Tides

CHAPTER 20--Cassin

Mädra followed Cassin as he stalked through the palace on his way to his tower chambers. People moved out of her way as they saw a full-grown Sälynx prowling through the palace. They went weak-kneed when they realized that the king was with it. Mädra dutifully followed the Vampire King up staircase after staircase, heaving her graceful bulk up the narrow walkways.

Valeno was nowhere to be found.

Cassin unlocked the door to his chambers and stepped aside to let Mädra prowl forward into the room. He was grateful to the huge beast for saving him from such a grievous wound. The Sälynx let out a rumbling purr and rubbed up against a chairpost, knocking over the whole structure. Cassin laughed softly, feeling a spark of joy that hadn't flickered to life in quite a while.

"This is where I live," Cassin told Mädra, flinging his arms wide to indicate the open room. With a loud yowl she prowled out of the main room, slinking into the belvedere. Cassin followed, entering a room covered in dust that the servants had yet to clean.

It was a sunny room despite the dust with a balcony overlooking the royal gardens. Mädra stalked to the telescope, and displaying an uncanny sense of intelligence, tried to look through it. Cassin gently nudged her aside and peered through the instrument. Green filled his vision.

Cassin refocused the lens and looked out at the greenery that was left to overgrow in his absence. In the center of the great garden area a grove of trees rose up, tall and mighty, a brook burbling through their roots. A blink of movement caught Cassin's eye. Turning the telescope Cassin found himself looking straight into the face of Valeno. Startled, Cassin froze.

Valeno was laughing, his beautiful face scrunched up with mirth. Zooming out, Cassin became able to see the werewolf's whole body leaning against a tree, a bird balanced on his finger-tips. The werewolf was laughing softly it seemed, at the birds' flitting antics as it hopped from finger to finger chirping. With a last bout of song the bird raised its wings and took flight, circling Valeno's head several times before flapping away.

Without his precious cargo, the werewolf launched himself off the tree and took off into the mini forest. Mädra yowled again. She crouched down and nudged Cassin's shoulder with her rough nose.

"What?" Cassin asked her. "I'm not staring; who's staring?"

Mädra wiggled her shoulders and twisted to look at her bare back.

"You want me to get on? Now? After what happened today?"

The Sälynx growled softly.

"Alright."

Cassin threw one leg awkwardly across the creature's back, not at all tall enough to fully swing a leg over. Digging his fingers into Mädra's mane, Cassin clicked his tongue. Mädra stood, rising almost seven feet into the air.

"Where are we–!"

Cassin's inquiry ended in a scream as Mädra launched herself over the balcony's edge and landed on a precipice below. Her nimble paws worked across the stone as she took another leap, stealing the noise from Cassin's throat as she went. The Sälynx sprinted down the side of the palace, her six limbs moving in synchrony, mane blowing in the wind.

"Mädra!" Cassin screeched, hugging the Sälynx's neck with all his might. She coughed and Cassin loosened his grip slightly, allowing her to keep breathing. They raced over the cracked stone, descending in a zig-zag pattern, until, with a final leap, Mädra landed with a muffled thump in the gardens.

Cassin slid off her back and collapsed in the grass with a croak. "Never again," Cassin whimpered. Even though she had saved his life, Cassin was starting to hate the Sälynx with a burning passion.