Hyllarr is the bondbird of Starblade k'Sheyna. A crested hawk-eagle, Hyllarr is one of the largest of the bondbirds. His talons are "as long as Darkwind's fingers, and the cruel, hooked bill would have had no trouble biting through the spine of a deer." (Winds of Change) His size and weight make it impossible to ride on Starblade's shoulder like most bondbirds. Instead he walks along on the ground behind him. Sometimes Starblade and Kethra will sling a staff between them and carry Hyllarr that way.
Though of Tayledras bondbird stock, Hyllarr was living unbonded in the wild until he was captured by an evil mage who was planning to use him as a sacrifice. The mage knocked him out of the sky, and Hyllarr cracked his wishbone when he fell. While a serious injury for a bird in the wild, it was no special problem for a bondbird living in a Vale.
Darkwind and Elspeth had been on the lookout for a new bondbird for Starblade who had never quite gotten over the loss of his perlin falcon, Karry. When they rescued Hyllarr from the mage, it seemed like the perfect arrangement. Because Hyllarr was a wild bird, he was given a choice in whether or not he would accept the bond. After Darkwind explained the situation, Hyllarr was eager to bond to Starblade. The two are very well-suited every way.
Hyllarr is unusually intelligent, even for a bondbird. He actually thinks through everything told him, a level of cognition that escapes most other bondbirds. He is quick to grasp new concepts, even more complicated ones. When Darkwind explained about Starwind's injuries and his pride, clever Hyllarr came up with a plan to exaggerate his injuries, giving Starwind a new purpose in carrying for his ill bondbird.
In the series
Hyllarr appears in the following works:
- Winds of Change, Mage Winds series, volume 2
- Winds of Fury, Mage Winds series, volume 3