Sharp Shorts - 2. Flying Lessons

I sat on the front porch, expecting my daughter and her mate to come home from celebrating the Moon Festival. The pups were finally sleeping. I wasn’t sure they understood that I had been saying goodbye to them forever when I left their rooms. I didn’t know when, or even if, I would ever be seeing them again, but what I did know was that they were in good hands with their new alpha.

Tiryrth waited for me. I could hear his voice in my mind. Are you ready, love?

I am.

In the distance, I could hear my daughter laughing and talking to her mate in a low voice. They were coming to the house through the forest. They didn’t notice Tiryrth leaning against a tree trunk in his human form. I smiled. They looked slightly disheveled. There were some dry leaves and twigs in my daughter’s hair. When she saw me waiting for her, she instantly stopped approaching. “Father.”

“Alpha.”

She looked around and scented the air, but of course, she didn’t detect him. “Is it time?”

“It is.”

“Do I get to meet him before you leave?”

I shook my head. “I am about to begin a new life. For the time being, my old life and my new one will be strictly separated.”

Suddenly, she ran to me and threw her arms around my neck, putting her head on my chest exactly as she had done years ago as a young girl when she celebrated her first Moon Festival. “I’m gonna miss you, Dad.”

I briefly put my arms around her waist. “I am proud of you, and I entrust you with the River Bend pack. You’re going to be a great alpha, who’ll lead them into a bright future.”

“You think?”

“I know.”

After a brief moment, she nodded and stepped back. She tilted her head to the side, and presented her jugular to me, probably for the last time. Then she gestured for her mate to follow her into the house.

I went to my mate. When I reached him, he took my hand and led me through the forest that had been my home for my entire life. “I found a good spot.”

I smiled. “The cliff.”

When we were close to the edge, I could see the vast plain that rose gently from the sea to the foothills of the mountains. Tiryrth lifted my hand to his mouth and briefly kissed the knuckles before shifting effortlessly into his majestic black beast form, ebony scales gleaming in the light. He lowered one of his wings to make it easier for me to climb onto his back, all the time watching over me. Once again, the sky-blue of his eyes amazed me. I maneuvered myself around until I sat right behind his wings.

Ready?

As ready as I’ll ever be.”

He pushed away from the edge. At first, we fell like a stone, then he spread his large wings and flapped them, catching us. He caught an updraft, as we gained altitude again. We flew higher and higher; the air became thinner and thinner. I had trouble breathing. It was unbearably cold. When I thought I’d either freeze to death or suffocate, he turned his left wing at an awkward angle and simply pushed me from his back. Shocked, I plummeted down, with teary, wide eyes I saw the ground racing toward me. Would he catch me before I fell to my death?

He didn’t.

I could already see the individual leaves of the bushes and shrubs. Goodbye.

Pain sliced through me, unbearable pain, my bones broke and wings erupted from my back. I heard a joyous growl in my head.

In the last moment, at least it had felt like that, they had caught me and softened my fall. My landing wasn’t the most elegant, but I lived.

Panting, I checked the ground standing on my paws— claws. That’s how dragons learn to fly?

My mate landed beside me, pushing his big snout into my face, nuzzling my neck.

I always knew you could do it! He licked at the blood running down my back.

I was a dragon!

Shifting into my human form was easy; I had it done many times as a wolf.

Now back! You need to be able to reach the eyrie.

After many stops, I was able to reach the landing platform of his home. Our home.

Thank you for reading, reacting and commenting on the second and last part of Aaron's prompt suggestion. I might give these two a little more space after I have finished my new series.
As always  @Valkyrie for editing and the great suggestions.