HOME | DD

Description
Even from four kilometers out the winds and the smoke were buffeting and choking. Dan had to ride dangerously low so neither of them wound up clogged with ash and smoke and debris. Looking forward the entire horizon was a strip of vibrant, searing yellow that billowed up into oranges and dirt browns. Above them and further away the sky was a filthy purple-grey and added to the dense, hot air stirred up. The call had gone out over the wireless an hour ago that the northern ranges were going up in flame and that all available hands were to report in. Having enough experience with both riding and rescue, Aidan answered almost immediately. She saddled up her Harpia Auda for the job and even pulled in Muninn and Tom who were also saddled and readied to take passengers. They followed in the wake of Audaxis and kept low and flew quickly. As they landed at the first stop Aidan had a mother, father and small daughter get onto Tom; the larger of the two corva, telling them "hold on tight."

"Home." She told Tom, who took to the wing as fast as she could and spirited them back to Dan's homestead far from the reach of the blaze.

On they went again. It was hard to try and spot homes from a low height and several they visited were either empty or had stryx riders already present to evacuate. The closer they got to the inferno the more homes were empty but they couldn't give up. Not yet. Auda called nervously to her rider and Dan gave her a reassuring pat on the neck as they banked around. Muninn squawked behind them and stooped into a clearing. Dan banked Auda around and they watched as a woodcutter clambered aboard the playful corva. "Muninn!" Dan barked, "Muninn home!"

Away she went.

Once again up they went only this time there was just two and the firestorm was intensifying. It ate up the woodland and country with a wild and ravenous pace that sent a chill down Aidan's spine and made their job all the harder. They were wheeling low around a bank of forest when Auda turned her head to one side and keened. There was a young man frantically waving by an old cottage. By then the front of the flames was dangerously close but they couldn't leave now. Dan was off the saddle even before Auda had properly landed as the lad told her he was taking care of his grandmother, who was still inside. He hadn't been able to call out and his father had taken the cart into town a day earlier. Quick as a whip Aidan and the man helped his grandmother and her grouchy little mop of a dog downstairs and onto the Harpia. Audaxis, who had never met a small, yappy dog was sorely tempted to eat it but her mother told her firmly no. Embers on their tail the man and Dan hopped aboard and the giant stryx took to the air as fast as she'd ever done in her life to race the firestorm back to safe, clean air.

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A think I painted up watching documentaries.

Description
Even from four kilometers out the winds and the smoke were buffeting and choking. Dan had to ride dangerously low so neither of them wound up clogged with ash and smoke and debris. Looking forward the entire horizon was a strip of vibrant, searing yellow that billowed up into oranges and dirt browns. Above them and further away the sky was a filthy purple-grey and added to the dense, hot air stirred up. The call had gone out over the wireless an hour ago that the northern ranges were going up in flame and that all available hands were to report in. Having enough experience with both riding and rescue, Aidan answered almost immediately. She saddled up her Harpia Auda for the job and even pulled in Muninn and Tom who were also saddled and readied to take passengers. They followed in the wake of Audaxis and kept low and flew quickly. As they landed at the first stop Aidan had a mother, father and small daughter get onto Tom; the larger of the two corva, telling them "hold on tight."

"Home." She told Tom, who took to the wing as fast as she could and spirited them back to Dan's homestead far from the reach of the blaze.

On they went again. It was hard to try and spot homes from a low height and several they visited were either empty or had stryx riders already present to evacuate. The closer they got to the inferno the more homes were empty but they couldn't give up. Not yet. Auda called nervously to her rider and Dan gave her a reassuring pat on the neck as they banked around. Muninn squawked behind them and stooped into a clearing. Dan banked Auda around and they watched as a woodcutter clambered aboard the playful corva. "Muninn!" Dan barked, "Muninn home!"

Away she went.

Once again up they went only this time there was just two and the firestorm was intensifying. It ate up the woodland and country with a wild and ravenous pace that sent a chill down Aidan's spine and made their job all the harder. They were wheeling low around a bank of forest when Auda turned her head to one side and keened. There was a young man frantically waving by an old cottage. By then the front of the flames was dangerously close but they couldn't leave now. Dan was off the saddle even before Auda had properly landed as the lad told her he was taking care of his grandmother, who was still inside. He hadn't been able to call out and his father had taken the cart into town a day earlier. Quick as a whip Aidan and the man helped his grandmother and her grouchy little mop of a dog downstairs and onto the Harpia. Audaxis, who had never met a small, yappy dog was sorely tempted to eat it but her mother told her firmly no. Embers on their tail the man and Dan hopped aboard and the giant stryx took to the air as fast as she'd ever done in her life to race the firestorm back to safe, clean air.

---
A think I painted up watching documentaries.