Attanya

Ewa

Melody

            A faint smile curled Melody’s lips as she gently glided her fingers over the hard scales of Kaleigh. :You have no idea how amazing this is for me. I’ve read books about people who could talk mind to mind, but actually hearing your thoughts… It’s exhilarating.: To Melody’s surprise it was much easier to speak with her mind than she had thought it would have been. All she was doing was focusing on her words instead of the images. :How am I talking with you like this?:

            A vibration beneath Melody made her jump from the unfamiliar sensation. :When I gave you the mark it opened the door in your mind that time had sealed shut.:

            :Oh, makes sense I guess.: It didn’t make sense.

            While Melody stared at her new mark she was suddenly curious about Grey’s. :Kaleigh?:

            :Yes little Melody?:

            :You say that this mark opened a door in my mind, when Grey touched it he got a mark as well. Does that mean the door in his head opened too?: If her theory was correct, that would mean Grey was going to start to be able to use a power he didn’t have before.

            Again was the vibrations beneath her. :Well I suppose you are right. Although it isn’t unheard of, it’s also rare that a Flyer mark extends to another. The Flyers are born of magic and can awaken powers that were hidden in the back of the subconscious.: After a pause to find her wording, Kaleigh continued. :If the power isn’t there then there is no door to open. But for this mark to extent to the boy here of all places, it wasn’t me that extended it but you.:

            That confused Melody, no matter how she put it there was no way that she could have done that. Until a few minutes ago she didn’t even know what the mark could do let alone pass it along. :I don’t understand.:

            :I’m not from this realm. When we go back to my home, what happened today won’t be remembered. It will be like an odd daydream that everyone shared but can’t bring themselves to believe was real.: She paused again, but only a second. :You gave him the gift of his memory. If you are able to come back, he will remember everything.:

            :If I can come back. Was it that hard to come here?: Melody’s throat clenched up, doubting if she was actually able to go on this journey.

            :What I sacrificed to come here is something that you will never understand, nor something you will ever be able to get back. We’ve set something in motion that you will have to finish. Give it time and you will not regret meeting me.: Her last remark had Melody think that maybe she wasn’t that good at keeping her thoughts in check.

            They flew quietly for a long while, the wind constantly tried to tear Melody away from Kaleigh while the cold air confused her sense of season. A push from somewhere around Melody’s mind, almost a physical nudge from the force of it, startled her eyes open. Soft words of a woman voice informed Melody that the pressure came from Kaleigh. :When we get to your home I want you to grab your things quickly, I don’t want to waste more time than necessary. Understand?: A command, not a request.

            “We’re going to my house? Why?” The wind ripped her words away; confusion switched her back to speaking verbally.

            :So you can get some of your things. Do you not wish to bring something with you?:

            Melody switched back to mind-speech though it took effort to change her thoughts into solid words. :No, I would love that, but I was under the impression that you are in a hurry. But this is fine. Thank you.: Regardless of the situation, Melody didn’t know enough about what was going on to really stay calm. It must be normal for Kaleigh however for Melody this almost wasn’t real; she was really going with a Dragon to an unknown location.

            :We are in a hurry, but there’s something that needs to be picked up at your home before we leave.: Silence filled Melody’s head again as her thoughts wandered to what she was going to take. It wasn’t long before the pressure popped her ear drums, she realized they were descending. Melody saw her home below them; no cars parked out front made room for Kaleigh to land. As soon as she was able to unbind herself from the Dragon’s back she ran to the front door, unbolted the dead lock with frozen fingers that caused her to take longer than normal to open the door.

             Her body felt cold to the touch yet the warmth from the sun soaked wood beneath her feet warmed her in the fleeting moments there.

            The first thing Melody did was grab her bright pink duffle bag that was wedged between the wall and her computer stand which she quickly, and ungraciously, filled with essentials.

