Bloodstorm steps in from the east, not looking the best. His left hind leg has a slight but noticable limp, a gash healing there..
Dove sits under a nice shading tree by herself for now. Next to her is a stone bowl half full of water. From time to time she leans over to drink some of the water. But for now she is content to sit peacefully and watch the gryphons of the aerie nearby.
Bloodstorm seems to be going to down to the river for a drink.. He raises his head, pausing as he notices the gryphoness. He turns his head toward her, his tail lashing quickly. "Dove??"
Dove looks over as she hears her name. She smiles at Bloodstorm and says casually,. "Hello Bloodstorm."
Bloodstorm beams and trots over to her, hobbling along as he does so. "You're ok! What..happened to you?" Whether he's referring to her current state or her return is up for grabs.
Dove looks around, down at her water, back to Bloodstorm and shrugs saying casually, "Just wanted to get away from the hustle and bustle of the camp." She obviously thinks you're reffering to right now...
Bloodstorm blinks at the response, tilting his head. "Nono..I mean, what happened after you disappeared? The last I heard you were lost!"
Aubri's side is bound from shoulder to rump, a light stain showing along his right side. He looks dishevelled and tired, still healing from his recent wound.
Dove shakes her head and says very causually, "No, I was fine. Just a little occupied for a few days..." She's not making much of the fact she's been buried in stone for a while after the Krzzn'tai attack...
Bloodstorm says, "But..what happened? You were covered by the bugs last I heard.."
Dove looks down, slightly embarassed, "I um...hid....from the bugs. After I activated myself..." She's not proud of it..almost ashamed...
Bloodstorm noses her comfortingly. "Hid..? I thought that once you were activated you fought? Where did you go?"
Dove ums, not looking Bloodstorm in the eye..."Um...Yeah, I fought...but I have learned more about my abilities and put them to good use. I must have realized I was going to die, so I...hid..."
Bloodstorm grins, trying to lighten the mood. "Well, don't be ashamed of that! It's good to hear that you still have some sense when you're all shiny.."
Bloodstorm says, "Where did you hide? Did you just stay there until someone came for you..?"
Dove chuckles humorlessly and looks down at her skinny self, "Yeah, look what it got me..."
Dove blinks at Bloodstorm and says, "Actually, they wouldn't quite tell me where or how they found me...just said I hid..."
Aubri limps along up the riverbank, keeping weight off his right hindleg. He chirrs at Dove as he sees her, having asked around for her and found where she went..
Bloodstorm nuzzles her neck. "So? You can eat and grow strong..nothing permanent. Oh? I see.."
Bloodstorm says, "You must have killed a lot of them for you to need to hide though.."
Bloodstorm says, "I only managed to kill one and get wounded by a second."
Dove looks over as she hears Aubri's chirr. Her face lights up as she sees her mate..then falls as she sees how hurt he is. Apparently she hadn't seen this yet... She turns back to Bloodstorm as talks about killing bugs. She says sadly, "I don't remember..I lost count..."
Bloodstorm grins slightly, noticing Aubri. He nods to him slowly. "I didn't know you could count while activated."
Bloodstorm says, "Maybe that's why you lost count..oh nevermind. I'm sorry..I'm just a fool. I'm a poor fighter as well."
Aubri makes his way up to Dove and nuzzles her warmly. "I lost count too, as far as that goes." He grips her tightly with one claw, hugging her close. "Skies I missed you....!"
Bloodstorm sighs and lies down on his right side, taking pressure off the bad leg. He feels rather embarrassed about being so helpless in the battle.
Dove shakes her head, "No, before I activated...I spired as long as I could...then the anger got to me and I activated." She returns Aubri's nuzzles warmly, saying to him, "I missed you too, love. Now sit down and rest...you're hurt." She turns to Blood, "You too. Sit."
Aubri pushes at Dove's shoulder as he lays down. "Been doing too much of that lately. You too, you look like the pit.."
Bloodstorm says, "Aubri..what happened with you? Badly hurt?"
Dove snorts lightly at Aubri's comment..."You try not eating for a few days and see how *you* look...."
Aubri waves vaguely at his side. "I got tagged by a bug, doing somthing heroic and stupid."
Bloodstorm nods, tailtip flicking. "I did something similar..I made an all-out attack on one bug..killed it, but I was too enraged to look behind me."
