Chapter 23 Gildar
Everyone was still rather tired from the ball yesterday, my head was still pounding, but it wasn't stopping me from working, the day was going smoothly when it was suddenly interuppted with a message, it had to be delivered to Kookaburra.
"Gildar, could you take this message to Kook?" Vane asked.
"What is it?"
"It's a letter from his parents, I think it's pretty urgent."
"Alright."
I took the letter from Vane and went to deliver it to Kook, I was half running, half walking, because I wanted to get this message to Kook as quickly as possible, I dashed up the tower steps to the top, when I got there, my vision was blurred and my lungs and legs were burning, when my eyes came into focus I just saw Nightingale in front of me, I looked around and Kook wasn't there.
"Nightingale. Do you know where Kook is, I've got a message for him?" I asked.
Nightingale spun round to look at me. "Oh, yes. He's just gone back to his room, he'd forgotten something and he's just gone to get it.
"Thanks."
I turned around and dashed back down the steps trying my best not to fall, I had to get to Kook's room before he'd got there and gone back, but luckily I knew a shortcut. Instead of turning left on the main corridor I turned right, these corridors were all dark, unused and full of cobwebs but it was the quickest way there.
When I finally arrived, out of breath, I knocked on the door to check if Kook was there.
"Kook, are you in? I've got a message for you, it's from your parents."
There was no answer, so I opened the door and went to place the letter in Kook's nest that way he'd see it when he came in, this seemed like a good idea, but when I placed the letter down, something caught my eye, stuck in between some of the twigs of Kook's nest was a long black feather, I picked it up to look at it better, I recognise this feather, this is one of Nightingale's feathers, what would one of Nightingale's feathers be doing in Kook's nest? I know that this is definitely Kook's room, so I haven't got the rooms mixed around, I was still trying to figure out what was going on when Kook walked into the room.
"Gildar, what are you doing in here?" He asked.
"Oh sorry Kook, I was just delivering this letter to you." I replied picking the letter back up and handing it to Kook. "But when I put it in your nest I found this feather in the twigs, is there something going on?"
"Err...I don't know, I didn't even know that was there."
"But you do know how it got there though don't you?"
"No."
"Yes you do, there's something that you're not telling us."
"Who are you my mother?"
"Come on Kook, I won't be able to sleep until I find out what one of Nightingale's feathers was doing in your nest."
Kook sighed deeply, lowered his head and gave his answer.
"Last night, I was walking Nightingale back to her room from the ball when she fainted half way, I tried carrying her all the way to her room but I couldn't so I brought her in here and she spent the rest of the night sleeping in my nest, that's why one of her feathers was there, there I said it."
"But why did you bring her here in the first place, it's not like your dating or anything are you?" Kook lowered his head again. "Are you?" I then realised what was going on. "You and Nightingale aren't dating in secret are you?"
Kook took a lot longer to give his answer this time, and I could see that he was nervous.
"Kook, buddy it's alright, I'm not angry, I just want to know, and if you don't want me to tell anyone then I won't."
"Promise?"
"Promise."
Kook sighed. "Alright, I might as well tell you the truth, you were bound to find out soon enough. Me and Nightingale have been dating in secret for over a year, only Ballista, Faetal, Vane, Shaiden and you now know, and we'd very much like to keep it that way."
"There, you see. It wasn't that hard, and don't worry, I won't tell a single soul about what you've just told me."
"Thanks mate."
"So what's the letter then?"
"I don't know I haven't opened it yet."
Kook quickly tore the letter open and read it with care, taking in every single bit of detail, he was smiling when he first opened the letter but that smile soon faded into a frown as he got half way down.
"What's wrong?" I asked.
"It's from my mum and dad." Kook replied. "My dad's very sick, they'd like me to go over there and see them, and the doctor's told them that he may be dying."
"Oh God."
Kook wasn't the only one who was concerned about his dad, I was also as concerned as he was and I didn't even know him that well. Me and Kook walked back to the lookout tower together Kook was silent the whole way, anything that I said was just replied with a yes or a no, occasionally a maybe.
I wanted to talk to Nightingale about the relationship that her and Kook were having, so I went back up the lookout tower with Kook.
"Hey babe." said Kook when we got to the top.
Nightingale spun around to say hello back, but she froze when she saw me.
"Erm...Kook...you do know that Gildar's with you don't you?" she asked.
"Yeah, it's alright, he knows." Kook replied.
"Well why don't we just announce it to the whole kingdom?"
