Starfall Read online

  Radianne could relate. She nodded. “I know how you feel,” she said sympathetically. “Of course, I do want to help Blink get home. But, there is another reason why I'm so excited about this journey. My life, up until this point, has been pretty uneventful.”

  Pearl stared at Radianne with envy. “But you can move about wherever you wish on those legs of yours,” she said. “Even if it is just in your homeland. I'm confined to the water, forever.”

  Sorrowfully, she flipped her tail. The two females talked about their seemingly confining lives for some time, as Blink sat quietly and listened, until the day grew older and Radianne knew it was time to be moving on. She stood up.

  “It was nice meeting you Pearl. I've always wanted to meet a mermaid.”

  “Nice meeting you as well.” Pearl brought one hand up to to her ivory neck and tugged at the strand of pearls she wore there, unclasping them. “Here,” she said, holding the necklace out to Radianne. “Take these. Perhaps they will bring you luck on your journey.”

  Speechless, Radianne took the shiny white beads in her hands and slipped them around her own neck. Mermaid pearls were rumored to bring good fortune to whomever possessed them. Never had she worn something so beautiful… the beads sparkled like the mermaid's tail in the fading afternoon sun.

  She wished she had something to offer Pearl in return. “Thank you,” she said after a moment. “Thank you very much. And I hope you find your own adventure someday soon.”

  Pearl smiled sadly and slid slowly back down into the water. Waving goodbye to Blink, she sank into the mysterious depths, disappearing from sight. Radianne watched her descent a little longingly. Even though she was having her own adventure – finally – she did think it would be wonderful to visit Pearl's world.

  She told Blink as much. “I know she doesn't think so, but I think it would be amazing to be a mermaid and see all the sights under the surface of the water,” she said. “But to not be able to escape it at all, I suppose, would be miserable too. So I do pity her. I suppose she's right. An ocean mermaid's life probably is more interesting, as they have much more world to explore.”

  Though he had only just met Radianne, Blink thought she should really stop and think about the good things in her own life instead of pining for more. He wanted to tell her she should be grateful for what she had and should stop pining for things she couldn't have. Or the impossible. He should have told the mermaid the same as well. He personally believed life was precious and could change drastically in an instant… his fall had already proven this. Sometimes life could spiral out of control, as it had with him. One never knew what would happen from one day to the next.

  But he said nothing to his young new friend. He hoped she would learn in time.

  The hot air began to cool down as day gave way to night. After awhile, Radianne stopped to eat a few bites of Miss Lugia's honey and acorn cakes. She felt guilty eating in front of Blink, as there was, of course, no moon dust on hand, but he seemed to be doing well enough and didn't care to have another helping of Eugladian food.

  As late afternoon faded into early evening, the darkness fell fast and Blink's glow returned, lighting up the path before them. Radianne hoped the glow would not warrant too much attention, but she was grateful for its warm cheer. As they walked, the electric feeling that seemed to come from Blink also returned.

  She would have to ask him about that later.

  Radianne walked on until her legs threatened to give out. Stopping under a large tree, she looked around and tried to gauge the security of the area. All appeared well, but one couldn't be too cautious.

  She may have led somewhat of a sheltered life up until that point, but she still had common sense. Settling into the grass with her back up against the tree, she glanced up at its shadowy branches. She supposed she could climb up if necessary.

  Chirps, creaks, and eerie howls sounded off in the night air. For awhile, she and Blink gazed up at the moon and the array of stars scattered across the sky.

  “Do you think your mother can see you?” she asked him.

  “No.”

  “Why not?”

  “As I said before, when you're up there, all you can can see is a void below and my own world beyond.”

  “Oh yes. Sorry, I forgot.” Radianne was growing tired. “I remember now,” she said, yawning as she adjusted her body into a more comfortable position. “So, tell me again how you know about life below and have some knowledge of the creatures that live in my world.”

