Fledgling

by Natasha Brown

  Chance’s ancestor dropped a satchel into Niyol’s hand and spoke in a soft whisper—so low that anyone without heightened abilities wouldn’t hear. “Niyol, this is now yours to protect. It is our connection to the ancestors—sacred. And is now your duty to keep it safe.” His hands rested on Niyol’s shoulders. “Son, you must keep your secret from your brother. You can not have him know you have been given the gift. Protect your secret.”

  The scene dissolved and another unraveled.

  It was nighttime. The scene remained the same, inside his simple home, but he was alone now. A lumpy cloth sat in his hand as he tucked it into his back pocket. He snuck to the doorway and peered out to examine the rolling hills gleam in the moonlight. Lanky grass arched pale and fluid toward the low hills in the distance. Bright stars shone with the waning moon. Sheep bleated from a simple wooden enclosure.

  He stepped out and darted around the house. A backpack was flung over his shoulder and he began to run. I will keep the secret safe, Father.

  The realistic hallucination dimmed and ended. His grandfather’s still room came back into view. Pain throbbed from Chance’s hand. He looked down in surprise. He had grasped the talon so tight, the point had pressed into his palm, drawing blood.

  A huge sigh erupted from his lungs. Without being aware of it, he had been holding his breath as well.

  Chance was overcome with this strange new information. So much of what Markus had said gave him pause. These new bizarre memories or hallucinations must mean something. Somehow. They must be part of an even bigger picture. But what?

  He thought he had the answer. His temples and head hurt. He wanted to sit with Ana, needed to talk and figure out what was happening.

  With a heavy heart, he stood. His shoulders slouched as he left the room. He shut the door without a sound. Chance walked away with a saddened backward glance and ambled to the kitchen where Aiyana was on the phone. His dad stood beside her and held out a pad and pen.

  “Dad? I don’t feel like being home tonight. I—if it’s not—” Chance broke off and scratched his head, then cleared his throat. “Melissa said it was okay for me to head over there. I feel like I need to be with Ana right now to talk. That okay?”

  Ben faced Aiyana, who shook her head as she continued her phone conversation.

  “Don’t think so, bud, why don’t you stay here with us? Maybe you can see Ana tomorrow. How are you holding up?” his dad asked in concern. “You were so close. It must have been hard seeing him. . .Well, if you need to talk at all, Mom and I are here.”

  “I’ll be fine.”

  Ben approached his son with his arms open and wrenched him into a tight squeeze. “Want to go sit in the living room with me?”

  “No—I’m leaving. Sorry, I just can’t be here right now.”

  He turned away and ran from the house with shouts from his parents chasing him down the front walk.

  He didn’t want to think any more, so he put in one of his favorite CD’s and turned the volume all the way up. Music filled the air while he sped down his driveway and made his way to Ana’s house.

  When the blue siding came into view, warmth cracked through his hardened exterior. His heart picked up a beat as Ana’s face skimmed his thoughts.

  Ana. She was the one good thing through all of it. The moment he met her, she took up residence in his heart. Home was wherever she was.

  He was home. She was right through the wooden door before him. Before he could lift his hand, she was there.

  Soft yellow light glowed behind her, which only made her more angelic. She held her hand out to him and he allowed himself to be led inside.

  Ana leaned in and said, “Let Mom say ‘hi’ first, then we can go to my room and talk.”

  Melissa entered the living room with her arms outstretched. “Ohh, Chance—let me give you a hug. I’m so sorry about your grandfather. You two were close, weren’t you? You’re so lucky. Ana never had a relationship like that with her grandparents before they passed.”

  “Yeah, we were. I’m going to miss him.” Chance pulled back and glanced down to the ground and Melissa took the hint.

  “I bet you two want to be alone to talk then. Go ahead. We’ll stay out of your way.” Melissa rubbed his shoulder before they walked past her to go upstairs.

  Ana switched on the twinkle lights Chance had tacked to her ceiling during her last hospital visit and shut the door to her room.

