Just Another Day

"Gryphons?" Shanku asked hopefully.

"Enemies," Sigrid said quickly, her face serious. "Especially the Sabrewings."

"Ever tried talkin' to dem?" Shanku asked boredly as she undressed.

"Gryphons don't talk. They are mindless, agressive brutes," Sigrid said loftily.

Sounds familiar, Shanku flattened her ears. Birds of a feather don't always flock together, eh? She said a quick spell for her feathers as she was taught by Kisona back in Mruha and lowered herself into the water. It was a bit warmer than she liked, but still bearable. The heat did feel good on her sore muscles and the steam provided some relief for her lungs. She began to scrub the grime and grit that had built into her mane.

"De gryphons back home could talk," she said as she fervently scrubbed behind an ear. "Fun ta fly wit too."

"You flew with gryphons?" Sigrid asked in shock. She laid down on a large slab of stone and spread her wings around her to dry.

"And dragons too," Shanku shook her head briskly to get rid of the excess water and then looked over to Sigrid. "How else do ya tink I got here?"

"Honestly? I thought you'd gotten lost or kidnapped," Sigrid chuckled.

Dat happened a few times... Shanku thought sadly. At least nobody died this time.

"So what is your story, anyway? Sargund tells me you were exiled, but not much beyond that."

"Not much to tell. Got banished, roamed a bit, came here," Shanku said quickly as she finished bathing. She climbed out of the water and lay on her stomach on one of the large stone slabs that apparently were there just for drying and sunning. The autumn air was cool and the afternoon sun was warm.

Sigrid peered at Shanku's wings, tilting her head one way and another as she eyed them.

"What?" Shanku asked.

"Now I know that you've got glossy wings, but they don't seem to be a bit shiny from being wet," Sigrid said suspiciously.

"Gift from de Gull 'Rach. In addition to da heavy oils in their glands, dey also have a trick to keep them fully dry in de water," Shanku explained.

"Curious," Sigrid tilted her head to the side. "I may request you teach it to me sometime."

Sigrid yawned and laid her head down on the stone. Shanku was thankful for the silence. She slipped in and out of consciousness as she dozed in the warm sun. When Sigrid became mostly dry, she opened the satchel she had prepared while Shanku was sewing and laid out items to finish their grooming. Shanku greatly appreciated being able to have a good brushing and to attend to her claws. Months alone in the wild had made her quite shabby and ragged. After they were dry and their grooming finished, they began to dress themselves.