The Walks of the Four Winds
by: D. D. Century
Prologue
Ruron took to the air well before sunset leaving the rest of his hunting party slumbering peacefully. His strong raptoran wings bore him swiftly over the evergreen forests of the Great Plateau, toward its end at the Drop. The wind tirelessly hitting the shear cliffs of the Drop were particularly strong creating a powerful updraft for Ruron to ride. He took great joy in riding these updrafts, letting the strong winds run through every one of his brilliant white feathers. He climbed with the wind, much higher than was needed, for the sheer pleasure of it. The shadows cast by the Drop were stretching far into the valley when Ruron first spotted Three Spikes, his flock's dwelling.
Three Spikes was not built into the side of a cliff like most raptoran dwellings. Rather, as its name suggests, it was built into three natural rock formations that jutted out of the ground like the blades from the bottom of the footspikes that raptoran warriors favor. These three rock spires thrust into the valley along side a small but patient stream that had slowly carved a small canyon into the Drop.
Ruron smiled as his gaze lingered on the first spire of his dwelling. Great Spike was by far the largest of the Three Spikes both in hight and width. Great spiraling towers were cut into the living rock with powerful magic. This was where Ruron lived along with the bulk of his flock. Although he looked forward to laying his head down in his own nest within the chief's tower on Great Spike he knew this would be a long night, and it would be well after sunrise before he could rest. Both Summer hunting parties would return tonight to start the long preparations for winter. This was only the second year that he was the chief of his flock, but his father had let Ruron handle the running of the flock more and more as he grew older and more feeble. No, it wasn't thoughts of the yearly preparations that made Ruron's smile wain, it was the debate he called for at sunset.
The sun was still a few fingers away from the horizon when Ruron started his decent to Lady's Spike. Six small towers, one for each raptoran god, hugged the top of Lady's Spike which tapered to a flat capstone no more than thirty paces across. This capstone was where the flock debated. As a child Ruron watched in awe his father lead debates with over a hundred raptorans crammed on that capstone. Sadly he reflected that even if the entire flock gathered for a debate now, less than half that number would gather. Only the eldest and wisest of the flock were to be at tonight's debate.
The next to arrive was by far the eldest and arguably the wisest of the flock. Lafria's arrival was proceeded by a hacking cough. She was aided in her climb from the tower dedicated to Tuilviel Glithien, by a much younger cleric named Naivian. Every step Lafria took seemed to be a struggle, the once mighty wings on her back now seemed like nothing but a burden for her to grudgingly bear.
"Ah, it is good to see you Chirps!" Lafria said after taking a moment to catch her breath,"I was afraid that our father of snows might take me before I could lay my eyes on you again."
"Nonsense you've already outlived everyone else who ever called me Chirps why shouldn't you outlive me too?" was Ruron's glib reply.
"I certainly hope I won't! I haven't been able to truly fly for years, and I doubt my poor arthritic wings would even let me glide now. Not that I've been foolish enough to try mind you. At any rate what use is a raptoran who can't even glide I ask you? I wouldn't even have been able to climb up here without help, speaking of which why are you still up here Naivian I told you to tend to the temple duties while I was up here. Scoot!" This sent the young raptoran over the edge of the rock gliding down to the base of his temple,"Now were was I?"
"Rambling on to no end as usual," came a third voice. The voice came from Hareen flapping her wings one last time to soften her landing. Although her body was still strong, every feather on her wings had black tips showing her advanced age.
Ruron cut off Lafria before their bickering started,"How has the hunting in the lowlands been?"
"Very well, the herds are culled, the balance is served."Hareen glanced around the capstone, "are we all here, or did you invite the hermit?"
"Do you really think it would stop him from coming if I didn't invite him?"
"No, but at least he wouldn't be offended if we actually started on time."
While the casual conversation continued the three leaders spent more and more time looking at Hermit's Spike. There was little to look at on Hermit's Spike. It had only one resident who made his home in a natural depression in the rock to shallow to call a cave. That almost-cave wasn't even facing Lady's Spike. There was nothing to see but barren rock until a small figure appeared soaring almost lazily to the debate. True to Hareen's prediction it was well after sunset when Iatrua arrived.
"It's about time," Hareen chastised.
"Indeed, let us not terry then," Iatrua took a moment to make sure that his feathers, which were freshly dyed red to hide the black tips, were properly arranged as he folded his wings behind his back. Unlike the others, Iatrua wore a beautifully embroidered loose fitting silk robe that continued to look disheveled despite His best efforts to smooth it out. Satisfied that he looked far more hansom than anyone called a hermit should be he continued, "What shall be the debate on this fine night our most noble Chief?"
"As you know it has been well over tweanty years since any of our flock has been of age to be sent to the four winds. It has been nearly as long than anyone has returned to our flock from their walk," a cloud passed over Ruron's face as he continued,"those... eggless years cost our flock much. We now number only forty-three, half of what my father founded with and less still than what we were in my youth. Our numbers need to grow. The current high chieftain thinks my father was a fool to found this flock outside of a canyon, so recruiting new members is nearly impossible. We need to ensure that as many fledglings return from their walk of the four winds as possible. In the-"
"Now just what are you proposing?" Lafria interrupted,"The walk of the four winds is part of a sacred pact between our people and the wind lords. To tamper with that ancient pact is to tamper with the destiny of our entire race!"
