Aloi Who Learned To Fly

The Mirrored Pools

Aloi did not want a blemish. Could flying be a blemish even though it was a skill of her ancestors? It was too horrible to consider.

Aloi stripped off her orange tunic, first removing her brown hempen belt with the stone buckle. She wore nothing beneath. Nudity was not considered taboo for the Faeries. Not at all like it was viewed amongst the Westerners of Lakenrive. It was no bother to her to walk with the fading sun warming her skin until she dove headlong into the still and silent Mirrored Pools.

The Mirrored Pools were not like other bodies of water. The surface was stationary yet pliable and wet. The waters did not ripple or splash upon her entering them as if the person or animal that swam did not exist. They were situated in a small clearing at the western edge of the pine grove with nothing but sky above them.

There were seven pools; one large, two medium, and four small. Aloi preferred the small ones. It was as if she had her own little world. Laying within the large ones could be very daunting even for her who was so accustomed to the strange experience of floating in the still waters.

She found it relaxing and reverent while others were deeply disturbed by the water's magical properties. It took a spirit of content to enter the waters. Aloi floated along on her back and stared at the twilight sky. The moons had begun their rise and the brightest stars twinkled upon her through a veil of sapphire blue.

The larger moon, Spiron, sat just above and to theeast of the smaller moon, Bodia. She imagined that Spiron and Bodia were she and her sister, Trin. She thought she was always a step behind Trin, never measuring up to her perfection. Trin was not considered lazy or fanciful the way that Aloi was. She was often caught lost in a daydream, letting the water spill out of the garden beds, drowning the plants within. The only time she felt truly centered was floating in the Mirrored Pools.

Aloi opened her wings in the water beneath her but soon became bored. She let every inch of the cool liquid slid along the gossamer skin. Her wings were considered some of the most beautiful in Grovenglen. They had streaks of magenta and emerald with flecks of gold glittering in the iridescent skin. Sometimes, if she was upset, excited or had any other type of strong emotion, her wings changed color from emerald to blue to violet. She liked violet the best because it matched her eyes.

The sun fell completely behind the horizon. The sky to the east was a dark blue fading to a purple in the West. Aloi climbed out, twisted and squeezed the water from her long black hair, and dressed. She loved the feel of her orange cotton tunic against her skin. There was nothing better than the fabrics her mom created in their home studio. She spent hours combing through the cotton stretching and pulling it until it was as soft as it can be before weaving it finely. The shade of orange was not garish at all. It was warm and inviting like the sun as it sank in the sky in the evening hours.

A twig snapped nearby. Aloi looked around and didn't see any animal friends or another Faery. She peered around to the brush nearby and found nothing. She circled around the pool but found no one. Perhaps it was safe to try her wings once again. Sure, she promised to Mick that he would be there when she did it again, but she couldn't resist the urge that welled within her.

She flapped her wings a few times just for the feel of it. She flapped them again and she rose from the ground just a few feet. A few more flaps and she was looking down at the soles of her feet in the mirrored pool, the star lit sky serving as a backdrop behind her reflection. She flapped vigorously this time and she advanced with velocity. She zigged and zagged in the air, swirled and spun around realizing that she had much more capability than she originally thought.

The feel of the air rushing past her ears was exhilarating. It was as if she controlled the earth itself. She was no longer bound by its pull. A few more tumbles in the air and she landed in the brush near the edge of the Mirrored Pool. She heard a nearby bird cheep. It was a robin sitting on the edge of the brush with it's head cocked. She knew that Robin. It was Trin's animal friend, Bo. Bo was the most gossipy of all!

Aloi chased after her. "You mustn't tell anyone, Bo. Please. Our secret?" The bird hopped away from her, cheeping and chirping as she went, all threats to run to Trin immediately.

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