Learning to Fly
The blow did not come, though it took Kelley a long moment to decide what to
do. Pellodino slide effortlessly into its sheath and she nodded to the
hunters, silently directing them to lower their weapons, which had been
pointed at the trembling one. What she said next was mostly for the benefit
of her honorguard, so that they would know why she had made her decision as
she had. “Then the gods have lead you to us,“ she said, her strong voice
carrying through the night. “The Kaeltaifa are strong and well-minded,
those on a quest to fulfill personal meaning in their lives should all be
gifted with the privilege of speaking among my people to find that which
they seek.“ Unspoken, but as potent a reason as the one she uttered, Kel
knew her decision lay in strengthening her clan, which would occur should
the girl find a husband within her people's ranks. And still strong in her
mind was the twin omens, the ones that had drawn these two together by
seeming chance. But nothing was chance when the gods were involved.
Careful, to be certain that the hunters knew her actions, Kel stepped
forward and held out a hand to the girl." “Come" she said. "“s Yinor of
the Kaeltaifa I grant you permission to be on our lands, as long as you are
always in the company of myself or my people. Perhaps the item you seek
will be found on our great plains."“
Kele slowly opened one of her eyes, then the other and looked at the
outstretched hand. Was she hearing things? Or was she really welcome in this
land? She timidly took the offered hand and was pulled up to stand before
them. The sudden movement made Shiri flap his wings irritably as he clung to
Kele's shoulder. She involuntarily clutched the stone at her chest for
reassurance.
"P-- Pilamaya, friend. I thank you. I won't be a bother, I promise you. I
just want to fulfill my quest, so that I may return home," she managed to
choke out.
Kel nodded to the girl, then to her hunters, who quickly lowered their
weapons and stood ready for her next order. "Come then," she said, resting
a hand on her hip. "We shall retire to the clan village for the evening and
discuss your plans in the morning." She turned and started towards the
village, knowing her direction and footing even in the dark; following her
was Kele, and immediately behind her one of the hunters. The last hunter
would trail them, to keep the Yinor safe from distant strikes.
"What is your name?" Kelley asked as they walked, easily picking her way
over the stones she had tread countless times.
Kele dashed over to get her few belongings and then tagged along behind the
priestess, having to almost run to keep up with the taller girl. She seemed
to know just exactly where she was going, and wasn't having any trouble
navigating the rocky terrain. Kele, on the other hand, stumbled and
faltered with every few steps. Several times, the man following her had to
grab her arm just to keep her upright.
When she thought she might have her balance back, she answered. "I am
Anana'Kele of the clan Peregrine." She stumbled again and silently wished
she could see where they were going. She wasn't used to travelling by
moonlight. Panting, she continued. "I'm the youngest of Kyros and Narain..."
She stepped on another rock the wrong way, twisting her ankle. She walked
on, hoping they were almost there.
There were still many questions racing through her mind, but Kele almost
didn't know where to begin. Finally, she asked what she could only guess
would be the best starting point. "Um... and what is your name? Yinor? Is
that right?" she asked. While she waited for some sort of answer, she
silently hoped they were almost to their destination. Her ankle was hurting,
and she was so tired, she thought she might fall asleep as they walked.
The footsteps sounding behind her were carefully placed, and Kelley's ears
picked up on the girl's misstep almost immediately, but she walked onwards,
until she heard the girl's question. "Yinor is only my title," she said,
stopping and facing Kele in the dark. "I am Kelley Yinor of the Kaeltaifa,
leader of my clan, and strongest warrior. Gifted with the great Pellodino
and destined to bring my people to glory." She signaled to the hunter who
stood behind Kele and he nodded, his superior night-vision picking up her
motions. In one swift motion, he was holding the girl in his arms and they
were all on the move again, making better time than before.
"What clan did you say you were from?" she inquired of the girl, steadily
making her way over the terrain.
Kele couldn't even think for a moment. She was too surprised at suddenly
being lifted up. She clutched desperately at her bag, only barely catching
it before she dropped it. "I... I am from the clan Peregrine, beyond the
mountains." It crossed her mind that she was supposed to be careful who she
told that to. She'd heard tales of savage clans killing and destroying
others for new territory. But surely that wouldn't happen here? This girl,
Kelley, had already spared her life. And now here they were, taking her to
their village to rest the night. No, these were kind people. They wouldn't
want to raid her village. She nearly laughed out loud at the absurdity of
the thought.
She could still hear Shiri high above her, his wings beating gently in a
steady, calming rhythm.
She imagined returning home, husband in tow. Her parents would be so proud
of her. "Tell us of your journey, Sparrow Hawk. How did you fulfill your
quest so quickly?" Well mother, there was a girl across the mountains,
leader of her clan, and she...
