Meornin looked up fearfully at the Gryphons gleaming eyes. They seemed to lure her in. She wanted to follow her mother, yet she saw those eyes, and she wanted to go to the gryphon. 
   It's all right, don't be afraid.  She stopped, confused. And suddenly she felt herself being lifted into the air by an invisible force. It was frightening....but she was not afraid. She floated to the Gryphon's back and the Gryphon flew away.

    Thirteen years of living safely in the House hadn't softened Gwyendoah's fears of Gryphons very much. After all, the last time she had seen them she had lost her husband and her daughter. But her fear of Gryphons was nothing to her fear of ants. And there were ants in the area again, so because of those, and because of the Gryphons that would be coming to fight the ants, Gwyendoah eagerly headed for the shelter of House Ylanit, in the Volucris Mountain Range.  Ironic that the House she lived in was part of the grand Furtim Aerie. 
    Gryphons from several Aeries came to fight the ants, not just Furtim. As Gwyendoah hurried towards shelter, she saw them appear in the sky, sending shivers down her spine even now. Some had riders, something she marveled at, people would actually ride them. She did not see one rider dismount and speak to another rider, while his Gryphon, who had seen and recognized her, approached her.
And when she did, Gwyendoah gasped. The monstrous brown Gryphon before her, she recognized him! He was the one she seen had that fateful day so many years ago, the one that had taken her child. She was standing face to face with the murderous creature! She wanted to quake with fear, but her maternal instincts took over. This creature had taken her child, she would not let him get away with it!
    "You!" She demanded, as if such a savage creature could understand her words. "You stole my child you monster! It may have been thirteen years ago, but I still remember it clearly, and so do you!"
   That I do. Gwyendoah's jaw dropped. It spoke! It understood! Gryphons were intelligent creatures, if savages, she knew that, but it spoke!
    ""You will give me back my daughter if she still lives! Or perhaps you ate her! " Gwyendoah was proud to keep her voice steady. Meornin had ceased to live long ago, she had accepted that, yet seeing this creature again brought back old hope.
    The Gryphon roared, and laughter filled the air. Gwyendoah shuddered, but stood firm.
   Goodness woman!  What stories have people been telling you? I did not eat her! Gryphon's are peaceful. I assure you, she yet lives, and she is happy.
  "Whether she is happy or not is something her mother should see to, don't you think!" Gwyendoah surpressed a surge of hope. Could her little Meornin be alive and well despite the odds? No. More likely this Gryphon was trying to trick her.
   Her mother seemed to care enough to abandon her. There was no mirth in the mud colored Gryphon's tone now. His eyes gleamed dangerously.
    "I didn't abandon her, you stole her! You stole her from me, and I demand her back! If she is alive and well, then I will see her!" If this was a Gryphon scheme, then she had just jumped into the lion's den. But she had to take that chance, if Meornin was alive! She had to rescue her daughter from who knows what grievances these Gryphons had put her through. She would be near fifteen years old now.
   I will take you to her then. What happens to her then is up to her own choice.
  "Take me?" Gwyendoah couldn't keep her voice steady this time. What did he mean?  Surely, she wouldn't actually ride on the savages back! She would be totally at his mercy, as Meornin was. For Meornin. She had to do it, for her daughter.
    Soon Gwyendoah found herself on the back of a Gryphon, flying up high in the sky towards the Aeire, where many more Gryphons, and her daughter, would be.
 
 

  "Ha! Beat you." Rychaid exclaimed triumphantly, planting his piece on the board.
    "Not quite." Alaries replied, skillfully moving her own piece. Rychaid stared down, and his victorious grin fading as Alaries's grew.
    "Good game." he replied. "I thought for sure I'd had you beat that time!"
    "You're getting better, though you've a few games yet before you will be able to beat me." Alaries laughed.
    As they cleaned up the stones game, a golden streak rushed into the room, flapping and squawking as it landed on the shoulder of Alaries and bit at her ear.

