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 Posted: Mon May 24, 2010 9:38 pm
Dame Elenda of Mandor....the night wears slowly on and on...Dame Elenda bent to the ground and gathered up her cloak, throwing it about her shoulders and refastening the Chain. The crowd around her began to turn back to their previous activities. Elenda looked around at the people, at the lights hanging from roofs, at the stars visible in the night. She paused to drink in the general din and random noises of the festive town, sealing the moment into her memory. Worn from riding and sparring, conscious of the attention of the crowd, excited by the adventurous quest that loomed over their immediate future... this was the life of a Knight. Elenda took a deep breath and set off again into the hubbub, randomly recognized and lauded as she went, revisiting some of her favorite shops in the castle town. Knowing she shouldn't spend too much more time, she stopped only brielfly to greet those she knew well, or to view some display of wares or entertainment, or to answer some question about their Errand. By the time the dame knight completed her circuit and arrived back at the Erran-Riders' Inn, she was supremely content. Dame Katria of Mandor arrived moments after Dame Elenda did, and the two invited each other to sit by the fire in the common room. This other dame knight was a well-liked acquaintance of Elenda's, if not a close friend. Over a tankard of spiced mead, they compared their night's experiences and talked happily about what might be waiting for them upon their Errand's road. Katria was three years older than Elenda, handy with a mace and shield, and possessed of a notable intuition. "...but I think it's worth a few extra coins to inspire a bit more effort into the music," she ways saying of a minstrel's booth--or, rather, of minstrels in general. "And then all those cheers from the other end of the court! Was that your Arc of Light I saw earlier?" Elenda managed not to blush. "Anything for the crowd," she said with a slightly embarrassed smile. "The day is almost over anyway, so 'twas no waste. It's not every day one has a chance to reward the people for their favor." "And earn a little more for your trouble," Katria prodded amiably. A dimple appeared near one corner of Elenda's down-turned smile. "Perhaps." Katria only grinned wistfully. "I only wish I could earn such renown. ...Well, I've kept you long enough. I'm sure you'll want to retire soon; I know I do." She stood from the couch and arched her back. "Indeed, yes. It's been a long day." "Bright dreams to you, then, Dame Elenda." "And to you. And many thanks for the merry conversation." "'Twas my pleasure. Good night." "Good night," Elenda replied, raising the last of her tankard in goodwill. Dame Katria nodded a farewell and strode off toward her room. Elenda turned back toward the fireplace and watched the flames with a contented sigh. ....until its inevitable end in glorious repose.
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Posted: Tue Jun 01, 2010 4:10 pm
 "Glorious adventure awaits, better rest up."
Shane had since went back to the smithy to forge some generic weapons for the other knights and combatants, but he went there more to feel the heat of the forge than anything. "After a long, hard day, nothing relaxes my body better than the heat from a well-prepped forge." he thought as he closed up his shop for the night. He walked out into the night, taking in the sights and sounds, and eventually passed by the Errand-Riders' Inn. Shane smirked as he saw the Dame Elenda conversing with her colleague, the Dame Katria. However, Shane didn't stop to mingle, instead he went out to the edge of the city's limits, in a mild forest, where he laid down a blanket and sat on it, looking at the stars. After a few minutes, however, his eyelids began to droop and his body protested against the lack of sleep, and he soon lay back and drifted to sleep.