Kele opened her eyes and realized she must have fallen asleep for a moment.
But they were still walking, and Shiri was still overhead. She was tempted
to drift off again, but forced herself to stay awake. She wanted to at least
see what these peoples' village looked like.
Kele did not have to wait long, for the fires of the celebration had
appeared and were growing larger for the small band. Drumbeats filtered out
over the air, as did laughter and general sounds of joy. Kelley smiled,
pleased with the mood of her people.
It all quieted as she entered the village, as tradition demanded; whenever
the Yinor moved, it was the duty of her people to watch her, awaiting any
order she might say. All was as it should be, thus the smile on her face
remained as her procession made its way across the celebration grounds, to
her seat. There, she turned to face her people, nodding to the hunter to
place the bird girl down. "My people, the gods have smiled upon us," she
spoke, her voice carrying to the ears of each Kaeltaifa. "I was gifted with
an omen this evening." She held aloft the simple, polished stone she had
found, receiving murmurs of awe in return. "And this girl carries a twin to
it!" Her hand pointed to Kele, startling the tired girl with her attention.
"She will be our guest tonight as we honor the gods, and shall accompany me
while I travel to the western border!" A cheer rose up as her speech ended
and the festivities resumed, even more lively with the return of the clan
priestess.
Kelley sat down, motioning for Kele to do the same. "These people are my
people," she said, proudly eyeing them. "A proud people with the warrior's
spirit and the elder's patience. You may feel free to search for your
husband among them, should you desire."
Kele looked over at the girl next to her in awe. Not only was she offering
her a place to rest for the night, she was offering her a place in her clan.
"Thank you. I'll... Thank you." She turned her attention back to the
celebration before her. She was enthralled by everything that went on around
her. The people were dancing, chanting, and telling stories by the bonfires.
Someone offered her a drink of something and she accepted it gratefully. She
had been rationing her own canteen much more than she would have preferred.
She gulped down the warm drink and continued watching the people around her.
After a few minutes, although feeling very warm and happy, she was even more
tired than before. Her eyes were drooping and her head bobbed frequently.
The priestess called over one of her warriors and had him gently carry her
to an empty hut.
As the festivities continued outside, Kele and Shiri, who had glided in
after her, were left to catch up on their sleep.
Kelley watched as one of her strongest and most honorable warriors carried
the bird girl off, with the orders to stay and guard her hut, so that the
outsider would and could not leave and so that curious members of the clan
didn't bother her as she slept. Grey-toned and as emotionless as the stone
she represented, Kelley's face turned back to her people, nodding to them as
they continued their celebrations. She would be up late into the night,
being there for her people, as was tradition. Sleeping was a luxury that
was allowed only after the Yinor attended her other duties.
She stood, descending to walk among the people who trusted and respected
her, reaching out occasionally to bless a woman, or to make a small child
smile with her attentions. They were her people, and they made her proud.
But now... She had to take a moment to pray to the gods to keep them safe
while she was gone. She disappeared into the prayer hut, void of life as
usual, and with only the crackling fire to keep her company. She knelt
before the fire, laying down the omen stone she had found earlier and
closing her eyes, pleading for an answer to the foremost of her many
questions: What did the stone and the girl mean?
*
Kele awoke the next morning to see Shiri on the other side of the hut,
picking through the contents of her pack. He seemed to have found what he
was looking for and was finishing off the last of the smoked venison she had
stashed away.
She let out a shriek and lunged for the bird, ready to face his talons to
save the last of her rations. Lucky for her, it never came to that. Her
sudden outcry had been enough to startle him and he quickly hopped out of
reach, although not before grabbing the last piece of deer meat. He flew to
the other side of the hut with his "prey" and continued gorging himself.
Meanwhile, in her zeal to pounce on the pilfering falcon, Kele had launched
herself with enough momentum to now land face down on the remnants of her
ravaged pack. "Ow." She tried to shift away from the dart sticking out of
her pack and into her ribs.
She sat up and looked at the little thief through a tangle of grey hair that
had fallen in her face. "You know," she said to him, crossing her arms in
front of her chest, "you really should learn some self control, Shiri. Why,
just think what would happen if you were out on your own?" She shook her
head vehemently in imitation of her parents when they had given her the same
lecture. "I mean, you can't go around eating all your food at one time when
you're on a long journey like this." Somehow, she couldn't seem to remember
devouring the sack full of strawberries from her brother. "You could very
well end up foodless. Starving to your death! After using up the last of
your resources, you would wander across these vast, rocky plains for days,
never seeing a sign of life. Your wings would continue to send you sailing
through the skies, until they could beat against the wind no more. And as
the relentless sun finally drove you to the harsh ground, you would look up
at endless heavens above you." She trailed off, lost in the story unfolding
in her head. A tear was forming at the corner of her eye. She didn't even
notice that Shiri had stopped picking at the venison to stare at her. That
certainly wasn't part of her parents' speech.