  “The Man In The Moon.” Blink lifted his eyes to Radianne. “He was put there by The Creator. He knows a good number of things.”

  Radianne smiled. “Oh yes. The Man In The Moon,” she said dreamily. “One day I would like to meet him,” she murmured, and covered her friend with a small blanket she'd stored in her bag, shutting out his light in order to avoid attracting unwanted attention as they slept. “Tell me more about your world Blink. Tell me about life among the stars.”

  Blink began to talk in a gentle and quiet voice, whispering tales about his life in The Outer Space, sharing his lovely memories of home.

  As Radianne listened, she imagined his world – a place of talking, living stars that were not big balls of burning fumes – and her eyes grew heavier. She was lost in a land of dazzling lights that dreamily twirled in the heavens. And she danced with them, spinning Blink high above her head. It was a glorious feeling. She felt a powerful glow, as if she were shining completely from within and the light had overtaken her.

  As she lost herself in Blink's far off world, she fell into a deep, deep sleep. And slept more soundly than she had in a very long time.

  -5-

  Another Unprecedented Meeting

  R

  adianne woke to the sensation of something tickling her eyelids. Slowly opening one eye, and then the other, she gazed up into the smiling face of Blink. He was tickling her face with the leaves on a twig he held firmly in one of his points. She smiled back, and slowly sat up.

  “Good morning,” she said.

  “Good morning,” Blink said, and turned his eyes toward the sound of the river ahead. A thick forest of trees surrounded the body of water on one side. He had yet to tell Radianne about his fear of water, but being so close to it continued to make him nervous.

  Radianne pushed herself into a sitting position and followed Blink's line of vision to the sparkling water. “That looks refreshing,” she said, wondering why he seemed to be looking at it with unease. “Care for a swim? Can stars swim?”

  When he didn't answer, she stretched and stood. She made a mental note to also ask him about his obvious aversion to water later. “Well, I think I will. I need a bath and I also need to fill up the water flask. If you don't mind, please turn your head for propriety's sake.”

  Blink was not sure what Radianne was talking about but he did as she asked.

  Radianne stripped off her clothing and ran straight for the water, jumping into the flowing, shallow river with a loud splash.

  “Oh, it feels wonderful!” she called out, laughing. “At least come sit nearby.”

  The star scampered over to the riverbank and sat in a patch of grass at a distance he deemed safe enough.

  Radianne sang as she bathed, her voice echoing loud and clear in the quiet morning air.

  Blink listened and stared off into the distance, lost in his own thoughts. He didn't understand all the words coming out of Radianne's mouth, but he enjoyed the sound. Stars never really sang, though when they were at their brightest in the evening, the sky resounded with the hum of their contentment. He closed his eyes, trying to imagine what his mother was doing at the moment.

  **************

  Watching from his hiding spot behind the tree, the young man wasn't sure whether to reveal himself just then or wait until the girl was finished bathing. Sighing, he weighed his options. He had been walking along, minding his own business, trying to plan his next course of action. Then he'd heard the singing, and as if pulled by a
force of magic, was drawn to the source of the sound.

  Shocked indeed was he to stumble upon the sight of a young and beautiful woman bathing in the river. Even more unusual though was the sight of what appeared to be a strange creature – a creature that seemed to resemble a picture book depiction of a star, sitting near the riverbank, watching her.

  Maybe he was growing dehydrated and delusional, the young man thought. Surely, his eyes must be playing tricks on him.

  “How odd this is,” he said to himself as he leaned against the tree and watched the remarkable scene play out before his eyes. He also wondered what the young Eugladian was doing out in the middle of nowhere by herself.

  And if he wasn't seeing things, how and why was a star on land? It was very peculiar. He supposed he could leave then, unnoticed. Pretend as if he'd never seen anything out of the ordinary and put the incident behind him. However, his curiosity won out, as it always did.

  “Perhaps I should go introduce myself,” he grinned and stepped out of the shadows. “Yes. Yes, I think I shall.”