Dove has a sinking feeling she knows what stupid and heroic thing Aubri was doing to get himself hurt...she looks and sounds sad as she asks him, "It wasn't over me you got hurt, was it?"
Aubri shakes his head. "Nah, I was helping get out the last of the wounded we could.."
Bloodstorm smiles. "Well, at least it WAS something heroic and not stupid. Do you know what happened to Dove? All she knows is that she hid after activating..you and Storm wouldn't tell her?"
Dove sighs with relief and nuzzles Aubri again. She finally gets up the nerve to ask, "So...how *did* you find me? All I was told was I hid...and I'm very sure I know how...but I need to know how you got me out." She looks up pleading eyes to her mate.
Bloodstorm just looks somewhat confused..doesn't even know where she might have hidden.
Aubri shrugs and shakes his head. "You hid near the spires.. I just called you." He ruffles his feathers, unable to offer more.
Dove nods slowly, "But where near the spires? How did I come back to you? Please, I need to know..."
Bloodstorm says, "And I didn't think she was able to think of hiding in her state..she told me what she was created for, and they weren't made for hiding.."
Dove wants, nay needs, to hear exactly how it happened.
Aubri hugs her close again. "Underground. You just came up out of a fissure." He looks into her eyes, perferring pink to red any day..
Dove turns to Bloodstorm, saying softly, "Before activating, as part of my self-command, I was to hide if it looked like I was about to die...I wasn't sure how it would react to that command though..."
Bloodstorm nods thoughtfully, shifting position. "I forgot you could do that. How many days were you gone? Have you eaten much?"
Dove blinks, still looking at Bloodstorm after she hears Aubri. She turns to him, nodding slowly. "That's as I thought. So how long was I in the stone?"
Aubri says, "Several days. I was mostly unconcious most of the time.. thankfully..."
Bloodstorm tilts his head curiously. "Thankfully?"
Dove nods, leaning over to drink a little more water from her bowl. She sighs, leaning carefully against Aubri's neck. She answers Blood, "He would have come for me regardless of how hurt he was if he was awake...as I would for him..."
Bloodstorm says, "I wish I could say the same for myself.. After I was hurt I finally thought to retreat, my rage fading away. I took off and only thought of taking cover..I'm a coward if not enraged."
Aubri shrugs his wings, "Or at least I'd have gone crazy with worry."
Dove nuzzles Aubri, but says to Blood, "No, running away does not make you a coward. Neither does it make the aerie an aerie of cowards. A wise gryphon once said, 'A fool is one who believes retreat to be the course of rogues and cowards. There will come a time when the enemie's power is so great that retreat will be your only option. You must do this to draw the enemy away from that which you have sworn to protect.'"
Bloodstorm lowers his head, sighing. "But.. I was terrified. I thought nothing of the others who were fighting, hurting.. I only wanted to save myself."
Dove shakes her head slowly, reaching out a foreclaw to Bloodstorm's shoulder, to reassure him, "That still does not make you a coward. The time came that the enemy's power was so great that retreat was the only option. I think if you asked that many ran, thinking only of themselves."
Aubri nods and grins.. "Even Dove hid, in the end.."
Bloodstorm mumbles an agreement, still looking away. "But I could never fight like she did, or even you, Aubri."
Bloodstorm says, "She fought and didn't even get hurt, just thin. I fought two bugs and will be limping for who knows how long."
Aubri says, "That's my point.. It doesn't matter how many you fought, everyone has to run away some time. Don't let it bother you."
Bloodstorm says, "Still, I wish I could have see you fight, Dove."
Dove shakes her head, "I got quite a few scratches...although they were minor things that are almost healed..." She looks at Blood, continuing, "But I wasn't in control of myself. Being a good warrior like Aubri doesn't make him any better than you, Bloodstorm. You have to realize that we each contribute to the aerie in our own ways." She snorts, "As for fighting, you'll have to wait for a while. I'm in no shape, nor will I be for a long while to do anything of the sort again..."
Bloodstorm says, "I wasn't in control of myself either.."
Bloodstorm flexes his talons. "When I get angry..I get completely blinded with rage, attacking virtually anyone in sight."
Dove nods, squeezing Blood's shoulder gently, "That's natural. You're a gryphon, remember?"
