After a few hundred yards there's another bloodied rock. Aubri pauses and nods. "See? See? She did go on this way!" He twitches his tail, peering down the line continued by the new clue.
Altair is sleeping, curled up under a rather large rock, hidden from view within the shadows.
Bloodstorm nodnods and bounds up to examine the new rock inquisitively. "You're right, assuming that's her blood. It also means she's injured! She's going in a nearly straight line..but to WHERE?"
Riversend looks around the area, with narrowed eyes, upon everyone finding the new rock. She approaches the rock but she does not touch it.
Aubri takes off again at a run, looking back and forth nervously, then after a few minutes of travel gives a sharp squawk! There is an overhanging rock sticking out of the lee of a hillside, directly in the path.
Altair sleeps still, out of sight and out of mind.
Bloodstorm follows in Aubri's wake, beginning to pant. "Slow down! We can barely keep up! She's already been gone for a few days..she'll be there!"
Aubri pauses and pokes his head into the low opening.. the walls are worn smooth, but with age and not magic. His voice rings out from the small cave, a cry that must be deafening inside there.. "DOVE!!" For there she is, curled in a ball in the darkest recess of the depression.
Riversend starts to breath very heavily, nearly falling off her feet if it was not for her determination to keep up with the others.
Bloodstorm dashes up to Aubri's side, trying to get a good look at the gryphoness to see if she's alright, or even awake..
Rycar and ShadowFeather both make sure that Riversend doesn't collapse.
Riversend makes it up to the drakes and the overhanging path, with the support of Rycar and ShadowFeather. She pants, "Make sure it *is* her... I don't trust this Valley..."
Dove is either asleep or passed out, but obviously breathing. She looks normal enough, except perhaps for the fact that she's not awake after Aubri's screech. Her shoulder shows a superficial wound, from multiple impacts with the rocks, but other than that she seems all right.
Bloodstorm nods.. "It looks like her, but she does have a point. That thing we found did look like her.. But this does seem to be Dove..why won't she wake up?" He turns to Aubri worriedly.
Bloodstorm silently wonders why she travelled all this way to stop here..
Altair starts a little at the intensity of Aubri's scream, her head lifting, though still hidden in a pool of shadow.
Aubri pushes his beak against her neck, hissing loudly. "Dove? Dove! Hey!" He glances at Riversend a little, then starts to pull her away from the wall by the foreclaws..
Bloodstorm reaches in to help Aubri pull Dove into the open.
Riversend glances to Aubri, looking faintly worried, despite her steel, emotionless eyes. She nods once and backs up slowly, looking wary, her tail slightly tucked, and her ear tufts up stiffly.
Bloodstorm gives Riversend a quick glance, "What's the matter..?"
Dove stirs and her tail twitches, stretching in what seems to be normal, if deep, sleep. She makes a soft noise as she's shifted, seeming to be waking up..
Altair glances at the alcove that Dove has been hiding in, checking first to see if any signs might still be present that she has been leaving a little food for Dove, even if the scavangers take almost all of it, bobing her head a little in satisfaction as she watches from the shadows.
Riversend says, "It's this place. I do so not like it here..."
Bloodstorm says, "I don't think that anyone - hey, she's waking up. Dove..? Are you alright?"
Aubri licks her beak and churrs worriedly.. "Dove.. get up Dove.." She opens her eyes and makes a soft coo, lifting her head, eyes their usual pink. "Whaa..? Aubri?" She shakes her head a little, the last few days feeling like a dream, fading fast.
Bloodstorm gryphgrins softly. "You had us worried! You just took off..what brought you here?"
Riversend intensely watches Aubri and Dove, not quite ready to rush in to help, even though she is a healer.
Altair watches, she trys to give Dove just a little more strength and magic, but her aim still is not perfect, Aubri too, feels a lift, though it might mistake it for joy at finding his lovley mate.
Bloodstorm says, "Riversend..would you get some water for her please? She must be exhausted!"
