Wings of Fire • Dragon of Loyalty [4]

Chapter Seven

"Why there?" Quickclaws asked.

     Rainwind eyed the mirror as she held it, feeling more comfortable with the idea that it wouldn't break if she held it tightly. "I don't get it either. Wouldn't it be more useful to see something more helpful to us? Like how this all began?"

     Thunderclap nodded eagerly. "Exactly! Where did Brisktail get his animus magic from? Don't you want to know?"

     I guess he has a point, Rainwind thought as her friends began to debate, her eyes landing on Brisktail. He was the only one that was silent, staring at the mirror she was holding thoughtfully. As she glanced at him, she let herself be guided by Thunderclap's curiosity.

     Where did Brisktail get his animus magic from? How did that work? Is his father an animus too? Rainwind shivered at the idea of Keeneye with the power to back up his aggressive wishes. Hopefully not. To put the feeling away, she eyed the long mirror in her talons. A thought struck her. It's too big for Brisktail to fit in his pouch!

     "How are we going to transport the mirror?" she asked, and her friends quieted.

     The sheet of ice was eight-sided, shaped like a rectangle where two of the four parallel sides were longer than the other. The longest side was longer than half of Rainwind's forearm. There was no way Brisktail could keep it in his pouch where he liked to hide the rest of his magic-touched objects. So much for being inconspicuous – how would they carry this around all the time?

     "You have a point," Brisktail said, taking the ice. He eyed it thoughtfully. "We might as well add a way to make it turn it off as well."

     "You can give it another command," Quickclaws suggested, "Something like, 'I am finished.' Then it could shrink so it's the same size as your pebbles-"

     "-And then expand again when you give it the command to work. That's good." Brisktail set about reworking the mirror and Rainwind watched as he gave it the ending command. It shrunk so fast that he almost dropped it. Fortunately, Brisktail caught it and held it in one talon, since it was now the size of a small stone. He placed it in his pouch when he was done.

     "Think we have enough time?" Lightningtail questioned aloud, speaking up for the first time since Brisktail suggested watching Swansong murder the previous queen. "To fly to Fallen Star Point, I mean."

     Rainwind looked up. The sun was just reaching midday. "Yeah. We're already nearby, it shouldn't take too long."

     "Well then," Lightningtail said, "What are we waiting for?"

     Quickclaws and Thunderclap spread their wings as Brisktail pulled his compass out. He handed it to Rainwind, letting her use it. She smiled, holding it up so all four of them could see. "Show me the way to Fallen Star Point!" she shouted. The needle spun, then slowed to point somewhere behind her. Rainwind spread her wings and launched off the ice ledge, flicking her tail to balance herself in the air as she ascended in the sky. The flaps of her friends below her sounded their following.

     Setting off in the direction of Fallen Star Point, Rainwind set a fast pace. The winds were brisk as they led her, at the head of their flying formation, and Rainwind smiled as she let herself bask in the simple joy of flying.

     As soon as we figure out what caused Windwhipper to rebel, I doubt I'll have much time to enjoy things like flying with my friends. We'll be busy saving the tribe and stuff.

     She chuckled, focusing on the feeling of beating her wings gently. The wind lifted her and tickled her sides. How did everything come to this? Flying around Ventus like migrating birds, worrying about a rebellion every other moment? It feels like yesterday that summer was ending and the only problems were catching up to school.