    She gasped. It was the woman, Gwyendoah. This was her mother? The paranoid woman she had made fun of the night before?
    "Meornin!" The woman cried, jumping up. "Oh, my Meornin." There had to be some mistake, Alaries thought. This woman was not her mother, the Gryphons had made a mistake. The woman didn't even know her name! But the name she did use, Meornin, it seemed too familiar.
    "Oh, look at you." Gwyendoah was saying. "So big, and so beautiful!" She stood, and approached her. "What is that dreadful creature? Shoo, shoo!" She waved her hands at Cockleburr, who detached from Alaries's shoulder with an indignant squawk and fluttered away.
    "No, Cockleburr!" Alaries cried, unable to stop herself. "He's not a dreadful creature, he's my Alis Gryph!"
    "Your pet?" Gwyendoah seemed shocked. "Oh, those monsters have let you grow up a savage!"
    "They aren't monsters!" Alaries exclaimed, furious. "How can you call them that?"
    "Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear." Gwyendoah was saying. "What have they done to you child, what have they done to my Moernin?"
    "I'm not your Meornin." Alaries snapped. "I am Alaries of Synsong Aerie."
    "How can I bear to hear my daughter say such things?" Gwyendoah was weeping now, to Alaries, a terrible blubbering sound. Felix glared at her, but Alaries didn't care. She was mad. Gwyendoah looked at her, hurt in her eyes, and spoke softly.
    "Whatever they have done to you my child, I can accept it. You have lived away from us, away from our care. Oh, how I tried to save you, I really tried! But we can make it up! Come back with me, to the house, and be my daughter. I can take you away from these savages."
    "They aren't savages!" Alaries shouted. She couldn't stand it. In anger she stormed out of the room.
    Felix, Silcece, and Yeyen followed. "Alaries!" Yeyen exclaimed. "Alaries you had no need to be so rude to your mother!"
    "She called Gryphons savages!" Alaries shot back. "Would you not dislike a woman like that too?"
    "She is your mother Alaries, you could at least try to get along."
    "I never needed her to be my mother, and I certainly don't need her now."
    Yeyen bit her lip and looked at her Gryphon.
    "What is it?" Alaries demanded. She didn't care how rude she sounded.
   Your mother lives in House Ylianit now, outside of Furtim Aerie in the Volucris Mountain Range. We...think it best if you went with her.
  "Live there?" Alaries demanded. "You would make me leave my home to live with her? How is that best for me? This is my home!"
   Gwyendoah is your mother. You should be with your mother. Silcece butted her shoulder.
    "Gwyendoah thinks you have been kept with the 'savages' long enough. She expects you to return with her. She is your mother, your guardian by right, and we cannot refuse her." Yeyen's eye were sympathetic but resolute.
   "You can't send me away!" Alaries exclaimed, but they could. What would life be like with that woman? Tears brimmed in her eyes as she ran to her chambers.
    This couldn't be real, could it?
    She looked around at the room where she slept, where she lived, her place of safety. It was lightly decorated, just the way she liked it. She could remember no other.
  "Guess I had better pack." She muttered, but she didn't want to. Who said she really had to leave? They couldn't force her to! She would just hide, and...and what? Stay hidden the rest of her days? They would obviously know if she didn't go, and they would know she was somewhere in the Aerie, and they would find her. She would have to go, she wouldn't be welcome in her own home anymore.
    Alaries realized she had been pacing and stopped abruptly. She needed to pack, but she did not want to. Instead, she left her chambers and went in search of Rychaid.
    He wasn't in his chambers and he wasn't in lessons. He wasn't on the flat helping as he sometimes did, and he wasn't anywhere to be seen in the halls. She would have to find him in the morning. Sighing, Alaries returned to her room again and crashed onto the bed. She didn't know how long she lay there before she fell asleep.
    In the morning, there was no time to see Rychaid. Gwyendoah was eager to leave and take her long lost daughter away from the Aerie, and she didn't care if Alaries saw her friend again or not.
    Despite Gwyendoah's ever present fear, they would be flying to the house on Gryphonback, where Gwyendoah's husband and second daughter would be waiting for them. Gwyendoah explained that this husband was not Alaries' real father, her real father had died that day the ants invaded, but as far as she was concerned, this man was her father and she was to treat him that way.
    "If he treats me like a daughter." Was Alaries' cold reply. She rode on the back of a black Gryphon named Circe, her mother riding a green gryphon and still terrified. Neither Gryphon had strong enough T-power to teleport as far out as House Ylianit, so they flew.
   Don't despair Alaries, you can come back and visit us. Circe said. Alaries grunted. As if Gwyendoah would allow it. As if Felix and Silcece would allow it if Gwyendoah didn't. 
    "In...in...invigorating, isn't it?" Gwyendoah laughed nervously, trying to keep from looking at the ground far below. "Oh dear, I don't think I could ever get used to this."
    The Volucris Mountain Range was not far from Synsong Aerie. They existed on the same land mass, and before long the towering mountains surrounded them. It would have been a beautiful scene, but Alaries was in no mood to admire the beauty. 
    She did turn to look at the distant view of the huge Furtim Aerie, made of solid rock but carved out to accommodate people and Gryphons by skilled architects before they started to spiral downward. House Ylianit came into view, a seeming fortress on the ground to Alaries, lacking the beauty of her Aerie home.
    People pointed at the two Gryphon's in the sky circling towards them. Some ran in fear, others pointed and waved excitedly. Two people, an older man and a small girl, had their eyes locked on the Gryphons, and Alaries knew that these must be the rest of her long lost family.
    "She's coming, she's coming, my big sissy's coming!" The girl cried excitedly as Alaries and Gwyendoah dismounted.
   Good-bye Alaries, we shall see you again sooner than you think. Circe told her.
    Don't despair Alaries, give it a chance, and it'll prove all right. You have two families now, one with us, and one with them. What a gift to have! With that the two Gryphons rose again into the sky, higher and higher, until they seemed just specks. They could be seen flying a long while before they finally disappeared into the mountain range. Alaries would liked to have watched until she could see them no more, but for the girl Melleny, her younger sister. 
    "Meornin my big sister, I finally get to meet you!" She cried, flinging her arms around Alaries. She was a very pretty little girl, with the hair the same deep brown as her mothers, but sleek and straight, not thick and wavy as Alaries' and Gwyendoah's was. Alaries gasped for breath, and Cockleburr, who had been riding on her shoulder, squawked and fluttered insolently into the air. Melleny saw him and shrieked, hiding behind the man.
    "Hello daughter, welcome to House Ylianit." The man, her step-father said in a gruff voice. His face portrayed no emotion, but his eyes watched Cockleburr intently. "Gwyendoah, what sort of creature did you allow her to bring?"
    "She refused to leave it, Toroy." Gwyendoah said wearily. "It's her...pet. We can find a cage for it.."
    "A cage!" Alaries interrupted indignantly. "No, you can't keep Cockleburr in a cage!"  How would she write letters to anyone back at Synsong? 
   "We don't tolerate pets very well Meornin, especially not creatures like that. Be glad I allow you to keep him at all." Toroy replied in the same gruff voice. He glared at Alaries sternly, and she fell silent. Melleny crept out from behind Toroy, but she wasn't as enthusiastic about her newfound sister anymore. 
    "Come, Meornin, you must be tired from the journey. I'll grab your bag, and we can get you settled in in your new home." Alaries followed them down into the depths of the House. Her family pointed out things to her, but Alaries took no interest in the place. To her, the hallways were just barren walls, and the whole place smelled like farm animals.
    "You get to share my room." Melleny whispered, grinning. Indeed, Alaries was lead into a small chamber with two small beds in it, one side filled with drawing and stuffed animals, the other set aside for Alaries. She dumped her bag, containing only clothing and a few personal items she wished to keep from the Aerie onto the bed and lay down. It was mid afternoon, but she all ready felt tired. Melleny sat with her for a while, idly doodling on a piece of paper and attempting to talk.
    "What is that?"
    "It's an Alis Gryph."
    "What is that?"
    "It's a small gryphon-like creature."
    "Is it savage, like the Gryphons?"
    "No. Gryphon's aren't savage."
    "What's it's name?"
    "His. Cockleburr."
    "Can I touch him?"
    "If you want." 
    After a short while, Melleny got bored of Alaries' short, dismissive answers, and left the room to go play with some friends from the House. Alaries stared at the barren walls for a while and dozed. 
    A while later, a few hours maybe, Melleny came in again and shook Alaries. "Come on Meornin, dinnertime."
    With a sigh, Alaries sat up and followed the girl out of the room and down the hall. More people were there now than before, and all looking expectantly at her. She supposed word had gotten around, Gwyendoah's mysterious long lost daughter, the girl who was raised by "savages", who had a gold miniature Gryphon as a pet, was someone to see. She did her best to give them all blank stares.
 