Dove shakes her head again, blinking a little. "I dunno.." She looks very confused, but stands up easily enough with only a slight wince as she puts weight on her foreleg. "I just feel ..safe now that you're here.." she murmurs to Aubri.
Bloodstorm says, "Well..what do you remember?"
Riversend nods her head, and she can do that much to help. There is no water to have in the actual Valley, so she flips the water holder off her shoulder that is there from her extra pack, and she warily and carefully brings it over to Bloodstorm, where upon she offers it to him to give to Dove.
Bloodstorm briefly wonders why Riversend seems reluctant to approach Dove, but he takes the water holder and puts it up to Dove's beak.
Dove drinks greedily as Aubri offers her support, leaning against him and nodding at Riversend. "Thank you.." She shifts a little as if uncomfortable, unsure why she's here or how she got here.
Aubri nuzzles her and hrrrrs. "We should probably start home..."
Bloodstorm says, "Agreed..she's in poor shape, though I say we stay a bit longer - something obviously brought her here."?
Altair flicks her tail a little, watching intently, her head cocking to one side, staying within the shadows, she has a cover story if she needs one, but she can not brake from her position without giving herself away.
You hear a shrill cry and muffled thud nearby, but when you turn to look, there are only scattered bones.
Bloodstorm backs up slowly, looking at Dove's small shelter for a moment, then scanning the area. "SOMETHING has to be around here.."
You hear a shriek, the sound seems to echo back and forth through the valley... then fades away, making you wonder if it ever really happened.
Aubri shakes his head and growls a little. "I'd like to be off and out of here as soon as we can.."
Bloodstorm looks at Dove..then at Riversend, asking her, "Do you think she's fit to travel now?"
Dove lifts her head and nods a little.. "I can do it." She slicks her feathers down a little, seeming to want to follow Aubri and just think more than anything else.
Riversend says, "She doesn't look to be in very good condition, but I think she's fit to start a trip back, with maybe a rest off somewhere. I wouldn't make her take the trip in one go."
Aubri bobs his head. "That's a good idea.
There is a loud crash of thunder, causing you to look up, above you you see hundreds of gryphons diving down towards you, their eyes blazing red.
Bloodstorm says, "We'll have to find a good spot to sleep tonight.. But if something called here once, what's to prevent it from doing so again? Something magical is here..I can almost feel it."
The sound of a gryplet crying for its mother splits the air, then suddnely it's cut off with a cry of pain and unspeakable horror.
Aubri gives Bloodstorm a nonplussed look. "Oh, really? What was your first clue? --the ghosts?"
You hear a shrill cry and muffled thud nearby, but when you turn to look, there are only scattered bones.
Bloodstorm shivers.. "Did you here that? Was that from the Valley? But..no, I don't know if the ghosts brought her here or not."
Aubri says, "Of COURSE it's magical here! The place practically glows at night! So shall we get going, now that that's sorted out?"
Bloodstorm shrugs and nods, not completely convinced..but enough time has been wasted. "I'm ready when you are."
Out from among the scattered rubble a small gryplet comes, badly hurt it shrills its pain and need of its mother to all to hear, when it reaches you, it just vanashes.
Bloodstorm reaches out to comfort the small one, freezing when it vanishes.. "The Valley definately is showing us a few more things than before. I just hope these things stay dead and intangible.."
Aubri starts eagerly southward, padding steadily but slow for Dove.
Dove follows, still looking a bit dazed by everything..
Bloodstorm stays back for a few moments longer before taking up the rear..so far uneventful..for this place anyway.
Riversend lingers just a bit longer, for some reason.
Bloodstorm pauses, padding back to the gryphoness. "Something the matter..?"
Bloodstorm sighs, looking down..freezing as he notices something near Dove's makeshift shelter. "Aubri!"
Riversend briefly looks startled as if she did not expect any of the troop to come back to her. She shakes her head slowly and turns around to face Bloodstorm. "Yes, but I'm not quite sure what exactly. It's merely a feeling." She starts to walk forward. "But we should go."
Bloodstorm shakes his head. "No..wait a moment. Aubri! Come here!"
