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"You're welcome," Mia said with a small smile. "Thank you, Arissa."
"Any time my friend," the witch replied.
"Let's go back and get your wolf," the griffon lay down again for him to get back on. "Thanks again Arissa," she took off.

"Will we see her again?" Nathan asked Mia as he clung tightly to her feathers. "Why does she stay in a tower?"

"We might. You like her?" Mia smiled slyly. "She lives in the tower because she's a witch. Arissa has been shunned out of pretty much each city she's ever tried living in. She used temporary golem enteties to build it for her," the griffin explained.
The rest of the flight went quickly, the land speeding by. Mia came to a stop right next to the wolf and crouched low for the man to get off.
"You know, I never learned your name."

Nathan flushed surprisingly enough, but shook his head. "I don't know about 'like', but she might make a good friend." He was skittish about women in general and it showed now. Animals were a different matter.

"And my name's, Nathan. Sorry, I should have introduced myself earlier."

"Well Nathan, it's a pleasure to make your acquantance," Mia looked up and saw beautiful streaks of orange, pink and purple streaking the sky. "Flying through the sky like that is a beautiful thing," she said and stretched. "Today went by quickly, although I guess it was mid after noon when I wanted to explore that city," she yawned. "The town not too far off is one that I've been to a few times before. They know and accept me there, so I can take you tomorrow without the fear of being attacked for hanging around with a griffin. I'm gonna get something to eat," the griffin took off.
She arrived several minutes later with a full grown stag hanging limply from her beak.

Nathan automatically reached for daggers that were no longer there, and he came up short. He sighed and looked at the stag with a pained expression.

"Nice catch. I'd clean and flay it, but I don't have a knife to my name..." He sat down and buried his head into his hands. "I really screwed up back there." And it was his fault--not Bella's.

"I normally just eat it like this. If you can make yourself a fire, this is more than enough food for me. You could have a haunch," she tore the hind leg off and set it next to the man. "We can get you some new knives and weapons at the town tomorrow. They say the smith there is excellent," she started to tear into her meal.

Nathan couldn't help but laugh. It was the first time he'd been handed food. But then he was collecting firewood and starting a fire. At least the guards hadn't taken his flint and steel--so it was quick work to create a fire.

He soon had the haunch roasting over the fire. Once it was good and cooked, he bit into it. He wasn't used to eating on such a scale, but it was kind of nice not to worry about someone watching him. The bits he didn't want, he fed to Bella, who scarfed them down.

"Do you need heat or are you warm enough with feathers and all?" he asked the griffin. "Oh, and why did you visit that town?"

"I'm fine," Mia belched. There was a pile of clean bones in front of her, which she flicked away. "Griffin feathers and fur is softer than the softest bedroll, plus, we're warm," Mia fell onto her side with a thud and unfolded a wing, inviting Nathan to lean against her. "Which town? The one I was attacked at or the one nearby?"

Nathan hid a grin beneath his hand at Mia's belch as he banked the fire, making sure it wouldn't burn past the ring he'd made for it. He then settled nearer Mia, taking advantage of her warmth.

"The one you were attacked at." Nathan clarified. "Although that does lead me to ask how you were able to make peace with the other village. Hopefully not by the same method..."

"I'm just curious about you humans. I know how the life of that little village nearby is like, but I was curious about the human cities. The people in the town are very oppressed by the larger cities and the more violent creatures nearby. When I first went there, I was pretty seriously injured. The people there helped me and so in turn, I protect them when I can," Mia folded her wing over the man like a blanket. "The city people are much more violent. I thought we griffins were correlated with your human nobility with images of us on your shields and banners. I wouldn't have thought I would be attacked."

Nathan gently stroked the feathers on the wing, intrigued by the color and their softness.

"No doubt they were frightened by the panic of the common people," he said. "A lot of people leave normal and uncomplicated lives and are best at keeping their heads down and not thinking too much about their current circumstances.

"So when a griffin appears, not only do you remind them of their nobility, but they think of monsters that attack without warning and panic. That, in turn, gets the guards upset and before you know it, they're attacking you because they don't think they can reason with anything other than themselves."

Nathan sighed. "I got caught up in it too, by the intensity of the panic."

"Well, the only person who got hurt was that guard, but he's fine now," Mia yawned. "I'll take you to that town in the morning. Good night," the griffin rested her head on the soft grass and was soon snoring.

Nathan grinned as the griffin began to snore and then he settled himself. Bella had approached and now lay at his feet, not quite trusting of the griffin, but unwilling to leave Nathan.

The rhythmic breathing of the griffin at his back soon lulled Nathan into a sound sleep.

Mia woke up the next morning to the light shining in her eyes. She raised her and blinked, then nudged the man leaning against her awake.
"You ready to go and get some new knives?"

Nathan stirred and woke readily enough. "Knives? Oh, yes. And some weapons." He sighed remembering his bow and quiver in the hands of the city guard. "Man, I liked that bow too. Can I get you anything while we're at the village?"

The griffin gave Nathan a confused look, "What would I need from there? If I actually did need anything, I'm friends with pretty much everyone there, but I'm technically a wild animal by your human standards. Granted an intelligent one, but an animal all the same. Anything and everything I need is in the forests."
Mia stretched and gave a big yawn. "Do you want to walk or fly? It's about 45 minutes to walk, 15 to fly if there's turbulence."

Nathan shrugged. "I, uh, just thought I'd ask. And I don't mind walking." Turbulence didn't sound like much fun. "Besides Bella could use the exercise."

He stretched and then clapped his hands twice. Bella looked up at him and then yawned, before standing and stretching. Her tail came up part way, her ears raised uncertaintly at the griffin.

"I don't think she likes me very much," Mia tilted her head towards the wolf. "Oh well, let's go."
The griffin started walking in the direction of the town.
"So, what's your life like?"

Nathan grinned. "I don't think she liked being picked up. She'll get used to you soon enough."

He started to gather his things, realized there wasn't anything to gather, and then followed the griffin.

"Well, I travel a lot. Mostly I hunt and track things if people lose someone or something that needs to be found. In particular I'm trying to locate the rest of Bella's wolf pack. She's not your typical wolf and her breed has been known for stalking villagers and attacking them. Since I've raised Bella from cub-hood, I know a fair amount about the breed--they're Aurean Wolves--and I've fought a fair number of them--so it helps while I educate people about them."

He paused then added, "Personally, I'm kind of glad she's afraid of you; it means that others of her kind should be, too. Assuming you're not able to be paralyzed by her yellow eyes."