Lohikäärme: The Dragon's Descent (Revised)

Chapter VII - The Welcoming Feast

The photo above is Howl and Sophie from Howl's Moving Castle, one of my favorite films (adapted from one of my favorite novels). Howl inspired the man from the window. ;)

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Chapter VII - The Welcoming Feast

"Safia? Safiaaaa?" Kosh called, shaking my shoulders. Her head was right above me when I opened my eyes, unruly strands of hair covering parts of her face. "You're awake now. Goodness, the magisters are going to leave me to the crows if we make them wait for another minute."

I pushed myself up with my arms and rubbed the tears off my face. "What's happening now?"

She hurried to my closet and rummaged through my clothes. "The welcoming feast," she grumbled, tossing a long-sleeved dress at me. I picked it up from the floor and slid out of my dress to change. "Aethelgard hosts one every time we receive a new kinsman. The whole family eats together. Singers, dancers, mummers, other performers."

"What about my demonstration with Master Cato?"

"You can do it next time. No one's in a hurry. But if you're serious about getting to know your talent and using them for good, maybe you can see Master Cato in the training grounds. He's not as harsh as you may think." She placed a pair of slippers on the floor and studied my face as I slipped my feet into the slippers. "Rub the tears off your eyes. Goodness, that man again? He made you cry, I'll bet, in your dreams. Don't deny it. I heard you cry, and I know it's because of him."

He never intended to make me cry. I had seen him when I was walking in the hills, feeling the wind blow hard against my skin. The colors danced around me, and it made him stand out even more. He was there, wearing the same white shirt and dark pants he had worn this afternoon. It had only been hours since we last met, but I terribly missed him. When I closed my eyes, I could still remember his minty scent, his warm breath, his smooth voice, his still colors, and his gentle touch when he caressed my cheek. "I missed you, Safi," he had said.

Prompted by instinct, I leaned in to his hand and let him touch me. "I missed you, too."

And then he told me to come with him, and together we walked up the hills, hand in hand, until we found a good spot. Small rocks and the uneven ground nearly tripped me many times, but he held my hand and never let me fall, never let me feel afraid. The wind was so cold, so strong, and so loud, hooting in my ears from time to time. At times, his mouth would open as if to tell me something, but the wind would drown his voice into a whisper even Kosh couldn't hear.

"What?" I asked him for the third time.

He laughed. "This spot looks fine. We could sit here." So we sat together on the grassy ground, with wind for music and the sky for a roof.

I found myself staring at him again. His eyes sparkled with such admiration. But he wasn't looking at me; he was looking at the sky above us.

"The sky is so beautiful, Safi," he said, frowning.

Why was he frowning? Wasn't he happy to sit beside me? Did he want me to leave already? I knew I couldn't deserve such a wonderful man, but I wished I didn't bore him so much, because I really wanted to stay with him longer.

"I wish you could see what I could see, Safi. If only I could do anything about it."

That brought a frown to my face, but I tried my best to hide it. A frown never makes anyone look any better, Mother used to say. So I swallowed and smiled. "It's okay," I lied. A part of me still wanted to see what normal people could see, but crying over a pair of eyes I never had would bring me no good. And I was contented with what I could see. "I love the color of your hair," I told him, wanting to touch those gold strands and know what they felt like.