Falling for Forever (6 page)

Bryn shook her head in disbelief. "So it was you that wanted the powder that day," she said as she met Mariah's eyes. "If Yarrow had known, he would have just given it to you. It would have been much less painful to just give it rather than Franklin taking it the way he did. But like all the other times before, his horn healed quickly. How long have you known him?"

Mariah sighed, sounding upset. "I suppose it has been about eleven or twelve years now. Franklin was parading the unicorn through the market when I first met him. I offered to buy the creature from Franklin, but he would have none of it, so I simply bought the small amount of horn powder from him. I frequently required this material, so every so often I visited him at his home to purchase it from him. I had not known that he took it by force."

Bryn smiled at Mariah, hoping to ease her worries. "Yarrow would have liked to come live here. He used to give me the powder to mix with spring water to drink when I would get hurt as a child."

"Yes, it does make good medicine; this is another reason why I use it on my swords. To heal. The powder has the ability to relax the muscles of the person ingesting it. This helped me subdue a person without killing them, plus the medicine helps to heal whatever wounds my blade has inflicted. I have no desire to harm any creature, but sometimes it is necessary." Mariah sipped her tea and got up from her wooden chair to take a seat on the floor a few feet away from Bryn.

Bryn smiled at Mariah and shook the last few droplets of water from her wings. "Thank you for coming to find me, Mariah," she said shyly.

Mariah dipped her finger into her lukewarm tea and swirled it around a few times before looking up at her. Mariah laid her hand atop hers and smiled slightly. "I could not let you be out in that terrible weather by yourself, Bryn. I understand that you have a great fear of people, and you have every right to. My words may be empty in your mind, but I will never harm you. It may take you a long time to truly believe that, but I hope you can one day."

"I think I will someday." Bryn smiled sweetly at Mariah. Her tongue touched her pink lips as she thought about what her heart had been telling her to do. She leaned toward Mariah a few inches and closed her eyes as her mouth opened ever so slightly.

But she quickly turned her head to the side at the last moment and pulled away from Mariah. Her mind was screaming at her to kiss her, but she resisted the urge and applied some more cream to her feathers. "I can't wait for these things to grow again. I actually haven't had a full set in years. Not since my last escape attempt anyway." Bryn shyly smiled at Mariah and tickled her nose with the tip of her longest feather.

Mariah laughed at her touch and smiled back at her. "I am glad they will grow back. When I first saw you, I was somewhat worried that you would never fly again."

"Fly?" She laughed and smiled at Mariah. "I've never been more than two or three feet off the ground. That's actually the reason Franklin had them clipped and why he got rid of my dragon friend. Damascus, that was the dragon's name, was teaching me how to fly. Then after Franklin took him away, I tried it on my own."

"You have never learned to fly? We'll have to find some way to teach you. Perhaps when we go to the Strytas city, we can find a kind soul who will help you." Mariah finished the last of her tea and set her cup up next to Bryn's. Her wings already looked more full and vibrant; Bryn wondered what was in the cream that acted so quickly to heal her.

"Yes, we should," she said as she arched her back and yawned. She lay down next to her in front of the fire. Mariah's hand was inches from her shoulder, and Bryn looked at it in simple fascination. The desire to kiss her was still strong in her and fighting it was of little use. She bent her head down and kissed her fingertip gently. Her eyes never left Mariah's though, and as she pulled away from her, Mariah's cheeks were a dark red.

Mariah tried hard to stifle her giggling and increasingly flushing cheeks. Smiling down at her, Mariah lightly ran her fingers through her soft curls. Her golden hair flowed easily though Mariah's fingers, and Bryn was glad she hadn't flinched away. "We will see it one day, Bryn. We will run around in the streets and forget all of our cares. You will soar high in the sky, more beautiful than any eagle that shared it with you." Mariah smiled down at her and slowly relaxed her fingers out of her delicate hair.

Bryn blushed and rose gracefully to her feet. "Goodnight, Mariah. See you in the morning."

