Northern Plateau - Grylra
The most noticable feature here is an immense water-filled crater, 30 to 40 meters across, in the dead center of the area. A clean and sparkling stream flows from a hidden spring in the western rockface, and flows downhill to the glass-walled crater, filling it completely, the overflow splashing onwards downhill. On closer examination, the pool is quite deep - 8 meters at least... but along it's edge is a nicely stepped set of ledges, shallow enough for a gryphlet to wade in.
The ground here is hilly, and scattered with the green of grasses, shrubs, and bushes here and there. Immense boulders are scattered about near the east and west sides of the plateau, a fair number of them having been Shaped into perfectly formed couches, exactly right for gryphons to lay about on in great comfort. Blackened marks extend far up along the cliffs on the east and west, evidence of an incredible fire that must have swept through here sometime in the past.
The cliffs and hillsides are peppered with hundreds of caves - the homes of the gryphons that live here.
Aubri is laying on one of the new stone couches, peering off to the south as the evening deepens.
Dove finishes last touches to the new watering hole, ramping a section from the shallow end to the deeer center so gryphons learning to swim can take it at their own pace. She then walks out, dripping wet. She shakes rigorously, droplets flying everywhere. Looking around, she spots where her mate sits and she starts heading in his general direction.
Aubri grins brightly as Dove starts to head toward him, hopping down off the couch with a croon. "It looks lovely.."
Faekawn trots along, her pace having sort of an odd pattern to it, and weaving back and forth slightly. She looks very distracted, and as she gets closer, she can be heard to chirp and chrr faintly, in the pattern of her footsteps.
Aubri cocks his head a little at Fae, looking past Dove as she heads up the path. "Good evening!" he greets, "What're you doing?"
Faekawn grins. "Just... relaxed, really. Do-ove.... you're working too much again! Oooh, it looks really nice, though!" She admires the new look to the watering hole.
Aubri chuckles at Fae. "Have a nice evening?" he murmurs to her, fluffing his feathers. "Isn't it?" he says louder.
Dove is still well damp as she walks up, fur and feathers clumped together, some hairs or stray feathers sticking up at funny angles, giving her an overall appearance of a drowned rat. She chuckles, "Heh, I know what I'm doing. What're you so happy for? More songs in your head?"
Faekawn bobs her head happily at Dove, before touching beaks with both her and Aubri both. "Bohran started teaching us a new one, and I really like it," she chirps. "It's one for practicing multiple parts playing together, and I keep trying to do them all at once in my head!" She just grins at Aubri, not really answering his comment.
Aubri chuckles and bobs his head.. "I look forward to hearing you perform then..."
Aubri leans over toward Dove and starts preening the water out of her feathers, cooing quietly.
Faekawn thinks that's a pretty good idea and a nice thing to do, so she trots up to Dove's other side, and starts doing the same. Or at least, nearly the same.
Dove unconciously starts leaning closer to Aubri, purrring softly as he helps preen her. She starts on her chest feathers in between talking to Aubri and Faekawn.
Aubri reaches over and runs a claw gently down Fae's neck as they both preen Dove, quietly purring and smoothing the feathers down as they dry..
Faekawn chwirrfs faintly, flicking her tail and wings slightly in surprise, then smiling, and rousing a little.
Dove nuzzles Faekawn next to her and just settles for the peace and quiet of companionship and preening.
Aubri works his way down Dove's wing, shuffling gradually away from her as he squeezes the water from the soft feathers..
Faekawn preens the water away as well, just enjoying the pleasant company, her mind not really on anything at all but how nice it is to be with friends.
Dove enjoys, letting her thoughts wander to wherever. She then remembers something about Faekawn's songs she told her just the other day. "Fae, you remember telling me about your songs and what you were going to show me at the Valley?" She looks over at Faekawn to see her reaction.
Aubri perks his ear a little.. "The Valley?" he repeats, cocking his head..
Faekawn blanches slightly, and ahhs. Her tail twitches a little. "Um. Yeah..?"
Dove looks at Faekawn and says with all seriousness, "Care to show me? The more I think about it, the more I'd *really* like to see it. Something....I..I don't know what it is, but I really think I should see it for myself. Do you mind?"
Aubri nudges Dove.. "What? What is it?"
Faekawn chrrps faintly to herself, grinding her beak back and forth slightly. "Um. Well... I wasn't really supposed to be there... and poppa would probably... really not like it."
Aubri clicks his beak.. "I think it'll be all right if I come with you... assuming you tell me what's going on...?"
