Chapter 13

Chapter 13

      I slept fitfully that night. My dreams were filled with explosions and people running and screaming.  I tossed and turned, flashing from one half memory to the next. I finally found the dreams settling and I was flying through the mountains. I was scared, something that I wasn’t used to. I was being chased. The thing was, I couldn’t remember what was chasing me. Ear piercing screeches were the only thing that I could here. I kept flying for hours, trying to find cover in the mountains without trees.

      In the dream, something brushed he wings and I was spinning downward inside of a metal box. I tried to scream but my mouth wouldn’t work. My wings were strapped down and the lid on the box fell off. I heard laughter, and I was sucked out of the box. I continued to fall through the trees and I spotted a village nearby. Searing pain tore through my wing and I hit the ground as I blacked out in the dream. I forgot the dream and continued to sleep peacefully. The next morning, I awoke refreshed and I didn’t remember a single thing that I had dreamed that night.

      The next morning, I was ready to travel. I woke just before dawn and went to exercise my wings. The idea came that a sunrise fly would be a good thing to wake me up. I tip-toed to the door, because Wolfe and I had to share a room. My injured companion claimed the bed and I slept on a fluffy rug that was comfortable after sleeping outside. I slipped my shoes on and silently closed the door.

      “Can I come too?” asked a voice beside me. I jumped at the sound. Coal suppressed a chuckle and came out of the shadows. After recovering, I shrugged and spread out one wing so that he could touch it. We exchanged looks when he was ready and ran towards the nearest tree. Together we jumped and spread our wings. At the sudden drop and stop, our legs swung forward. I remembered and was careful about bashing my face, while Coal learned the hard way and gasped as he cracked his nose. It was my turn to suppress a chuckle as we soared over the carpet of the forest below.

       The early sunrise washed everything in a pink glow. With the purest colors a sunrise could give, without the denser air below closer to the ground. The rose flood turned the wispy clouds pink gold and I spotted a lake not far from where we were hovering. I motioned to it and Coal nodded, drifting down to it like a loose feather.

       The landing was soft, barely disturbing the peaceful birth of a new day. The lake was like a mirror in the foot hills. A single trout leapt into the air like a cat and snatched a bug before landing sideways in the water, sending ripple across the water, but they were quickly stilled. We watched the sunrise, barely breathing, least we disturb the silence and the beauty of the morning. After a while I said, “We had better get going,” I commented, shattering the silence of the morning.

      “Yeah, they’ll probably be waking up and looking for us soon.” The boy responded, a mask of sadness on his face. “My grandpa’s ashes are scattered around here,” he stated. Instantly I felt that I should never have come here.

      “Oh Coal, I’m so sorry,” I said not really sure what to say.

      “Well, by now they might be looking for us,” he sighed, changing the subject and he turned to take off. I took in one last look at the waking world. This time, instead of flying with a wonder at the dawn, there was a blanket of sorrow, blocking out all the colors and beauty.