[X] Fly from war {Lady Michala Harran and Weylin Owen!} [Inactive]

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[Character of the Month]

Character of the Month
Prince Caspian

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Played by Cara

"Cara has managed to...create a character that is both mythical and life-like. Impulsive, moody, and yet kind and good-hearted, Caspian is just beginning to show the makings of a true leader."
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[We've moved!]

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[Gavin Owen]

Gavin made his way slowly but surely through the town outside of Miraz's castle. The town was busier than usual today. Deciding that his progress was far too slow, Gavin headed down a side street. Even though Gavin had lived in this town for a little over three years, he still didn't know all the side streets and alleyways. He had finally rested on the thought that only those who had lived here their whole lives could successfully navigate the winding roads. After a few dead ends and many colorful words, Gavin finally made it to the outer part of the town.

He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the familiar barn in which his birds were kept. There were roughly twenty birds that were currently housed in the barn. Even though the birds legally belgoned to Miraz (with the exception of Gawain), Gavin considered them his own. The barn was convinetly located next to a large, unoccupied field. The falconer spent most of his day here; flying his birds, training them, sharpening thier skills. Gavin was completely and totaly happy with this.

"Good morning," he said cheerfully as he opened the barn door, "Who's up first today?" He placed a pouch containing dead mice on the only table to occupy the vast room. He owed a thanks to the cat that prowled the street outside his home for the mice. Almost every morning, Gavin would find at least one mouse that the cat had lost interest in. He'd also set up a number of mouse traps in his small home. A large assortment of hoods and lures hung on the wall behind the table. Taking a random lure off the wall and picking up a thick glove, Gavin approached the birds.

Most were just waking up, but there were a few that were awake and ready to fly. Deciding on one of the smaller birds, a bat falcon named Alida, Gavin opened the large cage and coaxed her onto his gloved arm. He kept the bird's names to himself. No one, especially Miraz, really cared about these animals. At least no one that Gavin knew of. At first the brids were simply entertainment for Miraz. Now, the birds were wanted as messengers. Gavin had no idea why the army needed such messengers. They were going to be in the same place the whole time, weren't they?

Putting the thought from his mind, Gavin headed out to the field. He didn't bother putting a hood on the falcon since they weren't going far. Putting Alida on a perch Gavin had constructed when he was first hired, he went back insed the barn and got the pouch of mice. Alida fixed her piercing eyes on the falconer, somehow knowing that he had treats. She flapped her wings as Gavin fixed a mouse on the lure. "Ready Alida," he asked her as he took her on his arm again. He moved to the middle of the field and threw the falcon into the air. He watched take flight and started swinging the lure in a large circle, testing the bird's skills as she dived for the lure.

[Lady Michala Harran]

Michala entered the castle, weary from her journey. The king had granted her permission to return home for a few days after many pleading letters from her mother. She was expected to return to the camp as soon as Miraz called for her – and she didn’t know for certain when that would be. She ran her hand over her hair, which was knotted tightly at the base of her neck. She would really like to crawl into her bed – a real bed – but she new that she couldn’t. Her parents would want to speak with her, and it was really only the middle of the day. Most likely she would be expected to keep company with whatever guests her parents had that day.

Her mother’s letter had said to meet them at Miraz’s castle, but as she looked around with a yawn she could not see either of her parents. A sharp twinge of sadness hit her as she remembered doing a similar thing with her brother – meeting him at Miraz’s castle whenever he returned from some long journey or a battle of some sort. How she missed him! She knew she used his death, and her grief over it, to manipulate people. But that didn’t mean that the grief was any less real.

“Lady Michala Harran?”

Michala turned around, ready to insult anyone who dared mention that she was standing very much alone, bags at her side. It wasn’t unusual to wait for some at Miraz’s castle; everyone met here. However, it was unusual for someone to be stuck standing here for ages, baggage at their side. Normally said luggage was packed up into their carriage as soon as they arrived. Michala had her horse, but the creature couldn’t tote all of her bags – not on its own.

She frowned slightly at the servant girl who had approached her. “Yes, what is it?”

“Your parents have sent their apologies; they are running really quite late and wished that you be seen to. Is there anything that I can do?”

Michala glanced around the empty foyer, sighing. “Do something with my bags then,” she murmured, “and when the Lord and Lady Harran arrive, please have the baggage moved to their carriage. Then send for me.”

