Keisha's Bondbird
Keisha smiled to herself as she counted the potions and herbs the hertasi had brought. For all that she had the gift of Healing, it was sometimes easier and less physically draining to simply use herbs instead of her Gift. Though this confused some people, both Darian and her sister Shandi approved.
"Keisha!" came the call from outside the house she shared with Darian. She looked out the window; it was Darian.
"Yes?" she asked.
"I have something to show you, and you must come now!" He sounded excited. Keisha quickly put away her herbs and ran out the door. "Come!" he told her, and led her to the base of the cliff in which Kelveren, the head of k'Valdemar vale's gryphon wing, Nightwind, Kel's trondi'irn, and Snowfire, Nightwind's mate and head of the k'Valdemar scouts, roosted. They were waiting for her, along with Kel, Shandi, Starfall, Firesong, and Silverfox. Sitting in the branches around them were the bondbirds.
"Keisha! There is someone who would like to meet you," called Nightwind. Keisha was surprised; she did not think there was anyone here she had not met before. Just then something landed on Darian's shoulder. She looked at it.
And gasped. It was a bird, but it most certainly not Darian's Kuari. It was a young sun-tailed hawk. "What's her name?" she asked. Swiftly Snowfire slipped a leather glove onto her arm. The hawk took off and lumbered through the air to land on her wrist.
Suddenly she heard a voice inside her head. :I'm Cala. We are bondmates, yes:
"Yes," Keisha grinned.
:Good: was the response:hungry:
"Here," Darian said giving her a smallish piece of meat.
:Thanks: Cala told Keisha.
"She says thanks," Keisha informed Darian and turned to Snowfire, "Who's idea was this?"
The reply surprised her. "Actually it was Cala and Pyreen who came up with it. They are good friends, and Cala knows as much about herb healing as Pyreen does. She even knows some things Pyreen doesn't."
That caused Keisha to laugh. She could easily imagine the dyheli and the bird coming up with this on their own. "That should help," she commented, "Now, I really need to go back to what I was doing earlier, or I might end up accidentally pouring bruise potion down someone's throat." With that she turned and went back to her workshop.