Bloodstorm relaxes somewhat and looks at her. "Well..have you eaten?"
Dove nods, "Yeah. The healers said I shouldn't eat too much at a time for a few more days still though...but water is okay." She waves a paw, "Hence the bowl here."
Aubri hisses through his beak and nods. "No one is eating too much at a time, Dove.."
Bloodstorm says, "You were starving just because you hadn't eaten when turned on? I thought you might have used the energy from the food you ate to power your other self..just drained too much."
Bloodstorm pauses. "Come to think of it, I haven't eaten much lately either. At least my wings aren't injured, so I can hunt.."
Dove shakes her head, chuckling softly, "Yes Blood, but I was buried in stone for a few days...takes more than what I had for something like that...."
Bloodstorm says, "I can't even imagine being buried in stone.. I assume you don't remember, either. Apparantly you don't need to breathe then though.."
Bloodstorm shakes his head. "I don't even like being in closed spaces where I can't fly away.."
Aubri clicks his beak and lays it on Dove's back, listening to the conversation and nodding periodically.
Dove shrugs her wings slightly as she says casually, "I wouldn't know either...I wasn't quite myself when it happened..."
Aubri hisses and looks back at his side, which is finally unstitched but still healing. "I dislike being ANYWHERE when I can't fly," he growls.
Bloodstorm examines Aubri.."You can't fly now?"
Dove looks at Aubri, then back at Blood, "With that kind of wound, I would think not..."
Aubri shakes his head. "Not until I'm healed enough not to hurt myself doing so.
Bloodstorm nods slowly. "How soon until you can get airborne?"
Aubri shrugs and shakes his head. "A week or so at least."
Altair stays off to one side with her daughter, glancing around once in a while.
Bloodstorm says, "We're all lucky to have survived.. Were there any fatalities on our side?"
Dove sighs, nodding, "I know I saw a couple go down before I turned on...I don't know how many more we lost afterwards..."
Bloodstorm nods sadly, his tail oddly still. "Unfortunate.. I'm just glad we didn't lose you as well. You're our best fighter, for one.."
Aubri nods, "Plenty, Bloodstorm.."
Faekawn rolls onto her side and watches her fellow refugees, recognizing a few... and amazed by how many she doesn't know.
Bloodstorm says, "Will we ever get to return to our home..? I don't even know if there's anything left of it.."
Faekawn cheeps up, "I went home."
Aubri chuckles a little and rubs Dove's neck. "She's one of a kind, for sure.." he grins.
Bloodstorm turns as he notices someone he doesn't recognize. "Good to hear.. I'm Bloodstorm."
Dove looks over at the young gryphoness who spoke, "Hello there. I didn't realize you were awake."
Faekawn slicks her feathers a little, remembering she probably shouldn't interrupt elders.
Faekawn says, "Hi, Bloodstorm... I'm Faekawn"
Altair softly nuzzles Faekawn, flicking her wings a little, she chuckles softly, "Ahh dear, its ok so long as you contribute something usefull."
Faekawn says the name carefully and proudly, like she hasn't had it very long.
Dove nods to Fae, "I'm Dove. Pleased to meet you Faekawn."
Dove looks up, "Hello again Altair. Good to see you made it out okay with your little one here."
Faekawn bobs her head at Dove, still half under Altair's wing. "Hi. I know you, Dove... you and Aubri." She shrugs a little.
Altair nods to Dove, "Was hard but we made it out, in a way it was good we where down where we where, we got out before they got that far.
Bloodstorm says, "Does anyone know what happened with the bugs? Were they all killed, or did they retreat?"
Altair glances at Bloodstorm, "Both I am afraid."
Faekawn looks up at her momma, then down at the ground, and doesn't say anything.
Aubri reaches out a claw and rubs Fae's head.. "Hey there, little one," he smiles.
Bloodstorm nods to Altair. "But they won't return for a while, right? They'd need to regroup.."
Dove sighs, "So it's just a matter of 'when' when they return..." She looks at Altair sadly, "Where do we go from here? It's unsafe to go home..."
Faekawn chrrrks at Aubri, ducking her head a little... but rouses out a bit, too.
Bloodstorm says, "Have WE ever gone on a counteroffensive? Attacked them in their own land? Oh wait.. Someone told me that each sphere worked differently. Would we even be able to? They didn't do too badly in their attack against us.."
