Chronicles of Carnezia (Book 2): Wilderness

Chapter 25: Westward Bound

Chapter 25: Westward Bound

            As is the case in life, nothing ever goes to how you planned it; that was the case now. I had packed all my stuff and was now lobbing it out of the bedroom door into the hallway; all except my rucksack which was safely on my back. There was quite a bit of noise but I really did not care who I disturbed and neither was it all that early in the day. By the time all my bags were out of the room, I locked the door and struggled with them all the way down the hallway.

            Luckily, by the time I had reached the stairs, I didn’t have to resort to throwing them down. ‘Would you like a hand with that?’ Seb offered as he walked from the second staircase.

            ‘How kind. You should know that they aren’t any lighter than when I got here,’ I shared with him as he picked up three or so. I picked up the rest and we headed downstairs.

            It was while I was eating a quick breakfast that he sussed it out. ‘You’re leaving today then?’

            ‘Mmhmm. Yes, and this time I mean it.’

            ‘Why now?’ he asked, taking it quite in his stride.

            I slouched in my chair for awhile. ‘Because I have to.’ That’s all I really had to say after all my bother.

            ‘You finished?’

            I smiled and we both grabbed the bags again and headed off. Frain, as he had said, was back by now and lazily lounging in the sun once more. Seb put his share of bags down and I busied myself with fastening them to the harness once that was around Frain’s shoulders and forelegs. ‘You really don’t have to do this,’ I spoke to Seb as I knew he was still standing there.

            ‘I really think I do,’ he commented. I had now finished buckling on the last bag. ‘Can I at least have a hug before you leave?’

            Smiling to myself but soon normalising my lips as I turned around, I went over to him. ‘Of course.’ And I slipped my hands round his shoulders just as he held me round my waist. ‘Mmmm, I’m going to miss you,’ I whispered to him.

            Letting go of each other, he smiled and nodded a few times. ‘Yeh, I’ll miss you too. Take care, Frain.’

            Frain didn’t reply vocally, he bowed his head once and I went to kiss Seb’s cheek. It took awhile to even get a foot onto Frain’s elbow since Seb wouldn’t let my hand go. ‘The longer you keep me here, the harder this is going to be. I have to go, Seb.’

            ‘I know. It’s just I don’t like the thought of you up there.’ He pointed to the sky.

            ‘It’s the quickest way and Frain is very safe when I’m on his back. Otherwise, he likes to show off,’ I told him as I clambered up into the harness.

            Seb folded his arms stubbornly; as he had said to me before, he preferred to know he was safe being firmly on the ground. ‘Just take care, alright?’

            Shaking my head, I sighed unbelievably at what he was saying. ‘I’ve been flying long enough to know what to do.’

            ‘Well, I’ll let you go then.’ He stepped a few paces away but remained there to watch us go.

            It never took Frain long now to get himself into the air, even with me on his back; he still needed the few jogging steps. The first rush of air always jolted me forwards though I was getting more and more used to when it would be. As we climbed steadily, I looked down at the ground to wave down to Seb; he was still there but was slowly growing smaller and smaller. I could just make out him waving back; as I clung tighter onto the straps, my emotions began to build up realising there would be no knowing when I’d see him again.