The Golden Hexagon

CHAPTER 11

A girl sat near a waterfall. It looked familiar. Blood gushed steadily out of her wounds. Aquila was in her arms, his wings cut off. He keened lowly, while the girl held him closely. A shadow gathered near the trees across her. She screamed.

Aurora got up abruptly. Kaira was seated near her and was softly breathing. It was the middle of the night.

"Kaira. Wake up. Kaira!" she said.

"Mhmh" Kaira said.

"KAIRA!!" she said loudly.

"Wh-what's going on?" she asked.

"They're here. At the waterfall" Rory said.

"Are you sure?" Kaira said.

"Positive" she replied.

"When you have a vision, it needn't happen immediately, Rory," Kaira said.

"I know it happened, Kaira. It's happening. It's going to happen" she said.

"Fine. Let's leave, then" Kaira said.

Aurora took her pack, and took the Stone from the pond. She slung her quiver onto her shoulder, and carried the bow.

Kaira looked at her, after she had finished packing, and said, "Are you sure? Dangerous things can lurk during night time here, Rory. Ask the trees first".

Aurora nodded and opened her mind. As soon as she did so, a tree said, "My Lady, there is a raven haired girl with The Eagle near the waterfall".

"Thank you, I'll be there," she replied.

"She's there" she told Kaira, gazing into her golden eyes.

"Then we better move swiftly," she said.

The two of them left the den, and moved swiftly towards the waterfall. Aurora walked, while Kaira was perched on her shoulders. Kaira did not weigh much, despite her large size, and made a comforting weight on Aurora's shoulders.

It had been a few weeks since she had left the town. Kaira was training her relentlessly, keeping her active every minute of the day. Her muscles were sore by the end of each day, but she became leaner, and now had muscles on her arms, and multiple scratches on her legs.

Kaira taught her how to survive in the forest without her powers, how to identify herbs and medicinal plants, and how to know where there would be food. Aurora already knew quite a bit even before her training, but Kaira's knowledge was immense. She was also maddeningly secretive at times, but made a good teacher - patiently tutoring her in defense, history and more.

Aurora also read a chapter of the book her mother gave a day. The book opened pages related to what Kaira had taught her, and provided bits of information that Aurora found was extremely interesting. She often flipped the pages to page 918, though it stubbornly remained blank.

Aurora tried asking questions about Kaira - whether she had friends, or family back wherever she lived. But Kaira never answered her questions. It made Aurora sad that Kaira didn't trust her enough to confide in her about her life.

Aurora got flashes of anger a few times a day. She wasn't able to control them, and all she wanted to do was pick a fight with Kaira. She immediately apologized, horrified by what she had said, but she knew Kaira was worried for her.

Aurora knew the waterfall was a few miles away, and not talking made her more jittery.

"Next time you go visit my mother, can you ask her to send me a pack of hair bands? Because mine snapped some time ago and I had to use a wire I found on a tree" she said.