Altair chuckles softly, "Darling, you're my child, do not be afraid to say what you feel is important.
Dove hasn't had much time to get to know Faekawn, she's been so busy learning and practicing... She looks over at Fae smiling.
Faekawn looks up at Altair, then lifts her head up and whispers something to her.
Altair softly whispers back to Faekawn
Dove nuzzles Aubri, glad to have the subject of the talk moved on to something other than herself.
Faekawn slicks her feathers tight at Altair's response, and nods, looking back to the others.
Aubri looks up and shakes his head at Bloodstorm. "They fight well because they rely on physical speed and strength. We would die quickly in their land.." He sighs and bobs his head. "I think Windhaven is setting up somthing magical to seal their interface again. We're going to have to help in that, but it should end the problems. Then it will be safe to go home.
Altair nods slowly, "Even them."
Bloodstorm says, "Would they be able to breach the seal? Do they use magic of their own?"
Dove nods, "When I have my strength back, I will help if I can to seal the interface. Then I will help with the Aerie. I'm sure much was damaged or destroyed..."
Aubri scratches his neck, preening Dove silently for a bit. "If worst came to worst, I suppose, we could.. well.. escape into the Nexus for a time."
Faekawn looks at Aubri. "Whassa nexus?"
Altair shakes her head, "Not realy a good idea Aubri, where would everyone eat? And what?"
Dove chuckles, "I think he means the Core, Faekawn. A lot of us old timers refer to it that way."
Faekawn looks back and forth between the grownups. "Whassa Core, Dove?"
Aubri says, "I didn't say it was a good idea, it's a last resort."
Faekawn hates it when everybody knows something but her!
Dove hmms, thinking of how to explain it, "Did your momma ever tell you about all the different spheres? Homes to different peoples and races? Well, the Core is where they all meet together in one huge huge place."
Faekawn frowns. "Oh. Like... a big big aerie? Where's it at?"
Bloodstorm hmms.. "I'm not sure. I've never been there, myself."
Dove points off to the north and slightly east, "Have you seen the giant black pyramid? On the top is a nexus, a gateway that leads to this giant aerie. But you shouldn't go there unless you have your momma or poppa with you. It's very dangerous for young ones such as yourself, Faekawn."
Bloodstorm blinks.. "I remember being on a pyramid when I first came here."
Aubri nods his head, "As she says. You never know who you'll meet there.
Faekawn says, "Oh. Okay. I saw that, once... but... " she looks up at her mother, "I didn't go far. Is More dangerous than here?"
Altair nods slowly, "Very dangeriuos, exspecialy for someone as young as you are dear."
Bloodstorm says, "What's in this 'core'?"
Dove nods to Fae, "It's more dangerous than here, yes. Not nice people stay there along with the nice people. But you'll get to see it someday." She turns to Blood, "Of course you did, every new one sees it because that's where they come out."
Bloodstorm shakes his head. "I don't remember it."
Faekawn bobs her head. "Okay, won't go there yet." She decides not to ask about New Ones, and just lays and listens, batting at someone's lost feather.
Altair shakes her head, "No, she only saw a litle of it, she has probly not been back, and many new ones forget it.
Dove tells Blood, "Imagine an aerie so huge, it fills an entire sphere. Every walk of life can be found there. I'll take you some time."
Dove leans over and drinks more from her bowl of water. It's almost empty now.
Bloodstorm says, "Another day perhaps. We should worry about recovering now.. You need more water?"
Dove nods to Blood, "Yes please. Thanks, Blood." She nuzzles him gently.
Faekawn looks up. "Maybe it will rain. Wash all the ashes and bodies away and dead parts away."
Bloodstorm takes the bowl and hobbles down to the river..
Dove sighs at Fae's innocent comment. She doesn't want to depress the child so simply says, "Maybe."
Aubri shrugs at Faekawn and nods. "Though we'll be cleaning up bug parts for a long time.." Privately, he's thankful THEY removed all the dead gryphons..
Bloodstorm returns after a few moments, water sloshing and spilling slightly. He sets the bowl down in front of the gryphoness and flops over on his side.
Altair shakes her head, "We probly will have to spend a lot of time to clean everything up, so long as we get the sleeping caves cleaned.
Dove chuckles humorlessly, "I believe I have more than enough work removing all the spires I created..."
