The Ashwind Clan — Leyra's People

A clan that named itself for what the storm leaves behind.

Who they are

The Ashwind are a small clan of storm-listeners holding the high islands of the eastern Reaches. Their name comes from the grey ash-feathered storm-petrels that nest on their cliffs — and, the elders joke, from the color of everyone's hair by forty. The clan's gift runs in families: children who can hum in tune with a gale are marked as listeners by age ten.

Customs (fictional lore)

• The First Listening: at ten, a child sits alone on the Roost's wind-ledge through one full storm and afterward describes what the storm “said.” There are no wrong answers, only unheard ones.
• Feather charms: each listener carves a feather token from storm-petrel bone; losing one is bad luck, giving one away is a vow.
• The Quiet Table: one seat at every clan meal is left empty “for the wind, in case it wants to sit down.”

Leyra's place

Leyra is the clan's pride and its worry in equal measure. Her listening is the strongest in three generations — Old Corva, her teacher, says Leyra hears “two storms ahead.” But her current-riding terrifies the elders, who consider the body too precious a vessel to throw at the sky unprotected. The clan's official position is disapproval. The clan's unofficial position, visible at every dockside farewell, is cheering.

“She was ours before she was the sky's. We just lent her out.”— Old Corva, fictional dialogue