How I Met Hena Chakelithp

Chapter 21. Gone, Gone, Gone

The next morning I woke up with a smile on my face that rivaled all of the smiles I'd ever smiled combined. It was quickly replaced by a frown of sadness, however, when I remembered that Hena was leaving that day. I sank instantly into a pit of despair, lying in bed wondering what I'd do without her. A picture of Aranee and me building a house together flashed into my mind, but it didn't seem right. It would be back to chopping trees alone, back to cooking meals for one person, back to doing my street performing job without a dernia player. I rose from my bed and mechanically got dressed as I dwelled on the loss of my best friend.
"Hey, Srarori!" said Hena as she came out of her newly made room. "I'm going home today!" She pranced around, grinning. "I get to see my family again!"
I forced a weak smile. "I know," I replied half-heartedly. "I'm so happy for you," I lied. I wasn't happy. I was miserable.
"Srarori, since we won't be seeing each other anymore, maybe we could use Fermell to send letters," she said.
Fermell was my messenger dragon.
The realization sank in.
"Oh my Heplimah, yes!" I said.
"Yeah!" said Hena. "I can write to you and send Fermell back!"
I thought that remark was redundant, but to heck with it! If something good happens in this world, like the ability to communicate with a friend, repetition is unavoidable, which isn't a bad thing if you're happy enough not to care, as I was in that moment.
So I sent Fermell along with Hena and Lindune, and we were off to see Hena leave.

***

Hena, the two dragons, and I stood on the edge of Hardlorn Island. My cousin Kudika had met us a few minutes ago to give Hena a compass and a map of her route back to Pastrona. Lindune was laden with a large bag containing Hena's jackknife, clothes, and dernia. The weather looked more like September than June: It was breezy, cool, and dry, and there was not a cloud in the sky; in other words, ideal weather for traveling. Hena stood by me, watching the sea wistfully. My heart ached. I'd only known Hena for about four months, but she'd changed so much in my eyes. When I met her, she was just a fair, skinny girl who didn't talk much. Now she was a fair, skinny girl who loved whittling and dernia music and Weston Gormly, and could be really outgoing and friendly if she felt like it.
"Hena," I started.
"Yes?" There were tears in her eyes. Mine too.
"I.." I didn't know what to say.
"I know." Hena said. She put her hand on my back as if we were family. Her touch was powerful.
"Hena Chakelithp?" I knew what to say, finally.
"I...um...love you like a sister, Hena. I feel like you've ... become like one to me."
Hena moved closer to me. "I love you back, Srarori. I feel like you're my sister too. Sometimes I think that over these months...I would have... I don't know, lost my mind, if you and your friends and family hadn't...kept me going while I was here."
I threw my arms around Hena. "My best friend."
We sobbed into each other's shoulders for ten minutes.
"One more thing, Hena," I said.
"Yes," said Hena weakly.
"Can you...not tell anyone about how we discovered dragons?" I'd forgotten about this up to this point. It was an ancient law.
"Why?" said Hena.
"Because...dragons are really powerful," I said. "People would try and use them as weapons."
"Yes."
"Do you promise?" I sobbed.
"I promise." said Hena, giving me a squeeze.
Then Hena let go and started walking toward the dragons.
I lost my sense of reality. Time was slipping through my fingers before my eyes. I, my world, all I knew and had ever known, was crumbling beneath my feet as Hena moved farther away. I felt as if I was flying through space with no purpose, nothing to live for, no solid ground on which to stand.
Through my blurry, tear-clogged vision, I saw Hena mount Lindune and slowly become smaller and smaller on the endless mass of ocean. I watched, unable to move, until finally, my whole universe disappeared as my best friend vanished on the horizon.