Dove turns to Aubri and says, "There is a spot in the Valley where life is returning. Grass is growning and pushing back the nightmares there. You know my connection to that place. I have to see this personally. Faekawn was there as she says, not supposed to be, but there. She saw and told me." She purposefully leaves out the cause and the reason Faekawn was there to begin with.
Faekawn blushes slightly, and nods silently as Dove explains, hoping Aubri won't be mad.
Aubri stands up slowly.. "We can go there if you want to... I won't say anything.."
Dove nuzzles Faekawn's beak, "Besides, you are an adult now, your own gryphon. Stormdancer might be your father, but you are capable of taking care of yourself now. He's just going to have to accept that."
Aubri nods slowly and mrrrs.. "That's right.."
Aubri releases Dove's wing and stands up slowly.. "Are you all right, Fae?.."
Faekawn laughs nervously, and nods. "I... yes. I know. But it is kinda far east, and ... uhm." She forces herself to breath slow. And that's where she met Alakhar, for the first time. "I'm fine... really."
Aubri bobs his head slowly.. "All right then..." He hrrrs softly. "I'll let someone know I'm going to be out of touch tomorrow.."
Not realizing the full extent of what she is asking for, Dove says, "It's okay, we'll be with you. Besides, the nightmares don't affect me as badly as they do others." She snorts with a smirk, "Part of my 'legacy', if you will..."
Faekawn smiles a little to Dove. "I never had any problem while I was there. I think it's gotten a lot better. I mean, from the stuff I heard about the place, I expected it was going to be awful. I mean some of it was... pretty scary, but it was just in.. spots, you know? Not everywhere."
Aubri pads off for a minute or two to inform the flight leaders he wouldn't be in touch, then returns to Dove and Fae. "All right.. We can go whenever you're ready.."
Dove nods, fully understanding. "I'll explain what I know and remember on the way. That should help you understand. Who knows, maybe you can make a song about that place, although why would be anyone's guess..." She chuckles trying to bring a small bit of humor about that dreary place.
Dove nods to Aubri, "I'm ready when you are." She turns to Faekawn, "You ready, Fae?"
Faekawn hfffs softly, smiling. "Well... uhm... I guess I don't really have anything I have to do. Well, except report to my leader that I'm going to be gone tomorrow... anyone seen Aubri?" She grins playfully at Dove, twitching her tail.
Aubri chuckles as he pads up.. "It seems your wingleader has given you a special assignment, Faekawn!" he says, his voice dropping an octave from normal, sounding resonant and important.
Faekawn can't help but giggle at that, and prances a light-stepping circle around Aubri, and then Dove. "Well... let's go before he changes his mind!"
Dove hmms with a smile, holding her foreclaw over her head as if shading out some unseen light and says innocently, "Nope, don't have a clue where he could be." She then looks right at the drake in question and winks.
Aubri nips Dove's beak and grins. "Believe me.. you don't want me invisible.."
All three spread their wings and take to the skies, headed to the northeast and the Valley of the Damned.
Base of the Pyramid - Shrilk Crossroads
This is the east side of the base of the mighty obsidian pyramid created by the Core computer. From this vantage point you can barely make out the glittering portal at the top. All around, in every direction, are the remains of what must have been an immense festival or gathering of some sort. Though it must have been weeks, if not months ago, the earth is still packed, and there are still scraps of debris, tent spikes, rope, and the cold ash remnants of firepits.
Beyond this clearing to the north and south lays a dense forest, to the east a two rutted dirt roadways join, offering travel to the east, north, and south. The air here is cool and refreshing, blowing from the west across the lake which is on the other side of the pyramid. There seems to be a well travelled path curving around the pyramid and leading off west, directly towards Lake Evarim.
Dove circles overhead and points down, notyet noticing the gryphon currently there. She calls out to her friends, "Let's rest a while down at the pyramid!"
Faekawn nods in agreement... though she's not really tired at all, she knows better than to try and find a landing spot in the dark, as it would surely be if they completed their flight. "Sounds good to me..."
Aubri nods and banks, sideslipping down toward the pyramid in the lead.. "We'll finish the trip tomorrow!"
Kosamiargi yawns slowly, shaking his head to get that laze-induced drowsiness to leave. He's ever so comfortably laid out near the pyramid steps, settled onto his side, just idly watching the forests to the north...
Dove nods, "Also better hunting chances." She tilts her wings, banking down to follow her mate's descent. As she nears the ground, she skrees out to get a sounding in the dark, as well as scare off any stray animals that she doesn't wish to land on accidently.
