One for the money,
Two for the show.
The falcons shared history with the serpentine, most of it was just in passing. They were barely even mentioned in the oldest stories, a part of a long dead coven buried in blood and war. It had taken 500 years of bloodshed and two very old enemies who realized they didn't have to be. But they are unimportant. After all, what is a few hundred years to a falcon?
Outcast. That is what they were, the adopted white viper and the wingless falcon. Alex had been found by a pair bond after they visited the white viper's as the group moved through wyverns court. Erika had never grown her wings. Both her parents had kept her as far away from even the small magic required to grow wings. The bindings on her magic also helped. "Hey!" the white viper yelled as he was flung up into the tree by a pair of deft hands. "c'mon Erika, we both know that's not fair. Beside aren't you supposed to be getting ready for your whatchamacallit?"
The falcon paused "yeah but…"
"Then what are you doing? Get going!" The falcon grumbled and slipped down the tree to the chestnut stallion waiting patiently. At twenty years of age the child of a respected guard of the serpentine house and the falcon-cobra that was his mate Erika Silvermead had been a student of the She'Mehay for nineteen years out of her twenty. Today wasn't just her twenty first birthday, but also the day she would be accepted as a full member of the oldest and most respected of the serpentine guilds. Provided she was there for it of course. "Mind if I hitch a ride?"
"You've hitched rides since we were eight, if I minded you'd probably know by now." Grinning the viper shifted and slid up the falcons leg to hang like a scarf around her neck. When they had been children she had gotten mad because he could change and she couldn't. Her mother had explained the risks, and while it hadn't made sense then she had adapted, and Alex had done his best to shift only when necessary, or if he wanted a ride. They were halfway to the She'Mehay before they realized they were being followed. Alex hissed and unfurled himself, shifting as he fell into his demi form Erika's hand flew to the knife in the melos she had tied around her waist while stopping her horse as four falcons, two aplomado's, a gyrfalcon, and a merlin landed around her
"Nesera'Shm'Ahmnik'la'Erika'aona your lady Araceli demands you present yourself to her at the court of Ahmnik." The merlin spoke first falling into a soldiers ready. He was tall with short cropped blond hair, except one part that reached down to his collar bone, it was a purple unlike any either of them had seen before on a human, almost burgundy looking. The two aplomado's looked too similar for them not to be related, both had long hair that reached to their knees with a short cut streak of sea blue-green. They stood back to back at a soldier's ready, one watching Alex and the other the forest behind Erika. The gyrfalcon sat hidden behind the boughs of a tree and the only glimpse of him was a tattoo that wound around his leg.
"How long of a ride is it and what happens if I refuse?" I was not ready to leave my… residence. As much as I loved the people at wyverns court I had never felt at home. The closest I got was at the She'Mehay on the dais as I danced, I had already planned to leave the next time the lions or white vipers passed through. Dancing for my food until I found a place to call home, or roaming all my life if I never did.
"The white city is not reachable by horseback. We have orders not to force you. However I cannot say the next group that comes will have the same orders my lady."
"Tell me, how does this… Araceli expect me to reach her if I cannot ride? My magic was bound long ago and my wings with it."
"We can take turns carrying you in our demi forms and when you arrive at the island lady Araceli or Empress Cjarisa can release your magic."
"Give me twenty four hours to finish some business here in the court and then we can leave." In that time I would be a full member of the She'Mehay and I could have drafted a note explaining where I had gone and why.
"Very well my lady." With that they flew off and Alex ran to my side.
"Your going!? What were you thinking? Agreeing to that without you parents!" He was furious, and scared.
"Yes I'm going, you of all people know why. My parents won't know until I've already left."
"What, so you expect me to cover for you? Erika this isn't sneaking out of She'Mehay to play a prank on an avian. Your talking about leaving for some place you can't come back from by yourself." He was visibly distressed at this point.
"Its fine. Now come on, were going to be late at this rate." He shifted and slid up to his perch on my neck and aside from the occasional hiss was completely silent and still for the rest of the ride back.
++++++++++++++++++++ ++++++++++that night at the She'Mehay ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
The rest of the night I was listless and barely paid attention. I composed my note in between dances and soon pleaded exhaustion, even though anyone who knew me had seen be go the entirety of the Nimir'da on only a few hours of sleep each night.
Dear mom and dad,
By the time you find this I will have already gone. Alex can explain more, give him Memphis, and don't worry!
La'gen'Erika
Translations:
Melos; a scarf like accessory given to dancers as a praise for their skill and a request for a performance, they can also be used a props in dances and over her 19 years of dancing Erika has collected many.
She'Mehay; The dancers guild/nest where dancers train, teach and live together. I imagine its like one big slumber party 24/7.
Nesera'Erika'aona'Shm'Ahmnik; it basically translates into dancer Erika, princess of Ahmnik.
Nimir'da; it's the serpentine celebration of Maeve's seduction of Leben, it is a week long festival of food, drink, and dancing.
La'gen; is basically how you end a letter, in this case it means Love, Erika.
A/N: Here is my contribution to the undeservedly small fandom of the kiesha'ra/den of shadows series.
Three to get ready
And four to go
Araceli had known about Erika from the day she had been conceived. Her parents, Araceli's grandchildren (well grandchild and his mate) had bound Erika in the womb to try and keep her from the eyes of her great-grandmother and the city that was hers by birthright. Safe in their conviction that Wyverns court wasn't a threat to the white city and that she had given up on monitoring them they remained unaware that their child had been a point of interest to the white lady, she doubted they even knew how bored their child had grown amongst the open societies and politics of her birthplace.
"Mikael, go retrieve a falcon named Erika, she will not be able to fly so use what ever you need to in order get her here. Do not force her, if she does not come of her own free will let her be."
"As you wish, lady." The merlin had been trained as part of the mercy, and along with his three other trainees had yet to gain a place in any mercy. With this new falcon arriving, he might just have a chance to prove his worth.
In a tower of purple and silver an aplomado's mind stirred for the first time. She borrowed a feather of fate and made it dance, it said she would burn.
It said she would freeze.
It said she would fly.
It said she would fly.
How she wished she had heard it.