Maybe..., Learning to soar...

[RunningAir]

RunningAir offered Mintek and RushingWind some cheese sandwiches and beef jerky she had in her pocket. They all ate happily as the moon peaked. A lightning bug landed on Mintek's nose and flickered.

'I can fly...' he whispered 'I can fly! He ran and flapped his wings, and lifted, flying, he enjoyed it, the wonderful feeling of wind around and under his wings...RushingWind lifted off too, flying straight up and cruving around to Mintek... 'Follow me, and do as I do.' she said in the tongue and she flew up higher, Mintek following his sister.

She flew up and looped around, carving her wings, she'd tought herself this next one! She flew up, still curved and bent back double, doing a roll, Mintek followed her, half finishing his roll and swooping down, almost hitting. He wasn't sure how she'd did it, his sister. She went down, following him and they trid it again, RunningAir watching all the while.


(5-1)

[RunningAir]

Mintek kept working at this, loop up, carve, double back, roll... RushingWind coached, "Loop higher, arch quicker, and roll! You can do it!" but it was no use. He did seem to get it. So she decided. "Land and watch me. Okay?" Mintek landed, tripping with the effort. Then RushingWind looped back, carved the wind, arched, doubled back, an made a perfect spinning roll.

Mintek looked surprised... He ran and lurched into the air, flying as high as he needed and looped quickly, carved the air with his wings, much more prettily then what RushingWind could muster, as his wings were shaped better. Then he arched his back, spikes gleaming in the moonlight. He focused his mind, somthing that was pretty hard for him to do. On what? Lightning bugs... they could fly? Yes. He could fly? Better then they ever would. But they could do somthing, he knew he'd never be able to do. Create Light.

Then, he threw his wings close to his body and thrust himself, rolling.

(5-3)

[RunningAir]

He got dizzy almost immediantly.

Around...
around...
around...
ughhh.

He blinked and thrust his wings open, bracing and steadying himself. He could barely see, and what he could see, was spinning. "Woah." RushingWind flew up beside him and steadied him, helping him land by lending her body weight and wings. They landed and Mintek sat, falling on his side... "Wghhh..." He murmered.

RushingWind patted Mintek's head. "Getting better!" The she said allowed, "The younglin' isa gettins bettera!" RunningAir nodded. "Spectacular." Then RunningAir got up and asked RushingWind as Mintek got up and his vision came to. "After he gets better at the roll, would you help me get him talking?"

RushingWind looked from Mintek to RunningAir... she wanted to get back to her books... but... okay.

"Sure'a, I be tryin' that'a."

(5-4)

[RunningAir]

RushingWind whispered in Draconic tongue again, "To the skies, Younglin'!" and she flapped into the sky, Mintek running and hopping into the sky, flapping hard to keep up with his kin.

Mintek finally caught up with RushingWind, who was difting quietly on a pretty nice breeze. "What where you and the human talking about? RushingWind silenced for a moment. "We are going to teach you to talk." ... "I know how to talk." RushingWind quietly explained, "In human." Mintek nodded and RushingWind continued, "It's ahrd, RunningAir stpped training me, before I learned all the way... I had to teach myself part of it, and I still have an inempedent."

RushingWind nodded.. "Hopefully we can get the job done with you, I've given up, my books will keep me company Younglin'."

(6)

[RunningAir]

Mintek understood. "Now let's land Young'lin." RushingWind retorted before spiraling down. Mintek followed as fast as his tiny wings would carry him. They landed, Mintek landing perfectly and jogging forward until he stopped, to keep from ramming RushingWind. Mintek walked up to RunningAir and said in draconic tongue. "Teach me all you know, human."

RunningAir couldn't understand the little draconic. All he heard were growlings and mublings. RushingWind was quick to translate. "He'a say, that he wants'a you to be teachin' him... all'a you be know'in. He be callin' you 'Human'."

