Wingless - Chapter the First

Wingless - Chapter the First

>The stars in the night sky above you twinkled.
>This was your favorite time.
>You felt a shiver run through your body.
>It is always cold at this time, the dark before the sun.
>With a deep breath you raise yourself into a sitting position.
>The 'grass sea' as the Griffin called it waving lazily in the slight breeze.
>This wide open plain bordered your Rookery.
>The Rookery was built on the edge of the forest nearby.
>Most of the Griffins stayed away from the 'sea' afraid it would swallow them.
>In your few short years being here, you have learned to love it.
>A creature of the sky could never know the comforts of a creature of the ground.
>The sun would be rising soon, time for you to return.
>You sprint through the grass back to the forest and wait at the edge of the Rookery.
>You coo quietly, asking permission to enter the Rookery.
>Even at this time, protocol is to be observed.
>Your scarred back is testament your former lack of protocol.
>A Griffin above spots you and coos softly, granting you permission.
>You waste no time as you sprint through the trees.
>There it is.
>Your tree, your home.
>All of the trees have their lower branches clawed away, but this tree has been left with a single branch.
>Your branch for your home.
>You smile as you jump past the branch and shimmy up the trunk.

>These trees are all straight and true, their strength never faltering.
>Only once has a tree fell, and it was only after a Griffin family all died of a plague.
>Each family has a tree, and that tree is connected to each family.
>Only to fall if the family isn't there to live in it.
>This doesn't happen very often.
>Your mind is racing, quickly picking up speed and thinking nonsensical things as you reach your home.
>You perch besides a door, one of many, as this nest is built to accommodate many families within the family.
>The Griffin population has been steadily shrinking over the past few years.
>You aren't old enough to understand why, you just know that there used to be more of Griffin-kind.
>You coo again and wait for an answer.
>Protocol demands it, and again, your scarred back is testament.
>A voice inside coo's in response and you slip in, pushing the flap covering the door to the side.
>Your night-trained eyes quickly adjust to the dim light inside the nest and you see your mother and elder sister preening before a heat-stone.
"I have come."
>You lift your head, exposing your neck to your mother in greeting.
>She smiles, you have learned what a beak looks like when it smiles, as she gets up.
>She nods and you quickly run over and wrap her in a large hug.
>"Welcome home, Anonymous."
>She envelops you in a warm wing and holds you close before you release her and turn to your sister.
>As the second of the household, she deserves the respect of her station.
"Teeva, I have come."
>Your sister smiles and throw her wings out wide.

>You embrace your sister, and she wraps you in her wings.
>A Griffin's wings make the best of blankets.
>You are only allowed this as you are still a child, and only children are allowed to sleep with a Griffin that is not their mate.
>You take your seat as Teeva scoots over a bit, and Nou takes her spot at the head.
>Things are quickly becoming tense in the household, Teeva is nearing her coming of age trials, and Nou's mate has not returned from their last hunt.
>Food is quickly becoming a commodity that your household is running low on.
>Nou and you are not allowed to hunt.
>Hunting is reserved for those that have gone through their first trials.
>As leader of the household Teeva must stay here and watch over the two of you.
>You look down at your meager meal, but just smile.
>Food is food is food.
>You wait for Nou to start eating before you start to eat.
>Your scars will always remind you of the errors of your ways.
>Teeva just stares at her food, and you can feel her anger rising.
>She lifts a claw and slides the plate away, even in her anger she is careful not to spill any.
>You move on instinct.
>You grab her claw and pull it towards you, taking her off balance as you wrap your arms around her midsection.
>You roll her over and pin her to the ground, her wings under your chest.
>In her anger, the movement caught her off guard, and you got a perfect hold before she started thrashing about.

>Nou is standing above the two of you, her eyes aflame in anger.
>"First you come home and say nothing in greeting, then you disgrace my table by rejecting my food."
>Her voice easily carries though the nest and you know the nearby Griffins will be wondering what happened.
>Teeva is just growling, her beak forced shut as you press her head to the ground, saving her from any further pain.
>You watch as your mother claws your sisters face.
>Her talons leaving three straight, long gash's down her face over her left eye.
>Teeva caw's in pain, and still you hold her there.
>"I will not have my daughter disrespect her own house while I am still Nest-Mother."
>Nou turns around quickly and leaves the two of you.
>You hold Teeva to the ground till she leaves, and then longer until she calms down.
>You hold her until tears stream down her face as she realizes what she has done.
>You release her and she crawls over to her plate and eats the food, before she leaves for your room.
>With a sigh you take all three plates and return them to their places and follow your sister to your room.
>One of the other young Griffin, Tal, hurt her wing during training and training was put of hold because of it.
>Free time is not something anyone is used too.
>The missing hunting party has something to do with it, but you can't figure out why yet.
>You find Teeva curled in a ball, nursing her eye with her claw.
>She is your sister and you want to protect her, but you cannot protect her from herself and it hurts you.
>Nou is generally light handed with her punishments, this being the first time she has drawn blood in a long time.
>These marks will no doubt scar and she will forever bear her shame.

>You sit to one side, waiting for her to give you permission to get closer, protocol must be observed.
>After a minute she turns her head to face you.
>You just give her a blank stare as you crawl over and lay down on her back, your chin on her head.
>You scratch her neck idly as they two of you enjoy the silence.
>She coo's softly as your fingers expand in their scratching, making their way to the base of her head.
>You roll off her back and crawl over so you are looking at her face.
>You pick a few of the broken feathers from around her eye and lick the wound to clean it.
>You still remember the first time the two of you cracked a wall in the nest.
"Teeva, remember when we cracked the nest?"
>"Yeah.... Nou nearly threw us from the nest."
>She snickers slightly as she rolls on her side, and runs a talon along a scar.
>"That scar still pulls when I fly."
>You look at the scar on your ribcage.
"Mine makes the skin feel like it will rip when I stretch."
>The two of you share a laugh at each others punishments.
>You roll over onto your stomach and run a finger along a particularly long scar.
"Or how about the time I was cau-"
>You are interrupted by the sound of crashing from the entrance.
>The two of you leave your shared room and find Nou holding the bleeding form of her mate.
>You wrap your arm around Teeva as she darts forward, holding her in place.
"Now is not the time, let them be."
>Something in your gut tells you he will not make it and you drag Teeva back to your room.

>You block the entrance, knowing she wants to go out there.
"We will come when Nou calls for us."
>Teeva just sighs.
>"Knowing you are right only makes this that much harder."
"Come'ere."
>You hold your arms out and she slides into them, the top of her head pressed against your chest.
>You stroke the feathers on her wings and press your head into hers.
"It'll be fine...."
>The two of sit sit in silence for some time, taking comfort in eachother's presence.
>"No it won't...."
>You don't want to answer her as tears build up in your eyes.

Continued in Chapter the Second.