The Wonderful Adventures of Bea Andrews

Chapter 6

I reach out and glide my fingers through Rosey's soft fur. She lets out a chattering call and thuds onto the ground beside me. She rolls over, her stomach exposed to the canopy. She grunts, her back feet hilariously suspended in the air. Her wings are tucked into her sides, out of the way of the fun she seems to be having. I smile, and glance at her from the corner of my eye. My hand extends, not thinking. I scratch her chest, and a deep rumble shakes the ground. I yelp in surprise, but Rosey keeps causing earthquakes. My body is gently tossed side to side, but I manage to keep a hand on Rosey's chest.

Before I can regain my bearings, Rosey rolls to her feet and is fanning out her wings. She lets out a rough chatter and crouches down. What is she asking for? Playtime, maybe? Rosey seems to think so. I grab a stick and throw it through the bushes. She watches it with perked up ears, making no motion to chase it. She stands up and stares at me with a blank expression. So, we don't fetch, alrighty... I wonder what I could use. Uncle Brady didn't mention play time... I turn and begin to look for an impromptu toy. Before I can locate a toy, a warm mass shoves into my back. My knees connect to the ground, and I gasp. I scramble to my feet, and whip around to see Rosey staring at me. I step closer and she jumps back. The ground shakes and I steady myself. I take another step and she steps back, her finned tail lashing. Oh, does she want to play tag? I transition into a fast jog and Rosey begins to walk away from me. My feet dig into the ground, and she keeps walking away from me. She turns on a dime and dives towards the caves. I whip around, and chase after her. My heart slams in my chest as my legs pump for more speed. Rosey chatters teasingly and I narrow my eyes. My arms pump as the trees blur around me. I dodge around trunks as Rosey winds her way casually through the trees. I glance to the side and spot a small outcropping that rises towards the caves. Maybe if I jump off that I can get ahead of Rosey! I dig deeper into the dirt and explode towards the outcropping. I swerve left and the rock of the outcropping is smooth under my feet. My boots slide across the surface. Before I can right myself, my body is careening through the air. My heart pounds against my chest and I scream. Several feet of empty space fly below me. I brace to slam into the cave entrance and break several bones. As I accept my imminent death, soft fur slams into me and I clutch at it. My legs move to grip the soft surface, and I squeeze my eyes shut. Who knew that death was a fuzzy little guy?

"Hang on tight, Bea. I've never done this before." I nod, hoping whatever this is can understand me. "Bea?"

I respond, the wind ripping at my clothes and hair, "Yes, I heard you. I won't let go."

"Good." Margret must've caught me with River. I open my eyes. Regret fills my blood. I cling tighter.

I scream, scrambling to hold on, "WHAT THE FUCK?" The enclosure swirls below me. My grip slips. I clamber up to near the animals' shoulders.

"Please stop yelling! It hurts my ears, thank you, and it's distracting." I freeze. My head slowly turns. My face is hit with a wall of familiar brown, striped fur.

I exclaim, heart pounding, "ROSEY?"

Rosey replies, "YES, NOW STALP YELLING BEFORE I DROP YOUR ASS." My mouth falls open and I cling to her. What the fuck is happening? I must be hallucinating. I slammed my head into the ground and I'm tripping balls. Maybe Rosey is consuming my... "First off, I don't eat people. Second off, I'm insulted. Do you think I'd let you die?" My jaw opens and closes, and I finally click it shut. Rosey levels off from her near vertical ascent, and I heave a deep, quivering breath. I sit up, and Rosey chatters quietly. She apologizes, her wings beating a lazy rhythm, "I have no clue what I'm doing, so I'm sorry that I took off like that. I've never had a real rider before..."

I ask, readjusting so I'm straddling her spine, "What do you mean, 'real rider'." I examine my surroundings. The trees are far below us, and the wind beats softly against my face.

She replies, the fur on her neck rising slightly as her ears pin back, "The old owners tried to force me to accept other riders... I'm... not proud of my reaction. They thought we were mindless drones, but... we're creatures too, you know? I wanted to wait for my true rider... Cause otherwise we'd never know if we met and we'd both be miserable..." My heart sinks and I run my hands through her fur. A deep rumbling sound emits from Rosey. She leans slightly and I shift my weight with her. She makes a happy chirping sound, and we circle above the treeline. I glance out at her left wing. It extends like a field before me, the joints strong and pronounced. Her wing bones are strong and stretch her tawny wing membranes out like a canvas. Dark stripes run along her wings like an ink spill. Her "paw" at the end of her wing has long claws supported by a paw-like structure extending from the end of the wing. It extends out of a wrist-like joint that extends from the end of the main limb.

I ask, scooting closer so I am settled right behind her shoulders, "Are we allowed to do this?" Rosey tips her head to the side, and she stutters in the air.

"ROSEY??? ROSEY!!! ROSEY, WHERE ARE YOU?" Rosey cringes and cranes her neck towards the ground. Her whiskers twitch forward, and her ears perk up. She leans to the left and angles herself towards the ground. Her wings are steady as she spirals slowly towards the ground. I shift my weight forward, and Rosey shifts her wings with a grunt. We pass through a thin layer of canopy before Rosey extends her forelegs and we quickly descend to the ground. I jolt harshly as Rosey slows to a trot in a small clearing. She stops at the edge of the clearing and stretches herself forward. Her tail lashes back and forth, missing me by mere inches.

Rosey whispers, lowering her wing, "Slide down my wing. Quick." I nod and glance down the steep slope. I swallow and swing my right leg behind me. I grip Rosey's fur as I half-dangle along her side.

I ask, palms sweating and making her fur slick, "You... you sure this is safe?" Rosey grumbles a yes, and her fur slips between my fingers. Rosey's wing is soft and smooth as my stomach slides down the make-shift ramp. My heart pounds as I scramble to get my legs arranged. Before I can fully sort my legs, my feet slam into the ground. I curse, "OW!" as my ankles throb from the force. I roll onto my back, heaving in large breaths. As I regain my breath, Rosey shifts her wing, so I am standing on my own feet. Rosey takes a small step away from me.

"I swear, River and Maggie were alerting to something in the paddock!"

"I know, I saw it too. Until we confirm what it is, let's just find Bea and Rosey and get Bea out of the paddock. BEA!!!! BEA, ROSEY!!!"

I call, dusting the tawny fur off my butt, "HERE, MARGRET!"

Uncle Brady calls, his footsteps growing frantic, "BEATRICE!!!!" Before I can call again, Uncle Brady bursts through the trees. His eyes widen as he stares at me. He starts, eyes bulging out of his face like a frog, "BEATRICE! HAVE YOU BEEN..."