Gryfalcon

by Jimaine

The Black Gryphons mate Zhaneel was the first of her kind, abused because her parents were killed when she was young. This is the story of her parents, how they fell in love&how they died. Set during the Mage Wars. Please read and review! Aubri cameo

1. Littletuft

Disclaimer: Mercedes Lackey, genius she is, owns all this. Not me, and I'm not making anything off this.

Authors Note: This takes place more than a decade before The Black Gryphon, 987 BF (987 years before the founding of Valdemar), during the Mage Wars

Chapter I: LittletuftRikashi Levonkae cocked her head at her instructor. The human wasn't from one of the Kaled'a'in Clans, nor had he ever worked with gryphons before. If he had, he'd have known that Rikashi was vexed.

"Why isn't this working?" she demanded. "I was diagnosed as a Master Mage, this should be simple!" the female gryphon bristled, her ivory-and-red feathers on end in annoyance. Her beak was slightly shorter than most gryphons and her wings, fluttering in annoyance, were a little too pointed. She was lithe and slim, body taunt with the training that had consumed her life and those of every other gryphon. A year over mature, she had only been on two long-distance missions; she didn't seem to be suited for them. The mandatory testing for mage-gift had begun a few months ago, and the Master attempting to teach her couldn't explain why she was only able to do some of the things a Master Mage should be able to accomplish. Even is she wasn't suited for long-distance combat, she could be useful if she was a Master.

The human sighed, taking a step back from the irate gryphon. "Levonkae, take a day off. Maybe you've got a block. It happens sometimes."

Rikashi stalked off, talons ripping into the soft ground of the camp, towards the aeries.

A familiar mottled brown shape laughed as she stormed into the aerie. "Bad time, Rika?"

"Shut your beak, Aubri," Rikashi snapped at the male. She had known Aubri longer than she cared to remember, and his aerie was right next to hers.

"Littletufts, calm down. You can't expect to become a full Master in a few months!"

"I could to. If I could just figure out how to do it!" Rika growled as she slumped down in the shade of the awning over the entrance of her aerie.

"If you could figure out how to be a Master Mage in a few months, every Journeyman and Apprentice mage would flock to you, begging to be taught."

"Ugh."

"Yup. Ugh describes it perfectly.

"This means I have to do this the hard way, doesn't it?"

"Yup."

Rikashi sighed.