Heyla everyone. Just a few tasks to take care of before I start the fic.
If Mercedes Lackey were to write this, you would be paying for it. By reading this, are you paying for anything more than internet time? No. thus, it is safe to assume that I am not the Great Lady and thus do not own Velgarth and all related characters + places. This is the only time for this fic I will say it, just assume that it carries over to later chapters.
I like reviews very much. So try to review if you like/have something to say. And I take anons too, so don't not review solely because you think I don't.
Due to lack of font styling remaining, thoughts will be in *this*, mindspeech in :this:
Did I get everything Leaf? (He's the muse in charge of this fic, you'll hear from him from time to time.)
Leaf: *regards above text* Yes, so now the fic will (finally) begin.
***
The people plodded on, the huge line resembling a human river, dark spots and lighter spots, some where they mixed, all of them with one goal in mind: the land from which they had fled twelve long years ago. A good many of them were mounted on amazing horses: strong of muscle and swift of foot, making up for the fact that the horses were definitely... ugly. Birds flew overhead, sharp cries echoing, and some were further ahead, answering their flock mates' calls.
And, was that a mouse?
:Hy'a,: Starwhisper complained to the red-tailed hawk. :How am I supposed to see where we are if you can't keep your mind off of food for ten minutes.: The bondbird did not answer, he did not have to. She sighed and raked her fingers through her short-cropped black hair.
Hy'a wasn't even Star's bondbird, her brother's, in fact, but he sometimes let her see through his eyes. As did other bondbirds, most without the knowledge of their bonded. *Good thing that Hawk doesn't get jealous, Hy'a tells him everything. Then I'd be in big trouble.* Star was suddenly more grateful than ever for her older brother's cheerful, friendly disposition. This was the closest she could ever get to flying: now and in her dreams.
And even though they all liked her, no bondbird had bonded to her yet. *Well, at least twelve isn't old to be unbonded. Still. A bondbird of my own, meet a gryphon, get a constant home. That's about all I want.*
'Dreaming, Star?' someone behind her asked, causing the twelve year-old to jump.
'Hawk!' Star complained. 'How often are you going to do that?'
The older boy grinned wickedly, green eyes flashing in amusement. 'I don't know... how long will you continue jumping?' Star said nothing. 'So, didn't see anything, did you.' She shook her head and he sighed.
'Well, they said that we would be there today, but a gryphon would be useful now...'
'But they're all gone with K'Leshya, I know, I know,' Star snapped. Hawk looked taken aback at his sister's vehemence, then smiled softly. 'Dreaming of gryphons again, sister-mine?'
'Yes,' she said in a very small voice. He was the one who had told her about the gryphons, Urtho's favorite creation, almost his children. Especially the Black Gryphon, Skandranon.
'Well, maybe you'll find them some day. Or they'll find you.' A shout from the front removed all chance of further discussion. It seemed important, and Hawk wasn't a very strong mindspeaker with humans.
The people near the front didn't seem very keen on giving up their spot, though, so they ended up making a shape like the crescent moon. A huge gaping hole, barren of all life or shelter awaited them.
'This is what comes of meddling with magic,' shouted the clan leader of Tale'sa'drin. 'We should just revoke it, let the Lady and Lord provide for us. The horses are perfect, and if the bondbirds could use a little work, it's a small sacrifice to prevent this,' he indicated the pit, 'from happening again.'
'It wouldn't happen again,' snapped her father, Windshadow. 'Those two were the last of the Great Mages, no one else could ever possibly control that much power, not even a large group of mages.'
The bickering continued, and Star winced. Her mother and father had been arguing over this for the past few moons. *What if they leave each other? What if I have to stay with mom?* Not that Star wasn't fond of her mother, it was just that she was almost as distant as the Lady. Shai'dha was usually away, traveling somewhere, in the group scouting ahead, rear-guard - she never stayed in one place long.