  Chance pulled out her desk chair and sat on it backwards, facing Ana who flopped onto her bed.

  “Well, I’ve been experiencing something kinda odd,” Chance said.

  “What?”

  “Remember earlier—after everything? I was spaced out staring at Grandfather?” Chance raised his eyes anxiously while his head remained lowered.

  Ana cocked her head and said, “Yeah, what was happening?”.

  “Umm, since I woke from Grandfather saving my life, I’ve been—seeing things.”

  “Seeing things? What kinds of things?”

  “Don’t think I’m crazy, but they’re like visions or memories, or something, but they aren’t mine. They must be Grandfather’s. Weird, huh?”

  “Maybe, maybe not. Chance, there’s nothing normal about any of this. Since I met you, I’ve seen things no one would believe. It’s not weird—it just is. Go on, I’m listening.”

  “After Grandfather saved me, giving me his life—I saw his memories leading up to his death. Like a hallucination or a vision. I heard his thoughts and saw everything from his point of view. And before I came over here, I was in his room holding his gift to me. Remember that huge claw?”

  Ana nodded in response.

  “Well, I flashed to a memory when he was a boy. And his father was telling him and his brothers about the talon, how it’d been passed down through generations. He said it was earned through hard work and integrity. Then I had another memory of his.” Chance pushed on without looking up. “He must have been older. He was bigger, maybe just a little younger than me. His dad secretively gave him the talon but warned him to keep it and his powers a secret.”

  He sighed and paused as he recalled the last vision. “Right after that, I had another memory of him throwing a backpack over his shoulder and running away from home.” Chance shook his head and stared out the window at the clear darkened sky. “Remember Grandfather telling us about his family? How his brother became dark and killed their father and probably his other brother, too? Good thing he hid his powers from him, or I don’t think I’d be alive right now.”

  “Wow,” Ana said in a whisper, as she sat up, eyes wide.

  “Yeah.”

  “Why’s the talon important though?”

  So much had happened since he discovered the mapping in the talon he hadn’t been able to tell Ana.

  “Right, you don’t know.” He grinned sadly and said, “Before Markus showed up, I discovered blue mapping all over it. That was a first. I’ve never tried to map a creature from bones or any kind of fragment. I tried to shift into thunderbird with Grandfather and it didn’t work.” Chance shuddered as he remembered the sensation of feathers tugging out from his skin when the transformation went horribly wrong. “Well, when I was on the mountaintop with Markus, I chanced it. I had a feeling about the claw. Hoped it was the connection I needed for thunderbird and it worked.”

  “Wait, you were able to phase into thunderbird?” Ana asked while gripping the edge of her bed. “And I missed it!”

  “Sorry, you were busy trying to stay alive.” Chance scratched his head. “Yeah, it was pretty cool. So now I’m guessing the claw is a special talisman passed down, who knows how far back, for generations. I guess so thunderbird was never lost, or forgotten.”

  Ana seemed to consider her next question. “That makes sense. But why do you think you’re having his memories?”

  “Okay, I’ve been thinking about this a lot. Before we fought, Markus bragged. He said my grandfather hadn’t told me much about the shapeshifting w
orld. And even though he’d only been phasing for a couple months, he was sure he was stronger. Thanks to his grandfather. . .

  “Ana, what if somehow when Grandfather died, he passed part of himself to me? Into me. Maybe Markus had a similar thing. I looked up some stuff on the computer when I was supposed to be behaving. Navajos believe evil shapeshifters get their powers from killing family members. What if that’s true? Not just family members but other shifters. Markus probably killed his grandfather for his powers. That could be why he was so powerful. Ana, what if I got Grandfather’s powers along with his memories?”

  Chance groaned and dropped his head onto his arms. He said, “I don’t know though—I haven’t used my powers since everything happened! It’s real frustrating. I wish he’d just been honest with me! There’s a lot more to this than I know. It could risk our safety, for sure, especially if more power nuts are out there like Markus. Anyway, now I know there are others like me. Markus said it—all over the world.”

