One Bright Warm Time’s Day
The wind flushed gently through the green hills of a small and green woodland as the morning slowly started to turn into a day. The heart of the Warm Time was slowly approaching and none of the flyers who inhabited this lush region would have traded the season for anything else. The weather wasn’t burningly hot but it certainly discouraged most from any extra work until the evening’s shadows started to grow longer. All but one single, young leader who wanted nothing more than to learn more from his mother’s and her parents’ times of leadership from someone who had seen them with his own eyes.
“… but you see, Lenel, that with each passing generation, your family’s followers have grown less numerous, no matter how much work your mother or her father put into their efforts. I have regretted seeing that slow process but it seems it has become some kind of a curse to your predecessors’ to being unable to stop this process.” The speaker was an old flyer whose eyes, despite his age, still had a vivid and sharp glimmer to them. He had been part of this small herd, which hardly numbered more than two dozen flyers these days, since he was but a child and during that time, he had come to serve as one of Lenel’s mother’s deputies and one of the most respected members of the dwindling herd. His listener, the group’s still-fresh leader, frowned at those words slightly even if they weren’t exactly new information to him.
“It’s a real shame, Telo. Mother wanted nothing but the best to his followers but her efforts simply weren’t enough due to her weakness in the face of danger. I just hope I can restore my family to the power it held during the revered Olres’ time. Nothing has seemed to gone well since then and I’m not going to be another leader who’ll simply watch as our great herd slowly disappears. Even if it means I’ll have to spend my life trying to find out what or who gave Olres the strength to do everything he did.” Lenel sighed as he looked outside of the cave’s mouth. Outside lied his followers who were more thankful to him for being able to avoid any major fights since his rise to power which brought Lenel hope he had been ready to take the mantle of a leader since his mother’s death only a few months ago.
However, there was only one dinosaur out there who was being able to take a part of his attention away from Telo’s tales. The mere thought of his beloved mate brought a smile to the young male’s face even if he knew Sireia was on a scouting mission alongside with three other of his followers. For a moment, he nearly forgot where he was and the old flyer’s answer even startled him slightly.
“I can see that you have other things on your mind than an ancient dinosaur’s twaddle. Even then, I’m happy for you Lenel for finding a mate you’re ready to share your burden with. Unfortunately, it was a blessing your mother never had.” Telo chuckled slightly as Lenel looked at him with some embarrassment. He was slightly startled for being that easy to read but he knew better than to deny the obvious fact. He stuttered slightly as he answered to the other male whose nostalgic smile had only widened.
“Y… yes, you’re right. Her presence here is more than I could have ever asked for. It’s been only a month but I already feel like it’s an eternity since we met. Her eyes, her wit and her smiling face… but that’s enough about that. I came to talk to you because I wanted to know more about Olres. So start speaking, old flyer.” Lenel suddenly regained his treasured matter-of-factly composure which quickly turned into a playful smirk. Telo chuckled slightly at the answer but he was more than happy to share his knowledge to anyone who was willing to listen.
“It’s good to see you’re still not forgetting your duties. However, there is something I think it’s time I told you. There indeed is something odd about the way your ancestor managed to overcome the Cold Time and win every challenge in his life without a scratch. There is a story that tells that Olres never left a certain land somewhere in the east and that he disappeared for weeks without a trace. It’s as if he had simply vanished into thin air during those days and when he returned, he was always a changed flyer.” The old flyer before he kept a small pause. This information, however, opened Lenel’s eyes wide and he took a few steps closer to the dark-grey dinosaur, completely stunned by these words.
“Where is this place? Please tell me!” The pale flyer said silently, stunned by the fact that Telo hadn’t told him these news before. Why would a faithful servant of his family hold him this crucial information? The atmosphere turned into a tangibly waiting one as the older flyer took a brief sigh before he answered.
“Who knows? Even this one piece of knowledge is extremely vague and I heard it from your grandfather myself. He, too, tried to search for it but without any success. I’d gladly share this secret with you if I only were able to. I’m sorry, Lenel, but I’m afraid this is a mystery you’ll have to solve yourself.” Those words hit Lenel with great power as that one, vague piece of knowledge would be the key to restoring his ancestor’s family to what it once was. He was about to answer to the older flyer when a flow of shadows started to dance in the cave illuminated by the bright morning’s rays. Lenel turned around and he almost jumped with joy when he saw Sireia’s form among the returning flyers. For the briefest of moments, he was torn between staying here or go meeting her but after a moment, his choice was clear. He turned back to Telo and spoke to him in an appreciating voice, his eyes burning with anticipation.
