Skylight

Streaks of Colour

"Show me how to make a boat, Cal!" I cried, clinging to his arm. The wooden boats he floated down the river fell into the sea, sailing their way to shore on the tides. I'd wanted to make one as well, thinking it was cool.

"You'll cut your finger," he replied, ruffling my hair. I reached for a wooden boat, but he held it out of reach. I jumped as high as I could, but he was still too tall.

"Go play with Lydia."

"All she wants to play is swords." I whined, grubby hands clawing at him for the boat.

With a sigh, Calix knelt down, holding out the boat to me. I grinned, grabbing it and touching the sails, but when I tried to slip my finger into the porthole, it found only solid wood. I frowned.

Handing it back to him, I suggested with a wide, toothy smile. "We should hollow it out! That way we can put stuff in it."

Calix tilted his head thoughtfully. "I suppose that would be a better idea."

"Better?"

"A good idea, I mean." he said with a laugh, his blue eyes twinkling. "Come on."

By the time we'd figured out how to hollow out the inside, the sun was already setting, dusk approaching fast. The boat had a small compartment that swung open with a handle at the bottom, the first final model I'd proudly made myself. I'd begged Calix to let them sail, even though it was growing dark.

As we sat by the river, five small ships in hand, Calix grinned at me, slipping something inside the compartment of one. When I tried to take a look, he pushed me back, wagging his finger. "Ah-ah, no peeking." he told me. "It's a gift only for whoever finds it."

I watched him sail a boat down, my laughter ringing through the night, until I noticed a red mark on the streak of the ship, marking it as our first final model.

Crying out, I dove after the small ship, and Calix tried to pull me back but the cloth of my cloak tore.

The boat splashed in and out of the water, and I hardly could fly fast enough to each it in time.

In the end, it disappeared, and I fell into the cold water.

Not knowing how to swim, I remembered what Lydia taught me, trying to keep myself afloat. Choking on my tears, I scanned the area for the boat, but it wasn't in sight. A figure stood in front of me, staring with wide, golden eyes.

He held my boat in his hands.

A hand reaching out to take it back, my eyes dried enough to realize that he didn't have any wings, nor any horns. Eyes widening, I screamed, clambering away from the human, afraid he'd hurt me.

It only resulted in more drowning and choking of water, until the human grabbed my wing and started pulling me.

I just kept crying, until I realized my feet had finally found ground. Drying my eyes, I saw that the human was of child age, slightly taller than me, his hair soaked.

He smiled, pushing the boat into my hand. "Sorry I took it." he said, picking up a towel and tossing it over me. "I didn't know it was yours."

Blinking dazedly, my hand wrapped around the comforting solidness of the boat.

Suddenly I started bawling again, hugging the boat to myself. The little boy just kept staring at me, not quite seeming to understand my fear.

"You can't get home with wet wings, right?"

My eyes drifted up to him as he grabbed another towel and began to dry my wings carefully. He seemed to have an understanding of how to touch them without messing them up.

Eventually they dried, and by then I'd finally calmed down.

When he finished, I tested out my wings and flew back home, so scared that I didn't even get the chance to thank him. I realized this as soon as I got back, and Calix was all over me.

He'd called for help from the castle, members of the royal council as well as security were asking me what happened, if I was hurt. Young as I was back then, I'd openly admitted to talking to a human, and they were horrified.

"He was nice!" I tried to convince them.

"You're lucky you're still alive." Calix had whispered, his pure terror written all over his face. At the time, I hadn't questioned it. After all, he'd been taken hostage for 2 years, just having gotten back. I was in no place to argue.

But by then, I'd already developed a rather rebellious streak, even with Calix, who I looked up to so much. I watched everyday for the little boy, until I finally spotted him.

It had been a year ago, but I never forgot it once. I dove again, shooting straight down and slammed into him, wrapping him in a hug.

I didn't know if he remembered me, or if he was different. But I just thanked him over and over, until the rush of the flight wore down and I pulled away.

After the moment of surprise, we found a spot to hide, away from the sights of the people in a place that overlooked the sea. He told me he'd remembered me, and often came to the sea in case I fell again. We'd both waited every day for a year.

That day though, I swore I found my best friend, his name like the most beautiful melody ringing in the air when he told me.

"Valentine."