r i s k

I knew I hoped to see him again, maybe this time try to talk to him and ask for a name, at the very least. I had yet to thank him, and I knew I owed him more than the words. Maybe a scarf or a cloak? He had to be cold with all that flying and running around.

I didn’t get a chance to see him in the days that followed, until one early morning. He was lurking around the stall, in the silver gray light from the moon, as I approached.

“Hey!”

He turned and smiled, just like that. It was more than just a smile, I could tell. He was happy to see me, as I was, him. In all the years of craving a friend, I’d finally found one who’d be put to death if he was seen with me. At least, I thought of him as a friend.

“You are looking to get killed, aren’t you?” I couldn’t put to words what I felt, how anxious and afraid I was for him. “Fly away! I’ll come to the forest later!”

He didn’t look convinced, though, no matter how much I flailed my arms around and tried to communicate with him. It was as if he didn’t understand what I was saying.

“Do you even know English?”

He continued to observe the rackety stall, ignoring me now. My shoulders slumped as I sighed.

“They’ll kill you, Jemdor. Kill. Do you understand that?” I fisted one hand and made to stab my heart. “Kill. They’ll kill you.”

I don’t think he really understood me then, either, but I had his attention, finally. I looked around, thankful that we were alone, then spread my arms and flapped them.

“Fly,” I told him. “I’ll come see you. I promise.”

I’m certain he didn’t understand anything but the actions, as he gripped my shoulder before turning around and flying away, his wings appearing as if from nowhere. Watching him do so was an honour, truly, like watching something come to life for the first time. 

...

Three days later, since father hadn’t let me out of his sight and Rita had no flowers she wanted me to find, I finally found the time and snuck away after closing the stall close to dusk.

I ran, past the city gates, past the forest line, into the green and the dark, unafraid and hopeful that he would come.

“Jemdor!” I screamed, hopeful of his emergence as I halted.

Something in the wind was frightfully unfamiliar, and I knew the sound I heard wasn’t my friend.

It was a Kretor, magnificent and one of a kind, walking to me on all fours. I was absolutely hypnotised by the sight of it. Instinctively, I knew there was nothing to fear.

I left the forest a little after that, my heart a little sullen at not having met my new found friend. I hoped he wouldn’t do something stupid again, and vowed to come back early the next morning.