Healed

Chapter 10

They decided the library wasn't going to be the best place to teach so instead they went to the garden, which was more than OK with Umber. Libraries were stuffy and everyone had to be quiet. Not to mention you weren't allowed food so, really, what was the point?

The gardens were vast and serene. They helped calm Umber's nerves. Particularly his anxiety about this whole Flame teaching Umber to read situation. Of course, Umber was ECSTATIC that Flame had wanted to be his friend...but the SkyWing wasn't all that patient...or gentle...and he yelled a lot.

Either way, this would be a learning experience for both of them.

Ibis was with them of course, but she stayed at a respectable distance. Luckily she wasn't required to shadow Flame, rather, she really just had to be able to see him at all times. And so, when Umber and Flame reached their destination, the SandWing sat a few meters away and took out a scroll to read.

Their destination turned out to be Flame's favourite reading spot nestled between the herb garden and the lilac bushes. As they walked by Umber leaned upwards to smell the sweet purple flowers before rushing after the red dragon.

Flame was already getting the graphicolls out when Umber sidled up beside him.

"So what's the plan?" Umber asked as he looked over Flame's shoulder. Flame shrugged and Umber stifled a sigh.

"How hard can it be to learn how to read?" Flame asked more to himself than to Umber. "I'll just...point to the words, you try to read them, and if you can't then I'll tell you what they are."

Wow. This is going to go SO well, Umber sniped silently. Flame scanned the scrolls laid out in front of him and chose the one on the far left.

"OK. So this is issue one of the Rise of Lord Evil, the story I was telling you about. We'll start here." Flame passed Umber the graphicoll and pointed to a box of text at the beginning. "That's the opening paragraph," he explained and then clasped his talons together. "You may start whenever you're ready," the SkyWing said in a mock Web's voice.

Umber stifled a laugh. He had not been at Jade Academy long but EVERYONE knew Webs and his infamous history lectures. He cleared his throat to get rid of the giggles and looked to the text. Luckily the first word was one he knew.

"'The'." Umber read expertly and beamed at Flame. The SkyWing furrowed his brow.

"Uh, good job? But there are more words there so...you know...whenever you're ready just go ahead." Flame tapped the text impatiently but surprisingly didn't say anything insulting.

Umber was a little impressed. This is probably a record breaking moment for him: The Longest Amount of Time Spent Without Swearing.

"Hurry up already!" Flame snapped and tore Umber from his thoughts.

"Sorry!" Umber yelped and began to scan the text again. "So...MOST of these words I don't know, but I recognize 'and' as well as 'it' and 'at'....but that's all."

Umber looked to Flame who was resting his chin on his talons, wearing a perplexed and annoyed expression. "That's it?" he asked in disbelief. "Those are the only words you know?"

Umber nodded. Flame looked to Umber, then to the graphicoll, then to Umber again, and then finally out into the gardens. "Maybe this approach wasn't the best."

"Ya, you think?" Umber quipped which earned him a sour scowl from Flame.

"Fuck you! It's my first go at this teaching thing so cut me some slack!" He snorted and stood up. "You stay here. I need to go get some stuff."