            Her brain ran a mile a minute as she tried to think of what a person would take to run away with a Dragon, all the while ignoring the absurdity of the thought and the implicit suggestion that she was going insane for thinking said thought. All that came to mind were the supplies for camping; a groan escaped her lips as she tugged at her hair while she tried to remember the distant camping trips she had been on. However all of those memories were from when she was very young, from the time when she went camping as a family.

            Spices, food, and probably some water as well. Melody ran to the kitchen and stared at the shelves of spices for a few moments before she grabbed what she could then ran back to her room. In less than five minutes she had a pregnant pink bag sat on the leather couch while she threw random object around looked for her camera. After Melody found it she took one dazzling picture of Kaleigh and set about a short note to her mother.

            One a scrap of paper she got from the computer desk, Melody wrote the only thing that came to mind. “Mom, I’m leaving for a little while. I’m sorry that I don’t get to say good bye in person and have no real way of explaining this to you. No matter what, know that I love you and that I will come back. Your song bird, Melody.”

            After a quick kiss, she bolted back to her room after she realized she forgot socks. Melody scrambled through her things until she had a few pairs, a slender body drew her attention from the deep mahogany drawers. My bow… A weapon, of course, it didn’t take long for Melody to realize that she had no idea where she was going or if it was safe at all. Melody already packed her hunting knife but she wasn’t lethal with it, however her aim with a bow was better than the next guy. How ironic, she mused that her odd hobby, at least in modern America, might actually be essential where she was going.

            Where was she going?

            Melody shook her head, she reaches out, be brave Mel. How often does your destiny present itself in the shape of a living legend?

            Staring at the bow, her hand stops midair. It hung on a hanger in front of her window, the deep back quiver hanging beside it. If I were the main character of a story, what would I do? It only takes a moment for the answer to cause Melody to smile. Take the bow.

            Without hesitation she grabbed the slender wooden body, the cold curves tingled against Melody’s hand. The sensation similar to a hand to the back of Melody’s head, soft but firm.

            :Oh, that’s smart. What you need most, you grab last. Yeah, in the end that will save you!: An extremely sarcastic voice droned through Melody’s mind.

            “Excuse me?” Melody asked, while she searched for a logical origin of the words.

            The female’s husky voice spoke again, this time she spoke proudly. :You’re holding me.: A thick laugh filled Melody’s head, the laugh harsh. :I am Ewa and I will be your mentor if you gain the brains to use me.: Strange, that’s never happened before.

            Images flew through her mind; somehow Melody knew that the bow was a teacher for children who had something called a gift. What gifts were Melody didn’t know, however she understood that the soul that lived in the bow passed from object to object, place to place. She traveled to where she was needed.

            Melody stared at the bow, and after a few moments she made a split decision. If she were part of a story then this wouldn’t be too crazy a thing to do, right? “Right, well. Ok, nice to meet you.” Melody grabbed the quiver and wrapped the strap around the bow, then carried it out with her. I guess you can’t go somewhere with a magical creature and not have anything weird happen to you.

            Melody grabbed the rest of her things, and strode out of the house, then locked the door behind her. She ran through the dried leaf's to Kaleigh’s waiting form; Melody climbed quickly and straddled the saddle as she tied her bags to the back of the saddle. Once they were firmly strapped down, Melody turned around and wrapped straps over her legs. With a quick breath and a mental demand to keep vomit from spouting out her mouth Melody nodded. “I’m ready when you are.” Fear locked her joints as she anticipated the jump, not only the immediate future scared her but the unknown journey she was going on as well.

            All she ever needed was for someone to take the chance and show her the way. Perhaps Kaleigh was that person, maybe she could get Melody to a place where she was able to protect rather than be protected.

            Melody closed her eyes as she dumped all of the strength of her soul for one intention. Let this dream be real.

            With a force of a speeding car they launched into the air, a gasp as the sudden change of speed escaped Melody’s lips as she clung to the saddle. Below them the white house disappeared quickly among the tall oak trees. A degrading picket fence separated the yard from the neighbors atop a small hill. A tall, hole ridden oak tree now hid what remained of her home. When was the next time she would slide down those graceful hills on a trash can lid, will she even see her home again? That question made her fear stronger, though a gentle touch eased the fear to a manageable worry.

