Fledgling

by Natasha Brown

  “What do you mean? What happened to you? Did that boy hurt you?” she said in a whisper.

  He pulled her away from him so he could gaze at her. His face remained tense as he said, “He arrived in time to save me from being killed by Markus, but then your heart stopped.”

  Ana sucked in air, alarmed.

  Chance explained. “I couldn’t let you die—there’s no point without you.”

  Ana’s eyes welled up and she said, “Chance, you didn’t. . .”

  “I had to, Ana. You have to live.”

  “But Chance, I’m confused. If you died, then how are you here? I thought Niyol didn’t have powers?”

  “I guess there’s a lot he never told me, but I think I’ll be learning more. Soon.”

  She shook her head in disbelief. “What do you mean?”

  “Ana, you probably have a lot of questions, but I need to take Grandfather home. He needs to be taken care of. My mom. . .”

  “Wait, what about that guy? Where is he?” Her eyes widened in fright.

  “Oh, Markus. Grandfather took care of him—he’s gone. He’ll never hurt you again. Let’s get going,” he said. “It’s getting late.”

  Chance glanced at the ominous cloud cover while rain pelted down on them. Droplets curled down his exposed chest and back and cooled his warm skin.

  He walked over to the discarded backpack and noticed how it still appeared full. He pulled out a pair of his pants and a shirt and shook his head. Grandfather, always thinking ahead. Pain scalded his throat and he pinched off the instinct to scream or cry. He tugged on his clothes, unwound the blanket from his waist and laid it on the ground. Without effort, he lifted Niyol, placed him on the woven fabric and enveloped him. In a smooth movement, he picked up his grandfather and laid him over his shoulder.

  Sad and numb, he turned to Ana and asked, “Will you be able to climb down? I spotted your van down the mountain on the road. You think you can make it? Or, I can come back for you. . .”

  He stopped to look at her and checked to see if she was hurt. She appeared disoriented for a moment, but then as if a switch was flipped, she spurred to action.

  ***

  So absorbed was Ana with Chance and his grandfather, she had forgotten about her own health. She stretched out her arms and legs to check for injuries and then listened to her heartbeat. She felt fine. A little tired, cold and achy, but healthy.

  “I’m okay, let’s go. If I need to stop, I will. Don’t worry about me, Chance. Just take care of him.” She glanced at the form draped over Chance’s shoulder and walked forward.

  Chance led the way from the small clearing. Through a wall of pines, he descended the hillside, slow and deliberate, and wove through the lanky trees. Ana stayed close on his trail. He seemed to be aware of her close distance to him and he moved more rapidly down the slippery banks.

  Steady footing was hard to find until they reached spongier ground. The rain eased and a soft mist filled their lungs. A low fog searched the hillside.

  He quickened his pace as they grew closer to Ana’s van. Through the dense growth, a gray windy road emerged. A bright yellow beacon shone through the dingy dark and called to them. Even with its dull paint job, it still broke through the gray shroud.

  Glad to see her banana colored van again, Ana said a silent prayer of gratitude. For everything. Chance jogged up to the driver’s side door and wrenched it open. With a sigh of relief, he said, “The keys are still in it. Okay, can you open the hatch?”

  She opened the back of the van where she had so recently rolled around unconscious. He gently tipped the wrapped body off his shoulder and set Niyol on the back bench. With a sideways glance, he shut the hatch.

  Ana moved forward and embraced Chance. He clung to her. Their sodden bodies stood in silence.

  Ana pulled away and said, “I’m so sorry, Chance. If I hadn’t been there—it’s my fault.”

  Chance grabbed her shoulders. “What are you talking about? Ana! None of this was your fault. If anything, it’s mine. I should have kept you safe. It was me Markus was after. It was me Grandfather was saving.” His jaw clenched and his face grew dark.

  It was Ana’s turn, who shook her head vigorously. “Chance, it wasn’t your fault. You were just trying to save me. I’m not very happy about you choosing my life over yours, but your grandfather knew what he was doing. It was his choice. It was the way he wanted it.”

