I do not own any of the Path of Radiance characters, I just discovered I like to play with them.
However Esther, Kenji, Theos, Xsal, Elowyn, Hilnis and Copek are mine. No touchy! XD
Flying on Noble Wings
Shifting her four year-old son in her arms, Esther shook her head again. Her husband and his self-proclaimed best enemy – or worst friend – were yelling at each other again. They always found the stupidest matter to disagree on, and it was always a good excuse to share their dissenting views with the other side of Tellius. Why they had to be so loud, she would never know.
Added to the fact that they were both stubborn males with a deep voice, they could be quite unnerving if they really wanted to. But they were anyway, whether they really wanted it or not, and it had to stop. Kings or not.
"I still say they should have called me to take care of this!" Naesala hissed, his wings twitching. "I would have eliminated every single soldier in the blink of an eye, much faster than you!"
"Well, the rest of the army probably thought otherwise, because they chose me over you," Tibarn taunted, smirking and apparently happy to have bested Naesala. "Besides, they weren't sure you would even come, given how you like being mean and everything."
Naesala fumed and somehow reminded Esther of a five year-old kid throwing a tantrum when he balled his fists. "They are just stupid humans! If they can't even see I would have been a much better choice for that fight, then they aren't even worth it!" The King of Crows ruffled his feathers angrily; why did Tibarn feel the need to remind him he was useless in the final battle to free Crimea? He hadn't even gotten paid…
Silence reigned for a few seconds. Esther dared to believe that the two males were through with their quarrel, but her husband felt he had to add something. "With such a nasty temper, it's no wonder they didn't want you on their side."
Naesala growled and opened his mouth to bite back a comment, but Esther was faster. "Be quiet, you two! You have been fighting for the last two hours, don't you think enough is enough?" the female hawk scowled, stroking her son's dark brown hair with a frown. "Do I have to remind you we leave for Crimea in an hour?"
Both males growled but eventually stayed quiet and ignored one another. Esther sighed; each year it was the same, they would fly over to Crimea and celebrate the anniversary of the end of the Daein-Crimea war with those who participated in the war. They would party for a few days, and Esther loved those few hours. The Beorc were all nice and she liked to talk with them. But of course, first, she had to travel with the two birds whose ego was bigger than their isles.
Naesala was growling. "Don't remind me. I can't see why I even bother. I'd rather not be travelling with hawks, it makes me sick." He grimaced to emphasize his point.
Esther frowned and was about to reply that she would rather not be travelling with him either, and that it would have helped a great deal if Naesala's wife was here. But she wisely stayed quiet about it; his wife's death was still fresh in the Crow's mind. After all, Lisea just died two years ago, while giving birth to Naesala's second son. They had been married for a few decades at that time, and the King had been heartbroken. Tibarn had remarked he hardly ever had a heart in the first place, and Esther's first reaction had been to slap her husband. The death of a loved one was the worst pain in the world.
Instead, Esther just shrugged. "Your daughters said it would be nicer to travel together," she said, smiling at her son who was trying to catch a butterfly. The little brown-feathered hawk was the most curious creature she had been given to see: everything that could move interested him. His big green eyes would widen in astonishment whenever he saw a butterfly taking flight or an ant carrying a burden three times its size. Even if he was her second child, Esther never got tired of watching him play or sleep.
It surprised some people to learn that Naesala actually had four children: two elder daughters, and two younger sons. Elowyn was the eldest of the four; she was a striking young adult now, with gracefully-shaped black wings and long soft deep blue hair. All young males were dying to ask for her hand in marriage, but all young males were also frightened by Naesala. It was also unfortunate that Elowyn was blessed with the same sharp tongue as her father.
Hilnis was Naesala's second daughter. She was the spitting image of her late mother: her eyes were a mix of grey and green, which complimented her long dark green hair. She had the same gentle spirit as her mother, but she also had nerve. She could often be seen scolding her younger brother, Xsal, who was now a young teenager. The boy was quite the crazy little nestling, as Nealuchi liked to point out, always jumping from cliffs and doing cartwheels in mid-air. He had spiky jet black hair, and his grin had no equal on Kilvas. He had a quick mind, and an even quicker tongue.
Copek was the youngest son of the little family. He looked so much like his father that he could have been mistaken for a little Naesala: dark blue hair, black eyes, with a sharp nose and a cute smirk. He had just begun to learn how to walk, so he would be staying at Kilvas with Nealuchi for a few days. The old crow was always delighted to take care of "Nestling's little nestling".
