[h2][color=af9d80][b]Roger Falkner and Shortclaw[/b][/color][/h2]

The Morathi had fought hard and fought to the last man, but they with the element of surprise on the Lions' side, and the loss of their mounts, they lost this battle before it had begun.  It didn't take long for the Lions to find and rescue the prisoners.  With everything they could do having been done, Shortclaw returned to the horse pen and began to feed on the fallen horse.  Roger was unsure what'd happen to the others, whether they'd be gathered up as spoils of war or left alone to form a feral herd.  While he had less reverence for horses than most nobles, he acknowledged their usefulness, and a pack of trained war horses could be quite valuable.

As his mount tore into the carcass, Roger dismounted and began to assess where to take his cut.  He'd have only a short window to prepare it before rigor mortis set in...

[hr]

Shortclaw slowed his descent and gently touched down upon the watchtower.  Roger dismounted a bit more cautiously than usual due to the relatively small size and considerable height of the griffin's makeshift roost- the last thing he wanted was to accidentally fall off the edge.  The griffin immediately settled in for a nap, while Roger untied and unlatched a box from the saddle.  He was lucky that Shortclaw hadn't decided to nap directly on top of the trapdoor this time, he thought as he began to climb down.

He had to be careful when going down the ladder with the box.  It'd have been a lot easier if Shortclaw would've landed anywhere but the watchtower, but the griffin loved his high places.

Cadmon had requested news from his border fief, and as the Lions' Griffin Rider, Roger had been asked to convey the message and return with the reply. Ordinarily the business of ferrying small messages would be beneath the duo, but as a border lord, whatever news might come from Cadmon's lands was very relevant to the kingdom and to the Lions.  Additionally, he hadn't just been sent for a message- he had also been tasked with retrieving Cadmon's pet Least Griffin.  Perhaps the young lord wanted to participate in some falconry, or perhaps he simply missed the company of his pet.  It wasn't unheard of for the Falkners to keep Least Griffins, even if they didn't typically train or breed them.

The griffin rider climbed down the tower, boxed passenger in tow.  He made his way through the castle to where Cadmon's rooms were, and knocked on the door.  If the young Earl wasn't here, Roger would head to the courtyard next.

[color=af9d80]"Are you there?  It's Roger, I'm back with the news you requested.  And your pet."[/color]  As he spoke this, Roger pulled a sealed envelope out from within his armor.

[@The Otter][@VitaVitaAR]