in over my head

Sohalia

It was a beautiful day for a flight: clear and sunny, with not a cloud in the sky. This kind of early Flowerbirth day was Sohalia's favorite, and it was not uncommon for her to shift into her snowy owl form and enjoy the fresh spring air. Today, though, she'd be flying in something a little different.

Sohalia paced back and forth on the banks of the Stone Symphony, wringing her hands nervously. Today was the day she had been both longing for and dreading: the day she would board her first skyship and take flight. It wasn't the flying that scared her - she flew all the time. It was the deathtrap that was a skyship that was the problem. She fundamentally did not understand how they worked, and that lack of knowledge frightened the young woman.

Movement caught her eye, and she paused in her pacing, glancing up to find that Tal and Boreal were approaching. She perked up immediately, raising her hand to wave enthusiastically at her friends. She was still nervous, but she trusted Tal. If he said it was safe, then it was safe. And him being the pilot was better than some stranger. After all, flying around in a skyship was his job, and no harm had come to him yet that Sohalia could see.

"Tal!" she squealed as he drew closer. "It's so good to see you again!"

it's just a spark, but it's enough to keep me going

It had been a busy season, and Tal's travels hadn't brought him back to the Greatwood very often, but eventually he and Sohalia had been able to pin down a day for their lessons. He'd been sailing for several days, passing around the Draig and then back up to the water-logged forest in order to meet his friend on this sunny and unexpectedly warm Flowerbirth day. As much as he was looking forward to introducing the young woman to the joys of skyship sailing, he had been growing increasingly more twitchy at the thought of going back into the same water that had almost killed him in Leafchange.

Boreal was having none of his nerves, however. The pale dragon's bass carol of greeting echoing through the trees as Tal brought the Peregrine down to within fifteen feet of the ground and tossed out the anchor to clang into some jumbled boulders. He unfurled the rope ladder and scampered down it like a monkey as his companion padded ahead to grumble a happy greeting to Soh and sniff her over (for treats). Tal followed soon after, feeling a bit abashed at her eagerness in comparison to his own reluctance. He made up for it with a tentative grin and reached up to rub the back of his neck. "Hey, Soh. Good t'see you again. Are y'ready for today's big adventure?"

Sohalia

Boreal called a greeting, and Sohalia grinned as the dragon approached to sniff her all over. She giggled, holding her hands up, palms out, in front of her, recognizing the gesture as the universal language of a creature searching for food. "I'm sorry," she told the dragon. "I don't have anything." To Tal, she added, "What does she like? I'd love to bring her something next time."

Then she considered Tal's question. Was she ready for adventure? It was one thing to dream of it and quite another to embark upon one's first realadventure - or what felt like it, anyway. She bit her lip. "I'm a bit nervous, actually," she admitted. Before she could stop herself, she added, "Are you certain skyships are safe?"

it's just a spark, but it's enough to keep me going

"Pretty much anythin' meaty," he called back as he approached, his lopsided grin quirking up at Boreal's usual antics. "Venison jerky's one o' her favorites, though. Or anythin' she sees people eatin'." The grass was always greener on the other plate, or something like that. "There's not much she won't eat, actually, includin' some plants." She'd kept trying to take a bite out of his Walking Palm, though he was pretty sure that was more because she thought it was a chew toy than food.

He caught up to them and knelt down to throw an arm around Boreal's neck and scrub the scales between her horns as she play-grumbled and lowered her head to lean into the scratches, food momentarily forgotten in the sudden attention. He missed Soh's initial hesitation, but her question brought his head back up with a flash of offended pride.

"'Course they are! I mean, they're god-blessed, for what it's worth." He took a breath, realizing belatedly that she was looking for reassurance that was a bit more, well... reassuring. "I've been 'prenticin' or flyin' the Peregrine for almost two years now, an' I've never come t'harm on a skyship. Sure, my girl is small, but she's never let me down. I'd put her up against any ship ten times her size!" The boasting was back, and joined by an agreeing snort from the dragon who wriggled out of his hold and trotted over to take a drink from the racing river nearby. "But we can stay low an' go slow, til you get used to it," he added belatedly.

Sohalia

Sohalia made a mental note of Boreal's favorites. Next time, she would come prepared! She hated not being able to greet her friend in what she felt was an appropriate manner. Instead, she knelt beside the pair and offered a hand to the dragon, happy to offer scratches in lieu of food.

The young woman smothered a giggle at Tal's wounded look. She hadn't meant to offend him or to question his skyship, particularly - it was all skyships that made her nervous!

Sohalia was not on particularly familiar terms with the gods. She knew of their existence, of course, but as to the specifics of their beings, her knowledge was sadly lacking. Maybe that's what she should have read up on when she visited the Undercroft. As it was, the knowledge that skyships had the gods' blessings did little to reassure her. "Thanks, Tal," she said with a sweet smile. "I think I'm ready whenever you are."

it's just a spark, but it's enough to keep me going

Luckily Boreal wasn't picky, and was perfectly happy to accept being fussed over in lieu of edible treats. She pulled partially away from Tal, butting her head gently against Sohalia's hand with a pleased rumble. Tal pretended to huff in jealousy as his dragon leaned into Soh's scratches over his, but it was an old game of Boreal's and he had to fight the grin that threatened to ruin his 'jealousy.'

