Girl who Speaks to Birds

Chapter 32

I always wonder why birds choose to stay in the same place when they can fly anywhere on the earth. Then I ask myself the same question

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"He's gone, Madelyn."

"But he can't be! I can't be leader; I'm a coward!"

A hand was placed on my shoulder. "You're no coward, Madelyn. Who rescued the shifters? You did! Who had the courage to fight Mr. Jones, the leader of the hunters himself? You did! Madelyn, I know you can do it!"

"No, I can't! The hunters, they hate our kind! They want us dead! How am I supposed to make them have peace with us?"

"The same way you did everything else." said a voice. Dad. "Remember the motto you and I made all those years ago?"

Of course I did. I mean, back when I was in middle school, he'd repeat the same phrase to me. Keep calm and grind on.

"Yes. But how am I supposed to keep calm when a great leader has fallen? I mean, everyone says how he helped them through hard times. How am I supposed to measure up to that?"

"Because I know you can do it, Madelyn. You're my daughter, and I've seen you persevere through so, so many things!"

"But the hunters are ruthless! Dad, you've been among them. You know what cruel methods they've used to get their ways! How am I supposed to go up against that?"

"You don't have to go up against it alone, Madelyn." I heard Trinity say "You have us."

"And how am I even supposed to lead people? I mean, it can't be an easy task! Caspian was a far better leader than I could ever be!"

"He chose you for a reason."

"What reason? The fact that everyone wanted me dead? Was he even thinking straight when he made me leader? "

"He was, Madelyn." said Tyler, making me look behind "I looked into his mind. He knew you could do it, and he had faith that you could do it. I'm not lying!"

"Where am I even supposed to start?" I asked "A peace treaty? Like that's gonna work. And in a war, we'd lose! Die even! This'll never work."

"It will, Madelyn. If you believe in yourself."

"You know what? I'm going flying. I need some time alone to think."

I glanced at Caspian's dead body, tears streaming down my face.

"Let nobody touch him."

I flew off, my heart aching from grief. He was gone. There was nothing that I could do to heal him. I doubted I could bring people from the dead, and then, wouldn't it kill me? I didn't know what to do. Not in the slightest. From above, I could see Caspian's limp, lifeless body. I remembered the first time I had seen him. He was strong, powerful, and a great leader. There was no way I could measure up to that.