|| OOC ||
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Posted: Wed Jun 23, 2010 6:50 pm
Dame Elenda of Mandor....dawn, and the errand looms.The first day of Summer dawned bright and early. Elenda's room in the Errand-Rider's Inn warmed quickly, filled as it was from the sun's light through the large glass window, creating a mesh of diagonal line shadows along the entire wall. The dame knight lay in a green-covered bed, dressed in a nightshift, her armor arranged on a low table near the dressing screen. She slept on her side, turned toward the window, the sunlight causing her face to glow. In the warm, red dark behind her eyelids, Elenda took a deep breath, slowly waking. Her face scrunched up, and she squinted one eye open. The bright spot in the translucent window, where the sun would be, was still too bright to look at. Elenda closed her eye and rolled onto her back, rubbing her eyelids with her fingertips until they opened. Another deep breath turned into a yawn, and she stretched beneath the coverlet. The room had grown stuffy. After another look at the window, Elenda sat up and removed the covers, put her bare feet on the floor, and walked over to kneel on the window seat. After playing with the window latch to get it open, the breath of fresh air that tumbled in was... well... a breath of fresh air. From her vantage point, Elenda could see most of the front of Mandor Castle Town, most prominently the enormous pillar of twisted black stone in the center of the courtyard. The scene stretched into the distance, the horizon lost behind the land's tall, tower-like mountains. "Good morning, Mandor. Your Summer begins, and the dragons are rising. Let us see what they're up to." Back from the window and behind the dressing screen, Elenda removed her nightshift and slung it across the top of the panels. The low table that held her armor also desplayed her outer clothes--newly washed by servants during the night. Calanon's crescent necklace rested against her chest, with its slender gold chain still fastened around her neck. Over her close-fitting linen undergarments Elenda pulled on her dark leggings, then squirmed into her comfortable wool tunic whose narrow, decorated front fell below her knees. After slipping into her long, soft leather boots, she donned her silk coat of deep green silk, lacing it up the front until it fit snugly around her figure. Gathering her thick, long hair together, she braided it loosely and fastened the end with a golden clasp. Completing her dress was a wide leather belt that tied the outfit together, along with soft but durable gloves, and then she was ready for her armor. Dame Elenda's set of armor was steel, covered with a white laquer and trimmed with gold. First came the complex collection of joined plates that went over her boots. Next were the two large plates fastened above each thigh. Then the breastplate covering her upper back and ribs, and the collared pauldrons. Finally the bracers were strapped to her forearms. Last, her hands and fingers were gauntleted with small, interlocked plates. Elenda's halberd was leaned against the wall. Taking it up, the dame knight strode from the room ready to sieze the day. ....morning, and the riders wake.
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Posted: Tue Jul 13, 2010 12:40 am
The blonde tamer scoffed to herself when the blacksmith displayed the audacity to challenge their leading Dame to a little sparring match. Zuuta may not have been the best when it came to human relations, but with animals, whenever a low-ranked individual challenged the higher power it usually didn't bode well for them. After only a few minutes, her hypothesis proved true; Elenda's skill and expertise trumped the blacksmith's brute strength. It was no wonder that she was chosen to lead this Errand.
Once the Dame and the smith parted ways, the crowd quickly dispersed to return to the festivities at hand. Zuuta stood where she was though, getting lost in stray thoughts about how maybe humans aren't so much different from the beasts they claim to be above. A whine from Haber managed to snap her out of it, for he was - once again - hungry. When she thought about it, neither of them had eaten since lunch back at the castle. Giving the hound a loving scratch beind the ear, she led him over to one of the many food stands that was set up around the courtyard-like space. She purchased a small pot pie for herself, and some meat scraps and pork bones for Haber.
They ate in silence for the most part. Occasionally one of the townsfolk would come up to her and ask her questions about her dog and the errand, but mostly about the dog. One of the curious people had actually acquired a horse from Zuuta's family some time ago, he gave her details about how the mare was faring and asked about how her family was.
"Ah, you know them. Pops be helpin' out any poor soul that passes by the doorstep, and Mam scolds him from behind the accounting books. Same ole, same ole," She responded casually. "They've had to hire some stablehands since I'm not 'round as much as I used to be. But I guess that'd be expected when their one kid goes off to serve the king, eh?"
The pair didn't linger much longer after their food was gone. All the excitement in the air seemed to be fading away, taking Zuuta's energy with it. Haber lumbered after her when she departed for the Errand-Rider's inn across the road, where a good nights sleep was waiting for them.
~~~
A muffled groan could be heard coming from Zuuta when the rays of sunlight streaming in from the window were bright enough that they couldn't be hidden from behind closed eyelids. A left arm covered with scars from hand to elbow was sluggishly raised to give her poor eyes a chance to adjust to the brightness of the new day. The scars were mostly bite marks and stratches, but a few of the thicker lines were caused from inexperience when she first began to wield whips as part of her profession. Some of them were lighter than others, while the newest one still had a bit of scab tissue attached to it. Her other arm was marked similarly, but it carried the shadow of a much larger gash; a present from one of the Stryders back home.
Zuuta struggled to lift herself from the mattress, only to find out that it wasn't grogginess keeping her down. Sometime during the night, Haber left his designated corner and crawled up onto the bed with her. Currently, his head was nestled on top of the small of her back, while his massive form was laying across her legs.
