Fold Creature

Flight and Guiding

"General." Her voice cuts through his concentration, startling his gaze up from the maps strewn across the table.

"Yelena," he greets, "how may I help you?" "The airs above the forest, I presume that I will not be shot? Nor above the lake and grounds?"

"You intend to fly?" His disbelief is clear, "I have already told you that I can, why do you doubt me?" Her eyes are sharp with steel, cutting him with their harsh gaze.

"I do not doubt your ability, I am merely curious because I have not yet seen you use them to do more than hover," he placates her gently. She takes a breath through her nose, where this sudden anger had come from, she's not sure, and she's not comfortable enough to indulge in it.

Beating it down, she takes another steadying breath. "I have not flown since we left the Fold, and it that is too long ago. I will be flying today, I just wished to ensure I will not be shot from the air."

He nods in understanding, "I will send a message along to the guards to let them know for the future, but for today why don't I come down with you?"

She hesitates slightly, she's never had an audience, even of one person. Her flying is for her. But if he doesn't go with her, then she may be injured by unaware guards assuming her a threat.  It's a tough decision where she doesn't really have a choice. "Very well then. But you shan't disturb me!"

Without waiting for his reply, she turns on her heel and marches from the room, headed for the grounds.

At some point he catches up to walk beside her, but she doesn't speak, ignoring him in favour of staring straight ahead.

"When did you learn to fly?" "Shortly after I entered the Fold. I watched the Volcra." Her words are short and clipped. He hums softly, "did it take you very long?" "No." More humming. "What does it feel like to have them?" "Will you be quiet?" She snaps back. Still refusing to look at him, she pushes on ahead, walking faster to get away.

He allows her to go, trailing behind her at his own pace.

When they reach the open grounds, she continues walking forwards. He stops by the wall to watch as she breaks into a run before launching herself into the air. Her powerful wings thrust downwards and she is propelled higher, each stroke rising her further above the earth.

Ann feels the cool rush air fill her lungs as the currents of wind guide her through the sky. She continues to climb higher until she's brushing the clouds with the tips of her feathers. Soaring and diving, she tracks through the air, dancing with rays of sunlight.

It's different from flying in the Fold.

The air in the Fold is thicker and cooler, she has to push harder to fly there. Out here in the sun, the air is lighter, and she finds herself speeding through clouds at a pace she'd never reached before. And it's easy. The speed comes naturally to her now that she's not fighting the air to move. She had thought that flying in the Fold was freeing. But out here, in the open under the sun? She had never felt so alive.

~~~~~

From that day onwards, her schedule changed, she spent less time with Baghra and would take to the air as soon as she left the hut, often returning well after dark. Sometimes the General would come to watch her, but more often than not, she was alone.

She liked being alone. It was a comfort to her.

But sometimes when she spots Alina walking the grounds arm in arm with another Grisha, Ann curses her solitary nature. Ann had heard that Alina was struggling with her summoning, but the girl didn't seem to be struggling with fitting in, always being surrounded by friends.

Which made it surprising when Ann found her huddled in the depths of the library, tears streaming down her face.

Without a word, Yelena wrapped her arms around the girl, pulling her towards her chest and resting her head on her shoulder. She rubs Alina's back gently with one hand while the other clutches her head gently. Alina freezes at first, but recognising the comfort for what it is, quickly relaxes and allows the tears to keep coming.

They sit in silence until Alina begins to calm, and Yelena allows the girl to pull back away from her, sniffling and wiping at her eyes. "Thank you," she whispers softly. Yelena smiles, "do you want to talk about it?"

Alina shakes her head softly, "not really... I just don't understand why it's not working!" She bursts out desperately. "I'm doing everything Baghra says, and I'm trying so hard, but I just can't summon anything!"

Yelena stays quiet, sensing it might be a little more than just the summoning that is hurting the girl. "And Mal isn't writing back to me and he hates me and I don't know how to tell him that I didn't know, but he knows I screwed the test when we were younger and so he probably thinks that I knew and lied to him, but I didn't!" She takes a deep shuddering breath. "I just want to go home! I don't want to be the sun summoner, I'm lousy at it anyways, I can't fight, I can't summon, I'm basically useless and yet I've got a whole country resting their hopes on me to destroy the Fold. Which has been there for centuries!"

Yelena chuckles humorously, "I do agree that it's a bit ridiculous that they're expecting so much of you, but I have to disagree with the rest." That cause the girl to look up at her in surprise.

"You can't fight yet, because you haven't been taught how, you have no experience but you're comparing yourself to people who have been training for years. Of course you're not going to equal up! It's going to take more than a couple of weeks for you to learn something that takes years."

Alina is clearly reluctant to believe her, but Yelena can see that the truth is starting to beat itself into her brain.

"And last I checked, you were able to summon at the demonstration?"

Alina nods softly to herself, "but I haven't been able to do it since!"

"Why?" Yelena demands. "What are you doing differently now?"

"I don't know!"

"Yes you do."

"No I don't!"

"You do, you're just not looking hard enough. What have you changed in how you summon?"

"Nothing! Baghra's told me how to focus on the energy inside me, and how to direct it with my hands! And-"

"There!" Yelena is triumphant, "did you use your hands when you summoned before? Did you focus on any energy within you? Or did you just let yourself feel the sun? Do you let yourself breathe? To feel yourself truly? You cannot call the sun if you are too busy denying yourself the chance."

Alina is dumbfounded, "do you mean that I don't have to push so hard?" She's hesitant again, why does this girl find it so hard to believe her?

"Yes Alina," Ann is careful not to let any of her irritation bleed through her voice or face. Guiding them both over to a window, she directs Alina to stand in the light. "Just breathe, feel the sun on your face, and let it come to you."

Alina is glowing, light pulsating beneath her skin, eyes open wide and staring at her hands. "I'm doing it," she whispers to herself, "I'm doing it!" Her eyes snap up to meet Yelena's, who smiles softly with pride. "Yes you are."

Yelena leaves Alina alone in the library that day with a promise to help her with her combat training. Alina is determined to be the best Summoner that she can.

Yelena's words had sparked a fire within her, she wasn't capable of everything, yet. She would get there, maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but she would get there.

She just needs to keep trying.