To be blamed on The Black Gryphon.

Rhia sat atop the cliff, lost in thought as her gaze stretched out across the valley below. Nestled beside the river that had forged it was a small town of peaceful people. It was a town, a valley even, that Rhia had watched form, often returning to that place over the past century or two. She couldn't really remember how long it had been. Why this place? Why come back to such a small, insignificant valley? The valley belonged to a country ruled by gryphons. Not so much in the "lord and vassal" sense, but peace in the lands was overseen by a large society of gryphons. They wanted peace for their fledglings, so kept tabs on the people, the wildlife, and nature itself.
Up until however long ago she first started coming to this valley, she'd been deathly afraid of gryphons. They had hunted her all her life, and had never been a very good omen, even when they weren't sniffing her out. However, upon taking refuge in that country, things changed.
Behind her, a gust of wind kicked up and the gentle thud of feet touching ground could be heard. Rhia smiled gently, though didn't look back. "I wondered how long it would take you to come say hello."
Those feet began to draw near. Not two, but four. A gentle, throaty chuckle danced across the wind to her ears, a sound that made her stomach turn over and her neck warm. "The air is damp from the storm. It was not easy coming across your scent."
A moment later, the gryphon stood behind Rhia. He lowered his beak to gently nuzzle her cheek, and his wings arched down to either side of her, blocking out the chilly wind.
Her smile warmed as she leaned in to that sign of affection. She lifted her hand and scratched under his chin. "Then I am lucky you found me," she said softly. She felt him lean his chest against her back as he sat down behind her, as close to her as he could manage. His wings remained curled around her in his own kind of embrace. She turned sideways and rested close to him. Her fingers trailed absently through his feathers, sensitive ears trained on his breathing and heartbeat. It soothed her, and her eyes drifted shut, though she wouldn't sleep, just rest.
A 'smile' found the gryphon's eyes. With tenderness quite uncharacteristic of gryphons, he lifted his foreleg, curving it around her in a not-so-gryphon-like embrace. Over the years, the two had learned a whole new way of being affectionate. New ways to kiss, to hug, to preen... And for it, their love had grown and perfected itself. While they both knew their limitations, neither of them cared, or at least they spent little time mulling over the truth. What level of intimacy they could reach meant little when it came to the utter peace and tranquility one brought the other. No other partner could accomplish what they did for each other, and so it was enough.
What Rhia was terribly aware of was how their time was growing short. Gryphons were long-lived, but not eternal creatures like elves were, like she was. And he was coming up on his last expected decades of life. She put it out of her mind now that she was with him, though, as she knew all too well that he'd pick up on her brooding if she let it get to her for too long.
"I'm glad you've come back, Rhia.."
"Me, too, Kalen," she said in a whisper, arms draping loosely around him. His warmth and the purr of his heart was hypnotizing and she was finding it harder to stay awake.
"Will..you stay with me this time?"
Her eyes slowly opened and she pulled back to look up at him. So, he had already been thinking about his fading lifespan as well. She smiled warmly to him, hands lifted to cup his head, which was nearly twice the size of her own. "Yes, my love. I will definitely stay with you this time."
The pleasure found his eyes again and he purred softly, head bent down to nuzzle her cheek. With only a gentle prodding to get the message across, Rhia layed back in the grass. Kalen folded one of his wings in to his side as he layed himself down beside her. One foreleg draped over her, almost possessively, while the still open wing layed down across her whole body.
She felt completely protected, hidden from the world, safe from harm. She curled against him, basking in his attention and care. If they stayed, just like that, for the rest of the time he lived, she knew it would be the best years either of them had so far lived. Content with just the company, companionship, and love of the other.


Yes, I know, the concept may yet be a tiny bit taboo, with the whole humanoid and not-so-humanoid. But it was to them and their world as well. But hey, so was an elf loving a human. She even gets a vampire to fall in love with her at some point. She was born of a taboo love, as well. Think of it as making a social point.