RunningAir replied, "Tell him my name is RunningAir." that's somthing she wanted the little one to learn. RushingWind turned to Mintek. "He tells you that his name is RunningAir, he wishes you would dignify him with the correct calling of his name, younglin'."

Mintek seemed to nod.

(6-1)

[RunningAir]

RunningAir started. "Well teach him his alphabet, first." RushingWind nodded, she knew that, the alphabet. "Should'a I be teachin' the'sa younglin'?" "Sure."

RushingWind said in draconic tongue "Okay, now to make sounds like a human, you must first learn to control your tongue. Humans speak by pressing their tongue to the roof of their mouth, and at the top of their teeth." Mintek brushed his tngue against his teeth. "Like this." RushingWind talked, "A".

Mintek tried. "Rgghhh..." then again, "Argghhh." and again. "Urghhial!"

Definatly not going to well.

"No Younglin'! Your still trying to.. draconic tongue... Try harder."

"Rghhh... Raaahhh.... Rheeelll... aaarrrghhh."

"Your getting there younglin'!"

"Arrrr...arr.. Yagghhh..." then he tried again.

"A!"

(6-2)

[RunningAir]

Mintek asked "What did I just say!? "You said 'A' younglin'. That is the first human alphabet letter, it makes the 'a' sound and the 'A' sound. You use the letters as building blocks for words."

Mintek was quite puzzled. "A." Repeat that? so RushingWind repeated. I'll teach you all of them younglin'. "Now say, 'B'. Like so." "B."

"A... Ahhrrggg... bhilll....blarghhh... B."

"Good'sa!" RunningAir and RushingWind were delighted, he was catching the hang of it.

Now 'C' younglin'.

"Bhhill... chiricuu... cuuoo... ciiicc... Rarrg."

"C." Repeated RushingWind, diligently. Mintek tried again. "Ciiiccc... ciiicc...ciiic...cii..ci."

"C!"

(6-3)

[RunningAir]

Mintek learned both D and E easily, but 'F' was pretty hard. "Younglin', the next one, is 'F'. "F".

Mintek tried to relay the sound. "Eeeeee.... argghhh... Ffffaaa.... eeffff!"

No, not yet younglin. "F younglin'."

"Ee. Fffff.... Eeeeffff. Effff... Efff. Eff. Ef!"

Say it again. Lesser this time, younglin! RushingWind started. RunningAir piped in. "F."

"Ef. F!"

"Good Mintek!" RunningAir picked up Mintek and patted him. Mintek struggled to get down. "A. B. B. D." Mintek said. RunningAir laughed heartily.

Next were G, H, and I. I was easiest for him, getting it in a single try, while G and H took much more practice.

(6-4)

[RunningAir]

J was pretty hard for Mintek. "Jaahhh... jarrgghhh! Jaaa... Ja."
"Ja-ja-ja" He sounded like a small child, making RunningAir laugh pretty hard. "No Mintek. J." Mintek replied. "J. J! F. J. A B-B D J!" It had a 'ring' to it in his ears. Rushing Wind nodded happily.

K L M and N where next. He was getting the hang of it now. "Kaa... Ka. K. Ellll Ell. El, L! Emmmmm emmm mrrr.... Gmmmrrr.... M! Niiii... nee. Nhhhegghhh... N."

O was also easy, with just a single "O." from RunningAir, Mintek whispered it easily. "Ooooo. O!"

P, was quite funny, as Mintek kept screaming, "Peeeee!" before he finally got to "P." (XD)

Q... Q, was another matter though.

(7)

[RunningAir]

The moon had already started to go down, the firflies made their last runs before the night would be up. Night was very magical, everything seemed to shimmer. RunningAir, Mintek, nor even RushingWind had ever seen dew falling, but it was happening. Water seemed to condense right before their eyes, hitting the beautiful grass blades, making them reflect small moons.

Then. "Kwuuurrggg! Kwuuu...ggg.... Kwuuu?" "No, Q." RunningAir said, RushingWind nodded, "Q. Say Q."