The woman nodded as Michala wandered off, feeling quite abandoned. Her mother was the one who had pushed so hard for her to return – not that she hadn’t wanted to leave that dreadful camp and come back home. Still, the woman had risked irking Miraz… the least she could do was show up. Michala supposed though, that it wasn’t all her mother’s fault. Her father was more than likely the cause of the delay. He knew everything worth knowing and could never be held back when he saw an old friend.

She knew this castle and the lands surrounding it like the back of her hand, having been here so many times in her sixteen years. Passing down first one hall, then another, she took a back route outside and down towards the stables. It took her little time at all to have her horse readied and even less time for her to mount him, setting off towards the town located near the castle. She couldn’t be out too long, she knew, for there was no telling how long her parents might be. But she didn’t wish to spend all her time indoors – she hoped that the fresh air might wake her a little.

Winding down this road and that, she smiled to herself and was tempted to free her hair from its constraints. She refrained, however, knowing what a shame she would be to her parents if she dropped propriety here.

Michala didn’t pay much attention to where she was going; she wasn’t particularly bothered. Like the castle, she knew the town well for as a child she had spent a good deal of time here playing in the streets with the other noble children when their parents weren’t watching them. She hadn’t been here in ages, but she knew where she wanted to go.

The falconry had always interested her as a child – she had always been terrified to get too close to the beautiful birds but she remembered sitting at a distance and watching with fascination. She hadn’t been there in ages, but she decided that now was as good a time as ever to take another look. Drawing her horse to a stop, she was pleased to see that there was someone out working with one of the birds today. She wasn’t sure whether or not he could see her, but regardless, she didn’t really care. Sitting tall on her horse’s back, she watched with childish delight as the falcon flew and dove.

[Gavin Owen]

After flying Alida for bout half an hour, Gavin stopped swinging the lure and detached the mouse from it. Giving a sharp whistle, he called Alida to him and raised his arm for her to land on. Holding the mouse in the same hand, he let the falcon snack on it while he took her over to the barn. He tethered the bird to the perch, he left her and the mouse there and went back into the barn.

Not surprisingly, Gavin had failed to noticed the lady on horseback. He had something of a short attention span when he was working with his birds. After fixing up a new lure and retrieving a white-tailed eagle by the name of Jerolin, Gavi nheaded back outside. He started when Alida started flapping on her perch. With a puzzled looked, he surveyedthe area around the barn and spotted the lady.

"Um... Hi," he said, lost for words, "Can I help you with something? Are you lost?" He seriously doubted that the lady was lost. She looked like nobility, but Gavin didn't know the names of any nobility other than the king and queen. He stroked Jerolin's feathers as he waited for an answer. He always did that when he was talking to people. Gavin often cursed his shy habits.

Unfotunately, Alida somehow managed to get herself free from ther perch and took flight. Gavin hadn't tethered her as he should have. She rested on a branch of a nearby tree and looked inquisitively at the stranger. Slightly fustrated, Gavin whistled and Alida came obediently to rest on his free arm. Since he didn't have a glove on this hand, the bird's talons dug into the falconer's skin a bit, but he dealt with it. He placed both birds on the perch and made sure they were both properly tethered.

[Lady Michala Harran]

[ooc: my apologies for such a long wait… grad is done now so replies will be more frequent.]

It was a long time before the falconer noticed her, giving Michala plenty of time to see and admire the grace of the birds as they flew, dove and landed with beautiful precision. She leaned forward on her horse, unawares that it slowly ambled closer towards the young man and his birds.

She drew in a sharp breath, startled, when he turned to her and spotted her sitting there. He hesitated, from the looks of it, then asked her if she needed any help, or if she was lost. Michala shook her head, a slow smile creeping to her face. She had few cares in the world, at present, and talking to a young man was a welcome break from all the talk of war. So long as he didn’t start talking about it, that was.

Michala watched as the bird flew off, her eyes widening to hear him whistle and to see the bird fly back obediently. He tethered the birds and she found herself sliding off the horse and to her feet beside the big beautiful creature. She approached the young man slowly, knowing her father would scold her for being so far out and alone to boot. But she didn’t have an older brother to accompany her places, not any more, and her maids were all too busy to tag along. Besides, she liked a little bit of rebellion every now and again.

