\nNashira sat on the highest branch of Talltree, squinting into the dawn sky where specks shifted against glowing peach cloud. From such a vast distance the tiny blemishes looked like a flock of birds, but as they neared, details emerged. Silhouetted, slender figures. Hair shifting in the breeze. And of course, wide, fluttering wings.\n<\/p>\n
\nNashira never wearied of watching her fellow fairies return from night gatherings, their cluster rising then lowering in unison, saving energy by working with the wind. They travelled slowly thanks to bulging bags that hung from their shoulders. When Nashira had been a gatherer, she\u2019d judged the success of a venture on how deeply her shoulder ached on return. It had been a long time since she\u2019d felt that satisfying pain.\n<\/p>\n
\nAs the fairies\u2019 silhouettes dissolved into glinting gold armour and brightly coloured wings, Nashira rose to her feet. It was time to go. If she could see the patterns on her brethren\u2019s wings, then they\u2019d be able to see her details just as easily. But the grey, flaking excuse for wings drooping from her back weren\u2019t assets to display with pride.\n<\/p>\n
\nIt had been a year since Nashira had contracted Dust Disease. The illness had arrived after a fierce, hot wind that destroyed plants and coated the forest in a strange dust. The forest recovered when the rains arrived, and at first it seemed the dust had washed away. But it had only moved, choosing a new target. Fairy wings.\n<\/p>\n
\nWhile Dust Disease picked victims randomly and wasn\u2019t contagious, Nashira preferred to avoid healthy fairies. The sight of her withered wings made many folk uncomfortable, and each time she witnessed their unease it killed a little of her heart.\n<\/p>\n
\nConcentrating, she managed to move her wings. A hindwing twitched. A forewing fluttered weakly. She tucked all four wings against her back then dashed along the branch in the direction of Talltree\u2019s trunk. Each stride caused her wings to shift, and the movement sent pain stabbing down her spine. It was tempting to grow still and fear-frozen, but the breeze carried voices on it. The returning fairies were close. With teeth clenched, Nashira hurried on.\n<\/p>\n
\nThen behind her came the patter of feet, fairies landing on the branch. With no time to scramble down the trunk, Nashira placed her back against the bark, hiding her wings from the other fairies\u2019 sight. As they made their way towards her, Nashira stood in what she hoped would pass for a casual stance.\n<\/p>\n
\nThe gatherers were chatting as they walked the stretch of the branch, but when their eyes fell on Nashira, they fell silent and still. They stood bunched together, staring.\n<\/p>\n
\nNashira breathed through nerves. She was sure the gatherers couldn\u2019t see her wings, but they were probably picturing them, flaking brown, ugly and useless. Even from a distance Nashira recognised the barely masked disgust on some faces, and horror and pity on others. Then she spotted a smile.\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cNashira, hello!\u201d Miram, Talltree\u2019s best armour maker jumped up and down and squealed. \u201cIt\u2019s good to see you, Nashi.\u201d She broke from the huddle and skipped along the branch, stopping in front of Nashira. \u201cIt\u2019s been so long since I last saw you. How are you?\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\nHow was she? Really? Her wings were dying. Still, Miram was at least willing to speak to her. That counted for something.\n<\/p>\n
\nNashira dragged a smile onto her face. \u201cI\u2019m well, thank you.\u201d Dropping her eyes to hide the truth, her gaze fell on Miram\u2019s bag. \u201cWhat did you gather last night? Moon flowers? Owl eggs?\u201d No. Night gathering at that time of year could only mean one thing. Her heart fluttered. \u201cDragon scales?\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\nEveryone who lived on Talltree prized dragon scales above all other items. They made the strongest, most light weight body armour and the sharpest swords. No brownie spear or hawk talon could penetrate dragon armour, and not even rock-monsters could withstand the edge of a dragon scale blade. And the best time for fairies to collect scales was during the dragon mating season.\n<\/p>\n
\nLike everything a dragon did, the mating ritual was savage. A fairy bold enough to approach a recently mated dragon could salvage scales knocked loose during the ritual. Until the dust took her wings, Nashira had been a brilliant scale collector.\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cWe had a most successful night,\u201d Miram said, patting her bag. \u201cI found a collection of tail scales that had fallen from a dragon nest. Though small, they\u2019re lovely colours. They\u2019ll make wonderful wrist armour. But Wurren had the greatest find.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\nWurren. His name was enough to send nerves scooting through Nashira in a thousand directions. Spotting him amongst the watching fairies weakened her knees.\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cWurren,\u201d Miram called over her shoulder. \u201cCome show Nashi what you collected.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\nWurren didn\u2019t move. With eyes shock-wide, he stared across the space dividing himself and Nashira. She had a feeling he would have remained that way but the fairy beside him gave him a rough nudge that made him stumble forward. With his bag clutched in front of him like a shield, Wurren moved slowly and rigidly along the branch. His obvious discomfort hurt Nashira worse than any pain her wings could inflict because she and Wurren had once been inseparable. But thanks to the Dust Disease, for almost a year they\u2019d barely seen each other, let alone spoken.\n<\/p>\n
\nAs Wurren neared, he snapped his emerald wings closed. Maybe he thought the sight of their beauty might break Nashira to pieces. No wonder they\u2019d once been such a perfect couple. They\u2019d understood each other exactly.\n<\/p>\n
\nHe stopped in front of her. \u201cGood morning, Nashira.\u201d His stiff politeness stung. \u201cWhat brings you all the way to the landing branch?\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\nLonging? Jealousy? A twisted need to torture herself?\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cI roam Talltree every morning,\u201d Nashira said with forced poise. \u201cIt was just coincidence that brought us here at the same time.\u201d Then to shift the focus away from her, she jutted her chin at Wurren\u2019s carry bag. \u201cWhat wonderful treasure did you find last night?\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\nWurren opened his bag, revealing a stack of large, scarlet scales.\n<\/p>\n
\nNashira whistled. Not only was red the rarest colour, it was unusual for such large scales to come away from a dragon\u2019s hide. \u201cWhat a find! What will you do with such beauties?\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\nWurren shook his head as he stroked their glossy surface. \u201cI have no idea. How am I supposed to decide the best way to use such a special collection?\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cThey\u2019d be perfect for body armour,\u201d Miram said.\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cOf course you\u2019d say that,\u201d Wurren replied. \u201cYou\u2019re an armourer. But the scales are too colourful. If I wore red armour in a brownie battle, the brownies would die laughing.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\nNashira smirked. \u201cQuite a powerful weapon then.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cExcept,\u201d Wurren said, \u201cmy fellow fairies might also succumb to the joke.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\nMiram pouted. \u201cI didn\u2019t say they\u2019d make armour suitable for you, Wurren. But I\u2019m sure there are many other fairies who\u2019d love a scarlet breast plate.\u201d She toed the bark beneath her feet. \u201cArmour looks delightful when it matches a fairy\u2019s wing colour, don\u2019t you think?\u201d With her face set in innocence, she opened her wings a little, revealing a hint of vivid crimson.\n<\/p>\n
