Seona Lightstone, paladin of the Alliance, was riding south at speed, making for the outpost of Honor Hold. Her horse, Caliburn, was accustomed to the harsh conditions at this point and would barely snort at the flames that occasionally erupted from the reddish soil. He was far more concerned when one of the huge sand worms would pop out instead, but even then he'd simply swerve away, allowing his rider to jump off and deal with the threat.
Seona swore a bit as another plume of smoke and flame erupted to their right, closer than she'd like. "I could feel that one, Cal. We'd better get away from this ridge as soon as it's safe." A few Helboars scattered as they pushed onward, squealing and grunting in their wake. Seona ignored them, her eyes fixed on the horizon where the broken keep could be seen through the shimmering heat. Honor Hold held more than just the Alliance. It also held a well-known Gryphon breeder.
For weeks, the lady paladin had been in constant contact with her estate manager back in Ironforge. As soon as she had heard that the gryphon rider and breeder were relocating to Honor Hold she had asked about her funds. She knew the prices would be steep, but learning to fly was not just a dream... it was a necessity. Caliburn had served her well, would continue to serve her well, but the ability to fly would make her tasks far simpler and more efficient.
The broken walls of the keep were looming above her as these thoughts went through her mind, and she breathed a slight sigh of relief as they passed guards and neared the stables. She slowed Caliburn to a walk and looked around for the Wildhammer dwarf that trained the soldiers to fly the gryphons his people so carefully bred for the Alliance army.
She spotted him near the stables, once filled with Alliance warhorses, now home to various young gryphons ready to be sold. He was a solid-looking dwarf, and obviously a Wildhammer. Older, his hair and beard solidly silver, he was nevertheless quite intimidating in his barbaric looking armor and his face covered in the tattoos his clan favored. Still, Seona wouldn't be intimidated. Dismounting, she led Caliburn forward.
He noticed her approach and waved her forward. "'Ere for trainin'?" he asked, his demeanor all business. Seona nodded. "Very well. I'm Hargen Bronzewing. I 'eard you'd be comin' from the guard. Yer Seona Lightstone, correct?" Again, Seona nodded, a little more comfortable. She had done some work for Honor Hold before moving further north to the Temple. It seems her work was remembered.
"Me fee is 540 Gold. Ye can purchase a gryphon from me sister, Grunda, once you've mastered my techniques." He waited, then, patiently, as Seona reached into her pack to sort out the gold. A steep fee indeed, although she got the impression that her standing with the Honor Hold guard may have worked in her favor. Once the money had changed hands, she prepared for her training.
"Truth be told, ye won't need to learn too much new from me. Ye have a good seat on that beast of yourn already. Could see tha' as ye rode in." Seona blushed a bit at the compliment. "I'll jus' teach ye a few new commands fer a gryphon and how to saddle 'em up. Ye've ridden gyphons before, o'course..."
The lesson took only a few hours, but despite his warning of not learning much, Seona found her head filled with all kinds of new information. How to saddle a gryphon, what they ate, how to care for their feathers, how to groom their fur, the commands for flight as well as the ground, how to tell if it was ill or injured... it was a great deal to take in. Still, Hargen was a good teacher and had her flying perfectly by the end of the lesson, as well as saddling and grooming a gryphon without mistakes.
"Good. Ye're ready," he said, clapping her on the back. She smiled, thanking him.
"Master Bronzewing, might I ask for your opinion?" Seona asked, nervous about picking a mount from the collection in the stable.
He smiled. "O'course. I'm glad you did, actually. I know these gryphons like they're me own children. Seeing that beast of yourn already, I know ye can handle something a bit more stubborn. I think I know of a good match fer ye."
Hargen lead her through the stable to a young, golden gryphon. His piercing eyes seemed to look straight through her. He was a proud animal, and intelligent. She didn't reach out to him right away, getting a nod from Hargen for her prudence. "Smart lass. He's a bit of a handful, at first, but once he knows who's boss, he'll settle right down fer ye. He's got endurance and has a bit of growing to do yet. Regardless he'll serve ye well, if ye pick 'im." With that, he turned and left, no doubt needing to train another to ride.
Seona peered into the gryphon's eyes and knew she'd take him. Not just because Hargen thought they made a good pair, but because he seemed familiar somehow. "Tha's a good lad. Finally found yerself a rider, then?"
Grunda had come up quietly, her armor much like her brother's and her face sporting similar tattoos. "'E may not be as flashy as some of our other stock," she said, gesturing to the pure white and the darker varieties of gryphon in the stable that caught the attention of so many other riders, "But he's a good heart. And he'll serve ye till the day 'e dies, 'e will, if ye prove ye can 'andle 'im."
Seona smiled. "I'm certainly willing to do so."
She gave up the last of her gold to Grunda, paying for the beautiful, golden gryphon. Her training fees had already paid for food, supplies, and tack for the animal, so it was simply a matter of leading him out and saddling up.
"I'll call you Zephyr," she whispered, swinging into the saddle, and taking off, the heat falling behind as they spiraled up into the dark, starry sky. "Zephyr."
No comments:
Post a Comment