Stephanie
*The scenery was quick to change, only a few hours into their trek through the Southern Mountains. As they first left the hamlet, the snowfall was far lighter than the storm they had met in; soon waning completely and revealing sunlight. The morning was decidedly warm, the heat from the day meeting the chilled winds that whipped between the sheer rocks. 

It was between these cliffs that a pair of wanderers walked, the harpy's head craned upwards and scanning the skies at all times. She stumbled on the odd rock and twig, forcing her attention to the road to right herself. It was after the third unbalancing that she glanced to her companion, huffing to herself.*
"Watching the skies is hard on foot... It would be easier to fly, but I am worried for your ability."
Roger
Vena was equally distracted but for far sillier reasons, finding herself distracted by the new sensations her harpy form brought- a drastic change from the standard she only got to experience for the first time very rarely. While Kynia endured their third trip, Vena was walking behind her with her wings spread out- letting out repeated, happy birdsong as the cool air hit her feathers.

"Huh? Oh, yeah..." Vena replied, snapping out of her trance and looking up at the cliffs to either side of them- instantly wincing as she imagined herself falling. "I did say I'd try, even if I'm not going to hide that the prospect kinda terrifies me."
Stephanie
"Hm..."
*Kynia paused a moment, eyes closed and wings unfurled. Vena would notice how the harpy's arms would shift slowly, coinciding with the direction and strength of the wind. A silent minute passed before she returned to attention, drawing her arms in with a shiver and turning back to the changeling.*

"The sky is clear, the wind is generous. I think we can try it. Now- We must find a suitable high-up spot."
*She nodded excitedly, her chest puffing out with a renewed confidence. The target of her sharp gaze changed, now scanning along the sheer rock walls for a decent outcropping or path upwards.*
Roger
Vena patiently allowed the harpy to focus, sitting on a nearby rock as she watched the process. She wondered just how important this process of seemingly ascertaining the wind conditions was and if perhaps an inability to take off without a sufficiently high and windy spot could restrict a harpy from flying at all. Unfortunately that only made it seem more likely Vena was about to jump from some height she would absolutely rather not.

"Behind you, there. Bit sharp but I reckon we could climb up along those rocks." Vena pointed out, standing up and approaching the slightly extended part of the cliff-wall. She placed her hand on the rock, dragging a set of talons down and creating small cosmetic marks."Talons definitely don't have the grip fingers do though, might have to learn how to fly a little earlier if I fall."

"You promise I'll be able to do this, right? Never been scared of heights but I tend to keep jumping off of 'em for when I know there's something soft at the bottom."
Stephanie
"Your talons will find spots to sink into, especially along these cliffs," *Kynia chirped back, reassuring Vena as she examined the spot she'd pointed out. The harpy nodded quickly, her stance shifting to a low crouch. Her wings unfurled quickly, beating once and launching herself into the air and towards the outcropping. She landed with a CLACK! Of her talons against stone, gripping the jagged rocks as if they were perches.* "The ground will tug at your soles when you've found the right spot. Try coming up to me. It's not so high that you will hurt yourself."
Roger
Vena watched, both annoyed and impressed as Kynia bypassed climbing completely with a single beat of her wings before beginning to climb herself, the temptation to try similar not worth the risk of embarrassing herself by barely making it off the ground.

In much longer time, with a couple of scary missteps as Vena learned to rely on the sharpness of her talons, she made it up.

"Hah- Couldn't of just taught me how to do a take off from down there?" Vena huffed as she lifted herself onto the outcropping, twisting onto her back to look up at Kynia. "These wings really get in the way when I try and reach for things like I normally would. The lightness helps though, barely felt like I weighed anything."
Stephanie
*The harpy would hop closer with a grace deeply contrasting with her usual clumsy, bubbly movement. The look in her eyes was sharp like a predator's - engaging in these behaviours seemed to activated something in her, something primal.
The effect was confused by her patting Vena's head with the tip of her wing, chirping softly and shaking her head.*
"I think it is the same difference between a standing jump and a running one. Taking flight without a short drop or glide to catch the wind takes considerable strength, and enough understanding of your wings to not hurt yourself. You would not be able to do it."

*The affectionate gesture was an attempt to soften her criticism, apparently. Whether it had worked was beyond Kynia to know, or take the time to hear as she climbed up to the flatter outcropping of rock. Her feet planted firmly, waving her arms for Vena to join her.*
Roger
Vena had begun to get up but as she was on one knee, looking up at Kynia she noticed the harpy's sudden change in demeanor. An eye for detail was a somewhat bothersome infliction that came along with being a shapeshifter and she found herself studying their every movement- until the trace was interrupted by a head pat, prompting Vena to twist her head to the side in confusion as Kynia dissuaded her hubris.

