She lifts herself up beside me and shows herself off in a way that seems innocent and not at all obnoxious. I wonder how she does it- I feel myself pardoning her every mistake. Arbutus whizzes in front of me, the tips of his fiery wings brushing my nose, and lets out a catcall, which I instantly speed up to catch and scold him for. Still, I should trust the bird. He's never failed so far, and I feel a bond with him that compels me to believe his every piece of advice. If he thinks I should become better friends with Aure, who he now has sidled up alongside in the air, then who am I to disagree? I know I don't control him, but I do value his opinion.

He's a dangerous thing to have around. I can see that now, as my guard falls and my apathy fades into wells of emotion. Aure darts around me in the air, proving herself to be skilled in the art of flight, and I maintain a steady path, unsure where to bring her. She had previously asked for a tour of the Throat, but what should I show her? The lake passes beneath us and the two of us are reflected like tony spots in the water. There's a hiss as she darts through a cloud with Arbutus in tow, and he emerges from it steaming and extinguished, but still flying with more confidence than I.

Strange how even in the air that I love so much I manage to be timid. I look down at the lake again and enjoy the distance between us, and then with my bright eyes I turn back to Aure, whose coat is dripping with condensation.

"Below us is-" I begin, only to find myself cut off by an eager announcement from the silver dapple and a gust of wind that carries away my volume. She sets off with a burst, leaving my ears ringing with her words and yet my wings still beating at a leisurely pace. Arbutus turns back to look at me and calls with frustration, clearly under the impression that I'm thick.

I set off at a late start, heading downwards rapidly towards the lake to gain momentum before swooping up and doing my best to avoid the clouds. I see her only as a blurred black shape above me, and with a bit of a smile I find myself climbing higher to reach her. As Arbutus flies in circles around me, I wonder if the sensation I am experiencing is happiness- if the moment I am taking part in with her is fun. "Wait up!" I whinny, hoping my words travel up to reach her ears. As much as I've loved my wings, I've yet to master the aerodynamics of fire; it seems a contradiction in itself. Arbutus leads me forward, reminding me ever still of the phoenix who guided me as a filly and kept me hopeful even in the darkest of times. But still, even with the gods flying beside and within me, I feel lonely when I lose sight of the dark figure of Aure.