If you want a scene....
A couple of artist folks on my F-list have commented about a lack of inspiration, and asked for ideas.
So here's a slightly edited scrap from a story of mine. I think it's evocative, maybe it'll inspire. Or maybe not. :>
She was sitting on the edge of a large boulder when he returned in the evening. A slight touch of one leg against the other brought the reassuring pressure of the knife in her boot as he drew nearer. Low on the horizon, the sun's rays bathed him in golden light, making him almost seem to glow. He circled twice, dropping lower each time, the last pass putting him right at a level with her. She felt the wind of the gryphon's passage swirl around her as he banked out over the valley, then flared his wings as he came in for a landing, rising up to settle easily on the ledge.
He spent a moment stretching, then gave a quick shake to settle his feathers before padding over toward her. "Good to see you," he rumbled, touching his beak against her shoulder before settling into a couchant position alongside her, his foreclaws dangling off the edge.
She snorted, looking toward the sunset. "Can't say the same," she grumbled, though a part of her knew that was a lie. The part that could not believe she was so close to such a magnificent beast, and still alive. Close enough to touch him.
"You repaid my trust," he said, turning his head to look at her. "I appreciate that."
She frowned at him, puzzled. "What do you mean?" she wondered, leaning away slightly.
"You found the herbs you were searching for, but you took none."
It took a moment before she realized her mouth was hanging open. "Wha... how... how did you know that?"
He chuckled quietly, a soft burbling sound from somewhere in his throat. "Did you think I would not watch you?" he wondered, looking out over his valley again.
"But I watched you fly away. You never came closer than being a speck to me again, the whole day!"
"Do you see the clearing, about a third of the way across the valley?" he wondered.
"What?" She frowned, then searched. "Sure... right there."
"Do you see the herd of deer at its edge?"
She squinted, lifting one hand to shelter her eyes from the light of the setting sun. There was movement, at least, that much she could just barely make out. "Uhm... yeah, sort of."
"Do you see the rabbit grazing near the feet of the scarred doe?" he wondered. "Do you see the notch a fox tore from his left ear?"
She stared at him.
"I saw you," he chuckled. "All the day through."
She simply stared at him for several moments, looking at those deep golden eyes... so large and clear.
So here's a slightly edited scrap from a story of mine. I think it's evocative, maybe it'll inspire. Or maybe not. :>
She was sitting on the edge of a large boulder when he returned in the evening. A slight touch of one leg against the other brought the reassuring pressure of the knife in her boot as he drew nearer. Low on the horizon, the sun's rays bathed him in golden light, making him almost seem to glow. He circled twice, dropping lower each time, the last pass putting him right at a level with her. She felt the wind of the gryphon's passage swirl around her as he banked out over the valley, then flared his wings as he came in for a landing, rising up to settle easily on the ledge.
He spent a moment stretching, then gave a quick shake to settle his feathers before padding over toward her. "Good to see you," he rumbled, touching his beak against her shoulder before settling into a couchant position alongside her, his foreclaws dangling off the edge.
She snorted, looking toward the sunset. "Can't say the same," she grumbled, though a part of her knew that was a lie. The part that could not believe she was so close to such a magnificent beast, and still alive. Close enough to touch him.
"You repaid my trust," he said, turning his head to look at her. "I appreciate that."
She frowned at him, puzzled. "What do you mean?" she wondered, leaning away slightly.
"You found the herbs you were searching for, but you took none."
It took a moment before she realized her mouth was hanging open. "Wha... how... how did you know that?"
He chuckled quietly, a soft burbling sound from somewhere in his throat. "Did you think I would not watch you?" he wondered, looking out over his valley again.
"But I watched you fly away. You never came closer than being a speck to me again, the whole day!"
"Do you see the clearing, about a third of the way across the valley?" he wondered.
"What?" She frowned, then searched. "Sure... right there."
"Do you see the herd of deer at its edge?"
She squinted, lifting one hand to shelter her eyes from the light of the setting sun. There was movement, at least, that much she could just barely make out. "Uhm... yeah, sort of."
"Do you see the rabbit grazing near the feet of the scarred doe?" he wondered. "Do you see the notch a fox tore from his left ear?"
She stared at him.
"I saw you," he chuckled. "All the day through."
She simply stared at him for several moments, looking at those deep golden eyes... so large and clear.