Kiara
We flew in silence as I was deep in thought about the mysterious creature. This creature is ancient and rare; nobody has seen one alive before. It is said this creature has mighty powers. How did I turn into this creature? It happened all too fast. I remembered Dakota and me hearing something. Then we got off our horses and somehow I got clawed across my stomach! My stomach! I thought in a panic. I hovered in the air and bent my head trying to look at my side. I felt a tap on my head and I looked up startled.
“What’s wrong?” Dakota shouted, his face filled with concern.
“Check my side.” I said through the mind link.
Dakota’s eyebrows came together as he stared at me in confusion. But he nodded his head. He looked over at my side and gently rubbed his hand on my fur – checking for injuries. “Nothing there,” he thought through to my mind.
“Weird.” I shook my head and started moving toward the smoke in the distance. I felt a poke in my shoulder and turned my head to look at Dakota. He had his eyes narrowed as he studied me with a look that said- “What was that all about?”
I turned my head and continued looking in the distance. “Remember when an animal or something clawed my side?”
“Yes!” I could feel his anger as if the wound was his own.
“The wound is gone.” I said in amazement. Then a light bulb went off in mind. “Dakota!!!! I know what I got attacked by!!” I couldn’t help it and I dived suddenly and swiftly then straightened out again. I felt Dakota’s head hit my head.
“Don’t do that again! A little warning would have been nice,” Dakota said angrily.
I looked back to see Dakota holding his head with one hand- the other clutching my fur. He was bent forward.
“Aww. My head. Kiara! I always knew you had a hard head.” He said with a smirk.
“Want me to dive again?” I threatened.
His smirk dropped and his face paled. “Kiara,” he warned as he gripped my fur more tightly. “Any way, why would the animal claw you?”
“I don’t know. Maybe it needed my help,” I thought. But I couldn’t help but feel there was more to this story. I slowed my pace. We were close enough that I could see more details on the mountain. “Dakota we’re almost there. I’m going to dive through the trees and land at the bottom of the mountain when we get closer.” I beat my wings faster as adrenaline gushed through my blood. “Now!” I dived quickly through the trees with the wind whistling in my fur. I landed gracefully and without a sound. I bent down so Dakota could get off. He got off slowly and a little wobbly-his black hair everywhere and his face looked a little green. “You ok?”
“Yes, I’m fine,” he rubbed his hands on his face and hair. “What’s the game plan?” Dakota asked as he leaned up against a tree.
“I don’t know. We can figure it out when we get closer. I tucked my wings in and started walking.
“Kiara?”
I turned around and looked at Dakota, who hadn’t moved from the tree.
He had his hands in his pockets and said, “Don’t you think you should change back?”
“Ohh, I forgot.” I waited a second. “What if I can’t change back? As he read my thoughts-
”You can do it,” Dakota said with determination- his green eyes never leaving mine.
I took a deep breath and thought about being human and a second later I was! I couldn’t help it but I did a happy dance right there on the spot!
Dakota just raised his eyebrows and grinned, his green eyes filled with amusement. “If you’re done dancing,” he did the quotes sign with his fingers when he said the word “dancing”. “Let’s go!”
I rolled my eyes but nodded my head and we started walking toward the mountain. The forest was quiet. All my senses were on high alert, my eyes constantly searching for danger. As we walked in silence, I couldn’t help but think about the majestic creature. Will I be able to change back into it? Will the mind link go away? Can I use the power of mind link when I am not in animal form? There’s only one way to find out I thought. “Dakota?” I thought.
He quickly turned around and looked at me. “Yes? You ok?”
“Just wondering if the mind link still worked.” I smiled and expected Dakota to turn back around and continue through the forest but instead he frowned and leaned closer. Is he going to kiss me? Part of me wanted him too. His face was filled wonder and confusion. Is something on my face? I thought. Do I have a dirt smudge or something? “Dakota?” This seemed to snap him out of his trance as he blinked his eyes a couple of times. “Is something on my face?” I said trying to figure out what was going on. I wiped my face- checking for something on it.
“Your eyes have yellow in them,” Dakota said slowly.
Thought ran through my head- What!!!! I don’t have yellow in my eyes! They are blue! Maybe Dakota hit his head too hard. “Dakota lean your head down. I need to check to see if you hit your head,” I said reaching forward.
“Very funny! But I’m telling the truth.” He said seriously.
I studied his face to see if he was lying. Snap, he wasn’t. My stomach! I thought of the claw marks all of a sudden. I slowly lifted my shirt showing my stomach where the claw marks were. I gasped at the sight. Instead of claw marks was a shape of an eagle head and its wings. I looked up to see Dakota staring at my stomach with his eyes wide and his mouth hanging open wide. We stared at each other for a few seconds unable to speak.
“When did you get that?” Dakota asked in a whisper.
“I’ve never seen it till now,” I said in shaky voice. I racked my brain trying to find an explanation. I slowly put down my shirt. Dakota kept looking at me weirdly as if I would turn into something else. He took a step back and I raised an eyebrow. He put his hands up in surrender.
“I don’t know what else might happen. Just making sure.”
“I though you loved me.” I said faking hurt.
“I do but from a distance.” He said with an innocent face.
“Let’s go find Fang.”
Dakota nodded his head but held up his hand. “Before we go, I’m hungry so wait a sec,” he said while rubbing his stomach.
I watched him take a piece of bread from his pants pocket and stuffed it in his mouth.
I crossed my arms and said sarcastically, “Better?”
“Yep! Let’s go! Chop, chop,” he said as he started walking forward.
I shook my head; I have such a weird friend. The terrain started getting rockier the closer we got the base of the mountain. A few minutes later we were at the mountain base.
Authors Note:
Thank you for all those who read and voted!!
