Wings

Chapter 1

I creep out of the house my jacket and boots in hand. I shut the door quietly and run to the stables I slide the door open and walk along the stalls I hear rustling wings and low short breaths of air I walk to the end and stop a low hurr greets me, "hey boy" I say pressing my hand to the stall door.I peer through the bars a warm rush of air blows across my face I open the door and Alpy archs his neck feathering his spines, I smile and race toward him hopping up onto his saddle and he lurches forward and out the door I watch as his massive wings unfurl and churn the air with ease. I look down and see the ground below rapidly shrinking I take a deep breath in the cool morning air filling my lungs. we breach the cloud layer and he plains out gliding along, "Where should we go today?" I ask patting his neck he hums low in his throat and turns his head to the mountain tops piercing the clouds. "Alright." I say smiling and we bank slightly right I lay back taking my legs out of the stirrups I sigh watching the blue sky pass by. I smile remembering when I first found Alpy.
I was 6 and we were out by the mountain. I had wondered off into the trees when I saw a Pure white egg I walked over examining it when my father burst through the trees, "Akari!" He yelled "daddy look what I found" I said picking it up. he stopped when he saw what I was holding, my mother came through after him, "Well I'll be!" my father said "my little Ari is gonna be dragon rider!" I smiled still naive to the idea of what the country expected of me by being one. We brought the egg back with us and it stayed in my room that night I woke to a sound I rubbed my eyes and suddenly I saw him across the room, his egg cracked into tiny peices he yawned and shook his head he blinked and looked at me and made small clicking noises as he walked over to me on wobbly legs his wings much to large for his body. At my bed, he stopped and looked up at me and we held eye contact, his pericing blue eyes blinked. Then he tried to jump up, he miss judged and fell back. I giggled as he righted him self and tried again this time I caught him and pulled him up with me. He made little noises and nuzzled my hand, then he yawned and looked at me sleeplily. I yawned and laid down he curled up with me and we fell asleep.
He stayed in the house with us, and over the next year, he grew rapidly soon he was too big for the house and moved to the stable. On my birthday my father gave me a saddle. I screamed and grabbed it running outside to his stable! My father followed me out laughing to himself we let him sniff it and we fasten It on letting him walk around getting used to it. Then my dad hoisted me up, I adjusted myself shivering with excitement! He walks Alpy around with me riding on him, "You and Alpy will have to know each other like you know yourself, because when you fly up there, many things can happen. Somtimes it will come down to one choice, and if you and your dragon don't work together, both of you could get hurt, or worse!" he said. Then he walked us over to the side of the barn where he teathered us to a long coil. "Alrighty now take it slow, you two need to work together!" he said. I nodded and looked down at Alpy, he looked at me. "You ready?" I asked. His throat rumbled, I smiled "When you lift off, make sure to move with him as best you can, it will make it easier." he said. I smiled and gripped the guide bar and huged my knees to the saddle. Alpy crouched, his wings unfurling, catching the sun, and he lifted off, his wings beating rapidly. We cleared the barn roof in seconds! We climb until a light jerk stopped us, we glided there for a second, the air running through my hair. I shouted excitedly! Alpy screeched. I rubbed his neck,and we flew all day.
Through out the next year, we flew pretty much every day, but hooked to the teather. Then again on my birthday, I headed out and climbed on Alpy. I guide him toward the teather, my dad stopped me. "Do you think your ready for open air?" he asked. I looked at him shocked. "Really!?" I said. "I don't see why not." he said. I yelled, and we ran, taking to the sky! We climbed almost heading straight up! We plained out. I looked down on the farm. I saw my father walking and waving, I wave back and me and Alpy flew, diving and swooping, then we saw someone pull up. we drove down and landed. "Mr and Ms Parker." The man said, nodding to them. "Mr Parker, you have been summoned to the counsel tomorrw at dawn." he said. Then he looked at me, I looked back ."It seems your daughter has a Dragon, you didn't inform us." said the man. My dad looked at him. "I'll be there." he said. The man nods, and turns away. "Do you have to leave dad?" I asked, "Yes" he said .