\nNashira\u2019s insides curdled, not from the beauty of Miram\u2019s wings, but from the way Wurren smiled crookedly as his eyes roamed all over them. He used to save that look for her.\n<\/p>\n
\nAs if realising how see-through he\u2019d become, Wurren hid his pleasure with a concerned frown that he planted on Nashira. \u201cShould you be up here with your ill health?\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\nWhile his words were gentle, they still hurt. Did she really look so poorly?\n<\/p>\n
\nHis frown deepened. \u201cHow did you even get up here without the ability to fly?\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\nHe stood on his toes, trying to peek at Nashira\u2019s wings, but she pressed her back harder against the tree trunk. The pressure worsened the ache that was her constant companion, but she breathed through it. Better some pain than the shame of Wurren seeing her hideous, useless wings.\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cI have arms,\u201d she said, recapturing his gaze. \u201cStrong arms. I could climb around this tree far longer than you could fly. Besides, I\u2019m quite well and I\u2019ll remain so. Healer Lich is making great progress on a cure for Dust Disease.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cHe is?\u201d Miram gave a little clap. \u201cThat\u2019s wonderful to hear, isn\u2019t it, Wurren?\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cOf course, it is\u2026 if it\u2019s true.\u201d Wurren\u2019s eyes narrowed and he searched Nashira\u2019s face. She met his stare but feared he could see past her eyes to the grim truth that Lich was failing.\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cWe\u2019re so glad you\u2019re feeling better, Nashi,\u201d Miram said. \u201cYou\u2019ll be flying with us again in no time.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cYes.\u201d Nashira clenched her teeth, forming a rigid smile. \u201cWell, I mustn\u2019t keep you.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\nWurren returned the smile but it looked strange mixed with his worried frown. \u201cIt\u2019s been nice seeing you, Nashira. Really. I\u2026\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cYes? What is it, Wurren?\u201d I miss you? I still want to be with you? She held her breath.\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cAh, nothing.\u201d With the shake of his head, Wurren hefted his bag, moved to the edge of the branch and stepped into the air. Spreading his wings, he descended slowly between branches and disappeared.\n<\/p>\n
\nNashira\u2019s spirits sank with him.\n<\/p>\n
\nOne at a time, the other gatherers followed until only Miram remained. \u201cIt really has been lovely to see you, Nashi. And I mean it, I really can\u2019t wait to fly with you again.\u201d She hid a chuckle behind a hand. \u201cGatherings are dull without you convincing us to take silly chances.\u201d With a last smile, Miram stepped gracefully off the branch. She spread her perfect, scarlet wings and floated after Wurren.\n<\/p>\n
\nEven after the gatherers disappeared from view, Nashira continued leaning on the tree. Every nerve ending in her back sizzled, but she refused to move. Given time, maybe the pain would hurt worse than the loss of Wurren\u2019s love, her friendships and her freedom, but she doubted it.\n<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\nNashira was as strong a climber as she boasted, proficient in using the wrinkles in the tree bark as handles and steps. Even so, the climb down took ages. Every time she came across a fellow fairy, she threw herself against the nearest branch or tuft of leaves to hide her wings. By the time she reached the branch that held the healing hollow, her jaw hurt from fake smiling, her arm muscles ached from the climb and her wings throbbed, sending lightning bolts through her neck, shoulders and spine.\n<\/p>\n
\nHunched and shaking, she crouched and dropped through the hole in the hollow branch.\n<\/p>\n
\nThanks to fireflies that dashed and dived inside hanging glass cages, Nashira could see all the way to the end of the long, narrow space. Nests weaved from soft grasses, feathers and flower petals scattered the area, the flickering gold light capturing the arms and legs of the fairies sleeping within. The gentle light also illuminated the dust hovering in the air. It danced like snow, thickest in the areas closest to the fairies\u2019 flaking wings.\n<\/p>\n
\nThe dust shifted suddenly as Healer Lich appeared from a shadowy corner and zig-zagged between nests, marching towards Nashira.\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cWhere have you been?\u201d His sharp words ripped through the silent space, startling those who\u2019d been sleeping. As he reached Nashira, he took her shoulders and spun her around to study her wings. He sucked air through his teeth then spun her to face him again. \u201cYour condition has worsened. You\u2019ve been overexerting yourself.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\nNashira couldn\u2019t meet the healer\u2019s eyes. As the oldest fairy in Talltree, Lich was also the wisest. When the body grew old, the brain grew bigger. There was no point lying to him.\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cI was on the landing branch again.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\nShe tensed, expecting a lecture, but Lich\u2019s anger dissolved.\n<\/p>\n
\nHe gave her shoulder a quick pat. \u201cI\u2019ll make a potion for the pain. Get to your nest.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\nNashira hated being ordered to her nest. Nests were for sleeping, not for the wasting of days. But too tired to argue, she dragged her feet towards the far end of the room.\n<\/p>\n
\nAs she passed the other nests, her heart ached. Not so long ago she\u2019d been almost alone in the hollow, but now every nest held sickly fairies. Some had grey, flaking wings just like hers, while others had no wings at all. Bandages covered small stumps on their backs, but nothing could cover their misery.\n<\/p>\n
\nA young fairy, Eta, momentarily met Nashira\u2019s eyes. She was barely seven years from her cocoon, yet she sat on the edge of her mother\u2019s nest attempting to spoon pureed seed into her mouth. Eta\u2019s mother had lost her wings a week earlier and had yet to even speak let alone willingly eat.\n<\/p>\n
\nIt was a common occurrence amongst the wingless. Few fully overcame the emotional loss of their wings. Even the ones who recovered and left the hollow remained out of sight and\u2014Nashira was ashamed to admit\u2014mostly out of mind. It was easier not to think of them. Thoughts of the wingless gave her sleepless nights. As she passed Eta, she attempted an encouraging smile, but the youngster was too busy focusing on her mother to notice.\n<\/p>\n
\nReaching her nest, Nashira collapsed into it. She pressed her face into the softness and breathed in the scents of the forest. With the loss of flight, a nest was the only way she\u2019d ever experience the world beyond the tree again.\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cYou\u2019re still alive then?\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\nNashira lifted her head to see Caph resting on his elbows in the nest beside hers. Dust speckled his unusually dark hair, making him look like he was greying.\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cAlthough \u2018alive\u2019 might be a generous term for your current state,\u201d he added as he looked her up and down.\n<\/p>\n
