Mostly... they tried to be careful, but they didn't always know their own strength-and they were very young. Sometimes they forgot just how long and sharp their claws and beaks were.
They hit him together, Lytha high, Jerven low, and brought him down, both shrieking in the high-pitched whistles that served the gryphons for howls of laughter.
Darkwind tried not to wince, but those whistles were enough to pierce his eardrums. I'll be glad when their voices deepen. Human children are shrill enough as it is..
Lytha grabbed the front of his tunic in her beak and 'worried' it; Jerven 'gnawed' his ankle. He struggled; at least they were big enough now that he didn't have to watch what he did; he could fight against them in earnest and not hurt them, provided he didn't indulge in any real, ~g blows. They seemed to have improved in their 'playing' since the last time; he'd needed a new tunic when jerven got through with him. Treyvan watched them maul him indulgently for a moment, then waded in, gently separating his offspring from his friend, batting at them so that they rolled into the far corners of the chamber, shrieking happily.
Darkwind did wince.
Treyvan whistled something at them; they bounced to their feet and bounded out the door. Darkwind still wasn't fluent in Gryphon, it was a very tonal language, and hard to master; but he thought it was probably the equivalent of 'Go play, Darkwind needs to talk to Mother and Father about things that will bore you to sleep.' Treyvan shook his head, then turned, and settled himself into a graceful reclining curve, with his serrated, meat- rending bill even with Darkwind's chin, bare inches away, gazing into the human's face. 'Your indulgenssss, old friend. They aaare veeeery young.'
'I know,' he replied, picking himself up off the floor, and dusting himself off. 'I distinctly remember doing the same thing to you.' Treyvan's beak opened in a silent laugh. 'Aaaah, but I wassss ssstill thissss ssssize, and you were much ssssmaller, yesss? The damagesss were much lessss.'
'I think I'll survive them,' Darkwind responded. 'And I owe you both for more than just being gracious about playing 'monster' for me.' Treyvan shook his head. 'Weee do not think of sssssuch,' he said immediately. 'Thissss issss what friendssss do.' Darkwind remained stubbornly silent for a moment. 'Whether or not you think of it, I do,' he said. 'You two helped me cope with Mother's death; you've been mother and father to me since. It's not something I can forget.' The memory was still painful, but he thought it was healing. It certainly wouldn't have without their help.
'Sssstill,' Treyvan objected. 'You are uncle to the little onesss. At consssiderable perssonal damage.' He shrugged. 'To quote your own words,' he replied wryly,' 'that's what friends do.' I think they're well worth indulging. So, you've obviously enlarged the nest-and it's wonderful, the new chamber doesn't look tacked-on, it looks like it was built with the original. What else are you planning to do?'
'We thought, perhapsssss, a chamber for the younglingssss to play in foul weather-' They discussed further improvements for a moment until a shadow passed over Darkwind, and he looked up at the sound of his name whistled in Gryphon-Then once again, he had to protect his eyes, as Hydona, Treyvan's mate, landed in the clearing before the nest, driving up a stronger wind with her wings than Treyvan had.
Darkwind rose to his feet to greet her. She was larger than Treyvan, and her dusty-brown coloration was a muted copy of his golden-brown feathers. There was more gray in her markings, and less black. Her eyes were the same warm, lovely gold as Treyvan's, though, and she was just as pleased to see him as her mate had been.
She nuzzled him and gripped a shoulder gently, purring loud enough to vibrate his very bones. He buried his hands in her neck-feathers and scratched the place at the back of her neck she could never reach herself; the most intimate caress possible to a gryphon, short of mating behavior.
She and Treyvan had been extraordinarily open with him, especially after the death of his mother, allowing him glimpses of their personal life that most humans were never allowed to see. They were, all in all, quite private creatures; of all the Tayledras, only Darkwind was considered an intimate friend. They had not even allowed Dawnfire, who was possibly the best of all the k'sheyna at dealing with nonhumans, to come that close to them.
'Ssssso,' Hydona sighed, after a long and luxurious scratch. 'Thisss is your patrol time-it musst be busssinesss that bringsss you. And bussinesss isss ssseriousss. How can we help?' Darkwind looked into her brilliant, deep eyes. 'I want to ask advice, and maybe some favors,' he said. 'I seem to have acquired a problem.' Hydona's ear-tufts perked up. 'Acquired a problem? Interesssting word choicssse. Ssssay on.' He chose a comfortable rock, as she curled up beside her mate.
'Well,' he began. 'It happened this way.
*Chapter Nine ELSPETH
Master Quenten reread the message from his old employer, Captain Kerowyn. Herald Captain Kerowyn, he was going to have to remember that. Not that the new title seemed to have changed her much.
'Quenten, I have a job for you, and a sizable retainer enclosed to make you go along with it. Important Personage coming your way; keep said Personage from notice if possible; official and sensitive business.
Will have one escort along, but is capable of taking care of self in a fight. Personage needs either a mage-
