Eventually they reached the edge of the woods where the sun set behind them, sinking low across the mountains, casting long streaks of reds and yellows across the sky, fading into a hazy gray as if painted onto parchment by the old men of the east. The air grew still and cold, a breeze whispering through the trees, rustling the branches overhead. The forest became quiet, except for the occasional cry of an owl flying high above, circling back to its nest in the canopy.
Tansy gazed upon the mountains for a moment longer. They were breathtakingly beautiful with their jagged peaks and sheer cliffs, reminding her of how majestic it must be to fly atop the heavens, soaring far above these rugged peaks. How she missed the days she used to spend in flight with her father, soaring along the winds with him in search of prey, feeling his warm embrace around her tail, safe in his arms, free from harm.
It felt almost like a dream now, a distant memory from a previous existence that seemed so far removed from where she stood right now. Her thoughts drifted to memories from the past that she wished she could forget completely, especially those from the day she lost her mother, how she had run crying out to the riverbank where the others had gathered around her.
"Come here, little one," her mother had called, reaching her hand out toward Tansy. "Your mother needs your help!"
But she didn't want to go anywhere near her, not without her father by her side. There was a darkness inside of her mother that frightened her, and she didn't think she could bear it if she had to see it again.
"Stay here with your brothers and sisters, my sweet child," her mother insisted. "The water isn't far, and we'll meet you shortly. Please, I promise you won't be harmed…"
"Not yet," her father had said quietly beside her, holding both of her hands tightly in his own as he stared into her eyes with his own. Then he kissed her forehead and whispered words of love and protection as tears welled up in his own eyes, mixing together with hers.
When he left her side to join the other elders who stood silently watching them from the shoreline, she turned around slowly to face them, knowing they were all staring at her as her mother beckoned her forward…only to gasp when she caught sight of a black shadow slithering across the riverbank in pursuit of her parents. It was too late. She knew it instantly. Before he realized it himself, he was struck from behind by a powerful blow as two talons tore into his chest, ripping open his flesh as they sank deep into his body. Blood spewed everywhere as his limp form tumbled over backward, landing in a heap on the rocky ground as he fell lifeless to the earth.
"No!" she screamed, rushing toward her parent's bodies and kneeling beside him to hold his bloody torso close to her. "Oh, no…why did you leave me? Don't leave me alone here! Stay with me! Help me…"
As soon as her fingers touched his wound, she began screaming again, writhing in pain, feeling her entire arm swell up with blood while her skin blistered to peeling pieces beneath her touch. Her vision blurred at the edges as waves of intense agony consumed her mind, twisting into nightmares until finally she collapsed unconscious…
Only to wake up many years later with no recollection of anything since then…except for that one horrible moment in which she witnessed her parents' deaths. Yet this was no nightmare. She knew this was real…the pain was real, searing through her limbs and burning the very core of her soul, causing her to scream aloud with anguish that never seemed to stop.
And now this monster had forced her into a similar situation once more: the same awful pain, the same terrifying screams of anguish she could never seem to stop from escaping her lips. Only this time, it was worse than ever before because her father was gone forever…because her mother was dead…because the beast had killed them both in front of her eyes.
"Mother?" Tansy cried out at last, looking around at the trees surrounding her where they swayed gently against a cool wind that caressed her skin with soothing relief. She closed her eyes and breathed deeply, allowing herself to relax for a moment at last…then opened them to look around again.
Where was everyone? Where had they gone? Was someone hiding nearby? Watching? Waiting for her to fall asleep?
"Help me…"
The thought occurred to her that perhaps they weren't really dead, that they were still alive somewhere else, that they needed her help…but that didn't make sense either, not according to what she'd learned about the world and its people. If they were still living somewhere else, then wouldn't they be looking for her themselves instead of leaving her here to fend for herself?
