The Prophecy of Water | ✔️ 🎖 [2018 Wattys Shortlister]

CHAPTER 41-The Reunion

I saw her today. She changed. She is more quiet, more mature. I wonder if maybe ... 

No, I doubt it.

LoG, 61

As the air whooshed around Squinty's ears, the fury rushed into her head. She was being dragged from the conflict against her will and she hated that.

Radan! How did he even find me? How can he lift me so easily, as if I were a feather? were the questions that ran through her mind. Squinty realized she didn't care for an answer.

She was up here.

And this wasn't where she wanted to be.

That was to be remedied.

"Let me ... Go! Do you hear me? Let me go! I want to go back down there!" she squirmed and wriggled, trapped in his tiny relentless claw-like fingers.

"I am afraid I cannot do that, Squinty. You are not strong enough yet." his kind even-tempered voice replied.

"Screw you, old man! Screw you and your niceties! Grizzly is there, do you hear me? Grizzly is there! He is everything ... everything to me!"

Merely an amused chuckle was heard from above, as she roared in impotence. "It would have perhaps been the best if I had managed to teach you the virtues of patience and respect, Squinty," Radan sounded amused at her annoyance, "instead of showing you the fine art of fighting on dog back."

She merely snorted derisively as a reaction to that. "I don't care what you think."

"I just saved your life. Perhaps a 'thank you' would be in order. Unless, of course, you believe I am asking for too much." His voice sounded more serious and focused now.

Squinty observed the skirmish below, cursing him inwardly. She decided on silence. After all, Radan was her trustworthy ally ever since she left The Orphanage and came to The Vigils. Squinty purposefully placed the long black strands of her hair over her face. At least for her, it meant that conversation was over.

They flew above the battlefield for several minutes in silence, and then Radan spoke up again. "It won't be long now," he said, reassuringly.

Squinty didn't reply. Whatever happened next, the scrawny acorn man would never be able to redeem himself in her eyes.

He took me away from Grizzly and let him die out there alone. I will never forgive him.

Radan flew further and further Downleft, and Squinty could almost see the edge of the magnificent River Tebesum.

She noticed the acorn man was now lessening his speed and lowering his altitude. They were circling around a small clearing and Squinty suddenly became aware of a tuft of pale blond hair sticking out from the orange-yellowish leafy surroundings.

"Is that ... Orla?" she mumbled against her will, but glad she was seeing her friend unharmed and unscathed.

"Indeed." She could more sense Radan's grin than see it, due to the mirth in his voice.

Next to Orla, there was a familiar black and white cow-like shape and Squinty smiled, even if it reminded her of her own loss.

Jewel, she thought.

But as they were coming nearer and nearer to the ground, while Radan was preparing for landing, Squinty realized something was terribly wrong. Jewel wasn't standing. He was lying on his side, and Orla was kneeling next to him, sobbing. That sight created such an angst in Squinty that she didn't even wait for the relatively safe landing. As soon as she felt Radan's fingers relax, she pushed them away and jumped on the ground, rolling as her body touched the yellow grass. She was longing to be reunited with her friend.