  Chance’s face softened as he searched her eyes. “You know—I feel so empty, devastated about Grandfather, but I’m just so happy you’re alive. I can’t believe it. You were lifeless. I thought I’d never see your beautiful green eyes again.”

  Ana lifted her gaze to meet his. His face lowered and their lips met in a soft caress, which built in intensity. Her heart sped in excitement and Chance pulled away. His hand reached for hers and placed it over her heart.

  “Something’s changed—your rhythm, it sounds—different.”

  Ana found it hard to focus on anything but his body held so close to her own and his hand on hers. The beat of her heart did seem altered. It wasn’t an irregular, syncopated beat. Plus, she wasn’t lightheaded. She felt strong.

  “Yes,” Ana said and closed her eyes.

  He lowered his ear to her chest. In response, Ana wrapped her arms around him and stood in shock. Now that he mentioned it, she did feel different. She had moved down the mountain completely at ease, without even a rest and her chest wasn’t poised to explode in hysterics. Although, with Chance against her chest, her body was animated in other ways.

  Chance listened to the cadence of her heart. “Hmmm, strange. I could pick you out of a crowd by the sound of your heart. But now, you sound different.”

  He seemed preoccupied with her skin so close to his and released her in hesitation. He kissed her moist forehead and led her to the passenger side of the van.

  On the drive down the mountain, he reminded her. “Grandfather didn’t want my parents to know about Markus or any other details. I need to figure out a story that doesn’t involve being attacked by a shapeshifter.”

  Ana stared at the misty hillside they had just descended, took in a shaky breath and said, “What if you say you were out hiking when it happened? Like he had a heart attack or just sat down and went to sleep?”

  She closed her eyes and forced the image of Niyol’s death from her mind.

  “Yeah, I guess that could work,” he said. “I’m going to park your van up the road above our driveway so they don’t see it. I’ll carry him into the house so they don’t know we drove him here. Ana, it’s best you go home—you were never here. I’ll call you later, after everything.”

  “All right, I’ll be waiting. If there’s anything I can do to help.” After a moment Ana asked, “Oh, right, what should I tell my mom? I’ve been gone all day and I said I was going to your house.”

  “Just say, that on the way to meet me I called you and changed plans because I needed to do something with my grandfather. So, then you decided to go to Sandpoint for something—shopping?”

  “I can say I went to window shop. Eva’s birthday is coming up, so that works,” she said. She really hated lying to her mother. She was so bad at it.

  They neared Chance’s driveway and he slowed down, cautious. He pulled into a clearing and parked. The spot was unfamiliar to Ana. She had never ventured past his house and never would have known they were so close to his home. The grove of Western Red Cedars and dogwoods offered a different view.

  They both moved from the car and opened the back hatch. The rolled up shroud that encased Niyol lay before them. Before Chance picked him up, he gave Ana a bear hug which squeezed the air from her lungs. After she recovered, she said, “I love you, Chance.”

  They parted and Ana turned her head to face Niyol’s tranquil body. As she fidgeted with the silver ring on her finger, a stream of tears journeyed down her rosy cheeks. The salty river continued as her muscles jerked in a fitful spasm. Her fingers rested
on the geometric patterned fabric of his cocoon.

  “Thank you, Niyol—for everything.” Her voice pinched off, and she ran around the van and jumped into the driver’s seat.

  She turned on the engine as soon as Chance removed Niyol from the back and slammed the door shut. Through the window his tall form moved lithely down the gravel road until it disappeared below the sloped grade.

  Ana dropped her head against the wheel and cried mournfully.

  Chapter 36

 

  After she cried herself dry, Ana pulled herself together and drove home. By the time she arrived, it was dinner time.

  The expansive gray sky had begun to break up and exposed cracks in its mantle. Dark blue hues peeked through and the moon tinged the edges of the clouds with a magical silver glow. Ana sauntered up the front walk, brushed the dirt from her face and hair as the smell of dinner wafted out to meet her. Gratitude swelled and her eyes began to blur and sting. She pinched her lips together fiercely—painfully tight—and then swallowed hard. She forced her emotional turmoil back down to deal with later.

  There was a time, just a couple hours ago, when she thought she would never see her family again. Happiness mingled with bitter sadness. If she were a compass, her needle would be spinning in circles.