  “Wow. Really? That’s great, isn’t it? Maybe there’s someone out there willing to help you. If there’s more and if we could find one. . .”

  “Ana, what makes you think they wouldn’t just kill me like Markus wanted to? He said shifters can live long lives, if you aren’t killed for your powers first. I’m sorry, that makes it sound really unfriendly out there. I don’t want to die. Grandfather probably hid from his abilities for good reason. He lived a long happy life with my grandmother until she died. And he never would have died this way if it weren’t for his powers!”

  Ana sat up on her bed and waited for him to look her in the eye before saying anything. “Chance, your grandfather said to me that if you have a power within you, it’s an obligation to use it. He inspired me to stop moping and to live without fear.”

  Chance stared at his hands wrapped around the chair and said, “He did have a message for me before he died. . .”

  “He did? What was it?”

  “He said it was my responsibility to use my powers for good, and it was my choice to choose what to do with them. Maybe that’s why he trained me. He said something else, too. There’s another I can trust. Family.” Ana raised her eyebrows, and her mouth fell open. Chance continued, “And he was meant to be my true teacher. So, I guess I’m not really alone in this. If they’re still alive.”

  They remained silent. Chance thought about Markus. He was one who chose to walk the easy, seductive road. To take from others to gain what he wanted—power. Chance wasn’t interested in going out of his way to find trouble. But if he chose not to equip himself with the power to protect his loved ones, then it would be his fault if anything happened to them. There was no question in his mind. He had to protect Ana. He couldn’t allow anything to hurt her again.

  What should he do? His fighting spirit raised its head as a fire burned within him.

  “Grrrrahh! You’re right, he’s right.” He tightened his grip on the back of the chair. “I can’t just let someone like Markus terrorize us again. Maybe I should find this teacher.”

  He loosened his hold then dropped his hands to his sides. “When I held the talon, a vision came almost in answer. It flashed in my head. Maybe if I think about it I’ll get an answer.”

  “Be patient. You’ll learn more as other visions pop-up. He probably planned on telling you everything when you were ready, or strong enough to face what was waiting for you. It just didn’t go according to plan. But look, you do have a way to learn that lost knowledge, even if he is gone.”

  “Yeah, you’re right. But I’d rather have him, instead of his memories.”

 

  Chapter 38

  The sun shone bright the next day. Plants unfurled and reached toward their life source as the forest animals foraged through the sodden wilderness. Birds sang and praised the summer day.

  Ana woke to the outdoor chorus and wiped the sleep from her eyes. Her toes touched the cold wood floor. She shivered and pulled out a pair of socks and sweatpants.

  She thudded downstairs, confident she was the last one to wake. Sleep was precious. Her mother and sister always seemed to wake at the break of the day, but not Ana.

  Eva was on the couch reading a book when Ana walked in.

  “Morning,” Eva said as she continued to read.

  “Good morning. You eaten breakfast yet?”

  “Yup.”

  “Mom at work?”

  Eva snorted and said, “Yeah, she left hours ago.”

  Ana spun around and returned to the kitchen and picked a yogurt from the fridge. She sat, squinting in the blinding light while she finished her breakfast and wondered if Chance was up yet. She grabbed her phone and called.

  “Good morning.”

  “Morning,” Chance said, sounding tired and depressed.

  “You talk to your mom yet?”

  “Yeah, she’s going downtown to fill out some papers so we can bury Grandfather. I don’t know. From what Mom said, sounds like we should be able to bury him this afternoon.”

  “Want me to come over?”

  “Well, I think it will just be us for the burial. Tradition you know, sorry. It limits it to a couple of people, but later I wanted to go up to Grandfather’s favorite place on the mountain to say goodbye. I can carry you up, but you don’t have to come if you don’t want to.”

  “Of course I want to come and be with you. I need to say goodbye, too. How about you give me a call, let me know when to head over?”

  “Yes. Talk soon, my love.”

  “Love you too, Chance.”

