Leap 10: MIST AND SHADOW

The crow flew fast, faster than anyone in the small had expected. Even with their horses galloping, the crow often left them behind and had to stop on a tree branch every now and then. The thick and shady treetops did not help at all as all they did was conceal the flying crow on many occasions. On top of that the morning mist was un-relenting, enshrouding them all in a wispy maze. The teens could barely see more than several feet around. The crow, however, seemed unhindered by the mist as it flew straight and true.

Robert was surprised how easily horseback riding came to him. This was nothing like the last time he rode one, when he fell off Merida's horse many times. Of course, like all the other lost memories, he did not remember that incident.

'Where are you leading us?,' he called out to the crow. Robert had come in terms with the fact that the crow could talk. The first time it had done so on the bridge, he had almost fallen off of his horse due to sheer shock. Even now, every time the crow said something in it's throaty voice, he felt awe and curiosity.

'I told you already, the witch,' the crow replied.

'I know,' said Robert, 'but how can you see in this darn mist? I can barely see ten feet in front of –'

That's when it happened.

Out of nowhere, a dark figured swooped down from somewhere in the mist and knock Merida off her horse. As quick as it had come, it disappeared. Robert didn't know what had attacked the princess. He didn't know of any creature that was as large as a man but could also fly. However, that was not his primary concern.

Merida's screams of terror filled the air! Robert looked towards her where she had fallen and his blood ran cold.

The princess had not fallen on the ground as he had thought. Apparently, they were at the edge of a cliff, some 4 or 5 feet from a sheer drop and Merida had gone right over it!

She was falling to her death!

Without a second thought and out of pure impulse, which he knew to be extremely stupid, Robert jumped off the cliff after the falling girl. Merida was desperately trying to get a hold onto something but to no avail. Robert was not too far behind, having jumped almost immediately after her. He knew he had to reach her…somehow.

He positioned his body in a streamlined fashion as he had often seen skydivers do in TV. As expected, he felt himself fall faster. The air rushed against his face with more vigor and his heart began pounding ever so loudly until he could feel it in his head.

Numerous arrows escaped Merida's quiver in the free fall and as Robert rushed downwards, he almost collided against their sharp steel heads.

After what seemed like a heartbeat later, he was finally within a little more than an arm's length from Merida.

He stretched out his hand, and being unable to speak, he simply looked the princess straight in the eyes. Merida understood and held out her own hand. Their fingers touched.

And left contact.

Robert stretched himself a bit.

His fingers touched her palm. But again, it slipped.

Finally, he got and a firm grip of her hand and they pulled each other towards themselves. The two were now caught in a tight and awkward embrace, but still falling towards the ground at breakneck speed.

'You idiot! Why did you jump?,' Merida screamed.

'I don't know,' Robert screamed back.

Now that he had reached Merida, Robert had no idea what he to do next. The ground below, strewn with many large rocks, was nearing fast and they were in no state of slowing down. They would crash any second. They were both going to die!

The very thought scared him and he closed his eyes, bracing for the impact that would result when they hit the rocks below.

They were almost there.

Merida squeezed Robert even more as she closed her eyes and buried her face on his shoulders.

The ground was near.

And nearer.

And nearer.

But it never came.

Robert slowly opened his eyes, what seemed like an eternity later, expecting to see the bright light at the end of a tunnel one sees when dying. He expected to see a bearded man standing in front of a golden gate, saying, 'I am St. Peter . Welcome to Heaven….'

He saw none of that. Just the ground below him. Strange as it may seem, they were still a few above it, as if elevated by an invisible force.

'You have wings,' Merida muttered in a small voice in his ears, still holding on to him tightly.

'What!,'Robert jerked his head upwards to look. Merida was right. He couldn't see clearly due to the fading mist but there was no mistaking it. It was a pair of wings, white in colour and the structure like one would see painting of angels. His shock was beyond compare. Not just because of the appearance of the wings but because they were attached to the backside of his body!

It was these wings that had safely brought them to a sudden stop.