“Hello,” she replied, with a gleam in her eyes. She dropped into a deep curtsy, glancing up at him from under long, dark eyelashes. “My name is Lady Michala Harran and I was simply out to ride my horse.” She paused, wondering what else she ought to say, to explain her presence.

“I used to come here when I was younger,” she offered in explanation as she straightened to stand still before him, “sometimes on my own, sometimes with my brother.” Looking towards the tethered birds, she smiled. “They really are beautiful creatures – they have always fascinated me.”

[Gavin Owen]

(occ: Not a problem! ^_^)

Gavin stood where he was as the lady dismounted. He had no idea what to do. He simply looked at her stupidly as she curtsied. Now he knew for certain that she was nobility. He hadn't the slightest idea as to how to act around nobility. He offered a small smile in return. "Sorry if I seem rude," he said after a small silence, "I'm not a noble." He chuckled nervously. Gavin had never been taught 'proper manners' or whatever they were called. Working on a farm didn't require such things. Frankly, he would much rather work on a farm than try to learn all the bows and greetings and whatnots.

"Lady Michala Harran..." the falconer muttered under his breath. He hadn't heard the name before, but decided to keep that little fact to himself so he wouldn't hurt her feelings. "I'm Gavin er... Owen. Gavin Owen," he said. He was confused by his shyness. The man had never been shy as a child. Then again, since he had been hired by Miraz, he had not spent very much time with other people. He had been completely and totally dedicated to his birds.

"I come down here just about every day," Gavin said, trying to shake his shyness, "If you don't mind, why don't you come here anymore?" The man caught himself quickyl and stuttered, "I don't mean to pry, of course. Just...uh, curious." Weylin, Gavin's brother, would probably have swept this girl off her feet by now. There were many times, including now, that Gavin wished he were more like his brother, but his brother was a bit of a trouble maker. The falconer wasn't one to make things harder than they already were, though.

Gavin's attention snapped back to what was happening. "Sorry," he said stupidly. He was a little confused about who the lady was talking about. "Oh, the birds? Oh yes. They are fascinating." The man blushed a little. This always happened whenever he met someone new. "Well. That is Alida," he said, pointing at the smaller falcon and attempting to draw attention away from himself, "she has a bit of a rebelious streak, as you probably guessed earlier. And the larger bird is Jerolin."

[Lady Michala Harran]

Ah, so he was a nervous sort of man. Those sorts of men always amused her for they weren?t so much different than the ones who flirted and used winsome words ? they just thought they were. No, the flaw wasn?t that he was a nervous, shy sort of fellow, but that he wasn?t noble. But then, Michala wasn?t quite so bothered as someone such as her father or her mother might have been. She just wanted some entertainment ? if her parents had been on time to get her, she wouldn?t have been here talking to this falconer. So really, it was their fault.

?It is certainly nice to meet you, Gavin Owen,? she said with a bright, winning smile. Waving her hand as his question, she shrugged slightly. ?That is hardly prying,? Michala reassured him, ?I?ve been asked far worse.? She felt something brush against her face and lifted a hand to realize one of her hair pins had fallen loose. Sighing, she struggled to fix it to keep her hair from falling in her eyes while trying also to answer his question.

It seemed he was having a difficult time concentrating too, stammering a little before realizing she had been talking about the birds. She smiled sweetly at him as he told her the names of both beautiful birds and Michala absently ran her fingers across the side of her horse. ?Lovely names for lovely birds,? she murmured, studying them from her safe distance.

?To answer your earlier question,? she said after a few moments of silence, ?I stopped coming when my parents deemed it improper. They don?t know I?m here now ? but it?s their own fault for not getting me from the castle when they were supposed to. I was at Miraz?s camp?? she trailed off; surprised at how much she had just told him, a man she had never met before. Had she more common sense, she probably would have kept her mouth shut ? one never knew what sort of person a stranger was.

But Michala had lived a charmed, danger-free life. Being at Miraz?s camp had been the closest to anything dangerous she?d ever experienced, and there she was well protected with a good many soldiers doting on her, succumbing to all of her whims.

?Do you work for Miraz then?? She asked, resting the side of her face against her horse as she observed Gavin with interest.

