Manning the Beast [attn; Roan]

[Avyra]

Avyra stood carefully, not wanting to jostle Kyella too much, holding the bird close to her chest. The eagle leaned against her, looking around with golden eyes, beak opening and closing. She made a few soft peeps. She motioned for Tia Sedai to walk to her right, and continued talking. "I work with her every day. About three hours or so a day. Its easy when she's a good bird." Kyella seemed to like looking around and standing on Avyra's fist. She was fully relaxed. "I bet she'll love your fist, Tia Sedai. You're taller by a longshot. She'll actually be able to see things." Avyra looked down a bit. She didn't like the truth, and she always feared that the birds wouldn't enjoy being with her as she made a horrible perch. The place she led Tia to was a bit worn down, obviously needing repairs. "Its kinda been abandoned before I started this. Pardon the mess." She unlocked the door, letting her left side and the bird go in first. The room was a long airlock, surrounded by cages on one side. The cages were boarded up and locked. Avyra let Kyella go once the door was closed, and the bird flew off to a bench, deciding the headrest was a nice perch. "There should be gloves on the shelf right there. Find one that fits; I would have let you use mine but I don't think you'd fit in it, Tia Sedai." There had been gloves when she found the place, but she had to get hers specially tailored due to her hands. She sat down next to Kyella, who took one look at her before plopping down in her lap, laying there almost like a duck. Avyra sighed, made a comment that sounded like "you aren't supposed to be doing that" and then began to rub the bird on the back of the head.

[Roan]

Tia Tomosan

Tia was taller than Avyra, it was true, but at 5’6”, Tia wasn’t exactly a giant. She’d never thought of herself as tall, though perhaps it was all relative. She let the comment go, though, and followed the Accepted to a building that had seen better days. The Aes Sedai was impressed with how easily Avyra managed to open the door while keeping the bird balanced on her wrist.

Once the door was open, Tia slid in and stepped aside as the Accepted closed it behind them. She’d already started to scan the room when Av pointed out the shelf holding the gloves. It took the Aes Sedai several attempts before she found a glove that fit her hand. It seemed many who’d worked with birds in the Tower’s past were larger folk.

Turning around, Tia held up her now gloved hand in triumph and wiggled her brows, “Found one.” Only then did she notice how Kyella was sitting, and laughed, “I didn’t think birds of prey would sit like that. She must be quite comfortable with you.” She took a step closer, but stayed a respectful distance away, “Now that I’ve found a glove that fits, what’s the next step?”

[Avyra]

"All right, come on you." Avyra took the eagle in both hands, gently placing her off to the side. Kyella made an angry sounding squeak, nipping at her hand slightly, but Avyra didn't respond to her. She took the bird's leash off and put it off to a shelf.

"Come back here," she said, motioning for Tia to follow. "Put the glove on, but don't hold it out yet." She paused, waiting for her. "Now hold it out and I'll call her. Don't hold your hand too high, and keep it level. Stay sturdy when she does fly, she wants a strong perch to land on."

Avyra whistled when she was ready, and Kyella flew over, spreading long wings and landing on Tia's glove.

"Now take her jesses and wrap them around your fingers to hold her there."

[Roan]

Tia Tomosan

Tia watched on curiously as Avyra moved the bird, and followed the Accepted to the other end of the building. As instructed, she put the glove on, and then settled into a relaxed but wide stance. She held up her arm just below shoulder height and waited for Avyra to call Kyella. Watching the bird spread its wings and launch itself into flight was an experience in and of itself.

The moment Kyella spread her wings to slow and land on Tia's wrist, the Aes Sedai couldn't help but exclaim, "Wow!" It was said in a low whisper. The bird was so big, but not as heavy as Tia thought she'd be. She wrapped the tresses as Avyra instructed and couldn't help but stare at the bird of prey. "That was. . .amazing. I understand why you spend so much time with her. There's something majestic in working with her, isn't there?"

Tia knew she was no expert on birds, but the little demonstration by Avyra and her bird piqued the Aes Sedai's interest. The relationship between bird and handler was as special as the relationship between horse and rider, or at least it seemed so to Tia. "Now that I have her. . .now what?" she asked with a soft laugh.

[Avyra]

Avyra watched the flight with a nod, and made her way back towards the original perch, not taking her eyes from the eagle. "Hold her steady. She won't bate. When you're ready, release the jesses and I'll call her back." It took a few minutes, but soon Kyella was flying back to Avyra, the Accepted holding out her glove to land the bird on it. Kyella clicked her beak, and Avyra rubbed it once, then grasped the jesses before opening the door to the bird's mew, letting her hop away to her bathpan, where she stood for a moment before fluffing up and ducking her head in the water, much like a songbird in one of the fountains. "She'll rest in there until I call her to hunt again."

[Roan]

Tia Tomosan

Tia watched as Kyella flew back towards Avyra, and couldn't help the grin. She shook her head as she closed the distance between her and Avyra, "I think that is one of the more fascinating things I have done in quite some time." The Aes Sedai hesitated as she regarded the Accepted, "Is there any chance you might be willing to help me learn how to do what you do? Help me catch a bird of my own and train it?"

Tia was well aware that it was practically unheard of for a full fledged Aes Sedai to ask a learning rank to teach her something, even if that something was Falconry, and absolutely not channeling related. Tia wasn't so caught up in the 'what's proper vs. what's not' to let it stop her, and watching Avyra work with Kyella was one of the most fascinating things she'd been a part of in a while. "Perhaps in exchange for you showing me Falconry, I can teach you a bit about Cloud Dancing, if you'd be interested, and that's assuming you'd have time with your schedule. I don't want to interfere with your studies."

[Avyra]

Avyra was taken slightly aback, and she blinked, startled. Not only did this Aes Sedai want her to train her on birds, she hadn't even thought of Avyra as something less than human like everyone seemed to feel. Avyra took a second, saying nothing. "I... it would be an honor, Tia Sedai. If you really want to, I'm sure we can trap you a hawk to hunt with while the weather is still cold." She paused. "I'd love possible cloud dancing, too. I've never done it before. But I'll help you for no charge. It isn't fair to have you trade as though we're... like... equals, Tia Sedai." It just didn't make sense. "I'll teach you regardless, though, if you want that."

[Roan]

Tia Tomosan

Tia offered Avyra another warm smile, "You may be Accepted and me Aes Sedai, but when it comes to Falconry, we are certainly not equals. You have far greater knowledge than I, and I recognize I could learn a great deal from you. Our rank does not matter one bit with regards to who knows more.

"I offer a trade because there are likely things I have more experience and knowledge about than you that may prove useful as you continue your journey to the Shawl. One of my duties is to help those who will become my Sisters along their journey. I see it as a fair trade, Accepted," she finished, her smile broadening.

In the distance, the bell began to ring, marking the top of the hour. Tia looked up for a moment, and then back to Avyra, "I'm afraid I must be going. I look forward to learning more about falconry from you, and my offer to show you a bit about Cloud Dancing stands." With a slight nod of her head, Tia then turned on her heal and made her way back to the Tower proper.