The Windkeeper

an excerpt from Chapter 23 . . .Suddenly, a great rush of wings churned the air, whipping her hair off her face. They both turned as several marlens materialized out of thin air and gracefully landed in an arc, surrounding them. There was nowhere to go save back down the steep slope. The largest one stepped forward. He was a magnificent sight, awe inspiring. He really did look like a creature out of legend—too fantastical to be true. He moved gracefully, but there was power in his movements as well. He held his head high, his wolf’s muzzle sniffing the air distastefully. The canine part of him was mostly russet and deep gray. The raptor part of him was the same deep gray with flecks of russet on the wings and tail. The main body was mostly canine, although there were parts where it looked like he had started to morph into a raptor. There were feathers starting between his eyes and covering his head, leading all the way back to the scruff of his neck where feathers molded with fur. His paws were canine, but the talons on his hind feet were distinctly raptor. Then there was the tail. It had been fanned out like a normal bird when they were flying; but once they landed, the feathers folded down, and she could see that he had a canine tail as well amid the feathers. When she looked down, she saw that her morganite was glowing again, her power being drawn through it involuntarily. She wondered if he was calling on her power intentionally or if he did it by accident. "Windkeeper," she recognized his angry voice from last night. This was the alpha, the one who would have her dead. She tried not to think about that as she stood before him. He could not harm her. "We have left your kind alone for many years. All we have wanted is to be given the same courtesy. Yet now you come and invade what little part of the world we have left. Why do you do this after so many years? Why are you here?" She glanced at Roden. He was grinning like a fool and getting out his sketchbook. “This is just fantastic,” he muttered. “Just look at that form. It’s amazing!” Obviously he couldn’t understand them, so it was up to her. "We come in peace, Alpha," she said. "We come to ask for your help." The marlen reared up on his hind feet and snarled. His wings fanned the air in agitation. "Ask? Humans never ask. They demand and then take what is not theirs." "Not all humans. I will demand nothing of you. Only ask." "I do not believe you. Why would you ask when you have the power to command?" The other marlens whined and growled in agreement. "I do not believe in taking away free will. I will not command you to do something you would not otherwise do. All I ask is the chance to convince you to help us. I only ask that you hear me." "She is lying, Alpha, growled one of the other marlens. He was mostly gray with dark splotches of black. If we do not do as she asks, she will resort to commanding us. It is their way." His voice was distinctly younger and full of fear. The alpha bared his teeth at the splotched marlen and then fixed his amber eyes back on Morgan. "Does he speak the truth? Will you command us if you do not like our answer?" "I will not." "What is the word of a Windkeeper?" snarled the splotched one again. "Words are nothing. Make her prove it." Alpha’s head whipped around, and he growled at the splotched one. "You speak out of turn twice now, Kyanite. Do not presume I will let you do so again." The other marlen touched his belly to the ground in a submissive pose, but he still growled low in his throat and kept a wary eye on her. When the alpha was satisfied that Kyanite was properly humbled, he turned back to Morgan. "Although my son speaks out of turn, his concerns are valid. You will prove yourself. We have not the power to kill you, but what about your companion, there— the one who is painfully unaware of the danger he’s about to be in? If we attempted to kill him, would you command us to stop?" This was a trick. She knew it was, but she couldn’t see how to get out of it. "I don’t believe you would do that." "Whether we would or we wouldn’t, the question remains. Would you sacrifice your friend’s life to prove your point?" "That’s not fair. Either way I answer, I come out dishonorable. I will not answer your question." "Very well." The marlen took a flying leap forward and clamped his back talons on Roden’s cape at the nape of his neck and took off into the air. He circled around and hovered above them, dangling Roden over the rocks below. "Answer the question now." “Morgan, what is going on?” Roden asked in surprise. Miraculously, he had managed to keep ahold of his sketchbook. “Don’t worry,” she said. “He’s just trying to prove a point. I won’t let him hurt you.” “Oh, well, if that’s all.” "Won’t let?" Alpha snarled. "Is that your answer then?" "Alpha, no matter what promises I make, I will not allow them to be tested by killing the people I love. To make me do so is dishonorable on your part. I made that promise to you because I trust you, but if you break that trust, then you have to know that I will act accordingly. I will not stand by and watch my friend die. By any means possible, I will not let you needlessly kill. If that means commanding you, then so be it, but I would only resort to that if it was the only way I could stop you from doing harm." The other marlens danced about in agitation and growled. "Just as we suspected," shouted Kyanite. "She says so herself that she will command us! Get rid of her now or we will all become her slaves!" Snarling, Alpha dropped Roden safely on the ground beside Morgan and bowled into the smaller marlen, pinning him to the ground, teeth bared. "You do not make the decisions in this pack, Kyanite. You will not speak out of turn again, or I will tell your mother." His muzzle was inches from the other marlen’s. Kyanite’s soft growl turned into a whine. "You are Alpha. I will abide by your decision." The alpha snorted and moved aside, satisfied. He spread his wings, and the other marlens did the same, ready to take off. He turned his head toward Morgan once more. "Leave our home, Windkeeper. Whatever it is you want, our answer is no, and you will not persuade us otherwise. The only way you will get us to help you is to command us." "I don’t believe that," she called after them as they launched into the air, tucking their feet under themselves and fanning their tails. "You won’t get rid of me that easily. I’m not leaving here until you hear me." "Stay if you wish, he growled. We cannot make you go, but our answer will not change." Then they disappeared back into thin air, and she was left staring after nothing.