BEGINNING - 1

It was cold. And bright.

An incessant wind tugged at the edges of the cape that was wrapped around his tiny form.

It seemed right to nestle closer to its folds and let it spread warmth through his limbs. It was a rough warmth. It snagged at his extremities, blurred his edges, and seemed to make him someone new. Someone who could be comfortable with the cold and the wind.

He had not known how to become this someone new. It was instinctual.

But it was still too bright, and he was hungry. He was not meant to be here. He was meant to be somewhere warm and...and safe. He was not meant to be alone.

He folded in on himself, curled beneath his warm covering, closed his eyes, and sent a questing call out into the night.

“Ahhh! Aaahhh! Aaaaaaahhh!”

******

Ari sat bolt upright. She jumped out of bed and hurried over to the petal-shaped window, peering into the dim darkness. Snow had just begun falling when she laid down after the noon repast. The time of midnight twilight was fast approaching. A handful of stars winked into existence in the sky as she stood there, illuminating the deep snow that now covered the ground.

Bells resonated throughout the valley, music sounding from every pocket home and traveling group. The other fairies were gathering for another night of winter moon festivities. Voices carried on the wind, tugging at her ears, coaxing her to join in their laughter.

She stood there, frozen and frowning. These were not the sounds that had woken her from her fretful slumber. Her hands kept moving while the rest of her was still - pulling her dark hair, which had been a pale rosy red a moment ago, back from her eyes and binding it at the nape of her neck in a low ponytail; tugging at the dark brown sleeves of her outer tunic, covering her arm’s patchwork of goosefleshed skin and shimmering, swirling tattoos; worrying at the edge of the windowsill, clenching wood beneath her rounded fingernails; pulling at the knotted leather cord that hung from her neck...

“Ari!” A first pounded on her door. Multiple voices sang together, “Ari, awake! Listen to our call! Head the moon’s shadow! Attend to your brethren now! Join hands and enter the dance!”

The familiar words sent a thrill through her heart, but she sighed. She knew the expected response, but she did not feel like going along with the expected this night. She knew the others would not understand, but sometimes she found the expected so...exhausting.

There was another knock at her door, hesitant this time, and a single voice whispered in a cajoling tone. “Ari, please open the door. It’s just me now. I have a gift for you…”

A small smile graced the curve of Ari’s lips. Keena was the closest thing she had to a sister. She could not deny her entreating call.

“A gift?” she said, letting her feet take the ten steps to the door while her face stayed turned toward the window.

Keena swept into the room and closed the door behind her. She seemed not to notice Ari’s odd behavior as she laid the handcrafted gift out on the bed: a dress woven of shimmering yellow fabric and adorned with white lace and silver bells along the neckline and trailing sleeves.

“And…” She pulled the yellow scarf from her own neck and draped it across the top row of bells. “For the dance tonight,” she said as if there was any doubt as to the occasion for such a gift.

Keena stood back and paused, waiting for Ari to praise her handiwork.

Ari did not say a word. She had returned to the window and was leaning halfway out into the night, her hand on the sill the only thing keeping her balanced within. Her wings were held at half-glory and shaking with nervous energy. 

Keena stepped forward and draped an arm around Ari’s shoulder, afraid she was about to take off. She bit her lip, holding back her questions and her complaints, waiting anxiously for Ari to wake from whatever trace held her and speak.

Finally, Ari looked at her, eyes alight with excitement. “Do you hear that?”

“Yes, the music is calling. You…” Her smile faded slowly, inch by inch, as she took in her friend’s expression in full. “You are not talking about the music are you?”

Ari turned back to the window and stood on tiptoe, face raised as if she was scenting the air. “There is something out there...I do not know what it is. It is unknown to me, but...but I feel it calling to me. I must find it.”

“Find what?” Keena tugged on Ari’s arm, desperate to regain her attention. “Ari, what are you talking about?”

“Something...someone...Keena...can’t you hear them? They’re calling to me. I...I have to go!”

She pulled away from Keena and hoisted herself up onto the windowsill. Keena stood there with hands still held out, too stunned to fight her.

“Ari, no!” She yelled as her friend dove, disappearing from sight for a moment and then reappearing as her wings opened to full glory, reflecting the dazzling moonlight. 

Blinking the flash of light from her eyes, Keena cried, “You cannot miss the dance again! Fairies don’t...miss the dance.” She finished in a whisper, a hand cupped over her mouth. “This is wrong. This is wrong.”