“Thank you for your time and tales, Telo. They really meant a lot to me. However, I must tend to my other duties now but I’ll see you again in the coming days.” Lenel said before trying to leave quickly enough for Telo to be unable to answer but his failure became clear soon enough.
“It’s best to tend to those issues when you’re still young, my honored leader. I hope you have a good day.” The old dinosaur said in a hearty voice which, after a moment of hesitation, also brought more relief to Lenel. The young flyer nodded to the other male in deep approval before he turned his gaze into the direction the scouts had seemed to land. His chest was filled with the warm feeling and his heart was beating with pure happiness as he slowly took off.
The young female looked around herself in excitement as she finished giving her report to one of her mate’s deputies. Usually Lenel was here to receive the scouts’ findings himself but he had apparently said he was “needed elsewhere”. Sireia smiled slightly as she knew full well where that “elsewhere” was. Lenel simply loved to hear about his family’s history from Telo and his whereabouts weren’t really a secret to anyone who knew him at least somewhat well.
Yet, Sireia wouldn’t have liked her mate better in any other way. Ever since the two had met at Nourin’s Ledge during some of the herds’ meeting, it had been clear that both of them had made the right choice. Despite his preoccupation with the herd, he had proven time and time again that his feelings towards her weren’t false. She listened in deep happiness when the deputy answered to her and her companions’ report.
“Very well. We have to keep an eye at those other herds in case they decide to do anything stupid. You five are released from any other missions for the rest of the day. Dismissed.” The five flyers looked at each other before going their own ways. However, Sireia knew this eventless pause would be a brief one as both she and Lenel treasured any times they could spend together. However, she didn’t have much time to contemplate the situation before a familiar form appeared into the skies above her. Sireia’s heart begun to beat in her chest in expectation as Lenel carefully landed beside her. The female smiled at him as she broke the silence before it had actually started.
“We’re safe for now, dear. There were no hostile dinosaurs anywhere near us.” She said softly, making sure that these news were kept as low key as possible in this moment of closeness and love. She looked at Lenel approach her slowly and she immediately replicated the gesture. Just as the duo’s hands closed around each other, Lenel whispered silently.
“You did well, my love. Things feel even better when we know no one threatens us two. I would like nothing better than to keep it like this forever. Meeting you was the best thing that ever happened to me.” Lenel whispered, basking in the feeling of warmth her mate and the Bight Circle cast upon the two flyers. He meant every word and at that moment, the light-colored flyer felt like he truly would have wanted to never let go. Sireia’s eyes were locked into the distance as her mind worked in override to register the words she had just heard. She answered only a few seconds later.
“Likewise, I still miss my brother and friends but I’d never trade any of them to you, Lenel. This past month has been one, never-ending dream I’d never want to wake up from. But I can see that Telo told you something. What was it?” The female asked silently as the two slowly let off of each other, Lenel turning to look at his mate in the eyes directly. He had forgotten that meeting for a fleeting moment but even in this situation, his excitement was tangible.
“I guess I can’t keep any secrets from you, Sireia. He indeed told me something that may change everything for us. He told that Olres is told to have had some kind of place which granted him the strength to do what he did. He couldn’t say where it was but I know he wouldn’t tell me lies. Do you understand what this means?” Lenel asked, rubbing his hands together in anticipation. He knew full well that before him would be a journey of legend but that massive predicament slowly begun to spread doubts into his mind. Sireia looked at him for a moment, completely surprised by these news. Not because she was surprised by them but because she was stunned that Lenel seemed so excited about this issue. She chuckled slightly as she answered.
“Didn’t you know that? I was told that much when I was but a hatchling! But we were also told he lived far to the north where he saved all flyers of those lands from the wrath of the landwalkers. Olres is one of the most famous flyers to ever live so don’t be so surprised that we, too, have stories about him. I just never thought they’d be more accurate than those of his actual family.” Sireia nearly laughed to her mate’s astonishment. Lenel simply stared at her in utter shock before answering to her in disbelief.
“W…what? Do you actually mean there could be more knowledge of Olres’ secret somewhere, kept alive only by some small herds like yours?” The male said in disbelief, turning his gaze into the distant horizon. If what his mate said was true, then maybe there was a real chance he’d be able to find out the ancient secret his family had forgotten. Sireia bowed nearer to her mate and whispered in a silent voice.