"Stupid dog...Get off me, you big oaf!"
After a few rough nudges, the hound lifted his head and gave a loud yawn before lugging his large body off of her and onto the floor. There he proceeded to splay out in the sunlight like a lounging cat.
Even though she didn't have the weight of Haber on her, she had to wait a few minutes for that annoying tingly feeling you get in your legs from sitting too long to fade. When she could finally get out from under the covers, more scars became visible on her torso, calves, and feet. That, and the fact she had worn nothing but her undergarments to bed. Zuuta didn't seem very concerned about it, though. She did so all the time at home, and she had one of the largest breed of dog to protect her if someone were to be stupid enough to intrude.
Once the sleep had been thoroughly rubbed out of her eyes, Zuuta hid behind the provided dressing screen to ready herself for the day. Unlike the day before, she wore a few extra pieces of both cloth and armor alike. A simple cropped blouse was the first thing she donned. Then she tugged a waist-length, short-sleeved chainmail shirt over her head, and wiggled into a pair of black leggings. Strapped into her striped leather torso plate, and pulled matching sleeves onto both arms; covering her numerous scars. She wrapped herself in the slitted crimson skirt which she held up with a belt made of rope.
The smooth metal chestplate came next, followed closely by a white glove and forearm guard on her left arm, and her signature clawed gauntlet on her right. She couldn't really say what kind of metal they were, but they served her well nonetheless.
Zuuta had to perch herself on the edge of the bed to squirm her feet into her long pale boots, staying seated while she buckled her shin and knee guards into place. Finally, she was fully armed and dressed. She couldn't help but chuckle to herself at how much effort it took just to get ready for the day, much less go through it.
Her gaze wandered towards the floor, where Haber was still sunbathing. When he was comfortable, he could be such a lazy dog. With a little coaxing, she got him to stand up and stay still as she strapped him back into his specially made saddlebags.
She reached up to relieve an itch upon her scalp, but then remembered that she had neglected to do anything with her shaggy, straw colored locks. On the nightstand lay a simple stand of leather cord, which she snatched up and proceeded to use to tie back her long hair. Zuuta had contemplated cutting it as short as a man's many a time, but had just never gotten around to doing so.
Standing up and grabbing her pack, she gazed around the now barren-looking room. Many of the King's knights had stayed in this room before her, and many more will probably stay there after her leave. Heck, she might have stayed in this exact room on a previous Errand, but at that moment she couldn't recall. Well, it was no skin off her back if she remembered or not. With the hound on her heels, Zuuta exited the room to face the long day spread out ahead of them.
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Posted: Sat Jul 17, 2010 1:20 pm
"A new dawn, a new day."
It was nearly sunrise when Shane awoke from his spot in the park. Amidst odd looks and glances, he got up and stretched as though it were perfectly normal for a man to be sleeping outside. After he donned his (admittedly light) armor and strapped his broadsword to his back, he made his way to the Errand-Riders Inn, where he suspected the other Riders were gathering for the upcoming Errand. However, it was still dark, so Shane resigned to crouch down near the door until somebody came out. The first person to leave the building was a young woman with a large dog. He read the woman as an animal handler, judging by the way the dog followed her and her overall demeanor. However, he took more interest in the dog, which looked more like a wolf than any dog he'd ever seen. "Nice dog, there." he said, standing up and taking a step forward. "You don't see many of those around here. Even rarer are the tame variety, or did you train him yourself?"
|| OOC ||
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Posted: Sat Jul 17, 2010 8:35 pm
Dame Elenda of Mandor....rising early for Summer's advent.Halberd in hand, Elenda descended multiple flights of stairs until she reached the ground level. Few of the inn's staff were awake at this early hour. Elenda made her way to the stables, where she had left her two mounts. The stable of the Errand-Riders' Inn was nowhere near as enormous or resplendent as that of Mandor Castle. Still, financed by the royalty, it was a cut above even the highest standards. Like Elenda, several others were here early to tend their own mounts. Elenda recognized many of them as the more common folk -- less comfortable with fame, and already well used to rising early. Some staff were here as well. "Good morrow, dame knight," said one, a hardy young woman in a soft leather apron, as Elenda returned the greeting and passed by. Elenda cared for her mounts, Hona and Aron, for nearly an hour. Both had been groomed during the night, but Elenda spent time with the brush anyhow, smoothing the sleep out of their thin fur coats. She made sure they were well fed for travel, and lastly she refastened the saddles and supplies By this time, many more knights and errand-riders had entered the stable to do much the same. The morning was off to an excellent start. ....in the stables merrily once again.
