Chapter 81 The Lady of the North
The stone nest.
After the other Pegasi had left, the Master Rider asked his mount to accept the warrior as a passenger.
Nestor spoke in a hushed tone: Walk in front of her without fear. If she senses fear, doubt, or deception in you, she will reject you.
The woman from the north stood in front of the large animal and looked at her with her arms crossed over her chest. Grey Wing had accepted some passengers over the decades. She had also rejected others. No human knew the actual reasons why they made their choices.
Grey Wing thought to her rider: She does not hide her fear as with other brave bipeds. She does not have any fear of me at all.
Tatiana felt a strange sensation in her head. She saw an image of herself from an elevated perspective. The image was transformed into a figure made of stones.
Tatiana: Master Rider, I have an image of myself in my mind. I think that is how she sees me.
Nestor smiled: Do you see your own silhouette formed by the stones?
Tatiana: Yes. Are those her thoughts or what she sees?
Nestor: Both, she thinks you weigh a lot, but she thinks she can carry you. You could have been a rider if not for your size.
The warrior laughed: Thank you, Lady Grey Wing.
With some difficulty, they managed to settle into the double saddle. The Master Rider had never flown with a woman behind him before. He immediately noticed that her chest was at the same level as his head. He glanced sideways at his wife and daughter, who were covering their mouths to stifle their laughter.
Nestor: When I tell you we are ready, you have to lean forward over my body so that we are very close to her shoulders between her wings. We need to avoid resistance from the wind. It can be a little embarrassing.
Grey Wing projected an image into the mind of her rider and towards the woman. The image showed his balding dome surrounded by twelve breasts, each one twice the size of his head. When Tatiana burst into laughter, the man realized that she had also received the image. His face turned red.
In his mind: Ready?
Nestor: She is ready.
The older rider bent forward until he was between the huge shoulder muscles of the Matriarch of the stone nest. The warrior leaned down until she covered his slender body completely. The Pegasas lept forward and ran with great strides. Her wings opened and they were hurled high into the air above the grounds of the palace. He felt some satisfaction when she screamed in fear as they took off. The fear of a soldier with a sword and the fear of falling faster and faster towards the ground were different and require a different form of courage.
Nestor to his mount: Her mind is that of a rider, but her feet long to touch the ground.
They flew for more than three hours, almost directly north. They passed through a light snowfall. Tatiana smiled when she saw her homeland.
Grey Wing to both: Small fires. Lots of them.
The rider and the warrior saw the image of rows of torches moving towards the northwest.
Tatiana: It is an army. Can she fly closer without being seen?
Grey Wing understood most of words used by the bipeds. She created an image of a gray Pegasus flying against a background of gray clouds. Then, she flew even lower and closer so the bipeds could see well.
Tatiana called into his ear: We need to fly to the fort of my uncle. By morning it will be surrounded on three sides by a large army composed of many tribes.
Grey Wing landed in a clearing, south of the fort and quickly ran towards the campfires of the bipedal creatures until her rider asked her to stop.
The giant woman untied the ropes and jumped to the ground. She felt the cold air and the soft snow on her face. The warrior was home.
Tatiana: Fly to the castle. Tell the queen and my husband what you have seen. Tell them I will return with an army if I can, but right now nothing is certain.
Nestor: I do not know if it will be possible without stopping to rest at the Ridges. She is tired and her muscles ache. I am sorry, My Lady, but you are quite heavy.
Tatiana: I understand. Thank you for your help. She is a powerful lady.
As she walked towards a group of approaching guards, an image flashed into her mind. She and the Pegasus were the same height, with their heads held high.
Nestor received the same thing, but also many words. Nestor understood that this was a tremendous compliment.
Grey Wing: One strong female met another strong female.
The Pegasus galloped across the snow, which sprayed up around it. It took off with a great effort of its long wings. It turned south and flew as fast as it could.
When the guards of her tribe saw her, they knelt on one knee and struck their chests twice. For most of their lives, they had heard stories of Tatiana the Puma.
Grey Wing turned slightly to the east and thought to her rider: I need to land. A few more hours and I will be able to complete the journey.
He created an image of his Pegasus with white hair, no teeth, and crooked legs. He laughed in a way only those who had lived with most of their lives together understand.
Nestor: Of course, my dear grey lady. Secretly, I hope your daughter is waiting for my daughter to become a rider.
Grey Wing: That would please me.
She landed with a long glide because her wings were tired and she could not stop as she normally did.
While she was resting in the large wooden nest of the Ridges, her rider went to get a cup of wine and some food.
Volker was drinking cider and singing with some men from Puerto Blanco. The language of Puerto Blanco sounded harsh and ugly to the inhabitants of Costa Lunas, but when they sang, it transformed into a language of joy and friendship.
Nestor: Folker! Where is your idiot brother?
Volker pointed to the southwest: Master Rider! He and a woman are in the field with a blanket and a bottle of wine.
Nestor looked in that direction and saw a small light that could be a small fire to warm the young people.
He thought: Well, we will need more babies soon. Good luck, Ernando.