  **************

  Radianne dipped her head under the cool rushing water, shaking her long wet hair out of her eyes as she surfaced. The river felt so nice and freeing.

  Humming to herself, she continued to bathe with her eyes closed. When she opened them again, she looked toward the shoreline to check on Blink. She screamed.

  A man stood next to the star and was staring at her.

  She lowered her body deeper into the water, feeling terrified and humiliated. The man smiled, looking like a mischievous boy. Radianne waited for the intruder to say something – she certainly wasn't about to.

  An odd moment of silence passed and she felt her face turning hot under his uncomfortable gaze. She wrapped her arms tightly around her shoulders.

  Finally, he spoke, in a deep and somewhat gruff voice. “Hello there,” he said loudly.

  Radianne said nothing in response. She shot a look at Blink, who also appeared to be at a loss of words as he stared up at the intruding man.

  “My name is Henrick Longfellow.” The intruder bowed and flashed a wide, toothy grin. “Sorry to disturb you, but I could not help myself. After all, it is not every day one sees a beautiful lady such as yourself out in the wild, on the edge of Eugladia. Even rarer to find a beautiful lady in the company of a star.” He looked down at Blink and raised an eyebrow. “Which is very hard to believe actually. I suppose my eyes were not playing tricks on me after all.”

  Radianne stood fast in her muteness. She wanted the man to leave and didn't want to encourage him to linger by saying anything to him. Plus, the situation was very uncomfortable and embarrassing.

  “Well, I was just passing by and I heard your singing,” the man who called himself Henrick continued. “I decided to follow it and now here I am.”

  He paused and waited. When he received no response, he began talking again. “Though the singing I heard wasn't exactly kind to the ears. All high pitched and shrill, really.”

  Those words ignited the fire. Temper flaring, Radianne frowned as anger overtook her resolve to stay silent.

  “And I suppose your singing voice sounds glorious, when you aren't spying on young women bathing in the wild,” she retorted, her brow forming into an angry line.

  She turned her attention to Blink. “Blink, can you please bring me my clothes – those coverings I had on my body – and set them where I can reach them?”

  As the star did as she asked, Radianne averted her eyes away from the man. He was still staring at her and it was making her increasingly uncomfortable.

  When Blink dropped her clothes to the grass, she cleared her throat. “Now both of you, turn around,” she commanded.

  She didn't mean to speak so harshly to Blink, but, at the moment, her temper was getting the best of her.

  Blink automatically turned, but the man flashed a mischievous smile before he did so, causing Radianne to wonder what his intentions were. She nervously swam quickly to her clothing laying on the shoreline, jumped out of the water, and threw the garments on. Out of the corner of her eye she watched the man. Embarrassed, she stalked back over to the tree and sat down. Blink quickly followed suit.

  The man named Henrick sauntered over.

  Radianne tried not to notice how handsome he was, and was angry with herself for noticing that fact at all at such a time. He was of muscular build, tall, and wore clothes made from gray sheepskin. His wavy light hair was streaked with gold.

  She knew that moment was not the time to be admiring his physique. He had been spying on her, she reminded herself.

  “What's your name?” He asked the question with an amused look on his face.

  “Why?” Radianne plucked up a piece of grass and fidgeted with it between her fingers, still feeling humiliated and angry. A man had never seen her unclothed before. Not that she was sure he had seen everything, but still. She felt his spying had been a violation of privacy.

  “It is very rude to spy on people bathing, you know,” she told him. “I think it's best if you just leave me alone now.”

  He bowed. “I apologize for my intrusion. I did not mean to offend you. And just so you know, you were properly hidden from my view.”

  Pausing as she blushed, he took a breath. “Well, you already know my name. It would be nice to know yours as well.”

  Apparently, he wasn't going anywhere at the moment. Radianne scowled. But then, before she could stop herself, the words came out of her mouth. “Radianne Timblebrooke.”