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Posted: Sat Jul 17, 2010 11:48 pm
The eerie silence of the inn during the early morning felt unsettling to Zuuta as she traveled down the staircases to the lobby. Back home, you could always hear some form of critter, wether it be a dog or a songbird, up and about. Even up at the castle it didn't get that quiet; patrols would pass the halls at every and any time of the day.
Haber had rushed ahead of her during their descent. When she finally reached the main floor, she found the hound whining and begging at the door to be let out. She gave a small smile at his antics as she crossed the room to join him. Any attempt to keep him from darting out the door as soon as she opened would have been futile, so she didn't try to. Haber did indeed dash out, but he soon stopped to look around. After a couple of seconds, he trotted towards an empty alleyway so he could finally relieve himself.
"Nice dog, there."
The sudden statement startled Zuuta a bit. She turned to see who it was, only to find it was that blacksmith who had challenged Dame Elenda the night before.
"You don't see many of those around here. Even rarer are the tame variety, or did you train him yourself?"
"Wolfhounds aren't as rare as you may think, especially in the Land of Ire," Zuuta responded. "You just have to have the right breeding connections. But Haber, he was born and raised on my family's ranch. I've been trainin' him and his siblings since they were small lil' balls of fur. The only thing that's rare about him especially is his size."
Taking a bit of a closer look at the blacksmith found that he wasn't that much taller than herself, probably only by a few inches. Then again, she herself was a bit on the tall side compared to the average woman.
Haber soon reappeared from the alley and sprinted back happily towards his master. His ears perked as an unfamiliar human scent reached his nose, and the dog's path changed courses. He soon slowed to a halt in front of the blacksmith, his features alert and his tail sticking out behind him. Who was this? Why did he interact with his human? Did he have food? Those were most likely the things he's ask if he could speak. But since he couldn't, he settled for sniffing at the strange man curiously.
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Posted: Fri Jul 23, 2010 10:56 am
"Company is always a good thing."
Shane knelt down as the wolfhound was alerted to his presence. He held out his hand for the dog to get used to his scent. "A friendly beast, but not on the battlefield, I'd wager." he said with a bit of a chuckle. "I've always had an affinity for beasts such as this, though I'd never think about taming them. To me, a beast is much happier in the open, free of any bonds. Not to say that your profession is a bad one." he added quickly, realizing he may have insulted the woman. "Eh, perhaps I should stop talking now. I don't do well with words." he said, somewhat embarrassed. He rose and pulled off the small satchel that was strapped to his belt. Opening it, he grinned for a split-second. "Does, eh, Haber, like raw meat?" he asked, trying the dog's name on his tongue.
|| OOC ||
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Posted: Mon Jul 26, 2010 11:17 pm
"Hey, if you didn't have people of my line of work, you wouldn't have all these convenient ponies to prance around upon, much less gryphons, pegasi, and Stryders." She retorted, her tone a little more gruff n' rough than probably neccessary. "If we didn't domesticate certain species of animals, there's a chance we'd all still be livin' out of caves like wildmen or something."
She planted her hands on her hips, wether out of frustration or stubborness one probably couldn't tell, and tipped her head towards the sky. The sun had risen a considerable amount, but she still had a bit of time before she had to go fetch Kohlsin. Although she'd have to leave soon if she didn't want to deal with any crowds.
An ever-so-familiar whining noise met Zuuta's ears, causing her to groan and bring her thoughts back down to earth. With a wagging tail and begging eyes, she could tell Haber wanted to get at whatever was in that satchel the smith had.
"Are you kidding? That hound will eat anything you put in front of his snout! But if you give him anything funky, he's sleeping near your tent tonight. He can get so gassy, he makes skunk stench seem like roses. Though raw meat is usually what he eats, anyway." Zuuta half-jested, half threatened; it was hard to tell if she was being sincere or not.
