Griffin Rider: Making Camp

Their party made good progress that first day. Caleb had never worked closely with either of the taurian races, however he'd heard stories of their amazing stamina and much to his shame they exceeded even Bracken's steady and inexhaustible pace. The others of course rode with the wagon...except for the gnome who sometimes floated alongside it and at other times vanished all together only to reappear somewhere up ahead waiting for the group to arrive. The centaur in particular seemed to take great offense to Duulingknopf which seemed only to encourage the gnome to further acts of depravity. He even buzzed past Bracken once during the journey yelling: "DUUUUU!" as he flashed by. The poor griffin had jerked and hissed in agitation and it was all Caleb could do not to take a try with his sling at knocking the gnome from the air.
Thankfully the rest of the party was more tolerable. Ikras proved to have a musical side to him, producing a set of the pipes that his people were famous for and playing a soothing tune to ease the nerves brought about by the gnome. Duulingknopf seemed to enjoy the music because once the centaur started playing the obnoxious gnome finally stopped buzzing around and settled down on top of the wagon where he rocked in time to the tune merrily. Then Nil had surprised Caleb further when she'd asked Ikras to play a certain song and had begun to sing. It had made for a very pleasant passage of time. The nidracaal, Ra'ma, remained within the wagon, apparently asleep while the minotaur walked ahead of the group wordlessly. If the great beast had a name, he gave no mention of it and nor did any of the others. Caleb left it well alone, after all he was not one to pry into the affairs of others where such was not needed.
He kept a wary eye on Sheera who rode at the wagon's front with Nil besides her. The pseudo-drake Grimmel circled high overhead and from time to time Sheera would look up at it and nod as if in conversation with it though no words passed between them. Caleb would not put it past the elf to be using some sort of foul magic that enabled her to speak with the little beast as easily as if it were besides her. Magic wasn't new to Caleb, however it was normally restrained and contained within mage's guilds which were guarded by paladins or templars with warded weapons and armor so that they could keep the mages in check. However to have an elf, and a wood elf no less, wielding magic and commanding beasts triggered so many cultural alarms that it was all he could do not to call upon the Holy Trinity to smite the bitch.
The only thing that kept him from doing so was the knowledge that Bracken's life hung in the balance. He didn't know what the woman had done to his precious mount, only that she'd made it very clear that Bracken's life would end if she were to come to harm. He didn't doubt her. Seeing the other members of their party he had to wonder how she'd managed to coerce each of them to follow her. He couldn't imagine how she'd managed to draw such a diverse party together. Perhaps the most baffling members of their small cadre were Duulingknopf and Nil. Ikras and the Minotaur had obvious abilities, as did Caleb himself. Even Ra'ma's purpose was obvious, the Nidracaal were famed for their stealth, and Caleb did not doubt that she made her living as a thief if not an assassin. However the girl and gnome seemed to serve no purpose, unless Nil intended to entertain Caleb and the others while the gnome...did whatever it was he did.
Such thoughts occupied his thoughts for a good portion of that morning and it wasn't until well past midday that he realized just how far they'd come. Or that Bracken was pining to spread his wings and fly. Griffins could travel overland but unlike their cousins, hippogriffs, they preferred flying to walking and needed to fly at least once a day otherwise they became cagey. Something that Caleb had learned the hard way. He still bore the scars from Bracken's tantrums when they were both younger and before Caleb knew better.
"I'm taking Bracken up." he called to no one in particular.
"Grimmel will keep an eye on you. Do not stray far." Sheera said in response.
Caleb grimaced and scowled at her. "It ain't my fault if Bracken eats the little bastard."
"I would hope he wouldn't." Sheera replied with a cruel smile. "Grimmel is poisonous."
Caleb said nothing, turning his attention to Bracken, stroking the griffin's feathered neck gently.
"Alright, ye can go now."
Bracken gave a delighted chirp and bounded forwards with a great leap before his powerful hind legs kicked off the ground. His wings snapped open and beat wildly as he fought for height. Caleb leaned forwards against Bracken's back, his body surging with adrenaline as he relaxed his muscles and rode the rippling of Bracken's sinuous muscles beneath his body. Once Bracken had gained some height his wings again snapped back against his flanks and dove before his wings unfurled once more, catching and carrying him higher. Now that they were truly airborne, Caleb leaned back as Bracken glided about above the others. He looked down and smiled at the small figures of his companions. He looked up and around at the scenery. To the north the High Way stretched out to the horizon. To the south the High Way again stretched out back to Iskander which was beyond view. To the East and West stretched grasslands with scattered groves of trees broken with small waterways.
