SandScript 2021

let go but continue to rub small circles
over her cheekbones, trying to soothe her.
She reaches out a finger and touches the
white feathers in front of her. The male
sucks in his breath but doesn’t tell her to
stop, so she continues, running her finger
over his muscles that let him fly. When
he gently flexes the muscles in his left
wing, she feels her right wing mirror him,
matching his movements.
“Adder,” she says. Her voice is hoarse
but it’s the only thing she can think to say
right now. “My name is Adder.”
His lips tug upwards on the side as he
says, “Lorcan.”
“Thank you, Lorcan.”
“Anything for my mirror mate.”
***
Almost two years have come and
gone between Lorcan and Adder since
the mating bond had been discovered
in Adder’s home village marketplace.
Lorcan and Adder spend their mornings
together, flying to near impossible heights
and banking around trees and homes in
the nearby city. Young children come out
in the streets in the morning and scream
with laughter as the King and his mirror
mate fly by with enough speed for the
wind to knock them on the ground.
This morning, a rare winter morning
with the sun melting the snow that had
fallen from a previous night, finds Adder
waking up alone in the bed. A note on the
small table has her name on it written in
the elegant handwriting she recognizes as
Lorcan’s. She quickly sits up, and pushing
through her yawn and groggy eyes, plucks
the note up to read it:
Abigale Robles
Sunflowers
Drawing, Bristol Paper and Micron Pens
My dearest Adder. Despite my
complaints, Lord Breham has demanded
my presence early this morning. I’m sorry
to cancel our flight but I will make it up to
you tomorrow. I will sneak away to see you
as soon as I can.
Adder smiles at the words and
places the letter in the drawer with the
other notes of cancellation, tallying the
missed flights up to eleven since their
time together. Normally she finds herself
going to an early breakfast on days when
Lorcan can’t join her, but her flights this
past week had left frost on the tips of her
wings and today is too beautiful to pass
up. She quickly gets ready and opens the
door to their balcony at the highest level
of the palace and jumps off.
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