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Posted: Fri Aug 06, 2010 9:05 am
Shane raised his eyebrow at the woman's gruffness. "Right then. I guess you don't respond well to apologies." he said slyly, referencing the quick note he added at the end of his speech on tamed animals. "Anyway, I don't think Sarafen Mountain-Cats count as 'funky', do they?" he asked, half-joking, as he tossed Haber a strip of Mountain-Cat flank. "Usually I save the good parts for Kaires, but I think I can make an exception for your dog." he folded his arms much the same way the woman placed her hands on her hips.
|| OOC ||
Back from vacation, and I see I didn't miss much. 
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Posted: Wed Aug 18, 2010 3:50 pm
Dame Elenda of Mandor....morningtide, and on to break the fast.Dame Elenda exited the stables through the large double doors, now standing open. Sunbeams streaked into the stables and around Elenda as she went outside. It was good to breathe the morning air, fresh from the mountains to the east and all around. Elenda arched herself in the sunlight, enjoying its warmth, and observed her surroundings. The castle town was slowly waking from the previous night's gaiety. Here and there shopkeepers were setting up for the day, ready to take advantage of the Errand-riders' departure. The crowds would not be quite as large as last night, but would still provide more than enough profit for the small businesses. Elsewhere, other folk went about ordinary business, running miniature errands around town, fetching this or that from hither or thither, caring for beasts, tending gardens, and engaging in happy conversation. A bell rang with a middling, slightly dull note. It was loud enough to be clearly heard, but not enough to disturb anyone in nearby buildings. Elenda knew there were several such bells all through the inn. It was the signal for meal time. Elenda headed back toward the main entrance on her way to the eating hall. Dame Zuuta was there with her large hound, along with the blacksmith she had dueled last night, Shane Wolfken. "Good morrow, friends," she said in greeting. "Shall we to breakfast?" * * * * * The eating hall of the Errand-Riders' Inn was a grand affair, situated at the northwest corner of the large building. With a high ceiling and windows placed high on the northeast wall, the expansive room was beginning to echo with conversation as errand-riders filed in. The furnishings were a symphony of stone, cedar and thick cloth, its tapestries and tablecloths embroidered and patterned in motifs of green and gold. Lamplight illuminated what streaking sunlight as yet could not, though already plenty of day was flowing in from the windows. The smell of cooking oil, savory herbs, and roasting meat wafted over from the south side of the room, where cookfires burned within enormous red-brick ovens and chimneys. Waiters dressed in burgundy uniforms were already serving early arrivals, while white-clad cooks went heartily about their preparations. This would probably be the last proper meal the errand-riders would enjoy before they returned victorious from their king's Errand. The cooks here, financed by the royalty, were -- officially at least -- among the finest in all Mandor. All this goodwill and support were to lend the errand-riders strength when they faced the perilous hardships of their journey, and all involved were more than pleased to be a part of what made Mandor the greatest kingdom of the known world. ....and here will fellowship be formed.
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Posted: Fri Sep 17, 2010 8:10 am
Shane looked around at the sound of a familiar voice. "Ahh, the Dame Elenda joins us at last." he said with a grin and a half-bow. Looking back at the animal tamer, he spoke. "Name's Shane, by the way. 'Twas nice to meet another Rider." And then, he turned back to Elenda and nodded. "I suppose we shall. It seems about that time." he told her, looking at the sky to judge the time. It seemed about 7:30 in the morning. Hearing the bell told Shane he was right.
|| OOC ||
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Posted: Mon Sep 27, 2010 9:12 pm
While haber scarfed down the cat meat, Zuuta only gave a dissatisfied grunt. That dog would be anybody's best friend as long as they gave him food. It was like he had extra stomachs where his brain and heart should be!
The ringing of a dull bell could be heard coming from the inn behind them, and soon after their leading Dame came into view. Not without some hesitation, Zuuta dropped her disgruntled front once in Dame Elenda's presence. She had a leaderly aura about her that the handler respected greatly and that had nothing to do with the Chain of Command in her possession.
Zuuta only nodded in response to Elenda's question, but to Shane's introduction she replied curtly, "Zuuta."