She looked around carefully again, listening intently for any signs of movement beyond the trees. But there were none; not a single sound disturbed the peaceful silence of dusk. Even the insects had stopped chirping, giving way to the cicadas as night crept closer and approached faster. A light breeze stirred the leaves overhead as it passed, carrying away some of their weight. Soon the wind would become strong enough to start blowing them off their branches altogether and carry them far away. When it did happen, it would bring rain with it, soaking their forest home in a deluge of heavy drops as it poured down over their heads, bringing much-needed moisture to rejuvenate the land below. As always, spring would return in full force with the arrival of summer, with plenty of warm breezes and sunny skies ahead—allowing the seeds in the ground to sprout as flowers bloomed into glorious colors of yellow, purple, white and pink, filling their valley with color as they welcomed another new season. Life went on without them here…as it should have done, anyway.
But she couldn't just stand here waiting for someone to come get her. This was her chance for freedom, to escape. No matter what it took, she had to do this. And that meant facing this dragon alone…without anyone's help or assistance to aid her.
Taking a deep breath, she steeled her nerves and stepped out from behind the tree to confront her enemy. She drew her sword from its sheath on her back, raising it high into the air and preparing to fight.
Yet the moment she emerged onto the other side, a flash of brilliant golden light suddenly illuminated everything around her, blinding her vision momentarily. Once she'd regained consciousness again, she glanced up to find that the bright orb hanging directly overhead had grown larger than before, its brightness rivaling the setting sun itself…
"What are you doing out here all alone?"
Her voice sounded different now. Not so loud or imposing as it usually was. Nor was it quite so commanding or frightening to hear now, like the roar of thunder in a stormy sky. But it was definitely there nonetheless, speaking in an authoritative tone, drawing attention to this intruder as if he were king among men.
She squinted at this unexpected visitor who stood upon the other side of the clearing now, towering high above her with his muscular frame wrapped in dark blue robes that fluttered softly in the gentle breeze. He wore a crown upon his head fashioned from gold and gems, and he carried an ornately carved staff adorned with various symbols etched upon its surface. These included dragons and serpents coiling around each other like they were locked in battle, intertwined tails and fangs, claws sharpening like daggers ready to strike, wings spread wide and poised for flight. It seemed fitting that he held such a weapon, after all.
He spoke again, but this time he lowered himself slightly down from his throne to approach her from a lower angle rather than standing straight upright before her. His presence was still overpowering and intimidating, but perhaps less threatening somehow…and certainly far more kind and friendly compared to how she remembered him from her youth.
"Who are you? What do you want from me?" she asked curiously, glancing down at the ground between them where she saw something shiny and gleaming lying on the forest floor. She bent down to pick it up, examining it closely to reveal that it was made from silver, engraved with intricate designs that appeared to be swirling patterns and whirlpools of flowing water, frozen in place by the icy grip of winter.
"Are you okay? You seem a bit confused," the stranger replied as he watched her examine the object in her hand, leaning in closer as though intrigued by her response. "Can I call you Tansy? Or are you Tansy the Silverwing? Either way works for me."
"You can call me whatever you want," Tansy answered, returning her gaze upward where she studied the stranger anew in an attempt to figure out why it felt like he wasn't a threat anymore. Perhaps it was due to his softer demeanor and gentler disposition…or maybe because he looked a lot younger than he used to be. Whatever the case may be, she trusted that he truly meant no harm, and it gave her hope to see that he wanted to help her in spite of what she'd been told about him. That alone was a sign of compassion from someone she had never expected to see again. "I'm sorry…it's just nice to finally see you again, even if only briefly."
"That's alright…but let's keep things short and simple from now on. For your sake, not mine…unless you feel like talking about old times, of course." He smiled warmly as he leaned in closer still, gazing into her eyes as he gazed at her long hair that hung down past her shoulders, framing her face.
"Why don't we begin by finding out exactly how you ended up here…here in my lands, of all places."