"Be easy Nightingale, Kook's just heard some bad news." I said.
Nightingale's whole mood changed, she changed from this angry, frustrated person, to concerned, calm and considerate person. "What is it?" she asked.
"I've just got a letter from my parents." Kook replied.
"What's bad about that?"
"My dad's very sick, and they think that he may be dying."
"Well you should go and see them then."
"Would you be alright without me for a while?"
"Yeah, don't worry, I'll survive. Besides, your family need you."
"Okay."
Kook walked over to Nightingale, gave her a long hug and a gentle kiss, watching them made me feel quite emotional, I've never really been in love before, and seeing Nightingale and Kook like this made me feel rather lonely, as I watched I could feel the tears stinging my eyes.
"You alright Gildar?" Kook asked.
"Yeah, I'm fine. I've just got something in my eye."
I left Nightingale and Kookaburra on their own and went back to my duty, everyone was in the same places that they were when I left to give Kook the message.
"What kept you?" Crocness asked.
"I was a bit busy talking to Kook." I replied.
"Did he tell you what the message was about?"
"Yeah, apparently it was from his parents, his dad's very sick and may be dying, they want him to go back to Australia for a while to visit them."
"And is he?"
"Yeah."
"Oh my God, poor Kook."
I looked to my left and Vane was stood on his own, I wasn't sure if Kook was bluffing or not about Vane, Faetal, Ballista and Shaiden also knowing, so I went over to question Vane about it.
"Hey Vane." I said standing next to him.
"Oh hey. " Vane replied.
"Vane, there's something that I need to talk to you about."
"What?"
"It's about Nightingale and Kook being in a relationship."
"Whoa, dude who told you?"
"Kook."
"Oh."
"I just wanted to know whether you, Faetal, Ballista and Shaiden really know, and I take it that you do."
"Yeah, but we promised not to tell anyone."
"So did I."
Kook left the kingdom the very next day, everyone said goodbye and me, Nightingale and Ballista were the last of us to say goodbye.
"When are you going to be back?" Nightingale asked.
"It depends." Kook replied "3 weeks tops."
"I'll never stop thinking about you."
"I'll write to you as often as I can."
Kook looked over our shoulders, there wasn't anyone else behind us, so there was no risk of anyone seeing, Kook wrapped his arms around Nightingale's waist, pulled her towards him and kissed her firmly on the lips, Nightingale also wrapped her arms around Kook's neck, I could feel the tears filling my eyes again, Ballista was feeling the same way.
"You alright?" I asked her.
"Yeah, just got something in my eye."
"Same here."
Nightingale and Kook were still kissing when we turned our attention back to them, they obviously didn't want this moment to end, a few seconds later and their lips finally parted, Kook held Nightingale's hand as he walked away, I watched as his hand slowly slipped out of Nightingale's, Nightingale's eyes started to fill up with tears, so Ballista went over to her to comfort her.
"It's alright Nightingale, he'll be back before you know it." She said.
Kook has been gone for over a week now and he hasn't written, Nightingale was getting anxious and also worried about what may have happened to Kook, we kept on trying to calm her down and reassure her that Kook was fine.
Now that Kook wasn't here at the moment, we all had to take his place on lookout duty and we were all going to take it in turns to help Nightingale on lookout duty, on day nine it was my turn. Nightingale wasn't there when I got to the top, I was slightly confused at first, but she dashed up the stairs five minutes later.
"He's written, I've got a letter from him." She said smiling and waving the piece of paper in the air.
"What does he say?" I asked.
Nightingale unfolded the letter and read every word to me.
"To my dearest Nightingale. Everything is fine here in Australia, dad seems to be doing better, and the doctor has told us that he will hopefully be as right as rain in a few days, hope that everything's okay back at the castle, and that there's not been any trouble, I'm really missing you and I wish that you were here, you know that I'm not really the kind of guy who can come out with romantic things at the drop of a hat, but if I could, right now you would be the person that I'd say them to. Plenty of love and kisses, Kookaburra."
"Aw, that's sweet. You see Nightingale, we told you that he'd write soon enough if you gave him enough time. Are you going to write back?"
"Yeah, I've already sent it."
"That was quick."
"The letter arrived last night, I spent around an hour writing my response."
Nightingale looked so happy now that she had a letter from Kook, throughout the day she didn't put the letter down, she just held it close to her chest, I guess that's the closest that she can be to Kook, there was still nearly two weeks or so until Kook may be coming back, but Nightingale seemed to be able to live until then.