Griffin

Griffin
For the rest of the evening, I was restless and unable to sleep. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw Elias' hurt expression. Despite telling myself that this was for the best and that eventually we would both get over it, I couldn't stop the pain I felt over how things played out, and that kept me awake until the servants began to move, indicating that it was morning. I had to admit that this perpetual day was taking a toll on me. After all, I was used to the perpetual night back in Allsbrook.

Getting up, I hurried to the washroom to freshen up and change. Once I felt that I was acceptable enough, I snuck out into the hall, where maids and butlers rushed around collecting dirty linen and laundry to wash for the day.

"Good morning, miss." Melanie, a young woman with mousy brown hair and big golden eyes, greeted me as I tried to escape. "Where are you off to in such a hurry this morning?"

"Oh..." I stammered, realizing that I was busted. "I was just going to go down to the garden for a stroll." There was plenty of an excuse there. There was no way that Melanie would question me further, right?

"You're going without the master?" Melanie asked, seeming confused. "Don't you know that it is dangerous with the pixie problem that we are currently suffering from?"

"I'll be okay." I assured her, feeling bad, that I might end up getting her into trouble if she were to let me go by myself. "I won't be long."

"But miss." Despite my attempts at assurance, Melanie still wasn't convinced.

"How about I accompany her?"

Turning I felt a small sense of relief to see Tristan making his way towards us. I could live with being escorted by him. After all, he wasn't among the men who were giving me a headache and heartache.

"See, I have an escort." I said, giving Melanie a smile. "Vladimier won't care that I go out into the garden."

"Have a good time, miss." Melanie squeaked as her eyes secretly took in Tristan.

Holding back the giggle that wanted to escape as I realized that she may have had a crush on the man, I waited until she finally scurried away. Once I was sure that she was gone, I turned my attention to Tristan.

"Thanks." I said, letting out a sigh. "But you really don't have to accompany me."

"It is a gentleman's duty to make sure a lady is well protected. Don't you know that we are dealing with a pixie problem right now?"

"So I've heard." I muttered, beginning to wish that these pesky pixies didn't exist. "But won't the fire flowers handle them just fine?"

"For the time being." Tristan confirmed. "But that doesn't mean that a few may manage to stray past the patches' border."

At his words, I felt a shiver run through me as I once again saw those nasty little creatures that Vladimier claimed ate flesh and bone.

"Rethinking your choice to go alone now, aren't you?" He smirked, drawing my attention back to him.

"Maybe." No matter what I said, there was no convincing that man. "Would it be okay if we headed out now?"

Outside, the grounds were alive with butterflies and bees buzzing around in the warm, springlike air. From within the gardens, I could see pixies popping in and out of flowers, clearly attempting to figure out which ones bared fire and which didn't.

"Smart little beasts, aren't they?" I murmured more to myself than to Tristan as I watched one get hit with a fireball and go up in smoke and ash. "Not smart enough, though."

"They're just like bugs." He assured me with a chuckle. "Do you want to see what truly smart creatures are?" He continued, a glint of excitement forming in his eyes.

"What do you mean?"

"I'll show you." He responded simply, beginning to move towards the far-end grounds where I could see stables.

"What's in there?" I asked, my curiosity beginning to peak. "Horses?"

Instead of responding, Tristan held up a hand, indicating for me to stop as he made his way into the stables before disappearing entirely. From inside, I could hear the roar of a strange creature. It sounded almost like the caw of an eagle mixed with the roar of a lion. Growing more curious, I began to move forward in an attempt to peek inside, only to run into Tristan, who was coming out with a set of reigns in his hand.

Stopping in place, I looked on with wide eyes as a large beast with the head and upper body of an eagle and the lower body of a lion emerged from within.

"This..." I stammered, lifting a hand to my mouth in awe. "Griffins!"

"That's right." Tristan beamed, beginning to make his way towards me. "Beautiful, isn't it?"

"I almost forgot that they existed here!"

As I took in the beast, flashes of my past experience with them began to appear. Having ridden with Vladimier and being held tightly in his arms as he guided the creature through the air was a thrill.

"Are they the same ones?" I asked, unable to control my excitement.

"No, these are new. Unfortunately, we lost the others in the war."

At the mere mention of the war, my heart jumped into my throat. Here I was reminiscing about the time before the war, and when I was needed the most, I was gone. Not to mention, I was in love with the enemy while also being in love with Vladimier.

"Something wrong?" Tristan asked, quickly catching onto my drifting mood. "Did I say something that upset you?"

Snapping out of it, I fixed my gaze on his while smiling.

"I'm okay. It has just been so long that I'm a little overwhelmed." I lied, hoping that I would sound convincing. "Do excuse me."

"Well then, I think going for a ride on the griffin is exactly what the doctor ordered, don't you?"

Continuing to move forward, Tristan closed the distance between me and the griffin so that we could get comfortable with one another. Though I remembered riding them way back then, that didn't mean that I was still accustomed to it. Not to mention, given the fact that I had just retrieved my memories, I was still lacking the ability to do much of anything that I used to. Once you knew, you knew, but after so long, my body froze in fear of the unknown.

"Come, this is Indigo." He said, placing a hand on the creature's back.

Meeting Indigo's beady black eyes, I examined her, taking in her golden brown and white feathers that flowed down to her midsection, where velvety tan fur took over.

Cocking her head, Indigo clicked her beak before lowering her head and slowly moving it towards me. Realizing that she was wanting me to touch her, I lifted a shaky hand and slowly placed it on her soft feathers. As I began to slowly run my hand down them, I luxuriated in how it felt beneath my fingers. I don't know what exactly I was expecting, but it was this sense of familiarity and almost comfort.

"Nice to meet you, Indigo." I murmured, lifting my other hand and rubbing it along her beak. "You are a beautiful girl, aren't you?"

Opening her beak, Indigo gave a contented rumble before lifting her head and extending her massive wings.

"It looks like she is ready to fly." Tristan chuckled. "How about you?"

"I guess it's better to get it over with, right?" I said swallowing. "I'm ready. Let's go."