Faekawn glides with Aubri, keeping her point in the formation, though dropping back a bit, to make sure there's no tangle-up in landing. Like Dove, she gives sharp kreet-kreet-kreets as she comes closer to the ground, a trick she learned from someone else, a few months ago.
Aubri shrills loudly as he descends over the trees, then flares his wings and flaps a couple times, hesitating in the air before dropping neatly in front of the huge black edifice. He looks up to watch the others land, tail flicking slowly as the last glow of sunset fades.
Kosamiargi lifts up quickly, head raising toward the skies. One...two...three different skrees?! He lets one off of his one, to note them of his presense. Now what is -this- all about?
Dove gracefully descends a short distance away, room enough for her wings to not get fouled up with the others'. She looks around sharply at the fourth skree. Someone' here? A New One perhaps? She doesn't quite see Kosamiargi in the faded light. That and a large Aubri standing between her and Kosa will kind of do that...
Faekawn rrrs softly, and quickly moves up nearer to Aubri, flicking her head in that sharp, slightly jerky motion of a raptor hunting for something that it's heard, and now wants to see.
Aubri peers back and forth in the gloom as well.. "Good evening," he greets, feeling the others at his back. After a few seconds he looks toward Koso, his "sixth sense" feeling the eyes watching him.
"Greetings," the black drake says in return, idly watching the forms that had mere moments before landed. The voice is not one he knows, which makes him all the more curious, yet also hold quiet for now. He raises, giving a gentle flick of his wings to 'dust off', turning slowly to more directly face these three...
Faekawn frowns a little, and whispers, "I recognize that voice, I think?", before calling her own "Hello..."
Dove tilts her head, her small form still hidden from Kosas view by Aubri's larger form. She recognizes that voice...maybe... She looks over at Faekawn, yet says nothing herself yet.
Aubri holds his ground as the bit of shadow detatches itself from the gathered gloom. "I'm Aubri, of grylra," he offers. "May I know who I address?"
Kosamiargi relaxes slightly, even at the name he doesn't know. That second voice...he recognized it slightly, and now that he knows where the group resides from... "Kosamiargi, of Shkrill." He sits back to his haunches, watching through the fair dark. He can see the others a little better, given slightly lighter coloring, and can't help but expect his pitch black body is not an easy target to lock on to, thus settling to a single spot.
Faekawn oohhhs, and slicks her feathers. "Hiiii, Kosa...." she calls with a faintly dissapointed sound. "It's Fae... Faekawn. Guess we get company tonight, huh?"
Dove groans softly, thinking to hersef, 'I was right...' She steps up, next to Aubri, her bright white body easier to see, even in the dark with only the stars above to light the ground below. She says casually, "So you decided to fully become one of the Shkrill, Kosamiargi? I do hope your friend does *not* try her little stunt again, especially tonight. I'm not in the mood to play." She sounds serious with that last part...wonder why...?
Aubri cocks his head and looks back at Fae.. "You know him?.." then Dove. "What happened?" He keeps his voice low, however.
Faekawn looks a little surprised at how serious Dove sounds, too. She nods her head distractedly to Aubri. "Yeah... he was in Grylra for a while. I was supposed to work with him, but... we never connected, I guess." She keeps her voice low, but not exactly whispering, since it's not like Kosa doesn't know this already.
Dove looks up at Aubri, "Remember that nasty gash I had a month ago? Stormdancer and I ran across this particular gryphon and his female Shkrill friend while he was deciding who he wanted to be with, Grylra or Shkrill. She left, but returned and jumped me."
Aubri rumbles softly and nods.. "Got it..." He brushes Fae with his wing too, bobbing his head. "We're just here to rest overnight on our way elsewhere," he informs Kosa.
Kosamiargi gives a slight snort, listening as the conversation bursts up quick, and just settles silent for a moment. "Vestige isn't here, Dove. Nor would she attack you, if I had any say in it. I was going to ask if you were well, but it seems that such pleasurable talk will not be allowed me, given the greetings I was given." His voice is stern...Different from old. More sure of himself, and more...stable, if that can be said. However, such a rude intrusion isn't welcome, either, though he wouldn't attack aerie-mates of old, that he could help it, anyway.
Dove turns to Kosamiargi and says cooly, "Like you could stop her then? I am well, I do thank you for your concern. We have no intentions of bothering you tonight, so good eve to you." She notices he's become more self-confidant and is glad to see him standng up for himself, but doesn't care much for the gruff manner in which he does it.