She picked up the cream and cups and left the room. Bryn put the cups into the sink and then walked into the bedroom. She crawled between Mariah's sheets and snuggled into the most luxurious bed she had ever been in. Really, the only actual beds she had spent time in were Franklin's or one of his guests, so Mariah's bed was a welcomed treat. She pulled the sheet up around her body and folded her wings against her shoulders for the night. Bryn lay awake in the bed listening to Mariah and the crickets outside. Rain beat against the window and she was glad to have a place to come inside away from it for once.

Bryn's piercing scream woke Mariah like fire through her mind. Mariah fell to the floor and slammed face-first into its hard, cold surface. She quickly recovered to her feet, and the sound of her sword being drawn rang through the air like thunder. Mariah quickly snapped her head back and forth, looking for the invader that had frightened Bryn. There was no shadowy form in the room, no gnarled murderer or massive beast. Only a pair of frightened eyes stared back at her, eyes that belonged to a Strytas huddled and crying on the floor. The rage in Mariah's heart quickly rescinded as she returned her sword to its scabbard.

Bryn backed away from her. "Mariah, you were floating."

Mariah took a step toward her and she again backed away from her. "There are things you do not yet know about me, Bryn, and I am not so sure if you are ready to hear them."

"But how… how were you floating Mariah? You have no wings…"

"Magic, of course. Could you not feel it as you entered the forest?"

"What… what is magic?"

"Magic is the force, the energy that exists within certain creatures that inhabit this world, among those creatures are Strytas."

"You mean… I have magic?"

"Yes, Bryn. Perhaps you have never used it before, but you must have sensed it within yourself, especially during times when strong emotions overcame you."

"Could you possibly show me how to use magic one day, Mariah?"

"I am not sure I can, Bryn. The gift within each creature is different, and it may be that only another Strytas could help you learn to control it."

"How did you come to possess magic, Mariah? I have not seen any other human with the ability to float."

"I was born human, Bryn, but I have… changed over time. One day, I will explain it to you, but for right now all that I can ask is that you accept me for who I am."

*~*~*

Bryn nodded at Mariah and left the confines of the cabin and disappeared from her vision. The cool morning breeze swept against her bare legs in the short dress. It fluttered around her like a sheer white sail as goose bumps started to form along her skin. She knew that the day was destined to be hot, though so she brushed off the mild discomfort. Besides, she had weathered winters outside during blizzards, so a chilly breeze was nothing. The grass was wet from the rain, and the ground was still soft. Soon she was covered in mud up to her ankles, and she sloshed through the wet ground to the banks of the river. Bryn cleaned off her legs and spotted a batch of dry grass near some wildflowers along the bank of the river. She went to them and sat on the mound, her back resting against a large apple tree.

Bryn hummed softly to herself as she played with a small yellow flower in her hands. A few drops of water fell on her from the leaves above, and she laughed as they ran over her bare arms and back. She looked her wings over and ran her fingers through the soft feathers. Overnight they had become softer and longer. She decided to go to town later on and ask Angie what she had put in the cream. She felt warm breath above her and smiled up into Rishi's golden face. "Hello," she called happily to the dragon.

Rishi smiled at Bryn and lay down next to her. "What are you doing out so early, Bryn?"

Bryn shrugged. "I never sleep very long. And besides, after a rain like last night, there are so many flowers to smell and animals to talk to. I couldn't bear to be in bed with so much life everywhere."

Rishi chuckled and drank from the cool river. "Speaking of last night, was there some reason that you were out so late?"

Bryn looked away and draped her wings around her body. "I got scared of Mariah and had to get away," she said quietly.

Rishi turned Bryn's face toward her with one golden claw. "Why were you afraid of her, Bryn? Mariah would never hurt anyone."

She nodded and sighed. "Mariah tried to touch me last night."

Her nostrils flared red with the fire that burned inside of them. "Mariah did what?" she asked darkly.

Bryn quickly shook her head. "Mariah didn't try to touch me like that. She has never tried to do that. Mariah tried to touch my shoulders, and I got the wrong impression and jumped to conclusions and got very scared."

Rishi nodded and smiled. "Mariah will never hurt you child. You have nothing to be afraid of. Mariah isn't like other humans."

Bryn nodded. Looking to change the topic, she said, "Are all dragons as big as you?"

Rishi laughed. "Am I really that big?"

