Dawn brings a new day (Ngware x Viza)

[Iris_virus]

-Days that before seemed to linger forever, now sped by at a surreal pace for the tiny falcon. Under repression of the vulture filled skies the young bird, far too tiny to make it anywhere without being scooped up for a meal, had waited out the eventful days obliviously.

It wasn't until after the vultures had been run away, and the pride began to gather together once more that the small bird had ventured out into the world, and fully learned of the cost of her cautious behavior. Had she felt something... when her bonded's string had been cut? Ngware couldn't be certain, for she knew not when it had happened exactly, nor when as days passed like weeks in hiding, she had felt feelings of loss and depression. Now however she was quite certain that the longing and pain in her breast were for the little fallen lioness. A bonded she had never met.. and somehow it still hurt.

In a way she'd let down Hestia... which was a painful enough thought itself. But it was more then just that. She's lost the one being in which she was supposed to be forever matched with. The other side of her soul. And worse yet... she didn't even know what that half was like. How she appeared... how she acted... what exactly it was about her that had made Hestia deem them one. Closing her eyes, the pygmy falcon banked right, finally bringing her attention back to the air streams she'd been drifting so listlessly through. Down she dove, slowed, and finally came to a rest in a low tree, eyes gazing outward at the morning sun lighting up the savannah. A day late and a grub short... What was she supposed to do with herself now?-  

[Chibi Sheepcat]

Viza was asking herself the same question as she soared above the valley. It was almost bittersweet to be able to fly like this, knowing what had to be sacrificed in order to do so. They had lost a cub, just like Ukweli had seen. The poor siblings, Dumu and Peke, had to deal with the loss of their only sister. It was very depressing. And now she had heard that Hisia was pregnant. What would Ukweli have thought of that one? The thought of her bonded made the falcon's heart ache, and she quickly moved to another topic. It would be time to go hunting soon, and she needed to scout for prey. Now that the skies were clear, the birds could fly wherever they pleased.

With a loud call, the falcon banked left, green eyes scouring the land for signs of rodents. It felt so good to be able to hunt instead of relying on the leftovers of kills like vultures. The thought of such birds made her shudder. Hestia forgive her, but she did not appreciate her larger cousins as much as she used to. There was something very frightening about not being able to fly because the vultures would tear you to bits. Viza was making her second pass through the valley when she spotted another bird. Curiousity got the better of her, and she landed near the pygmy falcon. "Are you lost, young one?"  

[Iris_virus]

-Oblivious to the rest of the pride's suffering and hardship, Ngware brooded simply with herself, having left the brothers upon hearing the startling information, at least for the time being. Perhaps she'd be able to find a home with them anyway after time, but for now... the wound was too fresh, and the young bird's mind reeled over the reality of the situation.

Cerulean eyes turning upwards, Ngware watched the other falcon out of habit, for tiny as she was, it wouldn't be above another falcon to try and take a bite out of her if hungry enough. The chocolate colored female gave no sign of aggression however, and though Ngware was startled when she settled in near her, she made no move to take flight. In fact, she settled in further, head cocking mildly sideways as the peculiar question aired.-

"Lost..?" -She echo'd the word, wondering softly how correct the question was. But it only took her a short moment to digest it more properly, and she lamented with a sigh to the elder female.- "Almost..? Only I don't think one can really be lost if they don't have a place they're looking for."

-Tail feathers fidgeting softly, she offered a little less cryptically, for fearing of seeming rude.- "I'm new to the area, but the valley seems simple enough. My birth nest isn't very far up the mountains."  

[Chibi Sheepcat]

The lanner falcon was quite interested in this small falcon, having never met a bird so small before in her life. She had automatically assumed that it was just a young falcon, however know that she saw her up close she realized not only was she young she was also very small. Perhaps this was one of those pygmy falcons. Viza had never met one, but her brethren spoke of them. They were supposed to be quite smaller, and thus in danger of being attacked even by other birds of prey. She was lucky that she wasn't as small as this little one. With no lion to protect her she would surely be in trouble.

Ngware's response made Viza blink, and she couldn't help but frown a little in confusion. "You are not a part of the Aka'mleli pride then?" While it wasn't rare for birds to travel down into the valley, few actually stayed there unless they had a bonded. There were just too many birds of prey in one area for outsiders to be welcome. The skies would get too crowded. "So you are from around here then? This is pride lands, a pride that bonds themselves to creatures of the sky." Viza tried not to make it sound like she was warning the young falcon, only instructing her. "You'll find many birds have made their homes here."  