This was why Caleb loved to fly, the feeling that the world was at his fingertips. True that flying and fighting was what earned him a wage with which to pay his dues, but it was the escape from the earthbound fate of the other races. There was a freedom that few could experience. The realm of flight was held by few among the sentient species. The riders were of course those that rode griffins, hippogriffs, wyverns, and even pegasi and drakes though the last two were rare as few could tame either. Among that singular group there was a certain camaraderie that transcended politics. There had been several occasions when he'd refused to finish off an opponent, understanding the bond shared between rider and mount and refusing to inflict that pain upon another. Of course he'd still fought them to a standstill and forced them to give the sky over to himself and his fellows but that didn't mean he wanted them dead. It was all a matter of making a living.
He remained aloft for the remainder of the day as the wagon continued to trundle along below. The little pseudo-drake did indeed follow them about while they wheeled in the air although it kept a good distance from Bracken who snapped at it warningly whenever it drew too near. The little creature seemed to be intent on watching them only, though Caleb did not doubt that it was capable of more than merely observing them if the wood elf required it. Granted he'd never seen a pseudo-drake but he'd heard that they were sometimes used as focuses for mages and the like. Seeing what Sheera had already proven she could do, Caleb did not doubt that Grimmel served a similar purpose for the wood elf. As the sun began to dip towards the horizon, the wagon pulled off the High Way and Caleb nudged Bracken in a slowly descending spiral.
"Alright, back down with ye." he said with a glance at Grimmel who stayed above them. The little creature was either stupid or trying to provoke Bracken. Aerial creatures didn't like having something above them. It was a blind spot and signified dominance and vulnerability. If not for the trust and training shared between Bracken and Caleb, he had no doubt the griffin would have torn the pseudo-drake to pieces in a heartbeat. As it was, the griffin kept twisting its head around to keep the little creature in view.
"Shhh." soothed Caleb as he stroked the griffin's neck. "It's alright, just a little bastard over yer head. He won't hurt ye."
Bracken chirped in irritation and they descended with the sun, circling the campsite that the others had set up below. They alighted on the ground with a trot, Caleb dismounted from Bracken and stroked the griffin's head fondly. For his part, Bracken pressed his head against Caleb's chest, nuzzling him with great affection and crooning softly in response to Caleb's gentle strokes.
"There, that wasn't so bad now was it."
Bracken chirped happily and placed Caleb's hand in his beak, tugging on it with a series of low whines as Caleb laughed and rubbed the griffin's head affectionately.
"There now, ye great ball of fluff, all better now ain't ye?"
"Excuse me."
Caleb turned to find Nil watching him intently, her hands clasped behind her back as she leaned forwards with a hesitant smile.
"Can I be helping ye?" he asked gruffly.
She ducked her head slightly. "I'm sorry to bother you, I just wanted to ask if I could touch him...he's very beautiful."
Caleb looked at Bracken who had released his arm by now and was studying Nil curiously. "Would ye like to feed him?"
Nil's eyes lit up and she nodded emphatically. "Yes, yes I would!"
Caleb smiled at the young woman's elation and nodded back towards the wagon. "Go see if the wood elf has a bucket then."
He watched as she ran off, her anklets clinking together as she left. Looking back to Bracken he found the griffin's ears twitching back and forth at the sound of the jingling. His eyes were wide as he watched Nil go and Caleb had to laugh.
"What? Fallen in love have ye?"
Bracken clicked his beak together with a thudding sound and let out a low whine as he butted against Caleb's chest.
Caleb laughed. "Oh I know, I love ye too ye big git."
Nil returned then with the required bucket, it looked like it was used to feed livestock. It would certainly do for Bracken though. He walked around to Bracken's flank and the saddle bags there. He produced the feed, ground meat, seed, and honey all mashed into a thick viscous mixture. The bad was lined with wax to keep the stuff from sticking to the inside. He unstrapped this particular bag and walked back to Nil.
"Here, take a handful of this and hold it out for him."
"Like this?" she asked as she reached into the bag. "Ych, it's sticky."