 

    "Meornin, I am sick of telling you. Control that creature!!"
    "He is an Alis Gryph, they just act like that. Nothing I can do about it."
    "I thought you said he was harmless."
    "He is harmless!"
    "We are getting a cage for that thing."
    "You can't! He's just like a bird, you can't just keep him in a cage! He needs to be able to fly around!"
    "Meornin!"
    "My name is Alaries!"
    Gwyendoah's face grew red, but she sighed and left the room. "I will find a cage for that thing."
    Toroy turned to Alaries sternly. "Meornin, you do not talk back to your mother like that, you hear me?" It was only her third day at the house, but she had all ready learned that Toroy may not look it, but he was a strong man who she didn't need to cross.
    "Yes sir."
    "If she says that creature is going to be put in a cage, then he damn well is going to be put in a cage, you understand me?"
    "Yes sir."
    "Those Gryphoners may have let you grow up a savage, but you are a young lady of House Ylianit and Clan Afxana now, and you are not to behave as if you were raised by Gryphons! You are to be a polite, courteous young lady, and you will do as your mother tells you."
    "Yes sir."
    "Good."
    After a time, Gwyendoah returned with a sturdy made cage, much to small for Cockleburr.
    "Catch that thing!" Gwyendoah ordered. Toroy glared at Alaries, and with a sigh, Alaries called to Cockleburr. As he flew to her shoulder, she caught his talons and tried to place him gently in the cage.
    "I hate to make you live in such inhumane conditions." She sighed, listening to the flitter's crying and squeals. "I'm so sorry."
    "Be glad we let you keep him at all, and stop your whining." 
     Alaries sighed and carried the cage to her room. It was so unfair, to Cockleburr, to her.
    "I feel just as caged as you." She told the Alis Gryph. "I can't leave this house any easier than you can the cage. At least you don't have to be polite and proper all of the time." Alaires sighed at the thought of the "manner classes" Gwyendoah had decided she take.
 

        One day, a plum Alis Gryph arrived at House Ylianit. Her arrival startled some people, but one was smart enough to direct the creature, with a letter tied to its talon, to the "Gryphon girl." Alaries eagerly tore open the letter, which was from Rychaid, but its contents did not lighten her spirits any,
    Dear Ala  Meornin,
    I hope you are well and happy at your new home, which I am sure that you are. I think it's so wonderful that you have finally found your family, and that you get to be with them. Please write back and tell me all about it, if you still wish to write to us.
    Things are mostly quiet here at the Aerie without you around. Everyone misses you, but knows that you must be doing well.
    Well, I'll leave you now, you must be very busy at the House. I just wanted to see how you are, and tell you that everything here at Synsong is fine.
Rychaid

    Alaries wanted to rip the letter to shreds. It was from Rychaid, in his handwriting, but not from Rychaid her friend. It sounded as if he was mad that she hadn't been able to say good-bye to him, and thought that she didn't care about them, and was being formal, as Denchaid would want. The part where he had began to write "Alaries", but had not successfully erased it all the way tore her up. She pulled out a pen and began to write furiously.

Rychaid,
If you ever call me Meornin again, I'll string you up by your toes, no matter if I live here and you live there. See if I don't! It's ALARIES! A-L-A-R-I-E-S. I need someone to call me that, or I'll go crazy.
    You ask how I fare here? Well, I am healthy, but sick at heart. I long for the comfort of my home, of the Gryphons. I would have written you sooner, but Gwyendoah and Toroy make me lock Cockleburr in a cage! They still think he is some kind of savage, as if locking him in a cage all day when what he needs is free flight would make him less wild! Not that he is anything of the sort to begin with. That woman is insufferable!  She is so paranoid, and bent on rules and properness. I, her oldest daughter, she probably plans to turn into a woman just like herself, paranoid and proper and marry me off to some rich man in the House. I cannot stand it! And her husband, Toroy, is no comfort. He is devoted to Gwyendoah. Anything not perfect for his precious "Gwy" and its probably "Meornin's" fault. I do give that woman a headache, but not near as much a headache as she gives me! I still cannot believe I am related to her.
   . How go things at beautiful Synsong? How are Felix and Silcece, Yeyen and Denchaid? Are Yeyen's lessons as boring as ever? I bet she is glad to have my annoying pranks out of her hair. Respond A.S.A.P., since I cannot send Cocklebur.
your friend,
Alaries