Of course Soh laughed at his wounded pride a moment later. His sisters and Hotaru did the same thing, and he might have grumped more about the women in his life not taking him seriously but this particular girl was so sincere and just genuinely nice that it was hard to be his usual prickly self around her. Not for very long, at least.

"Right. Well." He cleared his throat and used Boreal's shoulders to push himself to his feet. For her part, the dragon was steady as a rock and barely seemed to notice as her human levered himself up. "The bigger ships have proper boardin' planks an' all, but they have t'stick to the ports. The Peregrine might only have a rope ladder, but she can go almost anywhere." He grinned, leading the way back to the boulders where the ship was anchored. "Unless you've got wings like Boreal t'get aboard!" He loosened the anchor so it would be easy to haul up, then scampered up the rope ladder first to hold the little boat as steady as he could. "Welcome aboard!"

Sohalia

Sohalia rose from the ground gracefully and smoothed her skirts, hoping Tal didn't notice her trembling hands. It was ridiculous, really, this fear of skyships. Everyone used them, and she'd never heard of one crashing spontaneously. As long as she was with an experience pilot - and she was, she thought, glancing sidelong at her friend - she would be fine. She took a deep breath and followed Tal.

The young woman was generally comfortable in skirts and dresses, but this was one time that she wished she had more appropriate clothing. As she watch Tal scurry up the rope ladder, she envied him his pants.

Then it was her turn, so she steeled her nerves and began to clamber up the rope ladder. Despite Tal's efforts, the ladder swung under her weight, and she clung to it stubbornly as she climbed ever higher. At least she wasn't afraid of heights!

As she climbed, she giggled softly. It might have just been her nerves, but the way the rope ladder was moving made her think of a swing hanging from a tree branch. She'd loved swings when she was younger, always wanting to swing higher and higher before jumping off to sail as far as she could through the air. This brought back those youthful, exciting memories, and by the time she reached the deck of the little boat, she'd grown calmer.

"So," she said curiously, "How does the Peregrine work?"

it's just a spark, but it's enough to keep me going

Tal kept an eye over the rail to make sure Soh made it up, while Boreal watched attentively from below, ready to leap to her aid if she slipped. Their vigilance turned out to be unwarranted as their young friend soon joined them aloft and the courier offered a hand to pull her into the boat.

Unlike a seaborne vessel the Peregrine held fairly steady as she floated, shifting only slightly with the breezes that chased beneath the trees of the Greatwood. Tal grinned and led Soh to the bow where he began to pull up the anchor. "Like a water ship, basically. She takes some o' her speed from th'winds - or will, when I drop 'er sails - an' she's got a big sail-like rudder t'help her turn into 'em." He stowed the anchor and then began moving purposefully around the deck, untying and retying ropes and letting the main sail partially down, along with two smaller ones. The ship began to move slowly as the breeze caught the canvas and he leapt over to the wheel. "Aside from th'magic makin' her float and helpin' her go faster than winds alone, it's not that different from travelin' at sea." The Peregrine began a slow coast above the Symphony with Tal steering it nimbly between the branches of the larger trees that reached out over the water.

Sohalia

Sohalia took the proffered hand with a smile and a word of thanks and suddenly found herself standing on the Peregrine's deck with her friend, her nerves a knot in the base of her stomach. It was a small ship, not unlike a water vessel, and she swallowed hard, trying to force down her rising fear. The Peregrine floated steadily in the air, and Sohalia found it both intimidating and reassuring that she was so unlike a sea boat, which would have been rocking in the waves.

But as Tal began to explain, Sohalia found herself pulled out of her worries somewhat. A naturally curious person, she had a genuine interest in how the vessel worked, and she watched as Tal scurried here and there, untying and retying ropes, letting down sails, and generally preparing the Peregrine for departure. It was, perhaps, the quietest she had been around the courier in their short friendship. She turned her face toward the prow of the ship - if that was indeed what it was called - and gasped as the deck began to move beneath her feet.

The time for fear was past - they were moving now, and it was thrilling and terrifying in equal measure. Sohalia gripped the railing, her knuckles white with the strength of her grip. She watched as the Stone Symphony passed by below them, its meandering path guiding the skyship along. She had to admit that it was almost as beautiful to see the world from the deck of a skyship as it was to see it upon her own two wings. Realizing that she should say something, she glanced at Tal and attempted a smile. "It's really beautiful from up here. This isn't so bad."

it's just a spark, but it's enough to keep me going

Boreal hadn't been entirely idle once the humans were aboard ship. The dragon had gotten a running start and joined them aloft, flying above the Peregrine at first and then slipping down to cruise beside Sohalia for a few seconds, her wingtip almost brushing the human woman's hand. The little ship was going too slow for her to maintain her position longer than that, and she shot ahead with a few powerful beats of her wings until she found an updraft to carry her back above the little vessel.