  A draft of cold air from outside blew in as she tumbled into the house. She shut the door with a thud.

  Melissa’s voice rang from the kitchen. “Ana? Is that you?”

  “Yeah, it’s me.”

  She dropped her keys on the dining table and flipped up her slicker’s hood to cover her dirty, tangled hair. She took a cleansing breath and popped her head into the kitchen.

  Eva was stirring something in a saucepan. Melissa sat at the kitchen table. She chopped a green herb with one hand as she raised a glass of white wine to her lips with the other.

  “Try to chop it finely, Mom,” Eva said over her shoulder. “Hey, Ana. I’m making pot roast tonight. I hope you’re hungry.”

  “Yeah, sure.”

  “So, what did you do today?” Melissa asked as she took another sip from her wine glass.

  “Oh, well Chance had to cancel last minute because of some plans with his grandfather. So, I decided to run over to Sandpoint to go window shopping. Someone’s birthday’s coming up.” She forced a smile at her sister who raised her eyebrows in enthusiasm.

  “It was pretty nasty out today. I hope you didn’t get too wet.”

  “No, I stayed indoors. I sat in a coffee shop for a bit when it really let loose. Um, I feel like a shower to warm up. I’ll be back down for dinner.”

  Ana ran upstairs anxious to avoid further conversation. She was hollow inside from crying so much. She imagined what was happening at Chance’s house and it made her depressed. Poor Aiyana wouldn’t have any warning before she found out her father was dead.

  Heat penetrated her cool, damp body as she stepped into the shower. Dirt, bits of leaves and pine needles swirled down the drain. Her hair was so filthy it looked like she had bathed in dirt and her clothes were stained and streaked with mud. She was thankful her mother hadn’t noticed when she came in.

  Pine and earth no longer scented her body, but instead rose infused shampoo clung to her pores. The welcomed fragrance enveloped her while she forced the image of the boy with a monster’s head out of her mind. The vision frightened her. Nightmares were inevitable.

  Ana’s soft, clean bed supported her when she sat down. She put on her fresh clothing and curled up to rest. Had it only been a day? It seemed like a week.

  “Ana! Dinner!”

  She sat up and found her favorite slippers. The soft scritch-scratch from her shuffling feet went silent once she descended the carpeted stairs.

  The three of them ate Eva’s dinner in silence as they appreciated the hot food. Ana surprised herself by eating so much. She had skipped lunch when she left to meet Chance and with the tumultuous day, she was famished. She cleaned her plate and drank all of her water.

  “You seem awfully quiet tonight, is there something wrong?” Melissa asked.

  “Well, actually, I got a call just a bit ago from Chance. His grandfather died this afternoon,” she said and bit her lip.

  Melissa rested her hand at her throat in surprise. “Oh, no! Is that why he canceled your plans? Do you know what happened?”

  “Not sure. I haven’t been told any details yet. But when he canceled our plans he said he was heading out on a hike with him.”

  “I remember what it was like when Mom died. We’ll have to make some food to bring by for Aiyana. She must be devastated. They seemed close.”

  Eva nodded and picked up her plate to deposit in the kitchen. She returned with a cookbook and flipped through the pages in search of a suitable recipe.

  Ana’s phone rang and she answered it as she walked out of the room for privacy. Before she was out of earshot, Melissa called out, “Give our condolences.”

  “Chance?! What’s happening?” Ana ran up to her room and shut the door behind her.

  A brief moment of silence followed. “Well, they have no reason to doubt me. I told them Grandfather collapsed when we were out hiking. It was normal to them that we were out in the rainstorm, because we do it all the time.” His took a raspy breath and said, “Since Mom’s a nurse she knew who to call. She’s trying to move this along fast. It’s Navajo tradition to bury the dead quickly. She’s looking into burying him here on the property. I guess there’s no law against it. Looks like we can put him to rest tomorrow, once Mom takes care of the paperwork. Good thing she has connections.”

  “Chance, I’m so sorry. How did your mom react?”

