The sweet purples and violets of the Alankar Hills have not always been my home. I was born far away, across a wide sea and jagged peaks, past the last great elven city and far into the deserts of the central lands, where storms filled the air with sand and the mind with illusions.

I knew that world was not for me, though it suited my nest mates comfortably. When one day a storm so strong lifted me from a dune and flung me high above the world I knew, I saw more than I had ever imagined, more than I had ever dreamed of, and more even beyond that. I let the winds carry me, and after many weeks of soaring and resting, I found myself at home in sweet heathers and cool winds. Perhaps one day I will return, but for now I am content to rest and listen to the skylarks.