Manning the Beast [attn; Roan]

[Avyra]

Avyra [fancy]+ Kyella[/fancy]

The gardens had always been a favorite place of Avyra's. It was a study place, relaxing place, and a place to get into trouble, all rolled into one sweet deal. Honestly it could not get better. She was continuing to work with Kyella. The eagle was doing better, actually, far better than Avyra had expected. Even with a good number of people in the area, she stood on Avyra's fist and forearm comfortably, not stressed but also not entirely relaxed. She watched everyone with yellow eyes, only moving her head and occasionally would reposition herself with her feet and sharp talons. Avyra smiled then, opening her bag to take out a mouse she had hidden, cupping it in her hand so Kyella couldn't see it. The eagle perked, head feathers flaring silghtly in interest. "You know this is for you, don't you?" Avyra laughed, then put the mouse down on her glove, tapping it. Kyella clacked her beak, looking all the way down at the treat, then wolfed it down whole, barely pausing.

[Was unsure who you wanted to bring in, so feel free to do basically whatever.]

[Roan]

Tia Tomosan

Going from Novice to Accepted afforded one more freedom, but going from Accepted to Aes Sedai? Tia Tomosan had more time on her hands than she knew what to do with, and had yet to set a routine for herself to follow when she was within the Tower walls. Most Accepted would welcome the freedom that came with being fully raised, but for her? Without something to distract her, Tia found herself far too deep within her own head.

Since being raised, she’d been made a Sitter for the Green, which surprised her given her age and inexperience. She suspected Zeen might have had something to do with it, though, given he was Captain General. Not long after her appointment, the Great Serpent had been destroyed, and she was called upon to take her place in the Hall of Sitters.

The entire affair left a bad taste in her mouth, and Tia wasn’t sure what she thought about the outcome, in the end. These thoughts, and others clouded her mind when she made her way to the Gardens. In what little free time she’d had as a Novice or Accepted, she’d walk the paths and enjoy the serenity the Gardens seemed to offer. It seemed she’d do so as an Aes Sedai as well.

Looking up, the Green saw an unusual site not far ahead. An Accepted held a huge bird of prey on her arm. Is that a Golden Eagle? she found herself wondering. Drawn to the young woman and the bird, Tia offered a small, but warm smile, “Your bird is beautiful, Accepted. Is she heavy?”

Tia stopped a respectful distance away and looked at the golden eyes that watched her even as the bird finished off the treat she’d just been fed. Watching for birds had been something she and her brother had done when they were younger, and still in the hamlet of Duron. Since coming to the Tower, she hadn’t really had much time for such fancies, yet here was an Accepted who made the time not only to catch the bird, but train it as well. She couldn’t help feel a bit of admiration for the young woman.

[Avyra]

“Your bird is beautiful, Accepted. Is she heavy?” Avyra looked over, stiffening a touch when she saw she had brought the audience of an Aes Sedai. Kyella didn't seem to know the difference. She just clicked her beak softly. "No, not really, Aes Sedai. She does make my arm stiff if I hold her up too long, however." She gently reached over, touching Kyella's stomach with two fingers. The bird looked down at her hand and clicked her beak again, then looked over to the newcomer once more, tilting her head and clicking her beak once more. But she didn't seem too nervous, so Avyra decided to invite the tall woman over. "No need to worry, Aes Sedai. I think she'll be fine if you get closer. Sit to the right of me, if you will; never sit on the same side a bird is on, Aes Sedai."

[Roan]

Tia Tomosan

Tia hadn’t meant to intrude, but found herself more than a little pleased when the Accepted invited her to get closer. She moved to sit to the young woman’s right, her eyes still drawn to the bird. There seemed to be an intelligence behind the winged beast’s gaze, almost calculating, as if it was sizing Tia up as potential prey.

“I grew up in a small village called Duron, and there was a man there who worked with birds of prey. He was not keen on anyone getting close, or taking on apprentices, but I found myself fascinated with his birds. I don’t think he had an eagle, though. I only recall seeing hawks and kestrels,” Tia spoke softly as she watched the Accepted work with the majestic bird. “I admit that since then, falconry has been a fascination of mine.”

The Aes Sedai let a few seconds go by before looking to the Accepted, “I must apologize for my manners, Accepted. I am Tia. I know our paths have crossed, but not in such a way as we’ve officially met.” She offered a friendly smile and tilted her head slightly. Curiosity got the better of her, and before she let the Accepted answer, she couldn’t help but ask, “How long have you worked with your eagle?”

[Avyra]

Avyra watched Kyella, who watched the Aes Sedai, not exactly relaxed anymore now that someone else was closer but not showing any signs of wanting to bate off the glove. The Aes Sedai began to speak again, telling Avyra about a man she knew who worked with birds. “I admit that since then, falconry has been a fascination of mine.” She paused. “I must apologize for my manners, Accepted. I am Tia. I know our paths have crossed, but not in such a way as we’ve officially met.” She tilted her head a touch, and before Avyra could answer, she was talking again. Avyra was fine with that. Less words she had to use. “How long have you worked with your eagle?” "About a month now, Tia Sedai," she answered with a smile, running her fingers along the bird's talons. "I'm trying to get her more used to people. Taking her outside with the hood on doesn't seem fun for her, even if it does calm her down. But I bet she wants to see things." She shifted a tad, making Kyella move a bit and reposition her feet. One came dangerously close to Avyra's bare arm. "I'm Avyra, by the way. I don't believe we have met officially before, Tia Sedai. This is Kyella." She paused. "Maybe if she's feeling nice, she'll give you a small display." The bird clicked her beak.

