Taveon Hidorkae chased another quren down, the fleet-footed, deer-like creature darting faster than most gryphons could dive. Taveon slid through the air after it, single feather-flicks changing his direction with ease. His partner on the wing had fallen behind a mile back, shouting that Tav was coming within a hair of too close to Ma'ar's territory.
Tav may have gotten too close, but he also got the quren.
"About time, slow poke," Tav caroled as Ekon landed beside his kill. "And we get too few chances at fresh meat as it is."
"Which is why they assigned you to the hunting squad – you know that, right?" Ekon said as he and Tav secured the quren in the sling they would use to carry the beast back to their regiment.
The gray-plumaged gryphon sighed. "Yes. That was the official reason. The real reason is that I don't have to endurance to keep up with anyone else."
"You've got the fastest dive in the entire wing, Tav," Ekon reminded the depressed gryphon.
"Which means nil if I can't get to the fight in decent shape," Tav retorted as he and Ekon tool to the air.
Ekon sighed. He had only known the other gryphon for a few months, since Tav joined the First, and he had already figured out that he had not only a massive inferiority complex, but barely made it through the basic training required of gryphons who fought in Urtho's thrown-together army. "Tav, you know how boring it is to eat herdbeasts day in and day out. The gryphons and the kyree both would go insane without a little interest in the diet."
"So everyone says. I'm just tired of being a second-rate, not quiet good enough gryphon. I take the farthest back positions, and can't handle any long flights! It's just not in the way I'm built!"
"Hey, in this mix-matched creature Urtho dubbed an 'army', we may be the most important people. Keeping morale up and all!" Ekon gryph-grinned at his partner, who grinned back. "Sketi, the most interesting thing that happens around here is what we bring back!"
"After all," Tav chuckled, a deep gryphonic laugh that vibrated the straps holding the quren. "War is boring!"