The Grey Tower

A slender hand lifted to block out the worst of the sun’s glare. There! She hadn’t imagined it! The tall woman had no idea what it was against the sky, but it was very definitely moving. She pushed along her reassurance and excitement through the bond and then closed the book she had been reading with a clipped snap of sound.

Katrie left the bench and the gardens behind, making her way out of the Tower grounds proper. Every so often she tilted her face up and searched the wide expanse of blue for another glimpse of the brown... blob? She squinted, bouncing up onto the tips of her toes. Was it... a bird? It seemed larger than any one she had seen before...

Angling towards the nearest field she could find, it soon became apparent that this was no random bird. And there was an Accepted? How curious! The Cairhienin made a delighted little sound and hurried over. The bird noticed her first, puffing up slightly and the girl in the banded hems turned and spoke.

Brown eyes were wide; the... eagle?... was even larger up close! The Aes Sedai shook her head rapidly from side to side. “I don’t want the field. I came to watch you and your bird! Take your time!” Katrie bubbled excitedly and settled down in the grass several paces away, tucking her skirts underneath her.

Katrie couldn’t help but clap excitedly as the Accepted settled down next to her, the Brown splitting her attention between the girl and the giant bird. “That was amazing!” She huffed a little, blowing her breath upwards to no avail as that stray stubborn curl resettled over her forehead, falling over her eye. She tucked it behind her ear and peered curiously at strange mismatched pair next to her.

“I didn’t know you could do that with a bird. Well, I mean, I did in that I’ve read it in a book, but I’ve never actually seen it before. Where did you get your bird? Was it difficult?” Large brown eyes went to the unfamiliar items nearby, what looked like small leather loops... and a... leather hood cap... thing...? The Aes Sedai made a soft little noise, her inquisitive delight broadcasting clearly from her expression. “Are those hard to use?? Did you have to buy any of it?” Her mouth skewed to the side thoughtfully. “I suppose the Tower took care of it, if you did. What do they do?”

She smiled, her head tilting to the side. “What’s your name? I’m Katrie and it’s very nice to meet you and your bird. Is it a he or a she? An eagle...?” That was asked tentatively, the brown-haired woman finally pausing enough for a breath. “Does your bird have a name?”

White teeth leapt out from coppery skin as Katrie smiled again, pushing stray curls away from her face. For long moments, she was entirely fascinated with the way the golden eagle dove after the hastily made grass ball. As Kyella brought it back, the bird’s... beak?... made the most interesting clicking sound.

“It’s very nice to meet you Avyra,” the slender woman said earnestly. “And Kyella too. She is beautiful. And big! I didn’t realize birds could get so big. How much more is she likely to grow? I like her much better than those flying lizard creatures that the Seanchan use.” Her nose wrinkled at that, the Brown not entirely sure why she had brought up that bit of unpleasantness. Promptly reordering her thoughts, she refocused her attention back on the Accepted.

“A class? On birds?” The Aes Sedai’s brown eyes widened a little, her head tilting to the side. “That sounds like it would be a wonderful class! Why isn’t it going well? I... well, only if you wanted it that is, would be willing to help. And when it’s set up to your liking, I would take it. I don’t know if I actually want a bird, but I have so many questions! For instance, you said you will release Kyella next year. Why? Do you only keep birds for a year? Or is there an age limit? How do you know how old they are?”

The tall Cairhienin frowned for a moment, then her entire expression brightened. “How can you tell?” There had to be a way to tell, or else Avyra wouldn’t know how old Kyella was. “Is it in the way their feathers grow? Or maybe it’s in the way they’re shaped...” The questions slipped out of her mouth, tumbling from her lips in rapid succession. It had to be the feathers. She couldn’t think of another... well perhaps it was how long their talons were? “Oh! Or in how long the... talons are?” Or maybe... could it be the beak too? The Brown straightened a little, her expression thoughtful as she studied the golden eagle for several long moments.

“Is she hungry? What does she eat?” Katrie lifted her gaze to the Accepted after a pause. “Are you hungry?”

“Oh I see,” Katrie nodded as she listened to Avyra explain, brown eyes wide as she peered at the indicated white patch beneath Kyella’s wing.

The Aes Sedai still didn’t quite understand how keeping the birds and training them for only year was meant to help them... but maybe it was along the same lines of a mother teaching a miniature human how to speak and walk, only with giant birds and how to hunt. And there was no releasing the small child back into the wild.

The Accepted didn’t elaborate on what the large bird ate, but Katrie could hazard a guess or two. Just to be sure though, she made a mental note and reminder to find out. Books on falconry... there had to be some in the Library. Her head tilted thoughtfully. Would Dax know? He might... sometimes the caravan guarding jobs he’d taken were full of strange, wonderful stories and odd bits of information that she found absolutely fascinating.

“I am, Avyra. Hungry, that is,” the slender woman said with a smile. “I know of a few places out in Hama Valon... all excellent. You can decide where we go when we’re out in the city.”

Katrie fell into step beside the pristine white banded hems as they made their way back towards the Tower, her expression becoming thoughtful. “I don’t think I’ve ever been to...” she paused, looking momentarily abashed. “I’m afraid I don’t know the proper term for it... but the place where they keep all of the birds. Does Kyella have her own space, or does she have to share?”