The Oral History of the Blood Wings of Jechran; Part III

The Oral History of the Blood Wings of Jechran; Part III
As Recited by Sul'Dove
Documented by Ophiviel of Dormiria

ATU Northern Culture and History Collection

Centuries had past and the Blood Wings deeds recorded in a book by the Bright Eagles of Cloudforest to be remembered. The new lands of Jechran were stable as much as tribes vying for the attention of the Mortal Voice and Dre'Ana can be. There were raids from the Tyeduians and even bands of Gladosian bandits but those were handled by the borderland tribes every season. As the years passed the memory of the Blood Wings was no less. A shining example of what training under the ways of Dre'Ana can do and how to serve in Her name.

In Cloudforest, they were preparing for their spring hunt. In which the youngest warrioress of the Bright Eagles were to partake. If a young warriroress claims the life of a loin or a Jechira then they would be made a member of the Bright Eagles by their merit and seen as a huntress. Two of the young women to take up the call of the hunt were Emanaia, a young Romini seeking to join the Bright Eagles as her mother and sisters had done in springs before, and Salbellis, the Bright Eagles leader's youngest daughter. Emanaia and Salbellis were good friends as they had grown up together and learned together. So it was natural for them to team up and they did. As they left, they took nothing with them as they were seeking to earn their status in the old ways of Dre'Ana and Jechran. It was many days later when they returned and with them, the hides of two Jechira and meat wrapped up in the hide for the celebrating their deeds. That night at the celebration the two held each held up a tooth of the Jechira that they had slain and were seen as women of the Bright Eagles and huntress at the age of fifteen. As they stood there, the two spoke to the tribe. They were bringing back the Blood Wings to honor the past and Dre'Ana.

For the rest of that spring and all of summer, they recruited huntresses that earned their rank in the spring or last spring and trained constantly with spear and bows. By fall, they had taken to patrolling the orchards and farms close the borders. On one of their patrols, they heard from a traveler that a band of gnomish bandits had crossed the border to the north by the high orchards. Armed with that knowledge and a desire to prove themselves warrioress; the seven of them broke north with haste. As they reached the southernmost of the high orchards, they spotted the gnomes looting the wagons and gathering the produce. Seven young warrioress divided themselves and quietly took up positions in the southern orchard. As the bandits came to pillage the trees in that orchard the Blood Wings were reborn in a hail of arrows. All but one of the bandits was killed in the orchard that day, the sole survivor was taken back to Cloudforest to have his wounds treated and kept as a prisoner. It was said he was rather confused and worried that seven teenage girls killed is friends and when expressing this he was told that they Blood Wings protect the Bright Eagles now.

From their success, the next spring brought more seeking to train and join them. They were welcome if they could meet the standards of Salbellis and Emanaia. Many did not but those that did were their equal with spear, blade, bow, and could ride horses and fight from them. The Blood Wings were real again and word spread within Jechran and beyond. In time their mortal foe Blue Foxes would cross the border to test them over and over again. Like in all battles, there are losses; the Blood Wings would be no different in this. Decades of battles and giving birth to daughters, Emanaia's final battle was at Windy Fields as the Blood Wings were supporting Misty Moon Clan against the Blue Foxes. She was fallen by a war ax. Salbellis shaken by the sight of seeing her truest friend fall in battle gave the Blood Wings to Emanaia's daughter Sarydove and then took herself and her daughters to Myleah.

Sarydove would assume the leadership of the Blood Wings and the next spring was ambushed while patrolling in known safe lands. She would take the lives of those that tried to take hers but in the fighting, she would lose her right arm to wounds. She recouped in Cloudforest and kept the Blood Wings on a short leash as tempers were high. As she got her strength back, she took to the blade and taught herself to fight left-handed. The following summer, Sarydove repaid the Blue Foxes for their ambush by leading the Blood Wings into Tyedu and not stopping till she razed every village she spotted. After that, the Blood Wings has also thirty years of peace before the Blue Foxes raised their heads up again. Along the border the Blue Foxes and their cousins faced the Blood Wings with Sarydove, the one arm, leading the center and her two daughters Maeradove and Rathadove in command of the flanks. The battle saw heavy losses on both sides to force a stalemate. That night a Black Seal warrior came to the line held by the Blood Wings and was holding the body of Sarydove in his arms. He was shown honor for his deeds and allowed to leave with his ax for the honor he showed.

Maeradove and Rathadove, now leading had a great moment of peace with their mortal foe but no less peaceful for them and the border. The Bright Eagles leader had no daughter and all attempts to mate produced stillborn girls. Maeradove would write to Myleah for the Blood Wings to take them over but it was refused and in her disappointment would leave Jechran with her lover. Rathadove would plead the case for the Blood Wings to take over and in time such was granted. The Bright Eagles would cease to exist as a tribe upon the death of their leader and the Blood Wings would be seen as a tribe. Rathadove had a daughter Sandove and Rathadove died not of battle but of age; someplace in the nineties.

About the reciter: Sul'Dove was taken as a battle prize by the Circle at the age of eight at the Battle of Thick Trees. Where the Blue Foxes and their allies the Circle fought the Blood Wings of Jechran for over a decade Sul'Dove renamed Luyu by her new tribe was raised within the Blue Foxes and taught their ways. She escaped in a snowstorm to avoid being given away to the Circle to honor them for joining the Blue Foxes. She now resides in Elysia as Bow Maiden with the Warrior Maidens of Dre'Ana, and has taken to using her birth name of Sul'Dove or Sky Dove.

About the Documenter: Ophiviel is from the city and lands of Dormiria. She has spent her life documenting the stories of the people that come to The City of Refugees seeking new lives. In recent years, she has taken to travel and is currently employed by the Avlis Tower University for her skills at documenting the living history of people and interviewing skills.