When we finally approached the clearing in front of the cliffs Cheshire changed his head to his eagle head, and I had a good look at the 'leader' in front of us. The cat portion of his body was spotted like a leopard and his head was more shaped like a falcon. Cheshire tilts his head slightly to look at me from one eye, gryphons chose leaders based on flying ability not strength. The head of a whole Aerie is generally a smaller stature if they are a good flier. While good fighters tend to run the military wings.

The gryphon ruffles his feather walks over to me and sniffs the cart and squawks and looks at Cheshire. Cheshire starts speaking in an assortment of whistles with a few shrieks added in, the leader looks in the cart again carefully. Then he turns to me and bows his head, He's greeting you Gwen. He knows you can't understand his speech and is expecting me to translate. I glance at Cheshire who hasn't taken his eyes off the Gryphon. "I greet you as a Hunter." I say uncomfortable as I don't know how to address the Gryphon, I wave at the cart. "We've returned you're lost brethren, and hope once you are done mourning to ask your aid to cross the land bridge. I also have a female waiting in my camp to discuss her bringing groups of humans to fish in these waters. I have also done as Cheshire asked and brought you the twin Hunter children in my care." I turn toward Mauve and Lance, the gryphons tilts his head as if thinking while looking the children over. He then glances at Cheshire who makes a sound akin to an owl's hoot. And the Gryphon turns to the larger group and makes a sound that merely sounds like he is repeating "kak" over and over.

Like hyppogryphs gryphons cannot speak as a human does and very few can speak mind to mind as I can do. I nod my head slightly in Cheshire's direction, and I see some movement up on the platforms as well as some random sqwaking. Then six rather large gryphons launch into the air and land gently near our group, and open their beaks slightly and look at me expecting something. Take each bundle of remains and set one in each of their beaks, they will carry them out to sea. These are the Wing leaders, they decided it would be best to have them carry them to their final home. I quickly comply with Cheshire's statements and once the six had all the bundles they launched into the air again heading out to sea.

The group on the platforms shuffle about again with a bit more sqwaking, then two fuzzy young gryphons walk down a ramp I hadn't noticed on the side of the platforms. Children of the age these two are can't fly as yet their wings aren't developed enough to hold their bulk. It will probably be a year or two before they can. I stay still as the two youngsters come closer and notice they are two separate colors one all black and one all white. Their coloring is an oddity but that comes from the fact they are not quite normal for a gryphon.

The white one bounds closer leaving the black one behind, what uncle Cheshire means is we're considered inbred. The feline type we are is what is commonly called a Liger and our raptor type is a harpy eagle. The white one bounces in front of me like a kitten, oddly reminding me of Cheshire when he hears the women are going to be baking sweets. The black one reaches us, my sister forgets her manners Hunter. I am Dusk my exuberant sister is Dawn, and as our different; his speech halts a minute as if looking for a word. Breed? I guess is the right word, our different breeds of feline types tend to mate with similar types to not create any. He pauses to mentally chuckle, oddities.

I watch as the remaining gryphons take flight out to the ocean shrieking as they fly off the leader taking off with them. Cheshire reverts to his orange color and his cat head, "and they have already decided you don't exist anymore younglings. I am sorry for the fact they think you are so strange, you can go to the water's edge and shriek for your parents there." I turn my head to Cheshire with a questioning look and he answers. "There parents had been missing in the last year, some of the feather's match the patterns for them. While their parents were truly mated the rest of the group considered it like humans do marrying your sibling." I nod my head and look between the two sets of twins.

Dusk, who at current size was as big as a mastiff dog; came forward and bumped his head against my chest. It's alright Hunter, we mourned them a year ago when they never came back. As to which we are paired to? Dusk turns and looks at Mauve and Lance, then walks up to Mauve. Who looks at him for a few minutes then she breaks into laughter, I had never heard her laugh the entire time she had been with us. Dawn bounds over to Lance who was trying to not smile at her antics.

Cheshire chuckles, "I believe it has sorted itself out Gwen. We should return to the camp, leave the cart for the Aerie. They'll probably collect water in it." I nod my head and climb onto Alberich's back and turn to tell the twins to come over and get on Alberich when they both jumped onto the two young gryphons excitedly. Cheshire settles behind me on Alberich's rump and chuckles, "oh they're not just guardians Gwen they are meant to be mounts as well. Have you ever seen how large a Liger can get?" I shrug my shoulders not knowing how big they can get, but guessing on Cheshire's comment I imagine they are huge.