[Iris_virus]

-Aware of the fact that she was under inspection, not something she got THAT often, Ngware ruffled her feathers a bit, streching her tiny wings outwards momentarily to allow a better view before they settled back against her once more.

However the elder falcon's frown was soon mirrored in the younger one. Not allowed anymore...? That thought hadn't even hit her before now. Would they really do that to her? The pride supposedly a 'Lover of birds' just kick her out into the wide world because she no longer had a bonded? It was a powerful sting and perhaps she even deserved the exaltation for her folly, but her youth caused her to lament aloud.- "What would that say to Hestia!? If I just left the place she prescribed to me?"

-Shivering and shaking, eyes bright with emotion, she bemoaned her pain to the poor unsuspecting Viza, suddenly feeling incredibly overwhelmed.- "I'm sure the goddess is already dissapointed in me for failing her and not protecting my other half. And now I'm just to abandon the entire place and her judgement?"

-How could things get worse..? Ngware had barely lived a life a herself, only months ago learning to fly, and now it already seemed that her life was over. Cruel fate and inexperience. What else was a young one to know other then the life they'd been promised from their chickhood?-  

[Chibi Sheepcat]

The elder falcon was quite confused by Ngware's words, not sure what she had said to cause such an emotional reaction. She had been merely been pointing out the pride's existence to the young bird, just in case she had flown in here without knowing where she was. Viza straightened at the mention of her beloved goddess, head tilting when the pygmy falcon said that Hestia had prescribed her. "You were brought here by the goddess herself?" She asked, slowly putting the pieces together in her mind. There must be a cub she was seeking, a cub she was meant to bond to.

Needless to say, Viza was very surprised when Ngware continued on to say that she had failed to protect her other half. The falcon ran through the birds she knew in her head, trying to remember if she had seen this bird with any of the outsiders. No, she was sure they had all brought vultures with them. Vultures, and then that one nasty raven that belonged to the witch. None of her brethren had been won over by the trespassers. That meant that she must have belonged to a member of the pride that had died before they met their bird. There was only one member like that.

Viza made a small, sympathetic noise as she stared at the poor young falcon. "You did not meet the young lioness that you were meant to bond to?" She asked softly, trying to judge the younger falcon's reaction. "It is sad that you should have suffered so even without meeting her, if I am thinking of the right lion-chick."  

[Iris_virus]

((Sorry for the delay. One of my dogs died last weekend sooo I haven't really felt up for much rp

and PS: "lion-chick" is the cutest thing ever >w< heart ))

-Viza's understanding and offered sympathy helped to cut through Ngware's melodramatics, and softly she began to sooth a little, ruffling her feathers protectively around her. Perhaps she knew she was acting like a chick, and she felt some sympathy for the elder bird having to deal with her... Either way, she was happy to get the words out. Even if the meeting was brief, atleast she wasn't alone for now.-

"No I didn't.." -Her voice was low now and somber though the unhappy excitement behind it still lingered, threatening another string of laments.- "I hid from the vultures in the rocks after the ground shaking.. and by the time I came looking for her I found only her brothers."

"Too late, too late"  

[Chibi Sheepcat]

[ Aaaw, no worries! I'm sorry about your dog. >: ]

Ah, so she had been thinking of the right lion-chick. Viza could not help but feel sorry for this young falcon, who had experienced the pain of loss without really knowing what she had lost. She must have been so confused by the feeling. It was different when you were hurting and knowing why, when you could remember the lion you had lost and know why it hurt. The lanner falcon understood that feeling very well, however Ngware would not have felt like that. It was only the pain of loss, no explanation given.

"Her name was Kuruka, and her brothers were Dumu and Peke," Viza reported dutifully, with a touch of sadness in her voice. "They were one of the few pride members to survive the earth shake. She was a very nice young lioness. It is a pity that you did not get to meet her. Perhaps you should meet with her brothers? They could tell you more of her than I could. We merely watched her from a far." The falcon didn't notice her use of the plural pronoun, so used to speak about her and her bonded. It would take her a while to get used to being on her own.  

[Iris_virus]

-She listened softly, far more calmly to the bits of information gifted to her, a soft gaze of appreciation touching her. She'd seen the brothers yes, briefly enough to find out about poor Kuruka's loss, but name now, she filed back in her mind. And at the prompting, she again reconsidered the thought of seeing the brothers.