Aubri stops and turns with the excessive motion of someone who REALLY doesn't want to come there. "WHAaaaAAT?"
Riversend stops and waits for the moment, blinking at Aubri's jack-ass outburst.
Bloodstorm says, "I..found something that you should see."
For a moment you can see shimmering ghostly gryphons all around, locked in mortal combat, blood falling like rain from the sky as beaks and claws tear...
Aubri rumbles to Dove, "Stay here." as he pads back toward the shelter. "This better be important.." he says to himself, hackles trying to rise.
Bloodstorm indicates something he found, a short ways away from where Dove had slept. They appear to be bones, rather large ones, as from a deer, or the remnants of a recently dead and partly eaten rabbit.. "I found these not too far off. I don't think Dove caught them."
You hear a shrill cry and muffled thud nearby, but when you turn to look, there are only scattered bones.
Aubri says, "Bloodstorm... they're bones."
Bloodstorm says, "Yes, but..they're *new* bones. And do you see that kind of wildlife around here? This..rabbit I think..it's only partly eaten."
Aubri says, "And yet, the inescapable fact is, they are totally ordinary and uninteresting bones. Get your tail in gear."
Altair errss a little, backing up under the rock more, accidently disloding a few peables to skitter down the stone.
Riversend's ear tufts twitch as if she heard something, but she does not make that fact known. Her wings ruffle once, and her tail flicks casually back and forth.
Bloodstorm huffs and nudges Aubri. "My point is that either Dove's been making trips out of the Valley for food and bringing her prey back..or *someone's been leaving her food*."
Aubri says, "Bloodstorm, listen. I don't care. We have Dove, and we're going home. RIGHT. NOW."
Bloodstorm sighs. "Very well.. But I swear that someone's been here."
Aubri turns around without another word and pads back toward the gryphoness, snapping and hissing. to himself.
Bloodstorm follows, shaking his head as he mumbles to himself.."Never heard of rabbits coming here to be eaten.."
Altair backs farther into the bolder, a soft hiss coming from her, larger stones skittering down from her hiding place.
Bloodstorm takes the sounds to be more of the Valley's doing..he's already discouraged..
Riversend's ear tufts twitch as she hears something, her eyes narrowing. Her wings ruffle, and she flicks her tail. She does not make it known that she heard something.
Bloodstorm follows Aubri, remaining silent..a bit depressed at being ignored. He's glad Dove's safe though.
Dove stands up and follows, still unusually quiet as she pads between Aubri and Bloodstorm.. red dust puffing around her feet in small clouds with each heavy, dragging step.
Bloodstorm trudges along. "Sooner we get out of this cursed place, the better.."
You hear a shriek, the sound seems to echo back and forth through the valley... then fades away, making you wonder if it ever really happened.
Aubri remains silent for a good hour of slow travel, his eyes lowered as well as if the place weighs on his shoulders.
Slowly, Dove starts to veer to the left, staring at her feet as she walks.
Bloodstorm nudges Dove. "Where are you going..?"
Aubri hrms? and looks back. "What's the matter?.."
Altair watches silently as the group moves off, when they are out of sight she moves down to Dove's little cave and makes the rabbit remnants ex-remnants, she carefully trys to hide the larger bones, not wanting to leave any hint of her presence.
Bloodstorm looks up in the direction she was starting to head..
Dove blinks and looks up.. "Sorry." She flops down, sighing heavily. "I'm just so tired.." She pushes herself up again with a slight stagger, then starts to pad off.. back to the north.
Bloodstorm mrrps and bounds in front of Dove. "Hey..I thought we were going home? It's THAT way, silly."
For a moment you can see shimmering ghostly gryphons all around, locked in mortal combat, blood falling like rain from the sky as beaks and claws tear...
Dove looks vaguely confused, nodding a bit. "Oh.. yeah..." she murmurs dazedly, looking blankly past Aubri toward Grylra.
Bloodstorm turns and starts south again..
Dove starts back north after a few seconds. "I.. need to.. uh.." she mumbles to herself, unable to articulte WHAT she needs to do.