    There. She tied the letter to the Plum's leg and sent him off. Hopefully that letter would knock some sense into Rychaid. If he thought that she wouldn't want to have anything to do with the Aerie anymore...She shook the thought off and turned to her studies.
    One thing she could grant about the House, the actual lessons were fascinating, more fascinating than Yeyen's lectures could ever be. She would still take Yeyen anyway, but learning about farming and animals was fascinating. She especially liked the horses. They couldn't fly, but they could still be ridden, and faster than any animal she had ever encountered, with more stamina.
    Melleny loved them too. Their shared room was covered in drawings of horses, and the girl was talented. Her mother had hopes to send her to one of the nearby institutes.
    As for Alaries, she really had no plans, only headaches. Her daughter had grown up too savage to amount to anything but some rich man's wife, if she could teach her proper manners. But Alaries' natural behavior, and especially defense of the Gryphons, caused Gwyendoah to retreat to her bed pleading a headache or nausea. Toroy would confront her about it, but Alaires couldn't change the way she acted. If she was causing her mother so much trouble, maybe it would be better for both of them if Alaries returned to the Aerie. That would mean no more headaches for either of them.

    Rychaid's letter was  several weeks in returning. When the Plum Alis Gryph again returned to House Ylanit, Alaries tore the letter open eagerly and began to read.
    Alaries,
    I'm glad to know that you're still the same old you. I miss you too much anyway, I'd miss you more if you turned into Meornin. Never stop being Alaries, okay?
    The Aerie is way too quiet without you. I think Yeyen is actually sad that you aren't around to liven up her boring class with pranks. I know she enjoyed some of them too, even if she never let on.
   Guess what I got to see! Oh, it was amazing. Dragons came here! There was a large Ant outbreak on the south side of our mountain, and we had to use all of our Fleet and some of the Dragons from a nearby Caer to destroy it. Oh, it was great, you should have seen them! They are huge, the largest creatures I have ever seen, and so powerful! There was one Silver there, that's a really rare color, and she was beautiful. She shone in the sun.
    Felix is showing real talent as a bond searcher. Denchaid has traveled with him farther and farther. Maybe he'll get to go to Furtim Aerie and I can come with him and visit you. I know you're supposed to get adjusted to your new life with your family and all, but you don't sound like you want to or will try to adjust, and I agree with you. Who cares about them? Come back home. We all miss you, even Felix and Silcece, especially them.
Please write back!
Rychaid

    Dragons! At the Aerie! What excitement! Alaries could just imagine it. She had never seem dragons before, but had heard about their greatness. What could she tell Rychaid that could compare to an event like that? Surely he would be bored by her life, as she was, but she had to write back. She starred at her paper for a while, wondering what to write.

Rychaid,
Wow, dragons! I'll bet that was a sight! I don't think I've ever seen one. I suppose I could have as a child, with Gwyendoah, but if she is so terrified of gryphons, she'd be paralyzed with fear of those so much bigger than gryphons. Maybe I ought to find a way to show her one.
    I have been given a nickname here. Oh, people call my Meornin to my face, but behind my back, I am known as "gryphon girl". The boys my age are all fascinated with Cockleburr, to the point of being mean to him locked in his cage, the girls, terrified, except for a few. Not everyone here has the same prejudice against gryphons that Gwyendoah and Toroy have, but none are terribly friendly towards them. Most are in awe, and in awe at me for living with them. When I first arrived I got a lot of stares, and people still look at me odd. It's kind of unnerving. Yes, I lived with gryphons, big deal. It's not like people don't live in Aeries too! I'm sure I'm boring you with rants about my life, but it is a pretty boring life here. Write back or else!
Alaries

To this, Rychaid replied:

Boring me? Not at all. I'm glad to hear all about your life, so that you don't seem so far away. It's so lonely here. Denchaid is always gone with Felix, and he won't tell me where. Its so quiet with them and you gone. I want you to come back. You need to come back. Maybe I'll find a way to kidnap you in the night and bring you back by force, hehe.
You'll be proud of me, I played stones against Dared, you know, that quiet boy who is really good, and I beat him! Maybe I will be able to beat you sometime soon. You have to come back, so we can find out. If you can't tell, I miss you. We all do. Write back, and write a long letter. I don't get bored at all.
Rychaid

    Touched by his missing her, Alaries set to work on a long letter.

    You want a long letter do you, all right. I'll tell you about the history of my family. You might really get bored this time. That evil Toroy, he isn't even really my father, and Melleny is only my half sister. Gwyendoah used to live out in the mountains with some clan, and she was married to a man named Rhurac then. Get this, they lived out there and not in a house under protection because they feared gryphons and dragons! They were as afraid of them as they were Ants and Rampage! Some twisted culture. Anyway, so one day Ants invaded where they were living, and they didn't have any protection, so they ran. Luckily the gryphons came, but they terrified the clan just as much as ants did. So Gwyendoah ran from both, and I guess she had me with her. Rhurac died that day, and Gwyendoah just escaped. She left me though, and Felix found me. Later, the homeless clan wandered around. They knew they had to find some protection, so they found themselves at Ylanit. They became part of the farming clans there, and Gwyendoah married Toroy. They had Melleny and Gwyendoah grew used to life in the House. Toroy is devoted to her, so she has everything she wants. Except now she has a long lost daughter that drives her crazy. I know its mean, but I enjoy it. I'll admit that I am terrible to this woman, but its just a character flaw. I can't stand her, and I am the kind of person to be mean to those I can't stand. I feel like a terrible child, but I can find no compassion for this woman. I must be terrible, and it sounds terrible to write it, a daughter who hates her mother who is only trying to raise her the only way she knows how, but it is the truth. I do not consider them a family, I consider you and the gryphons and Denchaid my family. Am I that terrible of a person?
Alaries