She started to back further into the room, shaking her head in disbelief. “Ari…”

She was not sure what to do. Ari was heading in the direction of the outer forest, outside the protection of the valley. She could not leave Ari to face the unknown alone. She could be lost. But what if she could not find Ari and lost her own way out there, in the dark, alone.

She had never understood why Ari was foolish enough to flaunt the instinctual laws that bound their kind, the strongest of which quickened fairy hearts to seek each other out in the dance, bound them into a community.

Just the thought of leaving the haven of light and music of the valley sent her wings fluttering and her heart racing. But one glance at the dress she had spent a fortnight sewing made up her mind for her. 

If Ari would not care for her the instinctual laws and her own safety, then Keena must protect her. She would bring her wayward heart-sister home, and she would see her twirling among the dancers in her yellow gown, shimmering in full glory beneath the moon, this very night. 

Quickly, before she could change her mind, she climbed up onto the windowsill as Ari had done. She paused for a heartbeat, balancing on her tiptoes, to watch the festivities in the clearing below that had only just begun. Then spreading her arms and extending her gossamer wings, she flung herself out into the chilly night air.

******

Keena’s yellow hair whipped around her head, distorting her vision of the dim shape flying ahead of her. Ari, curse her, was wearing dark clothing pulled down over her pale skin. Her dark hair gave nothing away either. She was a brown and black shadow against a gray and black sky.

But Keena dared not lose her.

Fairies do not dwell on their own. Alone, their shimmer, their heart, their special spark, fades. Together they thrive, in the dance they find no strife. But celebrating life, their hearts abound.

“Aaaaaahhhh!”

A shrill scream pierced Keen’s eardrums. She saw Ari, just four lengths up ahead, cease to a hover and bent forward, pushing through the wind, her arm outstretched.

Ari flinched as Keena hand wrapped around her forearm, but she did not seem surprised to see her fair-haired friend. “Where did it come from?”

Keena shook her head, her cheeks flushed, despite the cold, with fear. “I don’t know. Ari, I...I don’t think…”

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

“Aaaaahhh!”

Ari whirled around, pulling Keena with her. She had not been aware of where she was going a moment ago, but she had trusted the pull that she felt in her chest. Someone else might call it her gut, but deep inside, Ari knew the feeling that and pulled her toward this mystery found its origin in a much more precious place.

A third scream rent the air - “Aaaaaaaaahhhhhh!” - ear-piercing even through the gusting wind - and she knew that the thing - the someone - who was calling out to her was directly below them, beneath the tree cover, caught deep in the snow that burrowed the soft, warm grass out of reach.

Clutching Keena’s arm now so that her friend could not be left behind, Ari made a fast dive for the treeline. She did not attempt to navigate the wind, but shot straight through the currents, like an arrow released from a bowstring. 

Keena hung onto her for dear life as they shot through the forest canopy, but she responded when Ari slid her hand down to grasp her fingers and shouted - “Now!” She flung herself away from Ari, her hand clamped like a vise around the other fairy’s wrist, and extended her wings to full glory. Their descent slowed, and they floated toward the floor like a winged seed, twirling around and around in a graceful dance.

As soon as Ari’s feet touched the ground, she released Keena and took off running, circling the massive tree trunk that separated her from her goal. Her feet sunk an inch into the wet snow, but it was hard-packed enough that she was not worried about sinking further. At present, she weighed little more than the fallen leaves that still littered the ground beneath the golden-leaved trees.

“Ari, wait! Don’t you think we should, you know, camouflage or something? We don’t know what’s out there.”

“Shh…”

“No, I really think we should---”

“Shh!”

“I don’t think you understand what you’re getting us into!”

“Keena!” Ari shot her arm out, stopping Keena from continuing. She gave her friend a pointed look and then peered out around the tree trunk.

Keena leaned forward to peer over her shoulder. Her hands gripped Ari’s restraining arm and squeezed the life out of it. Her mouth hung open in a perfect O, but no sound came out.

Ari’s heart fluttered in her chest. “Oooh,” she sighed in wonder. “It’s a ...a little dragon. Where is his mother?”

She stood on her tiptoes and leaned out further, peering around eagerly for the sight of one of the giant scaly beasts that she had heard about only from tales.

Keena looked at her like she had gone mad. She tried to pull Ari back, but the scaly shape curled up on the ground made a sniffling sound, halfway between a cry and a moan, and Ari could not stop herself from walking forward.

She stepped out behind the tree, her hands held up before her, and closed her eyes. With a thought, she set her body to grow. When she opened her eyes again, she was standing above the baby that just a moment ago had seemed huge.

It took no notice of her but continued to cry. Its body heat had created a little hollow in the snow, but it was still shivering.

