Wind Under Wings

Chapter Three part Two

"Just a quick trip, Kaavis," Dankar said, a pleading note in his voice. "We won't be long."

"What are the sand baths?"

Taliak regretted this question instantly. The nestlings all whirled round to look at him in astonishment, staring in much the same way they had done when they first met. Like he was a bumbling squab who didn't know anything.

Kaavis broke the silence. "You've never been to the sand baths?" The krall did not sound exactly rude, but his old mocking tone edged his words.

Heat rippled up Taliak's nape and made his ears quiver, but he refused to let their reaction bother him. He forced his ears to stay upright and kept his eyes locked on Kaavis.

"No, I've never been."

"How come?"

"I just haven't."

Areel tutted in pity, shaming him further. His back claws were grinding into the dirt. "Is it that strong a wind? You did say it was all the way across High Forest."

High Forest was what they called their home, the wide, gaping forest that was sheltered by Tekma's curving walls. Taliak had never traveled far from the meadow, even with Kardina, but he'd been around Igri and Kaavis enough to know that they were somewhere on the far northern side.

"We have no choice now," Igri chortled happily before Kaavis could respond. "If Taliak has never been then it's our duty to show him what he's been missing out on. And you really have been missing out, Taliak, because the sand baths is the best place on the whole mountain!"

Everyone clicked their beaks in agreement and Taliak found himself moments later whisking off with the others into the forest. A brief image of Kardina flared into Taliak's mind but he pushed it away. No, he would not look back at the thicket this time in hesitation. He would not go to his mother for permission to leave the meadow. He was not a nervous squab but a hearty nestking, and nestkings did not shy away from adventures, of that much he had learned from watching Igri and Kaavis.

He ran as fast as he could, easily keeping pace with the others, all seven nestlings flashing through sunlight and shadow. They wove through trees, clambered over boulders, hiked up rocky slopes and splashed nosily through creeks and shallow brooks, laughing all the while at their daring escapade.

"We've never been so far without my parents," Kaavis panted as Sittiss and Dankar came to his side. They had just fought their way through a clump of brush and emerged, disheveled, with twigs and leaves draping over their backs. Kaavis shook the debris off and flapped his wings with pleasure. "I can't believe we're doing this by ourselves! But we don't usually go this way," he added to Igri, who had been leading the trek. "Do your parents always go through here?"

"Well..." Igri trailed off, looking around her. "I think we go this way sometimes."

Kaavis stared at her. "You think? Are we lost?"

For a heartbeat Taliak could feel the excitement of their journey draining from his paws as he looked around with uncertainty. He had no idea where they were and had been counting on Igri to get him to the dust baths and back again before nightfall. A moment later however, Igri hitched her wings a little higher and raised her tail with authority.

"We are not lost," she growled. "I know where to go, but it's just like Teralt said, we haven't been in a long time. Don't worry, I know what I'm doing."

Teralt and Areel said nothing, but Taliak saw them exchange a worried look that did not inspire his confidence in Igri.

"But—" started Kaavis.

Igri threw herself forward, racing once again, and everyone shot after her. They hadn't gone very far when the trees seemed to close around them, throwing the nestlings into darker shadows. Taliak could hear Kaavis huffing with impatience, and a moment later the krall had charged ahead of Taliak to push against Igri's flank. He gave her a sharp jab with his beak.

"You don't know where you're going, do you?"

"I do so!" Igri shot back without slowing down.

"Liar. We should have been to the lake by now at least."

"I know where the lake is. We just have to—"

With a squawk Igri and Kaavis both vanished from sight. Taliak tried to stamp his paws down and backpedal, but too late. Before he knew it he was tumbling down a steep slope, the rest of the nestlings crying out as they fell behind him.

They came to a crashing halt at the bottom. Taliak felt himself land on something warm and feathery, but the next second it jerked away beneath him and Taliak was sent rolling sideways. He looked up, dazed, to find himself nearly beak-to-beak with a furious looking griffin.

No, not one. Three furious griffins.