    It certainly was a long letter, and she hadn't planned to pour out all those feelings. But they were true, and she felt she had to tell someone, so she attached the letter to the Alis Gryph's leg and sent him off. It was a different Alis Gryph from the usual Plum one that Rychaid sent.
    He didn't reply. Weeks went by, and no letter cam back from her friend. It began to worry her. Did he now think her a horrible person, not worthy of writing to ever again? Had something happened to him?   She had come to depend on their correspondence as a sort of lifeline in her months there. She wouldn't be able to stand it if she lost that. What was wrong?
    The weeks stretched on, and still no letter. Every day she would scan the sky for an Alis Gryph, but she saw no signs of one. She would ask others, and none said they had seen one.
    He must hate her now. That was it. Why else would he quit writing to her? Unless something had happened to him...but she couldn't imagine anything happening to him. But he was so nice, she didn't think he was the kind of person to hate her for a thing like that. Yet she hoped it was that, she'd rather him hate her than be hurt somehow. He couldn't be hurt. He hated her, that was it.
    If he hated her, then there was no point in her thinking about him anymore. She should just forget him, and go about her daily life. But it wasn't so easy as that. She couldn't just stop thinking about her home, and he was a part of her home. In her mind she would compose letters to him about her life, before remembering that she couldn't send them and he wouldn't want to read them anyway.
    But in her mind he heard it all. He heard of her experience riding the horses, he heard of her feelings of triumph when Toroy hurt his ankle, terrible though they were. It became like a diary, every day she would share her thoughts and trials with him. With such thoughts preserving him, though he must hate her, she loved him.
    So it was an in love Alaries that lived at house Ylanit for the next few months. Things went on for her in this confused state for a while, until one day when she was awoken early by Menelly.
    "Meornin, Meornin!" She cried. Alaries moaned and rolled over...right into a pillow that her sister kindly hit her with. "Get up!"
 "Why so early?" Alaries asked, opening her eyes and squinting at the light.
    "It's your birthday! Didn't mother tell you? For many years we held this as a sad day, but now we can hold it as a happy one! You're fifteen now!"
    "B-birthday?" Rubbing sleep out of her eyes, Alaries climbed out of bed. Her birthday? She had never known her real birthday, and thus never celebrated it. Why hadn't Gwyendoah told her sooner? No matter. She was fifteen now. That had to mean something good.
    "Happy Birthday Meornin!" Gwyendoah said cheerfully as Alaries entered the room. She and Toroy seemed exceedingly cheerful today. Especially Toroy. Usually he had a cross word or look of some kind. Alaries took advantage to this and gave each a weak smile.
    It didn't hit her until later that day, what her being fifteen meant.
    "Hey, Meornin!" A cheerful voice called to her. Alaries turned to see Thrydin, one of the clan workers. "Fifteen now!" Fifteen! That was the bonding age! Alaries bit her lip at the memory. Yes, she was old enough now, too late to be saved by it. She couldn't go back now, they wouldn't let her.
    "Yeah." She smiled at him. She had come to have somewhat of a friendship with this soft-spoken boy. Her only friend at the House, he reminded her a little bit of Rychaid. Oh, Rychaid. Shaking the thought from her mind, she followed the boy to the stables. He was, as many of the people were here, really interested in horses. Thrydin loved them and understood them in a way that seemed almost unnatural.
   "Who's that?" Alaries asked, curious about the horses and the going-ons of the barn. She indicated a white horse she had never seen there before.
    "Not sure." Thrydin sighed. "We think she came from Furtim, found her on the mountain. She's got that brand on her. She's a really gentle creature, and beautiful. We'll have to get someone to take her back to Furtim pretty soon."
    "Wonder why she left in the first place." Alaries said.
    "Who knows." Thrydin replied. "Maybe she escaped, maybe she had a rider. There's a clutch there now, so I hear, and the people are very busy."
   "A clutch at the Aerie?" It seemed casual news.
   "Yes, and I hear a pretty good sized one. Perhaps you'd like to go on a birthday ride, oh fifteen-year-old?" Alaries didn't pay attention. She was fifteen, the bonding age. There was a clutch at Furtim Aerie. If she couldn't go back to Synsong...there was no reason she couldn't take a chance at bonding anywhere else! She was fifteen now, old enough to take care of herself...old enough to bond a Gryphon!
   "No thanks Thrydin. I'm sorry, I just remembered something!" She ran down the hall back toward her chambers in a hurry, mind reeling. She would have a lot of preparations to make.
   Some noticed the conspicuous absence of Meornin on her birthday, but none said anything. She was probably with her family enjoying the day, and her family thought she was at her lessons. Really she was in her room or hurrying about in the halls or kitchens, getting ready to embark.
   At dinner that night, she was singing. Now that she had a plan for her future, she was content. Everyone allowed her unusual happiness to the fact that it was her special day. They didn't find it suspicious when she looked at maps of the surrounding mountains or asked questions about the geography.
    Menelly was the only one who might have noticed Meornin's disappearance, but the child was fast asleep as her older sister awoke in the middle of the night.
    Alaries turned no light on, she gathered her things as best she could in the dark. It was invigorating, getting ready to actually leave in secret, the ultimate adventure. A venture that would hopefully give her a better and happier life. Food, a map, a few personal belongings had been arranged into a bag that day and hidden away. Alaries brought it out now, and changed out of the stuffy dresses her mother had made her wear and into what she had worn the day she left Synsong. She had to keep herself hidden though, so she threw a hooded cloak belonging to Gwyendoah over that. It was large on her, but if she pulled up the hood it hid her face quite nicely, and it was dark, and helped her blend in with the shadows. Gwyendoah might miss it, but she'd send it back after she had bonded her Gryphon. Once she did that, they couldn't send her back to the house.
    She awoke Cockleburr carefully, conveying the absolute need for silence to her bond, and somehow, he understood. With a satisfied grin she tore at the latch and freed the golden Alis Gryph at last.
    "Come on Cockleburr, we go to freedom! But shhh, I know you want to stretch your wings after being cooped up so long, but there will be plenty of time for that later. Now you must come, and be quiet!"
    Of course he couldn't understand, but he was quiet, for the most part, as she snuck out of the room and down the dark corridors of House Ylanit.
    Well, the easy part was out of the way. This part would be considerable harder, but she had confidence in herself. She would not ruin her chance at freedom!
    All was quiet where the horses were kept. Well, mostly anyway. Some horses paced restlessly, others munched straw, and some slept. She wanted to stop and marvel at each one, but she had a task to accomplish.  Towards the back, she saw the one she sought, beautiful white in the dim light. She didn't have the experience with the creatures that Thydrin had, but she had learned much in her months of being there. She spoke softly, soothingly, giving the mare a pat on the nose before opening the stall door. With some effort she tacked up the horse and scrawled a note on a small slip of paper for Thydrin. Perhaps it wasn't smart to indicate to anyone in the House where she was going, but she thought she could trust him, and she didn't want him to worry about the horse. 
    I've taken the horse back to Furtim Aerie, since you needed someone to take her, and I needed to go there. I know you'll understand, it was what I had to do.  This life is not the life for me. Please don't tell Gwyendoah where I went, at least until I have a chance to get there. Please do not think badly of me, but I was raised by "savages", and my life is theirs. Thank you for being my friend here.
Alaries/Meornin