Bloodstorm stop, turning.. "Something's still calling you to the north, isn't it..?" He looks at Aubri.
Altair bobs her head a little, having erased all signs that anyone had been living in the alcove, with a soft sigh she picks up a droped feather, letting her beak run over the whiteness of it before she sticks it carefully amonst her crest feathers before returning to her hiding place.
As the binary suns reach a particular angle the landscape suddenly becomes bathed in red, the colour strangely fluid, seeming to flow over the rocks, and gather in pools.
Aubri rrs.. "Dove.." he says firmly, seeming to snap her out of it for a bit.. "Home," she nods, padding after more resolutely though she still drags her feet.
Bloodstorm follows along next to Dove.. "Is there something you needed to do, Dove..? You don't want to go home? We've all missed you.."
Dove shakes her head. "No. Just tired." She snaps a little. "Trying to remember.."
Bloodstorm shrugs, "Well, we'll worry about it when we get home I suppose. Just relax now..think of Grylra."
Aubri looks back at his mate again.. "Do you need to rest?" he asks finally, slowing a little. "You look awful."
As the binary suns reach a particular angle the landscape suddenly becomes bathed in red, the colour strangely fluid, seeming to flow over the rocks, and gather in pools.
Bloodstorm seems a bit suspicious..he's positive that something or someone's still drawing her northward.
Dove nods silently, laying down again. "Just for a minute..."
Aubri turns to the the others and bobs his head.. "You four can go on ahead if you want. I think we'll be okay.. Say, let the aerie know we're all right."
Bloodstorm shakes his head. "I think I'll stay behind and help keep an eye on Dove. Something just doesn't seem 'right' about this place, moreso than usual."
Aubri nods. "I think the ghosts are more active, now...
Altair curls herself up comfortably, drifting off with a sigh now that the group is all leaving.
Dove lays her head down on her foreclaws, panting a little as Aubri shades her with his wing.
Bloodstorm swallows and nods. "Yes.. I've been seeing things that I hadn't before..this place usually shows us the same things.. Do you think it would be wise to rest here for long, Aubri?"
For a moment you can see shimmering ghostly gryphons all around, locked in mortal combat, blood falling like rain from the sky as beaks and claws tear...
Aubri grunts. "They're just ghosts. We'll be okay.. and we won't rest for long.
Bloodstorm gives a slightly relieved sigh as he lies down to rest. "Just as long as they remain intangible spirits..some of them seems quite real."
Aubri gives another grunt. "You've been jumping at shadows all day, Bloodstorm. Dove's all right. That's all that matters." As he lays his head on her shoulder his own exhaustion becomes apparent, too tired to care about things like overactive ghosts.
You hear a shriek, the sound seems to echo back and forth through the valley... then fades away, making you wonder if it ever really happened.
Bloodstorm closes his eyes, trying to relax and shut out the effects of the Valley for a few minutes at least..
Dove suddenly shifts and springs up to her feet from under Aubri's beak! She's not quite awake, almost sleepwalking to the north at a remarkable speed given her previous foot-dragging. She's away almost before Aubri can squawk in surprise and get up himself to follow. "Dove!"
Altair sleeps still, unnoticing of Dove's attempt to return.
Bloodstorm opens his eyes, leaping to his feet. "Wha..??" He spots the gryphoness as she takes off. "What'd I tell you! Something's drawing her there!" He runs after the 'sleepwalking' gryphon.
Ghostly shadows follow after Dove, pacing her for several heartbeats, then fading away.
Aubri doesn't respond to Bloodstorm, pacing Dove as she trots. "Dove? Hey! Snap out of it!" She doesn't react to being called at all, beak facing resolutely back to the area where she was first found.
For a moment you can see shimmering ghostly gryphons all around, locked in mortal combat, blood falling like rain from the sky as beaks and claws tear...
Bloodstorm trots along her other side.. "I don't think she can hear you!" He bumps against her, hoping that might jar her awake.
