The ebony sky hosted a thousand points of light; perhaps millions. The ice-speckled atmosphere swayed in the buffeting gale over the tree-canopy. Maun glided on Eagle through the dark night. She found it rather exhilarating, being on top of the world. This was where she wished to be for the rest of her life.Springs echoed to their shadowy depths, the only sound in the lapsing silence. Maun did not wish to speak; Eagle was far too rude for her company. Nor would she respond to him.
And so time ebbed away into nothingness, and she found herself anticipating for home. How they will be fretting over her when she returns! She’ll never be uncomfortable again.
A spacious meadow opened below her as the forest finally opened below as the forest finally broke through. Maun felt a joy as she never felt before to see the hills and moor.
“We are here! Fly me down, now.”
“Hmmm, hmm, Great Eagle does not believe so. He thinks we have a long way to go, still.”
“How do we have a long way to go?” the girl retorted. “We’re already over the village. Stop! We are passing it!”
She watched in dismay as the familiar dwellings contracted as they hurtled over the valley. Soon they vanished completely.
***
Madam simply did not understand, the nurse thought worryingly. The girl was not even in the mansion…a silly thing it was to be out at the dead of night. She sighed. The most she could do was to look again in the morning. She should be in bed sleeping, not fussing herself over the madam’s daughter.
As she went upstairs the master of the house returned.
***
“Can you not see we are not even in the forest anymore?” Maun asked in desperation.
“Great Eagle can see. He sees trees and skies, and soil.”
“Then-” as soon as he confirmed his own belief, Maun’s sight morphed into the gloomy forest she despised. How?
“Almighty Eagle thinks it is the doing of Titalukia.”
Anything to keep her on the ground…
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