It sounded a bit corny, but she said what had to be said,  and Thydrin reminded her oh so much of Rychaid...he had been her friend there, and she needed to thank him for it. 
    "Come on." She whispered, taking the reins in her right hand. Cockleburr fluttered ahead of her as she lead the mare down the hallways slowly. It wasn't far to the gate, and soon they were out into the night of Volucris Mountain Range.
    She had done it. Well, she had escaped. Now, the journey. 
    It was quite a few miles from House Ylanit to Furtim Aerie. It would be a few days journey, a few days alone in these dark mountains. At least there was a road to follow for now.  Hoofprints would be seen going away from the House, but many horses came and went from the place, so hopefully no one would notice one extra set. She slung her bag over the saddle, mounted, and took off.
    It was pleasant and spooky, riding in the night. She knew the way, or least she hoped she did, from the maps she had studied, but she couldn't quit drive the worry of being lost from her mind. She went at a moderate pace, not too fast so that she wouldn't run the horse to death or have it trip over something it was going too fast to see. Cockleburr tried to ride perched on her shoulder, but soon gave up to flutter along beside them. His wings, cooped up so long, needed the flight. 
    She was tired, but she rode well into the night anyway, to put as much distance between the House and possible pursuers as she could, and because she didn't much fancy sleeping out alone in the dark forest trails. 
    When the first rays of sun began to show on the horizon, she did slow to a stop. She and the horse (and Cockleburr, who couldn't fly as far as before after being cooped up for so long) were tired, so she attempted to sleep a little bit by daylight--when it seemed less spooky. Sleeping out in the woods on the ground was something she had never done before, and didn't prove especially easy, but she did manage to get a few uncomfortable hours before starting again. 
    By the time Furtim Aerie came into sight after two days of journeying, she was tired, sore, and hungry.  To the casual observer from the Aerie she didn't look like much but a hooded figure, perhaps an older man or woman, riding a white horse slowly up the trail. 
    "Well Cockleburr, that is our new home." She said, staring up at the majestic Aerie. It had to be twice as large as Synsong and with a different style of architecture. She didn't know that she liked it better though. Her home was her home, and even Furtim couldn't compare to that in her mind. It was quite impressive though. Her new life would begin here. 
    It dawned on her as she drew near the grand Aerie, that she had only a vague idea of what she must now do. Return the horse, of course, and find the bond searchers, but how? Just go in, say that she was Alaries and wanted to bond a gryphon?  Oh yes, that would work wonderfully. Seriously now, what should she do? It was probably best that she was not Alaries, at least not at first. There might be some in the Aerie that knew who she was and send her back to the House. Thydrin could have sent word to the Aerie that she was coming, and they would all be looking for her to send her back. She doubted Thydrin would do that, but better safe than sorry. She pulled her hood down over her face and hunched over a little bit, trying to look the part of an older woman. She was tired enough, and sore enough.  Traveling long distance on horseback was not the best for someone not used to riding. 
    The steady climb up the hill might have been hard for a horse, but it didn't seem hard for this one. Probably because this was its home, and it had climbed the hill many times, and was happy to see it again. 
    At the bottom of the Aerie was the stables where horses were kept, and those going on foot or horseback entered the Aerie. 
    "Hello...sir" she said, trying to make her voice low and raspy and not really succeeding. "Sir!" She finally got the attention of one of the people she saw. "I am Yeyen, from House Ylanit, and, this horse was found near the house a while ago, she has the Furtim Aerie brand on her, so since I had business at the Aerie, I have returned her to you..." She felt stupid, but she could think of no other way. The man plainly looked confused, and didn't really know what to tell her, so she wandered around questioning other people until she finally found someone who would take the horse. Not only that, he seemed very happy to see her again.
    "Good-bye" Alaries whispered as the horse was lead away. "Thank you for helping me get here."
    Well...now she was here. Now what? Find the bond searchers? Find the Aerie mother? Easier said than done in a huge place like this. She was here, an accomplishment she could be proud of, and away from her life at the House, but she hadn't really planned what to do after arriving.
    Well whatever you need to do, it's not just to stand here and stare at it. She reminded herself. To the gryphons! She was back in her element again. 
    There wasn't really any direction to go at this point but up, so she winded her way up staircases and hallways, pausing occasionally to stop and look out windows at spectacular views of the Volucris Mountain Range. She could see House Ylanit in the distance and the path she had traveled, through miles and miles of forest. It didn't look so long from this angle.
    As she stopped to stare, Cockleburr chirped impatiently and fluttered on up the stairs. He felt at home back in an Aerie as well. "Cockleburr!" She yelled, coming out of her trance. "Arg come back!" If he got lost in this Aerie, it would be a while in finding him. Synsong was one thing, but she couldn't let him fly around in Furtim Aerie!
    The golden flitters wings could be heard on up the hall, but as she hurried after him she couldn't see him. "Uug." She sighed, but knew it was no use. He would find his way back to her, eventually. He always did. She'd just have to search for the nest, the bond searchers, and her annoying Alis Gryph. 