\nNashira smiled through her clenched teeth. \u201cI\u2019m fine, Caph. Really. If I look at all exhausted it\u2019s from putting up with Wurren. He was showing off his latest gathered treasure. Gigantic dragon scales. They were almost as big as his ego.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\nCaph snorted. \u201cI thought you\u2019d gone somewhere secret to die of misery, but it looks like you came back here to do it instead.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cI have no intention of dying, nor of being miserable,\u201d Nashira muttered.\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cOf course not, you still hope to get better.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cShe will.\u201d A head popped up from another nest. Ogma\u2019s freckled face broke into a smile. \u201cNashira\u2019s strong. She\u2019ll still be here when Healer Lich finds the cure.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\nCaph tutted. \u201cLich won\u2019t find a cure. All he can do is remove our wings before the disease spreads to our bodies.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cHe\u2019ll cure us,\u201d Ogma said sternly. \u201cWe just need to hang on a little longer.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cThat\u2019s what every sick fairy thinks,\u201d Caph said. \u201cUntil their time runs out.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cBut we three aren\u2019t average fairies,\u201d Ogma said. \u201cNashira was the best gatherer. You, Caph, fought a swarm of fireflies singlehanded. And I have sketchbooks full of inventions just waiting to be built. If anyone can beat Dust Disease, it\u2019s us. Right, Nashira?\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\nSuppressing pain, Nashira sat up. While she wasn\u2019t sure Ogma was correct, she couldn\u2019t bear to agree with Caph\u2019s doom and gloom prediction. \u201cOf course we can do this.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\nOgma cheered. \u201cJust you wait and see, Caph. We three will be the first fairies to fight off Dust Disease and fly again.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cWe\u2019ll be role models for the others who are sick,\u201d Nashira added.\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cAnd reminders to the healthy not to give up on us,\u201d Ogma said.\n<\/p>\n
\nNashira thought of Wurren and the gatherers riding the morning breeze. \u201cWe\u2019ll return to our normal lives.\u201d It was more of a prayer than a plan. \u201cAnd this\u2026\u201d She swept a hand around the dusty room. \u201cThis will be a fading memory.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\nOgma grinned at Caph. \u201cAre you with us, dark one?\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\nCaph sighed, a hint of a smile obscuring his usual scowl. \u201cIf I say yes, will you shut up?\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cHave you ever known me to shut up?\u201d Ogma asked.\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cI\u2019ve never even known the two of you to stop arguing for more than five minutes,\u201d Nashira chipped in.\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cWhich proves,\u201d Ogma chuckled, \u201cthings are practically back to normal already.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\nThey broke into a laugh, and for a moment at least some of the gloom slipped away.\n<\/p>\n
\nThen Lich appeared beside their nests and something in the old healer\u2019s expression dissolved their cheer. \u201cSorry to interrupt,\u201d he said quietly.\n<\/p>\n
\nNashira grew rigid. Lich was only polite when he delivered bad news.\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cI hate having to tell you this,\u201d Lich went on. \u201cCaph and Ogma, the Dust Disease infecting your wings has spread. I\u2019m afraid it\u2019s reached the time to amputate.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\nFor the longest time no one spoke. Nashira couldn\u2019t even think, let alone form words and it seemed her friends were just as broken. Caph\u2019s eyes had grown too wide. Ogma\u2019s freckles sat too brightly on her paled cheeks.\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cWhen?\u201d Caph finally croaked.\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cI can give you tonight to get used to the idea,\u201d Lich said. \u201cBut we shouldn\u2019t wait longer than tomorrow.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\n
\nThe night seemed longer than most. Caph kept everyone awake, tossing and turning, and moaning each time he accidently rolled onto his dust-ruined wings. Eventually Lich handed out sleeping potions to everyone so they could spend the final few hours of the night in peace.\n<\/p>\n
\nWhen Nashira woke, Caph was sitting in his nest, staring at her. \u201cOgma ran away. She left a note saying she won\u2019t give up hope of flying again.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\nNashira bolted to her feet. \u201cBut she must have her wings removed. If she doesn\u2019t, she\u2019ll die!\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cYou think you have to tell me that?\u201d Caph spat.\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cI\u2019ll find her.\u201d Nashira started across the room but Lich stepped in her way. \u201cEvery able fairy is already searching for Ogma. Stay in your nest, Nashira.\u201d He shifted closer and whispered in her ear. \u201cStay. Caph is going to need you.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\nShe shot a look to Caph, hunched in his nest. His wings sagged like shredded rags, looking ready to drop off. But they wouldn\u2019t. They needed to be amputated. And from the sound of things, Lich expected Nashira to hold Caph\u2019s hand while he was butchered. She shuddered and sidestepped the healer.\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cCaph has you to support him, Healer Lich,\u201d she said, backing towards the exit. \u201cBut Ogma might be all alone.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\nDodging Caph\u2019s stare and Lich\u2019s frown, Nashira hurried for the exit.\n<\/p>\n
\n
\nAt dusk Nashira returned to the healing hollow, exhausted and riddled with pain. She\u2019d seen no sign of Ogma. In truth, she\u2019d spent more time hiding herself from healthy fairies than searching for her ill friend. Lich had been right. She should have stayed and supported Caph.\n<\/p>\n
\nThis time when she dropped into the hollow, Lich didn\u2019t rush to greet her. He remained by Caph\u2019s nest, shooting her a quick glare before returning his focus to the bound stumps on Caph\u2019s back. Nashira might have backed away, too shamed to approach, but the blood-dappled bandages hypnotised her, drawing her closer.\n<\/p>\n
\nBefore the Dust, Caph had led many battles against the ground-dwelling brownies, fended off fireflies and sent rock-monsters back to the cliffs they\u2019d come from. He\u2019d raced through the air, swooping on enemies, never hesitating, never showing fear. Even when a fire had roared through the forest, he\u2019d charged into danger without flinching. But how could he face a danger that attacked from behind?\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cCaph I\u2019m so\u2014\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cDon\u2019t say it,\u201d Caph hissed into the layers of feathers lining his nest. \u201cIf I hear one more word of sympathy, I\u2019ll have Lich amputate my ears.\u201d He lifted his head, the small movement making him wince. \u201cSave your sorries for when it\u2019s your turn to face the knife. Trust me, you\u2019ll need them.\u201d He lowered his head again, burying his face in feathers. \u201cOgma had the right idea running away,\u201d he said, words muffled.\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cDon\u2019t say that,\u201d Lich sighed. He tried to pat Caph\u2019s shoulder, but the dark fairy shrugged him away, then winced from the pain the movement caused.\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cI\u2019d rather die than be this pathetic half-fairy,\u201d Caph said.\n<\/p>\n
