I Am: Silver

Chapter 6

We sat in silence after I cut up the doe and cooked the meat. Pegasus made do with the grass surrounding us, but kept his distance, not once answering my mind link, not once trying to connect with me. I really felt bad, but Pegasus needed to learn to trust. My trust didn't come easily, but not everyone was like him. Some people were genuine.

Dimitri was innocent. I saw that in his messily styled auburn spikes, a hint of curling that would grow more obvious should it be allowed to grow.

Like-

No. I wasn't making comparisons to him.  Everything about him was a lie. But every so often I would wonder about him, about Sapphire. Were they - was she ok?

I felt selfish for leaving them; Sapphire did not deserve my guilt. I shook my head. They were adults. Sapphire was a dragon for crying out loud.

She could take care of herself.

Ignoring my thoughts, I finished my last slice of meat, and saw Dimitri following suit. Wrapping up the rest of the meat, I put it into the saddle bags for the next couple of meals, and went to mount Pegasus.

You are too heavy. I can't fly both of you to ArrowHaven. I knew it was the truth, but the horse implied a silent message behind it. He couldn't fly both of us, but he could fly me if I left Dimitri to fend for himself.

Then we walk. I cut off the mind link and shouldered my bow and arrows.

"Ready?" I asked Dimitri. He jumped up.

"Aye Captain!" He shouted. I raised an eyebrow at his words, and he realised. "Sorry, wrong story." He muttered. I chuckled, and swept my hand over the fire, its flames extinguishing beneath my fingers. I heard a gasp from Dimitri, and saw his face a mixture of awe and something else. Fear?

"Does that burn you?" He asked as we began walking, Pegasus following stubbornly behind us. I clicked my fingers together, and the flame appeared, blue dancers of each of my fingers.

"No." I answered truthfully.

"Cool," Dimitri breathed. To amuse him, I snapped my fingers into a fist, and the fire disappeared. I turned the fist palm-up, and opened my fingers to reveal a small ball of flickering blue and white flame.

"Hold out your hand." I instructed. Though he at first looked rather apprehensive, Dimitri did as he was told and held out his hand like mine, palm-up. I carefully placed the flame into his hand, and made sure to keep it elevated, just above the skin so it would not burn him.

No longer fearing the fire, Dimitri began to experiment with it, until I eventually took it back and held it once again in my hand. Then I began to suck the energy back into my palm, and the fire slowly dispersed, following the course of my veins past my wrist and disappearing. For the rest of the day, Dimitri bombarded me with questions about my powers.

"Can I see your tattoo?" He asked as  we made camp for the night. I froze. "Just, from the tales I've read, Riders are meant to have a tattoo." He quickly added. I didn't relax as I took out four strips of meat and handed two to Dimitri. Pegasus grazed the bushes just outside of our cave.

I looked at Pegasus, whom I knew was listening, and then back at the eager face of the boy. It was about time I showed someone. Before I could stop myself and panic, I turned and pulled the hem off my top up, revealing my tattoo.

Dimitri said nothing, and I suddenly felt self-conscious and pulled the shirt back down. Feeling more assured that I was now covered, I turned to see Dimitri's face was unreadable. His mouth was opening and closing like a fish out of water. It reminded me of when I bumped into him so long ago-No. Ignore him. He doesn't deserve a space in my memories.