Excerpt from Book Two of the Stone Guardians, Remembering
Chapter: Through the Eyes of an Eagle
Tyria opened her eyes and looked up at the bird soaring above them, its calls echoing from the rock face.
She mindspoke to Lanfear. His mate is coming. They have nested upon that pinnacle for many seasons. She pointed up to a finger of rock which, over time, erosion and runoff had separated from the mountain.
They have two fledglings, almost as big as they are, and he is heading back to feed them. I will be able to see the bottom of the pass when she flies over it.
Never could she have imagined that her power would bring a gift like this. The people in her tribe were strong with the power – foretelling, visions, telepathy and psychic links – but she had never heard of a gift like hers. To be able to see out of the eyes of birds and animals and even other people. Although Lanfear was the only human she had experienced that with, and he had been trained in such things as a Guardian.
Tyria focused on the second bird above, and the shifting of her consciousness brought with it extreme vertigo. The initial disorientation caused her to tilt off balance but Lanfear’s grip tightened as she wobbled.
The bird’s strength was magnificent and her eyesight astounding. She could see the individual blades of grass, the tiniest of stones and the slightest flit of movement from far below. She saw herself and Lanfear standing on the game trail; specks with pale, upturned faces. The eagle’s gaze slid past them without interest – they were not prey and were too far below to be a threat. Tyria simply observed. If she tried to direct the eagle she got an instant and intense headache. Instinct told her not to try controlling the animals she shared consciousness with – at least not until she was much stronger and more experienced.
The bird circled and began to glide over the eastern end of the pass. Tyria concentrated on the details of what she saw, trying to memorize game trails and the placement of landmarks.
She withdrew reluctantly. It would be easy to simply stay and enjoy the glorious view. Lanfear was watching her, expectantly.
Production notes for Lanfear and Tyria: Through the Eyes of an Eagle:
- I wanted to convey the closeness of these two characters whose telepathic abilities create a powerful intimacy. I brought her hand into the bottom as she grips her bow – a nod to her archery skill. Also an interesting note: her out-stretched hand was re-drawn. (you can see the first position in one of the process images above. I am not certain I like the second one any better than the first, but I wanted it to be pointing toward the bird.)
- It was a toss up as to whether or not to bring in the colour of the red stone on the hilt of Lanfear's sword. I was worried it would draw the eye too much, and perhaps it does but in the end, I just couldn't resist...
- I worked in graphite (H and 2B) and then added the white highlighting and background.
- The Prismacolor pencil I used was: White and for the hilt of the sword, Poppy Red and Yellowed Orange for the hilt. Also a little of the Yellowed Orange on his armour to warm it up a tad.
- The paper is Toned Grey Strathmore Mixed Media with a vellum surface. 184 lb
- Size is 9 x 12 inches
- Source material comes from the view outside my studio, specifically the pine tree. The rest is from the first Study for Lanfear and my imagination.
- Drawing time was approximately 12 hours.
Additional Interest for this drawing:
Study for Lanfear, completed last year, was the source for his armour and pose .
Copyrights: ©Kindrie Grove Studios Inc.
All art work and illustrations by Kindrie Grove.
All written content and characters related to The Stone Guardians Books by Kindrie Grove. All rights reserved.
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