Feathers

Tower

Link took Leda's hand like it was a baby bird and held it up and away from her body. "Your other hand goes on my shoulder and mine goes here," he said, slipping his fingers against the doeskin dress at her waist.

"Our music is made with reed or bone pipes and our voices. I have heard music in the Lower Quarter, made with boxes and strings. I saw people dancing and jumping around like they were chickens," she laughed.

"It must have been some kind of celebration then," Link said. "Or they were just drunk. But Peregrines live in the High Quarter, in the Palace. We are expected to know many things, from how to fight and win, to how to treat a beautiful lady."

She looked at him with her sweet brown eyes. "Do you think I am a beautiful lady?"

"I do," he said, pulling her against him.

"When they teach you these things, do they teach you how to chase Ferals and catch us?"

He stiffened for a moment and looked down at her. Her tone had not been accusing, only curious. "No, Leda. As terrible as you think we are, we only want to give our mates the best lives we can. I do not agree with the way things are done, but we cannot let our race go extinct. There are many females in Incitatia that would like a Peregrine to be their husband. We are bound by the responsibility to our species to take Feral wives and not Flock Avians, because they could not make a Peregrine son. Many of those females are jealous of Ferals, you know."

"You are making this up!" She slapped his chest lightly before putting her hand back on his shoulder.

"I am not. There have been one or two Peregrines that have taken two wives or even let their Feral wife go after she bore him a son so that he could remarry," he said. Link could not help but be completely honest around her.

"Did the Peregrine keep the child?" There was worry in her eyes.

Link nodded. "The Feral did not want the child she had been forced to carry. It was the only way she thought that she would ever see Deepfell again. She also knew that the Peregrines would stop at nothing to keep the boy because he was like them."

"Oh," she said.

"Come, no more talk of sad things. I promised you a dance and a dance you shall have."

"We do not have music, Link," she looked at him sternly. "You cannot dance without music. Well, you might try, but you would look like you were sick with the wild mushrooms!"

"Sure you can. Or you can dance to any sound that is there at all, like the trees or the birds or the wind. You can dance to music that is in your head even. But, you are right, this is a proper dance and we should have proper music." He grinned broadly. "So you will just have to sing for us!"

"What? Me, sing?" She stared at him incredulously.

"Yes, I have heard you before, when you are on your way to come see me."

She pursed her lips and frowned. "Well, I don't know."

"Please?" He leaned in and kissed her cheek, something he had been wanting to do for a long time. Her eyelashes fluttered and her mouth fell open in shock. She quickly tried to hide her smile, but the color that filled her face belied her emotions.

"Alright," she agreed. Leda sucked in a deep breath and let it out, drawing herself up straight. As she began, Link slowly stepped back, pulling her along with him. Her voice was quiet and soft, but the rhythm of the song was easy to find and move with.

"In the dark, I did awake.

The stars were burning bright.

The mist was thick like downy feathers.