Marie was smaller, lighter, more maneuverable in tight turns. Lucien was bigger, stronger, faster on a straight run. His wings almost hammered the ground as lept up after her. And even if he couldn't corner with her, eons of aerial combat experience meant he knew just when he could reach out with a wingtip and send her tumbling through the air.
When some of her initial exuberance had worn off, Lucien called out, "Above the clouds. Let's catch the sunset," and began a patient spiraling climb that the could keep up for hours. The clouds topped at about 8000 feet, not quite too high for Marie to breathe without difficulty.