It is new story day, my friends, and today, I have something experimental to offer to you! Let us travel the world together as this new story unravels. Enjoy!
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Chapter 1: Lyra
Lyra grinned and held Clay’s hand as she led him into the shed behind her house to show him, proudly, the fruits of all her labors. A large wicker basket, big enough for both of them to comfortably stand and walk around in, lay off to one side, while some kind of engine took up the center of the shed. On the shelf sat a huge, folded stack of stitched-together fabric, some kind of waxy coating covering the whole thing in a thin layer.
Clay frowned as he stared at the engine. “I give up. What is it?”
Lyra grinned excitedly, pointing at the nozzle aimed skyward and the three mounted propane tanks on the sides. “This, my friend, is the key to our escape from this boring life as pets, and on to a new life of adventure! Imagine, once all assembled, this will let us soar through the air without a care in the world! We’ll be able to go ANYWHERE, see ANYTHING!”
Clay raised an eyebrow at her. “And… how is this random stuff going to do that?”
Lyra grinned and patted the engine. “It’s a BALLOON, Clay. It’s taken me three years to get all the parts and put it together based on blueprints I found on the internet, but it’s a balloon. I’m going to declare myself a citizen, board my balloon, and fly away. I’m going to see the world!”
“Oh.” Clay looked over the engine with a frown. It looked complex, and he was kind of impressed that she had managed to build it herself with what looked like a lot of spare parts and scrap metal.
“I want you to come with me.” Lyra stated, matter-of-factly, as she knocked on one of the propane tanks.
Clay blinked and turned to look over Lyra. She was a cocker spaniel, with her usual tan collar and harp-shaped tag on. She smiled over at him. Clay, a Schnauzador with his yellow collar and oblong tag, frowned back. “You want me to… say goodbye to my family and come with you?”
She nodded eagerly. “I want to travel the world with you, see all the world’s most beautiful places together. As citizens, not just pets. I want an EXCITING life, not just a boring and safe one where I don’t get to DO anything.”
Clay hesitated and stared at the engine. “It… does it WORK? I mean… have you tested it?”
Lyra shook her head. “Well, no, not as SUCH. I’ve gone over it a hundred times, but I haven’t so far as assembled it and tested it yet. Theoretically, it’s good, but I still have to test it.”
Clay gave a relieved sigh and nodded. “Okay. So you’re not ready to leave right NOW.”
“Next week.” Lyra looked up at it. “That’ll give me time to test it and patch any holes, and for you to get your paperwork together and get some stuff to bring with you.”
“Oh.” Clay frowned and turned to exit the shed. “Lyra, I-” He turned and found her looking at him intently. He couldn’t help but think about how they’d grown up together, best friends in neighboring houses. She’d always been a little eccentric, taking him outside of his comfort zone to explore the edges of where they were allowed to wander together. He found he couldn’t finish saying what he’d meant to say. “- can’t… wait.”
Her eyes lit up, and she grinned, running toward him and throwing her arms around him excitedly. “You mean, you’ll do it? This is great, I had hoped, but you’re so timid, I was afraid you’d refuse to come with, and I’d have to go by myself!”
Clay hugged her back, nodding. “I’ll go with you. SOMEBODY’S gotta make sure you don’t hurt yourself.”
She grinned. “Oh, you won’t regret this! It’s gonna be the adventure of a lifetime! And when we’re done seeing the world, we’ll find the prettiest area we can and settle down THERE. We’ll have a little cottage with a little well, and it’ll be so cute!” She grinned. “Come inside, I’ll get you the paperwork. I printed up an extra copy, just in case you said yes. You’ll have to fill it out and get it in the mail as soon as possible so we can leave next week. I was thinking Tuesday. It’s supposed to be a beautiful day.”
Clay followed Lyra into the house, frowning at the bounce in her step. He looked around at all she had- pictures of herself and her mom, a lovely home to live in, guaranteed food and shelter- why wouldn’t she want all this?
Lyra grinned and turned to him with a thin packet of papers, stapled together neatly. “Here, fill this out and mail it to the address on the top of the first page, and then you’ll be a citizen. Then, nobody can tell you what you are and aren’t allowed to do.”
“Except the police.” Clay mumbled as he took the packet.
Lyra snickered. “Well, obviously. We won’t be doing anything illegal, though. I checked.”
He hesitated. “Okay. What do I need to bring?”
Lyra grinned. “I’m glad you asked. It’s very cold up there, so you’ll need to bring something to wear- a jacket or something. And we’ll need some supplies- food, and water, but nothing that’s too heavy. Dried food like kibbles or biscuits would be perfect.”
He nodded. “Okay. Next week? Tuesday?”
She nodded eagerly. “I’ll be starting to test it in the morning, if you wanted to watch.”
