Disclaimer: Any and all recognisable concepts relating to the world of Velgarth and all it's environs and contained ideas such as the Tayledras, Shin'a'in and Kaled'a'in, the Empire of the Haighli Black Kings, the city of White Gryphon, Bondbirds and so on and so forth, are the sole property of the author Mercedes Lackey. I'm not her, I'm merely Careless Whilst In Possession Of An Overactive Imagination.
Notes: I forgot to mention this last chapter and there seems to be a bit of confusion so; this is set at the same time as the Winds trilogy… hence the references to Treyvan and Hydona flying north in the first chapter. Halli and Fallingstar have been blown into Tayledras lands by a storm- currently I have no plans for them to meet up with Treyvan, Hydona or anyone else from the Winds books. I like making up my own alters.
Chapter Two- The Tayledras for "Don't Shoot!"
These Tayledras chaps look remarkably like our k'Leshya humans you know. I've managed to make it outside the tent and am currently sitting calmly and collectedly beside my scouting partner, Fallingstar. Across the fire from us is one of the aforementioned Tayledras, a lad who looks about twenty and goes by the name of Frostfire k'Shona. He's still looking rather bemused— he had thought that Fallingstar was Tayledras from one of the other Clans apparently despite Fallingstar's pronounced Kaled'a'in accent— and had been rather curiously asking him questions about the basket (how in the Star-Eyed's name had he moved it?), how he'd ended up here (what do you mean 'flew'?) and other such delights until I poked my beak out the tent flap and said zhaai helliva with a much more convincing accent.
Frostfire recognised me— as did his companion and apparent mount, a dyheli doe called Tarragon— as a gryphon and I think that's what is making the pair of them ever so slightly awe-struck. Apparently I'm the only gryphon ever to be seen by a member of k'Shona— apart from one of the Clan Elders who has recently returned from a trip to the northern Clans and spent at the home of k'Sheyna.
It seems that k'Sheyna has a pair of gryphons living next door to them so to speak… I can't believe that Treyvan and Hydona went that far north, although apparently k'Sheyna is also playing host to some weird Outlanders from even further north as well. It boggles the mind really.
"You really are Kaled'a'in?" That is Frostfire, who is switching piercing blue eyes between Fallingstar and myself. Frostfire has blue eyes and silver roots to his dyed hair— which indicates exposure to strong magic and yet I can't sense a Mage Gift in him, which is odd to say the least.
"Indeed," I reply with faint amusement, "Hallirrran Sarrrikae kena Lesshya of the Kaled'a'in sscity of White Grryphon, if you want to get piicky." As I finish reciting my name, I drop my beak open in a gryphon grin and exchange a look with Fallingstar who rolls his eyes at me.
"Halli takes some getting used to, especially if you've gryphons not seen before." He remarks in pretty good Tayledras, before obviously stretching and leaning back against my side.
"Tccah, no more than yoou, Fallingsstarr." I remark good naturedly.
:I wouldn't worry about Frostfire's silly questions,: I look over at the dyheli, who seems to have the unflappable aplomb that most of the k'Leshya herd project, :besides, the whole Council will probably want to ask you exactly the same things so we may as well try to limit the repetitions.: That last is said with a significant mental nudge to Frostfire who starts slightly and stops staring at us.
"Oh, yes! Of course— the whole Clan and the Council will want to meet you and—"
"Assk lotss of quesstionss?" I clack my beak in a meditative fashion and eye up the young Tayledras quietly. For his part, Frostfire flushes slightly as he stumbles to his feet and coughs with apparent embarrassment.
"Uh, well… you're the first gryphon most of them will have met and besides, we only found out about you— uh, the Kaled'a'in a half dozen moons ago." He explains rapidly, causing Fallingstar to squint in concentration as he mentally deciphers the meaning behind the words.
Someone should have paid more attention to his language lessons, shouldn't he? I let my partner feel a brief flash of amusement from myself and he sighs in response and replies with a slight mental spark— the Mindspeech equivalent of a friendly swat, before levering himself up using my flank as a base point and gaining his own feet.