[Gavin Owen]

"Nice to meet you as well, Lady Michala," Gavin said uncertainly, bowing his head to show some respect. He could feel his shyness slowly fading away as he warmed up to the woman. He was glad that there was no one else around. It would have made this 'meeting' much harder for him. He was always so worried about making an idiot of himself. At least this lady didn't see it as below her to be speaking to someone like him. Gavin detested people like that.

Gavin looked towards the birds as the lady mentioned them. "These aren't the only birds, you know," he said as he approched the eagle. He hadn't taken his glove off, so he fished a mouse out of his puch and coaxed Jerolin onto his arm. He approched the lady again and held the eagle within her reach. Jerolin took little notice of the new visitor as he munched happily on the mouse Gavin held.

Gavin chuckled when Michala said her parents didn't know she was here. "What's life without a little risk? No one would get very far in life, would they?" He moved away from the lady when Jerolin started flapping restlessly. "He won't hurt you," he explained quickly, "I just haven't flown him in a while." The falconer stroked the eagle's feathers affectionately and calmed the bird down.

Gavin nodded when he was asked if he worked for Miraz. "Yes, I do. I've been working for him for about the past three years or so. He's pretty much forgotten about us down here. Unti now, that is." Gavin had a strong dislike of Miraz. He had never told anyone, of course.

[Lady Michala Harran]

Michala found that this Gavin Owen certain did interest her. The simplicity, the quiet honesty in the way he spoke to her was a refreshing change from the pompous arrogance at Miraz?s court. She felt as though she was talking to him, not some fancy mask ? something for which she was surprisingly grateful for. She liked honour and riches just as much as the next girl, but she had yet to meet someone who spoke with her so plainly. Not even her servants dared to meet her gaze and to actually talk.

?No, no one would get particularly far,? she agreed, smiling brightly at him.

The birds sudden movement startled her, the restless flapping of wings causing her to step back nervously. Gavin seemed to read her anxiety and told her that the bird wouldn?t hurt her, he just hadn?t been flown in a while. Obviously the bird rather enjoyed being flown. She watched the care with which Gavin stroked the birds feathers and smiled, more to herself than anything, wondering if he was that caring towards everything in his life.

?I wouldn?t be surprised if he?s forgotten about everyone who works for him,? she replied with a shrug. ?He isn?t the most attentive, observant? or even kind, person.? Not really caring that she had insulted the king ? such a thing was never to be done, at least not around anyone close to Miraz ? she watched as her horse settled down in the grass, munching on it as it lay there.

She chuckled, albeit almost bitterly, and settled down next to her horse. ?I could say whatever I?d like about Miraz ? he doesn?t care what someone such as myself says. I?ve spent weeks at his camp and he doesn?t know I exist, nor half of the other people he has working there.?

[Gavin Owen]

Gavin released what remained of the mouse from his 'bird hand' and tossed it away. He never bothered to properly 'dispose' of any leftovers. The falconer knew nature would take care of them. He just made sure they didn't all end up in the same spot. He smiled back at Michala after her comment. "You have a beautiful smile," Gavin said quietly, trying to think like his brother. He probably just made things harder for himself.

"I think he only remembers when its convenient for him," Gavin ventured. He was unsure about how much he should say around any noble, especially when it was about Miraz. They had easy access to the king and even easier access to the law. If the falconer wasn't careful, he could end up in prison by this time the next day.

He was unsure of what to do when Michala sat down. "Just as well," he said, "I'd rather he ignore me when I head off for the camp. As you've probably noticed, I'm not much of a...'people person'. I'm not even completely sure why I'm being sent there..." He trailed off, thinking he was rambling. But it was true. He prefered the company of his birds to that of other people.

"Would you like to see the other birds," Gavin asked for lack of anything else to say, "I have an extra glove." 'I might as well show off a bit,' the man thought to himself, 'there's nothing worse I can do.' In his mind, he had made in idiot of himself.

[Lady Michala Harran]

Michala watched him as he looked down at her, unaware of what to do by the looks of it. His compliment, however awkwardly and quietly put, did not go unnoticed either. She had the decency to blush faintly, though she was hardly unaccustomed to such flattery. However, there was a rather difficult-to-place difference in how he said it, and the cocky self-assured way of the courtiers.

“Why thank you,” she murmured, glancing up at him with a small smile. “You aren’t too difficult to look at yourself, good sir.”