Clay hesitated, then nodded. “Okay, I’ll… uh… think about it. I need to go, uh… get started on this paperwork.”
He let himself out and walked over across the yard to the next house over, where he let himself in and sat at the table, staring at the paperwork. He was conflicted- Lyra was his best friend, but his human, his DAD, was his dad. They’d been together his whole life. How could he go off with Lyra just like that? It felt ungrateful to Dad for taking care of him all this time.
On the other hand, how could he let Lyra go off all on her own? They’d been together nearly as long- he and Lyra had been on so many adventures together. He couldn’t bear to think about letting her leave all alone- nor could he bear to think about what he would do without her.
While Clay sat there debating with himself, Dad got home from work and found him sitting at the table. “What’cha got there, Clay?” He looked over his shoulder. “Application for citizenship? You gonna be a citizen?”
Clay put his ears back and glanced up at Dad. “Well… I don’t know. Lyra wants me to apply for citizenship and go off with her on an adventure, but… well… I feel like that’s ungrateful to YOU, for raising me and taking care of me all these years. Plus, I’m a LITTLE nervous about the adventure she wants to go on. It’s… a LOT further than the creek. Like… the whole world further.”
“Ah.” Dad had a seat and rubbed Clay’s head comfortingly as he looked over the paperwork. “Well… do you WANT to go with her?”
Clay thought about it, then nodded. “Yeah. More than anything. We’ve been together our whole lives. I’d miss her if I let her leave without me. But I’d also miss YOU.”
“Hmm.” He seemed to think for a moment. “When does she want to leave?”
Clay slumped, letting his chin rest on the table. “Next week. Tuesday.”
“Then, you should go.” Dad kissed Clay’s head. “I’ll even help you get some of the stuff you need to get started. Let’s see, you’ll need a passport, and some traveling food…”
Clay’s ears perked, and he looked at Dad. “But… won’t you miss me?”
Dad chuckled. “Of COURSE I’ll miss you. But if you’re going to be a citizen, then that means you’ll be in charge of your own decisions. I’ll get you a phone. Nothing special, just a cheap prepaid one… and then you’ll be able to call me, any time you miss me. And, of course, you’d always be welcome back if you need to. You’ll always be welcome here, no matter how long you’ve been away.”
Love, Lost, and a Balloon
Moderator: ArcWolf
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GingaDensetsuAleu
- Posts: 2029
- Joined: Mon Apr 22, 2024 10:10 am
Love, Lost, and a Balloon
Nimius pavor, non satis disco.
You will always be welcome here, no matter how long you've been away.
Check out my list of stories here.
You will always be welcome here, no matter how long you've been away.
Check out my list of stories here.
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Amazee Dayzee
- Posts: 29506
- Joined: Tue Aug 12, 2014 6:24 pm
Re: Love, Lost, and a Balloon
Got a giggle out of the last line because it matched your signature which is making me put my tinfoil hat on here. I'm starting to think that the line was put there as foreshadowing for this very story. 
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GingaDensetsuAleu
- Posts: 2029
- Joined: Mon Apr 22, 2024 10:10 am
Re: Love, Lost, and a Balloon
No, it's actually a reused line from the first Terry story, right at the end. I liked the sentiment so I used it again.
Nimius pavor, non satis disco.
You will always be welcome here, no matter how long you've been away.
Check out my list of stories here.
You will always be welcome here, no matter how long you've been away.
Check out my list of stories here.
-
GingaDensetsuAleu
- Posts: 2029
- Joined: Mon Apr 22, 2024 10:10 am
Re: Love, Lost, and a Balloon
Okay let's see if we can get the forum to stay alive long enough for me to post this
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Chapter 2: Takeoff
Clay frowned and stared at the ceiling, pulling the blanket up to his chin. He hadn’t slept well the previous night, and it was for good reason.
Today was Tuesday.
He had a bag packed to take with him: his new cell phone, some freeze-dried food, water treatment tablets, a camp heater and kettle for boiling water in addition to treating it, and a solar charger. There was also paperwork: his citizenship license, his passport, and traveler’s insurance were tucked in the front corner of the knapsack. Dad had helped him to pack and triple-checked that everything was there so he only had to grab it and go.
Instead, Clay was laying in bed, hoping that if he didn’t get up, the whole thing would just be called off.
Dad came in and sat on the floor next to Clay’s basket, sitting quietly for a few moments before speaking. “You know, Lyra is waiting for you.”
Clay mumbled and pulled the blanket higher over his head. “Maybe if I don’t show up she’ll change her mind and decide that this is a bad idea.”
Dad chuckled and reached down to tug the blanket down off of his face. “Or maybe she’ll decide to leave without you, and you’ll lose your chance to do something incredible.”
Clay put his ears back and sat up, staring up at Dad with a frown. “You really think this is going to be incredible?”