  Ana ended the call and set her phone on the kitchen table. It was a mild day, maybe she’d go take a brief walk in the woods or find her way down to the meadow. She was strangely effervescent. It was noticeably different.

  She jogged upstairs to her room and pulled on her tennis shoes, then bounded back down to the kitchen. Before opening the back door, she called out to her sister, “I’m going for a walk. Wanna come, Eva?”

  “No.” Wafted out from the living room.

  “’Kay—be back soon.”

  The scent of fresh firs almost made Ana dizzy when she walked outside. The rain from the day before had soaked into the soil and offered a soft and springy surface to walk on. Ana strode down the damp trail to her outdoor observatory. An occasional drip fell from the moist tree canopy and sank into her scalp. It had been a while since she’d visited her rock.

  The sun had already dried the stone and left a wisp of vapor in the air above it. Not in the mood to sit still, she continued past it into the wilderness. The darkened forest grew lighter as she approached its boundary. A rocky slope dropped into the green field below—the very field she could see from her gazing rock.

  Her heart fluttered with happiness. Wildflowers exploded throughout the fresh grasses. The path moved downward. It could be a challenge to climb back up, but she was up to it. She imagined herself an explorer today. Ready to approach adversity.

  She hastened down the hill into the blades of grass and stared at the flowers; Monks-hood, larkspur and woodland stars. Bees buzzed from one blossom to the next. The sun heated the air, which kept the daytime occupants contented.

  Inspired by the beauty around her, she picked wildflowers. It would make the perfect gift for Aiyana. In no time, she had a large bundle under her arm and decided to walk back to the house by way of the field to see if she could spot her rock from below.

  Ana soon located the stone jutting out high above her and was startled by a small rabbit dashing through the undergrowth. She shook her head and continued on in search for a way back up to the house. The steep slope wrapped around and seemed to continue until she noticed a rocky embankment.

  She paused as she remembered the large bouquet under her arm. A soft giggle broke from her lips when she thought about her new behavior. She flipped the flowers backward so the stems pointed forward and began to climb the slope. Her free hand grabbed onto the rocks to pull herself up.

  Dusting herself of
f, she walked through the woods to their front door. When Ana entered the house, she held the large bouquet in front of her.

  “Hello?” Eva asked, confused.

  “It’s me.” Ana lowered the flowers and exposed her flushed face.

  “Geez, where’d you go? You’re all dirty.”

  “Oh, I went for a walk through the woods. Then, I made my way down to the meadow and picked some flowers for Aiyana. I had to climb up a slope to get home.”

  Eva’s brows squished up. “You climbed?”

  “You know, I’m feeling really good today. I felt like I could do it, and I did.” Ana struck out her chest and lifted her chin.

  “Well, you don’t look pale. Mom’s gonna freak though.”

  Ana blew past Eva, pulled down a vase and filled it with water. While Ana busied herself in the kitchen, Eva called from the living room. “Ana? You going to Chance’s today?”

  “Yeah, why?”

  “I made a chicken and rice dish you can take over. It’s in the fridge. And I was hoping you could drop me by Leslie’s on your way? Mom said she’d pick me up after work.”

  “Sure sweetie, no problem.”

  Ana lowered the stems into the vase and blossoms spilled over the rim. Their sweet perfume filled the air and she breathed in a deep lungful.

 

  ***

  Chance was walking up from the gravesite when he heard the loud roar of Ana’s van coming up the hill. He dug in his feet and raced through the brush and pines until he reached the gravel driveway. His breathing remained level after the dash up the mountainside.

  A yellow shape materialized through the deep woods. The van stopped at Chance’s feet and Ana climbed out. She crunched across the gravel and wrapped him in her arms.

  “It’s done then?” she asked.

  “Yeah. It was just Mom, Dad and me. He liked it there, so that’s where I dug. I worked most of the afternoon making it deep enough. Mom got everything taken care of.”

  “I have something for your mom.” Ana returned to the car, opened the side and pulled out the large bundle of wildflowers. She then handed Chance a square Tupperware dish.