How I Met Her
(From Family Secrets)
"It's so big…" The young red-head could only gaze in awe at the magnificent structure before her. The castle was perched atop monstrous rocky cliffs overlooking the ocean. It was beautiful, but at the same time, ominous.
"Yes, it is, Zilver," replied a young blonde man holding her hand. "This is Kilvas. This is where your Uncle Naesala lives." Reyson chuckled at the word uncle. Makes him sound pretty old, he thought.
"Come on you two," a burly man said. "Lets get inside. I need to speak with Uncle Naesala."
"Yes Tibarn," Reyson replied. He gave the girl's arm a small tug. "Come on. I'll show you around the castle once we get there!"
"Really?!" The little girl's eyes brightened. "Okay!"
The three were quite a sight, standing on the edge of Kilvas territory. Tibarn was muscular, rugged, even frightening, but his heart was in the right place. He had large brown wings torn from years of fights and two scars on his face, one over his right eye and another across his nose. Reyson, on the other hand, was his opposite. His long blonde hair sparkled in the sun as did his brilliant blue eyes and soft white wings. Many a time, he had been mistaken for an angel. Finally, there was Zilver, a beorc nonetheless. Her fiery orange hair was pulled back in a neat ponytail, a few strands falling over her face. Her skin was pale, her small body, weak and fragile. The three were different, but they were a family nonetheless.
Tibarn picked up the girl and spread his wings. "Almost there…" He looked at his adopted daughter in the eyes. "When we get there, be sure to scold Uncle Naesala for living so far away…"
"Okay Daddy!" Zilver giggled and watched the ground below her get smaller and smaller as Tibarn took off. Flying never ceased to amaze her.
Below, Reyson spread his own wings and followed. They descended upon the rocky castle a few moments later and were greeted by an elderly man with graying black wings.
"King Pheonicis, Prince Reyson," he said slowly, but kindly. "It's always a pleasure to see you." He spied the girl trying to bury her face in her father's chest. "And who might this be? Might she be this daughter I've heard so much about?"
"Come on, say hello," Tibarn urged Zilver.
She only shook her head.
"Now you hurt my feelings," the old crow said. He covered his face and pretended to cry.
Zilver peeked out through her father's arms and finally jumped down. "No! I'm sorry!" She hugged the old man's legs. "I'm Zilver!"
The old crow chuckled. "Much better. My name is Nealuchi." He patted the girl on the head and smiled again.
"Nestling has been waiting for you, Tibarn. He should be in the throne room. I'll take you to him."
Tibarn and Reyson snickered. Only Naesala's caretaker dared call him Nestling any more.
"Thank you, Nealuchi," the hawk king replied. He turned to face his daughter and the still chuckling Reyson. "Reyson's in charge. Be good and don't harass anyone unless I give you permission."
Reyson nodded his head. "Yes Tibarn. We'll be good. I promise."
"Good." Tibarn turned to leave. "Hopefully, this won't take too long. Try not to get lost!"
"We won't!" The heron yelled after the king. He smiled and looked down for Zilver. "Come on. I'm gonna' show you-" He blinked and looked around. "Zilver? Zilver, where are you?" He started to panic and bolted down the nearest hallway.
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"Mr. Butterfly!" Zilver called. "Where did you go?" She looked around the room she was in for a cute yellow butterfly she had followed. She sighed and stopped. "Reyson? Where did you go? Well, now he's gone and gotten himself lost…Bad Reyson…" She scowled.
Pounding footsteps echoed from the hallway directly in front of her.
"Reyson…is that you?"
Suddenly, another small girl appeared. She had brown hair also tied up in a ponytail. Her skin was tanned and she was rather rugged and rascally. A mischievous grin was upon her lips. She ran a few yards past Zilver, stopped, and backed up.
"Hey!" she yelled after thoroughly looking Zilver over.
Zilver jumped back whimpered slightly. "What…?" she replied softly.
"You're just like me! You don't have any wings!" She circled around Zilver, making sure her statement was correct. "Yep!" She smiled and continued to talk rather loudly. "I'm Astrid! What's your name?"
"Z…Zilver…"
"Hm…" Astrid thought for a moment. "That's a cool name! I have an idea. Come on! Play with me!"
Zilver started to wring her hands as she often did when she was nervous. "O…okay…"
"Cool!" Astrid grabbed Zilver's hand. "Come on!" She led her down a hallway which led to a dead end. She pressed one of the stones on the wall like a button, revealing a staircase behind it. "Go on! Climb up!"
Zilver obeyed, flinching every time one of the steps creaked. Astrid close the entrance and followed her up.
"This is my room!" she said proudly.
Zilver looked around. There was a small bed, neatly made and a bright red rug covering the floor, various toys and books scattered everywhere. "It's very nice," she replied, a shy smile on her face.
"Yep! No one knows about my room except for you, me, and Grandpa Nealuchi…but I just call him Grandpa!" She raced across the room and picked up two toy swords. "So you want to play pirates with me?"
Zilver's brown eyes sparkled. "Okay!" She took a sword and swung it playfully.
Astrid stood on top of her bed. "Arg! I'm the captain, so you have to do everything I say!" She pulled an actual captain's hat off of a hook on the wall, most likely pilfered by one of the ravens.
Zilver stood at attention, smiling, and saluted. "Aye aye, Captain!"
Astrid left off the bed and paced back and forth in front of her first mate. "Now, as captain, my first order to you is to be my new best friend!"
Zilver blinked. "Uhm…okay!"
"Forever and ever?"
"Yep! Forever and ever!"
"Hm…" She got close and looked at Zilver directly in the eyes. "Pinky swear?" She held up her pinky.
"Pinky swear." Zilver wrapped her pinky around Astrid's. The two girls giggled and nodded in unison. "Forever," Zilver repeated under her breath.