Dad chuckled and nodded, reaching over to rub Clay’s back. “I think it’s going to be a great adventure. And I think that Lyra needs you.”
Clay frowned and slowly climbed out of his basket. “You think she needs me? But she’s super brave and adventurous all on her own!”
Dad grinned and took Clay’s hand to lead him out to the kitchen, grabbing his bag. “Yes, but you’re careful and observant- exactly what she needs.” He measured out some kibbles into a baggie for Clay and offered it to him.
Clay shook his head, putting a hand to his stomach. He felt nervous and queasy. “I don’t think I could eat now even if I wanted to.”
Dad chuckled and tucked the baggie into Clay’s rucksack, then passed it to him. “Here. I’ll pack it away for later, then. Don’t forget your jacket. It’s cold in the sky.”
Clay nodded and paused by the door to pull on his new jacket- gray cotton on the outside, and lined with real wool on the inside, so it would be tough but also warm. His tail wagged a little as he paused to give Dad a hug. “Will… you be seeing us off?”
Dad smiled. “I wouldn’t miss it for the world. Remember, you’ve got your phone, so you can call me any time you need to.”
Clay smiled and looked around, but couldn’t find any other way to stall, so he took a deep breath and stepped outside. In the front yard next door, Lyra was busily inflating the balloon. It was about three-quarters inflated by now, standing almost upright and ready. She glanced up when Clay stepped out onto the porch, then gave a happy wave and returned to her work, working her way through some kind of checklist.
The balloon was smaller than Clay had expected, yet bigger than anything he’d ever seen; it stood fifty feet tall from the bottom of the bag to the top and at least as wide, clear strips visible where she’d sewn layers of fabric together to make it airtight and sturdy enough to hold together. It was a mismatched hodgepodge of different colors, patterns, and sizes of fabrics, all stitched at least five times to make sure it could hold together and covered with a thin waxy coating to make it weatherproof and airtight.
The engine was mounted under the balloon and hooked up to a hose that seemed to run all the way to the big propane tank in the backyard, making sure the tanks were full and inflating the balloon from the larger supply to save on inflating the thing.
The basket was mounted securely by ropes to both the engine and the bag, holding it sturdy and strong. Bags of sand had appeared all around the edges as ballast, ready to be released if necessary to give extra height in a pinch.
The whole contraption was attached to the tree in Lyra’s front yard by a long rope with a small anchor on it, wrapped round the tree and then hooked into itself to make a loop that was sturdy, yet easy to release.
As Clay nervously approached, Lyra grinned at him and gestured to the basket. “Stow your bag in the basket and make sure it’s lashed down. If we hit turbulence and it’s not lashed, you could lose it over the edge and then it’d be gone.”
Clay nodded and hesitantly climbed up the ladder into the balloon’s basket. Supplies had been tied down all along the edges, and Clay picked a spot to add his own supplies. He tied the bag down, then glanced upward at the inside of the balloon. His stomach felt like it was going to force its way out his throat, especially when the basket suddenly lurched under him and shifted.
Lyra squealed excitedly and watched him from her spot on the ground. “Ooh, we’ve got liftoff!” She stepped back to see the balloon, then grinned and darted forward, finishing her checklist in a hurry. She jumped inside and disconnected the hose from the backyard propane tank, sealing a valve on the hose as well as a matched one on the engine as she did so. “We’re doing it, Clay! We’re fully inflated and ready to go!”
She darted over to the tree and unhooked the anchor, tugging the rope to keep the balloon down as she walked back to it, pulling herself along the rope until she had a hold of the basket. “Goodbye, old house! Goodbye, old neighborhood!” She hopped from halfway up the ladder into the basket, grinning over the edge at Dad. “Bye, Mr. Donahugh!”
Dad waved and cupped his hands together to call to them as they started to slowly drift upward and to one side. “Be safe! I’ll be thinking of you!”
“Bye, Dad!” Clay called back, clutching the edge of the basket as his stomach stayed below on the ground. He watched the ground get further and further away, then noticed that the anchor was getting closer. He turned to watch as Lyra pulled the anchor in, winding the rope around a hook on the inside of the basket, then turned to the engine.
She twisted a dial, then pushed a horizontal lever. The gentle flame shooting from the top of the engine suddenly intensified, and the balloon lurched, suddenly launching skyward a lot faster as it cleared the tops of the houses, then the tops of the buildings downtown. Once they were high in the air, Lyra turned the lever back down again and locked it in place before leaning on the basket, looking self-satisfied.
Clay watched the town shrink to the size of his hand as a breeze blew them away through the sky, then turned to his bag and dug out his cell phone. He dialed and put it to his ear while Lyra watched with a raised eyebrow.
