9 - Pelt

                                    

                                          
The flight to the pool felt like the longest journey Thirty-Four had ever undertaken. His heart pounded twice as fast as Angel's wings, threatening to leap from his chest and soar on wings of its own to reach their incredible destination.
                          
Below, the sun sparkled on the treetops, creating twinkling emerald lights that adorned the earthly beauty of the thin branches. Angel curved, and the forest cascaded into the valley he'd gazed out over just last night. Every single yellow flower amongst the sea of grass glowed as if they were sunlight themselves. The whole world seemed twice as bright today, rejoicing the long-awaited day when his Pelt finally came.
                          
He could feel his bones tingling with a huge apprehension, as if even the moon goddess was holding her breath. Or maybe it was just the nausea from being up this high.
                          
As they passed the familiar hill, their flight jolted slightly in the wind, and he decided it was definitely nausea. Hurriedly, he raised his head, pricking up his ears to catch the breeze as it rushed by. There was no way he was ruining this life-changing moment by vomiting all over his favourite part of the woods.
                          
Instead, he surveyed the crystal-clear sky. Even the clouds had dispersed to make way for his passage. The rising sun caressed his exposed back, and for once he welcomed the harsh warmth.
                          
Beside him, Lexi shifted, shoving him further towards Angel's right wing. "Stop spreading out so much. I'd really rather not fall from the sky for a second time in two days."
                          
"Sorry," he said, ducking to allow their paws to overlap. If he had been the same size as Lexi, there wouldn't have been enough room for them both to squeeze on. But his undersized nature allowed it.
                          
Not for much longer. I'm bound to have a growth spurt soon, if my Pelt doesn't trigger it instantly.
                          
That's right. My Pelt.
                          
They glanced at each other, eyes glittering with equal enthusiasm. Thirty-Four opened his snout to say something else - most likely a rapid string of merging words about how excited he was - when they suddenly tipped forwards, making his stomach lurch dangerously. Snapping his jaw shut, he swallowed forcefully, determined to hold back the foul taste that surged in the back of his throat. Lexi linked her paw with his.
                          
Locking his claws into Angel's fur, he peered down, expecting to see the plaza looming closer. Instead, they glided through the canopy of a cluster of trees, touching down softly in long grass. His grip loosened, and he half-climbed, half-fell from the Airewylf's back, with Lexi following. The earth had never felt so welcoming.
                          
"Why have we landed here?" he asked, blinking hard to stop the world from spinning.
                          
Angel settled her wings, retreating further into the forest. "The Twilytra are a secret," she said, her eyes fixed on the path just past the treeline. "If the Wylfire found us, we'd be locked up, for a long time."
                          
Tilting his head, Thirty-Four frowned. "Why? You're not doing anything wrong."
                          
Before Angel could answer, Lexi stepped forward. "It does make sense. Dawn isn't this town's prophet, so by making predictions about the war she would probably be accused of spreading rumours. Disrespecting the goddess, all that." She flicked her tail uneasily. "And all of you would be arrested for following her. In fact," she added, looking thoughtful, "I recognise the name Twilytra. Isn't that the group General Dusk set up after the war?"
                          
Angel blinked a few times, looking a little overwhelmed by Lexi's onslaught of information. "Uh, yes," she replied, nodding slowly. "Dusk is Dawn's ancestor. Her family have kept the group running."
                          
On any normal day, Thirty-Four would have let them keep talking. He knew how much Lexi loved history, and facts - he sometimes found them interesting, too. But this wasn't a normal day. This was the best day of his entire life, and he wasn't going to waste it talking about the past.