A New Beginning

Chapter 39

Tessa's POV:

I flew between the trees, grinning back over my shoulder as Abby tried to keep up. We had lost Dirk and Glen a while ago.

"Ready to give up yet?" I taunted her.

"Nope!"

"Why are you huffing and puffing? You live out here all the time; you should be in better shape than me."

"Because I know how to relax," she retorted. "It's a skill that you really should learn."

"Nah. Sounds too boring," I replied with a breathless laugh.

"You need to have your head checked."

I snorted as I banked hard around a tree and kept going. Abby was tiring, so the turn really slowed her down. Four strange metal posts stood out of the ground, forming corners for a very large rectangle.

"Has anyone seen any more foxes?" I asked.

"Not for several weeks. A few people looked hard for them, too. It looks like all of them have been moved out of the park. I still think it's kind of strange that they left the traps up."

"From what Aeria told me, the containing shields won't activate unless a fox walks into it. They will probably leave them here for a few months, just in case they missed a few."

"I guess that makes sense. We chased a lot of different critters between those posts and nothing happened. One of those dog-like pets got caught in one; it was about the same size as a fox, though."

"Well, I'm happy that they are gone. That's one less danger to worry about."

"I agree! It's a relief, especially for those with young children. I've had nightmares about foxes finding me when I napped in the sun. That isn't something I have to worry about anymore."

"Foxes aren't the only things out here," I cautioned her.

"Oh, I know. But the foxes were the most dangerous. Now we just need to watch for eagles or very brave weasels."

"Is this another excuse to get lazier? Come on! Get those wings moving! You can't outfly an eagle if you can't even keep up with a butterfly!"

"What kind of butterflies have you been watching?"

"It might have been a hummingbird," I conceded.

"You don't have room to talk – you are breathing hard, too."

"Duh. Don't you ever listen to Mia? I live in a cage and never get a chance to spread my wings."

Her snort was audible even though she was falling farther behind. I snickered, weaving through some branches in another attempt to lose her.

It was hard, but I eventually flew far enough ahead of Abby to lose her. My teeth were slightly bared in a smirk at having outflown an older fledgling. Most adults would have been able to keep up, although some were quite lazy.

Panting hard, I landed on a branch to catch my breath. I looked around, but not a single dragonet was in sight. Having tired the other three out, they would probably want to sunbathe the rest of the afternoon. Well, Dirk would get bored in an hour, but we would probably be leaving by then. Besides, I could easily torment him at home.

The Ply-Ball team was gone for several days, so that entertainment wasn't a possibility. What else could I do in the park that wasn't an option at home? The list was rather short.