Tibarn had been married to Esther, his beautiful blue-haired and green-eyed wife, for a little while longer than Naesala and Lisea, but they had only had two children, two sons. Theos was a little older than Naesala's eldest daughter, and he had inherited Tibarn's strong build and good heart. The young hawk, now an adult, had wild dark blond hair and deep blue eyes. Sometimes, when he hugged his mother, she felt like he could break her like a twig if he really wanted to, just like his father. But Theos was peaceful, and he really wanted to make his father proud. Recently, he had been promoted to captain, and he was taking his new responsibility seriously. He wouldn't be travelling with them because he was on a mission, but he would join them at Crimea Castle in a day or two.
Esther smiled as she settled her little burden in his father's powerful arms. Her little ball of feathers, her little Kenji. And he was already four year-old! Time sped by so fast, he wasn't a baby anymore. He could walk, he could speak a few words, and soon he would be able to fly: he was already trying. The female hawk was already missing the time when he would nap, make cute sounds and struggle to stand on his feet, his little brown wings flapping uneasily. Maybe she could ask Tibarn if he was interested in having a third child, after all she had always wanted a daughter…
"Speaking of the devil," Naesala muttered, and Esther raised her eyes to see Elowyn and Hilnis walking out of a corridor, laughing. Right behind them were Ulki and Janaff; the blond hawk looked utterly terrified, whereas the older one was just shaking his head, amused. Now this was surprising, Janaff used to tease the raven girls, not to look frightened as they laughed.
Ulki caught his queen's quizzical stare and spoke up. "He said he would drown Elowyn in the lake near the castle. She replied she would cut his hair and strangle him with it," the brown hawk stated calmly.
"Good girl," Naesala grinned. "So, are we going now?"
"But aren't we waiting for Theos?" Elowyn asked, frowning a little.
"Theos is gone on a mission, he'll arrive at Crimea in a day or two," Esther informed the young raven with a smile. The latter nodded her head, but the older hawk could tell she was disappointed.
Hilnis elbowed her sister. "Heard that, Wyn? Lovebird is coming over!"
"Be quiet!" her older sibling hissed at the nickname, and only Hilnis caught her slight blush. Oh, this was going to be fun.
The journey lasted all in all the whole day. It should have taken less time, but Tibarn and Naesala's constant bickering sometimes took their minds off of travelling and they would stop flying altogether to yell at one another more easily.
Then Kenji had gotten lost when they had stopped by a forest for a break, in the middle of Gallia. They all had scattered to find the missing little hawk, and after three hours of fruitless search, Elowyn, who had gone back to their makeshift camp, called them: Kenji was there, nestled in his father's big green vest on the ground, peacefully napping. Naesala took this chance to mock Janaff's so called great eyesight; and when Kenji was asked where he had been, the youngster had blinked and told the adults he had needed to pee with a small voice.
Naesala had laughed his black guts out, and so had Xsal, but he shut up immediately when his sisters had reminded him that when he was Kenji's age, he used to wet his bed at least four days a week.
"It's not something to be embarrassed about," Tibarn had assured his son while the crows were quarrelling. "So next time, tell us where you go, so we don't worry."
Now Melior was near. And the sun was already setting.
"I see the castle!" Janaff exclaimed suddenly. "And there are horses too, maybe some mercenaries are here as well."
"Oh great," Naesala groaned, already irritated.
"The mercenaries are good beorcs," Ulki said quietly.
The King of Crows glared at his cousin bird. "Are you trying to tell me I should have brought flowers?" he growled.
"I thought flowers didn't grow on Kilvas," the brown hawk answered calmly.
"They still don't."
"Well maybe it's the reason why your island smells so bad," Tibarn snorted.
"It doesn't, my dear cousin, and at least we don't put flowers everywhere to hide the fact that our land smells like shit, like some island I know," came back Naesala's snarl.
Tibarn was about to bite back another comment when he felt a gentle tug on his sleeve. He lowered his gaze to meet his son's questing one. "Daddy, what's shit?" Kenji asked innocently.
"Nothing you should be concerned about! But don't say it again," the tall hawk groaned, shifting his son's weight in his arms. The boy was wriggling, and it was getting difficult to fly and keep him still at once. "Love, please, take Kenji will you?"
Esther nodded and flew closer to her husband as Naesala chuckled. "What is it Tibarn? Don't want to be seen holding your kid because you're afraid it'll ruin your image?"
"Shut it, crow," was Tibarn's snarl.
"Whatever, softie."
Esther sighed and took her son from Tibarn's arms. It was true the broad-shouldered hawk didn't like to display affection openly very much, he saved it for more intimate moments. And while Esther loved the way he would show he cared for her at those moments, she had to admit that a peck, a kiss or a hug from time to time would be nice as well. The only times when he openly showed loving care regardless of who was present were the two times she had been pregnant. Maybe this was another reason why she wanted a third child, to get a bit more attention from Tibarn.