Tansy nodded, taking note that he was staring at her with his own pair of sparkling emerald green eyes. They were the most beautiful things she had ever seen, with tiny flecks of gold woven throughout their depths to make them shine brightly whenever the sunlight caught them just right. It reminded her of the stars shining high overhead during the darkest hours of night when they shined brilliantly against the blackest parts of space. The same way they shone brighter when they reflected off the river when its waters churned vigorously against its banks to form raging rapids of foam and froth, sending up clouds of spray as they rushed down over rocks and boulders to crash violently against its shores. Yet these were no ordinary stars…they were people, she realized. People who could speak to her…people she had known all along.
People whose names were etched deeply within her heart with love and affection for many years…
They were her people, whom she loved dearly and cared for greatly…
Even those who had died to save her life time and time again, risking everything in order to protect her from danger.
"Yes," she said quietly in reply, lowering her eyes to meet his once again, seeing his smile broaden at the sight of her soft expression. She could tell that he was glad to see her happy again.
"We're both lucky to have survived the terrible events that happened in our lifetimes, aren't we? We must've worked together to survive somehow…to escape certain death. But what does that mean? Why did we end up here in your kingdom? Are you responsible for us being here? Did you send some sort of messenger with news that brought us here? Because I know for sure that I came here on purpose…not because of some message from someone else…although I'll admit I am curious about the circumstances involved. So please, enlighten me…because I need answers."
"Of course…of course, I understand completely…" the man replied kindly, smiling broadly as he continued to lean forward, looking at her as though she were more than special to him now. "After all, I was the one who sent the messenger, so I suppose it makes sense to assume you're wondering why I did it in the first place. Don't worry, it won't take long to explain. Let's go inside, shall we?"
"Inside?" Tansy asked as she turned her eyes to follow the direction of his pointing finger, following it until she found the entranceway to the palace, located at the top of the hill where the main gate led into the valley. A large stone bridge arched its way across the moat that circled around its base, while a wooden drawbridge that spanned a small stream formed its center, connecting the two sides of the fortress that guarded its outer walls. Beyond the castle walls stretched a lush and verdant landscape of rolling hills and valleys of green grass that grew tall and vibrant, stretching as far as she could see toward distant mountains that rose high into the clear night sky. It was a breathtaking view that made her stomach growl with hunger, making her realize that she hadn't eaten anything since that dreadful day of her parents' deaths. And she knew she wouldn't be able to think clearly or remember what she needed to say without eating soon.
"Oh…you're hungry?" the man exclaimed with surprise, stepping back from her to regard her as he placed his hands behind his back again to turn away from her in disappointment. "Don't look at me like that…what do you expect? You didn't exactly travel through any towns or villages on your journey here. You traveled directly north all alone, which means there were very few travelers in your path along the way. In fact, I bet there were hardly any animals either. Which meant that you had to hunt for food in the wild, and hunting for food in the wilderness doesn't exactly leave much to spare…especially for a starving traveler."
She blinked in disbelief, turning her gaze downward to find that he was correct. She couldn't recall the last time she had eaten fresh meat or fish—probably not in several days—which meant it would be difficult to catch anything here in this unfamiliar land. If only she had a better idea of how to get back to her home village where she could find supplies, but as far as she knew, there was nothing nearby other than the ruins of an ancient city and the mysterious forest to the west. There was also the problem of her being so weak and tired from her travels thus far that she barely had enough energy left to walk around and explore this strange new world.
"Well then…perhaps I should have taken you somewhere where there's more food available, like the town you mentioned earlier."
"Town? What are you talking about?"
"The town in which you lived in…the one you talked about just before you vanished on me, leaving me worried sick about you!"
Tansy raised her head sharply to stare at him in shock, realizing that he really didn't know what had happened to her, nor how she'd ended up here. As unbelievable as it seemed, she suddenly realized that he actually believed in this ridiculous legend he kept referring to as a story. It appeared he genuinely thought that she'd gone away on him like some sort of fairy tale character. She shook her head in disbelief, trying desperately to make him understand that there was no such thing as fairies or magic, but it seemed like it was too late for him to wake up and discover reality now. He already believed in this nonsense…and worse yet, he'd probably believe even more once she explained it all to him in great detail.