was a Guardian trainee.
Finally the girl pulled herself up completely and sat down on the grass, the eagle hopped alongside her.
Finally David deemed it safe to talk. “That was a pretty impressive stunt you just pulled.”
Hearing his voice, the girl jumped to her feet, ripped off the blindfold, and stared at him. He realized he probably should have waited for her to take the blindfold off before speaking to her. She regarded him warily, giving him the impression of a startled deer, frozen but ready to flee at the earliest opportunity.
“I’m sorry if I startled you,” he said, rising quickly. “It’s just that I’ve never seen something like that.” While brushing the loose grass off of his trousers he attempted to reach out to her with a friendly smile.
She still didn’t speak and as David studied her recognition dawned. She was the torchbearer from last night. Surprised he stared at her for a few moments, then realizing she was getting even more uncomfortable asked, “Weren’t you a torchbearer at the funeral last night?”
She looked at him long and hard before slowly nodding.
David tried again. “Your friend here is amazing,” he said gesturing towards the eagle now perched on her shoulder and who was eyeing him with the same distrust as her human friend. “How long did it take to teach him how to do that?”
“She.”
Finally, progres s , David thought as she uttered the tense word. “I’m sorry?”
“Her name is Destiny.”
“Sorry.”
She just nodded tersely.
“Is she friendly?” David asked, trying to make conversation.
The girl nodded. “Most of the time.”
“Can I pet her?”
“If she lets you, you can pet her.” She turned to the bird on her shoulder and nodded towards David.
To David’s surprise, and apparently the girl’s, Destiny let out a loud screech and then flew away.
“I’ll take that as a no,” David commented dryly as they both watched the bird fly to a large evergreen tree and land.
The girl didn’t comment, but glanced several times between him and where her feathered companion now perched, a ruminating look on her face. He had a feeling that Destiny’s opinion mattered highly to her human friend.
David studied her. She was very small and slender; he doubted her head would reach his shoulders if they stood side by side, but like all Guardian trainees was in excellent physical condition—her free climbing skills attested to that. Her black hair was pulled back into the same bun she had worn the night before but it was her eyes that captured his attention, or rather, the experience in her eyes. She noticed his scrutiny and her eyes narrowed, icing over like a pond in a deep freeze.
Suddenly David remembered exactly where he was and what time it was. “Isn’t it against the rules to be out here this early?” he asked her pointedly.
“I have permission,” she answered in a curt tone. Her eyes constricted into a challenging glare as she took in the trainee emblem embroidered on his own tunic. “What about you?”
“I have permission,” he replied, echoing her words.
They stood there for a few tense minutes; finally she spoke. “I need to return to the school.”
“I’ll walk with you,” David said turning towards her. She appeared uncomfortable at the idea.
“There’s no need. I’ll climb down.”
“Then I’ll climb with you.”
“There’s no need for you to do that,” she replied as she moved towards the edge.
“You aren’t allowed to free climb alone,” he reminded her.
“Destiny has been approved as my companion,” she informed him tersely.
“By whom?” David couldn’t believe any of the Council members would allow a girl to free climb with just an eagle for company, even if they were good together.
“Lord Jasse and Lord Mora.” The annoyance in her voice began to grate on his own nerves. She turned and lowered herself over the edge and started down before he could even reply.
Destiny soared down from the
Finally the girl pulled herself up completely and sat down on the grass, the eagle hopped alongside her.
Finally David deemed it safe to talk. “That was a pretty impressive stunt you just pulled.”
Hearing his voice, the girl jumped to her feet, ripped off the blindfold, and stared at him. He realized he probably should have waited for her to take the blindfold off before speaking to her. She regarded him warily, giving him the impression of a startled deer, frozen but ready to flee at the earliest opportunity.
“I’m sorry if I startled you,” he said, rising quickly. “It’s just that I’ve never seen something like that.” While brushing the loose grass off of his trousers he attempted to reach out to her with a friendly smile.
She still didn’t speak and as David studied her recognition dawned. She was the torchbearer from last night. Surprised he stared at her for a few moments, then realizing she was getting even more uncomfortable asked, “Weren’t you a torchbearer at the funeral last night?”
She looked at him long and hard before slowly nodding.
David tried again. “Your friend here is amazing,” he said gesturing towards the eagle now perched on her shoulder and who was eyeing him with the same distrust as her human friend. “How long did it take to teach him how to do that?”
“She.”
Finally, progres s , David thought as she uttered the tense word. “I’m sorry?”
“Her name is Destiny.”
“Sorry.”
She just nodded tersely.
“Is she friendly?” David asked, trying to make conversation.
The girl nodded. “Most of the time.”
“Can I pet her?”
“If she lets you, you can pet her.” She turned to the bird on her shoulder and nodded towards David.
To David’s surprise, and apparently the girl’s, Destiny let out a loud screech and then flew away.
“I’ll take that as a no,” David commented dryly as they both watched the bird fly to a large evergreen tree and land.
The girl didn’t comment, but glanced several times between him and where her feathered companion now perched, a ruminating look on her face. He had a feeling that Destiny’s opinion mattered highly to her human friend.
David studied her. She was very small and slender; he doubted her head would reach his shoulders if they stood side by side, but like all Guardian trainees was in excellent physical condition—her free climbing skills attested to that. Her black hair was pulled back into the same bun she had worn the night before but it was her eyes that captured his attention, or rather, the experience in her eyes. She noticed his scrutiny and her eyes narrowed, icing over like a pond in a deep freeze.
Suddenly David remembered exactly where he was and what time it was. “Isn’t it against the rules to be out here this early?” he asked her pointedly.
“I have permission,” she answered in a curt tone. Her eyes constricted into a challenging glare as she took in the trainee emblem embroidered on his own tunic. “What about you?”
“I have permission,” he replied, echoing her words.
They stood there for a few tense minutes; finally she spoke. “I need to return to the school.”
“I’ll walk with you,” David said turning towards her. She appeared uncomfortable at the idea.
“There’s no need. I’ll climb down.”
“Then I’ll climb with you.”
“There’s no need for you to do that,” she replied as she moved towards the edge.
“You aren’t allowed to free climb alone,” he reminded her.
“Destiny has been approved as my companion,” she informed him tersely.
“By whom?” David couldn’t believe any of the Council members would allow a girl to free climb with just an eagle for company, even if they were good together.
“Lord Jasse and Lord Mora.” The annoyance in her voice began to grate on his own nerves. She turned and lowered herself over the edge and started down before he could even reply.
Destiny soared down from the
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