Bloodstorm raises a feathered brow. "Just how many DID you make?"
Faekawn moves a little closer to the other gryphons. It's kind of nice to talk with the big ones sometimes. More and more so, as she gets older.
Dove shrugs her wings and answers casually, "I forgot. And I don't know just what all I did once I turned on, so I don't know if I made more..." She turns to Aubri and asks, "Just how many spires did you see? Or were they all destroyed by the bugs?"
Bloodstorm grins. "Wish you could teach me how to do that." He's obviously joking, just trying to lighten the mood, as most still seem upset, including himself.
Aubri shakes his head. "Many stand, some were destroyed. I didn't make a count, there were so many.. You did well, Dove."
Dove sighs and nods, "I'll be busy for a while it seems...but that's my choice."
Bloodstorm says, "You need to rest and recover, Dove. When will you start eating again?"
Faekawn pipes up, "There's rats and stuff at home. Eating all the dead stuff. I killed one and ate it."
Dove nods at Blood's suggestion, "Surukk said I could eat a little every few hours or so. But from what I heard, we have to be careful because of how little food there is left..."
Bloodstorm nods slowly. "We aren't going to starve, are we?" Altair stays quiet mostly, watching intently.
Dove shrugs to Blood and says, "I don't know, Blood. I don't know..."
Aubri nods slowly and rests his neck on Dove's. He's been deliberately accepting only the standard ration rather than that normally allocated to healing gryphons, knowing he's young and strong. "No, we're not. We just have to be more careful now.. it'll be lean this winter, but we'll do all right." He voices more sureness than he feels, as he's accustomed to doing with the Scouts.
Dove nods, "It's possible we may trade to other races...with what I don't know just yet, but I'm sure we'll think of something."
Faekawn says, "Don' wanna starve. I can help hunt too!"
Altair says, "I have allready started talks going."
Dove chuckles at Fae's enthusiasm. "You caught a rat all by yourself. I'm sure you are a very good hunter dear."
Dove asks Altair, "With who?"
Bloodstorm says, "I don't know if I could eat a rat..that's been eating..well.."
Altair says, "Falari the monorocii, the land thay have is empty but for herds of prey, and they will share."
Bloodstorm says, "What about temporarily moving to another area in this sphere? There ARE undamaged lands around still..but we'd have to worry about Shkrill territory then."
Dove nods to Altair, "That is good. What do they request in return?"
Faekawn fluffs out a little and nods at Dove. "I'm learning fast."
Altair says, "Don't worry about Dove, I am taking care of it"
Dove smiles at Fae, reaching out to ruffle her feathers. "I bet you are. So what else have you learned?"
Bloodstorm lowers his head, as nobody responded to his suggestion.
Faekawn says, "I can fly good now, and glide, and ... um... I guess that's all."
Dove looks impressed at little Faekawn. "Wow, that's quite a lot for such a young one as yourself." She smiles to her, glad for the morale boost the child inadvertantly brings.
Bloodstorm scratches at the ground idly. "So..it isn't possible to move somewhere else in Shrilk where hunting is good?"
Dove shrugs to Blood, "Where too that isn't controlled by the Shkrill or Windhaven? Or at least *has* food..." If there are places like that, they must be bad indeed.
Bloodstorm shrugs back. "Would be better than starving."
Altair looks to bloodstorm, "I do not know, but Storm may have a plan."
Aubri shakes his head. "There isn't anywhere that's still rich in prey. They were on the plains for the summer.. We may have to move, though, after this area is exhausted. I don't like it, but the herds WILL be thinned badly."
Bloodstorm says, "There are areas in Shrilk that don't belong to any aerie, aren't there?"
Dove shakes her head, "If they don't belong to one of the three main aeries of the sphere, they may belong to one of the smaller, more independant aeries. There are still some around you know."
Bloodstorm hmmms..
Altair nods, "Yes."
Bloodstorm says, "Just why do the bugs want into Shrilk anyway?"
Faekawn says, "To eat us."
Aubri says, "To find food, actually, be it us, or the game, or the grass."
Dove thinks about it for a bit, "Because they can. Maybe because there are so many of them that their sphere is not big enough to hold them all, so they must spread. Kind of like a disease. Take up and fill what they have then spread on to something else."
Altair nods slowly to Faekawnm "Yes, mostly."