Bryn paused. The only dragon she had ever seen was a baby, and he was no taller than five feet. She imagined that there were bigger dragons than Rishi in the world, though, since she herself was only twenty feet or so tall. "I've never seen a dragon as big as you," she said shyly.

Rishi nodded. "There are bigger than me and there are smaller. How big was your friend?"

Bryn laughed as she thought about Damascus's goofy grin and the way he always seemed to be happy to see her, despite what was going on in their lives. He had been only a youngster the last time she had seen him though. "He was much smaller than you. Of course, he was only a baby then. Now though, he could probably kick your big golden butt," she teased.

Rishi gasped and tickled Bryn with her claws. "Well, some cultures think a nice round back end is a sign of great wisdom and power."

"Or lots of cake." Bryn said as she stuck her tongue out at the dragon. Rishi laughed and ruffled Bryn's curls with the tip of her tail.

*~*~*

Mariah walked to the library and sat down at her reading desk. She opened the book with the faded red cover and flipped to the first page. The words were written in old Elfish, though Mariah could easily understand the text. The book told of ancient battles and valiant heroes, many of whom Mariah had once met in her travels. Mariah looked out the large window and saw that the sun was centered in the sky, so she decided she would go outside and possibly try to find Bryn.

The day was proving to be fairly warm, so Mariah decided to change out of her white uniform into something lighter. Mariah chose a very light, sleeveless black shirt, adorned with a golden dragon and black pants. Mariah decided to take a pair of wooden swords with her as she ventured outside so that she could practice her swordsmanship if she could not find Bryn. The once swampy ground had dried with the warm sun and was now firm. Mariah strode across the field toward the river and dipped her hands into the clear water. Mariah drank the cooling liquid and splashed some on her arms and face before taking up one of the wooden swords. Mariah made the ancient and traditional sword salute and begin performing a few simple cuts. As her muscles warmed up, she moved to advanced techniques and lost herself in the flurry of her blade.

*~*~*

Rishi and Bryn watched as Mariah came up to the river. Bryn had never seen her in anything but her white suit, and her new choice of clothing excited her.

She climbed up to the first branch of an apple tree to get a better view of her. Mariah had not seen them yet, so she jumped effortlessly to a nearby oak tree.

"Bryn, come back here," Rishi hissed at her.

"I just want to get a closer look," Bryn softly said back as she navigated the gnarled branches. Rishi shook her head.

"Get back here. You should not spy on Mariah."

Bryn rolled her eyes and ignored the dragon. She teetered across a narrow branch before finally jumping to a branch directly above Mariah's head. She was well out of reach of her swords, and she still hadn't noticed her presence. Rishi grumbled to herself and disappeared into the field. Bryn stifled a giggle as she watched the sun bounce off Mariah's well-muscled shoulders. She hung her legs over either side of the branch and leaned forward over the branch. Her chin rested on her hands as she continued to watch Mariah. Her toes could just barely reach her, and she stretched one out to brush her short hair. Mariah moved away, out of her vision, and Bryn frowned, wondering where she would have gone.

Her body froze, and she looked over her shoulder as something touched her. Mariah had startled her, but this time she was able to control her reaction and just smile. She carefully turned around to face her, but lost her grip and fell screaming into the cool water. The water was deep enough that she did not hurt herself, and as she came up to the surface, she spat a stream into her face. She stood up and shook out her soaked wings. Her whole body was completely drenched, and she looked mournfully at her new dress. "Well, I guess I should go change." She paused and smiled up at Mariah. "Was it your plan all along to get me naked again, Mariah?"

Mariah gasped loudly. "Absolutely not!" With that, she dove into the water after Bryn and surfaced right in front of her body. Mariah drew back her hand and sent a wave of water directly at Bryn which completely soaked her wings and hair. She gave a polite little chuckle and dove into the water to avoid any possible counterattack.

Bryn laughed and dove in after Mariah. She caught up to Mariah quickly and rested her hands on her hips. She swam to Mariah's back and wrapped her arms around her stomach as they swam together. Her hands found the bottom of her shirt and slid under it. Soon they were on the top of her pants. In one quick motion, Bryn pulled her pants down to her knees and swam to the shore.