Dove responds with a snap, hissing once at Bloodstorm as she accelerates even more to a run. She covers ground remarkably quickly even for a gryphon in good shape...
Bloodstorm 's eyes open widely as he dashes, barely able to keep up.. "Aubri! Do..something!" He knows that Dove listens to Aubri..she's acting almost as if she were in her battle form, from what he's heard..though he's never seen it.
Aubri shakes his head. "She won't listen!" He just follows, figuring she'll slow in her own time.. and it won't take long to get back where she started at this rate!
There is an enormous crash of thunder, you look up, a lightning bolt scythes through the cloudless sky, and vanishes moments before striking the ground not two dozen paces from where you stand.
Altair starts awake at the approching sounds, quickly scrambling to her feet, forgetting for the moment the white feather she has hidden amongst her black.
Bloodstorm grumbles under his labored breath.. Gone this far and now they turn around...! "I told you! She wanted something here!" He stumbles slightly for a moment, Dove pulling ahead even more. Gotta keep her in sight!
Dove reaches the tiny cave in less than half an hour, with Aubri just a few minutes behind.. By the time he arrives she's standing outside the cave, peering into the gloom.. looking vaguely confused and glancing around.
As the binary suns reach a particular angle the landscape suddenly becomes bathed in red, the colour strangely fluid, seeming to flow over the rocks, and gather in pools.
Altair crouches down and back, trying to hide, and somewhat caught out, mostly hidden in the shadows, but for the occasional blaze of white.
Bloodstorm arrives, drenched in sweat, panting.. "What..now? Dove..? Why you come back..?"
Dove looks up at the other gryphons, shaking her head a little.. "I'm back here again?.." she asks, feathers slicked down.
Bloodstorm just scratches at the ground. "You don't remember, do you? You just took off running! What's here?"
Aubri nudges Dove and hrrrfs.. "What's the matter?" He looks into the cave again and yelps.. "Who are you??"
Altair swears vigoriously, edging back and towards the side, trying to get clear and bolt, "No one!"
Bloodstorm blocks the entrance as he hears the new voice. "What did you do to Dove?!"
Aubri shoves Bloodstorm with his shoulder. "Shut up. It's all right, come on out here..."
Bloodstorm peers in, trying to identify the source of the voice.
Altair shakes her head, "No, I don't want to come out, who are you and what do you want? Leave Dove alone!"
As the binary suns reach a particular angle the landscape suddenly becomes bathed in red, the colour strangely fluid, seeming to flow over the rocks, and gather in pools.
You hear a shrill cry and muffled thud nearby, but when you turn to look, there are only scattered bones.
Bloodstorm hisses in frustration. "Why do you keep calling her here? We can't take her home! You keep summoning her!"
Aubri snaps his beak and growls.. "What do YOU have to do with Dove?" He puts a wing protectively over her and hisses at the dark figure..
Bloodstorm says, "I'll bet THIS is the one who was leaving her food!"
Altair hisses softly, mantling her wings a little and coming out a little from the shadow, though its hard to tell, she seems to blend so well into them, "What have I done to her? Only given her my hard won food, and cared for her as best I was able, who are you to hover over her like that!"
You hear a shriek, the sound seems to echo back and forth through the valley... then fades away, making you wonder if it ever really happened.
Bloodstorm says, "We just came here after she'd wandered off! We found her here..we try to take her home, and she comes back! Why does she keep coming back to you?"
Aubri 's hackles rise a little. "Her MATE," he snaps sharply. "I'll thank you for taking care of her, I suppose..."
You hear a strange clicking noise behind you, and turn, the skeleton of a gryphon has risen together, its empty eyes sockets gazing dully upon you. It takes a step towards you, then slowly fades back into dust.
Altair hisses, wings lifting, hackles rasing, "Your not acting like her mate, whats the idea of letting her run off like that in the first place, you're lucky I found her and got her food!"
As the binary suns reach a particular angle the landscape suddenly becomes bathed in red, the colour strangely fluid, seeming to flow over the rocks, and gather in pools.