Windshadow, on the other hand, was like a pigeon coming home to roost. He would complete the task set to him, but always returned to the hearth-fire soon. And while he too was away often, he was warm and friendly when he was around his beloved children.
She went to go help clean the horses. That, at least, would take her mind off of things she had no control over.
***
'Hawk, Star,' Windshadow said later that night. Star had grabbed a plate of stew, and was hunched over it like a bird afraid its meal will be taken away, staring into the fire. 'We've reached a decision. Shai'dha will leave to go back to her clan, and I will stay with K'Vala. Hawk is staying with me, Star you -'
Shai'dha shook her head softly. 'No, Shadow, Star stays with you too. She's too much K'Vala, she'd feel uncomfortable without the birds and wild hair and all.' She actually smiled then., and it lit up her hard, sharp features. 'Not that I won't miss them too. It's just that, I don't like the idea of this happening again. It scares me, and anyone with any common sense for that matter. It's never been said that you bird-bonded have much in the way of common sense.'
The 'bird-bonded' clans set off around the plains the next day, entering the huge forest nearby.
***
The light filtered softly through the canopy of enormous trees, creating patches of shadows and an eerie atmosphere. The remaining clans shifted uncomfortably. 'Maybe we should have stayed with our cousins,' one man whispered. 'They will stay, trusting the Lady, and be safe, not like us, stuck in this gods-forsaken place.' Starwhisper looked to see who it was, but he was well hidden by the light and press of people.
When other mutters agreed with the man, fire burned sullenly in the pit of Star's stomach. Couldn't these people make a decision and stick with it? She was fascinated by the plants: trees that grew every way but up, flowers with beguiling patterns that snapped out at their prey, even plants that shifted away as if made uneasy by the large group. Some of the plants she saw weren't even plants, but some kind of creature that had grown to hide in the lush foliage.
:Kreesha?: Star asked one of the K'Chorna elder's ravens. :We won't have to go back, will we? I like it here.: The large black bird glided to her and landed on her armguard, fixing her with his dark gaze.
:We like it too, wingless sib. And we have a great say in what happens around here. After all, no one wants a flock of sullen bondbirds.: He said nothing after that, just ruffled his feathers, smoothed a few wayward ones out and took off again. *This is what happens when one 'speaks an elder's bird. You get the elder's answer from a bird's point of view.*
Kreesha's observation on the bondbird's comfort was not exaggeration, though. As Star looked around, she noticed that many birds had their face feathers puffed out, a sure sign of a sense of security and happiness, and the occasional one was asleep, or tucking their feet in their feathers in preparation to do so. *The birds have more sense than their bonded. Now that seems to be getting more and more common. Wonder if it's something in the water.*
'Think they've decided something,' Hawk's soft voice came from next to her and, for once, she didn't jump. Ignoring the previous statement, she asked, 'Will you teach me to move as quietly as you?'
'Sure, but later. They're deciding what we're going to do.'
'Let's hope that they listen to their bondbirds for once.' Hawk raised an eyebrow but said nothing. He knew of her habit of talking with everyone's birds, including Windshadow's own black eagle, and would say nothing on the subject. He never did.
'If we are going to stay here, as our bondbirds so fervently want to,' Elder Firestone was saying. She had been named for the meteor that had fallen next to her when she had been wanting to change her name. 'We will need a way to stay safe. I say we take a leaf out of our cousins' book and ask the Lady for a way to do so, in exchange for whatever duty She sees fit to assign us in return.' There were nods and agreeable murmurs from the human crowd, the birds chirped happily.
'But if we don't get an answer,' the man who had complained earlier asked, 'then what will we do?'
'Continue on,' Firestone snapped. 'What else would we do?'
So they waited till moonrise.
***
Leaf: Short first chapter, will not update till I get some (3+) reviews. So if you want more, press the oh-so-pretty little purple button on the bottom left-hand corner of the page and tell me so. I don't read minds, after all.
