Free Feather’s Blossom by Viola Grace Page B

me, I can carry them while you lead.”
    She nodded and tucked her wings in while she searched through the twisted metal. She came up with two med kits and enough supplies to last them for two weeks. Walking, it would take five days to reach the Roper farm. If he could heal quickly, they could fly and be there within hours. As she remembered the last time she had injured her wings, she decided that they had better get walking.
    She had the kits over her shoulders on long straps and the survivor was leaning on his arms against the shuttle. “Are you ready for me to wrap you now?”
    “Have you done this before?”
    “I have had it done to me, yes. My mom was a master of wrapping wings by the time I finished my rebellious phase. Do you mind if I call my family? They might be able to get you some help on an intercept course.”
    He nodded. “Please.”
    She picked up her com and called her father. She sent three pings, waited and sent another three pings.
    Orwait opened the com a moment later. “Ty, what is wrong?”
    “I have intercepted a crashed shuttle, Dad. The pilot is wounded and needs help. Oh, and, Dad, he has big, honking wings.”
    “You are kidding.”
    “I am not. Big black wings, dark hair, sharp features and bright blue eyes.” She paused and looked at the bemused crash victim. “What is your name?”
    “Duke Seldrin Avedos of the Haldoth.”
    “Dad, his name is Duke Seldrin Avedos of the Haldoth. Is that what I am?”
    “Yes, honey. I will head to the broadcast station and send the message immediately. Click again if you need me.”
    “We are making our way south on a straight trajectory from the crash site, so you can add that to the briefing. Take care, Dad. No worries.”
    “Take care, Tyhana. Answer if we ping you.”
    Ty disconnected the link and sighed. “Okay, now you.”
    “Your name is Tyhana?” He winced as she began the flat figure eight between his wings.
    “It is. Tyhana Roper. My mother named me the moment she found me. Feather’s Blossom. I was small and sleeping in a flower.”
    He blinked. “That is really small.”
    “Apparently.” She kept working while he was distracted. “I have two forms. This one and one that is about the size of your smallest finger.”
    He craned his head around, but she grabbed it and made him face the shuttle. “Keep still. I have braced your joint, but now, I have to tie it in the gliding position. That is going to hurt.”
    She had to go up on tiptoes to wrap between his feathers and over his chest and shoulder. She wrapped his wings flat to his back with even tension. When she was done, she patted the middle of his back. “There you go. I will have to rewrap you after you have a bath, but that will hold you until then.”
    “It feels fairly comfortable. You did a good job. How did you learn how to do this?”
    “I tended to jump off high things without properly bracing my wings. My mom had to wrap me a lot, and this was the best configuration. It gives support, warmth and, as you mentioned, it is comfortable.” She lifted the kits and the supplies. She paused, “Did you have a beacon or something that folks will use to track you?”
    He grunted. “In the cockpit, but I doubt you can get in there. It took the brunt of the impact. My com unit was shattered.”
    She grinned. “Give me a minute. Don’t leave without me, there are predators and you are ground bound. You need me to survive.”
    He raised an arm and saluted. “I will wait. It is still too dark to move here anyway.”
    “Watch the rest of the meteor shower. I will be right back.” Ty ducked into the ship, went down the hall until she wasn’t in his line of sight.
    Her boots and leggings hit the ground, her pack and gown were with them a moment later, and she was less than four inches tall zipping through the wreckage of the broken ship. The beacon was under the command console. She grabbed it with her tiny hands and hauled on it. It came out of its housing, and she zipped