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It was effective, however. She was slowing down. It was working! She was now headed downward at an angle, slower than before. But still far too fast for comfort.
Opting to try to change her path a little more gently, she found that it was actually pretty easy to glide. By the time the trees became detailed enough that she could make out their individual structures, she was flying. Really, actually flying!
Laughing, she spread her arms out wide as she soared. What had been the most terrifying moment of her life had now become one of the most joyful.
It felt incredible.
Truly amazing.
She was flying.
She flapped her wings experimentally, feeling the extra bit of lift from the movement pull her a few feet higher atop the treeline.
If she reached down her hand, she could touch the leaves as she went by. Every shade of green was below her.
Who cared if her wings were leathery and gross, and not feathered or pretty? They worked. And they made this possible. She had never felt so free in her life.
This was the most beautiful moment she had ever experienced.
Right until she looked up.
And smashed into an evergreen that had grown much taller than all the rest.
The next few moments were a tangled mess of limbs, snapping branches, more snapping branches, even more tangled limbs. The world was spinning around her as she went through bough after bough. Sky, tree, branch, sky, branch, tree, sky, branch, tree, other tree, sky.
Ground.
She hit the forest floor with a thud.
Two things warred for supremacy in Gwen’s mind—the urge to throw up and the pain of the impact. She groaned and experimentally moved her limbs. Okay, she could wiggle her toes and her fingers. Her wings were still there.
But goddamn it, that had fucking hurt.
Rolling onto her stomach, she shoved to her hands and knees. And then something was licking her face. “What the f—” She laughed and pushed the fluffy creature away. “Oh. Hello, Eod.”
The dog sat down, tail thumping against the pine needles and underbrush, and barked. “Hi!”
She blinked. Wait. Had the dog just…talked? She didn’t really hear it, not like she heard sound, but there had still been no mistaking it. The voice had been in her head.
“Great…I can talk to animals now. Or rather, I guess you can talk to me.” That was something Doc could do. Did that mean she was a wizard now? She had her leathery dragon wings, in shades of red—like when she was an elemental.
But she hadn’t been able to hear Eod before. “How’d you know where to find me?”
Eod tilted his head to the side slightly. “Magic man. Said sit. Wait. Good boy. I sat. I wait. Good boy.”
Magic man. She sighed. Doc. “Nice of him to ditch me. I’m glad he brought you here. And yes. You are a very good boy.” She scratched Eod’s head.
His tongue rolled out of his mouth in doggy bliss. “Good boy!”
Getting back to her feet, she brushed the pine needles off herself, picking at some that were stuck with sap. She hated tree sap. Hopefully, she didn’t have too much of it in her hair. Which, what the hell— Her hair was wild shades of red and orange again. Holding out her hand, she focused, and watched as her hand turned to fire, just like before.
She had fire again! That was great. She had just started to get used to it, and even enjoy it, when Grinn took it back. But the “speaking to animals” thing was bizarre. She wondered what the island had really done to her.
I wish Doc was here. Man, what a weird impulse. But the wizard had left her to her own devices. Either because she needed to be or because he got bored again and wandered off.
Sighing, she wrapped her wings around her shoulders and looked off into the woods. She had no idea where she was. “I guess we just head in the direction of a town? I don’t know what else to do. But standing out here isn’t going to help.”
Eod stood and began sniffing the air. “Food this way.” He began trotting off into the brush before stopping and looking back at her. He barked. “Follow!”