Hawk: You heard the muse, R&R and get another chapter.
If Mercedes Lackey were to write this, you would be paying for it. By reading this, are you paying for anything more than internet time? No. thus, it is safe to assume that I am not the Great Lady and thus do not own Velgarth and all related characters + places. This is the only time for this fic I will say it, just assume that it carries over to later chapters.
I like reviews very much. So try to review if you like/have something to say. And I take anons too, so don't not review solely because you think I don't.
Due to lack of font styling remaining, thoughts will be in *this*, mindspeech in :this:
Did I get everything Leaf? (He's the muse in charge of this fic, you'll hear from him from time to time.)
Leaf: *regards above text* Yes, so now the fic will (finally) begin.
***
The people plodded on, the huge line resembling a human river, dark spots and lighter spots, some where they mixed, all of them with one goal in mind: the land from which they had fled twelve long years ago. A good many of them were mounted on amazing horses: strong of muscle and swift of foot, making up for the fact that the horses were definitely... ugly. Birds flew overhead, sharp cries echoing, and some were further ahead, answering their flock mates' calls.
And, was that a mouse?
:Hy'a,: Starwhisper complained to the red-tailed hawk. :How am I supposed to see where we are if you can't keep your mind off of food for ten minutes.: The bondbird did not answer, he did not have to. She sighed and raked her fingers through her short-cropped black hair.
Hy'a wasn't even Star's bondbird, her brother's, in fact, but he sometimes let her see through his eyes. As did other bondbirds, most without the knowledge of their bonded. *Good thing that Hawk doesn't get jealous, Hy'a tells him everything. Then I'd be in big trouble.* Star was suddenly more grateful than ever for her older brother's cheerful, friendly disposition. This was the closest she could ever get to flying: now and in her dreams.
And even though they all liked her, no bondbird had bonded to her yet. *Well, at least twelve isn't old to be unbonded. Still. A bondbird of my own, meet a gryphon, get a constant home. That's about all I want.*
'Dreaming, Star?' someone behind her asked, causing the twelve year-old to jump.
'Hawk!' Star complained. 'How often are you going to do that?'
The older boy grinned wickedly, green eyes flashing in amusement. 'I don't know... how long will you continue jumping?' Star said nothing. 'So, didn't see anything, did you.' She shook her head and he sighed.
'Well, they said that we would be there today, but a gryphon would be useful now...'
'But they're all gone with K'Leshya, I know, I know,' Star snapped. Hawk looked taken aback at his sister's vehemence, then smiled softly. 'Dreaming of gryphons again, sister-mine?'
'Yes,' she said in a very small voice. He was the one who had told her about the gryphons, Urtho's favorite creation, almost his children. Especially the Black Gryphon, Skandranon.
'Well, maybe you'll find them some day. Or they'll find you.' A shout from the front removed all chance of further discussion. It seemed important, and Hawk wasn't a very strong mindspeaker with humans.
The people near the front didn't seem very keen on giving up their spot, though, so they ended up making a shape like the crescent moon. A huge gaping hole, barren of all life or shelter awaited them.
'This is what comes of meddling with magic,' shouted the clan leader of Tale'sa'drin. 'We should just revoke it, let the Lady and Lord provide for us. The horses are perfect, and if the bondbirds could use a little work, it's a small sacrifice to prevent this,' he indicated the pit, 'from happening again.'
'It wouldn't happen again,' snapped her father, Windshadow. 'Those two were the last of the Great Mages, no one else could ever possibly control that much power, not even a large group of mages.'
The bickering continued, and Star winced. Her mother and father had been arguing over this for the past few moons. *What if they leave each other? What if I have to stay with mom?* Not that Star wasn't fond of her mother, it was just that she was almost as distant as the Lady. Shai'dha was usually away, traveling somewhere, in the group scouting ahead, rear-guard - she never stayed in one place long.
