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 Posted: Sat Jul 28, 2007 8:34 pm
One could clearly see by the lounging griffin out in the yard that it was the dog days of summer. Time had ebbed on, and despite Leolin's reluctance to it, had become accustom to Kedri's company in place of Laura's while he recooperated. Now he was back to his former racing glory, if one could prod the sleeping creature to move that is.
He knew he wasn't supposed to, but the tawny bird lay in the flower bed beneath a topiary. Wings stretched out to gather all the delicious rays of the sun they could while Leolin dreamed of frolicking in vast meadows of flowers in his lazy haze. A twitch of his wing, or quiver of his tail would break the statuesque appearance of the bird on occasion.
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Posted: Sat Jul 28, 2007 9:23 pm
It was a lazy summer day. The sky was clear, the wind was blowing a refreshing breeze through the yard so that it didn't get too hot... truly, it was one of those rare "perfect days". Utterly perfect, quiet, and peaceful. So why did Kedri feel so... agitated?
She paused her restless pacing to peer over at Leolin. He looked quite handsome, lounging in the sun. His dark bronze feathers practically glowed in the light, one of the more obvious signs of his return to good health. And she was glad for his return to health; she'd enjoyed spending time with him, especially as his injuries healed and he was no longer invalid. Walks and flights together... she couldn't remember feeling this close to another griffon before.
Something came over her as she watched him, and without really understanding why she went over to him. Her thoughts had felt less and less clear for the past few days... and today she also felt this strange restlessness, and a... warmth that was at once both pleasant and unpleasant. She was having a hard time thinking, but acting was still easy for her, and instinct prodded her forward.
She brushed her tail along his flank, familiar enough with certain ticklish spots on his body, and preened at the spot that made him thump his leg. That should wake him up. Then she made a soft, sultry croon in his ear before prancing a few paces away to give him a long, measuring look. Was he up to it? "It" was barely more than a vague feeling, but she knew "it" was possibly the most important thing that could possibly happen... and the feelings left her confused and mostly on auto-pilot while her mind tried to sort out what was happening to her. She'd never seen another adult female griffon in heat or a courtship before or she might have been less confused.
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Posted: Sat Jul 28, 2007 9:39 pm
Indeed, Leolin's leg did begin pounding on the ground as a rabbit might and slowly roused to the waking world. Before his eyes opened, his muscles gave a shiver as he stretched forelimbs before him and wings outward. Arching his back in a very cat-like fashion before climbing to stand on his feet to look at the one who'd awakened him.
"Kedri?" He murmured, blinking the haze from his eyes. It was then the smell caught in his nose. The pleasing pheramone of a restless female, and the male cooed softly as he saw her bound away. A cat toying with a mouse made more sense, but the male griffin puffed himself up almost arrogantly after a few moments of the intoxicating smell.
Wings fidgeting to look just right alongside his body, the griffin strode confidently towards her. All the while, his mind was racing; What was she doing? What was he doing for that matter? Why did Kedri smell so much different than the day before? Not that any of these were a bad thing, in fact they made Leolin almost giddy.
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Posted: Sat Jul 28, 2007 9:51 pm
Kedri kept a measuring eye on Leolin's sleek and muscular body as he moved toward her, prancing away again when he got too close. There was something he... they... were supposed to do. What was it? Why was she feeling these strange things? She enjoyed it even though it confused her, which boggled her mind further still. But this was supposed to happen... it echoed in her bones.
She paused her prancing and crooned again, urging him to prove himself. Prove he was strong enough, fast enough, agile enough. Prove he was really the one she'd been waiting for. For what? The further instinct prodded her the less the thoughts seemed to matter.
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Posted: Sat Jul 28, 2007 10:07 pm
Why was she running away? With a perplexed expression, the griffin began to look more and more deflated as she fled before him. A cat toying with a mouse made more sense...
The griffin hurried after her, compelled by curiousity and some innate drive telling him it was good-- no, it was right-- to do so. Was this a game, a race of some sort? Kedri should know better; he could easily outstrip her in a race. Though... it was always more fun when the race was a close call. Bounding nearer, the griffin almost seemed to float with the flap of his wings.
Leolin called after her with affectionate tremors and soft coos, hoping to garner her attention and draw her back to him. There was something he wanted, something only Kedri could give him, but the young racer was just as confused as to what "it" was as Kedri. "It" was diffinately a mysterious thing... but very persuasive.
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Posted: Sat Jul 28, 2007 10:25 pm
Kedri's ears flicked at Leolin's soft summons, and her gaze turned to one of longing. But though her body shook with an obvious desire to return to his side, something told her it wasn't time yet. He still hadn't done what was needed.
Suddenly she turned to trot back toward him, but didn't stop, and continued past him. The tuft of her tail brushed the length of his side, a sultry coo emerging from her throat to entice him to follow her some more. This was no game, though on some level it might be a sort of contest.