Later that evening my dad finished readying the saddle bags. I stood at the door, he looked at me and I wiped away my tears. He walked up and knelt in front of me "Good bye my little one." he said, and hugged me before climbing into the saddle and taking off. I watch as he climbed into the sky before I ran to the stables and flung open Alpy's door, and climbed on. "Akari!" My mom yells, before we rushed out and took off after him! We caught up fast. "I thought you would follow." Dad said. "I'm coming with you." I said. He sighed "You can't. I'm sorry. Not yet. " he said. "But I want to!" I said. "Akari, you can't come, it's much to dangerous. now enough!" he said. I hadn't heard my dad upset in a long time. It hit me like a slap. I looked down. Alpy gave a soft comforting hurr. My dad sighed, "You can fly with me for a bit... but promise me you'll go right home after." he said. I nodded, and we fly In silence, until I slowly fell asleep.
I woke up in my bed the next morning, and stared at my ceilling. My mom walked in. "Are you hungry honey?" she asked. I turned away, I felt her sit down. "I know you miss him, but he'll be back..." she said, "He's left before and always come back." I sat up and looked at her "But what if he doesn't!" I said, tears forming in my eyes. I wiped them away. "I'm not hungry" I said and got up and went outside and hopped on Alpy and took off. We glided in the air until I felt better .
The Morining the news came, I was already out flying. I saw someone pull up. It's been a month since he left. I landed and my mother walked out of the house. The man looked down at his shoes and walked up to my mother. " Mrs. Parker...I must inform you, your husband was killed...."he said and handed her a envelope. I see my mother cover her mouth and start crying. I welled up with tears, and took off again, flying towards the mountains. As I do, it started to rain and pour. We landed as the rain turned into a full blown storm. We walked back. The storm was too much for Alpy to fly in. We got to the yard and my mother ran to us, wrapping her arms around me, and brought me inside and allowed Alpy to come in too. It was a tight squeeze. We stood in the house soaking wet, and I looked at my mom and cried. We held each other for an hour before we pulled apart. She got up helping me up and grabbed a blanket. She wrapped it around both me and her. We walked to the fire where Alpy laid. We leaned against him and all of us slowly fell asleep.
Over the years, me and Alpy became one unit in the sky, facing anything. I feel a shiver run through Alpy, but he makes no noise. I sit up scanning for the trouble. I slide myself into position ready for what's coming. I stroke his neck, his scales cool to the touch, then I hear them. A second set of wings from above, and slightly behind the mountains loom in front of us. I give him a pat as we come closer, then I flatten myself to the saddle, and we arch up and dive toward the snow and tree covered slope. I take a breath, closing my eyes. Then they snap open and the trees rush at us at break neck speed. We dive straight into them and flawlessly weave through them up the mountain. Then we see a dense thicket. We land,snow exploding around us. I climb off and Alpy covers me with his wing, his body perfectly blending with the snow we slowly move along the slope, away from our original landing. We see a Dragon and rider hover above the original spot. We freeze as he scans the area. When he leaves, I sigh and Alpy shakes. "That was too close." I say, he makes a purr-like sound in his throat. I smile. "Well we should head up and stay in the clouds if we wanna fly." I say as we start up the hill. Once we are at the top, we scan the sky and take off into the clouds heading home. We dive down and land by the stable. Alpy growls, then I see my mother standing on the porch with two men. "Akari Parker, we would like to talk with you." one of them says. "I don't see why she has to go, you already took my husband, what more do you want!?" My mother cries. "Mrs. Parker, you know the law." says the other. "Miss Parker, please come inside." he says. Alpy shifts. "No, say what you need right here." I say. "At least come off your dragon." they say. I hold my chin up. "No" I say, then frown. "Miss Parker, acording to law, you must come with us to the rider academy. We are here to bring you there." the one says "Now if you'll get off your dragon, we'll make sure you, and it, get there safely." he says. "If I have to go with you, me and Alpy are going there together." I say. "I'm afraid you can't." he says. "Then me and him will fly away." I say, and Alpy spreads his wings, a low rumble shakes his throat. They look at each other "Alright you can ride him." they say. Then two large dragons land beside us. They growl. I feel Alpy tense, and the two men mount them. "Let's go!" they say. We leap into the sky! They flank us. Their wing tips almost touching ours. Alpy makes a small nose, "I know buddy" I say, patting his neck looking towards the horizon.