She and the hound obediently followed the Dame into the overly decorated (at least in her opinion) eating hall. The aromas wafting out from the kitchens filled her senses with the promise of a delicious meal. But while her nose enjoyed the smells of breakfast, her eyes were scanning warily about the large, airy space. She wasn't looking for anything in particular, in fact, what she was looking for was nothing. Or to put it a bit better, a lack of something. While she would not mind dining with their leader, she would much prefer to dine alone. Unfortunately, she knew that not everyone was there yet, and that there would barely be a seat without at least one of the seats next to it filled. If she were looking for someone to sit by besides Elenda - and that is a very large IF - it would no doubtedly be Seodred the Stryder handler. If the way they got along during their ride in the night before were any proof, he'd be one of a small group of individuals that Zuuta wouldn't get unneccessarily irate with.
Alas, their was neither hide nor hair of the fellow animal lover to be found. So she shoved away the disappointment she felt and continued to follow Dame Elenda, twisting her fingers into Haber's shaggy coat as he trotted alongside her.
((I hope it's alright that I mentioned a character that isn't really around anymore. I just wanted an excuse to type more.))
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Posted: Tue Oct 05, 2010 8:12 am
Shane made his way with the rest of them into the grand dining hall. Sniffing at its extravagance, Shane got his plate of food and sat cross-legged a little way away from the table. He didn't much care for the unnecessary fanciness that the nobles were so fond of. Shane preferred the outdoors to the inside, so he tried to get his meal done before something happened that he couldn't control. "Like it always does..." he thought.
|| OOC ||
It's fine with me, haha. Dunno about our leader though.
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Posted: Tue Oct 12, 2010 2:39 pm
Aubree sighed as she finished wrapping a bandage on a young gryphon in the aviary. The silly thing had gotten into a bit of a spat with another gryphon earlier that morning and in the process, apart from the multitude of scrapes and scratches that result when two fully grown gryphons go at it, this one had additionally managed to put some kind of strain on its hind ankle. The splint now firmly in place, she flexed the limb experimentally checking to be sure the splint was lending support where needed. Satisfied by her handiwork, Aubree gave the beast a pat on it's brightly feathered head and an admonishing look. "Now then, enough of that tripe. You'll behave well while I'm gone." she added for good measure before extricating herself from the stall.
Glancing out the window of the aviary, Aubree cursed quietly under her breath. It was already well past midday and she was late to meet the other riders. Hurriedly she ran up ahead to the empty stall that served as her modest living quarters. She had pre-packed her bag last night but the early morning emergency had taken all of her time today in being able to prepare further. She'd probably have to fly all night to catch up with the others. Slinging her back over one shoulder and a quiver over the other, she hoisted her crossbow and took one last glance around the room. Everything seemed in order. She pulled the door shut behind her and headed for the stall that housed her favorite gryphon: A small and agile female named Lena with the head and wings of a peregrine falcon.
As she approached the stall she heard someone call her name and turned. The head of the aviary, Brian Baldrick, was approaching her. "Off then are you, Miss Ayberk? Bit late isn't it?" he asked with a quirk of his eyebrows. "Just a bit," Aubree answered without looking up as she tried to sort through the tangled harness hanging in front of Lena's stall. "You'll have to check up on that splint while I'm gone, but I'm sure you'll manage just fine." she added as she began to realize that in her haste to be gone she'd only succeeded in tangling the harness worse. Brian gave her a look and reached out his hand to take the harness. She handed it to him looking sheepish. She was thankful that he didn't say anything as he calmly untangled the harness and handed it back to her, though he did include a significant look. "I know!" she said with exasperation, which caused him to laugh. "Stay safe then, eh?" he as he turned to walk away. "Come back in one piece!" he called over his shoulder as she climbed into the stall with Lena.
Just as the sun was setting Aubree led the gryphon out of the aviary and did one last check to be sure everything was in order. She double checked that her crossbow was safely strapped to the side of the saddle and that it was easily accessible. Final check complete, she tossed a small piece of raw rabbit from a handy bucket to Lena and climbed aboard settling herself comfortably in the leather saddle. "Alrighty, let's catch them up!" she said softly and squeezed with her knees as the gryphon began to run, picking up speed and flapping her massive wings, and suddenly before long Aubree felt them suddenly lift and they were airborne. From her seat Aubree could see Brian waving she snapped off a quick salute before wheeling the gryphon toward Manor Castle Town. She hunched down in the saddle and clung tightly to the harness to allow for Lena to be more aerodynamic as they set off.
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