It had taken the Flock days to travel from their old territory to this new one, and Aviania was tired from having to connect to the spirit realm every few hours just to ask the Great Spirit and Great Mother for directions. However, whenever she felt weak, she would look at her darling sisters and it had always given her the strength to continue. Now, all the traveling had paid off, and they were settling down in a lush forest. She stood proudly on the thick branch of a tree, high above the ground as she watched over her sisters - they were busy, making new nests and cleaning up the area.
"Thank you for this land, Great Mother," She muttered softly to herself, a smile on her lips, "The sisters are happy here."
There was a snap in the brush nearby, and Semuan-Ya turned swiftly towards it. The windserpent had been travelling for what seemed like days, and food had been scarce. She was starting to feel the affects on her body. She could only hope that it was a rabbit or some such small game. Furling her wings and holding them close to her body to prevent them from getting caught, she darted closer to where the sound had come from. All of a sudden, the sound stopped. The mare halted to, bewildered by the fact she could not see or smell any game on the ground. Perhaps it was in the trees?As soon as the thought flickered across her mind, the mare looked up towards the foliage, bright eyes trying to pierce the shadows of the canopy above her.
Then she heard the words, and her shoulders slumped dejectedly. so it wasn't food.
Aviania froze suddenly, her ears and eyes alert - she was sure that she had heard something coming from the direction opposite to where the Flock was... She frowned; perhaps someone was planning to attack them? Gracefully, the mare leaped down from the branch, bounding off the trunk of a nearby tree before landing softly on the ground. Then, immediately, she turned and approached the source of the sound cautiously, her claws ready to swipe at anything that moves - anyone messing with the Flock will have to get through her first!
Through the bushes, she could see a dash of yellow and green on what appears to be scales... This was something she had never seen before back home, and she was unable to determine if it was dangerous or not. "Who goes there?" She finally called out, her high pitched voice sounding more like it belongs to a bird than a Soquili.
"Who goes there?" The shrill demand came from somewhere behind her. To the serpent’s credit, she neither jumped nor startled at the unexpected sound. Slowly spreading her wings, Semuan-Ya unconciously made herself loom. Her teeth flashed and a long slow hiss escaped her, the only proof that she was even slightly unsettled.
Her eyes widened as she caught sight of the unusual bird that accosted her. Her eyes brightened. A pretty.She ignored the the sullen ache of hunger as she stalked towards the other mare. “I’ssss Ssssemuan-Ya.” She respectfully inclined her head. “Andsss who mightssss you be?”
Aviania stood her ground, finding the display fascinating rather than intimidating; having been isolated from the outside world for that long a time back home, this was the first time she had encountered someone with... Scales. Realizing that this one is a female and sensing no danger from her, the brown Harpy relaxed just a little, smiling fondly at the sign of respect from the other, "I am Aviania, Queen of the Flock... You are too close to our territory, darling."
Semuan-Ya blinked several times. There was much information to take in, in that deceptively short speech. She tried to straighten the facts in her mind. The one she was speaking to was a queen, royalty, so she was grateful she remembered to show respect. These lands, which she had wandered to belonged to someone and she was trespassing. And, it seemed, there was more than one pretty here.
“I’ssss apologisssesss for the missssstake. I’ssss new to thessse landsss andsss wassss unawaressss thissss place belonged to sssomeonesssss.”
The mare was determined not to show weakness, and she knew she would start to if she wasn’t able to find food soon. Perhaps the queen would permit her to stay on her lands just long enough to find a meal before moving on?
“Ifsss itsss possssible, perhapssss I mightsss be permitted to hunt for a meal before I’ss passssss on my way?” The serpent flashed her fangs in an approximation of a grin, looking precisely as she was meant to, a rather dangerous predator who was looking for her next meal.
"We are new to these lands too, Semuan-Ya," Aviania chuckled, shaking her head with a small smile on her lips before she leaned in slightly, "In fact, my sisters are probably hungry too..." She paused, her smile widening when she saw that the mare was equiped with fangs - a predator! Perhaps her proposal might be worth considering - she had lost many good sisters back home, when famine and drought plaugued the mountains. That was why they left; to seek a better home elsewhere. However, the dead cannot be brought back, and there is power is numbers. She lifted up a clawed feet, flexing it.
"We are predators too, although we do have those who prefer fruits to meat," She continued thoughtfully, putting her claws back down on the ground as she turned her attention back to the female, "Perhaps you would like to join our huntresses on a hunting trip? It might be easier for you to find and kill a prey when you're in a group, after all..." She grinned, letting out a soft chuckle, "Do not worry though - you will get your fair share of food..."
Semuan-Ya blinked as the brown bird leaned closer in.
After the mare spoke, she took a careful look and noticed several key traits she’d not seen earlier- in particular the sharp rending claws which marked her as a predator as well. The proposal was quite attractive to the serpent. A chance to hunt, even if it were as part of a group, and even more important, a chance of companionship. There was no way she could pass such a chance up.