"I guess the camp we pack up then?" He asks rhetorically in his lilting version of Firefrost's language, before shaking his head and giving a long suffering sigh.
"I only just got it all set up!" He turns and complains at me in our own tongue, before stalking— in a bruised limping sort of fashion— over to the pile of kit next to our tent and beginning to organise it back into the correct canvas packs.
I stretch and flip my wings to settle the feathers before wandering over to join Fallingstar, closely followed by an intensely curious Tayledras. "Can I help at all?" He says, craning his head to stare in fascination as Fallingstar rolls up our maps and slots them back in their carry case, before stuffing the reinforced tube into his personal backpack.
"Sssa," I nod my head, "Emptying ourr thingss frrrom the tent would be helpful." I wave one fore claw in the direction of the dome-shaped structure. "Jusst put it outside in a pile and wee can ssorrt it out from therrre."
As the two men busy themselves, I concentrate on collecting up and burying the debris from our meal, and then swapping places with Fallingstar, loading our now full packs into our slightly battered carry basket whilst he checks the campsite and puts out the fire by piling wet loam over it.
"Um," the voice is slightly confused, and I pause in using my beak and both claws to secure the basket's pack ties to regard Frostfire. "This is the last of it—" he mutely holds up the soft leather and dulled metal that makes up my basket harness and I bob my head.
"That iss mine," I tell him, "there should alsso be rropess, yess? Get them alsso and lay them all herre," I indicate a space next to the basket with a hind foot and walk over towards the now empty tent.
I nose aside one of the flaps and check that the tent is indeed empty, which it is and quickly withdraw before applying the brief touch of magic needed to activate the folding spell anchored in it's fabric. I watch with pleasure as the tent proceeds to folds itself up far more neatly than I could ever have managed and twitch an ear tuft in amusement as I catch sounds of jingling and creaking, indicating that Fallingstar is checking and laying out the harness and basket lines.
"What is all this?" I pick up the packet that the tent now is with my beak and one fore claw and hobble my way towards the basket. With my mouth full, it's up to Fallingstar to answer Frostfire's question.
"Lines, the basket for, and harness for Halli." He shoots a wicked look at me. "Great gryphon she is, not enough to carry this all in claws, however!"
I snort and drop the tent. "Ssilly human," I reply in a superior tone of voice. I turn my attention to the young Tayledras. "What he ssaid, the firrsst parrt anyway; my flight harrrness and linesss to the basket so that poorrr Fallingsstarr issn't left behind when we sscout."
"Oh," Frostfire looks up at me and blinks.
"That in basket, you put, yes?" Fallingstar addresses Frostfire as he prods the deserted tent with one toe. "Halliran, I have to help now."
Long practice makes the task of wiggling myself into my flight harness short work, and Fallingstar is quick and efficient at checking all of the buckles and joints, as well as arranging the harness correctly around my wings. "Ssa, it will do," I assure him and pace across to the far side of the clearing to begin my warm up exercises as Fallingstar shows Frostfire how to tie the tent down into the basket and to attach the lines to the basket in the correct order.
:This is all very impressive,: I pause at the height of a stretch up on my hind legs and cock my head sideways in the direction of Tarragon. The dyheli doe nods towards the carry basket. :Your methods and equipment. I can't see, how you are going to be able to lift all of that weight, though.:
:Not just equipment.: I reply in Mindspeech, :the not unconsiderable weight of my scout partner as well; Fallingstar will also be in the carry basket.: I complete the stretch and move into the next set of exercises, extending my wings until the tips of my primary feathers are spread wide and then beginning down strokes of varying strength as my claws grip into the mossy forest floor.
Tarragon wrinkles her nose and squints slightly as I whip up my own personal wind and send loose bits of dirt scattering around. :I confess to being even more confused then,: she admits. Over the sounds I am making, I can hear Frostfire exclaiming something to Fallingstar, but I can't make out what.