Just as her tail finished its questing run along Leolin's side Kedri sprinted forward and launched herself into the air, quickly rising up to the level of a balcony on the upper story of the house. She landed there with the precision of practice, since she often slept in Nyhali's room when the weather was bad... at least before Leolin had arrived.
It was only large enough for her to stand on, really. There wasn't enough room for Leolin to safely join her. Still she crooned at him affectionately, urging him upward and into the air to make the next steps. Convince me, Leolin. Convince me either to come down from here or join you in the air. But you must convince me, you must prove yourself, or whatever this is can't be finished. I want to finish it...
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Posted: Sat Jul 28, 2007 10:48 pm
Heart pounding in his chest at the touch of her tail, Leolin was quick to follow after. However, when she took to the sky, he was left confused at her little game. What now? What did the rules say about this? Oh right, there weren't any rules to go by. Well, if he had to play it by ear then that was what he had to do.
Taking a deep breath, the griffin bound forward with one, two three great leaps before becoming airborn. He called to Kedri, hoping that she would follow as he circled the air around the topiary. After all, hovering was nigh on impossible for a beast of their size and weight.
Please follow... I need you to follow... The golden bird stared up at Kedri with hope in his green eyes.
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Posted: Sat Jul 28, 2007 11:14 pm
Kedri went right to the edge of the balcony, muscles bunched to launch herself into the air, and yet as much as she wanted to follow she couldn't quite yet. She watched, waiting, and called back to him, urging him to do... what? Something spectacular. Her posture, her soft calls and urging him on, everything about her read clear as the cloudless sky. I want to follow, Leolin, but you have to show me why I should. Impress me, dearheart. I know you can.
The thought wasn't voiced aloud, but it didn't need to be, griffons communicated as much by body language as by anything else. She found herself entranced, watching him as he circled in the air, the circles beginning to change into something more intricate. Did he realize that he was practically beginning to dance there in the warm summer air?
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Posted: Sun Jul 29, 2007 8:33 am
Though the thermals weren't strong enough to propel him up very quickly, Leolin found himself spiraling higher into the air. Up he went, until he was higher than Kedri was, and then dropped.
Wings folded against his side, the griffin plummeted like a rock. Wind whipped by him, though Leolin didn't seem to care at the do-or-die trick he was trying to pull off. Just as he would kiss the ground, the griffin's wings snapped open, and Leolin shot over the ground. Skimming so low he could easily shove off into the air once more. He neared the manor, and all four legs hit the ground to sent him at a near vertical climb, belly coming a few feet in front of Kedri.
Tail lashing behind him in the wind's mercy, the griffin flipped upside down before barrel rolling off away from Kedri and towards the country side. He didn't look back, that would break the spell, though it pulled at his heart strings to leave Kedri behind. What would be a roar to a lion escaped him, hoping that he had finally won Kedri over.
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Posted: Sun Jul 29, 2007 4:38 pm
Kedri launched herself, and there was the unmistakable sound of wings snapping open. But she didn't go directly to Leolin, instead paralleling him in a rising spiral. The spiral got slowly tighter as they went higher and she watched his acrobatics. It was at the top she knew that either she would veer away and they would both be heart-broken, or they would finish the last step of the dance. As insanely impressive as his first show had been, instinct said the one wasn't enough. Though instinct was also screaming at her to finish the climb. She felt a little thrill of excited fear, finally having gotten an inkling as to what this was about. Oh Leolin, show me what you're capable of. I've never even thought about wanting someone else like this...
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Posted: Sun Jul 29, 2007 5:46 pm
With the flick of a wing, Leolin flew vertically after Kedri. Slowly but surely he was trying to win over the female's affections with his acrobatics. The proformance becoming more and more intricate as the pair flew further and further from the city and higher and higher skyward.
Everything seemed so natural, like poetry in motion. An elegant dance between two souls lost in the rhythm of the beat. Slipping past, Leolin's wing tips brushed against Kedri's, the griffin crooning softly to his companion. This strange feeling Leolin felt made his heart pound with anticipation as much as the flying itself.
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Posted: Sun Jul 29, 2007 6:03 pm
Higher, higher, farther, farther, and the dance went on. By the time they'd finished their climb they were well away from the city and Kedri felt giddy. Her heart was in her throat, both because of what occured for the last step of the dance and what came afterward. But he'd proved himself. More than proved himself.
"You did well, love..." she crooned softly as she reached out to clasp her talons with his. Then as one the two folded their wings and dropped earthward in a spiraling dive, releasing one another at just the right moment to pull out of their earthward plummet. Then Kedri circled back around and led him off to a secluded spot she'd taken a fancy to during her hunts so they could finish what they'd started.
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