She wasn’t bothered by the change in conversation – Gavin looked to be rather interested by her and there was little doubt that the conversation would stay with Miraz and his inattention to his people.

“Indeed,” she agreed after a few moments of thoughtful silence. He told her then that he would rather be ignored by Miraz when he headed off to the camp. She felt something brighten within her – he was going too? It was an interesting idea – a little company out there in that stuffy camp would be welcome.

“I’d love to see the other birds,” she said, delighted by the offer. Michala pulled herself to her feet with a bright smile. “Really, that would be wonderful! Though I’ll have to tether my horse somewhere… it would never do if I couldn’t get back to the castle – my father wouldn’t be pleased to learn the details of my little adventure.”

Approaching him, she folded her hands neatly behind her back. “So you’re going to Miraz’s camp too? I’m due back there in a few days – I’m only home on my mother’s begging the King. It would be nice to see a friendly face around…” She trailed, not one to mask her thoughts and hoping that Gavin was able to understand what she meant. She was curious as to what he’d think, when he saw the way the soldiers doted on her, the way they seemed to wait on her hand and foot – when Miraz wasn’t pushing them off to battle. It was senseless to her, really.

It wasn’t as though that rebel, Caspian, could accomplish anything anyway. 

[Gavin Owen]

Gavin was slightly shocked by Michala's reply. Fortunately, he was successful at not blushing this time. He scratched his head, trying to think of something to say. That last comment had really put him off. He simply offered a small smile in return. The girl seemed to act older than she looked, for she seemed rather young.

"I'll get him," Gavin offered when Michala mentioned her horse. Taking the horse's reigns, he led the creature over to the perch and tied him to it. The perch was sturdy and Gavin figured the horse wouldn't put up much of a fight. Taking Alida onto his free arm, he walked back over to where Michala was standing.

He nodded when Lady Harran asked if he was headed to Miraz's camp. "I am," he said, "I'm not too excited about it. I'm not all that happy about what he's using my birds for, either." He shrugged, knowing he couldn't go against the knig's wishes. Unless he wanted to lose his life, of course. He shifted the arm that supported Alida a bit to a more comfortable position. The falcon was heavy for her size.

"Shall we," the falconer said as he started toward the barn. He had left the door open as he always did during the day. Gavin examined the cage, pondering for a moment on how he would get the cage open. Turing to Michala he asked, "Would you mind putting that glove on and taking Alida so I can get the door open?" He didn't want to risk the one of the brids getting injured by getting a wing or something caught in the cage if they decided to be restless.

[Lady Michala Harran]

Michala wanted to giggle at the confusion on his face, though she refrained so as not to insult him. She had a good deal of fun messing with people, especially with men, and, even more so, with shy men like him. She had no intention of hurting anyone, however, just playing around. She had yet to find someone she seriously cared about ? though she was a bit cynical towards the arrogant men at court. Who knew? She just might fall for a falconer ? though her father certainly wouldn?t like it.

For the time being though, Michala was more interested in having a little fun and keeping from being bored. She almost hoped she would end up being away longer than she should? that she would keep her parents waiting. It was only fair, after all.

She watched as he tied her horse to the perch, smiling as he took the bird onto his free arm and returned to her. Gavin told her that he wasn?t too excited to be going to Miraz?s camp, and he certainly wasn?t thrilled over what he was using the birds for either. She frowned slightly, deciding she was going to do her best to see to it that he had a little fun at camp ? because she could use some too! That place, when you weren?t one of the actual soldiers, was boring as boring could be.

Michala followed him towards the barn, silent but watchful. She had never been this close to the birds before and wanted to enjoy every moment of it.

He seemed to be faced with a problem, however, when he approached the cage and studied it. Then, out of nowhere ? at least it came as a surprise to Michala ? he asked if she would put an extra glove on and take the bird from him so he could open the cage. Her instinct reaction was to say no and run away ? the birds looked rather frightening with their huge talons ? but she supposed it would be rather out of character for her to show fear. In this instance, anyway. So she took the glove and slipped it on, reaching out her arm for the bird to climb on.

She focused on keeping her arm upright, though the bird was rather heavy, and watched him. ?The camp isn?t so bad,? she ventured, curious as to what he was doing, ?though not the most desirable place to be ? I?d certainly rather be at home, or at a lovely party?? she trailed off and shrugged slightly, ?it isn?t the worst place one could be either. Worse yet, you could be in that nasty forest, with all those scary creatures that want nothing more than to eat you.? Wrinkling her nose, she glanced to the door than down at the bird and finally back to Gavin.