"Keelee" he called to her.
She shook away the daydream and grinned sheepishly, blushing all the while.
"Sorry. I guess you're not the only one who needs some self control." She
paused for a moment, looking at the disarray surrounding her, then sighed.
"Well, I suppose we should at least clean up this mess, yes?" She grinned
again and set about packing what was left of her supplies into her pack.
After most of her items had been replaced, Kele heard footsteps on the
gravel outside the hut. A rough deep voice called in to her, "The Yinor of
the Kaeltaifa requests you join her on her journey to the western border."
Kele peeked her head out to see the same hulking warrior from last night.
Kele quickly ducked back inside to grab her pack and call to Shiri, who
settled himself on her shoulder. When she emerged from her hut, he merely
said, "Follow me," and turned to walk through the village.
Kele had to quicken her step to catch up with the warrior's long stride. Now
that the sun was out, she could get a better look at the village and its
inhabitants. Or rather, they could get a better look at her. Villagers
peered at her from their stone dwellings, watching her with curiosity and
caution. Young children stood next to or behind their parents, staring at
her intently. They looked almost as inquisitive as she felt. Perhaps it
had something to do with the omen she spoke of.
At the celebration last night, Kelley had mentioned that she carried a twin
to her stone. Surely she didn't mean the pebble she had picked up along the
way? Yes, it was pretty, but a god-sent omen? Could it really be that
important? she thought, reaching for the stone around her neck. If so, why
was /she/ the one to receive it? Perhaps there was some mistake But no.
The gods never made mistakes. Everything happened for a reason. Perhaps it
really /was/ destined that they meet and travel together. Although Kele
still had to wonder why. Why her?
After traipsing to the other side of the village, they finally arrived at a
small stone hut with smoke drifting from the top. The warrior who had led
her there stepped forward and called in quietly, then turned and stepped
back, towards the crowd.
The faint scent of wood smoke curled around Kelley's well tanned and built
form as the priestess knelt before the small fire there, inhaling the wooden
scents as the logs burned steadily, the heat consuming them. Her eyes
closed, making the top portion of her face an impressive gray mask, the
woman only nodded to acknowledge the hunter's words, not moving from her
position on the hard ground. Only when she heard the soft steps of the
young Kele approaching did she open her eyes, brushing back green locks of
hair as she stood up, turning to face the girl.
"I hope you had a good night of rest," she said, tilting her head to
acknowledge Kele's presence. "We have a long day ahead of us." Holding out
her hand, the Yinor turned it to display the palm-sized flat stone she had
found the night before. "I have spent the night praying to the gods for
answers about our twin omens," she continued. "And they have graced me with
the kind of faint answer they are all known for."
Smiling, she lead the girl from the prayer hut, gesturing to the Kaeltaifa
people already up and about that morning. "I believe the gods desire me to
at least see you to our western borders, if not further," she explained.
"And on that journey I believe the twin omens will reveal their purposes to
us."
Proudly surveying her clan, Kelley allowed her words to sink in as she lead
the girl towards the western edge of the village. "So, I extend an
invitation to travel with me to the Kaeltaifa borders. Would you take it?"
Extending her hand to Kele, Kelley tilted her head, waiting patiently for an
answer.
Kele stood there staring at the priestess in complete and utter amazement.
She took the offered hand and gave a small grin, her eyes lit up with
excitement. "Yes. I'll journey with you." She was awed by her luck thus
far. She would have a guide with her, someone who knew this area well. She
wouldn't wander around in circles or wander into hostile territory. She
suddenly found an adventure lying before her, and couldn't even imagine all
the stories she might gather to tell her parents and brother.
Her smile grew until she was practically beaming. "When do we leave?" she
asked with barely contained joy. She was moving and fidgeting in her
excitement.
An iron grip enfolding around Kele's hand, Kelley smiled faintly and nodded.
Freeing her hand to gesture, the priestess looked towards a cluster of
hunters standing around a small circle of packs that were filled with dried
foods and trading items for the Yinor to carry on her journey and display to
the world the worth of the Kaeltaifa. "We have merely been waiting for you
to awaken to begin the journey," she replied. Guiding the outclan girl
towards the packs, the warrioress let the girl stand for a moment while she
gestured for the first of her packs. Weighted by the stone beadwork of her
people, the pack she was handed would have been far too heavy for a normal
person, but the priestess shouldered it with ease, having a strength far
greater than that of the average human.