\nHe covered his head with his arms but Nashira still caught a hint of his sniffle. She\u2019d never known Caph to cry. The sound twisted her insides, scaring her worse than any pain ever could.\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cI\u2019m no better than the brownies we despise,\u201d he muttered.\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cThat\u2019s not true,\u201d Lich said.\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cYou\u2019re still a fairy,\u201d Nashira added. \u201cWings don\u2019t make a fairy.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cThat\u2019s true.\u201d Caph rolled his head to look at her. \u201cIt\u2019s freedom that makes a fairy.\u201d Fresh tears streamed. \u201cAnd I have none of that left. I can\u2019t fly. I can\u2019t don armour and help protect our home. I can\u2019t even wander the tree with my head high. To do so would expose me to looks of horror from the healthy.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\nNashira tried to form an argument but terror froze her tongue. If a hero like Caph couldn\u2019t cope with wing loss, how would a mere gatherer like herself get through it? She sat on the edge of his nest, racking her brain for words that might lift him from his gloom. Nothing came to her.\n<\/p>\n
\nShe was saved from speaking by a sudden ruckus near the hollow entry.\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cHelp!\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\nNashira recognised the voice, someone out of place in the hollow. Miram. The gatherer slipped nimbly through the opening, her scarlet wings flashing bright before she tucked them against her back.\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cHelp!\u201d she cried again. \u201cWe\u2019ve found\u2014\u201d Her words stalled, and her eyes widened as her gaze darted over the many nests and ill fairies. A hand went to her mouth. \u201cOh my.\u201d For a moment she looked ready to leap for the opening and hurry away, but she shook off her shock and turned to Lich. \u201cWe\u2019ve found Ogma!\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\nLich and Nashira dashed across the room. They arrived at the entry in time to help catch Ogma as her limp frame was eased down through the opening. While Lich took Ogma in his arms, Nashira peered through the hole into Wurren\u2019s face. From habit, she tried to turn onto an angle that would hide her wings but Wurren\u2019s bird\u2019s-eye-view made it impossible.\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cIt\u2019s not as bad as it looks,\u201d she wheezed, her face growing hot. \u201cIf I stay strong\u2026 if Lich finds a cure\u2026 if\u2014\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cNashira,\u201d Lich snapped.\n<\/p>\n
\nShe dragged her eyes off Wurren to see Lich and Miram struggling to hold Ogma. Barely conscious, she moaned, eyes fluttering, her face flushed with fever.\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cHelp us, Nashira,\u201d Lich said. \u201cWe must get her into her nest.\u201d He flicked a look to Wurren lurking above. \u201cYou too.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\nNashira moved aside so Wurren could drop into the room. Just as Miram had done, he scanned the nests holding weakened fairies then he faced Nashira, his gaze settling on her wings. There was no point trying to hide them anymore. He\u2019d seen what they\u2019d been reduced to and horror stretched his features.\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cIt\u2019s awful, I know,\u201d Nashira whispered.\n<\/p>\n
\nWurren nodded. \u201cEven worse than I imagined.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\nNashira sighed, oddly relieved that she didn\u2019t have to hide anymore. Finally, Wurren properly understood what had befallen her. She could let go of her embarrassment and try to accept his sympathy. Maybe he\u2019d even be a comfort to her in the last stages of the disease.\n<\/p>\n
\nWurren\u2019s face twisted. \u201cHow can you stand having those things hanging from your back? They\u2019re revolting.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\nHorror froze Nashira.\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cWurren!\u201d Miram gasped. \u201cThat\u2019s an awful thing to say. Nashi can\u2019t help how her wings look. None of the ill can.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\nWurren turned a worried gaze to Lich. \u201cAre you quite sure the disease isn\u2019t contagious? I can\u2019t catch it from a touch?\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\nLich\u2019s expression hardened. \u201cI\u2019d hope there\u2019s no answer that will stop you helping Ogma. Take her arms.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\nPulling a face, Wurren shuffled forward, but Nashira put a hand against his chest. It didn\u2019t surprise her when he flinched away from it, but it filled her with enough anger to fuel a vicious push. With a growl, she sent him stumbling backwards.\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cIf you\u2019re that repulsed,\u201d she hissed, \u201cthen it\u2019s better if you leave.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cBut Lich said I had to help.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\nNashira shook her head. \u201cWe don\u2019t want your kind infecting our space with your filthy ignorance. Go, Wurren. Now!\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\nWurren backed away. Whether he retreated from Nashira\u2019s fiery words or from her disease, she didn\u2019t know. And she no longer cared. She turned her back on the fairy she used to love, confident her diseased wings would keep him at a distance.\n<\/p>\n
\nWith his footsteps retreating behind her, Nashira marched to where Lich and Miram struggled to hold Ogma. She took Ogma beneath the arms and together they carried her to her nest.\n<\/p>\n
\n
\nOgma lay flushed, her breaths coming thin and fast. Lich had given her every potion he knew but she remained unconscious.\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cMaybe if we take her wings she\u2019ll improve,\u201d Nashira had suggested earlier, but Ogma\u2019s neck and back were crusty with flaking flesh. The dust had spread too far. All they could do was numb the pain and stay by her side, comforting her.\n<\/p>\n
\nPerched on the edge of Ogma\u2019s nest, Miram arched her back, stretching her spine. The movement also spread her lustrous wings, but she quickly folded them closed again, an apology on her face.\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cDon\u2019t be ashamed of your good health,\u201d Nashira said. \u201cYou can\u2019t help that the Dust skipped you. Besides, someone as caring as you deserves good fortune.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\nNashira could barely believe the words were coming from her mouth. Even before the Dust arrived, Nashira hadn\u2019t felt that close to Miram. They\u2019d flown in the same clusters and had collected together, but Nashira had been jealous of Miram\u2019s scarlet wings and a little distrusting of her ever-kind nature. But the hours Miram had stayed by Ogma proved her kindness was authentic. And Nashira was grateful. At such a dark time, Talltree needed all the kindness it could get.\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cYou\u2019re not allowed to be ashamed of your wings either,\u201d Miram said. \u201cIt\u2019s not your fault the Dust liked the look of you.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cI\u2019m not ashamed,\u201d Nashira said. \u201cNot anymore. I realise now that good fairies won\u2019t judge the Dust-damaged.\u201d She stroked Ogma\u2019s arm, too hot and dry beneath her fingers. \u201cHow did you get Wurren to help carry Ogma all the way here? It\u2019s clear the Dust appals him.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\nMiram bit her lip, opened and closed her mouth several times then sighed. \u201cI said if he didn\u2019t help, I\u2019d not pair with him.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\nDespite Nashira\u2019s new dislike for Wurren, knowing he\u2019d forgotten her and moved onto another love still stung. \u201cYou and Wurren are pairing?\u201d she asked weakly.