and the burrowing owl up and release them away from Sanctuary. Uzima and Diallo would come along, and Yakini, the Firemane, would remain at Sanctuary. Uzima could use the trip – and, truth be told, would probably be rather snappish at not going for the trip. Diallo was getting a bit chunky, if you asked Raiha. As much as he was exercised around Sanctuary, it didn’t compare to the hikes and trips they used to take on Konti Isle. The Deerstalker could use the walk.
She eyed the belongings on the bed that were waiting to be tucked into her backpack: waterskin, a change of clothes, a blanket, a tarp; her length of rope, a fishing kit, lantern, flint and steel. Some fruits and breads from the kitchen were wrapped to go on top. And then there were the bandages and herbs… lots of those. Raiha had no idea how many she’d need, but she’d packed the basics: coagulants, disinfectants, antibiotics, salves, fresh leaves, stitching materials. There could never be too many medical supplies. The wilds had their share of dangers, even if they were only going to follow the coast. There were a lot more dangers in going out into the Sea of Grass, and as confident as Raiha was in the quartet, there was always the knowledge lurking at the back of her brain that danger waited around each and every order. She’d left the tent in favour of the tarp. Between the four of them, they should manage without the bedroll. And, of course, the weapons: the maces, suvai, and hunting knife.
Everything went into the backpack but for the weapons and the leather pouches - those were left on the bed for the moment. She’d attach it to her belt afterwards. But first she had to catch a pair of birds. No point in weighing herself down just yet when she needed to move quickly to catch them. She left the backpack on the bed before grabbing her gauntlets and making sure that the woven carrying baskets were prepared. They were – one outside of each flight. Now all she had to do was catch them and put them in them. She had put as much live prey into their pens as she could to try to keep them used to hunting and killing, rather than becoming dependent on her to feed them. She had wanted to keep them, but on the other hand… she had Laeraix and Uzima, and Akasha could take out some truly enormous prey. These ones would go back to the wild, back to Caiyha – she had been careful not to imprint too much on either of them.
She stepped into the owl’s flight, knowing exactly where the bird was, and knowing it was intrigued. It couldn’t smell the freshly-killed rats in the carrying hampers that Raiha had for the birds, though it had heard them earlier, but it wasn’t ready to come out of its ‘underground’ nest that Raiha had built for it. That was perfectly all right as far as Raiha was concerned. She covered the open ‘door’ of the nest with a plank, sensing the bird’s alarm at that before lifting the top of the nest box off and reaching in to get a hold on the bird as it shot out of the nest box. She caught the owl’s feet, bringing it to a halt as wings beat and flapped and flailed, and she reached to get the wings under control and grab the head as the sharp beak snapped at her gauntlet-covered hands. But she stood up at last with the bird, and opened the top of the hamper with one foot, putting the bird in it and closing it. Fear and anger subsided to confusion, laced with satisfaction at eating. That was one down, Raiha thought, as she twisted the latches to keep the lid in place, one to go.
The osprey was going to be harder. But it was healthy, its wings were working, and its hunting instincts were sharp. Her Auristics, such as they were, didn’t see fit to show her anything wrong with it, physically, and mentally, she knew it was one tough cookie. But she had one more look to make sure, scouring its aura with a djed-enhanced critical gaze as the osprey sat on his perch and eyed her. It was a clear, beautiful pearlescent white. Nothing looked suspicious. She chuckled, and adjusted her gloves before opening the flight. The osprey cocked his head, keeping an eye on her every move, looking down at the hamper Raiha set on the floor of the flight.
“Shh,” she warned the bird, holding out a piece of fish in her palm, her other hand in front of that one to encourage it to get onto her glove if he wanted the fish. He grabbed her wrist with his beak, testing her wrist for purchase as he let out a shrill, grumpy sound. Uzima, already on a perch out of her flight, shrieked her disapproval at these going-ons, impatient to get going. The osprey took the bait, though, ripping at the fish as he sunk his talons into the thick leather. She let him finish it before getting his wings under control, and ushering him in, annoyed as he was with her, into the basket.
With both birds eating, Raiha returned to the bed, pulling on her backpack and putting the weapons where they belonged on her belt.
“Here,” she moved Uzima from perch to the thick strap on her backpack for a little while. The goshawk didn’t mind at all, and got comfortable, fluffing her feathers. It was about time! With that, Raiha grabbed her baskets of birds, moving carefully and fluidly so as not to upset Uzima, and straightened, getting a comfortable grip and heading out to go round up the three Kelvics so they could set out. She’d already asked them to be ready to go – the birds were going to be in those hampers, breathable as they were, for a while, but Raiha wanted to minimize just how long they were in them. The longer they were in the carriers, the more aggravated they were going to get, and the trip would go downhill fast. She left the mews, closing the door behind her, heading down to the courtyard with Diallo at her heels, gold eyes sweeping about as she looked for her bondmates.
by Raiha on November 14th, 2010, 3:57 am 
