"Come on" he said to Marina, "I'll show you the best place in the forest to see the sunrise."
"All right then, lead the way." Marina said.
Shade unfurled his wings off his just claimed mate, and flew to where it all began. That spot, that one spot where the owl had attacked him. He couldn't believe how much had transpired between now and then. It seemed so long ago, but really it wasn't.
Shade felt complete, with his father back, Chinook as his new brother and friend, and now, Marina as his mate.
Marina had gone from being just a female brightwing who he constantly fought with, to being a friend who he constantly bickered with, to being his closest friend, to now being his very own mate.
"Almost there?" Marina asked beside him.
Oh, he thought, he had been so giddy and into his thoughts that he didn't even realize that they passed the spot.
"Sorry," he said, "We past it."
They roosted on the spot where he first witnessed the sun.
With the wide open space of water in front of them, watching the sunrise here, where the sun reflected off the water, and seemed to warm everything up it touched, this spot, was indeed, the best place in the whole forest, to watch the sunrise.
Suddenly he felt something warm wrap itself around him and realized it was Marina.
"Wow Shade, it's beautiful!" Marina exclaimed resting her head on his fur. Shade smiled, her fur radiantly shined in the sunlight, making her the most beautiful creature that he had ever seen. He rested his head on hers.
"Are all brightwings as amazing as you?" Shade asked.
"Of course not!" Marina replied.
"Are all brightwings had beautiful as you?" he asked.
"Nope." Marina replied, this time grinning.
"Hmmm… are they all, "Stop it," Marina interrupted smiling.
"What, don't like hearing good things about yourself, that's a first." Shade said smiling.
"Well, just don't annoy me with things I already know." She gave the words already know confidently is perfectly assured.
"Besides, you never told me any of those things when we weren't mates, you know, once upon a time, long long ago, say about half an hour ago," Marina said laughing sarcastically, " try not to rush things too much, you and me have probably twenty-eight years together, maybe more, and then, after we die, our heavenly afterlife, that being together too. So basically, we're going to be together for a LOOOOOONG time."
Okay, Okay, Okay I get it, just a little excited." Shade replied smiling.
"Well, just let everything fall into place, this is going to take some getting used to, it's all just a little nerve racking."
"Nerve racking, nah?" Shade said
"Well good for you, I mean come on, looking at each other will be totally different, soon we'll be calling each other names like "sweetie" or "honey" or maybe "love" , and also, now we'll be sleeping with each other and… " Doesn't sound scary." Shade interrupted
"Well, hey, not to mention kissing, mating, children and… "Wait What?!" Shade again interrupted shocked and surprised.
Well yeah, sexuality is a big one for mates," Marina said, " Is that going to be a problem for you?"
"Well…uh…maybe..kind of…no..well..yes…maybe." Shade said confused
We'll get there, don't' worry," Marina told her mate, " Well, we better go add your addition to our roost."
"You go, I'll catch up." said Shade still shocked.
"All right then, don't be too long," Marina said and flew off only to stop on a nearby branch and pause, " Oh, and Shade," she said turning around, " When we have our honeymoon, let's pick a romantic place to have it." She was looking at him with her eyes content and very seductive. She then blew him a kiss and flew off.
Shade was even more surprised by this. Shade didn't know if he really liked that look.
She shouldn't be looking at him like that. What was he saying, off course she should, that's what mates do you fool…but… Shade became really confused.
This was going to take some getting used to.
End of part 1.