            The memory of her horse rides up and down the path between oak trees and fruit trees almost caused Melody to cry. Will she get to climb the warped pine tree they planted the Christmas from third grade again?

            Kaleigh’s thrust her wings that force them higher and higher into the sky until Melody wondered how much more they could go. The distance grew with every wing beat, only when they level with the clouds did Kaleigh’s voice fill Melody’s head. :Hold on, we’re leaving.:

             This was the only decision, somehow Melody understood that. It was like she had made the decision long before now.            

            Melody clenched her eyes shut and tightened her hold on the curved saddle, Melody waited anxiously for what was to happen though not really sure what to expect. Moments passed, each counted by a thud of wings, the longer the pair stalled midflight the more nervous Melody became. For what felt like ten minutes they stayed in that one position, her heart slowly went back to a normal beat before she dared open her eyes. “Are we…” The words cut themselves off as she saw black fractures in the air before her. Her mind was unable to comprehend what they were and reeled at the sight of them.

            Her soul shook as Kaleigh’s jaw opened and a mist burst out then mingled with the shredded light. A sound stretched, twisted and thrashed scream reverberated through Melody’s head, and it doubled her over in the saddle to hold her shattered skull between her hands in a desperate attempt to ease some of the pain. A scream escaped her lips as the pain redoubled, this time it spread down her spine. Each inch it shredded the muscles of her body, the pain made it impossible for her to do anything but scream.

            Her stomach jumped then, the pain ebbed for only a moment to tell her that they fell through the shredded mist, however new shreds opened before them and sent new waves of warp through her mind. Her mind went blank, it only felt like a moment but darkness stole away the pain.

            It wasn’t that the pain was relieved but an absence of pain.

            Melody attempted a shuddered breath and to open her eyes, all she saw now were green eyes that looked at her both shadowed with confusion.

            Melody tried to focus on something besides the eyes but fear of the owner of the eyes sent her back to the shredded pain, though this time it was only a moment. After Melody opened her eyes a second time, she saw the face of a boy no older than her. His face shone with sweat and fever reddened his cheeks, his eyes fluttered open as he stared directly into Melody’s eyes. Relief flitted across his face before he whispered something; the words came at a distance so they take a moment to reach her ears but when they do, she bolted awake. “Wake up.”

            Her eyes flashed open as she realized she was slumped on the saddle horn, the pair of them still in the dive but this time white was on their horizon. Muscles burned against bone and made it hard for her to hold on, though she didn’t need to for long. Kaleigh pulled up sharply from her dive that sent iron into Melody’s belly. Her arms fell limply to her sides as she strained to sit up in her seat. Melody breathed in a shallow breath of freezing air that woke her completely.

            “What just happened?” Melody muttered when she found enough energy to speak.

            Regret touched Kaleigh’s voice as she spoke. :I had to rip open the Gate to get you through, it was a lot easier getting there than coming back.: Gate? Melody focused on breathing while she tried to understand what the Dragon meant, though her words distracted Melody from finding that answer. :Welcome to Attanya Melody.:

            She breathed deeply; Melody clung to the thick sensation in her belly almost like it is the only thing that holds her down. Melody opened her eyes and was caught by the stunning view before her. Awe forced the fear and panic from her mind. A painting lay before her, it glistened white and gleamed. Her mind searched for the name of the painting that was so similar to the rolling landscape around them and Melody remembered. Jim Lane, that particular painting was called Winterscape.

            Kaleigh pumped her wings as hard as her heart pounded to pull them out of the dive. When they completely leveled out Melody leaned over Kaleigh’s shoulder, her own shoulders strained to hold her onto the saddle. Unlike in Red Bluff, snow covered the ground; everywhere around them were trees taller than any trees near Melody’s home. All Melody could smell was the forest, the earth below and the scent of the wind. No cars, no houses.