“I do, my dear. I had just thought Telo was telling you some things I didn’t know.” She said while looking at Lenel’s confusion with amusement. The male’s mind was working hard to realize how much these news changed but he also understood that this opened him a way to finally begin reversing his herd’s slow decline. With an astonished voice, he answered to the female.
“In that case, we have to find out whatever we can about him! We must leave no stone unturned to find out what mysterious force helped my ancestor during those distant times. But if we’re going to do this, we’ll need…” At this point,
the light-colored flyer was, to his enormous surprise, interrupted by his mate who ended his sentence in an extremely confident voice. Sireia wasn’t oblivious to her mate’s hopes and ambitions and in more ways than just one, she had already learned to embrace his way of thinking when it came to these things.
“…we’ll need a larger herd to have enough respect to be able to search for this clues without challenges from the other flyers. It will be far from easy but we’ll make it, my love.” She said as the two flyers shared a silent moment to think about the best way to proceed. Lenel panted silently as he contemplated at the journey he had before himself and as the reality sank into his head on this bright Warm Time’s day, he slowly begun to feel his limbs grow heavy and fear beginning to fill his mind. After a moment, for the first time since taking his mother’s place in the herd, his voice wavered with uncertainty and even clear hesitation.
“I… I’d want nothing more but I don’t know if I’m ready for this. After all, I’ve only led this small herd for a few months and I’ve been more lucky with any potential challenges than I could ever hope for. But to begin forming a larger herd… I just don’t know yet.” Lenel could already see his possible followers falling under an attack of the sharpteeth or other flyers and the young male simply didn’t want to ruin everything with unneeded risks emanating from his own recklessness. Sireia felt somewhat surprised to see his mate’s reaction to the prospect of being able to finally fulfill his lifelong dream but it did nothing to make her question his judgement. At this point, a certain idea suddenly rose to her mind.
“There’s something I’d like to show you, Lenel. Maybe then you’ll see that this surely is something we’ll be able to do. Follow me, it’s not far!” Sireia laughed playfully as she rose to her wings and headed towards the realm of dancing winds above the duo. Lenel cocked his head in confusion at this turn of events but he wasted no time following his mate. He didn’t have the slightest of ideas what his mate had in her mind but he yearned to find out. It wasn’t long before he was flying on the female’s side, heading to this place she had been talking about.
It wasn’t many minutes until Sireia’s eyes finally caught the sight of the small mound she had seen in her earlier scouting mission. It was a rather high but narrow hill rising in the middle of sloping leas of this most beautiful of times among the changing seasons. The female hoped her mate would see the same open path to the future she had felt she had seen this enchanting place herself. She quickly started her plunge as she cried to the male, whose whole mind was still a complete mess, in encouragement.
“There it is! Let’s go!” The tan-colored flyer’s words brought even more hesitation to the male but he complied to her request without any requests. What could possible interest Sireia in this lonely, wind-swept hill near the edge of a larger and dryer plain? The two flyers landed gracefully and Lenel wasted no time asking the obvious question.
“What did you want to show me? This place doesn’t seem unlike many other hills we’ve seen.” Lenel asked softly but it was clear he wanted an answer. Sireia was slightly disappointed that Lenel hadn’t realized her point immediately but she was more than happy to emphasize her point too. She quickly turned to look at the opening plain before suddenly bowing towards the ground. Below her lied a large group of bright orange flowers, ones whose beauty was unmatched by most others either of the two had seen before. However, their meaning was initially lost on the pale flyer. She then begun to speak in puzzling voice to her mate.
“Do you see these flowers? They are constantly being preyed upon by us leaf eaters and the sky water often causes earthfalls upon them. Not to even mention that the winds and dry times cause them more problems all the time. Yet here they are, growing more beautiful every Warm Time that passes even if the Cold Time sweeps their glory away.” She rose up momentarily, seeing a deep frown on Lenel’s face. The male seemed to be deep in thought over his mate’s words and silence reigned between the two loving dinosaurs for a moment. The gentle wind swayed the deep green blades of grass under the cloudless sky and the whole scene was enough to let the warm emotion flow into the male’s mind. Yes, there was some sense in his mate’s parable but it still was only that, a parable. Lenel answered shortly, finally answering to Sireia’s heartfelt words.
“Our family has persevered for countless generations but maybe you’re right that we’re only living through our own Cold Time at the moment. But it just feels like too much to think I’ll be the one that makes things turn well again. These flowers have the spring to bring them back to life but I have only myself… and of course you, my dear. But is it enough?” The flyer asked, waving his head in an apparent loss of words. Sireia rose up from her crouching position and spoke to her mate, doing her best to help the male decided that question for himself.
