Infinite Skies: A Legend of Reedbind

[Rainshadow]

  Shadow
  Base of mountains

  "Do you think those big old birds will come eat us up?"  Shadow answered, "I doubt it.  Otters are too tough and chewy.  We must not taste very good.  But, one 'as to wonder, wot do they want?"  She looked up at the eagles flying above.  They were marvelous creatures, but deadly ones.  She had just told Bilky those things to reassure him.  She didn't believe it herself.

[BrookSkimmer]

Character: Trilden
Location: Base of mountains

The great brown eagle made a swooping decent towards the otters. He made sure not to dive directly at them. Hopefully this would deter them from thinking he had come to attack. The great bird eyed the group as he planned his place for landing. Three otters, two older and one young one. What could they want? Were they seeking out the eagles?

Trilden landed, causing a cloud of dust to rise. He shook his head and folded his wings behind him. The bird took a few steps towards the group of otters.
_______________

Bilky squeaked in alarm. There was a giant bird right in front of him! The little otter was quite sure he was about to become lunch!

[Rainshadow]

  Shadow
 Base of Mountains

 Shadow stepped forward and looked at the eagle.  She put her paws up, making sure that it didn't look like she was going to attack.  "Hello.  My name is Shadow.  The otters behind me are Rigg, Bilky, and Elgar.  Who are you?"  Shadow maneuvered her way in front of Bilky.  She didn't want him to try and attack the eagle.  She also didn't want the eagle to try and attack Bilky.

[Flandor]

Ooc: You're with us Skipper, I think BrookSkimmer and Rainshadow just forgot because you hadn't posted yet.

Elgar put a paw to his heart as he watched great eagle swoop towards them.  Never in all his years and travels had he seen such a fearsome and majestic sight.  The bird did not appear cruel, as vermin did, but rather fierce and proud, unbelievably large and swift.  He heard little Bilky give a squeak of fright, and clapped a reassuring paw on the young one's shoulder, doing his best to project a confidence he did not feel in the face of the awesome bird.  Glancing over his shoulder at his other two companions and wondered if they felt as small and helpless as he did.

The dust rose in a billowing cloud as the eagle came to rest before them, folding its wings neatly and stepping towards them.  Elgar knew not what to do.  The elders had had no advice regarding how to speak with the eagles when they got here.  He did his best to appear peaceable, putting his paws out before him, palms up in a show of good will.

He cleared his throat and gathered himself.  "Greetings to you, great eagle.  We come here bearing you and your brethren no ill will, I assure you."

[Rainshadow]

  Shadow
  Base of Mountains (still)

  Shadow looked at Elgar, then back at the eagle.  "Yes, what Elgar said.  We are not here to harm you."  She added a last part as a mumble, saying, "I think you would harm us more than we would harm you."  She looked at the bird's talons.  Very, very sharp.  And the beak as well.  It looked extremely deadly.  She wasn't feeling very comfortable around this large bird.  "If I may ask, who are you?"

[BrookSkimmer]

Name: Trilden
Location: Base of the mountain

The bird clacked his beak and watched as some of the otters came towards him, making peaceable gestures. Trilden ruffled his feather slightly and adjusted his wings. He cocked his head to the side and studied this Shadow and Elgar. He hardly thought they could have injured him if they had wanted to. They seemed very small to the eyes of a giant mountain eagle.

Trilden blinked as an even smaller otter scuttled behind Elgar. It was one of the smallest creatures the bird had ever seen. He stooped his head down and motioned to the little one.

"What be you little beast? Are ye what they call a mouse?"

The bird also noticed another otter standing near the group. Trilden wondered if he would introduce himself.
_______________

Bilky gulped and gripped tighter to Elgar's legs. He was afraid the bird would eat him up in one bite! But then Bilky remembered why he was there. They had been sent on a mission from Reedbind. He had to be strong for his holt. The young otter shuffled forward and nodded to the big bird.

"I'm Bilky and I'm no mouse! I'm an otter see!" He turned and showed the eagle his rudder. "Mouses have thin little tails, I've got a rudder!"
________________

Trilden laughed. An odd raspy noise escaped his hooked beak. Bilky thought perhaps the bird was laughing at him and he began to get angry. Trilden noticed the stopped laughing.

