The Unseen Road

Chapter Sixteen

Time, indeed, was a valuable commodity; but after so many weeks of staying in Agrelind, Amina Holloway had learned that there was regrettably too much of it. To her, each passing day seemed like another day lost; while Kylie and Celeste kept themselves busy training and didn't seem to have a moment to bother about it, the younger girl had all too much to think about it and the consequences that it entailed. Even their excursion to the park a week before hadn't offered much respite.

Her heart clenched as she sat alone on her bed, except for Lightquill beside her as usual.

"...I don't even have a picture of them," she whispered, looking down at small, empty hands.

Her gryphon let out a huff.

"My family," she answered him with a sad smile. "You know, back in Florida."

As if in his own response, he made a rumbling sound as he pushed his head against her side.

"I know you haven't been there."

There was a moment of silence. Finally, a tear slipped down her cheek. "I... I can't really understand you like that. It's just that sometimes... I get... I get... So lonely." She wiped at her eye with the back of her hand; there was no reason for her to cry. "I haven't made any friends here... I've never been good at it."

She looked around the room, and at the twins' bunk bed across from hers. Papers were scattered everywhere; they had been preparing for a performance exam all night.

She shook her head vigorously, then looked back at Lightquill.

"Do you want to go on a walk?" she asked.

The gryphon huffed again. They had been through this routine many a time, and Mina knew it.

"We can go somewhere new today," the girl offered.

There was no response; instead, Lightquill's deep, golden eyes bore gently into hers, as if there was an emotion akin to sadness there. Then, desperately, she added, "We haven't been everywhere. I know it. Maybe if we explore the streets to the North, farther towards the borders there we can find another side of the city. Right?"

Her voice had begun to shake. At last, after her desperate plea, Lightquill bumped his head against her shoulder one last time and with a low exhale descended from the bed.

Mina smiled softly. "Why did you choose to come with me, that day?" she asked, her voice soft and quiet. "Even I couldn't have tamed you that quickly."

The gryphon continued to stand up straight, giving no reply. His posture had been enough of an answer to the question the young girl hadn't even had to verbalize.

Another tear slipped from her eye with the slow realization. "... You felt my loneliness."

Lightquill bowed his head; but Mina smiled once more. "... Thank you, Lightquill," she said, and then got up on her own. "Can we take that walk now? Just to get fresh air?"

To Mina's relief, the gryphon turned around in assent. She stepped forward and they both left the room together, with Mina closing the door after him.

She looked around to check if anybody was around; by no means were Mina and her gryphon an uncommon sight within the Training Base; however, every time she was seen walking around, she couldn't help but notice the glances given by the other Trainees. Although she always tried to keep her head low to avoid them, she still was only able to wonder what they thought of her; was she the girl, rumored to be living with the twins, taking food and board for free? Or was she simply the delicate flower of the Base who didn't know how to fight?