    Rychaid strode down the hall, gaping just as Alaries had at the grandeur of it all. He had only been to a few Aeries besides Synsong, but this was huge! He didn't see how a Gryphoner could live here without getting hopelessly lost! And come to think of it, if he didn't keep up with Denchaid and Felix, he soon would be. The adventurer in him wanted to explore, but the gryphoner's son in him knew he had to follow his father and Felix. Bond Searchers at Furtim! Wow, what an opportunity. Maybe his father would search him, or maybe he could convince them to go to House Ylanit and snatch up Alaries. She would be fifteen now, same age as he. He wanted to visit her since he was so close, as he had said he would, but...something strange must have happened with her. She had never written him back. He had written her multiple letters, but all had been returned unopened. He couldn't understand why she would do this, unless she had finally decided to take to her new family and forget about her old. In her previous letters, it had seemed she wouldn't be doing that any time soon, but then, he could see no other reason. It was puzzling. 
    He nearly ran into two children, deep in thought as he was, and had to stop and apologize. Great, now he had lost Denchaid. His father would be angry, when he eventually found him again, but now Rychaid had a perfect chance to explore.  He stopped at a window to peer out over Volucris Mountain Range. There, he could see House Ylanit, where she would be. He had to convince Felix to take him to see her, just once. He knew Felix and Denchaid missed her, they had to. She was a daughter to them, and a friend, a sister...more than that, to Rychaid. Just because she needed to get to know her family didn't mean she was never allowed to see old friends again! 
    If she even wanted too. Be reasonable Rychaid. He told himself. People change, even Alaries. Remembering the returned letters, he reasoned bitterly that she probably didn't want to see them anyway. He should get her out of his mind. 
    He strolled the corridors of the Aerie for a while, watching all of the people, marveling at the gryphons, admiring the views of the mountains, and trying....without success, to get her out of his mind. Hard to do when he could see where she would be, and hard to do when he kept seeing a golden Alis Gryph fluttering about unattended.  Despite himself he watched it out of the corner of his eye, and was surprised to see it fly right up to him and squawk in recognition. He gasped. It was Cockleburr! Impossible! He stroked the Alis Gryph and it perched on his shoulder. Cockeburr was here! That meant that Alaries might be too! Now Rychaid, be reasonable. He told himself again. Ah, forget that, Alaries might be here! He started down the hall in the direction Cockleburr had come. 
 

    Nothing! Nothing! This place was a maze! Curse that Alis Gryph for flying off. Alaries could have used him, to help her find what she wanted. She had found nothing though, and still wasn't exactly sure what to look for, or what to do when she found it. The hallways were crowded, but she kept her hood up and her eyes downcast. Hopefully, no one would think her more than a serving woman or widow. The nest and the bond-searchers, she had to find them. Hopefully they would accept her. They had to.
    The corridor was spacious and not all the way covered. A mountain wind ruffled her cloak, and if she looked off to her left she could see the Volucris Mountain Range in all it's splendor. Furtim was a huge Aerie, but not a place to live if you were afraid of heights.
    A familiar voice caused Alaries to look up. Her eyes fell upon the form of a man with an Alis Gryph perched on his shoulder, and she gave a start. It was Rychaid, and the Alis Gryph was Cockleburr! He must have recognized Rychaid, and abandoned his task to see him.  What was Rychaid doing here? She drank in the sight of him, so tall, his hair still so messy...he seemed taller now, and had grown in some facial hair. He looked wonderful. 
    She stopped for a second, ducking out of the way to look at him. Good, he wasn't hurt. She couldn't let him see her though, else he might hinder her, if he hated her. He could send her back, make her leave. He all ready knew she was here if he had Cockleburr...This is Rychaid you're thinking about! She argued in her mind, but she had come to believe that he really did hate her. Sighing, she averted her eyes from him and continued on her task.  Find the bond-searchers now, maybe one day find him again and win him back. But her mind wasn't thinking straight anymore.
    A flutter of golden wings, and Cockleburr was aloft, Rychaid trying desperately to stop him. The golden flitter knew his bonder was close by and was rushing towards her!
    "No!" She cried out, turning away from him. But the gold creature shot towards her and landed on her shoulder, squawking happily as he pecked at her ear underneath the hood.
    "Terribly sorry miss." Rychaid's voice was suddenly very close as he attempted to pry the Alis Gryph from her. "I don't know what got into him, you must have reminded him of someone." Just like Rychaid, so polite and caring.
    "It's all right." Alaries replied, making her voice sound raspy. He must not recognize her!  Rychaid managed to pry golden talons from her shoulder, but as Cockleburr was pulled away, his beak still had a good grip on her hood and pulled it down as well. Thick black hair fell loose, and Alaries tried to run. Rychaid caught her.
    "Alaries!" He exclaimed, turning her to see her face. 
      No! Would he hate her? Would he be angry? Would he send her away?
    He kissed her. She felt all doubt of his feelings for her slip away in that wonderful minute that he held her. People were staring, but she didn't care.
    "What are you doing here?" he demanded joyfully.
    "I could ask you the same thing!" She replied, laughing and fighting tears. "I ran away, I was so sick of being Meornin, I wanted to be free, to be back among the Gryphons again. I just couldn't stand it...couldn't stand it at all." The dam broke, and tears flooded down her face. Rychaid patted her sympathetically, smiling. "And you didn't write...I thought..."
    "I didn't write? I wrote you letter upon letter, and you never answered them! They always got sent back unreplied too, and I wondered. It couldn't have been you, you would have replied...and now I know that it wasn't.  I'm glad you came." He said. "You shouldn't live a life you can't stand. My father and Felix are here because they are to be Bond Searchers for Furtim, at least for a time!" His voice filled with excitement and pride. Only then did Alaries notice the muddy colored Gryphon that had landed behind Rychaid. His eyes gleamed in a way she knew all to well.
    You have come home! Felix said excitedly. And just in time to become a bonder for the liter here, if you want. Alaries laughed, and broke out of Rychaid's arms to go pat her old friend.
    "Of coarse I would want too!" The ending of her adventures had turned out much happier than she could ever have imagined. And no one was going to stop her, not Rychaid, or Gwyendoah, or anyone!

