Caelestis

Chapter 10

Chapter 10: My Uncle is Weird

"I... I can't take the weight...for much longer." Zanzibar had flown for a while and kept a good look out for more Gramores. They had followed us for a mile or two; watching us from the ground. Zanzibar decided not to go back to the castle for fear that there would be more there.

"What's wrong, Adeline?" asked Ben.

"Zanzibar needs to rest," I replied. "He's tired now that he's been carrying us for this long. We've been up here for at least an hour." Zanzibar soared down to the trees and landed gently on the soft, moss-covered ground. Ben dismounted and drew his sword, ready to fight if need be.

I went to dismount and felt a damp stop near Zanzibar's wing. I pulled back my hand and saw think blood oozing from an arrow tip nestled in his wing.

"Zanzibar! Ben, look at his wing!" I clutched Zanzibar's saddle horn.

"Oh boy," replied Ben. He shoved his sword into the ground and looked at the wound. "He'll never be able to fly with his wing like that."

"I'm fine. I just need to rest a bit. That's all." argued Zanzibar.

"No, Zanzibar, we'll rest here for the night. Ben is right, you can't fly with your wing like that. You need a long rest." I ordered.

"I will do as you say, Your Highness." He bowed and turned to lie down. I couldn't believe he had carried Ben and me all this way with an arrow tip in his wing.

"Well?" asked Ben, impatiently. "What's the plan?"

"We are going to stay here for the night," I said.

"What?" Ben exclaimed. He put his hands on his head and paced back and forth. "We can't stay here! We...you..."

"Zanzibar seems to be okay with it." We both looked at him. He was already asleep.

"The Gramores might attack us and then I would have to fight and then you would fly off to the castle to get help and then..." Ben mumbled off a plan. I stared at my Pegasus asleep on the damp ground.

"Should do something with his wing." I asked. Apparently, the link we shared also allowed us to share emotions and feelings. The whole flight I had pain in my side, but passed it off as a cramp from the running I did. Now I knew that I had been feeling just a piece of Zanzibar's pain. I went to him and stroked his muzzle. I took the hem of my dress and tore a long strip off of it. Then I dabbed the blood, carefully, on his injured wing. I was now doctor but I knew this was going to be a hard injury to heal. He jerked his head up and whinnied.

"Sorry to wake you, buddy. Something has to be done with your wing though."

"That's all right. Thanks, Adeline." I patted his neck. I ripped some thread from my dress and started to sew up the hole in his side. After about 30 minutes I decided I couldn't do anymore for my dear friend and I turned to face Ben.

"Come on, Ben," I stood up and put my hand on his arm. "You need to get some sleep. I'll watch the camp..."

"You, need to sleep. I'll watch the camp."

"Um...you...I... fine. Thanks," I yawned. Then I turned to where Zanzibar was sleeping and sat down next to him. I looked up at Ben. He was leaned up against a tree and looked into the sky.

"You can see the stars pretty well from here," he started. "My mother used to say that each of us had our own little star," he looked at me. "I think your star is that one." He pointed to a big, bright star that I knew of as the North Star.