Windfire is dead. He had passed from this realm into another never to laugh with his fellow Hawkbrothers, or sing with the trees, or sit with the gryphons. He is forever gone unless we find the missing piece of the Heartstone of k'Tava Vale. The magic is slowly leaking through the missing piece, and that magic is the only thing keeping him from harm. I weep for him in the solitude of my ekele for it was my fault, Silentfrost's fault that he is dead.
I sit in front of the Heartstone, in all its shining glory, right behind Windfire's motionless form. I can feel his slow measured breathing, in, out, in, out and I feel it beat in time with the Heartstone's throbbing. Then the falter of his heart, the first warning that something was wrong. Windfire's experiment was failing.
I nudged him in alarm, shook him, but he would not awaken. Panic took me in it's embrace as I realized if I didn't wake him he would die. I tried to scream with my mind but I could not get through to his shielded conscience I tried my real voice, hoping for a miracle but my voice would not work like it hadn't all my life. No one was here to help. Grimly I-
"Ssssilentfrrrrost k'Tava, you arrrre needed by the Council" said a messenger gryphon. His brown plumage looked dull and unpreened. Gryphons were tied to the Heartstone and if it cracks, they are affected as well. I nodded to him in dismissal but he had to say one last thing, "It wassssn't yourrrr fault, Sssssilentfrrrost." I gave him a sorrowful glance and he quickly exited my ekele. I wiped my face of the tears that had streamed down it a moment ago and tried to forget why they had fallen.
I changed my clothes from the drab, non-embroidered tunic and leggings to the three-tunic costume that every Hawkbrother must where to a council gathering. I climbed down the ladder to the second floor level of my home. This was where my Bondbird stayed. Normally Hawkbrother's didn't have a separate room for their bird but my bird, or birds needed space. I was one of the rare people to be bonded to a flock of crows. There were exactly 17 crows in my flock and although they were a nuisance I still loved each and everyone. They were currently out foraging for food but I was glad for the silence. I was soon going to be the center of a lot of noise and I enjoyed the respite. It was off to the council for me though and boy would I enjoy it.