\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cNot yet,\u201d Miram said. \u201cBut he wants to.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cSurely you\u2019re not still considering him,\u201d Nashira said. \u201cImagine if you contracted Dust Disease. He\u2019d abandon you.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cHe\u2019s scared,\u201d Miram said. \u201cHave you never been scared, Nashi? Never retreated when you should charge ahead?\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\nNashira dropped her eyes. Just that morning, she\u2019d retreated from Caph. Thanks to her fear, he\u2019d faced the hardest event of his life alone.\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cWurren has good points,\u201d Miram said. \u201cHe gifted me those scarlet dragon scales.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\nNashira tutted. \u201cOnly because he wants to pair with you.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\nMiram shrugged and started to reply but a groan from Ogma silenced her.\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cOggi,\u201d Miram whispered, brushing hair from Ogma\u2019s face. She bent, putting her ear close to Ogma\u2019s dry lips. \u201cI think she\u2019s trying to say something.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\nBut the only sound was Ogma\u2019s shallow breathing.\n<\/p>\n
\nSighing, they sat back.\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cPoor Ogma,\u201d Nashira said. \u201cIf only she hadn\u2019t run away. How far did she get? Where did you find her?\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cShe was in a hollow in one of the lowest branches. It was quite a strange place, filled with devices and all kinds of clutter.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\nNashira smiled. \u201cOgma\u2019s workshop. She invents there.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cIt looked like she\u2019d been drawing in a journal,\u201d Miram said.\n<\/p>\n
\nNashira scanned the nest for Ogma\u2019s book of inventions but it was nowhere. \u201cDo you have the book?\u201d Too soon Ogma would be gone. The ideas in the journal would be all that remained.\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cIt\u2019s still in the workshop,\u201d Miram said. \u201cI can fetch it if you want.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\nCaph raised his head from his nest. He\u2019d been quiet for so long, Nashira feared he\u2019d die from depression before the dust could take Ogma. Nashira started to rise, the plan to check his dressings, but he scowled and waved her away.\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cI\u2019m fine. Leave me alone.\u201d Wincing, he dragged himself from his nest. He tilted, staggering, but with a swing of an arm and a palm against the side of his nest, he found his balance. \u201cI feel completely off kilter,\u201d he muttered.\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cYou no longer have the weight of wings against your back,\u201d Nashira said, repeating the words she\u2019d heard from Lich many times. \u201cAdjustments must be made to how you walk and stand and sit.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cThanks for the advice,\u201d Caph muttered and started a slow shuffle through the hollow.\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cWhere are you going?\u201d Nashira asked. \u201cI promised Lich I\u2019d watch you while he collected herbs.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cI thought I\u2019d go for a quick fly.\u201d Caph paused to look over his shoulder and surprised Nashira with a weak smile. \u201cDon\u2019t look so concerned. I\u2019ll just take a short walk. Get used to this new point of balance I have.\u201d He shrugged, the action looking odd without his wings. \u201cI\u2019ll collect Ogma\u2019s book while I\u2019m out.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cI\u2019m not sure that\u2019s wise,\u201d Nashira said. \u201cIt\u2019s a long way to Ogma\u2019s hollow.\u201d Caph looked exhausted just from walking a few steps.\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cRelax, Nashira,\u201d Caph gasped. \u201cI once fought off a firefly swarm all on my own, remember? I think I can manage a tiny little stroll.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\nNashira feared he wasn\u2019t ready for the task, but she couldn\u2019t say so without causing him shame. Silently, she watched him cross the room and climb awkwardly out of the exit.\n<\/p>\n
\n
\nNashira woke with a start as someone shouted. She opened weary eyes to see Healer Lich stomping towards her.\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cThe task wasn\u2019t complicated, Nashira,\u201d he barked, drawing gapes from the surrounding nests. \u201cAll you needed to do was stay awake and watch your unwell friends. And yet, somehow you failed.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\nNashira rubbed her eyes, then peered around. Ogma still rested as she had, with Miram waking from the other side of the nest.\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cOgma\u2019s fine,\u201d Nashira said. \u201cWell, she\u2019s no worse.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cAnd Caph?\u201d Lich asked.\n<\/p>\n
\nNashira looked around. His nest sat empty.\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cHe took a walk,\u201d she said.\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cYou allowed him out alone?\u201d Lich pinched the bridge of his nose. \u201cAt least tell me you know where he went.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cTo Ogma\u2019s workshop. I\u2019ll go and collect him.\u201d Nashira started to move but a hot hand gripped her wrist.\n<\/p>\n
\nOgma peered up at her. \u201cNashira\u2026\u201d She licked her crusty lips, but her tongue seemed just as dry as the rest of her. She forced a whisper into the air. \u201cCaph\u2019s not at my workshop.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cHe is,\u201d Nashira said.\n<\/p>\n
\nMiram nodded. \u201cHe took a walk to get your journal, Oggi.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\nOgma shook her head. \u201cNot a walk. A flight.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\nMiram stroked Ogma\u2019s arm. \u201cOh, you poor dear. You\u2019re so unwell, you must have forgotten. Caph no longer has wings.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\nOgma shook Miram off and wincing, forced herself to sit. Her eyes, no longer bright but crusted, met Nashira\u2019s. \u201cNot a walk,\u201d she repeated through clenched teeth. \u201cOne. Last. Flight.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\nNashira frowned and shook her head, but her last conversation with Caph returned to her. Ogma was right, he had mentioned flying. But that had been a joke, hadn\u2019t it? But when had Caph ever joked?\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cOh no,\u201d Nashira breathed. \u201cI think Ogma might be right. We won\u2019t find Caph down in the workshop, but up on the landing branch.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\nShe shot for the exit.\n<\/p>\n
\n
\nNashira scrambled up branches, ignoring looks from healthy fairies who\u2019d probably never seen a fairy climb instead of fly. She moved faster than she ever had, working her arms and legs until they screamed for rest, then forcing herself to work them even harder. Despite her lack of wings, she reached the top of Talltree in time to see Lich and Miram land and fold their wings. Together the trio faced the end of the landing branch.\n<\/p>\n
