Chapter 161 A Moment to Say Goodbye
Isla Real.
The images appeared in the minds of Lupita, Kerstin, and Beautiful Boy when the sun was low over the sea to the west.
The pregnant Pegasus: It is time to go.
The humans were sitting with the young lord of the noble house. He looked at them and smiled.
Eneko: You are talking to your Pegasi. The expression is interesting. I hope to experience it someday. I feel that you have to leave.
Lupita: Why do you say that?
The young boy: I do not know exactly. It was like a vision in my mind of the two Pegasi taking flight.
Kerstin: Perhaps your mind is like that of the riders.
Eneko laughed: I think my mind is like yours.
Lupita: You are right. We must leave tonight. A long journey awaits us.
The lord looked at an attendant: Prepare food for the women and the Pegasi. Blankets, cloaks, and clothing for the cold. Fashion pouches with ropes for them to wear around their necks, lightweight items. The Pegasi will not be able to carry much weight besides these women.
Lupita smiled: I think you have received many images, just like us.
Eneko: Perhaps. We can help you get ready. It is a shame you are leaving. Your presence brought happiness to my home and to my heart.
After an hour and a half, they were mounted on their Pegasi, dressed in warm clothing and thick cloaks. They had neither saddles nor safety ropes. They tied ropes through the manes of their mounts and wrapped them around their wrists. Bags were tied around the necks of the two pegasi. A woman of the streets and a simple castle maid prepared to fly toward the mountains, where the wild pegasi lived.
The two animals began to run together. The male took flight first. The enormous Pegasus, weighed down by carrying her daughter, rose above the sea as the land fell away, beneath them. She thought to the other three, but also to distant minds.
The Pegasus: Fly behind me, son. The journey is long, and you will need gentle air to make it.
Beautiful Boy remembered the sensation of communicating with others in his family. He understood part of what she had said. The rest was easy to guess. The happiness of contact with another of his kind mingled with the sadness of the years spent in solitude.
The group flew for hours, ascending ever higher into the mountains, until the wings of the two grew weary. They landed on a mountainside, a landing that proved both terrifying and exhilarating for the bipeds. She led them to a cave that appeared to have been carved into the mountainside with immense effort.
The Pegasus: This is an ancient nest. It was used before the great nests of the bipeds were created.
Lupita, in voice and mind: It looks like parts of the walls were burned. As if there had been a massive fire here...like the castle on the island.
The Pegasus: Yes, the damage is also ancient. From a time of danger.
On the island, the young man sat with a glass of light wine. The priest watched him as he touched his gold necklace shaped like a Pegasus.
The Priest: My Lord, my apologies. But can you understand the thoughts of Pegasi?
Eneko: Sometimes. But now, it is as if her thoughts are clear and easy to understand. However, the one right before they left...that one is hard to understand. It was like the image of a boy completely alone on a mountain, as if he were lost and searching for his family.
The Stone Nest.
The riders dressed in their leather garments and wool cloaks. They carried a small amount of food and drink in pouches attached to their vests. They rode without saddles, just as they had the first time they flew together. The other riders had already said their farewells, as they were with Lord Heinrich on a special mission for the morning. Everyone else in the nest was sleeping or preparing for an exhausting day. In the darkness of the night, the two males ran down the path, with little distance between them. They launched themselves into the air and turned toward the northeast.
They flew over the mountains until the males indicated that they could not fly much longer. They searched for and found a fairly flat plateau covered in snow. The males landed carefully in an area that seemed safe. They were accustomed to landing in the snow, since Puerto Blanco received much more than Costa Lunas during the winter. They walked cautiously toward a spot with a cluster of rocks and small trees. The bipeds indicated that this would serve to provide a little shelter.
White Mask: Rider, will you be safe for a while? I spotted a trail of something to eat while I was landing.
Volker: Rabbits?
White Mask: I do not care; we are going hunting.
The two of them walked away with stealthy movements. The silence of the large animals was striking. When they were alone, the riders created a shelter to block the wind and gathered some wood for a small fire. They sat together, ate a simple meal, and drank a little cider.
Chara: Folker, I need to tell you something difficult.
The blond man put his arm around her and spoke sincerely: You were different after she entered you. I understand, and I do not mind. I have loved you for months. Tell me what you need.
The dark-haired woman: I dreamed of the birth. It will take place in the air, above a mountain of fire. After the transfer to the new All-Mother, Golden Arrow and I will fall into the fire. We are going to die.
Volker, fear in his voice: Are you sure? I thought that might happen. The scrolls on Pegasus magic always spoke of sacrifice.
Chara: Yes. I believe it is necessary for her to receive the memories and magic from my mind. She offered me a choice. I chose to die for the Pegasi. For the sake of the kingdom, I suppose.
The young rider: Is there anything I can do for you?
The Rider: I do not think you can save me. But if I can be with you again...
The man kissed her with all the love in his heart. During the months he had spent flying with Hernando, Volker had heard descriptions of various things one could do with women for their pleasure. He had imagined doing those things with this woman on countless occasions. On the high mountain plateau, the young knight of the air attempted to do everything he could remember.
He hid his sadness to give her only his love. She was in the arms of a man who loved her and who believed that she was the bravest and most beautiful woman in the world. The last night of the life of young Chara was as beautiful as she deserved.