First Feathers

SUMMARY: Rak has his wings! And makes a gift of his First Feathers.

Rak flying overhead is not an unusual sight around the Aerie, admittedly, so one might be forgiven for missing a small but critical change as the Egalrin boy swoops overhead... or, well, one _might_ have been forgiven it, if he wasn't making such a performance out of flapping his wings and climbing in the air before diving again, cawing delightedly.

Watching the Egalrin showing off is a diminutive green woman, who stares overhead from a small bush, the brace of freshly caught rabbits in her hand momentarily forgotten. She smiles brightly at 'Rak's performance, admiring the young man's form. Yelling then, Murder waves her hands in the air... remembering then the rabbits, and puts those down to begin waving again. "Heeeey, showoff!"

"You know it!" Rak shouts back, and lands next to her. "I mean, this is a first-in-a-lifetime thing, right? And you know how I excited I get about those."

Murder blushes brightly at that, and rubs her cheek. "Yes, I remember." She giggles, holding the brace of rabbits up to show him. "Dinner's on me, then." Grinning, she leans into him, wrapping one arm around his waist and squeezing. "That was awesome to watch. You are awesome! And you seem so happy." The Gobbo looks up at him. "Now you can join the others up in the air. And I guess now you are an adult birdyman?"

Erakirak nods. "Today I am a man!" He seems at once proud and sheepish. "Which, I mean, is kind of silly, I know. It's not like I'm any different than I was yesterday, but... it's tradition. We celebrated First Flight even in my parents' camp! There's a ritual feast being planned this weekend, and..." he looks suddenly abashed. "Um... has anyone explained to you about First Feathers?"

Murder grins at his proclamation of manhood, squeezing once more. "It's not silly at all. Am I allowed to go to the feast? And uh, well, tonight we feast on some rabbit stew and dwarven ale!" Her ears perk up at his question and she shakes her head. The Goblin shrugs. "No, I've not heard of it before. What is it? Another tradition?"

"Of course you're allowed!" Rak replies, a bit scandalized that it's even a question. "It's for the whole Aerie! And that includes you! And also, well, it's _my_ First Flight celebration and it wouldn't be a celebration without you. As for the Feathers... well... it's more a superstition, I guess," he explains shyly. "Or maybe a legend? I don't know. But they say that the first feathers that fall after First Flight have a kind of magic associated with them. Like, not _serious_ magic, but... like, the spirit of the flier. Like... a good-luck charm, I guess you could say."

He stares at the ground a bit, then pulls a light chain out of a pouch and extends it. There's a grey feather attached to it.

"Anyway... I'd like you to have this? I mean, if you want."

The Goblin grins at being told that she is allowed to be present, and nods to him. "I'll go.", she says brightly. She listens curiously to his telling of the superstition, her ears perked up once more. When presented with the feather, her eyes go wide. With trembling fingers, the chain is carefully taken and she carefully considers the feather for some time. Sniffling, she looks away a moment to rub her face on the top of her green dress. The chain is offered back to 'Rak, while she bares her neck and turns around.

Erakirak grins and his eyes are bright. He takes the chain, loops it around her neck and fastens it behind, then kisses her gently on the top of the head. "Thank you"

Murder turns in place and plants her forehead onto his chest, sniffling quite at bit and dribbling tears onto his chestplate. "N..no, thank you Erakirak. This is t.the best gift I've ever gotten. From anyone, next to B.b.baz saving my life."

Erakirak shrugs a wing, trying to seem nonchalant and mostly failing. "Well... I mean, it's not like it's _real_ magic or anything," he mumbles.

Murder snuffles, her face still smooshed against his chestplate. "T.that doesn't matter.", she sobs, now openly crying. "It m.m.means something to you and y.you're giving it to me. I don't have anything close to that value to give to you. All of my m.money couldn't even beging to equal it." The Goblin clings to the Egalrin, somewhere in the deep and dark night, just near the Mountain Road. "We... we should probably go back to our little camp. It's gotten dark while I've been here blubbering." She starts to rub at her eyes and face.

Erakirak wraps a wing around her, at once touched and awkward. "I... I mean, you don't have to give me anything! It's... " ...a good thing mithril doesn't rust. "And you can see in the dark, remember?"

Murder snuggles in close, shivering. "I know I can see, goober. I'm cold!" There's a thump somewhere as she hits him with a fist, not hard, but it is felt. "And I am hungry. I think you are too, yes? We can sit together in front of the fire and talk and stuff while dinner cooks."

Erakirak nods. "That sounds good." He hesitates a moment, then offers "I could fly us there? It would be faster." Which probably isn't his reason.

Murder clings tightly to him and nods. "Okay.", she says, sounding more cheerful. "I like flying, and I love you, so this should be fun." The Gobber looks up at him and grins.

Erakirak gulps, suddenly feeling a bit of performance anxiety, and kicks off into the air, his wings flapping furiously. They kind of wobble around a bit, and almost hit a tree... twice... and then they're in the air! Gaining altitude as he flaps.

Erakirak has left.

JUDGE: WhirlSubRoutine summons Erakirak away.

GAME: Erakirak accepts a meet and will arrive momentarily.

Erakirak has arrived.

Erakirak gulps, suddenly feeling a bit of performance anxiety, and kicks off into the air, his wings flapping furiously. They kind of wobble around a bit, and almost hit a tree... twice... and then they're in the air! Gaining altitude as he flaps.

Murder is a warm presence against his side as Erakirak takes to the skies. She ends up wrapping her arms and legs around his chest and waist to cling to him, out of the way of his wings. "Ooh gosh, there's always that feeling of my stomach dropping away as we get into the air. It was like that on Erithamiel and Silverwing too.", she says with a laugh. "It's so dark up here with the mists and clouds."

"Is it?" Rak wonders, curiously. Then... "Oh! Right! You can't see through the mists!" He seems rather more excited about this than is mannerly... perhaps as payback for her stunt with darkvision in the caves. :-)

"No, I can't see through the mists.", she says, suspiciously. "Are you saying you can? That's neat, then, and I suppose it helps for the fogs and clouds and stuff that you would have to deal with around mountains, right?" Murder squirms a little and huffs. "I am sure there's a spell I can get that'll do something similar. Maybe a magic item? I know there are ones for the sort of vision I have."