“I don’t know. It will be a terrible gamble but I am ready for anything with you on my side. It is true that these flowers get more help than we do but it is up to you to decide whether you can do this. You have me and all of our herd by your side and they’ll help you whenever you need aid. Is that the spring we need to power our dreams?” The female asked as neutrally as she could, willing to show her support to the male while still giving him the full choice in this matter. Lenel breathed deeply as he struggled to come up with an answer. However, the calm, sweet environment as well as the thought of his happy herd and mate sometime in the future slowly crept into his mind and as he looked into her mate’s eyes, he knew his mind was made up. In the name of all who believed in him and all those who came before him, this was something he had to do.
“I think so, my love. Those flowers might be returned to life by the mere changing of seasons but our strength is being powered by our closeness each and every day. As long as you are on my side, I’ll be able to suffer any blows we will meet on this journey of our lives.” Lenel said as he raised his gaze again at the female, his mental fuss finally beginning to ease slightly. He could go through a lot with his mate’s help and suddenly, the lovely day made it feel like Olres himself was watching over him on this day.
“Thank you for those words, Lenel. I’ll follow you. Thank you for being here for me. The moment I saw your commanding gaze and your strong wings back on the Ledge, I hoped you’d accept me as your mate. I never had the right to wish for this joy.” Sireia said as she sat down to the ground, facing into the far distance. Lenel joined her immediately and the two sat down to face the sea of hilly, green meadows glimmer in the blessed light of this glorious day. Lenel looked into the horizon as he answered to her mate’s compliment.
“Of course, Sireia. I never came there looking for a mate but my choice, too, was made the moment I saw you joining our meeting to honor the great Nourin on that starry, warm night. I’m glad I’ve been worthy of your trust thus far and I’ll never let go of my charge to you and your parents. My life has been one, happy dream since we joined together. Thank you for that.” Lenel sighed as he noticed a large buzzer flying above the endless lea. His life was perfect but the chance of being remembered as Olres’ equal when he was gone was still a dream worth following to the young male. Sireia knew more than well that her mate was genuine but she had one more thing she wanted to tell him.
“Mine too. I’d never exchange this for anything but… there was something during my scouting trip I know you’d like to know.” She said cryptically, prompting Lenel to look at her in interest.
“Hmm? And what’s that? I thought you found nothing interesting.” He asked with a sleepy look in his eyes. Sireia took a sigh as she inhaled the warm, sweet air of the Warm Time and shivered under the beautiful touch of the Bright Circle.
“The herd we spotted some distance away… I know it. It’s led by a headstrong and proud but reasonable flyer called Nira. Her herd has also grown less numerous lately and she had great struggles holding them together in the latest Cold Time. With any luck and right kind of persuasion, they might…” Sireia began but Lenel’s quick mind immediately recognized a great opportunity when he heard one. His eyes opened wide at those implications and he finished his mate’s sentence.
“… be willing to join forces with us! And when we are more numerous, some others might be willing to then join the safety of numbers! That’s marvelous news!” Lenel nearly cried at those news but he managed to keep his emotions at bay. At this point, everything in his life seemed to be falling into place and the future seemed nothing but bright. His breath nearly died in throat as he noticed Sireia look at him again. Her voice was sweeter than ever to her mate as she spoke.
“Exactly, dear. I’m more than willing to share this adventure together with you. It seems like we have a long journey ahead of ourselves. Just as I’ve hoped.” The female sighed as she and her mate slowly raised their hands on each other’s opposing shoulders and leaned towards each other. The grassy hill around the two beamed with life as another warm breath of the Warm Time’s wind met the two flyers’ noses. Lenel breathed the sweet air into his lungs for a long time before he finally sighed and whispered into the tan-colored dinosaur’s ear.
“This is far better than I could hope for. But what do you say if we start our quest only tomorrow? This lovely day is far too precious to waste on arguing with any grumpy old flyer. There’s only one who I want to share it with.” Lenel said with a wide smile and nodded at Sireia whose approving smile didn’t lose any in comparison to her overjoyed mate.
“Me too, my dear. Me too.” The two flyers’ beaks then met in a gentle, long nuzzle as a further act of affirmation of their common future which both of them knew would be filled with great glories and even more spectacular dreams.
And here's finally my entry to the February prompt challenge! It's a look into the pasts of two of my characters from Separate Ways. This ficlet takes place nearly twenty years before my main story and I hope I managed to make this brief look into Lenel and Sireia’s youth intriguing. Hopefully you enjoy this offering and tell me what you think of it!