"Ah! Here is little Oscar!" Janaff exclaimed again, and Ulki winced. How he could stand being near the blond living chatter box all the time was beyond him, but he did anyway. Said hawk took a dive to land in front of Oscar; the paladin was brushing his horse when his winged friend completely fell from the sky.
"Hey there, little one!" Janaff greeted cheerfully.
The green-haired horseman smiled; Janaff apparently still thought he was a young child, and he wondered if he should call him Uncle Janny like the hawk once said he could. "Hey there, Janaff. How have you been?" the young man inquired.
"Fine, although I admit travelling with the King of Kilvas can be very exhausting,' the blond hawk sighed.
Oscar laughed. "So, is that why you are late?"
"I suppose." Janaff blowed his bangs away from his green eyes. He glanced up and saw his companions were landing as well. "Are there many people here already?"
"Nope, just the mercenaries," the lance knight answered. "Ike woke us extra early yesterday and we just arrived one hour or so ago. Although our new fort is closer to Melior than the old one, it's still a good two day-long journey."
"It's a long way," Janaff commented.
"It's even longer if you have to listen to Boyd singing, Titania shouting and Rhys and Mia kissing," Oscar chuckled, settling the brush down in a bucket near his horse.
Janaff widened his eyes. "The priest and the sword girl? They are together?"
The gentle paladin nodded, still smiling. "A few months ago, Rhys asked Mia why she kept on training him although she knew he couldn't be her rival. She admitted she liked to spend time with him; one thing led to another, and now they are together, as simple as that."
"So she is the one I hear him talking to," Ulki said as his feet touched the ground. "Good evening."
"Ah, good evening Ulki," Oscar greeted politely. "And good evening King Tibarn, King Naesala and…" The man struggled to remember the names of the other members of the bird tribes, but to no avail. "And everybody else."
Naesala stretched out his huge black wings and ran his hand through his midnight blue hair. "Whatever, beorc. Don't expect me to say good evening back, I'm too tired to do that," the crow said.
Oscar just smiled and picked up his bucket with his cleaning tools. "Why don't you just come inside? There's a great fire going and dinner will soon be ready, we can share stories with everyone else."
Naesala snorted. "I was about to do that, beorc." Elowyn silently crushed her father's foot under her own, irritated by his lack of manners. "Well… thanks anyway." Naesala then walked towards the main gate of the castle; his daughters set off after him after an apologetic smile to Oscar.
Tibarn walked nearer. "Don't take it personally, that crow was never taught how to speak normally," he said as a way to apologize for his cousin's lack of sympathy. Esther nodded as she too neared the paladin. She had always liked the green-haired young man because he was always in a good mood and was ready to help anyone at anytime.
"Don't worry, I got used to it," Oscar assured the hawks with a nod. "It's a bit chilly out here, come on let's head inside, you must be tired after your flight." But then his gaze landed on the bundle of feathers in Esther's arms, and his smile broadened. "Well, if it isn't Kenji the Little Feather! Already asleep, boy?"
The little hawk raised his head to see Oscar smiling down at him, and he squealed the beorc's name happily. Esther laughed alongside the lance knight; whenever they visited each other, Oscar would play with Kenji and tell him stories, which was the reason why the kid was attached to the young man. Tibarn's wife held her son out to Oscar. "Someone is impatient," she chuckled as Kenji reached out for Oscar.
The paladin took the young hawk in his arms and settled him against his chest so his wings wouldn't be crushed. "My, you have grown! Soon you'll be taller than me, little bird," he teased as he ruffled Kenji's wild hair. The youngster mewled and wrapped his arms around Oscar's neck, snuggling up to him. By watching those two hug each other, Esther really had the impression that the gap between Beorc and Laguz was definitely closed, yet sadly those beorcs were ones of a kind, and what went on in this castle was nowhere near what was happening all over Tellius.
Esther was dragged out of her thoughts by a warm hand on her shoulder. She glanced up at her husband, who smiled. "Lost in thoughts again?" he chuckled.
The comment was shrugged off, but not the hand as Esther hugged Tibarn's arm. She put her head against his shoulder and relished in his soothing body warmth as he allowed her to do so. But her peaceful moment was short-lived as Tibarn moved away from her embrace to take her hand. "Come on, let's see how many people Naesala managed to annoy since we arrived."
Esther wanted to sigh and tell Tibarn that she didn't give a damn what the crow did and that she'd rather spend some time with her husband. But she nodded, and followed the tall hawk inside.
