Misfits of Aquila (Aquila's Originals 1)

Chapter 19: Flight, Part 2

"NEVHEN? NEVHEN? CAN you hear me?"

"Vhen. He prefers Vhen."

Like almost everyone else on the flying field, Rhiddyl had gasped with horror when Vhen's odd-looking miryhl had flipped over midair, dumping his brand new Rider in an ungainly heap. She'd been sprinting across the field before Vhen even landed.

Dhori and his miryhl had reached him first and were trying to bring him around, while the new miryhl stood trembling to one side, wings drooping, head hanging low.

"I didn't mean to. I didn't know. I didn't mean it."

To Rhiddyl's surprise, instead of comforting the shocked creature, Dhori glared. "You're supposed to take care of him. That's why you're here."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean it. I was only having fun."

"Humans are fragile," Latinym said, sidling up to the strange miryhl and nudging him with his wing. "You have to take care of them."

"I'm sorry, I didn't know."

Vhen groaned, drawing Rhiddyl's attention back to her friend where it belonged.

"Vhen!" She was buffeted aside as the mottled miryhl leapt forward, thrusting his beak into his Rider's chest.

Since poor Vhen had been trying to sit up at the time, he hit the ground again with a loud groan.

"I'm sorry!"

Vhen shocked them all by laughing. "Crazy Cereyn," he chuckled, then winced. "Ah, my head..."

"Move it, twitling," Dhori said, shoving the miryhl aside and crouching over Vhen. "How are you feeling apart from your head? Do you remember your name? Where are you? What's the date? How many fingers am I holding up?"

Only when Vhen had answered each of these questions to Dhori's satisfaction would the lieutenant let him up. Rhiddyl leapt forward before anyone else could get in the way again and helped him to his feet, wrapping an arm around his waist. He leant more heavily on her than she'd expected, but it was no trouble to support him as they limped slowly across the field.

"You should probably get back on." His miryhl followed them, hopping around like a flea. "Isn't that what they say when you fall off horsats? Got to get back on straight away."

"Horses," Vhen corrected, pressing a hand against his head. "That's for horses. If you fall of a horsat you'll probably be dead."

"Oh." The miryhl stopped for a surprised moment, then bounded after them again. "You won't do that. Die, I mean. Or fall again. I won't let it happen. I promise. I didn't understand before. I do now. I won't drop you again, Vhen, I promise."

Rhiddyl shared a sceptical glance with Dhori and Latinym, who were keeping pace with them across the field.

Vhen didn't seem to share their doubt as he reached out and patted a mottled wing. "I know you won't, Cereyn."

Rhiddyl supposed that was true if her friend never got on the foolish bird's back again.

"Let's try now then," the miryhl said brightly, bouncing to a stop in front of them and lowering his wing.

The hand Vhen had wrapped around Rhiddyl's waist tightened. "Maybe later," he managed to rasp out.

Rhiddyl, Latinym and Dhori snorted.

Cereyn's wings drooped. "Oh, right. Yes. You're probably right. Later it is then."

Vhen stopped and pressed a hand to the eagle's down-turned cheek. "Later," he said again, and this time it was a promise.