Chapter 17: Night Tales
The mountain held secrets in its hollows, and Galdor’s shelter proved to be one of them. Tucked away in a natural cavern whose mouth opened like an embrace, the space felt both ancient and alive. Small crystals set in wall niches cast a gentle glow that reminded Hannah of starlight, turning the rough stone walls into a canvas of soft shadows and subtle light. The air here carried stories in its currents – tales of wind and wild places, of heights where few had ventured and fewer still had stayed.
Thomas sat cross-legged on a woven mat near the entrance, where he could still see Kyra’s massive form silhouetted against the deepening twilight. The skyrazer had settled herself like a living guardian, her uninjured wing curved protectively toward their shelter, her feathers catching the last fragments of day in ripples of fading gold. Every so often, she would shift slightly, and the movement would send cascades of gentle chimes through the air, like distant bells calling memory to prayer.
The woven mat beneath Thomas spoke of careful craftsmanship – patterns that whispered of distant lands worked into every fiber. Hannah noticed how her son’s fingers traced these unknown designs with the same wondering touch he’d used on Sebastian’s copper whiskers. Some part of her heart ached at the similarity, at how children could find wonder in both the mechanical and the magical with equal ease.
“In my homeland,” Galdor began, his deep voice carrying the warmth of distant hearths, “creatures like Kyra soar between mountain peaks in great flocks, their shadows dancing across the valleys below like poems written in light and air.” He passed Hannah a cup of something warm and fragrant – mountain herbs steeped in spring water. The vessel itself was beautiful, carved from some pale wood she’d never seen before, with spiraling patterns that seemed to move in the crystal light.
“The peaks there touch the very sky,” he continued, settling himself on another mat with a grace that belied his massive frame. “They rise so high that clouds settle around them like silk sashes. The air itself tastes of starlight.” His eyes grew distant with memory, seeing landscapes Hannah could only imagine. “Children learn to ride early, and the bond between human and skyrazer is as natural as breathing.”
Hannah watched Thomas’s eyes grow wide at the thought of such a world. Her son’s face glowed with more than just crystal light – it shone with the pure wonder of discovering that the world was larger, stranger, and more beautiful than he’d ever imagined. She saw James in his expression then, that same boundless curiosity that had driven her husband to explore, to seek, to dream of better things.
“How did you come to be here?” she asked softly, cradling the warm cup between her palms like a precious thing. The herbal steam carried scents of wild places – of mountain thyme and sky-bloom and other plants she couldn’t name. Each breath seemed to draw her further into this moment, this sanctuary carved from stone and story.
Galdor’s weathered face softened with memory. “We were crossing the great sea, Kyra and I, explorers by nature. But the storm that found us…” He paused, his hand unconsciously reaching toward his companion. Kyra’s massive head turned slightly, acknowledging his gesture with a gentle swishing of feathers. “It was like nothing we’d ever known. For two days we fought the winds, until finally they took half her wing and cast us into these strange lands.”
Thomas shifted closer, drawn by the tale, his small frame leaning forward as if he could fall into the story itself. “But didn’t you try to go home?”
A sad smile crossed Galdor’s face. “A skyrazer can glide for days on healthy wings, young one. But with her injury…” He shook his head, and Hannah saw centuries of lonely vigils in that simple gesture. “We found ourselves in a land we didn’t know, among people who had never seen our kind. So, we’ve remained hidden here, where the air reminds us most of home until we can figure a way back across the vast sea.”
Hannah felt the weight of his words settle in her chest like stones. How many lonely nights had this pair spent in their mountain sanctuary, dreaming of distant skies?
“I found something, not long ago,” Galdor interrupted her thoughts. “A crate, hidden with great care. I didn’t know its purpose, but I kept it safe, thinking someday its owner might return.” His smile deepened at Hannah’s sharp intake of breath, creasing his face with lines that spoke of both wisdom and kindness. “It belongs to you, doesn’t it?”
Tears pricked at Hannah’s eyes, sudden and hot. “My husband,” she whispered. “He…” But the words caught in her throat, tangled with grief and gratitude and a thousand things she’d never found the right words to express.
“No need to explain,” Galdor said gently as crystal light caught in the silver threads of his hair.
He rose with quiet grace and retrieved the crate from a shadowed alcove. When he placed it before her, Hannah’s hands trembled as they traced the weathered wood and metal bands. The crate carried its own history in every scratch and shadow – testament to a desperate journey, to careful hiding, to the last act of love from a man who knew he wouldn’t return. She could almost feel James’s presence lingering in the grain of the wood, in each mark that whispered of hope and sacrifice.
Thomas pressed against her side, his small warmth anchoring her to the moment. Outside, the night wind sang ancient lullabies through mountain passes, while Kyra’s massive form kept silent vigil against the deepening dark. Through the cavern’s mouth, Hannah could see the first stars emerging, bright and sharp as power crystals against the endless blue of the mountain sky.
In that moment, surrounded by crystal light and impossible wonders, Hannah felt the boundaries of her world expand once again – not just with the physical treasure before her, but with the reminder that even in the wildest places, kindness could bloom like flowers in stone. The mountain kept its secrets, yes, but sometimes it shared them with those who needed them most.