As the two of them slowly glided downwards, the weight of the situation was suddenly felt by the both of them, simultaneously.

'You have wings!,' cried Merida.

'I have wings!,' Robert exclaimed at the same time.

They were safely on the ground now, finally free of each other's grasp.

'You can fly?,' said Merida, more of a statement than a question.

' I didn't know,' replied Robert.

'Wings grew out of your body!'

'I noticed. Thank you very much,' said Robert sheepishly.

'How did this happen?,' asked Merida.

'I don't know!'

'You have pictures of wings on your back, don't you?'

'I know. Though, I swear I never saw them befo—'

'Are they connected?'

'I don't know?'

'These wings saved us.'

'I know.'

'Did you know?'

'No'

Merida sighed and then looked up. The mist was slowly lifting. Robert too followed her gaze to the cliff, hundreds of feet above them. Suddenly, a cry filled the air, one of fear and terror.

Robert recognized it immediately.

'Ruby!,' he screamed. Suddenly, the screaming stopped and a deadly silence insued. 'We have to get to her.' he said, turning to Merida.

'How?,' demanded the princess, incredulously.

The answer was easy.

'We fly,' said Robert.

The flight was interesting, to say the least. Robert had no idea how to maneuver the wings still he tried his best. He could feel them like he felt his other body parts but it was still strange. Embracing Merida all over again, with the princess standing on his feet for proper footing, they set off.

They almost hit the sides of the cliff a few times. Robert was highly disturbed by the thought of what he might find when they reached the top. Add to that, his lack of knowledge of flying and the princess so close to him and he was a flying disaster.

Ultimately, he managed to guide himself upwards, slowly but surely. After what seemed like hours, with the two breathing on each other's neck, they were finally back.

The first thing they noticed was Ruby's horse.

The saddle was empty.

'No!,' Robert roared in fury and anguish. 'Where is she?,' he demanded to no one in particular. Completely bewildered, he started muttering to himself,' This is just a dream. A bad dream. A very bad dream. I can't wait to get up.'

Just then, a small voice was heard from a nearby bush. Merida got there first. She found the witch's crow lying there on the ground in a dazed state. It's feathers had been ruffled.

It took a while but when finally came to it's senses, it screamed.

'They took her! They took the poor little girl!'

'Who?'

'One of the Flyte. One of the children of the Flyte.'

'What is that?,' asked Merida.

'They are people of great power,' said the crow.

Robert was horrified. 'What will they do to Ruby?,' he asked.

'I don't know, and if you plan on getting her back yourselves, i will tell you that they are many times more powerful than you are and that is not a good thing. We must get to witch, fast.'

'No,' said Robert raising a hand, 'We need to search for Ruby first.'

'Come now boy,' said the crow impatiently, 'This is no time to be reckless. Like I said, these people are many times stronger than you and you.' It looked at Merida too. 'We would not stand a chance. On top of that, they have disappeared to God knows where. We won't find them and it's not safe here. The witch is the proper choice.'

'What the crow is saying is right,' said Merida gravely, 'I know this witch. She cured you. She can help you get back Ruby and answer all our questions.'

Robert began to protest when he started to get a strange sensation on his back. He could suddenly feel the weight of the wings getting lesser. When he looked back in surprise, he was just in time to see the wings retracting back to his body. What now remained was only a strange feeling.

By now, the mist had completely lifted. They could now see that dark clouds were gathering in the sky – a sign of inevitable rain.

The crow noted the weather, 'This does not bode well. Hurry move.'

The next chapter 'DOOM' will have a meeting of Merida and Robert with the witch where she will answer much of the teenagers' questions. It is highly inadequate - what I'm about to ask, but I guess you all might enjoy it so here it goes. The next chapter and many more have already been written, it is only left to be typed. Still, if there are any questions of yours that you would like Robert or Merida to ask the witch, anything about all the events that are going on, feel free to ask them in the comments. I will judge your questions (not too strictly) and if their answers will not reveal too much of the plot, then I will try my best to answer them in the next chapter through the witch.

After all, I write to please.