:He thinks you're very impressive, silly bird.: The thought arrives in my head courtesy of a certain Kaled'a'in and I respond by posing ever so slightly. I am a gorgeous gryphon, after all.
:Magic,: I say succinctly to the dyheli, :there's a spell on the carry basket that negates weight but not mass— which means that it's incredibly easy to lift, but still something of an effort to tow around.:
:Ah…: she shifts her weight from hoof to hoof. :The Vale mages will be crawling all over that to ferret out it's secrets, I warn you now.:
Wonderful. All roll up for the amazing travelling Kaled'a'in sideshow, complete with rare and unusual feats of magic!
I think Tarragon catches some of the edge of my rather black edged thoughts as she snorts with the dyheli equivalent of amusement and adds a further comment. :I think that you're large and intimidating looking enough to keep them in check, however.: Grand.
I fold my wings against my side and twitch my tail from side to side slowly as I stare at the dyheli for a moment, before turning my attention back to the humans across the clearing from us. Fallingstar, with Frostfire's help has the lines all secured to the carry basket and laid out neatly along the ground, just waiting for your truly. The Tayledras scout is gazing wide-eyed at me— apparently gryphon acrobatic warm ups are interesting to him— and Fallingstar is ignoring me as he rummages for something in the basket, bending down next to the woven wicker structure which comes up to his waist.
"Well, I'm rready," I stroll over towards the basket and sit near to my end of the clip ropes. "Come on Fallingsstarr, let uss go meet this Vale of Frrosstfirre'ss."
"Hmm," oh, it looks like he's back to being He Who Grunts. A quiet exclamation and a final struggle with something in a pack and Fallingstar straightens up with both of our personal teleson bands in his hands. Making his way carefully over the laid out ropes to me, he hands me the larger of the dulled metal headsets, which I adjust to fit snugly against my head and Fallingstar does the same with his before reaching down to begin hooking the basket lines up to my flight harness.
"Ssa, we might have a problem, though," I glance from Frostfire to Tarragon. "Neither of usss know where this 'Vale' of yourrss iss, and I'm not surre that either of you could give arrriel dirrectionss to me?"
Tarragon shakes her head. :I know I couldn't.:
"Uh," Frostfire coughs and holds up his right arm, which I now notice is covered entirely by a leather gauntlet. A vague shiver just above my current Mindspeech range crawls past my head and I twitch both ear tufts. "I have a Bondbird; this is Ziff—" a dark shape arrows through the upper canopy of the nearby trees and hones in on the young man's fist, revealing his until now absent bird to be a peregrine falcon— a female by her dark colouring.
The bird returns my scrutiny with a wide-eyed gaze, and a high pitched Mindvoice echoes around my head. :Biiig bird! Frostfire— big bird!:
Fallingstar finishes hooking the last of the lines up and steps towards Frostfire, eyes alight with fascination. "All have Bondbirds, you?" He asks as the falcon preens her wings and leans into the scratches that her Bondmate is giving her with his free hand.
"No Ziff, this is Halliran, she's a gryphon— From about the age of fourteen, yes; all Tayledras have Bondbirds," he explains. "Could Ziff lead you?"
"I don't sssee why not," I agree amicably, before standing up and looking expectantly at Fallingstar.
Tarragon paces forwards to stand next to her scout partner and nudges him in the side with her nose. :I have a better idea, I shall run ahead and alert the Vale and both you and Ziff can show Halliran the way—:
"What?" Frostfire looks stunned and hangs his mouth open.
:Politics and diplomacy, my dear; I'm sure Fallingstar and Halliran will feel safer if they have a potential hostage; and it will certainly forestall silliness on the behalf of some of k'Shona's hotheads.: Tarragon explained. :I can also run faster without you, and I get the impression that gryphons fly fast.:
I gape my beak open in a gryphon-grin and snicker audibly. "I ssupposse sso, although I won't admit that either myself orr Fallingsstarr werren't thinking anything of the ssorrrt." I exchange a look with my partner. "Bessidess, therre'ss nothing that can comparre to flying!"
