Dwarfslayer

45

Damon checked out of the inn just before sunset, and both he and Catherine set off down the road, both on the same horse. Damon found comfort in her arms around his waist. He was happy for the first time in what seemed like a long time.

An hour into their ride, when it was full dark, Damon stopped beside a grassy pasture, and hopped off. Catherine followed.

“You can let your wings go,” he said.

The white, feathered appendages exploded from her back as if from nowhere.

“So, uh, how do you fly?” Damon said.

“I don’t know.”

“You don’t?”

Catherine shook her head.

They stood looking at each other for a few seconds.

“Well,” Damon said, “try flapping them?”

She fluttered them a few times.

“Faster than that.”

Her wings pounded forward, and shot back quicker than before. An air current ruffled Damon’s hair.

"Now, jump!” he said.

She did so, and didn’t fall back down.

Her feet hovered inches above the grass, the wings still beating, gaining speed by the second.

“Try pushing yourself up!”

She closed her eyes, clenched her teeth, and pushed.

She elevated a few feet more.

Damon gaped at this for a second. He snapped out of his daze. “Can you move?”

“I’ll try,” she said.

Catherine took her focus away from keeping herself up, and tried propelling her wings back to move forward.

She only succeeded in falling.

Damon only had time to cover his head, before Catherine smacked him to the floor.

They lay still, Catherine on top of Damon, for a few seconds, catching their breath, and staring at each other.

Catherine broke the silence. “I’m sorry.”

“What are you talking about? That was one of the most amazing things I’ve ever seen.”

Her light brown eyes lit up. “Really?”

He nodded.

She pushed off of his chest, and stood quickly. “I’m gonna try again.”

He sat up. “Wait!”

She turned.

“If you do it like that, you’re just going to fall again,” he said. “I have a better idea, though. But you’re going to have to stand on my horse.”

He stood, and led the confused Catherine toward his stallion. He rehearsed the plan in his head. Catherine’s ability to fly was like sword fighting in a way. It was all about trajectory and momentum, his father had told him. He hadn’t known what those words meant, but his father had explained by showing. A person wouldn’t get anywhere in a battle without bringing the sword back, and throwing it forward. But that wasn’t all that was needed. The blade also needed to be led in the right direction. Damon was reminded of this lesson while watching Catherine, and he felt that it could apply to flying, too.

He helped Catherine step onto the horse’s saddle. As she climbed up, she threw back a slightly distrustful glance.

She teetered a little getting her second foot on, but Damon helped her regain balance.

Finally, she stood steady atop Damon's noble steed.

“Okay, now, Catherine, what I want you to do is crouch slightly. Don’t worry, I got you.”

She took a deep breath, and followed his directions, albeit slowly.

“When I say ‘go’, I want you to dive, but try your best to use your wings while your head is pointed at the sky. If not, you’ll go down instead of up. You understand?”

She nodded slightly.

“Okay, then. Get ready, and… GO!”

She jumped, pumped her wings, and sliced through the air in a straight line.

“Try turning!” he yelled. “Just lean to whichever way you’re going!”

She twisted pointed her shoulders to the right, and turned in that direction, making a full turn. She flew back to where he was.

Damon watched in awe as she came closer and closer, turning when she reached the horse, and flying around it.

She turned the corner, and Damon realized too late that she was going to hit him.

He closed his eyes, and braced for the impact.

But it didn’t come.

Instead, he felt hands clasp his biceps, and raise into the air.

He opened his eyes, only to find he was streaking through the air, in Catherine’s grasp.

“How?” were the only words he could muster.

Catherine was laughing hysterically. “I don’t know! My wings are strong enough to carry both of us, I guess!”

Damon looked down, and realized that the ground seemed to be growing farther away. He stifled a scream, and looked up his carrier. “You’re going too high, Catherine! You need to go back down.”

Catherine appeared to realize just where they were, and she tensed, her grip tightening.

Panic seized Damon, and he struggled to find something to say. “Calm down,” he said, to both her and himself. “We won’t get down safely if you don’t calm down.”

“I don’t know how.”

“Take a deep breath,” he said, “and point yourself slightly downward.”

Her grip on his arms loosened a bit, and relief set upon him as he saw the ground inch closer and closer to them.

They reached the ground a short time later, and collapsed on the soft grass upon landing.

The panic had completely subsided from both, and all that was left was drowsiness.

They spent the rest of the night sleeping side by side, under the stars.