[Roan]

Tia Tomosan

The Aes Sedai watched the hooded bird intently, amazed with how it seemed to move and adjust so fluidly as the Accepted shifted her position. “I would love a display, but only if Kyella is willing.” She tilted her head slightly, “The hood helps to keep her calm? Such a strange idea given that for me, if I can’t see, my imagination will go wild with what noises I here.

“What is your aim with her? What are you training her to do?” Tia asked. She found she wanted to ask several more questions, but didn’t want to overwhelm the Accepted. Part of her wanted to learn, because who didn’t want a bird of their very own?

Aes Sedai she might be, but she also was a woman, with emotions and sometimes, stifling them for the sake of appearances and what was proper seemed wholly absurd. Her thoughts went to Zeen, and how improper seemed to be the norm with him given his propensity to leave his shirts undone. Undoubtedly, a number of Novices, Accepted and Aes Sedai likely didn’t mind (or Soldiers, Dedicated and Asha’man for that matter), but for the Captain General to wander around half naked was not proper in the least.

Tia allowed a soft laugh, “I don’t mean to rapid fire questions at you, Accepted. I am just genuinely curious and interested in what you are doing with the eagle.”

[Avyra]

Avyra smiled. She had never found this curiosity in an Aes Sedai before. Odd. “I don’t mean to rapid fire questions at you, Accepted. I am just genuinely curious and interested in what you are doing with the eagle.” Avyra nodded. "I'm not too sure about a display, seeing as she's just eaten. She won't want to hunt. But I'll see if she'll come and go." Avyra unhooked the eagle's jesses, then tossed her into the air. The bird flew on huge wings; it was bigger than Avyra herself was, and landed in a tree overhead. "As for her hood, birds don't have imaginations. They are simple animals. Smart, quick learners, but simple. If there is nothing to see there is nothing there, so the noise must be unimportant." She held out her fist and whistled, long and low. Kyella looked over and hunched as she spread her wings, taking off down the tree and landing once again on Avyra's fist. Avyra smiled and praised her with a small tap on the talons. "She's a hunting animal. I'm using her to hunt small game like rabbits and squirrels, and even take out crows and ravens." Kyella picked at her jesses slightly. "However, I have heard they can take out deer, too." She smiled. "But she is a wonderful learner, a very gentle bird. If she wanted to, she could puncture these gloves and break my arm. Golden eagles are one of the most powerful birds. The can snap your femur in half using only their talons."

[Roan]

Tia Tomosan

The Aes Sedai watched, fascinated, as the Golden Eagle spread its wings and flew into the nearby tree. It was amazing to watch, and easy to get a sense of the power the eagle had. It was also clear the Accepted and Eagle had a rapport with one another as the bird gracefully returned to the outstretched arm.

Tia listened as Avyra spoke about her bird, and her plans for hunting with Kyellla. “In Duron, the man I spoke of told stories of watching eagles go after weakened dear. He never mentioned whether they were successful in their hunt, but that they made the attempt was enough to amaze me and my brother.”

Tilting her head slightly as she studied Kyella, Tia found herself wishing Einion was here, as he’d likely be more interested than her. “I knew they were powerful creatures, but I didn’t realize they could snap a person’s femur,” she replied. “Is she your only bird, or do you have others you are working with?”

[Avyra]

“In Duron, the man I spoke of told stories of watching eagles go after weakened dear. He never mentioned whether they were successful in their hunt, but that they made the attempt was enough to amaze me and my brother.” Kyella stretched her wings, attempting to fly away, but Avyra held her there. The bird held onto her arm with one leg, the other snapping flailing a bit before resting again. Avyra reached down to grab her hood, then calmly rubbed it against the eagle's chest before putting it over her head. “I knew they were powerful creatures, but I didn’t realize they could snap a person’s femur,” she continued as Avyra worked. “Is she your only bird, or do you have others you are working with?” Avyra smiled. "Just her for now, but she's a handful. I plan on working with other birds in the future. Winter means its time for gyrfalcons to come down from the mountains. They're wonderful game falcons, I've read. Higher energy than an eagle and harder to train. All falcons are." She shook her head. "But for now, I want to focus on Kyella's training. She still hasn't passed the 'I'm attached to something' portion of that, although she is getting better about bating." She paused. "She's never footed me, luckily. She isn't aggressive at all." Avyra shrugged. "We could go back to the mews and get you a glove, Tia Sedai. I'm sure she'll let you hold her."

[Roan]

Tia Tomosan

Tia listened to Avyra as she explained the differences between hawks and eagles, along with what hawks might be available to train in the winter months. The young woman certainly seemed to know what she was talking about, and seemed as comfortable with her bird as the man back in Duron. A part of Tia envied the Accepted. To work so closely with such majestic birds?

The stoic facade of Aes Sedai. . .wasn’t something Tia seemed to have mastered, as the Accepted’s offer for Tia to hold the eagle had the Aes Sedai grinning from ear to ear. “Do you really think she’d let me hold her? I would love to try!”

Tia stood up and waited for Avyra to lead the way, “How much time do you get to work with Kyella each day? I know the schedule of an Accepted is more forgiving than that of a Novice, but you’re still kept busy.”

OOC: Sorry for the delayed reply. Real life has been...less than pleasant lately.