"He loves it." Caleb said with a smirk, holding Bracken's reins lest he leap at the girl. The griffin was getting very excited and Caleb didn't want Nil to come to harm because Bracken was acting like a cub. "Use both hands." he chided.
Nil did so, lifting out a great glob of the feed which she held out for Bracken. Caleb let go of the reins, placing a steadying hand on the beast's flank as he dove his beak into the wet mass in Nil's hands.
"Mind ye don't lose a finger." he said. "Keep yer hands flat."
Nil nodded, her gaze never leaving Bracken as he continued to feed from her avidly, picking away at the mass of meal she held up for him. When he'd finally finished he moved forwards and his tongue lashed out, lapping at Nil's arms which brought on a rash of giggling from her.
"It tickles!" she shrieked in delight as Bracken licked at the residue covering her skin.
"Here, don't eat her ye oaf." Caleb chided, kicking the feed bag. "That's yer food."
Bracken nuzzled against Nil, letting out a low rumble of pleasure as she wrapped her arms around his head and stroked the plumage on the back of his head.
"He's really quite beautiful." she murmured as she stepped back and let the griffin eat which Bracken did with gusto. "Will you have enough feed for him?"
"I have another bag of this, he'll only eat about a third of each bag when he gets hungry. When we run out I'll let him hunt." Caleb said with a shrug. "Does the elf have meat in her wagon?"
Nil nodded. "Some."
Caleb smirked darkly. "Then perhaps I'll take some of my pay out of her stores as well."
Nil frowned. "You really don't like Sheera."
"I have little reason to." Caleb replied dubiously. "She's a damned wood elf for starters, and she threatened to kill Bracken if I didn't come with ye on this mad quest of hers."
"I'm sure she has her reasons." Nil said quietly after a moment as she stroked Bracken's side gently. "She means well...and she is a little odd I admit."
Caleb snorted at Nil's understatement. "If we're caught in her presence we could all be burned as heretics."
Nil stood up on her tip toes and leaned across Bracken which caused the griffin to pause for a moment and look back at her inquisitively before going back to his meal.
"They'd do that to me anyways." she said with a wicked grin. "I'm beyond saving...that or they'd put me in a monastery as a nun." she made a face. "I'd rather be burned."
Caleb looked at her in disbelief. "Ye'd rather be burned than be a holy sister?"
Nil stuck her tongue out. "I love my freedom very dearly...plus I'm not a virgin anymore." she added playfully. "And in any case, the church is just a bunch of nobles trying to scare people away from magic."
"They exist for a reason, they protect us from those that would abuse their curse." Caleb said darkly.
Nil's demeanor became less merry as she shrugged. "I guess, I don't think Sheera is that bad and Duulingknopf is great fun."
Caleb looked over towards the campsite, atop the wagon the gnome was puffing on an overly large pipe, where he'd produced it from was beyond Caleb's imagining, and he was blowing multicolored smoke rings into the air where they'd proceed to fly about chasing one another before vanishing. As Caleb watched, the gnome had a trio of rings settle down around one of the minotaurs horns.
Nil saw it as well because she giggled. "See?"
Caleb said nothing as his eyes settled on Sheera who sat by the fire stroking her pseudo-drake which sat in her lap like some pampered cat.
"I suppose." he murmured absently.
"Hey." Nil said suddenly, poking him in the arm.
He turned to look at her.
"Will you take me up with you tomorrow?"
Caleb blinked in surprise. "Ye want to ride with me?"
Nil nodded emphatically. "Yep, may I? Please?"
He considered her for a moment, and then looked to Bracken who had apparently finished eating as he shook himself and flopped down, very nearly sitting on Caleb's foot in the process. What would it hurt? He'd be up there with her after all.
"It's done. Ye can come up with us."
Nil's face brightened. "Thank you, I'll think of some way to pay you back, promise."
Caleb must have looked scandalized because Nil laughed merrily, covering her face with her hands as she giggled.
"No silly, not like that, I mean a dance or song or something like that...unless you want that of course."
Now Caleb knew he was scandalized and Nil seemed to know it too as she hopped back to the campfire, still giggling in her mirth at his expense.
He looked to Bracken who was regarding him quietly. "Just what have we gotten ourselves into?"
Bracken chirped and settled down, closing his eyes without another sound. Caleb snorted and shook his head, settling down against the Griffin's flank and looking up at the night sky. What indeed.