Bloodstorm knows that Aubri should deal with it..but he can't help adding, "She came here alone, like a zombie! She hurt herself just running into rocks! We followed her path here..why'd you bring her here?"
You hear a strange clicking noise behind you, and turn, the skeleton of a gryphon has risen together, its empty eyes sockets gazing dully upon you. It takes a step towards you, then slowly fades back into dust.
Aubri nudges Dove away a little, starting to turn southward again. "I don't have to explain or justify myself to you. Dove can take care of herself. We're going back to Grylra."
You hear a shrill cry and muffled thud nearby, but when you turn to look, there are only scattered bones.
Bloodstorm turns around as well. "Let's go..if we can."
Dove pads forward a little and nudges Aubri back, stepping in front. "Thank you for helping me," she coos to the dark one, "If.. you want to, you could come with us. I can repay your kindness.."
Bloodstorm stiffens in shock as he hears this.. "But Dove..this is probably the one who brought you here in the first place!"
Altair blinks and cocks her head a little, a soft sound coming from her, "Hurrr, I do not think I would be welcome." her wings spread a little, "After all, too many people feel that black is the sign of the devil."
Bloodstorm looks again, thinking he can make out the general form.. "So what if you're black.. Let's see you out in the light!"
Aubri keeps any opinions on that to himself. "Stormdancer's the leader of the aerie, he's black. Anyway, I don't belive in the devil." He glances at Dove again and nods.. "Ehh, come on then," he finally grunts.
Altair sighs a little and slowly steps out from the shadows, the light almost seeming to dim around her so deep is the black of her feathers and fur, her eyes a solid black, showing neather iris nor pupil, even her beak and talons are a deep ebon.
Bloodstorm tilts his head, taking a step back.. "You ARE black..very much so.. but you seem familiar. Have we met?"
Altair shakes her head, "I do not think so, the last gryphon I met I had to kill."
Bloodstorm takes yet another step back. "Why..?" He pauses..but the last one she met was Dove, wasn't it?
Aubri blinks once, perhaps reevaluating his religious views. "Why?" he asks softly, keeping back a little though not obviously.
For a moment you can see shimmering ghostly gryphons all around, locked in mortal combat, blood falling like rain from the sky as beaks and claws tear...
Altair almost glares at Aubri, though its hard to tell, heck, you can't even tell what she is looking at unless she turns her head to look at it too, "Because it wanted to kill and eat the white one, so I killed it, and it fed me and her for several days.
Bloodstorm looks at Aubri, "Someone else was here before us..?"
Bloodstorm turns to the dark gryphon, "Do you know why Dove is so drawn to you? She even said there was something she needed to do.."
Aubri makes an odd face, as if wondering what kind of gryphon THAT was. A ghost? "Well.. thank you for that.." he gives her another strange look, getting a bad feeling from her for some reason. "Well, let's get going, yes?" He turns to go. "How long have you been in the sphere?"
Altair sighs a little, "A month, maybe two, I don't think it was much longer than that, the red one could tell you better perhaps, but she left.
Bloodstorm blinks. "WHAT red one?"
Dove is the only one who seems to want to be near the dark gryphon, padding along with a lighter gate than before.
Altair says, "The one with the red feathers, she showed me what it was to be a gryphon, though I never did get a chance to see if she would be good to have sex with." She seems blithly ignorant of the fact that she is female, or maybe she is trying to convince herself that she is male.
Bloodstorm blinks curiously. "But you're a hen..aren't you?"
You hear a shriek, the sound seems to echo back and forth through the valley... then fades away, making you wonder if it ever really happened.
Aubri hrfs. "Bloodstorm.. don't ask." He moves along resolutely, keeping an eye on his mate but trying to make the best possible time.
Altair does not seem to even notice Bloodstorm's question, but she does move up besides Dove, offering her a shoulder for suport, oddly Dove seems to have more energy now, and is more aware of what's going on around her.
Bloodstorm speaks to Aubri quietly.. "Dove and that other gryphon..they seem connected somehow.."