The Love of a Thornbush

Freedom - Chapter TwentyFour

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The beast lurched, wings spread and with a roar it leapt into the air with great enthusiasm. It's hulking body struggled to find momentum at first, until the wind caught it's membranes and carried it higher into the sky.

My hands gripped the saddle. Even though, rationally, I knew that Narcissa wouldn't let me fall, I still feared the ground below.

The woman pressed against my back, warm and comforting. Her hands, strong and capable, held my waist as I slid back into her from the force of gravity. Her eyes shone as the sun shimmered across the scales of her monsterous pet.

My head turned against my fear, gazing back at the ground. The cottage was disappearing, fast. It was merely a speck on the floor. The Witch leaned into my ear, speaking against the rushing wind.

"Don't look back!"

We were nearly vertical in the air as the dragon climbed higher and higher, wings beating harshly to carry itself towards the clouds. I gulped, I'd never been this high up before. I feared I would be thrown from the saddle as we reached the apex of our flight.

The beast leveled. His wings spread further and the ripples in his skin faded. His chest rumbled.

I clenched hard on the leather saddle. My eyes squeezed. It was freezing. Goosebumps ran up my arms. Narcissa tightened her arms around my waist.

"Open your eyes"

Slowly, I blinked. My vision blurred against the bright blue. The white clouds shone stellar. They were blinding, and beautiful.

The hints of green below edged their way onto the horizon. My brain struggled to comprehend the overwhelming stature of what was in front of me.

I was startled as the dragon beat it's wings once again. We were gliding, his wings skimming the clouds like a knife through butter. The spikes across his spine were cold as I gripped on. I'd begun to enjoy the sensation.

The rush of air, the feeling of weightlessness as I sat atop this great beast. It was miraculous. Narcissa felt my tense muscles relax, slowly melting into the peace of my surroundings. She smiled.

Her fingers held the reins. One hand loosened, releasing the leather to take hold of mine.

I was too astounded by the whistling wind and shining sky to notice her prying open my fingers, the cold breeze tickled my palm until something warm and soft replaced it.

She just... handed me the reins?

The beast grumbled, as if sensing the change in leadership. He shifted his weight, sending a shiver across his body to activate a small clap of his wings. He wasn't gliding anymore, he was waiting for a command.

Narcissa didn't realise what she'd done. She had handed me the freedom I'd craved for so long as if it was nothing. The fear I'd held in my heart for my previous captors was... Extinguished. For some reason I felt safe, so far from the ground and the evil people residing there.

Silent under the wind, Narcissa waited for my next move. My second hand hesitantly let go of the saddle and focussed on the reins. I'd ridden a horse before, perhaps it was similar?

I threw caution to the wind and squeezed my thighs around the beasts sides. In a beat of his wings, the dragon propelled himself faster through the air. I nearly lost myself as I flinched back into Narcissa, her hands held me still.

"It's okay. He's sensitive. You have complete control over him, my dear"

I breathed in, sucking on the cold air through my teeth. My eyes closed. The freezing air filled my lungs like nitrogen gas. I was ready.

I saw a gap in the clouds. Pursing my lips, I squeezed the reins and tugged to the left. With a great roar, the beast banked to the side and plowed through the clouds with surprising force. The mist tickled my skin.

My eyes blinked rapidly against the fog. I saw the vague outline of the dragons head, curved horns dipping with every beat of his wings. With one final push, we were through the mist.

The light blinded my eyes. A giant star loomed, burning against the blue. It was so bright it glowed white in the centre, burning red at the edges. I shut my eyes, it was beautiful but still blinding.

After a few seconds, Narcissa took the reins again. Her control was gentler, more fluid. The dragon began to dip lower, his head hung low as he fought the air resistance. The further we dipped, the harsher the wind became as it cut at our faces. Even if I wanted to, the muscles were too tight to open my eyes.

Just as I thought my head would be ripped from my body we began to level again, my eyes blinked open and found the ground closer than I'd expected. We were below the clouds now. Surfing in the breeze, wrestling with the wind.

Narcissa placed one hand on my shoulder, motioning me to look towards the east.

A large house loomed tall, surrounded by a maze of hedges and trimmed green bushes. A misty fog rolled over the hills, covered in purple heather. Gothic architecture and high windows, stone towers at each corner.

"What is that?" My voice was hesitant. I turned my head to see the reserved, quiet smile on her face.

"That-" her eyes brightened "-is your new home"

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