"And yet you make it look so easy." Vena sighed as she rose to her feet and cautiously followed Kynia, very aware of how high up they were and how Kynia planned for her to get down.

"Shouldn't you be teaching me some of the theory? When to flap my wings, that sorta' thing?"
Stephanie
"I will, now that we are high enough."
*The harpy nodded, letting her full wingspan catch the prevailing winds. Her feathers fluttered and chilled her frame, but she didn't shiver like before. Her talons relaxed from the rocks, her body rising as her wings arched like a glider in an updraft.*
"Harpy wings are strong, more than enough to carry out bodies. What I want you to do is try gliding from here," *She flapped her wings once, hard and slow. The resulting gust almost collided with the other cliff-face, knocking a few loose pebbles free* "To there. The process is simple, just keep your wings level." 

"You can lean left and right to turn, but do it only a little. Once you get there, lift your feet towards the wall - you'll find a perch."
*Kynia explained it with a casual tone, seeming to not grasp just how daunting of an experience this was for a first-timer - much less for a harpy whose body was less than a couple days old. But she smiled again, chirping quietly and nodding.*
"If you fall, you won't be injured from this height. I promise you that."
Roger
Vena half-listened as she crouched by the edge of the outcropping, next to Kynia. Despite knowing better, she stared down at the ground below, feet talons clutching the rock below her as she imagined falling. A human or the like would at least break a few bones if they were lucky.

"Simple, just glide. I got it." Vena repeated with a series of nervous chirps, clearly not as certain of herself as she let on.

After a small pause the changeling rose to her feet once again, taking a few steps back, muttering something to her and rushing forward, jumping off the ledge with her wings stretched out as wide as they could and her eyes held shut. 

Vena expected herself to feel her body crash against ground or cliff-wall in the matter of seconds but to her surprise she felt nothing but the calming brush of cold wind against her feathers and once she opened her eyes she found herself slowly gliding through the air, veering slightly too far to the right but otherwise on course. After Vena had spent a couple seconds twisting left and right and happily chirping to herself she reached the other cliffside, scrambling to grab onto whatever perch she could find.
Stephanie
*A long, excited melody left the harpy's lips, gliding over in a similar fashion - albeit with a few wing-beats to keep her elevation. She landed beside Vena again, twittering and nuzzling at her cheek.*
"You did it, I am very proud. Your control was good, especially for a first time. We can try some more, and increase the distance. Let us continue down the path from cliff to cliff."
*Kynia scanned down the rest of the path, noting that the trail didn't open up for quite some distance. It would give them ample space to hone her gliding, and presented an opportunity once the mountain walls fell away...

She pointed out another outcropping, nodding to Vena and taking off first. This time she completed a full glide, to show her companion how an experienced flyer moved. She latched onto the cliff face and waited, her head bobbing happily.*
Roger
"Not my first time falling off a cliff." Vena replied with a smug smirk and a small blush, clearly appreciating the harpy's praise even if she wasn't quick to show it. "Second time not hitting the ground afterwards though, haven't always been so lucky."

Vena followed Kynia soon after she took off and quickly found herself staring up at the other harpy as her glide brought her lower and lower. Deciding that she'd try show some initiative in her learning, Vena quickly tried to flap her wings. Unfortunately while it had the intended effect of raising her slightly upward, it also propelled Vena forward much faster than she was expecting, sending the changeling crashing into the cliff face just below Kynia.

She didn't seem to mind so much however as when Kynia looked down she'd find a bruised but ultimately alright Vena, hugging the cliff-face, alternating between breathing and giggling nervously.

"Should be scared but- that was *So* Fun."
Stephanie
*A loud, panicked squawk followed. Kynia perched beside Vena, eyes wide as she brushed her cheek against the feathers around her bruises. She trilled quietly, holding a tense note as she inspected her injuries.*
"Are you alright, Vena? It is unwise to do such things in a narrow space, especially with such powerful winds. You see how much control you will need to learn, however? I hope you have learned this..."

*The harpy pouted, draping her wings over the changeling and running her talons along her flight feathers. They weren't damaged, only frayed by the impact.*
"Your wings are undamaged... You can continue the exercise if you wish. Or we can land, and continue the rest of the journey on foot. It is your choice."
Roger
"You really need to stop making it look so easy." Vena groaned, holding onto the cliff-face with one arm as she stretched the other out, fighting the wind to keep it in place. "I'm fine though, the thrill of rushing forward like that was more than worth a little soreness."

Seemingly content with her assessment of the wind, Vena pulled her wing back before suddenly jumping away and letting herself glide a while before perching on the same cliff-face, just a couple metres away from Kynia.

