The Wishing Hour

Wishing -

Thirteen

“Very good. Try it again.”

Standing by a small rosebush on the edge of the courtyard, I close my eyes and again open my mind. When I finally look again, the bush that had only donned a few unopened buds is now three times its size and is covered in brilliant red and white blooms.

“Excellent!” Sebastian praises. “You have learned to fully communicate with the land. Your heart truly knows the earth is a living, breathing entity and has a spirit. Instead of commanding the plant to grow, you openly asked and it complied.” His smile is wide. “You are a natural, beloved.”

I grin, admiring my handiwork, and marvel at how far I have come in my training, and how quickly I've been able to grasp everything.

For the past two months, my days have consisted of learning not only the laws and customs of Challis, but how to use my new abilities as well. In the mornings, Sebastian attends meetings at the town hall with his father, where they discuss the welfare of the people. Afterward, he spends two hours training new warriors. For the duration of the day, he devotes every spare moment to helping me master myself in both mind and body. He has been a very patient teacher, and thanks to his diligence, I can move objects, change their structure, fight and defend myself should I need to (very important to me, since learning that other than receiving a fatal blow to the heart, the only thing that can kill us would be the loss of a mate, because neither can survive without the other) and read the thoughts of others. But my favorite feat is dressing and undressing with no effort. Sebastian favors that ability as well.

“That is enough for today,” he says, walking towards me, pride showing in his eyes. He pulls me close. “How does a run out to the country sound? Give us an opportunity to stretch our legs.”

“It sounds wonderful,” I say, kissing him. “But we need to be back in time to go to your parent's place for dinner.”

“I think we can accomplish that. I am ready when you are.”

Glancing down at my skinny jeans, peach tunic, and black Mary Jane walking shoes, I decide it is the perfect outfit for this most enjoyable activity. I zoom upstairs and grab a blanket, back at his side before he can blink. When I grin he laughs. “I'm ready.”

I love the feeling of exhilaration I get when we run, and the freedom is indescribable. I've never really considered running fun before, just a lot of hard and exhaustive work. But I definitely don't feel that way anymore.

* * *

Twenty minutes later, I am sitting on a blanket in the middle of a lush, green grassy field. Sebastian's eyes are closed, his head resting in my lap. Softly running my fingers through his silky mane, I take in the scenery as we soak in the peace surrounding us. Using my fine-tuned senses, I inhale the intoxicating fragrances of flowers, pine trees, and grass laced with the subtle scent of wildlife and fresh water from the four massive waterfalls running down the sides of the distant mountains. Across the large field, a family of leopards lounge in the sun. I smile, watching the mother grooming her little cub. In a nearby tree, a band of Kampuchea monkeys sit on the limbs, chattering away. On a far hill, a herd of sheep graze peacefully. Beyond my view, I sense the presence of mammoths, large elk, kangaroos, various other animals, and even several types of dinosaurs. It is still hard for me to believe they exists here, even though I've walked among the peaceful creatures several times since arriving. All the animals live together in harmony, and it goes without saying that Challis is a place unlike any other.

“Do you think we will ever let the outside world know Challis exists?” I ask.

“I don't know. Maybe someday. If The One wills it.”