“I”sss couldssss….” she mused out loud. “Whenssss isss the nextsss hunt?”
"You've just made the best decision in your life, darling! Do follow me," Avainia grinned as she straightened up, gesturing for the mare to follow; she had a feeling that she would accept her proposal... The prospects are attractive after all. She led Semuan-Ya in the direction she had came from; while walking, she introduced the female to the herd's customs and practises, starting with the lore of the Harpies' origin. As she had grown up knowing males as nothing more than the lesser gender, it was something she thought as the norm.
"We are still settling down, but we need food for energy... So once teh sun sets, I believe our huntresses will be getting ready to hunt," She nodded as they entered the Flock's terrotory, where many Harpies are busy with making the forest habitable for the Flock. Those who stopped and bowed their heads at the Queen also stared at the stranger, having never seen a Kalona before; each time, Aviania would stop to explain that Semuan-Ya would be joining the Flock for a hunting trip before moving on.
Semuan-Ya listened with great interest to the lore and customs of her new acquaintance. Some customs seemed perhaps a little strange to her, as she came from a completely different background and upbringing. But there were several that seemed to fit in with her own beliefs. Yes, she had the feeling she could get along just fine with the harpies. But then she felt a pang of sadness. She asn’t to stay along with them permanently. She was simply invited on this one hunt. So, she would just have to make the best of this opportunity.
She felt a little awkward walking into the clearing where harpies of all colors and patterns seemed to stare at her with open curiousity. She was grateful that she only had to wait until sunset for the hunt, for it was almost that time already. In the meantime, she could enjoy her time by looking at and admiring all the different pretties that were around her.
"Darling, why the sadness?" Aviania found herself asking out of sheer curiosity, picking up the small change in the Kalona's emotions; besides, the spirits were nagging at her to talk to the stranger more for reasons unknown... She was quite an old girl and quite in tune with the spiritual realm, and although her age wasn't obvious from her physical appearance, it was quite obvious through the way she acts. She used to be more aggresive, but in her own way, had mellowed out over the years - this trip had also opened her eyes to the world outside their once safe mountain haven, and she was determined to make the move work.
The young kalona’s head jerked back in surprise. How could the mare tell… She didn’t like being transparent to anyone, and to be so easily read made the mare sullen and irritable, not the best of combinations. She glared balefully at a spot in the forest somewhere away from any of the harpies, for it wasn’t them she was upset with.
A heavy sigh hissed between her teeth as her tail lashed against her hind legs.
“Isss nothingssss.” She shook her head trying to settle her feathered mane. “Isss a frussstrationssss with myssself.”
"Perhaps sharing it will make it more bearable, darling," The Queen suggested with a small smile as she raised an eye brow; she is used to her sisters telling her almost everything, from praises to complains to suggestions and their thoughts - it was how she improved the Flock so that every Harpy will feel at home, even the more... Liberal ones. She paused, wondering if she should push further; the spirits were going crazy and they hadn't acted that way before... But then again, the spirits hadn't guided her down the wrong path before either. They had always been faithful... She paused for a second before continuing, "After all, for today, you are a sister, and we stand together in this land."
The words … and for today we are sisters… rang through her mind. And that was just the problem wasn’t it. This comraderie they were tempting her with was fleeting, with a very defined time limit. Was it so wrong that she looked on this band with it’s tight bonds and wanted to be a part of it. To feel that same sense of belonging for herself?
“Itssss isss not importantsss.”
To herself, the serpent made a promise. She would make herself useful on this hunt and prove her worth. Perhaps then they might be inclined to let her stay among them.
"Mm, perhaps when the time is right, you will open up," Aviania answered, her voice sounding like a whisper; the way she said it made it sound like there was more behind her words, but that sense of mystery vanished as she came to a stop; just ahead is her nest and throne combined, and as much as she does enjoy the company of her sisters, her nest is a private space for her to rest and meditate, to listen to what the spirits have to say - not even her Commanders are allowed to disturb her when she's at rest, unless the issue is of utmost importance.
"This is the centre of our territory," She explained with a chuckle, "And this is also as far as I can escort you... You may explore till the hunt begins, and if anyone asks, say that you are my guest... I'll see you when he hunting party returns, and I look forward to hearing about your performance."
The queen’s final words seemed a little ominous. Looking forward to hearing about her performance indeed. Was this some sort of game to her? Or perhaps a test? The serpent opened her mouth to ask her questions but, she was already left to fend for herself. Though nervous at being left on her own amidst a number of predators that could potentially turn on her and do massive amounts of damage to her, Semuan-Ya held her head proudly and decided to take advantage of her seeming dispensation to explore and look about.
Which might serve many purposes. It would get the others used to her presence. And it would give her the opportunity to admire all the pretties. This thought cheered her up somewhat, and she set off to occupy herself until it was time.
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