"You're cute when you're worried, should probably get used to the feeling while we're travelling together though. And I'm a little offended you'd think I'd quit before I've at least crashed into both cliffs."

With that she jumps off the wall again, this time trying to remain facing backwards for a moment before she quickly realizes her wings don't quite work like that and has to twist forward and continue gliding in a panic.
Stephanie
"It is a new experience, I do not know what your limits will be." *Kynia cooed, her head swiveling in time with Vena's smooth glide. She beamed again, her mood picking up from the changeling's continual fast-paced learning. She chirped in alarm once more at her near-crash, but resisted the urge to rush over. Instead she followed her jumps, gliding in her shadow to give enough space for any missteps.*

"I cannot swim, nor can any of my flock. I would likely panic if I was forced to do so. It is what I would compare to this, and for that I am very impressed."
*Another song of praise was offered in Vena's wake, the harpy pointing out further outcroppings that she could reach as her confidence grew. The path continued to rise and fall, the cliff-faces slowly pulling away from each other as Kynia had expected. The clouds were beginning to grow brighter now, the stormclouds that had buffeted them with snow long past.*
Roger
"I'd offer to teach you but I'm assuming that's not what's stopping you." Vena angled her head down and back at the Kynia as they glided behind her, a likely ill-advised gesture, with the importance of keeping one's eyes on the sky. "These feathers must be awful when wet and it'd definitely be very difficult to use them with the limited mobility even if that weren't the case."

As they continued Vena used less-and-less of the spots Kynia pointed out, only making an effort to land on the larger ones she could run on before leaping right off. As obvious from the birdsong Vena had long since stopped noticed she was even making, the changeling seemed to be enjoying herself greatly. Eventually though, she began to notice as each glide took longer and some even required a flap or two of her wings to remain in the air.

"Feathers?" Vena said, breathing a little heavier than normal as she leapt off the cliff-wall once again, eyes focused on the path ahead rather than the other wall. "I think we're running out of spots to perch..."
Stephanie
"Very much so... It would take a very long time to dry out, and longer until they are flight-worthy again..."
*The very notion seemed to sadden the little harpy, the vibrancy in her trailing glides dimming to a limp float behind Vena. But it quickly picked up as she noticed the changeling's streak of independence. Eventually she stopped pointing the outcroppings out entirely, enjoying the focus her companion had developed in such a short time.

There was visible excitement as Vena began to fly. Of course it was rudimentary; the equivalent of treading water, but to reach it so quickly was elating. Kynia landed above her, pointing to the horizon with an outstretched wing.*
"Then don't. A bird does not beat their wings every time they wish to fly, you have proven a capable glider. Watch."
*Something akin to a smirk parted the harpy's lips, kicking off from the cliff-face and cutting through the air. Her wings barely moved, yet she sweeped through the air with a before unseen elegance. She flapped twice, each time a hard and powerful beat before returning to the glide. She soon perched once more, significantly smaller than any time before. An unfurled wing waved towards Vena, her grin visible even from this distance.*
Roger
Vena watched in awe as Kynia gave her a brief showing of what a harpy could do with the expertise gained by flying since they were likely a child. She couldn't so much as turn without first perching on a cliff-wall and jumping forward but Kynia made it look like they could move in the air as easily as she walked without even a flap of their wings.

"Show-off" Despite being impressed, Vena still couldn't help but grumpily mumble to herself as she slowly glided past the cliff walls and into open air.

Something immediately felt different with the two improvised safety nets to her side and Vena felt some stress begin to build inside her. Pushing past it, she attempted to mimic the movement Kynia had displayed earlier and leaned her body to the left a little too far. She immediately began drifting to the left and downwards at worringly fast speeds, eventually abandoning the maneuver and righting herself with a flurry of flaps and very loud, distressed squawks.

"Calm down. You've got wings, Kynia's here, you're safe." Vena said to herself inbetween deep breaths as her glide continued. Another glance downward quickly dissuaded her from feeling too safe though and Vena opted to keep her eyes shut for a while as she shouted back at Kynia, a small tremble in her voice.

"I don't think I can turn, I'll just fall! The ah- wind feels real good though, this is nice. Exciting."

The last part seems more like a poor attempt to convince herself to feel like her usual risk-taker self than for Kynia, even if she's shouting it at the top of her lungs.
Stephanie
"You will be fine if you fall, so just try it. Bend your wings more when you turn, it will keep you less rigid."
*While Kynia's voice was loud enough to be heard over the whirling winds, her tone was flat and matter-of-fact. There was no space for jests, not when Vena was trying so earnestly. It was easy to turn one's wings into hard boards, especially during your first few unassisted flights... Gliding is a simpler matter; moving from perch to perch being one of the easier skills to learn.*