\nCaph stood at the very tip, hunched, exhausted. As they approached, Nashira held her breath, afraid even the smallest breeze might dislodge his precarious footing.\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cCome away from the edge,\u201d Lich said gently. \u201cPlease.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\nCaph turned to face them. \u201cNo, Healer Lich. I appreciate your help, but you\u2019ve done all you can for me. My life is out of your hands now.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cMove,\u201d Lich demanded, his voice cracking. \u201cI know why you\u2019ve come up here, but you can\u2019t give up.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\nCaph\u2019s dark eyes narrowed. \u201cDon\u2019t tell me what I can and can\u2019t do. I\u2019ve had most choices stolen from me in recent months. The Dust chose my wings without ever asking if I welcomed it. Next, it stole my strength to fly. Then I was forced to live in the healing hollow, encouraged to stay hidden when all I wanted was to feel the breeze and see the stars. Then you took my wings.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cI had to, Caph.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cI know you did, and I thought I had no choice but to let you, but Ogma showed me otherwise.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cOgma\u2019s going to die because of her choice,\u201d Miram cried.\n<\/p>\n
\nCaph nodded. \u201cConsidering the paths available, I\u2019d say she made the wise choice.\u201d He looked to the sky and tipped his head back, allowing the breeze to shift his hair. \u201cRemoving my wings was the wrong choice, but it\u2019s not too late to put things right.\u201d He spread his arms.\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cPlease don\u2019t,\u201d Miram sobbed.\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cNo, Caph,\u201d Lich added huskily.\n<\/p>\n
\nNashira wanted to join her protest to theirs but she couldn\u2019t find the words. What right did she have to tell Caph how to live or die? When her turn came, she hoped no one would stand in the way of whatever choice she made.\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cFly free, Caph.\u201d Nashira\u2019s words were less than a whisper, but the breeze must have caught them and coaxed them along because Caph turned his head to look at her.\n<\/p>\n
\nHe nodded, smiled then faced the open air. Holding his head high, he dived into the sky.\n<\/p>\n
\nIt was a strange sight, watching a wingless creature soar. But soar Caph did. Momentum carried him into the wind and the breeze caught him. Of course, without his wide wings, it surely couldn\u2019t hold him long. Before it could release him, Nashira closed her eyes, determined her last memory of Caph would be of him flying. She held them closed as Miram choked on a sob and Lich moaned.\n<\/p>\n
\nWhen she finally opened them, Caph was gone.\n<\/p>\n
\n
\nThe following day, Nashira again stood on the landing branch. This time she was far from alone, the branch bending beneath the weight of the many fairies who attended the double funeral. The healthy might have been absent for Caph and Ogma\u2019s illness but they were there for them now. Too late by far, but it was still a welcome gesture.\n<\/p>\n
\nAs was tradition, Caph and Ogma\u2019s remains had been burnt, to be scattered on the breeze so they could take their final flight into Mother Nature\u2019s arms. It was the fairy way, yet discomfort settled in Nashira\u2019s stomach.\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cThis feels wrong,\u201d she whispered to Miram as they each gripped a nutshell containing the remains of their friends. Caph and Ogma\u2019s wings had turned to dust, and now the rest of their bodies had been reduced to ash.\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cEverything has felt wrong since the dust arrived,\u201d Miram sighed. \u201cWhat did we do to deserve such ill luck?\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cMaybe nothing,\u201d Nashira said. \u201cPerhaps we\u2019d just been fortunate for too long, and this is Mother Nature\u2019s way of setting the balance right.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\nMiram stifled a gasp. \u201cYou blame the Great Mother?\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cBetter than blaming myself, Caph or Ogma. We didn\u2019t earn this cruel punishment.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\nA hand fell on their shoulders and Lich leant close. \u201cWhy are you so sure this is a punishment? Consider that it might be a test.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cA test of what?\u201d Miram asked.\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cOf what we can rise above.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\nNashira tutted. \u201cEasy for you to say when you have healthy wings. My pathetic wings make rising above anything impossible.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cDo they?\u201d Lich asked. \u201cHave you not risen to the top of Talltree today? You did that without wings. Wings aren\u2019t all there is to a fairy. There are many ways to rise.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\nHe gave their backs a gentle push, coaxing them forward. It was time. With the eyes of all Talltree\u2019s fairies upon them, they weaved their way through the gathering.\n<\/p>\n
\nThe whole tree was silent as Nashira and Miram passed. Some eyed the ash shells and bowed in honour, while others shed tears. A few did neither, instead tiptoeing and craning necks, their eyes settling on what was left of Nashira\u2019s wings. The temptation to turn and hide them was strong, but where could she hide in such a crowd? She could no more hide from their eyes than she could hide from her fate. Squaring her shoulders, she marched forward.\n<\/p>\n
\nAt the tip of the branch, she and Miram stopped. Shoulder to shoulder, they opened the shells. Miram held Ogma\u2019s remains high over her head and Nashira copied her, showing the sky what remained of Caph. They didn\u2019t throw the ashes; that was not the fairy way. They waited for the wind\u2014the Great Mother\u2019s breath\u2014to swoop in and accept them. It took only moments.\n<\/p>\n
\nA gust built and forced its way through the tree. It lifted the ashes from the nutshells and spread them throughout the sky. Sparkles danced. Specks shimmered. At the end, their wings might have dulled but Caph and Ogma\u2019s ashes bore the same glint as every fairy\u2019s, proof the Dust couldn\u2019t infect a fairy\u2019s soul.\n<\/p>\n
\nNashira watched until every bright speck of Caph and Ogma were gone, then she turned to face the crowd. Most still stared at the sky but from the front row, Wurren watched her. He sagged, emerald wings drooping.\n<\/p>\n
\nNashira frowned, surprised to see him so close. Even before the Dust arrived, he hadn\u2019t been good friends with Ogma and Caph. Ogma was too odd, he\u2019d said, and Caph was far too brooding. Yet there Wurren stood, looking forlorn.\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cFarewell, fly free,\u201d Lich shouted into the wind, and the traditional call was echoed by others.\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cFarewell,\u201d the crowd cried over and over. \u201cFly free.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\nWurren joined in, repeating the chant in a murmur, while tears built in his eyes. It warmed Nashira\u2019s heart to see him caring so deeply until she realised, he stared not at the sky, but at her. Her heart constricted. Wurren\u2019s farewell wasn\u2019t for Caph or Ogma. It was for her.\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cHe mourns me while I still live,\u201d Nashira choked. \u201cI\u2019ve yet to even lose my wings, but he chants for me as if this is my funeral.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\nMiram followed Nashira\u2019s gaze then shrugged and wrapped an arm around Nashira\u2019s shoulders. \u201cDon\u2019t fret over Wurren. He\u2019s a much better gatherer than he is a thinker. And we both know he\u2019s wrong. There won\u2019t be a funeral like this for you.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\nThere was a challenge in her words and Nashira rose to it.\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cI choose to live,\u201d she agreed and turned her back on Wurren\u2019s grim gaze.\n<\/p>\n
\n
