Wednesdays in the Tower by Jessica Day George
Author:Jessica Day George [George, Jessica Day]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens
Published: 2013-05-08T07:00:00+00:00
Chapter
17
He can’t see,” Celie fretted. “It’s too dark! He’s going to run right into a wall!”
“We really don’t have much choice,” Bran said. “And look how eager he is; he’ll be fine.”
It was true: Rufus was about to leap out into the cold night air, never mind how dark it was. They were in the tower where he had hatched, since it had nice wide windows and was on a side of the Castle where there weren’t any bedrooms. They didn’t want some late-working councilor to look out his window and see Rufus learning to fly.
“There’s Pogue with the lantern,” Bran said, pointing.
Far below them, a small light bobbed up and down, signaling. Pogue was standing in the empty back corner of the stable yard, which the new stable had blocked off. The only way to get to it now was to go through the new stable, which had taken Pogue longer than it had taken Celie and Bran to drag Rufus up to his hatching tower.
“I hope the harness isn’t too heavy,” Celie said.
She ran her hands over the leather straps and steel buckles one more time. The harness went around Rufus’s chest and across his back, fastening under his belly and leaving his wings and legs free. There were two loops of leather at his shoulders that looked like handles for a rider to hold, but there was nothing resembling a saddle attached to it. Still, Celie thought that she would be able to hold on and sit comfortably behind his wings. If Bran would let her.
And if Rufus did learn to fly.
She knew she was fussing unnecessarily, but she just couldn’t stop. If Rufus didn’t learn to fly on the first try, he’d be dashed to bits on the stones of the courtyard at Pogue’s feet. Birds did it all the time, but many of them died trying. Her stomach clenched, and she wished she hadn’t eaten so much winter apple pie for dessert.
Her baby. Her little griffin. If he fell …
“Celie,” Bran said. “Look at Rufus: he’s ready.”
“I’m not ready,” she muttered. “Hey, now!”
She yanked on the harness as Rufus tried to tip himself out the window.
“Celie,” Bran said, laying a hand on her shoulder. “If he falls, I will catch him. With magic. I promise.”
She looked at her eldest brother, searching his face for signs that he was lying to make her feel better. “Promise?”
“Yes,” he said. “I can make a sort of pillow of air under him,” Bran assured her. “Also, I wonder if the Castle won’t help. It’s obviously eager to keep Rufus alive, and it caught you once, after all.”
“That’s true,” Celie said.
With both Bran and the Castle (she hoped) ready to break Rufus’s fall, Celie felt a lot calmer. She let go of the harness and took a step back.
“Go ahead, Rufus,” Celie said, around the lump in her throat.
Bran flipped the shutter on their lantern so that the light wavered. It was their signal to Pogue, who raised his lamp high in answer.
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