Avi crouched down, making herself appear smaller, and took a tentative step forward. “Little one?” 

The creature turned its head so one sorrowful eye could watch her approach. Its eyelids stuttered at the sight of her, and she saw it’s tail twitch. Other than that, it stayed perfectly still.

“Hello, little one. I’m here to help. Are you alright?”

She advanced slowly step by step, stopping each time to rest back on her heels and offer a gentle word of encouragement. Keena - who had also made her herself stretch and grow taller - made a few soft noises of disapproval, but she did not dare raise her voice and spook the beast.

When she was close enough to touch the little dragon, Ari lowered herself to her knees and tapped her fingers against the ground. She watched the creature stare at her fingers. There was no flicker of fear or malice, and when he raised his eyes to stare into hers, she was shocked by the spark of recognition that passed between them.

“Hello.”

“Aahhh…”

“Little one, are you alright?”

The dragon blinked at the question. Its tongue flashed bright pink. Ari smiled, imagining what it was must like to scent emotions on the air. She took a deep breath, imagining a lilac-scented cloud of peace surrounding her and reaching out to tickle the little dragon’s nose.

“May I touch you?” Ari asked, extending her hand. She laid her palm on the dragon’s scaly forehead. It leaned into her touch. Encouraged, Ari circled her arms around the dragon’s body and pulled it onto her lap.

“Eeep…” She swallowed her scream as the dragon in her arms shifted shape.

Where there had been a scaly snout was now a perfectly round baby boy’s face peering up at her. Scales marred his face - miniscule green half-moon plates that marched up his nose and onto his brow - the only indication that he had once been something less than fairy. Ari stroked them with a finger.

“Beautiful…” She murmured and wiggled her own nose. She laughed when she saw the boy’s eyes grow wide at the sight of red and copper scales sprouting along her nose and brow. He reached a pudgy baby hand up to touch them. Then he grasped her nose, yanking on it. Ari caught his hand and smiled at him. His eyes were the most entrancing shade of green-gray-blue. They sang to her of the balance between shadows and light, loneliness and solitude, loss and love.

“Ari…” Keena called from her place leaning half-hidden against the tree.

Ari shook herself as if waking from a deep sleep. “He’s a shapeshifter like us, Keena.”

“No, Ari. Not like us. We don’t know what he is.”

“He’s a helpless baby.”

“Ari, what are you---”

“We have to take him with us.”

“We can’t. He...he’s too big.”

Ari’s brow furrowed. An unspoken truth tugged at her mind. She stood and placed the shapeshifting boy on her hip. She tapped him on the nose, and he giggled. “Can you shrink, little one? Become teeny tiny?”

That little niggling feeling in her chest told her that he could, but she had to be sure. She was loathed to put him down, but she set him on the ground. He sat up and reached for her.

“Watch,” she said, taking a step back and extending her arms to allow him a full view of her shrinking form. “Shrink.”

The baby blinked at her long and slow twice, and then, arm stilled raised imploringly, he began to shrink. Ari swung him back up onto her hip as soon as she could lift him and twirled in a circle. “Good boy. Shrink. Good.”

He giggled as the world spun around him, grasping fistfuls of her tunic with an iron grip.

“You little cutie!” Ari placed a kiss on his cheek and glanced over her shoulder at her heart-sister. “Come on. We need to get back. I’m going to take him to the council of elders. They’ll know what to do.”

“Well. Yes. We should. Yes,” a twig-sized Keena sputtered, following Ari as she trudged through the snow to an area where the canopy above appeared less dense.

“Hold on tight,” she whispered into her young charge’s ear. He worked his clenched fists and leaned his head against her shoulder, his cold nose pressed against her neck. She pulled his cape around his shoulders and smoothed a hand down his back.

“I found you. You’re going to be alright now.”

His melodious sigh filled her ear as she unfurled her wings and took off, her precious cargo clasped tight to her chest.

******

“Why did you do it?”

Thev did not react to Levd’s hard voice. He shoveled another mouthful of meat into his mouth and bit down hard, relishing the crunching sound of bone and the gush of juices that wet his tongue.

A hand clamped around his neck. He was lifted from the floor and thrown back against the cave wall. “Answer me, weakling! Why did you do it?”

Thev worked his jaw, biting back the retort that popped into his mind. “Do what?”

“You killed the animal. You killed it! Before eating it!”

“Yeah...and?” He reached for his dinner again, but his brother kicked him in the stomach with a knobby foot.

“Was it a mercy killing? I like to hear my food scream as I eat it. But no. Runt is afraid he’ll boohoo and ruin his dinner.”