\n\u201cI choose to live,\u201d she repeated weeks later when Lich approached with a dragon scale blade in hand. She rolled to her belly and prepared for pain. \u201cI choose to live.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\n
\nThe pain of the cutting faded long before the grief. Despite Miram often by her side and Lich\u2019s care and encouragement, Nashira shed tears day and night.\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cI can see why Ogma avoided the blade,\u201d she muttered as Lich studied her wounds. \u201cI can equally understand why Caph took that last flight.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\nLich pressed his fingers to her scarred back, but he made no reaction to her words. He\u2019d heard such remarks from her every day since the amputation. She could no longer draw shock from the old healer.\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cYou\u2019re not in danger of infections anymore,\u201d he said. \u201cYou\u2019re more scar than wound now.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cThat I am,\u201d Nashira sighed. The scars ran deep, covering her heart.\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cThere\u2019s no reason for you to remain in the hollow.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\nNashira twisted to face him. \u201cYou want me to leave?\u201d Go outside, wingless, looking like a brownie?\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cYes, Nashira, I want you to leave. I want you to leave and find your new place in Talltree\u2019s society, then return here and encourage others to do the same.\u201d His eyes drifted to little Eta, nurse to her wingless mother. To make it worse, her own wings bore the first flakes of dust. It wasn\u2019t a contagious disease, but some families were unluckier than others.\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cI wish I could help,\u201d Nashira said. \u201cI\u2019d like to be a role model for the little one, but I have no role in tree life now. I was a gatherer, but how can I gather without wings?\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cYou might be unable to gather dragon scales without wings,\u201d Healer Lich said, \u201cbut I see no reason you can\u2019t gather hope. Find hope and bring it back here for the others.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\n
\n\u201cLet\u2019s take a walk,\u201d Nashira said when Miram arrived for her daily visit.\n<\/p>\n
\nMiram\u2019s eyes widened, then she clapped. \u201cOh hooray! I knew the old Nashi was still inside you somewhere. Always the adventurer, you were. Never still for long.\u201d As they walked to the exit, Miram squeezed Nashira\u2019s arm. \u201cWhere will we walk, great adventurer? Up to the landing branch?\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\nNashira leapt for the hole in the branch, surprised how much easier her body lifted without the weight of her dying wings. Out in the sunshine, she smiled down at Miram. \u201cWe\u2019ll go up, down, everywhere. We\u2019ll walk until we find the right way.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\n
\nStares followed them everywhere they strolled. Some fairies scrunched their noses. Most watched with their heads tipped at angles, as if baffled to see a fairy without wings walking with her head high.\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cYou shouldn\u2019t be the only one out here,\u201d Miram said. \u201cAll the wingless hidden within hollows and nests should come join us.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cAgreed,\u201d Nashira said. \u201cWe must visit them all and encourage them to venture out. But not today.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\nShe stopped beside a hollow decorated in strange metal items that had been collected from the human world. Ogma had known a great deal about humans and had long ago told Nashira the objects\u2019 human names. Bolt, needle, thimble, coin. Ogma said humans were large, lacked grace and took up too much space, but they were excellent inventors.\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cOgma\u2019s workshop,\u201d Miram said. \u201cShould we go in?\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\nNashira nodded and slipped through the opening.\n<\/p>\n
\nIt was dark within, Ogma\u2019s half-formed inventions reduced to shapes and shadows. There were no fireflies to brighten the space but Ogma had invented her own form of light. Nashira fumbled for Ogma\u2019s special grey stone and struck it against a plate. Sparks flew, igniting dried leaves. Nashira scooped them up and touched them to a woven thread that swam in a bowl of oil. The room swirled with light.\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cHow exciting,\u201d Miram laughed.\n<\/p>\n
\nNashira left her staring wide-eyed at the flames and ventured deeper into the room. She passed long benches and tall shelves crammed with strange contraptions and devices. Some were familiar thanks to sketches Ogma had shown her. Others were a mystery Nashira could only wonder about. She touched each item as she passed them. The contact made her feel a little closer to her friend.\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cWhy do you suppose Ogma returned here for her last day of life?\u201d Nashira asked. \u201cWas it to feel normal one last time, do you think?\u201d She\u2019d have given anything to go gathering one more time before her wings were taken.\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cI think Ogma was building something that day,\u201d Miram said.\n<\/p>\n
\nNashira gaped at her. \u201cYou never told me that.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cDidn\u2019t I? Maybe I forgot in the chaos.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cWhat was it?\u201d Nashira asked.\n<\/p>\n
\nMiram shrugged. \u201cTo be honest, I barely even glanced at whatever she was doing, more concerned about getting her some help. But I can show you.\u201d She circled benches, heading to the far end of a table. \u201cThis was her final invention.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\nNashira hurried to her side and looked down at a small contraption that sat atop Ogma\u2019s open journal. The device made little sense, but the drawing beneath it stole Nashira\u2019s breath.\n<\/p>\n
\nOgma had drawn a fairy. It was a rough likeness, but the unusually dark hair left no doubt it was meant to be Caph. In the picture, he was flying, but the wings on his back weren\u2019t those of a fairy. They looked hard and shiny, like the human metal fused to the workshop entry.\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cIs this what I think it is?\u201d Nashira lifted the contraption and now it made more sense. It was a vaguely fairy-shaped model carved from wood the length of her hand. On its back were thin, hard wings, also wooden.\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cOgma was inventing wings,\u201d Miram breathed.\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cBut the question is, did she succeed? Do they work?\u201d Nashira drew the model back behind her shoulder then thrust it forward and let it go. For a moment it wobbled and dipped in the air then it steadied and glided across the room. As it crashed into the far wall, Nashira and Miram broke into laughter and Nashira\u2019s heart swirled in a way it hadn\u2019t in a long while.\n<\/p>\n
\nThen worry wriggled in. \u201cA fairy couldn\u2019t carry the weight of wooden wings, nor the human material Ogma sketched in the drawing.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cHuman?\u201d Miram said. \u201cThere\u2019s nothing human about the substance drawn in Ogma\u2019s journal. Look again, Nashi. Do you see?\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\nFrowning, Nashira looked again at the sketch then gasped, finally seeing what Miram had already realised. \u201cOh! This could work! We could actually build these, couldn\u2019t we?\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\nShe might once more feel the wind safely hold her, and the world grow wide around her. Hope filled her heart but quickly ebbed. \u201cAt least, we might be able to build them if we can gather enough materials. But it\u2019s the wrong time of year for this kind of gathering.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cOh, silly Nashi,\u201d Miram laughed. \u201cYou don\u2019t need to gather anything. I already have what we need.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\nShe squeezed Nashira close, then together they lifted tools.\n<\/p>\n
