Chapter 1
Plummeting towards the earth, her last breath long since ripped away, Flisety was starting to regret her choice of transport.
The winds howled as they tore at her fur, shredding her silent scream. Strange how fast such things could change. Only seconds ago, they had been nothing but a gentle gust, a friendly companion among the sky’s peace. Now their shrieks were murderous.
Below, the ground loomed ever closer, shapeless smudges of green becoming broad trees with delicate leaves also caught in the wind’s rough frisk. Their jutting branches were curled fangs, ready to halt her fall with a spearing blow.
More than ever, she was grateful for the sturdy paws clasped around her chest. Their security felt insignificant compared to the power of the winds, but it was something to keep her pinned in place. Without their hold, she would be helpless, left to the wills of the unforgiving sky.
A sudden thought struck her with a wave of panic. Fighting the wind’s tug, she reached a paw backwards, batting frantically at her side. Where was it? Had it been whisked away? If so, this would all be for nothing.
Her claws caught on soft material and her panic faded. Of course, Dysmas wouldn’t let her satchel blow away.
Suddenly, her whole body lurched forward, and for a terrifying moment she felt her chest slide from Dysmas’s paws. But then he pulled her back towards him, and she realised the winds had dropped as they slowed. The final distance to the ground was a steady glide. This kinder air was far easier to breathe, and so she gulped it down, gradually calming her hammering heart.
A small smile brushed her snout as her paws slid gently into contact with the grass. Standing with her weight pressing down was an odd sensation after being up in the sky so long, enough to bring a surge of dizziness. But when it subsided, she pressed her pads more firmly against the earth. Its stable touch was a welcome comfort.
“All okay?” Dysmas strolled into view, halfway through folding his wings at his sides. Their feathers were strips of the sky themselves, a light blue touched with rare white wisps, almost seeming to blend with his sky-coloured fur as they slid into place by his shoulders. “Sorry it was a little rough on the way down.”
Dipping her head, Flisety smiled at him. “No, it was fine. Glad to be here safe though,” she added with a slight chuckle.
He met her gaze, his eyes kind. “I hope you enjoy your stay.”
The edge of her smile became strained, but she willed it to stay in place. “I hope so too. Thank you,” she added, placing as much meaning into the words. It wasn’t in an Airewylf messenger’s job description to transport wolves from town to town. Dysmas had done this from the goodness of his heart, and she was grateful for that. Days walking alone to get here instead would have been a much less inviting prospect.
Her claws curled inwards. The stretched thinking time might have posed a danger, too.
“You are most welcome. Would you like me to walk with you to the border, or are you okay from here?” Dysmas gestured to a path winding ahead of them, beyond the small forest.
Hesitating, Flisety glanced at her paws. A part of her wanted him to accompany her, if only for the support of having someone beside her. But she’d promised she would do this alone, and she wasn’t in the habit of breaking promises. Especially those made inwardly -- not exactly to herself, but to the wolf who had carved an emptiness into her heart. The same emptiness that had chased her all the way here.
“Thanks, but I think I’ll continue alone now. You’ve done enough for me.” She gave Dysmas another polite nod.
“Alright then. Take care, Flisety. It was a pleasure travelling with you.”
“The same to you.” Her gentle smile remained for as long as she watched him take off, the slight flick of his wings the only thing that set him apart from the rest of the sky.
With a deep breath and a decisive stamp of her paw, Flisety turned from their landing spot and made her way to the path. It stood out clearly from the dense vegetation that surrounded it -- the grass was tinged with yellow from the thousands of paws that had gradually worn it down over the age it had been in place, firmly trampled against the earth. She placed her own forepaw lightly onto the centre of the path, imagining the ghosts of all the wolves before marching along ahead of her.
Another slow exhale. She was ready for this. Lunerda might be a few times larger and older than Borelton, but that shouldn’t make it scary. It was the first ever wolf settlement, after all. It had been welcoming travellers like her for generations.
Whispered rumours said it was a place one found their soul. Flisety could only hope such things were true.
She began at a brisk pace, tracking the path’s progress with ease. The thick nature of the trees quickly dissipated, the forest falling away within a matter of minutes. The warm rays that the absence of a leaf shield left behind was an unnerving touch on her flank, like a dim reminder of her own vulnerability. She was used to woodland rolling on for as far as the eye could see. This short cluster of trees felt hardly worthy.
Long before she let herself register it, tall silhouettes loomed into view in the distance. Without trees and hills, the grass plains stretched on unblocked, giving her an easy view of the town ahead. She averted her eyes for as long as possible, reminding herself that she still had a short walk to go. By the time the dark shapes had become houses with flattened roofs and claw-carved watching posts, she finally let herself lay eyes on it entirely.
Lunerda sprawled ahead of her. It felt like a living body of wood and stone reclining over the flat land, sliding over the horizon and continuing on beyond. The many rooftops, marked with strands of straw in an attempt at natural insulation, sparkled in the sun’s shine. The material seemed to twist the light into something unlike the golden rays, instead gleaming with bright, heavenly silver, as if the moonbeams of night had taken up permanent residence within the whole town. Whether it was Flisety’s imagination or not, she couldn’t deny the spark of magic the whole place encompassed.
She was so distracted in admiring the spires of the watchtowers that she didn’t realise quite how close they had become. Her paw caught hard against a wooden structure, almost sending her tripping into it, but she managed to regain her step. A sign before her displayed glittering silver letters. Lunerda. Sylvera’s original settlement, the place of Lunisk’s soul.
A small smile played on Flisety’s snout. It was official. She was here.
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