"Kwuuu?"
"No, Q." RushingWind.
"Gwuuu?"
"No, I know it's hard, Q." RunningAir this time.
"Quuueee? Quuu? Qeee? Que! Q! Q! Qu, Q!" Mintek was frustrated.
"Yes!" RunningAir said, "You did it Mintek."

(7-1)

[RunningAir]

"A B D, Q C! F!" Mintek burst. "Mintek, It's A B, C D, E F, G H, I J, K L M N, O P Q. Last time I checked, now say that for me." "A B Ci-C D E F... G H I... J-K-L M N O P...Qu-Q."

RunningAir smiled, his cheetah fur gleamed. "Good one Mintek!" he contineud, "Let's take a break, here." He made more cheese sandwiches and everyone ate. "Now Mintek, say R."

Now that was easy. "Rrrr... rgghh.. R."

Then S, T and U. Easy as pie, as he made those sounds quite often enough. It was 'V' taht he had trouble with next.

(7-2)

[RunningAir]

RunningAir started, "Now say, 'V'." Mintek looked confused, "P?" RunningAir retorted, "No, V." Mintek looked confused. "B? D?" RushingWind came in "No, V." Then Mintek understood. He seemed to be getting better, but this one was hard!

"Brawg...Bdraarg... Draggg... Bwaa... bwa?" He tried, then again "Bwaaa, Vwwwaaaa Wvveerrr... Vwwaa! Vwa! Vwww.... V!" RunningAir smiled, "Good one! Now do, W." Mintek tried, "Warghhh... warrggg... warrr? Weeeegh? Wyghh? Waaa, wa-wa... W!"

Then RushingWind piped u[, "Now say, 'X'." Another hard one. Mintek tried, "Xzzeerrr, Zxeerrr, Zaaarrr... Tzerr..." He rolled his tongue along his teeth. "X." RunningAir smiled, "Your getting better Mintek." RushingWind translated "He says your doing good." RunningAir's tail flicked up when a lightning bug landed on it, sending it flying.

(7-3)

[RunningAir]

Mintek Recieted, " A, B C D E... F G H I J. K L M... N O-P Qu-Q, R S t-T U V, W X." RunningAir smiled, "Now... Y." Mintek tried, "Wee? Wuuu... Wuyyy.... Wheee.... Y." It wasn't that hard, but next came... "Z."

Mintek looked hard at RunningAir then over to RushingWind.. "Zrrrr... srreee..." then he furled hsi tongue "Zrrrr... Zeeee.... Zee. Ze, Zreee.... Z." RunningAir patter Mintek, "Good job buddy! I'm proud of you!" By now, Mintek knew what that meant. He was delighted. RushingWind nodded and went on her way, into the cave with her books. She'd rather their comfort then human anyday.

Mintek remebered and repeated. "A-B-C, D E F... G H I J, K L..." Then he sneezed and continued, "M N O-P, Q R S T U... V W X... Y Z?" RunningAir smiled, in the best way a cheetah could and pulled out a dictionary. "Good job Mintek!" then he drew a breath, "Now, we can continue that, you should be able to make sounds, can you repeat me?"

Mintek looked confused, He'd try, whatever she meant by 'repeat'.

(7-4)

[RunningAir]

The sun began to dawn on them finally, it rays bleeding over the horizon, bright reds yellows and oranges battered the landscape, drving all of the comforting darkness away and trading the soft gleam of the moon for the bright rays of sun, and starlight for bright clear skies. The dew cparkled on the grass, and Mintek stood still, taking in the magnificent bright.

RunningAir nodded quietly. "Follow me, Mintek... let's go inside... we'll go get some dinner, and sleep." They'd been outside all night, and Mintek would have admitted he was bushed. RunningAir went back into the hole, containing the staircase and clammered down, Mintek followed somberly.

(8)

*Leaves this section*