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A large darkly colored griffin was coming up the way, taking the road from town. It walked on at a steady, but casual pace, wings folded. Why the griffin was not in flight was anyone's guess, his red and blue crest waving in the breeze like a brilliant banner. Although the human lounging atop him, her back against his neck, might have something to do with it.

The blonde woman was reading a book, the two seemingly not in a hurry. However, as they came within sight, Darkfeather's red eyes quickly focused on the nearby man, and didn't stray for an instant. A low hiss emitting from his throat. This caused Nikki to look up for a moment before chuckling to herself, giving the griffin a pat. "Now now, there's no need to get uptight." Her gaze went to the curiously colored, horned griffin that was in the man's company. Interesting.

Circe narrowed her eyes at the larger Gryphon coming up the walk, ears perking forward as she noted agression in the hiss. Glancing up she saw the younger one, and found the big one more of a threat. Standing up, she pawed at the ground and twitched her tail irritably.

Noting his partners discomfort, the strong male stopped mid kata and took a look around, seeing a familiar female wandering down the road, and on the opposite side, what was bothering Circe. He raised an eyebrow, then went to stand next to her, placing a hand on her shoulder. He himself looked almost small standing next to her, despite his 6'4" height, she easily stood at 20 hands, but he trusted her to not attack if he told her. "Easy girl."

He glanced back at the small woman coming up the walk, then focused on the other two and offered a half smile as they neared, waving a small greeting. He looked at the Gryphon, appreciating how well it was taking care of, much like his Circe, then looked up at the woman, admiring her as well.

Xenneger had grown into a slightly less ugly youth. That perhaps was not the best word, he was never ugly, just...With brown plumage and yellow beak and feet, he was plain, he was painfully plain. He could lie down in the dirt and someone wouldn't even notice him until they almost tread on him. But now, the tufts atop his ears and the tip of his tail were spanking new white, it was an odd, but kind of welcome change.

It took a while, but Xenneger was finally calming down. He wasn't hyperactive as a juvenile, but was raised wild, and was flighty and nervous. It took Dian a long time to get the brown gryph to stick around let alone follow him like he did now. He wouldn't say he trained the boy, either. Xenneger, he noted, seemed to loathe whenever he appeared to be training the gryph. He had to be sneaky about it, or he just got riled for no reason.

Perhaps it was because he was born feral, and couldn't stand the thought of being tamed. Regardless, he was levelheaded now, with a keen and calm hunter's head. With long and poised strides, Xenneger walked beside him, neither ahead or behind, a coy smile splitting his beak. But soon enough old habits kicked in and he crouched, freezing expectantly. Dian paused too, looking up ahead. There was a clearing, in which a congregation was forming.

Xenneger chirred softly at Dian and stood again, stepping purposefully to the edge of the clearing and watching the others with an even gaze.

All thoughts of nobility and grace seemed to shoot from his head at the sight of Circe. Even to his young mind, she was easily the most gorgeous gryph he had ever lain eyes upon. Raven dark plumage offset by start orange markings, she blew his mind away.

Dian, while not an imposing figure, was not a shrimpy one either. He posessed caramel colored skin with bright orange hair. Unlike most people with orange hair, he was not bespeckled with umpteen million freckles. He posessed gentle golden eyes, had light naturally pointed ears the which were normally hidden under his hair, and had a strange penchant for wearing a large racoon tail on his behind.

As odd as it would normally seem, it fitted him. He wore a crimson shirt with the collar unbuttoned tucked into black slacks, and was barefoot. He looked at the man with the largest gryph curiously.

Xenneger approached Circe cautiously, chirring goodwill toward her. His tufted tail lashed back and forth with his barely contained excitement.

Xenneger fortunately couldn't understand english, or he would have rounded on the man and squawked at him. Instead, he shivvered from beak to tuft at the friendly rumbling Circe graced him with. It left the crest atop his head slightly askew as he ventured closer. Truth be told, she was the only adult he'd ever garnered the courage to approach, and it only heightened his elation that she didn't react viciously. Many did, and it took a long time for Xenne to regain his confidence. His voice was high and sweet, mingling purr with chirp as he chirred at her again.

Dian let Xenneger be as he approached the other man, smiling graciously. Not like he really could rein the littler gryph in. Xenneger was still feral at heart, he had to want to listen to Dian to do anything. The man wasn't keen on breaking the feral spirit, he preferred to guide than rule.
"Hello." He replied, his smile beaming ever more. "It seems so."
Orange brows crinkled at the last statement, "No, he's not. I guess...Well I look after him, but I wouldn't claim him."

He didn't need to ask to know this main laid claim on Circe, and raised her...Well the chaps said he raised a mount. He wouldn't judge them, Circe was a lovely and vibrantly healthy gryphon.

Xenneger reeled as she lowered herself to his level, bringing him almost beak to beak with the great black gryph. He squeaked and his ears shot up at attention, but he didn't backpedal. As much as he wanted to turn tail and flee, he didn't think she would snap at him, though one well placed one would take his head off without any trouble at all.

Looking at her, he let his gaze drop tp the pile of rabbits. He gazed from her to the rabbits, amazed. She had an entire mess just laying there! He thought it was impossible to be more impressed. He reciprocated the beak clacking and slid around to the pile, taking one greatfully. He peeped thanks to the generous gryph, oblivious to the humans talking behind him.

"Of course. I couldn't make that one go into town if I tried. One sight of a road and he turns tail."
Dian lived outside the town limits. A slight risk, but his grandfather had made the place, before it was protected forest. It was out there that he first came across the wee one. Xenneger came and went from his estate as he pleased, though lately he'd taken to following the young man around.
The shorter man reached out and grasped his hand in a warm handshake.

Despite his ways, there was something good and honest about the man that put Dian at ease. He shook his head slightly to let his hair drop away from his face, revealing those almost lampent golden eyes.
"Dian, Dian Chegrin. It's good to meet you."

"Xenneger!" Dian called to the gryph, nose first in a rabbit. "Xenneger!"
The adolescent heard the voice and turned to look at him,
"That's Circe."
Xenneger turned to look at her, then back and Dian, peeped and continued to eat.

"It's not a problem." He smiled at the flustered looking blond girl. "My name is Syam." He reitterated to her, since she hadn't been there when he introduced himself to Dian.
"You've got an impressively sized youngling there. If you're lucky he'll get big like Circe. But she's actually quite an anomaly. Probably why she hasn't found a mate yet." He joked lightly.

Circe cocked her head to the side lightly in wonder at the little ones ability to conk out so easily. She ignored her partners joke at her expense. She couldn't understand -what- he was saying, since it was just in stupid human talk, half the time they couldn't understand themselves, but she understood his tone. Ruffling slightly in annoyance, she turned to the heap of rabbits. Grabbing one up by the tail, she set it gentlyl beside the baby, then turned to the rest of the pile to eat with Xenneger. Socializing was fun. heart