  “She seemed prepared for it. She hasn’t cried at all, from what I’ve seen, anyway. Grandfather once told me, you’re expected to stay in control of emotions when a loved one dies. Navajo accept death in silence. It’s the way Grandfather would have wanted it,” he said.

  “Do you want to be alone? If you want, I could come over?”

  “No, I don’t want to be here or alone. Can I come to your house?”

  “Of course, are you driving or flying?”

  “Well, I figure we’ll be talking and I don’t want you sitting outside in this weather. Think you could ask your mom if I can come over?”

  “Of course, let me check.” Ana reemerged from her room and went downstairs as she said, “I told Mom that your grandfather died today but said I didn’t know the details yet. She was really sad and offered her condolences. So, she knows that much.”

  “Good to know.”

  Ana found her mother and sister around the dining table playing a board game. Melissa glanced up when her daughter entered the room. Ana lowered the phone and asked, “Hey, Mom. Is it okay if Chance comes over tonight?”

  “Of course, baby. But shouldn’t he stay with his family tonight?”

  “No, I don’t think he wants to be home, but he doesn’t want to be alone either. . .”

  “That’s fine, we’re happy to have him as long as his mother doesn’t object. Anytime—he’s family.”

  “Thanks, Mom.” Ana glided back out of the room and returned upstairs. “It’s fine with her, of course. Say, your mom doesn’t mind? She doesn’t want you home?”

  Chance answered, “She’ll understand. She knows how much Grandfather meant to me and that I’m closer to you than anyone.”

  “Okay, head over any time.”

  “Thank you, my love.”

  “I love you, too.”

  Ana ended the call and sat on her bed, staring out her blackened window.

  Chapter 37

 

  Chance passed by his grandfather’s room before he went downstairs. He nudged the door open with the back of his hand and walked inside.

  The window remained up from when he thrust it open earlier in his hurry to save Ana. The curtains hung in a tangle. Moisture dewed around the sill and Chance walked over to shut it. He hung the curtains back up.

  At the foot of th
e bed, a sunken indentation lingered in the blankets from his grandfather. He had sat in that very spot when Chance launched himself into the room and put into motion the series of events that led to his death. All three of theirs.

  Only Chance and Ana had survived.

  He traced his fingers along the crater and walked to a simple wooden chair in the corner of the room. He surveyed his grandfather’s belongings. Dirty clothing was piled in his hamper, a book sat on his bedside table. All were as Niyol left them.

  Traces of recent memories flavored his thoughts. On graduation night when Chance received the talon, he had no idea what it was. It lay cradled in his palm now. He regarded it soberly. It had been the key to unlock the thunderbird form. He wondered if his grandfather had known at the time what it was.

  Then, like a balled up piece of paper getting smoothed out, another unfamiliar vision came into focus. He sat erect as though movement would change the reception.

  A man stood before him with long dark hair and deep copper skin. He held a large hooked talon. Two young boys flanked him as they sat on the smooth chalky ground in shaded darkness. Chance gauged from his own stature that he was an adolescent as well. It looked like they were in a large make-shift room. Bright light flooded in from a nearby doorway and through gaps in the wood and sticks that made the walls. He took in these odd surroundings and realized he was in a simple home of sorts.

  A deep voice emanated from the man. “Sons, listen. For many generations this has been passed down in our family. It is a link to our ancestors. Honorable ancestors—servants to our people. But remember there are others, the evil skinwalkers who we must not speak of—who will seek your power and do harm for pleasure.” His face darkened and he held up the talon. “If you are given the power by the Holy People, it is only to keep balance and harmony. It is my will that someday, one of you will earn this through perseverance and honor. It must be protected and respected.”

  Although the man spoke a language Chance had never heard before, he was able to understand him. The words flowed through his thoughts.

  Chance felt the boy’s excitement. I hope I can earn it.

  The vividness of that vision faded and another formed.

  He sensed he was back in the small rustic home, although it was nighttime now. Bright moonlight gave everything a hazy film. The shaded silhouette of a man, who Chance assumed was Niyol’s father, stood before him, lean and gray. Time had passed. Chance knew his grandfather was older now. He was taller and his muscular arm, reached out deftly to receive something.