Fledging

Chapter 19

Sorry about the delay!  Remember:  Chapter 18 has been changed slightly, and part of it added to this chapter (but that part has been added to and tweaked so DON'T skip it if something seems familare.  Re read the last chapter if you don't remember or want to see the changes!

Chapter 19

                The riding was strange for me, having never had the opportunity, or quite frankly the desire, to sit atop any equine.  I rode behind Kenneth who held the reigns in a relaxed position while I every so often tightened my grip on his shoulders when the horse shifted unexpectedly.  Despite the awkwardness of the ride as well as being alone with Kenneth, it was enjoyable to be moving while not having to do anything but sit still, it was a foreign concept to me but a nice one.

                Our riding was silent, almost awkward.  We were extremely close together physically, but it felt that we were leagues away from each other in all other ways, as if the relationship that we had had, whatever that was, had been marred.

I glanced up at the back of his head, wondering if I should ask him a question, I still had plenty of them.  Knowing that I needed to break the charged silence, I decided one question wouldn’t hurt.

                “So, your uncle is part of some purist movement, how do you fit in with all of this?” I asked, gesturing upwards at those who flew above us.

Kenneth glanced up too and for a moment was silent.  He was quiet for so long that I thought he wasn’t going to reply.  However he took a breath and said in a hesitant voice.

                “My childhood was, for a few years, with my parents who were part of the Kundi- Amani.  When they died, I was raised by the community.  My Uncle thought I was being raised by my father’s family.  He had no idea who they were, least of all that they weren’t human.  I don’t think he suspects even to this day, not many outside the KA know about them, their relationship was kept pretty quiet.  Anyway, he had wanted to take me in to live at his plantation with him, but I wrote him letters, assuring him that I was happy where I was.”  He stopped talking and for a moment I thought that silence would take over again, but then he went on.  “It worked for some time, I continued writing him to sate his curiosity.  However, about a year ago, he began to plead with me, asking me to come up for a visit, sometimes even indicating that he should come down to visit me himself, if I could truly not come to him.  The KA quickly stationed me in a house amongst the hills in the south about where I indicated in my letters that I lived.  We made sure everything was all set, incase my Uncle ever did decide to stop by.  It was a nice place to stay when I wanted to get out on my own for a while, it’s also the place I mentioned that we were going when we first left my uncle’s manor.”

                “So I guess you did decide to stop by his place after all,” I said, “what changed your mind?”

        “Well it wasn’t exactly my idea.  A few months ago, one of the Kundi- Amani had the idea that I should visit him, seeing that you were … err in his custody, and see if I could rescue you from there myself.  I didn’t want to go, thinking that if I did, he would find me out somehow, I’m not the best liar so I thought that he would somehow see through me, thankfully, it doesn’t seem like he did.  If anything changed, I don’t think it was that crucial.  I doubt he suspects the truth, it would be surprising, and terrifying, if he did.  But yea, as you know, I got you out and here we are, a few scrapes and lessons later.”  He rubbed a spot on his head that I could see was still red from whatever beating he had gone through with the Kraaigh.

                “Are you alright?”  I asked after a long lull in the conversation.

                “Hmm?  Oh, yea I’m fine, it only hurts when I move my head too much.”  He paused, and took a deep breath, stopping short on the inhale. “And at times when I breathe.”