Thank you sooooooo…much for the reviews! Sorry it took me so long to get
this up. First I had a writer's block and then I didn't have access to the
Net. Thank you for your patience, I hope you like this!
Disclaimer: I don't own Dinotopia, yadda, yadda, yadda. I am not making any $ off of this.
Michael stood watching the first star of night, sand shifting around his feet in the wind. His dark, almost black, hair blew into his cerulean eyes. The shadow he cast was many times taller than he and would soon disappear. At 15 years old he was tall and lanky, this gave him an advantage in many games. His clothes, like everyone else's who lived in the desert, were loose and light colored, so that they would reflect heat. His shoes were flat, light weight sandals.
He ran his hand through his hair, his Aunt Kate would have preferred him to have it shorter, but he liked it longer.
Michael heard his companion shift, he looked over at her.
"You ok Lana?" he asked her.
"I am fine, Michael, the sand was just starting to slide under me," the protoceratops told him.
Michael nodded and went back to watching the sky.
"Do you think we will see a skybax tonight?" Lana asked him, looking at him.
"I don't know," Michael told her, shrugging.
Lana sighed quietly. She didn't completely understand his obsession with skybax riding, but she did this with him every night because he was her friend and she didn't want him to be alone, because it was only when he was alone that he was in true danger. She shook off that thought. If watching for skybax riders made him happy she was glad to watch with him, even though it was rare that they saw one.
Lana shifted again and looked up when she heard Michael say, "There."
Lana looked where he was pointing, off in the distance, and saw that he was right. A skybax was indeed coming toward them.
Michael watched the skybax come closer and closer. Once the skybax was close enough Michael raised his hand in greeting which the skybax rider returned. The skybax flew off into the distance.
"I will be a skybax rider someday," Michael promised.
"Very few dolphinbacks are able to accomplish that feat," Lana started neutrally.
She discretely glanced at Michael and saw he was frowning and that his brow was furrowed. She nodded mentally.
"But if anyone can do it, you can," she continued, 'and you will,' she added silently.
Michael looked down at her, eyebrows raised, surprised. Then he nodded.
He went back to watching the first star. He started rubbing the inside of his wrists, unconsciously. Lana's mouth went sour and her stomach clenched at the memories that surfaced with that gesture. For the millionth time she wondered: How she was supposed to protect Michael…from himself?
"Mikie! Lani!" a little girl called.
Michael immediately stopped rubbing his wrists and his face softened as he looked toward the voice.
"Mikie! Lani!" 5 year old Tina came running up to them.
"Diner ith weady," she told them in her childish voice.
"All right, tell Aunt Kate we will be there in a minute," he said crouching down to her hight.
"Ok," she said grinning. Michael ruffled her hair and she ran off to the house.
Michael stood up and looked at the first star. He made the same wish he always made. Then he turned to Lana and said, "Come on let's go have diner."
Lana nodded and they set off across the sand in the direction Tina had gone, toward the house whose windows shone bright. Michael had his dreams and Lana at least part of her answer.
Disclaimer: I don't own Dinotopia, yadda, yadda, yadda. I am not making any $ off of this.
Michael stood watching the first star of night, sand shifting around his feet in the wind. His dark, almost black, hair blew into his cerulean eyes. The shadow he cast was many times taller than he and would soon disappear. At 15 years old he was tall and lanky, this gave him an advantage in many games. His clothes, like everyone else's who lived in the desert, were loose and light colored, so that they would reflect heat. His shoes were flat, light weight sandals.
He ran his hand through his hair, his Aunt Kate would have preferred him to have it shorter, but he liked it longer.
Michael heard his companion shift, he looked over at her.
"You ok Lana?" he asked her.
"I am fine, Michael, the sand was just starting to slide under me," the protoceratops told him.
Michael nodded and went back to watching the sky.
"Do you think we will see a skybax tonight?" Lana asked him, looking at him.
"I don't know," Michael told her, shrugging.
Lana sighed quietly. She didn't completely understand his obsession with skybax riding, but she did this with him every night because he was her friend and she didn't want him to be alone, because it was only when he was alone that he was in true danger. She shook off that thought. If watching for skybax riders made him happy she was glad to watch with him, even though it was rare that they saw one.
Lana shifted again and looked up when she heard Michael say, "There."
Lana looked where he was pointing, off in the distance, and saw that he was right. A skybax was indeed coming toward them.
Michael watched the skybax come closer and closer. Once the skybax was close enough Michael raised his hand in greeting which the skybax rider returned. The skybax flew off into the distance.
"I will be a skybax rider someday," Michael promised.
"Very few dolphinbacks are able to accomplish that feat," Lana started neutrally.
She discretely glanced at Michael and saw he was frowning and that his brow was furrowed. She nodded mentally.
"But if anyone can do it, you can," she continued, 'and you will,' she added silently.
Michael looked down at her, eyebrows raised, surprised. Then he nodded.
He went back to watching the first star. He started rubbing the inside of his wrists, unconsciously. Lana's mouth went sour and her stomach clenched at the memories that surfaced with that gesture. For the millionth time she wondered: How she was supposed to protect Michael…from himself?
"Mikie! Lani!" a little girl called.
Michael immediately stopped rubbing his wrists and his face softened as he looked toward the voice.
"Mikie! Lani!" 5 year old Tina came running up to them.
"Diner ith weady," she told them in her childish voice.
"All right, tell Aunt Kate we will be there in a minute," he said crouching down to her hight.
"Ok," she said grinning. Michael ruffled her hair and she ran off to the house.
Michael stood up and looked at the first star. He made the same wish he always made. Then he turned to Lana and said, "Come on let's go have diner."
Lana nodded and they set off across the sand in the direction Tina had gone, toward the house whose windows shone bright. Michael had his dreams and Lana at least part of her answer.