Settling two more heavy packs on her form, Kelley looked to Kele and smiled.
"Should you like, I can carry your pack for you as well," she offered. "The
burden is not much, and you seem to still favor your ankle from the fall
last night."
Kele was staring with eyes wide at the feat she was witnessing. No one in
her clan came even close to owning the strength of this girl. Even Tillek
the strongest hunter couldn't...
Realizing she had been spoken to, she shook her head and snapped out of her
reverie. She watched as the green haired girl picked up more of the packs
before her without any difficulty. Then Kele felt her own light pack brush
against her back. She suddenly felt very small and weak compared to her new
companion. She shifted her weight from one foot to the other uncomfortably.
"No, thank you. You're carrying quite a load already." She thought about
what had already happened that morning and grinned. "And my little friend
here lightened my pack for me this morning," she said, indicating Shiri.
"So, if there's anything I can do to help you... I don't think I could lift
a full pack like that, but maybe... something?" she asked, hoping to feel
more useful to her new friend.
The last of the packs strapped to her form, Kelley turned and nodded to her
hunters, who in turn nodded, bowed, and left the pair. She smiled, proud
and confident, to Kele. "Your consent to travel with me is task enough,"
she said. "And my people are honored to have spent a night with such a
refined out-clan person. There are few who are viewed well within the
Kaeltaifa, Anana'Kele; you are a special person, and I hope you realize
that."
Turning to look out over the plains, Kelley's face turned into a serious
mask. "There is much travel ahead and I have ordered my hunters to remain
here while we depart. Few are idiotic enough to travel on Kaeltaifa lands,
but there is always a chance of a bandit ambush. If your little feathered
friend could, would he mind keeping his sharp eyes out for sign of such?"
Kele's brow furrowed for a moment. So far, she'd only taught Shiri to lead
her to possible prey. She'd never had to teach him to play scout. Perhaps he
would return automatically if he saw anything unusual? She grimaced
slightly, then broke into a grin. Oh well. Only one way to find out.
"Did you hear that, Shiri? You should fly ahead of us and keep lookout. Come
back if you see anything out of the ordinary," she said. She raised her arm,
the signal that Shiri should fly, and he began his ascent towards the
clouds. Then Kele looked back at Kel. "Actually, I've only taught him to
search out food, so far." She blushed in embarrassment and apology. "I'll be
more surprised if he /does/ notice anything," she finished quietly.
They walked on, neither saying much of anything. Finally after several
minutes, Kele broke the silence. "So why are you leaving your clan? What
are in all these packs? And what about these twin omens? What do you think
they mean?" She turned her head to look at her companion expectantly.
Animal skin-clad feet making their way with skill over the rocky terrain,
Kelley looked to her travelling companion, emerald eyes taking in the face
of the grey-haired woman, noting her features and curiosity. "As Yinor of
the Kaeltaifa, it is my responsibility to see that my clan thrives, thus I
ordered these packs to be filled with the beadwork and other examples of the
skills of the fighter clan. This journey I am taking is intended to
establish trade relations with others clans, thus strengthening the power of
my people." Her words were even and proud, clearly from the leader of a
people who were, in her eyes, gods-sent gifts to this world.
A darkly tanned hand slipped her limestone disc out from the pack it had
been stowed in, the grey-masked warrioress looking down to it for a moment.
"As for our twin omens," she said softly, her pace not slowing as she picked
her way across granite and ground, "there is a legend of my people that
might explain it. Long ago, when the Kaeltaifa first took root on these
barren seeming plains, the people were in great need of a leader, but where
unable to decide who was best skilled to take charge. So they prayed to the
gods for a sign and were rewarded by twin omens. The first was the great
sword Pellodino, which I carry with me for all eternity, a symbol of my
status as Yinor; my people found it in the depths of a great cave, the same
cave where the stones for the sacred prayer hut were taken. The second was
a test to my people, to be certain that they were strong. The gods sent a
monster of limestone to threaten the still-forming clan. The strongest
among them, a man named Kael, the one whom my clan took their name from,
picked up Pellodino and beat back the creature, showing the gods that we are
a strong people. And since then few have challenged the Kaeltaifa, for we
had shown that we could take a gift from the gods and use it to defend
ourselves from the wrath of others." Turning the stone over in her hands,
her emerald eyes kept studying the smooth surface. "There have been other
double omens in our past that have been key points in the history of my
people, and twin signs such as our paired discs are only demanding of
attentions, for they symbolize the most potent of all fates."
x