Would it be too painful for them, for her, to hang around as a third wheel? A constant reminder to them all of the young lioness? She was uncertain and afraid, but much of her longed to hear of this Kuruka. Feathers ruffling gently, she gave a soft sigh and clack of her beak, grateful eyes turning back to the lanner falconess.- "Thank you ..." -She paused.. no introductions? Well she'd remedy that.-

"I'm Ngware."  

[Chibi Sheepcat]

"You are most welcome, young Ngware." She gave a small bow. "I wish I could have done more for you." The poor young falcon. It hardly seemed fair that she had lost her bonded before she even met her. But there would be more cubs born here, no doubt, or members who would return without a bonded. Perhaps she could find what she needed in one of these younger, new members. "My name is Viza. Like my mother before me, my bonded was Ukweli." She pushed that topic out of her mind, and continued to focus on the young falcon's wellbeing.

"'I hope that her brothers will be able to answer any questions you have, even if the answers may take a little time. There are many who have lost dear companions during the unfortunate events that took place in this pride. I can only thank Hestia that we did not lose our Prince." They had, however, lost their only seer, which was a sad event in itself. Ukweli would have argued and said that the loss hadn't really been a loss since they'd gained three, but to Viza it was still a loss.
 

[Iris_virus]

-She'd caught the past tense in the introduction, and suddenly felt a little foolish and selfish in her before laments. Apparently Viza had lost someone too... and yet she'd turned herself to comforting her instead, keeping her own pain to herself. A soft and subtle symphatetic coo escaped the pygmy falcon.-

"I suppose then... that I will stay around." -She thought gently aloud, words slow and low, eyes looking to the elder falconess for reassurance and guidance.- "If so much has been lost.. then maybe I can be of a little help atleast." -She was so small... what could she possibly do? But it didn't matter too greatly, this was in effect Hestia's pride, so what kind of bird would she be not to be willing to give her life for it.-  

[Chibi Sheepcat]

The coo was answered with a small, knowing smile, but Viza did not elaborate on the topic. Let the younger falcon just know that she understood how she was feeling. They were kin as falcons, but also shared a common understanding of what it was like to lose a bonded. There were many others in the pride who felt the same way. Several lions had lost their bird companions, just as several birds had lost their lions. Hestia would grant them another companion, this Viza was sure. They just needed the proper period to mourn.

“You are most welcome to stay around. You can simply introduce yourself to any of the remaining pride members and they will welcome you to live among them. The other birds will give you no trouble, I would think, but if you find any of them to be too harsh or cruel to you then you can always come to me.” She could give any birds who hassled this young falcon a piece of her mind. “Your help would be most appreciated. We are currently searching for lost members of the pride, so any sort of addition to the aerial patrol would be very beneficial. If you are up to it, of course.”  

[Iris_virus]

"I'm pretty good at no being seen." -She offered with thought. Who knew if they'd need such a skill, but thanks to her tiny size and her practice in avoiding the more agressive of her large breathern it was the case. From an underbelly view her white and grey was such a tiny speck it blended with any clouds around, obscuring her from the vision of most grounded parties. Were their other avian here as small as her? What sort of tasks and talents did they have in the pride? Her curiousity was perking, and it thankfully dulled the throb of pain for the time being.

At the offer, another soft coo sounded, but this one was one of relief and gratitude. Ngware very much believed Viza, and perhaps that's why the suddenly personal question sounded.- "Where would I find you if I was looking? Do you live in any certain place?"  

[Chibi Sheepcat]

While Viza did not know of any birds as small as this one, there was always a possibility that one of the young cubs might bond to someone around her size. She most certainly wasn't the only falcon there, which was a good thing. The lanner falcon would look out for her smaller cousin, especially since some of the lions remaining had vulture bondeds. What with the recent disaster involving vultures, Viza couldn't see how anyone could stomach being bonded to one, but there you have it. Perhaps Hestia was trying to show them something. The lanner falcon didn't trust them yet though.

"Where would you find me?" Viza blinked at the question, before she smiled. "There's a den fairly high up, with a little path leading up to it. A little tree grows outside, and that is where I live. If you get lost, ask any of the members where the Old Seer lived. That is where you will find me." The old seer may no longer be around, but Viza was not yet ready to leave her home. "If I am not there then I am patrolling the borders."  

[Iris_virus]

"Thank you" she offered again softly, wholeheartedly to the elder avian. Feathers ruffling she streched her wings lightly, quite sure she'd see Viza sometime soon. Now that Ngware felt it might be okay to stay...

"Take care of yourself." -Brief words as she drew upward into the air. Surely by the next time they met, the young bird would have words more befitting to the gratitude she felt.-