Elderflower, The Last Halfbreed

Chapter 15 Dancing with Fire

The next thing I knew was the thudding and flapping noise. I woke up to be flying on Abraxas. The sun was high. Alagos turned around as he saw me. Not even a smile. Not even a second look. He despised me. Hated me. Now that I knew. With a sigh I turned so my back faced his. I leaned on his and stared at the tiny ground. Deer bounded along the forests. They were so tiny they looked like ants. The snow had disappeared. Instead it was forests with no leaves. Dead forever. Never again blossoming in the warm summer days. I noticed that we had passed over the mountain. Tyrannies pass was behind us. We were still heading north. I sighed.

I suddenly turned around and tapped Alagos on the back. He spun his head around. I grabbed his hand and traced the lines on his palms.

“It says here that you will live a long life.” I said as I traced the line with my finger. His hand twitched. “This one says that you will not get sick.” Alagos turned fully around and stared me in the face. “This one says that you will find someone meaningful who will tell you answers that have no question.”

“You can read that all on my palm?” Alagos asked.

“My mother taught me when I was little. This one says you will have four children and this one says that you will fulfill your destiny.” Alagos grabbed my palm.

“This line says that you will have a long and happy life. This one says that your life will be full of hardship but you will overcome them. This line says that you will have a friend always there. This line also says you will have four children.” His emerald eyes grew wider.

His eyes wavered with a faint light. A light of hope. I was reaching him with all I had. It would take time. I had to help him.

The sun was setting as we reached the edge of the Alyania forest. The trees were taller than I imagined. Darkness seemed to come out of the edges of the forest.

“How long until we reach Alyania?” I asked Alagos.

“Very soon. We'll camp tonight and we'll reach it by noon tomorrow. Abraxas, land here.”

“Alagos, I don't know if I can make it through the trees. There's no open area for me to land. You want to risk it?” Abraxas hummed.

“Find a clearing. If Rose gets injured again I'll be the one to blame.” The sun was setting in a majesty of colors. Soon darkness would envelop us. My stomach growled in protest. We searched until the moon rose higher in the sky. Not a single clearing in the dense forest. My back started to ache from the limited space.

“Alagos, my wings are starting to hurt. We need to land soon. I don't know if I can carry all of you towards Alyania during the night.”

“We press on. I knew we should've rested by the border. Go higher. We can spot an open area easier. You worry about flying.” Abraxas nodded. Concern floated on Alagos's face. I knew he was worried. With a sigh I continued to search the dark earth.

It seemed like the whole world was slowly falling asleep. Even I was slowly falling asleep. My eyes were snapping shut. Alagos shook me awake many times. With my tired eyes I searched. Far off in the distance I saw a glittering object. I thought it was a lake.

“Abraxas, turn to the east. You'll find a lake. There is a place to land.” Abraxas roared with happiness. Alagos congratulated me as we neared the lake. The water was as clear as glass and reflected the moon on its calm surface. Abraxas dove down until we neared the surface. With a yelp I jumped off and dove into the water.

I felt the cold water instantly wake my body up. It also made my wound fester but I didn't care. I opened my eyes to see a swarm of fish swimming around me. Everything was crystal clear under the cold water. I heard another splash and saw Alagos swimming up to me. He swam so fast under the smooth water. I smiled with a small happiness deep inside me. Alagos looked at me and grinned. For the first time he looked happy, completely happy. I suddenly couldn't breath. I swam up to the surface and breathed in the warm air.