            Nothing.

            It felt so empty though there were so many living things around them.

            :It’s beautiful.: Trees pierced the snow here and there, the little brown and off white dotes moved in the land far below. Though they were so far up, Melody could see everything in perfect detail. In the distance in front of her were little wisps of smoke that weaseled their way out of the trees.

            :It is.: Melody felt love and peace come with those words. It was like they were Melody’s thoughts and not Kaleigh’s. :This is a place where things from your world do not exist. A place where you can start over in the blink of an eye, be new as a babe.:

            They fly in silence for a while. Kaleigh gave Melody the time to look at the world in silence, to take it all in. Though the silence was taken much sooner than Melody wanted it to, Kaleigh’s voice broke the silence. :Melody, can I ask you something of you? Can you tell no one of my speaking out loud?:

            Melody shifted her position in the saddle, then leaned over her shoulder again to look at the ground, this time her shoulders had a little more strength to them. :Of course. But can you do me a favor?:

            While they hovered in place, Kaleigh looked back and met Melody’s eye. The Dragon’s eye was that of a cat’s eye, gray around a shining black diamond iris. :Depending on what it is.:

            :If I do something stupid, forgive me. I do everything that I think is right but sometimes it’s not. Sometimes I get it wrong.:

            Her eyes smiled at Melody. :I can do that.:

            Melody smiled in response, even though Kaleigh was no longer looking at her. :Thank you.:

            Kaleigh hummed then drifted lower to the ground. The tremble under Melody made her clench up until she realized that Kaleigh was laughing. “What?”

            :Nothing Bright hair.:

            Melody glared are her neck for a moment before her gaze softened. The thought of what her mom used to say brought a brief smile to her face. Melody could almost see her crouched in front of her with a smile. “You know if you keep frowning, your face will get stuck like that.”

            Melody would cross her arms and stick her tongue at her mom. “Will not.”

            Mom would open her eyes really wide and put her hands on her hips. “No? How do you know? Haven’t you seen the Grinch’s face? He always frowned and one day it got stuck. Why do you think he was so grouchy?”

            She would always get Melody to laugh somehow, even when she was really mad.

            :That is a cute memory.:

            Melody blinked in confusion and look at the back of the Dragon’s head. “You saw that?”

            Her head bobbed like a baby duck. :Memories are hard to keep in. When you’re connected it’s even harder. With practice you’ll be able to block them from others.:

            Melody chewed on her cheek then frowned. :Oh, I’m sorry. I hadn’t realized that I was doing anything. When will we start training?:

            :You don’t want me to know anything about you so badly?:

            Melody shook her head, a frown creased her brow. :It’s not that, I just don’t want to shove things on people.: Her understanding filled Melody along with an emotion that she couldn’t identify.

            :It will be soon.: Kaleigh dipped lower again. Her claws were close to kissing the ground now; they were so low that she drifted between the towering trees. The scent of wood, dirt and snow filled Melody’s nose while vibrant colors and the stark white of snow filled her vision. The trees stood far apart where she didn’t have to drift too far to avoid the next trunk. Few branches reached out to grab the duo; snow fell off the thick corded branches after they passed under them. :There’s someone down there if you want to jump.:

            Melody giggled. :Do you not want to land?:

            Kaleigh laugh in return, she said. :I wouldn’t mind landing but you are wanting to jump.:

            The girl frowned; Melody then realized that Kaleigh probably heard her wondering about it. :It’ll be a while before I’m used to you hearing what I’m thinking about.:

            :You’ll be able to block me from hearing soon. I’m sure you’ll be fine until then.: She turned really fast then leveled out. :Do you want to jump?:

            The thought had crossed her mind however it was so common for others to respond to an unconscious retort from Melody’s mind that she didn’t even think about having Kaleigh do it as well. She smiled again then nodded, Melody forgot the Dragon couldn’t see her again. :Yeah, but you’ll have to slow.: