Sky of Wind by Emily Deady
Chapter 1
Princess Meena snaked through the small tunnel of underbrush. Her stomach twisted in the uncomfortable feeling which had become too familiar since Erich’s return. She skillfully managed to keep her purple skirt wrapped around one arm as she shuffled through the mossy dirt on her knees and elbows. Fresh leaves tugged at her hair, pulling it free from her loose braid. She didn’t mind the physical discomforts, but it was harder to ignore the swirling thoughts that threatened to cloud her mind.
This was supposed to be a lighthearted distraction.
The bushes around Meena gave way to a small hollow. Sitting up on her knees, she made room for her companion to join her.
Emerging from the tunnel, a much younger girl took in their surroundings as she too sat up on her knees. Celesta’s eyes sparkled conspiratorially as they met Meena’s.
Holding a finger to her lips, Meena gestured ahead to an opening in the leaves at the front of the hollow.
Celesta lifted her small shoulders to her ears and awkwardly tiptoed forward as quietly as she could while still hunched over.
Meena quickly covered the smile that flitted to her lips. As Celesta was exceptionally good at picking up on facial expressions, Meena did not want her young friend to think she was laughing at her.
As the only girl in her family, Meena had spent many hours crawling through these same tunnels to keep up with her four older brothers. Her fondest memories included sneaking across the Iseldis castle grounds and wandering through the nearby forests and hills in search of an adventure.
Huddling forward, she looked over Celesta’s shoulder at the meadow down the hill below them. A short distance away, her brother Erich sat on a blanket with a basket of food.
Celesta shifted her weight. A stick cracked below her feet.
Meena jumped with a small start, glancing back at Erich. Fortunately, her brother hadn’t noticed the sound, as his attention was entirely focused on the woman sitting next to him. Her red hair sparkled like fire in the dappled sunlight that broke through the leafy tree above them.
With a bright smile, Celesta looked up at Meena, excitement clearly painted her face. She adored her older sister, Aizel. Meena had only known Aizel for a few days, but she was fairly certain she adored the brave magic-wielder as well.
But they were not here to admire the newly married couple. Meena reached inside a pocket tied to her waist and pulled out a small drawstring bag.
Celesta watched with wide eyes, her shoulders shaking in glee.
Meena quietly opened the bag, slipping a handful of acorns onto the mossy ground.
Celesta reached out a finger to touch them, then suddenly pulled it back. She looked up at Meena with concern on her face.
Meena’s heart melted. The young girl was both precocious and timid. With a reassuring smile, Meena guided Celesta’s hand back to the acorns and encouraged her to pick one up.
Meena did the same and pinched the small kernel between two fingers, holding it out between them as she wordlessly communicated the next part of their plan. Opening her hand flat, she set the acorn in the center of her palm.
Celesta copied her movements exactly, pinching her lips. Meena couldn’t tell if it was in concentration or excitement.
Looking back to her own palm, Meena positioned the pointer finger and thumb of her other hand.
Carefully taking aim, she flicked the acorn out of her palm. It flew with deadly precision out of the opening in the bushes and down the hill toward Erich and Aizel. Meena smirked in satisfaction as it hit the tree behind Erich with a satisfying thud.
Erich literally jumped in fright, propelling himself away from the tree and nearly landing on top of Aizel.
Meena and Celesta covered their faces as they silently snickered in laughter.
“What was that?” Erich straightened up, trying to regain his composure. “I mean, it was probably just a squirrel or woodfox, you know, not the dangerous type.”
Aizel tilted her head. “I thought squirrels chatter and throw things when they are angry.” Her eyes darted around the secluded clearing, looking up into the branches as though she was trying to find the offending woodland animal. “I didn’t hear any chattering.”
Using her shoulder, Meena nudged Celesta.
Rounding her small fingers, Celesta tried to gauge the aim of her projectile before she flicked it off her waiting hand.
The acorn flew out of the bush, but landed a short distance ahead of them in the soft grass.
“I could provide some chattering, if that’s what you are looking for.” Erich was talking to Aizel and had not seemed to notice Celesta’s acorn at all.
With a mock frown of disappointment, Meena glanced down at Celesta.
The younger girl had placed her finger in her mouth. Her eyes opened wide, and she blinked rapidly.
“Oh, no. Did that hurt?” Meena asked, gently touching Celeste’s cheek. She hoped her empathetic face communicated the words she spoke.
Celesta nodded.
“I’ll do the next one,” Meena whispered, pointing to herself to communicate with her hands as well as her whispered words. With another careful flick, the third acorn flew into the clearing, bouncing smartly off the tree.
This time, Erich was so surprised he flipped completely around, landing in a defensive prowl with his knees on the ground.
Meena looked down to see Celesta’s reaction. She seemed to have forgotten the pain in her finger and was shaking with laughter. Meena smiled. They both needed a distraction today.
Nodding her head vigorously, Celesta pointed to the pile of remaining acorns.
Meena raised her eyebrows in a smirk and proceeded to comply with her friend’s wish.
Another acorn bounced against the tree trunk in the meadow below them.
This time, however, Erich was already alert and other than whipping his head around, he was disappointingly stationary.
“I’ll find you.” His voice was menacingly low, but he advanced toward the offending tree, moving in the completely opposite direction from where Meena and Celesta remained safely hidden from view. “No one disturbs my lady!” he yelled at the imaginary squirrel.
Aizel, however, remained seated on the blanket, her eyes scanning the meadow around her.
Meena and Celesta froze as she examined the very bushes they hid in. She must have sensed something, for her eyes remained glued in their direction.
“Begone, ruffian!” Erich called heroically up into the tree.
Celesta tapped Meena’s shoulder, then quietly crawled out of hiding. As soon as she was visible, she made a motion with her hands, talking to Aizel in their voiceless language.
Meena crawled out into the open after Celesta, watching Aizel’s carefully schooled reaction. Fortunately, Celesta’s older sister did not make a sound or alert Erich to their presence.
Instead, Aizel nodded in response to whatever Celesta had said with her hands.
Meena could not follow what they said to each other. She had been learning the hand motions so she could communicate with Celesta, but she’d only known the girl for a few days.
Celesta reached back, motioning for Meena to take her hand.
Completely willing to follow this new direction, Meena nodded and dropped her hand into Celesta’s.
Aizel was already heading up the hill toward them, quietly sprinting.
Celesta dragged Meena down to the blanket while Aizel disappeared into their previous hiding spot.
Realizing that they had switched places, Meena opened her mouth in jubilant surprise and nodded gleefully at Celesta.
However, Celesta didn’t catch the gleeful nod that Meena sent her because she was busy helping herself to the small feast laid out on the blanket in front of her.
“I return to you, victorious!” Erich called as he returned to them from the canopy of trees. He was holding up a stick as though it were a trophy, but he drew up short and dropped his hand when his eyes registered Meena and Celesta sitting on the blanket.
“What have you done with my wife?” he cried, brandishing the stick like a sword in front of him. “Release her at once!”
Celesta, popping a handful of berries into her mouth, stood and squared her shoulders, her face fierce and smiling. Waving her arms, she rushed at Erich. The small girl attacked the grown man who was twice as tall as she was, but Erich, good-natured as always, fell to the ground under the weight of her assault.
“Tell Aizel that her name was on my dying breath.” He sighed dramatically and flopped his head to the side.
Celesta spun around to Meena, gleeful victory written all over her face. Meena stood, throwing her arms in the air. “We are victorious!” she shouted, sharing her own jubilation through body language.
Celesta ran toward her, giggling, and they grasped hands as they danced through the grass.
Aizel rushed out of the bushes, feigning shock. “Oh, no!” she cried. “Whatever happened to my dear Erich?” She rushed to his side, but her hands were moving through the air, translating her words to Celesta. Dropping down on one knee, she briefly examined Erich’s face. “Only the greatest warrior could have felled such a knight so strong as this.”
Erich tried to remain playfully dead, but Meena didn’t miss the grin that flickered across his face.
Watching their lighthearted interaction brought an intense joy to Meena’s chest. Outside the castle’s walls, her world might be falling apart, but inside, her family was still the most important thing she had ever known. Between Celesta’s still gleeful dancing and the adoring look that Aizel and Erich openly shared, Meena thought she might burst with joy. She could face anything because she would always have this to return home to.
Celesta clapped sharply, bringing all eyes back to her as she spoke with her hands to Aizel.
“True love’s kiss?” Aizel responded, both vocally and non-vocally. “You want me to try true love’s kiss on this brave knight and see if he comes back to us?”
Celesta nodded eagerly.
“How do you even know about true love’s kiss?” Aizel asked, eyes narrowing. “Never mind,” she quickly followed up, turning back to Erich. “Only one thing is more powerful than the strength of a knight,” Aizel said, somehow both dramatically and softly at the same time. “And that is me!”
Meena knew the entire thing was a jest, but she found herself watching the playful exchange with as much rapture and attention as Celesta.
“Come back to me, brave warrior!” Aizel leaned down and placed a light kiss on Erich’s nose.
Celesta stilled.
Nothing happened.
Aizel tapped her chin. “I thought that would work.” She leaned down and placed another kiss on his forehead. This time, she held the kiss for a few seconds. “That one ought to be powerful enough.”
Celesta narrowed her eyes, and Meena found herself doing the same.
Nothing happened.
Clapping again to gain Aizel’s attention, Celesta shook her head. She pointed to her own mouth.
“I do not think that will work,” Aizel responded, placing her hands on her hips.
Celesta copied her actions, placing her hands on her hips and stomping her foot in addition.
“Very well. I’ll try it. But don’t blame me if it fails. You were the one to attack him after all.” Leaning down, Aizel gently brought her lips to touch Erich’s.
For a moment, Meena felt as though the play acting were real. These two were only a few seasons older than she, but they seemed to have found a solid rock in each other despite the storms they had already endured.
Then, just as Aizel started to stiffen so she could sit back up, Erich suddenly threw his arms around her, pulling her on top of himself.
“I’m cured!” He cried, tickling her as he rolled her onto the grass so he could stand up. “I found the one more powerful than I!”
Aizel was naturally translating his words with her hands.
Celesta jumped up and down again, pointing to herself.
“Exactly.” Erich replied, leaning forward and scooping her off the ground. “You are the strongest of them all.” He spun Celesta through the air.
Meena felt her chest fill with happiness. Her brother had always been her most mischievous friend, and she loved to see him so happy.
When he dropped Celesta safely back onto the mossy grass, the young girl reached down into the moss at her feet and grabbed something secretly into her hand. Placing her hand behind her back, she tiptoed back to Meena with a grin on her face.
She didn’t need to be secretive because Erich had turned his focus back to Aizel, but Meena didn’t need to point that out to her fellow conspirator.
Angling her body away from the kissing couple, Celesta slowly opened her tight fist, holding out its contents to Meena. It was a tiny acorn, likely the same one they had bounced off the tree moments before.
Meena crouched so her face was level with the shorter girl’s, and took Celesta’s outstretched hand in her own. With a grin of her own, she wrapped Celesta’s fingers back around the acorn and guided her hand to place the small kernel in the pocket of her dress.
Letting the happiness inside her flow out, Meena leaned forward and dropped a light kiss on Celesta’s turned-up nose. The girl was probably too old for that kind of endearment, but Meena could think of no other way to easily communicate her affection and joy at practically having a younger sister. Celesta was family now, and Meena would never let anyone say otherwise.
The younger girl scrunched up her nose and threw her arms around Meena’s neck. For someone so small and scrawny, Celesta had an impressive grip.
Meena gladly returned the wholehearted hug. “You are the best partner in crime I’ve ever had.” The words poured from her lips before she remembered Celesta would not be able to hear them.
She must have sensed Meena’s movement, for Celesta leaned back out of the hug, training her eyes to Meena’s lips.
Meena repeated the words, using her hands to emphasize as much of the sentiment as she could think to do quickly.
Celesta appeared to have understood. She patted the acorn in her pocket and attempted to wink—which resulted in both her eyes quickly squeezing shut.
Meena winked back.
“What are you two cyphers conspiring about?” Erich called, bringing Meena’s attention back to the small castle glade. “Want to enjoy this feast with us?”
Grabbing Celesta’s hand, Meena shook her head. Erich and Aizel had only been married for a handful of days and they had not had much time alone yet. She’d only meant to jest with them for a moment before leaving them in peace. “We have more important things to do. Secrets and adventures and such.”
Erich waved them away with a laugh.
Not quite ready to leave, Meena narrowed her eyes and pointed to the basket of food. “But we will demand a tax of your very finest feast to sustain us on our adventures.”
“Of course,” Aizel responded.
Moments later, Meena and Celesta crawled back into the bushy tunnel, happily munching on two small meat pies.