Fallingstar shakes his head. "An experience, it would certainly be." He puts in. "Join us, will you?"
A grin edges it's way onto Frostfire's face. "If you really don't mind," he says in a diffident tone of voice, "I mean, I've shared Ziff's eyes but it's not really the same thing…"
:Go on—: Tarragon steps backwards and plants her nose into the small of Frostfire's back, shoving him bodily forwards, :—I'll see you at the Vale entrance with a confused welcoming committee!: The doe wheels on her hind legs and launches herself off out of the clearing, her pale cream coat flashing in the light as she darts off.
Frostfire casts his Bondbird up into the air and then approaches the carry-basket hesitantly. "So… where do I fit?" He asks.
"One thing, first we must know; Mindspeech, have you?" Fallingstar asks. "In the air, hard to hear it will be. Halli and I by Mindspeech will be talking— you can us, join?"
"I— think so—" Frostfire frowns. :Can you Hear me?:
:Da, loud and clear.: I reply with a shake of my head. :Let's get moving now people!:
"Right, Halli is." Fallingstar points out, "much as pains me, it does, to admit."
"Tccah!" I snort with derision.
"Frostfire, you up the front get, yes? Here between the packs and I behind you." I stand up again and hum tunelessly to myself as I half listen to Fallingstar instruct the Tayledras scout on how to sit in a carry basket. "—to this and this, you hold. Very jerky and windy will be it, but sit rigid you must not, try to counter movements of basket as I will do; you should feel this."
A creaking of wicker, plus the wonders of my extensive peripheral vision lets me know as Fallingstar settles himself in the rear of the basket, counter-balancing Frostfire's weight and I turn to face them and the basket.
I spread my wings out halfway and shake them slightly. :I'm going to launch over you,: I warn them, :So that I can make it up through the gap in the tree canopy without bashing you into too much in the way of tree branches.:
:Thanks for that consideration Halli.: Fallingstar's sending has more than a shading of sarcasm, which I ignore as I flex my wings out fully and raise them high above my back, simultaneously crouching closer to the ground.
:Hold on—: I direct the thought primarily at Frostfire— Fallingstar should know the drill by now— as I leap forwards into the air and shove my wings downwards in a series of powerful launch strokes. Flurries of gryphon-made wind and ash whip below me as I surge upwards quickly. A slight jerk downwards on the harness announces the carry basket leaving the ground as I tow it skywards after me, heading for the now very close gap in the tree canopy.
Over the howling of the crisp air and the startled explosion of sounds from the native animals that inhabit the treetops I can still hear Frostfire's delighted yell as he experiences gryphon flight for the first time.
I point my beak to the clouds and scoop air under my wings, propelling my passengers and I higher above the ground, until the forest seems nothing more than an uninterrupted roll of textured green.
An excited shrill of a raptor and I suddenly find myself being paced by a falcon that is also babbling away in open Mindspeech. :Bondmate fly! Fly up with big-bird-Halliran, up in sky with Ziff!:
:Well, your bird seems to like it, how about you?: My question is coloured yellow with amusement, that only increases as I receive an inarticulate burst of wonder and excitement back from Frostfire.
I cant my wings slightly and smooth off into level flight, dipping my left wing and cupping it slightly to bring my around the face the same direction that Tarragon took along the forest floor. :Which way to this Vale of yours then?:
:Uh—: I sense Frostfire pull himself together and feel the basket shift balance on the ropes slightly as he leans forward and looks around. :There! The river, follow that and it's by the waterfall, on the western bank-side.:
I glance down and catch sight of the river running below us, like a shining silver river and sweep my wings forward, the edges of my primaries flashing in my peripheral vision.
:Right, I hope your Clan are up for a surprise,: I send with humour as I catch sight of a blur of white water vapour and grey rock a fair distance ahead.
We should be descending on them in little more than a quarter mark…