Alberich starts walking towards the camp noting how swiftly the gryphons can move with a rider. "They will need some very good training to strengthen, especially if we plan on the possibility for them to fly with those two on their backs. I will handle their strength training Cheshire, I expect you to teach them some fancy flying, then once they are good at it we'll work on them doing the fancy flight with riders. As to fighting, it'll have to be a group effort." I wonder what he meant by his statement there as of course it would be a group effort to train a Hunter gryphon pair.

I look to Cheshire, "how is it all the different 'breeds' of gryphon understand each other so well? As they all have a different sounds?" Cheshire lifts his head off his forelegs, "simple. To them they are all speaking the same language, a human ear hears them as different sounds. I change my head to speak to them as it is easier for them to understand speech in their own language. While SwiftFoot could understand what you were saying, it took him four years of listening to me speak in human tongue to get him to that point."

I nod my head in understanding and ask an important question, "so why can those two speak to humans?" Cheshire's head shoots up, "well." Alberich tosses his head in annoyance, "might as well tell her; she might need the information later." Cheshire lowers his head slightly conceding some point to Alberich. "My species thinks that Gryphons at one point could speak like most other of the 'mythical' species can. However over time they just bred that ability out of their lineage, and I think the key is in mixing of their lines that would give them that ability again. I also do not think they are the only ones of their type, but inquiring of a gryphon's heritage is like an elf." I could feel Alberich's laughter at the comment as he adds in, "that is because like elves they have a long proud line of ancestors going back so many generations of pure breeding. It can be quite boring to listen to." I chuckle hoping I never have to sit through one of those.

When we enter the camp Harriet who was walking towards the edge of camp once she knew we were back; took one look at the gryphons and paused. It looked like she was trying to decide if the two fuzzy and fluffy gryphons were dangerous or not. Alberich seeing the look on her face walks over with me still on his back and lays his head on her shoulder. "I solemnly promise Harriet those two not quite fledglings are their guardians and mounts they would never harm them." Alberich reassured her and she looked up to me and I say. "Well think now you have a majorly extended family, unlike the other's of their kind they can speak though just mind to mind." Harriet nods slowly and straightens her top as if gathering herself to settle her emotions correctly and walks over to the children. Lance speaks, "Hey look Dawn it's our new mom; her name is Harriet. You'll like her," I was astounded. These two youngsters had gotten the twins out of their silence, this pairing was already looking very positive.

As I slide off Alberich, Jake walks over. "So new additions I am guessing?" The tea he had just taken a drink from spewing out of his nose when he hears Mauve laughing. "They're talking? Laughing? OK I am sold on them being part of the group." Cheshire chuckles from up on Alberich's rump. Harriet takes the children off hopefully to feed them all, and I notice that Cassie is watching Calliope. I turn to Jake, "so what's going on with Calliope that has Cassie so interested?" Jake turns and looks not looking very happy, "Calliope berated the child for not having a full horn. The youngster is not angry with Calliope, she pities her. I think she is keeping an eye on the baby, as we all know she can read minds if necessary I am guessing Cassie 'heard' something that bother's her." Alberich shakes his head, "if the girl thinks it's important she'll tell us otherwise it's best to let her do as she wishes on this. What was Tammy's reaction to what Calliope did?" Jake smiles a little, "she had her spanked then washed her mouth out with soap." Alberich starts heaving from laughter, "oh that one is good. Neither will harm the baby either. I shall have to go and thank her." Alberich wanders off with Cheshire still asleep on top of him.

Jake grabs my shoulder, "so when do you think we will be able to start crossing?" He asks while looking at the land bridge, I look at it too slowly picking out little bits of green starting to grow on the barren pathway. "I think at the earliest tomorrow, and the latest next week. I suggest using Lina while we are here and catch some fish to salt, we do have a few barrels in the wagon. If we can fill them we'll definitely have plenty of food for the trek across that thing."Jake takes his hand from my shoulder and heads into the camp to notify everyone of the plans. I keep looking out over the bridge and the ocean and hope that our journey across the ocean will be uneventful.