Beyond the Books

Playmates

Characters: Orion and Eira
Book: This story does not take place in any of my fanfictions.
It is set when Orion is twelve and Eira is ten.

•༻☾☽༺•

Orion dashed through Windhaven, keeping well ahead of his pursuer. His wings were tucked close to his back, although the urge to spread them and leap into the air was overwhelming. He'd been learning to fly since he was eight years old, but even now, four years later, his parents still insisted that he only fly when supervised. He did his best to obey that rule.

Orion glanced over his shoulder, dark hair whipping across his eyes. A young auburn haired female was still chasing after him, though panting doggedly. There was no sign of the Illyrian wings she could manifest at will. Orion sometimes wished for that particular skill. It would come in handy during battles, and make for excellent pranks.

Orion grinned to himself and ran faster, sliding around the corner of a hut in the hopes of losing the girl. He ducked into the open doorway of a wooden lean-to and held his breath as she ran past. When her footsteps died away, he cautiously poked his head around the corner. There was no sign of the girl.

Orion crept into the open and inched his way to the edge of the hut. "Ha!" Eira leaped around the corner and tackled him, knocking him to the ground. He grunted at the impact and struggled to free his pinned wings. "I caught you," Eira crowed, letting her weight fall onto his stomach as she sat back.

"Yeah, yeah. Now get off." Orion gave her a prompting nudge and Eira twisted away from him.

"You have to chase me now," she said, her blue eyes shining with victorious light.

"I'm too tired."

Eira's mouth fell open and she smacked his shoulder. Orion laughed and caught her hand when she raised it a second time. "You're such a cheater," Eira pouted. She sat back against the wall of the hut.

"Am not," Orion retorted.

"Are too!"

"Am not."

"Are too!"

"You're just upset that you can't run as fast as me," Orion said.

"Your legs are longer than mine!"

"My mom says that doesn't matter. She's a whole foot shorter than Dad, and she can still outrun him."

Eira's mouth quirked sideways. "She doesn't have a choice but to run. I bet if your dad couldn't fly, he'd be just as fast as her."

"That's not her fault," Orion huffed, crossing his arms and looking away. "And anyway, your mom can't fly either and my mom can still beat her."

"Your mom doesn't bake as well as mine."

"She has other things to do."

"Like what?"

"Training me to fight. She promised she'd work with me more often when she's able, and Dad said that as soon as Mom is all right with it, he'll start me training with the other novices."

Eira drew her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. "No fair. I'll never get to start training."

Orion rolled his eyes and bumped her with an elbow. "Sure you will. But you're only ten. There's no need for you to be training yet."

"You're only twelve," she countered.

Orion sat up straighter. "Dad was my age when he began training."