Faekawn weaves her head back and forth sadly. "It's not like we're gonna attack you or anything... eeesh..." Faekawn sighs. She hates what the Shkrill seem to do to people... what they turn into, when they choose that aerie. "I guess you're doing okay, too?"
Aubri raises an eyeridge. "Good evening to you too," he replies facetiously, glancing at the hens with a shrug..
Kosamiargi's voice returns Dove's comment with an equally cool remark. "That you next see her, if it recent, ask her who gave her the wounds she has. However..." His voice eases off. "That was past, not present. I am glad you're well, and certainly hope you no more wounds in times recent." He attention turns towards Faekawn, eartufts at full as he listens to her as well. "And good that you feel no need to. It is not as though I am an enemy of Grylra. Yes, I am...fair enough." They can't see his body at current of course, or they'd wonder. Nor will the news of...his recent explosion in Shkrill get out too quickly...
Dove gives the Shkrill no further thought s she walks a bit to the south, nearer to the wods there and begins looking for a good spot for her and her two companions to rest. She feels Kosa has chosen his own path and with her past with Shkrill, further talk would only make things ugler. Last time she had serious dealings with a Shkrill, she ended up destroying their enclave, forcing them to move to their current home, Fort Crag...
"Well... YOU aren't, but..." Faekawn begins, then gets a better grip on herself. Though she doesn't care much for them, her upbringing taught her the value of politics, and being.. politic. "... well... I hope you never are. So, uhm... hope you have a good night, here." She glances up at the darkly glimmering shape of the gate, far above, at the peak of the pyramid, toying with the idea of sticking her head into the core for a few minutes.
Aubri lays his wing gently on Fae's back. "We've no quarrel with you, Kosimiargi.."
"Nor I you, and would prefer we keep it that way. That does not mean I don't still take offense on such greetings." Koso lets them figure that one out, or take it the wrong way, on their own. They're tired, and it would seem more friendly spirits can't be aroused at this point. "In your quick retreat, I bid you pleasent and peaceful sleep..."
Dove mutters something along the lines of '..bite me...' under her breath at Kosa's words. She turns to see if Aubri and Faekawn join her soon.
Aubri blinks a little, shrugs, and heads back to Dove and her camping spot..
Faekawn sighs faintly, and whispers "I'll be... right back," to Aubri. She trots away from him, dragging her tail along the drake's side as she moves quickly toward Kosa.
Kosamiargi lays back out, giving a soft sigh. He'd almost rather Vestige's naggy self than this...
Aubri folds his wing as he watches Fae go, then shrugs a little and nips Dove..
Dove can barely make out Faekawn's form and wonders to herself, 'What the heck is she up too?', yet says nothing out loud. She nuzzles Aubri has he approaches, but makes sure to watch out for her clanmate.
Faekawn trots directly up to Kosamiargi... though she can't really see him, she knows just where he is. "Kosa..." she says quietly, as she draws up, very close. She sighs, laying her head slightly to one side, then lifts it, and brushes her beak against his. "Fly well, okay?"
Aubri settles on his haunches, still watching the bobbing gold-brown form as Fae moves off.. Why does she seem to have so many friends in Shkrill?
Kosamiargi gives a gentle enough brush of beak in return. Just the faintest of chuckles sounds from him, his mood lightening up enough for it. "Are we going to have guards set up the night because of the big bad Shkrill in the area?" His voice sounds the humor; indeed, even the black drake must joke about his home. He knows how they feel, and how Fae and Dove feel about him more generally, and at lets wants Fae to be at ease. "Tell her I said for her to sleep well, also, Yes?" Hmmh...Why couldn't Stormdancer be along this time. Things would be so much easier...
Faekawn smiles, though it's unseen. "I'm not worried," she chirps. "And we'll keep an ear out for... well, for any trouble, OK? Sleep well..." She turns, and bounds off into the dark, to catch up with her clanmates. She's not quite as sure where they are, so she slows down once she gets to where they were.
Dove chirrups to Faekawn, to help her find her way.
Aubri stretches out in the grass as Faekawn returns, cooing softly to her. "Everything all right then?" he purrs, cuddling her under his wing.
Aubri purrrs deeply and lifts his wing for Dove, cuddling each hen under one and giving each a gentle nuzzle. "It won't take more than a couple hours to get there in the morning," he murmurs for Fae's benefit.
Dove nuzzles Fae back before settling down for a good sleep. She takes what cruel comfort she can out of Kosamiargi having to sleep out here all alone. He must not like the Shkrill as much as he lets on...or maybe just the opposite...
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