cascade | kotlc

4. When the Wind Falls

--- June POV ---

The events of that day were exhausting. June wanted to sleep. A lot.

Fly.

June rubbed her eyes.

Fly.

What?

Fly!

It was Silveny.

FLY!

June rubbed her eyes and got out of bed, glancing out the window. Her heart sank.

Silveny's enclosure was open. And, oh, god -- Sophie was riding the alicorn in the skies above.

She threw her window open and flipped out, directing the wind towards the flying alicorn. They weren't as high as she was from that incident with the Heks. June could fly that high by herself.

Sophie was screaming on top of the alicorn as Silveny swerved and drifted, almost tossing her off several times. June had experienced that before. She'd actually fallen off the first time she'd ridden her, but she caught herself with the air.

June was on Sophie's level now, and she caught sight of her. "June!" she yelled. "Help" -- Silveny buckled with glee as she saw her -- "me restrain" -- she dived for June and forced her on her back -- "this horse!" She tipped forward and frontflipped. Sophie screamed an assortment of curses and June grabbed her and pushed her back on Silveny's back.

"This is quite entertaining," she said, amused.

"Take us down!"

June mocked a curtsy. "As you wish, my lady." She petted the alicorn and tilted her hand forward. "Tell her we're going down."

The winds abruptly pointed down and the alicorn dived, tucking her wings in and they dropped from the sky like a missile. Sophie screamed as she separated from the horse, and June imagined a ball of air slamming into her. The air obeyed and Sophie lurched forward into June's arms.

"Did I not tell you to hold on?" she asked cheerfully. Sophie seemed to be locked into Shriek Mode. "Brace for impact."

At the last possible second the winds lifted and Silveny leveled off and touched down, stopping so abruptly it sent Sophie tumbling forward into June and off the alicorn. She managed to land on her feet, but her legs were shaking and her head was spinning so fast, she stumbled. June tried to catch her, but she collapsed-

Right into a pile of alicorn manure.

--- Sophie POV ---

"This is who we're trusting with the most important creature on our planet?" a sharp voice barked as Sophie flailed in the stinky waste, which was surprisingly glittery. Apparently, she found one thing sparkles didn't make better.

And if she weren't already nauseous from the wild flight, almost falling to death, and the gagging smell of manure, the sound of that voice would've done it.

Sophie wiped the shimmering poop off her cheek as she stood to face not just Bronte, a smallish elf with cropped brown hair and features as sharp as his voice, but the entire elvin Council in full regal garb, standing just outside the enclosure.

Sophie dipped an ungraceful curtsy as June hopped down and put Sophie to shame with her own. It was a problem, Sophie thought. June loved her alicorn rides too much, and she would definitely drag her with her. Sophie'd be lucky if she didn't fall to death in three months.

"Yes, Bronte," Alden said, offering Sophie a silky handkerchief from a pocket in his navy blue cape. "And Sophie and June are more than worthy of the task. Though clearly we've caught them in the middle of some excitement."