[weylin]

{ooc: i'm barging in with permission from both roleplayers. haha. and excuse the rather lame post.}

Weylin was doing what he did best: ditching his job. Oh, he wasn't exactly ditching it, because really, there was nothing left to do. The horses were perfectly fine, and all the ordinary jobs were completed. The only leftover possibility was someone from the castle actually needing to use one of the horses--which was basically the reason for Weylin's job in the first place--but the whole waiting process was becoming too much to bear. The only other person currently at the stables had fallen asleep, but it wouldn't hurt that man to have a rude awakening every now and again.

And so, Weylin had strode out of the castle stables, deciding to drop in on his brother. This had become quite a normal routine over the past while, Gavin was the faithful worker and Weylin was the bored worker who went to terrorize the good worker. But it gave him something to do, and it was likely better than any destruction he may have been causing elsewhere. The stables and the falconry were not terribly far from one another, and Weylin was there in a very short time.

Weylin noticed a horse that he didn't recognize munching on some grass outside the stables. Being the horseman that he was, Weylin managed to take in all the good and bad aspects of the horse in close to a single glance. It was a nice horse, hardly something a peasant would own. He burst the barn doors open, already calling to his brother. "Eyyy! Falcon! Have you taking to stealing noblemen's horses in the last few days? Good going!" He pounced into the barn, slapping his brother on the back.

It took the rather unobservant--at least for the moment-- twin to finally notice the lovely young lady standing in front of him, bird perched on her arm. "Well, look at this," he said, still grinning and shaking his head in mock surprise. "Falcon found a lady and stole her horse! Shame on you, brother." Weylin's arm was still draped across his brother's back as he lounged, uncaring for the poor birds Gavin was trying to take care of.

"You should turn him in, miss. Stealing horses isn't one of the most noble occupations you know." Weylin sent the lady a teasing wink as he dropped his arm to let his brother go back to his duties.

[Gavin Owen]

"I don't think there is anything in that forest that will eat you," Gavin said with a small chuckle, "I spent my childhood in that forest. I'm still here, aren't I?" Alida pecked at Michala's glove, apparently looking for food, and then looked at Michala. "I think she likes you. It's rare for her to accept, much less expect, food from strangers," the falconer said with a small chuckle. He opened the cage door and said to Michala, "Just move her towards the door and she should go in. She's not very stubborn."

"Eyyy! Falcon! Have you taking to stealing noblemen's horses in the last few days? Good going!" The tell tale sign that the one person Gavin did not want to see at this particular moment was approaching the barn. "Brace yourself," he said as his brother made a less-than-subtle entrance into the barn. He moved the arm holding Jeronlin as far away from the other twin as he could.

Gavin glared at Weylin as he tried to calm the bird down. "One of these days," he said," I will come into your stables yelling at the top of my lungs and see how your horses take to it." The falconer didn't really hate his brother, just his actions.The man's yelling always upset the birds. "This is Weylin, my brother," Gavin told Michala with a sigh, "Weylin, this is Lady Michala Harran."

"Leaving your job isn't very noble either, now is it, horse-boy?" Gavin shot back at Weylin as he put Jerolin in the cage. Horse-boy. A horribly thought up name but it always managed to hit Weylin the way other words couldn't. The twin absolutely detested the name. Gavin always loved to see his brother's reactions. They were never quiet the same. The falconer was slightly worried that his twin would just shrug the name off since there was a lady in the room.

[Lady Michala Harran]

Gavin’s reassurances were well placed; she was terrified of the forest no matter how nonchalantly she had put her words. She was terrified of big, wild creatures that could cause her harm. She was nervous with this bird on her arm though she certainly wasn’t going to show it. Granted, her mind was eased as the bird started poking around for food and Gavin told her that it meant it must like her to expect food.

“A strange way to show her liking,” Michala replied with a tiny, amused grin as she stared down at the beautiful creature on her arm.

Michala jumped at the intrusion, while Gavin told her to brace herself. The bird fluttered uneasily and she hoped it wouldn’t fly off. Turning to take a look at the intruder, she wondered if this could perhaps be the bother that her new-found friend had mentioned earlier. She moved the bird closer to the door and, as Gavin had said, it hopped inside the cage with little difficulty.

