Page 16 of Rings and Wings and Stardust Things

Savannah nodded, her expression one of rapt attentiveness. “It sounds like you have a deep reverence for nature, for the history of your people.”

“I do,” I admitted. “Though it often puts me at odds with the rest of my family.” I busied myself with plucking a succulent fruit from the basket, allowing the familiar tartness to flood my senses as I tore into the vibrant flesh with my beak. “They see only the future, the endless pursuit of wealth and power. But I've always been drawn to the past, to the simpler ways of our ancestors.”

As the words left me, I realized their truth with a sudden, stark clarity. For so long, I had drifted, seeking solace in fleeting pleasures and shallow pursuits. But here, in the heart of this wild, sacred place, I felt more like myself than I had in years. And Savannah, this fascinating, beautiful human, had been the catalyst for that awakening.

“What about you?” I asked, needing to shift the conversation before my turbulent emotions overwhelmed me. “What was it like, growing up on Earth?”

Savannah's eyes took on a distant, wistful cast as she began to speak of her childhood home – a quaint coastal town where the scent of salt and wildflowers forever lingered in the air...

I could almost imagine her there, running through the surf.

I needed to think about something else. “What's it like living on a world with just one sun?”

Savannah's brow furrowed slightly as she considered my words. “It's simpler, in a way. Just shades of blue in the sky, with streaks of fiery colors at dawn and dusk.” A nostalgic smile played on her lips. “But it's magical too, watching that solitary sun sink below the horizon until the stars come out.”

I tried picturing it - an inky darkness punctured by pinpricks of light, a single sphere providing warmth and illumination. So different from Teloril 's perpetual twilight where our trio of suns painted the sky in shifting hues of crimson, indigo, and burnished gold.

“You miss it.” The realization struck me. “Your home.”

She worried her lower lip, gathering her thoughts before responding in a soft voice tinged with melancholy. “Honestly, I'm not sure.” Her emerald eyes met mine, shimmering with vulnerability. “There are things I'm learning to like, right here…”

Her words washed over me. Without thinking, I reached out, my feathers brushing her arm in a gentle caress. She didn't flinch from the contact but leaned into it instead, her warmth igniting a firestorm of emotion within me.

In that moment, I wanted nothing more than to pull her close, to drink her in and commit every nuance to memory. To let the boundaries between us dissolve until we were as intertwined as the celestial bodies dancing across the infinite skies.

But any dalliance, no matter how tempting, would only lead to ruin. She was here to plan my brother's wedding, to forge an alliance ensuring our family's legacy.

A sudden commotion from the basket shattered my reverie, accompanied by Savannah's muffled squeak of surprise. A plump, iridescent creature wriggled free, its scales shimmering like jewel tones.

“A trundlefin!” I exclaimed, amused by Savannah's confused expression. “How did you sneak aboard, you mischievous little scamp?”

The diminutive creature let out a trilling whistle, butting its snout against my palm. Obligingly, I produced a sehts berry from the basket.

“They have a notorious sweet tooth,” I explained to Savannah who watched with undisguised fascination as it gobbled the treat. “Harmless little scavengers, but they can sniff out any food within ten miles.”

Savannah's bright giggle bubbled up as the trundlefin scooted closer, regarding her with soulful eyes. “Aren't you just the cutest thing?”

Unable to resist her infectious mirth, I scooped up the creature and deposited it in her lap. It curled up contentedly, purring, as a warm, genuine smile crinkled the corners of her eyes.

In that moment, any doubts melted away. Complications be damned; all that mattered was this perfect sliver of time we'd carved out, a respite from responsibilities and expectations - and making her smile like that again.

SAVANNAH

Ileaned closer to the trundlefin, captivated by its iridescent fur, but the tiny creature squeaked in alarm and darted into the underbrush, startled by my sudden movement.

“Savannah.” Ryon's voice was soft yet insistent. His hand cupped my cheek, gently turning my face towards his. Those golden eyes held mine, intense and searching. “Tell me if you want me to stop.”

My breath caught in my throat. Did I want this? It would be a lie to say I hadn't considered it, hadn't imagined being held by him, feeling his touch on my skin. But could this truly work?

As Ryon started to pull away, I reached up, brushing my fingers over his feathered cheek. The soft down trembled under my touch, and a shiver ran through him. That was all the encouragement I needed.

Licking my lips, my heart pounding, I met his gaze. “Don't stop,” I whispered.

In one swift motion, Ryon lifted me onto his lap. I squeaked in surprise at his strength. His hands skimmed over my body, leaving trails of fire in their wake. I wrapped my arms around his neck, my fingers sinking into his silky feathers.

He lowered his head, that curved beak grazing the sensitive skin of my neck. I shuddered, my eyes fluttering closed. Then I felt something warm and wet trailing along my pulse point - his tongue. Far thicker than a human's, textured and slightly scaled, pointed like a bird's. Strange, yet not unpleasant. Far from it.

A moan escaped me as he licked a path up to my ear, his hot breath making me shudder in his grasp. “Ryon,” I breathed, tightening my grip on his feathers.

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