"So ye are an otter master Bilky!" He looked at the assembly of otters. "My name is Trilden, Guard in the host of Jerrith the mountain Lord!" He spread his vast wings and made the dust churn up. Then he folded then and quietly spoke to the group. "What bring ye to the mountain?  

[W0NWILL]

Character: Castiona

Location: Salamandastron

BIC: Castiona rushed back downstairs her ball and chain bouncing against her legs and bumping into several hares. She ignored their insults and arrived before Holmoak breathless, "Ah got mah weapons. We moving'?" She felt giddy, as she had not gone on a march for quite some time and there was nothing she liked more.

"Yer not leavin till you've said g'bye?"

Castiona jumped at the voice of her sister, Tila, but lied smoothly, "Ah was just 'bout tae come up an' say g'bye." The truth was, it had completely slipped her mind.

Tila humphed, she wasn't buying it, Castiona had run right by her while rushing to get ready, "Just come home safe."

That surprised Castiona, Tila wasn't the most emotional and teary goodbye type of hare on the mountin, "Alrahght, ah'll be back 'fore winter."

[BrookSkimmer]

OOC: Anyone else? Need some help keeping this alive...

[Rainshadow]

  OOC:  I'm just waiting for someone else in our group to post.  I feel like Shadow doesn't really have anything useful to say, so I'm letting anyone else say something.

[Dannflower Reguba]

OOC: Same here, until the otters are in the nesting area, I'm pretty much useless.

[BrookSkimmer]

Bilky came forward and lifted his eyes to meet the great bird's gaze.

"We came to see what all the commotion over here was. We saw big birdies flying about. It looked like fighting so we came to see if we could help!"

Name: Trilden/ Bilky
Location: Base of the mountain

The young otter got all the words in quickly before the others could hush him.

"Ah, ye come teh 'elp us then! Master Bilky, could I persuade ye to join me in visiting our leader? And , perhaps some of you others would like to come along eh?"

As he spoke, other large birds came into view.

"We can carry you on our backs up to the top. What do you say?"

Before anybeast could stop him, Bilky ran forward and clambered onto Trilden's back as the bird knelt down. The bird beat his wings and began a short hop skipping run. Then he took off with the small otter clinging for dear life to his back!

Other birds landed, offering rides to the mountain top to the other otters.

[Rainshadow]

  Shadow
  Base of the mountain

  BIC:  Shadow cleared her throat and looked at one eagle.  "Ahem, my good sir, might I trouble you for a ride?"  The bird allowed her to get on.  Shadow thought that this was an amazing experience, being able to fly.  Not every otter got the chance to do that!
  As soon as the eagle took off, Shadow realized why otters didn't fly.  This was too scary for her.  She couldn't wait to get back on the ground, and she thought that the eagle might be thinking the same thing.  It would probably be deaf by the time they got to the ground, because Shadow was screaming.  Screaming very, very loudly.

[Skipper]

Rigg stood staring at the birds he heard a squaking noise just before he was knocked over from behind, he landed on a feathery back just in time to grab the neck feathers. A small female eagle was glaring at him as she took off swiftly, the breath was taken from him as they flew higher. He wobbled and grabbed onto the bird tightly and only risking quick peeks, he began to smile, he could make out the holt and some of the otters were fishing though they looked like small brown dots from up here.

[Flandor]

Elgar tried to be reasonable with himself about the gigantic eagles they now found themselves faced with, but he found it difficult.  In his travels he had seen many great birds in the skies, but never had he been so very close to one, let alone spoke with them.  And now they were apparently supposed to ride on these great beasts, to fly with them?

His heart jumped, and he knew there was no way around feeling scared.

He did what he must, though, and clambered aboard the eagle nearest him, who had offered him his back.  His middle-aged joints protested at the awkward climb, but he managed to get seated and gain a grip on the feathers.  And then up, up they went, and his stomach was in his head and he was certain there was no blood left in his face at all.  This was not at all what he had bargained for.