"Let us not be so melodramatic, shall we? There is a plethora of gliders who refused to even go forth on walk of the four winds in some of the more gargantuan flocks," spouted Iatrua.
"That is their personal, lazy, gluttonous choice, not that of the flock, or its misguided chief," countered Lafria.
"Either way that is not what I was recommending. We all know that one in four walkers never return. The next group of age mates will be ready for their walk in the spring, but their are only four of them. Why not ensure all of them return by having them go on their walks together?"
"Out of the question, the pact with the wind lords is clear each raptoran must set off on their walks alone." Lafria said with certainty.
"Set out alone perhaps, but we all make friends during the walk. I even met with druids known to me before I joined the order. I spent most of my walk with fellow druids or serving the order." Hareen looked from face to face and added,"I know all of you made great friends and allies during your walks. Why not space each of the walks first steps only a day apart then the pact will be met and our precious fledglings will have each other for protection?"
"Let us put this archaic little pact aside for a moment," said Iatrua, ignoring the icy glare Lafria gave him,"It is not unequivocally death that keeps the fledglings from returning to the flock. Our race possess many talents that are highly valued by others, and there are raptoran organizations that look for promising recruits on their walks. Sending them together will exponentially increase the likelihood that none shall return."
"What about sending them out in pairs. Bow and Arrow got their nicknames because they are so inseparable, why not send them off a day apart?" Proposed Ruron.
"Bah! Arrow is star touched. She is already proficient in several cantrips and, she would know a more advanced spell or two if her brother didn't keep holding her back." Squawked Iatrua.
"Bow my be star touched too I've seen him do some amazing things."
"Slight of hand, nothing more. I hope the chief won't take offense when I say that those tricks wouldn't fool anyone who had a better grasp of the arcane arts than a pigeon. If there are any two that should be separated on their walks Arrow should be separated from Bow," insisted Iatrua.
"It is true that the spear is my strength, not the spell. I will certainly take your advice into consideration, but they hunt so well as a team, and so much less so on their own. If they are able to work together they'll never starve," Ruron pointed out.
"Chirps, Chirps, Chirps, you worry too much. Bow is very clever and quick, he'll be able to grow as much as his sister without her beauty and eloquence casting a shadow over him. You might have fed yourself from hunting during you're walk, but I know that humans would throw there money at Arrow to hear her sing. For that matter Rufus and Cloud are perfectly capable, you are just overly worried about the first fledglings you send on their walk. That is perfectly natural," Lafria paused for a brief coughing fit."I for one am much more concerned that one of our fledglings will be enchanted with a human city or a gnomish caravan. In Rufus's case I fear she will seek to join the Stormtalons"
"She was impressed with the unit sent to deal with the Orcish problem we had a few years back. If she can get a hold of her temper she'll easily be accepted by virtue of her strength alone. If she joins we can only hope that someday she will request detached service and return to us," Ruron paused in thought before he continued,"Of course if we send her off with someone with a more peaceful nature she might not be as tempted to join."
"Cloud would be less likely to join the druidic order if he had to drag around Rufus," Hareen objected.
"Ahh, but he would be more likely to devote himself to one of the raptoran gods, most likely Lliendie our lord of clouds. Although Ruyr and I created Lady's Spike to be a great place of worship for all of our kind, there are only seven clerics for six temples. What few pilgrims come to worship here are on their walks. If Cloud were to dedicate his life to restoring these temples to greatness it would be a great boon to our flock," Lafria let her audience remember the former glory of the temples on which they stood before continuing. "Even if I knew, with certainty, that Cloud would bring life back to Lady's Spike by going on her walk with Rufus I would still advise against it. The walk of the four winds is what makes us raptroran. If the only way to restore our flock to its former glory is to forsake our most sacred custom, then it will no longer be a flock. We could be a village like humans or a tribe like orcs, but we could never again be a flock like raptorans."
"Don't be ludicrous. We don't send fledglings on their walk to make them raptoran. We send them on their walks so they can learn to fly, and more importantly learn to think. If you insist upon believing that any of the fledglings are too weak to survive, or too stupid to realize how much we need them to return here, then don't send them. Gliders may be embarrassing, but they're raptoran," said Iatrua.
"My opinion has been swayed I too would advise against a group walk of the four winds," Hareen added.
"Well then, I suppose that settles it. I will announce who will go on their first walk by midwinter," Ruren wasn't happy with this decision, but he couldn't ignore the advice of his flocks elders. In his heart Ruren was sure Lafria was right. He loved each of his fledglings dearly. Rueren turned his thoughts to the preparations for winter to keep the thought of pushing his beloved fledgling out of their nests one by one from weighing down his soul.