Sohalia  might have been talking about the view, but Tal beamed with pride as if she'd complemented his ship instead. "Beats any other kind o'travel," he boasted with a broad grin. "In fair weather, at least. An' if it gets stormy, we can lift above the low clouds or tack around the storm." He made a small adjustment to the wheel and the prow rose a little, the skyship gradually cutting higher into the air. "I'm gonna take 'er up above the trees now. It's safer that way, so we don't get caught by a branch goin' over the river," he explained. Then he looked suddenly sheepish and belatedly added: "Are y'afraid o' heights?" Probably should have asked that before she boarded but... well, better late than never?

Sohalia

It wasn't so bad, flying on a skyship. Sure, she still didn't quite understand how they worked - what kept them afloat? - but there was something thrilling about flying on one all the same. When Boreal coasted beside Sohalia, her wingtip almost brushing against the young woman's hand, she couldn't help but giggle. For a moment, she had the urge to transform and join Boreal in flight.

But that would be admitting that an owl was afraid of flying, and that was simply ridiculous. Sohalia turned her head away from Tal and made a face, embarrassed.

The Peregrine began to rise in the air, and Sohalia grasped the railing nervously. The height itself didn't bother her, but the higher they got, the further it was to fall if the skyship were to crash. "It's not the height," she reassured Tal, turning back to him. "It's - what if we crash?" she fretted, not realizing that she could be offending her friend by implying that he would crash his prized ship.

it's just a spark, but it's enough to keep me going

It was Tal's turn to make a face, and though he tried to hide it he didn't do a very good job. His nose wrinkled up and his lips twitched in the temptation to scowl at the mere thought of the Peregrine crashing--

But Sohalia's sincere enjoyment of the flight up to that point made it hard to take serious offense. He gave a soft huff of offended pride - sounding suspiciously like his dragon - before he relaxed one muscle at a time until he could give her a rueful shrug. "Dunno," he admitted. "I've never been on a ship that's crashed, or even seen it happen." He kept an eye on the way ahead, nudging the wheel gentle to the left to follow the Symphony's curve around a massive oak. Soon they'd be high enough to not have to worry about the branches, but for now his attention was all for the trees. "I figure it'd be kinda like a wagon or sled crashin', though. Anythin' not secured might go over the side. A skyship'd have t'be pretty fucked up for the magic holdin' 'er aloft t'fail, though. If it did, well... you'd probably fall right along with it, 'less y'had wings."

Boreal circled back, flying a lazy loop around the ship as her companion spoke and keeping an eye on the little craft's keel to make sure it was free of any reaching twigs from the mischievous trees.

Sohalia

Sohalia was unaware of Tal's grimace, her face turned into the breeze created by their forward momentum. It really did remind her quite a lot of flying as a snowy owl (albeit a great deal less work for her), and she slowly relaxed as they rose above the treeline.

That Tal had never heard of a skyship crashing soothed Sohalia's worries somewhat. "That's a relief," she murmured, almost to herself. She pondered Tal's words for a few moments. If the ship did crash, would she react quickly enough to shed her human form and leap into flight? She wasn't sure. Strangely, his comment made it seem like he knew that she did have wings, in a sense... but he couldn't know, could he? If he did, how silly must he think her? But here he was, helping her no matter how ridiculous she was, and she turned to smile brightly at him.

"I suppose it's silly to worry about something that's never happened," she admitted. "And I know you won't let us crash." She paused, glancing at Boreal as she circled the little ship. "It really is like a sea boat, isn't it? Just... higher. How fast does she go?" asked Sohalia suddenly. "Is she named after the bird? I read that peregrines are supposed to be one of the fastest birds in the world."

it's just a spark, but it's enough to keep me going

As the keel lifted safely above the treeline Tal was able to relax a little. He leveled the little ship off and took a look around to make sure they were the only thing of size in the sky, but aside from a few birds and one mischievous Boreal the air was theirs. He had been thinking of his and her broad leathery pinions, utterly oblivious to Sohalia's abilities when he'd made his quip, but it held true for others of his friends who were Attuned.

"It's not silly," he tried to reassure her, though his voice was gruff with pleasure at her confidence in him, and his ears warmed with a faint flush beneath his dark hair. "I dunno if it's happened somewhere else... but it's good t'be prepared for th'worst case. Y'can't do that if you don't worry about it at least a little bit." He shrugged uncomfortably and tied off the wheel before stepping up to the mast to fuss with the sails and set them better for the breeze.

Soh's sudden burst of questions brought a quick, bright grin to the courier's face. "That's what she's named for, yeah, an' maybe she's not as fast as a real one, but she's got speed! She can't carry as much canvas as the two-an'-three mast-ers, but she's light as thistledown an' runs like quicksilver in front of a stiff wind." He tightened up one of the smaller sails and moved to adjust its mate. "What's your favorite kind o' bird?"