  She wanted to kick herself. Though she spoke the words in an unfriendly tone of voice, she wasn't quite sure why she had decided to give him the courtesy.

  Henrick leaned against the tree and stared down at her. “Radianne, huh? Such a pretty name for someone with such a dreadful singing voice,” he said, laughing.

  Flushing angrily, Radianne stood and picked up Blink. She forced herself to make direct eye contact with the intruder. She wouldn't let this stranger intimidate her. “What exactly do you want with us?”

  Henrick sobered. “Only trying to be polite and say hello in passing. And, of course, wondering about that star…”

  Well that was none of his business, Radianne thought. Not willing to talk to him a moment longer, she bent down and quickly gathered up her belongings. “We should be on our way Blink,” she said, placing him on her shoulder.

  As she began to walk, Henrick fell in step beside her and chatted. “What is a young lady like you doing out here all alone anyway? And why do you have a star? I'm really curious as to how this is possible?”

  Her mouth betrayed her again.

  “I don't see how or why that is any of your concern,” she said, pushing a few stray strands of light brown hair out of her eyes impatiently. The sun was growing hot again. And her temper still hadn't cooled, which made her feel even more flustered.

  “Well one doesn't often see young ladies wandering about on the outskirts of Eugladia by themselves, as I said before. Not with the Snorg issues of late. And it's quite strange to see a star on land,” Henrick said. “No one probably ever has. They are supposed to be burning balls of fumes, after all. Anyone would be curious…”

  Radianne tried to focus on anything – the sound of the branches crunching under her feet, the chirping of birds in the trees, her breath coming out in angry puffs – anything but the irritating stranger walking next to her.

  “You can't be much more than seventeen,” he continued. “You're too young to be out here by yourself. You have no idea what has been happening in these parts or even just beyond.”

  Radianne stopped walking and glared at him, hands on her hips. “Eighteen,” she countered. “You don't look much older than that yourself. So what are YOU doing out here, all by yourself?”

  Henrick seemed amused. “I'm twenty. That's quite a bit older than you. Of course, I left home behind years ago. And I'm a man, though this is stating the obvious. You're definitely not.”

  He flicked his eyes
over her appreciatively as he said the words, as if to make a point. “As I said, it's not that common to see young women wandering around Eugladia without travel companions.”

  “Ha. That is an outdated view.” Radianne turned on her heel, walking away from him again.

  “So at least tell me this then…” Henrick quickly caught up with her. “Why do you have a star with you? At least explain that mystery.”

  She sighed, exasperated. He probably wouldn't let up unless she offered some sort of explanation. She supposed she had to, if only to get him to stop pestering her.

  “If you must know, he has a name. His name is Blink. He fell from the sky. We are setting out to return him home. And honestly, none of this concerns you!”

  As they walked, Henrick continued to question her. Even though she didn't want to talk to him, and perhaps it wasn't wise, for some reason after awhile Radianne found herself telling the young man about the Winged Ones and how the flying horses were probably Blink's only hope of seeing his world again.

  Eventually Henrick did listen – surprisingly, without interrupting too much. After a few moments however, he interjected with his input. “And you think you're going to get to Shondalina all on your own, without any outside help? Without anyone to help you find the way?”

  He began to laugh, a deep, throaty laugh that instantly annoyed Radianne. She felt like he was mocking her. She had an urge to step on his foot but thought better of it at the last minute. “I can handle it myself, thank you very much, despite what you think.”

  How dare he mock her this way! She picked up the pace. She should have known it was a bad idea to tell a suspicious man about her plans. Perhaps she was not as grown up or as wise as she thought.

  “Not all women are weak and helpless you know,” she retorted as she walked. “Your viewpoint is very ancient.”

  Henrick slapped his hand against his forehead. “Oh! Forgive me,” he said. “I must be so very foolish to think that a beautiful young woman can't handle herself in the wild lands to come.”