She turned back to the two young men then.

”This is Weylin, my brother,” he said and Michala nodded. It had taken her a few moments to calm down from the surprise but now that she was feeling better, she felt she was able to greet him properly.

“Hello sir,” she said, dipping into a curtsey. “Yes, as your brother has mentioned, my name is Lady Michala Harran.” She giggled at the animosity in the air – either Gavin couldn’t stand his brother of he was just in a really testy mood. She was curious to find out which it was for future reference.

“I don’t know that I would have guessed you brothers,” she said, rising from her curtsy to smile first at Gavin, then Weylin. “Though I can see a faint resemblance now that I know there ought to be one.” She turned to Weylin then. “So you work in the stables, do you? I keep my horse there and I do believe my parents will be along any time to see if anyone knows where I’ve wondered off to.”

She grinned. “And I don’t really care.”

[weylin]

"Maybe my horses are used to the yelling by now," Weylin said--still grinning ear to ear--in reference to his brother's comment. The truth was he wasn't very loud around the horses. He almost transformed for them, showing a little more of his vulnerable side. But he wasn't going to share that news with the world. Though his brother already knew it, of course. "They're used to wars and crazy nobles running around screaming at them, after all. Not much could daunt that. No offense meant to the lady, of course." Weylin said, sending another wink the young woman's way.

Gavin made the introductions with a sigh, as it was so often. Weylin could only grin. As much as Weylin loved his brother, he enjoyed getting him to the edge of his nerves immensely. There was something so deliciously fun about it all, and it was comedic for Weylin. That, over the others, tended to win out the most. Comedy was Weylin's favored pastime. But really, what would his brother do without him? "Well, Lady Michala Harran, it is a pleasure to meet such a lovely woman, especially in my brother's falconry!" Weylin presented her with a theatrical bow, more of a humorous nature than anything remotely serious.

"Yes, I do work in the stables. And by the way, dear brother," Weylin draped his arm across his brother's shoulder again, as was his habit, "I left it in a noble state, so all is well." He gave his brother that winning smile, but it was accompanied with an extra hard 'squeeze' (more like a crunching of bones) as he spoke. Gavin knew his brother all too well, and one of those things was the way Weylin detested being called 'horse-boy'. But Weylin could hardly do anything about that at the moment. He simply sent him the 'you're doomed, my friend!' glare, and gave him that cobra-like body crunch, formerly labeled as a simple squeeze.

But the Lady was speaking, and Weylin knew better than to not pay attention.  Ah, the young Lady enjoyed a little fun. Splendid! After all, what was the world without fun? "Ah, that's the spirit, miss! Not caring is the best thing in the world, isn't it? I'd think you're parents should be proud!" Weylin was beginning to have fun. It was so delightful, engaging in casual banter even. He was half waiting for his brother to begin choking him and fling him out the barn door. That would only add to the glee of the event.

Weylin then decided then that he'd rather try and make the girl fall for his brother than himself. It was more entertaining at the moment, and the two were likely already smitten. Though Weylin had hardly seen them together. He didn't doubt his brother's capabilities, only enjoyed sticking him in awkward situations. Besides, he had to spit out some payback for the stable-boy reference in front of a lady.

{ooc: I'm really tired. Excuse anything completely... um, wacky? haha. Ah well. Between Weylin's personality and the author's level of fatigue, I think this is bound to have some oddball-ways in it somewhere. Lol.}

[Gavin Owen]

"That bird is always hungry," Gavin said, nodding towards Alida. The falconer smiled when Michala said she wouldn't have guessed they were brothers. "Yes," he said, "We're complete opposites." He stopped himself from saying that he was the sane one. He figured he had 'embarrassed' his brother enough with the horse-boy comment. "Of course they are," he said sarcastically in reply to his brother's comment. The falconer knew that Weylin never did anything 'drastic' around horses or allowed it.

Shaking his brother off, Gavin grabbed another lure off the wall and attached another mouse to it. The lure he had previously used seemed to have disappeared. He put his arm up to the door cage and whistled. A solitary eagle by the name of Jinx flew to his arm. Even though Gavin had 'company', he still needed to get all the birds through their daily exercises.