    Finally, it happened.  In the morning, the gryphons called.  Alaries knew well what that meant.  Though some things here were done differently than at her smaller aerie home, she knew how hatchings worked.  The eggs were rocking.   Soon they would rock more and more violently until they were shuddering, then in about a day they would hatch.
     Alaries was jittery.  She could hardly wait.  Soon, her goal would be reached.  Soon her life would be changed.  Cockleburr sensed his bond's excitement and added it to his own, causing him to be especially annoying.  
    Instead of the normal activities, the bonders were called to a little pre-bonding celebration.  Seeing that the other bonders were as nervous and excited as she was helped some.  If she had thought the time before had gone by slowly, this last day stretched on as if each hour was an eternity. 
   She found herself worrying some.  Often those selected as bonders didn't bond.  What if she didn't, what would happen to her then?  Would she be sent back to House Ylanit and forced to become Meornin again?  No, she couldn't let that happen. She would just stay again for the next clutch.  Ah, but that was an eternity away.  What would she tell Rychaid and Felix if she didn't bond? She couldn't bear to tell them that.  No, Felix had searched her, he had been confident in her.  This was her chance, she had to bond!  Cockleburr bit her ear as if assuring her that if all else failed, she still had him.
   Now she waited with even more impatience. 
   At last came the keening that announced it was time.  The bonders grouped together, giving each other encouraging glances.  They gathered in the upper nesting area of Furtim area along with the parents of the clutch, the Aerie mother, and a few other high ranking females.  There were eleven eggs in various stages of hatching.  Alaries couldn't take her eyes off of them.  Cockleburr sensed something unusual going on and for once stayed calmly perched on Alaries' shoulder.  Alaries wondered vaguely how he would take his bonder being bonded to a gryphon, but decided not to worry about it. 
   One of the eggs hatched.  It was real, this was real.  Alaries stared at the red and golden gryphon kitten.  As soon as it hatched, its mother began to preen it.  Innocently it looked towards one of the bonders and Alaries sensed that it had bonded.  She looked at the humans gathered and saw the face of Miok light up. Alaries smiled, Miok had been nervous,  they all had been.  Now she looked anything but and she took the baby gryphon in her arms and the pair was lead away. 
   Two more hatched, spilling wet from their eggs.  Female gryphons promptly began to clean these hatchlings as well.  One of them was blue with muddy wings and spots and fought desperately to get away from the female grooming her.  She seemed impatient, worried that she wouldn't find her lifemate if detained by these grown gryphons.  She walked up to Alaries and looked up at her with golden gryphon eyes.  Love filled Alaries  like how she had felt when impressing Cockleburr, but magnified.  
  "Melierce, calm down. I'm here now, and I'm not going anywhere soon."  She was here at Furtim, with her gryphon, and she wouldn't be going back to being Meornin again. 
  She picked up the gryphon kitten, for now it was small enough for her to hold, and followed one of the gryphoners to the kitchen caverns to feed the newborn gryphon.  
 

This was odd, Alaries decided.  She couldn't stop smiling, watching the kitten.  She had grown up with gryphons, loved them like family, yet she had never experienced anything like this before. She couldn't wait to show Rychaid, he would see the golden eyes of Melierce and fall in love, just like she did.
I can't wait to meet Rychaid too! Melierce said excitedly.  Alaries laughed.  This gryphon had only been born a few minutes ago, but already it knew her heart. 
   Cockleburr was indignant.  He squawked at the little gryphon.  Alaries was his bonder, not hers! What right did she have to take her away!  
  Who is that?  Melierce asked.
  "That, oh that is Cocklebur.  Don't mind him.  He might be a bit jealous of you, but I haven't forgotten him."  She stroked Cockleburr gently.
   Hello Cockleburr.  Melierce said politely.  At this, the alys gryph became even more angry, but it was short lived.  This new addition was all right, he supposed.  At least she was polite.  Alaries just laughed.