Windshadow, on the other hand, was like a pigeon coming home to roost. He would complete the task set to him, but always returned to the hearth-fire soon. And while he too was away often, he was warm and friendly when he was around his beloved children.
She went to go help clean the horses. That, at least, would take her mind off of things she had no control over.
***
'Hawk, Star,' Windshadow said later that night. Star had grabbed a plate of stew, and was hunched over it like a bird afraid its meal will be taken away, staring into the fire. 'We've reached a decision. Shai'dha will leave to go back to her clan, and I will stay with K'Vala. Hawk is staying with me, Star you -'
Shai'dha shook her head softly. 'No, Shadow, Star stays with you too. She's too much K'Vala, she'd feel uncomfortable without the birds and wild hair and all.' She actually smiled then., and it lit up her hard, sharp features. 'Not that I won't miss them too. It's just that, I don't like the idea of this happening again. It scares me, and anyone with any common sense for that matter. It's never been said that you bird-bonded have much in the way of common sense.'
The 'bird-bonded' clans set off around the plains the next day, entering the huge forest nearby.
***
The light filtered softly through the canopy of enormous trees, creating patches of shadows and an eerie atmosphere. The remaining clans shifted uncomfortably. 'Maybe we should have stayed with our cousins,' one man whispered. 'They will stay, trusting the Lady, and be safe, not like us, stuck in this gods-forsaken place.' Starwhisper looked to see who it was, but he was well hidden by the light and press of people.
When other mutters agreed with the man, fire burned sullenly in the pit of Star's stomach. Couldn't these people make a decision and stick with it? She was fascinated by the plants: trees that grew every way but up, flowers with beguiling patterns that snapped out at their prey, even plants that shifted away as if made uneasy by the large group. Some of the plants she saw weren't even plants, but some kind of creature that had grown to hide in the lush foliage.
:Kreesha?: Star asked one of the K'Chorna elder's ravens. :We won't have to go back, will we? I like it here.: The large black bird glided to her and landed on her armguard, fixing her with his dark gaze.
:We like it too, wingless sib. And we have a great say in what happens around here. After all, no one wants a flock of sullen bondbirds.: He said nothing after that, just ruffled his feathers, smoothed a few wayward ones out and took off again. *This is what happens when one 'speaks an elder's bird. You get the elder's answer from a bird's point of view.*
Kreesha's observation on the bondbird's comfort was not exaggeration, though. As Star looked around, she noticed that many birds had their face feathers puffed out, a sure sign of a sense of security and happiness, and the occasional one was asleep, or tucking their feet in their feathers in preparation to do so. *The birds have more sense than their bonded. Now that seems to be getting more and more common. Wonder if it's something in the water.*
'Think they've decided something,' Hawk's soft voice came from next to her and, for once, she didn't jump. Ignoring the previous statement, she asked, 'Will you teach me to move as quietly as you?'
'Sure, but later. They're deciding what we're going to do.'
'Let's hope that they listen to their bondbirds for once.' Hawk raised an eyebrow but said nothing. He knew of her habit of talking with everyone's birds, including Windshadow's own black eagle, and would say nothing on the subject. He never did.
'If we are going to stay here, as our bondbirds so fervently want to,' Elder Firestone was saying. She had been named for the meteor that had fallen next to her when she had been wanting to change her name. 'We will need a way to stay safe. I say we take a leaf out of our cousins' book and ask the Lady for a way to do so, in exchange for whatever duty She sees fit to assign us in return.' There were nods and agreeable murmurs from the human crowd, the birds chirped happily.
'But if we don't get an answer,' the man who had complained earlier asked, 'then what will we do?'
'Continue on,' Firestone snapped. 'What else would we do?'
So they waited till moonrise.
***
Leaf: Short first chapter, will not update till I get some (3+) reviews. So if you want more, press the oh-so-pretty little purple button on the bottom left-hand corner of the page and tell me so. I don't read minds, after all.
Hawk: You heard the muse, R&R and get another chapter.