The morning was rough. Betty seemed as exhausted as I felt. Hunson hunted me in my sleep and perhaps in hers, too. We have never talked about it, although I wanted to. I didn't want to put more on her plate.
Peppermint had prepared The Morrow for our transportation. The giant falcon was relaxing in the stables as I came in; he was as majestic as usual, a creature we don't encounter often. He seemed eager to feel the wind within his feathers as he paced back and forth in his station.
We needed to find Billy's Body if we wanted to find the Enchiridion. They were always connected, forced to be together in death and life. Luckily, I knew where his body was or what was remaining of it after the Linch took over his body and brutally ended him. We had buried him in his cave in the mountains. It would be a decent trip and a couple of days' worth of traveling back and forth, but as long as we stay on track, we should be there by the end of the day tomorrow.
Finn looked rested, at least. He decided to take my token and wear his old new hat again; he seemed oddly happy. He had gained a lot of muscle throughout the years and had grown much taller than I expected. I was almost worried that the hat wouldn't fit, but it did, and he wore it so much better than when he was younger. It gave him a younger appearance, even with his rugged face, or perhaps I was just holding on to the memory of his youth.
Finn approached me; his walk was slow and careful, probably weary of being here again. The Morrow greeted him with a loud screech, and I couldn't help but smile. He recognized him and demanded his attention.
"I got a surprise for you," he said, looking into the Morrow's dark eyes. He had scoured for some fruits in the morning, and I could see him smiling ear to ear, holding a small bag of grapes. The bird started pacing quicker in excitement. "I knew you would like it." He fed it to him as he petted his head.
"It is time to go," Betty said, pointing at the barn doors that were left open. "The sun is rising."
We turned to stare at the sunrise across the candy lands; much like the kingdom, the sunrise looked like it was made of candy, a beautiful orange and pink across the sky, which made me realize how much I would miss not being in the candy kingdom even for a day.
I mounted the Falcon and extended my hand to Finn to join me. He hesitated, looking at my hand like it was some kind of poison to be worried about; whatever thought he had disappeared quickly as he nodded and grabbed my hand to jump onto the Morrow.
Betty, on the other hand, opted for something a bit different. She had a small insect collection in her room. I wasn't entirely sure what she did with them, but today was different. She pulled a Licorice Dragonfly from a mason jar and proceeded to say some words under her breath; suddenly, the insect was no longer small but the size of a horse, and the sweet smells emanated from their wings. Betty nodded, and she seemed satisfied with herself.
"I didn't know you could do that," I said as my eyes grew bigger in amazement.
"What can I say, Your Majesty – I have been practicing" She mounted the beast and wicked at me; I shook my head.
"You grow more powerful by the day, Bee." I was glad to see her progress; perhaps there was some hope after all.
"Lead the way," she said as she adjusted herself in the beast. "I'll be right behind you."
And so I did, I grabbed Marrow tightly and looked at Finn. "Hold on, tight", his roughed hands grabbed around my waist, pulling me closer to his chest. I could feel his heart beating and his every breath. I felt my face burning.
The Marrow started running towards the barn door, and as soon as we passed the threshold, his wings expanded. He took off, I could feel the wind hitting me in my face, and it felt fantastic, free. I wish I could take off with Marrow and never return again, but responsibilities weighed me down. If it were up to me, I would live in a barn and live a simple life, but the candy people needed me, the structure I provided, and the protection I offered whether they asked for it or not.
I heard the light bussing of an insect, and a licorice smell hit my nostrils. Betty had gained speed and was right next to me, her hands up in the air, as she yelled in excitement. The beast seemed to be enjoying the open air out of the mason jar, too.
"Whooo hoooooo" is all I heard before I saw Betty and the dragonfly go in a quick descent just to regain height a couple of moments later.
Finn seemed to enjoy Betty's showcase of flying skills because I could hear him laughing behind me. I turned to look at him, and sure enough, his smile was big and wide. He also seemed free and happy.
"You know, PB, I could do this all day!" He slowly let go of me and raised his hands in the air, slipping his fingers to let the air currents pass through.
"Perhaps from now on, you should visit Marrow more often. My royal decree is for you to take him out as much as you please." I stroke one of Marrow's Feathers. "He needs it too! he is getting chunky."
Marrow creaked in disapproval, but it was true. Although he was still a majestic beast, he had been mostly hanging out in his own space. I have been too busy with my duties in the city to attend to his needs; this would be good for both of them.
"Not just him, PB; I want to see more of you, too." he looked down at me, his gaze upon my eyes. "I miss us."
My face burned. "I miss us too,"
And I did. Before Jake's passing, we were close; he was one of the protectors of the kingdom and a dear friend to all of us. I dropped the ball in our friendship, especially when he chose to seclude himself for years. More recently, I started hearing about his return to protecting the people. I should have been there; he didn't have anyone.
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We flew for hours in silence, enjoying OOO beauty from above. We finally had to rest; both Marrow and the Dragonfly kept losing altitude, which was understandable since we had been flying through the high noon temperatures for a while. We took a break in a nearby town.
The town was full of medium-sized creatures. They couldn't have been taller than 4 feet, their skin was green, and they didn't have noses. Their town was relatively old in comparison to most of the lands around. The gravel floor filled the streets, and the homes looked like they were built out of some combination of wood, mud, and cement.
"We are near Billy's cave," said Finn. "I remember this town but haven't been here in years."
Some passersby stopped to look at us, and an older man wearing thick black glasses and a protection hat stared us down from across the entrance; he seemed to be working on something because he was holding on to a mallet. He placed it in one of the pockets of his long brown apron and cleaned his hands in his frayed brown pants.
"HEY YOU!" the man yelled, pointing an accusatory finger at Finn. "You are NOT welcome here."
Finn looked confused for a second until he looked closer at the man, frantically yelling and running in his direction.
"The Cobbler!" Finn exclaimed
"I. remember. you." The cobbler's voice reverberated with intensity, each word punctuated by a sharp, biting tone. Rapid gestures accompanied their speech, hands clenched into fists or slicing through the air with forceful emphasis. Their brows furrowed deeply, accentuating the intensity of their glare. Veins pulsed visibly on their temples, mirroring the fervor of their emotions.
I don't think Finn was ready to see this small man be so upset at him. Finn looked like he was taken off guard when the small man continued yelling. Betty seemed to be enjoying the show.
"Calm down, little man. We aren't here to harm you," Betty said in a calming voice, although I could see in her eyes that she might have wanted to say more.
"You might not be here to do that." he looked at Betty but kept a side eye on Finn. "But HE is"
"Cobbler, its in the past! I just wanted to protect you!" said Finn.
A small crowd of townies started forming around us; he was attracting too much attention. Some looked like they had stone parts. A woman towards the front of the crowd had her regular green arms, but her legs had turned to stone. I looked at Finn, horrified. Had he done