\n
\nSeveral foggy days followed but on the morning that the wings were completed, the day dawned clear. Miram and Nashira stood on the landing branch, staring into the sun.\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cYou look amazing, Nashi.\u201d Miram\u2019s eyes roamed over the wings that protruded from Nashira\u2019s back, held in place by many straps. Nashira couldn\u2019t see much of them while they were pressed to her back, but she glimpsed hints of scarlet shining in the morning sun. Red dragon scales might be too bright for armour but for replacement wings they were perfect.\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cThank you again, Miram. These wings wouldn\u2019t exist without your scale-sculpting skills. Nor without your extremely generous gift. I know how much you wanted to turn these scales into armour that would match your wings.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\nMiram swiped the air. \u201cThis is a much better use for the scales. Now, in a way, I have a twin sister.\u201d She beamed. \u201cHow do they feel?\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\nNashira shifted, shrugged shoulders and bent this way and that. \u201cThey feel a little strange. It has been a while since I had any weight at my back. But it\u2019s a good weight, a good strangeness. I feel strong.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cAre you ready to try this? It\u2019s dangerous, you surely don\u2019t need me to point that out. The model flew well but that was small. We don\u2019t know how well these full-sized wings will function.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cIt can\u2019t be more dangerous than raiding a dragon\u2019s nest,\u201d Nashira said. \u201cAnd will surely be less frightening than the amputation of my original wings.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cIt will be the most exciting moment of your life.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cYes. One I can\u2019t wait to experience.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\nStill they waited. They stared into the sun, enjoying its warmth. Then behind them came voices. They looked towards the trunk to find the area filling with fairies. Some swooped up from below. Others used a mix of their arms and wing strength to scamper up from the lower branches. Soon the branch bent as deeply as it had during Caph and Ogma\u2019s funeral.\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cWe received your message,\u201d Lich said, coming forward. \u201cYou said you\u2019ve gathered that hope I asked for?\u201d His eyes widened as they moved over the dragon scales welded together and shaped to suit a fairy. \u201cOh, Nashira, you brave and foolish girl. I\u2019m so proud of you. Terribly worried, but also incredibly proud.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cYou\u2019ll tell Eta of this?\u201d Nashira asked. \u201cAnd her mother?\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cNo need,\u201d Lich said and gestured to a point in the crowd where Eta\u2019s mother stood with little Eta pressed to one side of her. All the wingless and Dust-ridden were present, perched safely within a circle of the winged. Though pale and thin, the withered watched as eagerly as everyone else.\n<\/p>\n
\nNashira spotted Wurren amongst the crowd and gifted him a nod. Despite all he\u2019d done, he\u2019d collected the dragons scales she now wore. That deserved thanks.\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cWell go on, Nashi,\u201d Miram said. \u201cThe wind won\u2019t wait forever.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\nIt would. The wind came and went as it pleased, but never failed to return. But Miram was right. It was time.\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cRemember what we discussed,\u201d Miram said as they faced the dawn. \u201cOut a short way and then straight back.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\nNashira smirked. \u201cMaybe.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cMaybe? Nashi, we decided. We planned.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cWe can only plan so much, Miram. In the end, it\u2019s not completely up to us. Mother Nature will nudge us wherever she chooses, and we must make of it what we can.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cI suppose that\u2019s true.\u201d Miram squeezed Nashira tightly then stepped away. \u201cGood luck.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\nTaking a breath, Nashira steadied her nerves. Far ahead, the dawn glowed, striking the trees with sparkles and promise, and the breeze whispered secrets she so very much wanted to know. And know them, she would. She released her breath in the form of a shout and ran along the landing branch. At the tip, she bent levers which spread the scarlet wings wide. Nashira dived into the air.\n<\/p>\n
\nShe wobbled. Dipped. Behind her, fairies gasped and wailed.\n<\/p>\n
\nThen the wind caught her and lifted her high and the cries from her brethren transformed into cheers.\n<\/p>\n
\nNashira\u2019s heart thudded.\n<\/p>\n
\nAs the breeze carried her towards the sunrise, she made out the wind\u2019s whispers.\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cFly free,\u201d it told her.\n<\/p>\n
GB Burgess is a writer from Tasmania, Australia. Her work has appeared in On the Premises, Daily Science Fiction and Fabula Argentea. When not writing, she spoils her rescue kitties, neglects her devoted husband, and extreme doodles (that\u2019s drawing without talent). Find more here: gbburgesswrites.wordpress.com<\/p><\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Nashira sat on the highest branch of Talltree, squinting into the dawn sky where specks shifted against glowing peach cloud. From such a vast distance the tiny blemishes looked like a flock of birds, but as they neared, details emerged. Silhouetted, slender figures. Hair shifting in the breeze. And of course, wide, fluttering wings. Nashira …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":107291,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,20081],"tags":[20082],"class_list":["post-137967","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-fiction","category-tcl-37-autumn-2020","tag-the-colored-lens-37-autumn-2020","entry entry-center"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/thecoloredlens.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/137967","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/thecoloredlens.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/thecoloredlens.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/thecoloredlens.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/107291"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/thecoloredlens.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=137967"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/thecoloredlens.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/137967\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":137968,"href":"http:\/\/thecoloredlens.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/137967\/revisions\/137968"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/thecoloredlens.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=137967"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/thecoloredlens.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=137967"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/thecoloredlens.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=137967"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}