"A noble state," the man repeated with a smug grin as he walked towards the door, "You mean you left everything to the other stable hand?" Gavin knew that Weylin would never leave the stables unless the horses were in a 'noble state'. The other stable hand had probably fallen asleep. Turning around he said, "Would either of you like to try your hand at falconing?"

The man wasn't sure if either of them would accept the challenge or not. He snagged two more lures off the wall just in case and headed outside. He put Jinx on the perch walked out to the middle of the field. He had constructed a high platform along with the perch when he had first gotten the job. He placed a mouse on the platform and decided to test his bird's skill further by placing some mice on the ground.

[Lady Michala Harran]

She laughed softly, the bickering between brothers a most amusing thing indeed. She remembered the fun she used to have with her brother – before they both grew up and realized that the world wasn’t as simple a place as they had always thought. Before he was called off to war and she was forced to learn the practices of elegant, wealthy females. Before Peridan died and her whole world fell apart.

Pushing away thoughts of her brother – a weakness she would rather not reveal to anyone, ever – she smiled brightly. The offer, from Gavin, was an intriguing one. Take an attempt with the birds? Fascinating!

“Oh, I would!” She cried eagerly, though her eyes widened and her cheeks turned bright pink to realize just how eager she had sounded. Of all the foolish things… “That is to say… it might be… interesting.” Bringing her hands to her lips, she could not help but giggle behind them. Looking from Weylin to Gavin, she shook her head.

“It seems my enthusiasm has over taken me,” she murmured with a shrug. “I would love to try it… if you’re willing to teach me. I wish I could say I was as likely to find myself skilled in such affairs as I am in… well a good many other things. However, it’s highly unlikely.” Eyes dancing with pure merriment, she glanced at Weylin. “And you’ll try too? Or will you let a useless, clueless, young noble girl best you? Surely there is much amusement to be had in both of us trying… and quite possibly failing.”

[weylin]

{ooc: many, many apologies for the lateness of this! i have no excuse.}

"Of course it was a noble state," Weylin retorted, that ever present grin still plastered on his face. Surprisingly, though Gavin knew it, he was actually telling the truth. The horses were always--well, almost always, at the least-- well cared for. In fact, surprising as it may be, Weylin was very likely one of the best workers in the whole stable. His voice dropped to a whisper only loud enough for his brother to hear. "And yes, the other one was sleeping. As per usual."

Weylin was quickly amused as Michala began stuttering. Her pure excitement was suddenly followed by embarrassment, blushing and giggling. Weylin found it all quite entertaining. "My dear Lady, I do not think that you will have to worry about Gavin wishing to teach you. I believe he is quite willing." Weylin's eyes sent out pure laughter at his brother. He knew that what he said was true, but creating anything remotely awkward for a sibling is really a favorite position for any brother to be placed into.

"But of course I would join you, m'lady!" Weylin exclaimed upon being questioned by the beautiful maiden. "Especially if it pleases you. Or would you rather I left you alone with this handsome brother of mine?" Owen's grin grew larger--if that is in fact possible--and his eyes were positively glittering from laughter. Some wouldn't dare be so bold with a noble, but Weylin couldn't care less what she did to him. His brother would likely stone him as soon as they were left alone as well, but once again, Weylin hardly cared.

After all, what's life without someone always there to make things just a bit more interesting?

[Gavin Owen]

"Then you better hope no one comes in needing horse or one of you will be out of a job," Gavin whispered back. Turning back to Michala, he said, "You'll need gloves, then. The talons are very sharp." Going back into the barn, Gavin open the cage and whistled. Gawain came obediently to his arm. Behind the falcon came another falcon by the name of Calixto. It wasa squeeze, but Gavin managed to get both birds on one arm.

Walking back outside, the falconer let Gawain and Calixto move to the perch and then let Jinx on the free arm. He shot Weylin a look that said 'don't you dare' as he moved in front of the far away platform. "It's really not to hard," Gavin explained as he hoisted Jinx into the air, "all you have to do is just sort of 'toss' them and they'll do the rest." With that, the falconer threw his arm up and Jinx took off.

He flew low to the ground at first and then rose as he approached the platform. Flying less than an inch over the platform, Jinx grabbed the bait and soared upward. He flew in a circle for a moment before diving dowards at a call from Gavin. The man raised his arm and Jinx landed lightly with a flap of his wings. "See," Gavin said, "not hard."