“I don’t know why it should matter to you, brother. It was my dinner, and this is my cave.”

A chorus of grating laughter sounded from the entrance to the cave. Levd had brought his pack of loathsome friends. Thev spit in their direction and turned his back on them. He was the shortest of the bunch, but at least he wasn’t the ugliest.

Contrary to popular belief, not all ogres look alike. His long hairy arms and powerful, broad shoulder, and protruding jaw had caused him to collect such nicknames as “small ape” and “gorilla-ogre.” They weren’t clever insults, but a stinging barb of truth was hidden in them.

But at least he was not the ugliest. His brother resembled nothing more than a moldy potato left out to shrivel and die in the sun.

The thought made Thev smile, which his brother took as a challenge. He rammed his shoulder into Thev’s head. A sickening crack ringed throughout the cave. Thev’s vision swam, showing him two versions of Lev’d leering face.

He should have left well enough alone. He should have slumped to the floor and stayed there. But he was not one to give up on a fight just because it could not be won. Not if he was right. 

“Leave me be, Levd. I don’t need your stink in my nose while I eat, just like I didn’t need the ruckus this beast was making disturbing my stomach.”

He shoved against Levd, who took a step back out of confusion at Thev’s insolent retort. Thev sat beside his dinner again and took up a leg bone.

“So you admit to having a weak stomach, small ape?”

Thev took a bite, but the meat tasted sour in his mouth. Levd’s voice was taking on a deeper, more menacing tone, and it set his hair on end.

“I admit to nothing.”

“You will admit to the truth.”

“I always tell the truth, as an ogre ought. The truth cannot be sold, and lies cannot be bought.”

Levd strode around to Thev’s other side, leering dangerously at him. “You are not an ogre, small ape. Your words are not bound to ogre law.”

“My mother is your mother Levd. My father is your father. I am flesh of your flesh. That is the truth, though it may pain both of us to admit. Do you deny it?”

Levd’s face twisted in disgust. No matter how much his stomach twisted at the thought and his mind rejected the truth, he could not deny Thev’s words out loud. “Then tell the truth, little brother. Is it your weak stomach or your soft heart that prompts mercy killings?”

Thev’s hair bristled down his arms and chest. He bared his fangs and snarled at the insult. Then surprising them both, he shot to his feet and turned to face his accuser. “Honesty does not equal cruelty. I will tell you the truth, as plainly as I can. Yes, it pained me to hear my dinner’s death cries. It pained my head, not my heart. For my head’s sake alone, I struck the creature on the head before I tore it apart with my bare hands.” He held his hands up, showing off his blood-marked palms and the corded muscles in his arms. “Besides, I prefer to have to chase my meat only once.”

“Is that why you only prey on those with four legs who can run faster than those with two legs?”

The question caught Thev off guard, but without hesitation, he answered, “Yes.”

There was no twitch of eye or hand that prompted Levd to react. Thev detected no quiver in his own voice. He knew that he told no lie, and he knew that Levd would strike. He hunched his shoulders preparing for Levd’s strike, leaving the back of his head unprotected to the blow that came from behind.

“Liar! Liar! Weakling!”

…….To be continued

***************

ENDING - 1, a potetianl ending to this first story, the story of this odd group’s meeting, if told from the view of a little dragon changeling…

A soft halo of moonlight growed around the faces of the two who carried him out of the cave.

The wind sent a flurry of snow to sting his face. He tugged at the edge of his cape, pulling the hood up over his thin cap of brown hair, and felt a shiver ease down his spine as the scaly change overtook him again.

His two new caretakers smiled warmly down at him. He reached out a pudgy hand to touch the face of the winged woman who held him. 

“Ahhh!” he shrieked.

“Ahhh!” she answered.

“Ahhh!” the hairy one repeated with a deep, booming laugh. “Little dragon banshee…”

The hairy one reached for the boy, and the winged woman held him out, allowing him to wrap his arms around the giant’s neck. 

The boy did not understand the uncertainty that crossed his rescuer’s faces as they glanced at each other and then turned to peer down the cliff into the distant otherness, an unknown shrouded with cold mist and clinging shadows.

Though he could not put a name to them, he felt the turmoil of emotions that hung in the air between them. He tasted them like a bitter rain on the wind. But it did not matter. A sense of rightness had set itself up in his heart, filling him with a heat that would have kept him warm in any shape.

He had found it. A place to rest from the wind and the uncertainty.

She kept him warm.

He kept him safe.

Everything was right in his world.

There was no need to fear.

Together, they would move forward from this place, and they would keep each other warm and safe.