Dad’s voice answered on the second ring. “You’ve only been gone for five minutes. You miss me already?”
Clay nodded, his voice trembling. “I just… I wanted to make sure this thing actually worked. Um… I’ll see you again, eventually. I hope.”
Dad’s voice chuckled. “Enjoy your adventure, Clay. I’ll be here if you need to come back.”
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Chapter 2: Takeoff
Clay frowned and stared at the ceiling, pulling the blanket up to his chin. He hadn’t slept well the previous night, and it was for good reason.
Today was Tuesday.
He had a bag packed to take with him: his new cell phone, some freeze-dried food, water treatment tablets, a camp heater and kettle for boiling water in addition to treating it, and a solar charger. There was also paperwork: his citizenship license, his passport, and traveler’s insurance were tucked in the front corner of the knapsack. Dad had helped him to pack and triple-checked that everything was there so he only had to grab it and go.
Instead, Clay was laying in bed, hoping that if he didn’t get up, the whole thing would just be called off.
Dad came in and sat on the floor next to Clay’s basket, sitting quietly for a few moments before speaking. “You know, Lyra is waiting for you.”
Clay mumbled and pulled the blanket higher over his head. “Maybe if I don’t show up she’ll change her mind and decide that this is a bad idea.”
Dad chuckled and reached down to tug the blanket down off of his face. “Or maybe she’ll decide to leave without you, and you’ll lose your chance to do something incredible.”
Clay put his ears back and sat up, staring up at Dad with a frown. “You really think this is going to be incredible?”
Dad chuckled and nodded, reaching over to rub Clay’s back. “I think it’s going to be a great adventure. And I think that Lyra needs you.”
Clay frowned and slowly climbed out of his basket. “You think she needs me? But she’s super brave and adventurous all on her own!”
Dad grinned and took Clay’s hand to lead him out to the kitchen, grabbing his bag. “Yes, but you’re careful and observant- exactly what she needs.” He measured out some kibbles into a baggie for Clay and offered it to him.
Clay shook his head, putting a hand to his stomach. He felt nervous and queasy. “I don’t think I could eat now even if I wanted to.”
Dad chuckled and tucked the baggie into Clay’s rucksack, then passed it to him. “Here. I’ll pack it away for later, then. Don’t forget your jacket. It’s cold in the sky.”
Clay nodded and paused by the door to pull on his new jacket- gray cotton on the outside, and lined with real wool on the inside, so it would be tough but also warm. His tail wagged a little as he paused to give Dad a hug. “Will… you be seeing us off?”
Dad smiled. “I wouldn’t miss it for the world. Remember, you’ve got your phone, so you can call me any time you need to.”
Clay smiled and looked around, but couldn’t find any other way to stall, so he took a deep breath and stepped outside. In the front yard next door, Lyra was busily inflating the balloon. It was about three-quarters inflated by now, standing almost upright and ready. She glanced up when Clay stepped out onto the porch, then gave a happy wave and returned to her work, working her way through some kind of checklist.
The balloon was smaller than Clay had expected, yet bigger than anything he’d ever seen; it stood fifty feet tall from the bottom of the bag to the top and at least as wide, clear strips visible where she’d sewn layers of fabric together to make it airtight and sturdy enough to hold together. It was a mismatched hodgepodge of different colors, patterns, and sizes of fabrics, all stitched at least five times to make sure it could hold together and covered with a thin waxy coating to make it weatherproof and airtight.
The engine was mounted under the balloon and hooked up to a hose that seemed to run all the way to the big propane tank in the backyard, making sure the tanks were full and inflating the balloon from the larger supply to save on inflating the thing.
The basket was mounted securely by ropes to both the engine and the bag, holding it sturdy and strong. Bags of sand had appeared all around the edges as ballast, ready to be released if necessary to give extra height in a pinch.
The whole contraption was attached to the tree in Lyra’s front yard by a long rope with a small anchor on it, wrapped round the tree and then hooked into itself to make a loop that was sturdy, yet easy to release.
As Clay nervously approached, Lyra grinned at him and gestured to the basket. “Stow your bag in the basket and make sure it’s lashed down. If we hit turbulence and it’s not lashed, you could lose it over the edge and then it’d be gone.”
Clay nodded and hesitantly climbed up the ladder into the balloon’s basket. Supplies had been tied down all along the edges, and Clay picked a spot to add his own supplies. He tied the bag down, then glanced upward at the inside of the balloon. His stomach felt like it was going to force its way out his throat, especially when the basket suddenly lurched under him and shifted.
Lyra squealed excitedly and watched him from her spot on the ground. “Ooh, we’ve got liftoff!” She stepped back to see the balloon, then grinned and darted forward, finishing her checklist in a hurry. She jumped inside and disconnected the hose from the backyard propane tank, sealing a valve on the hose as well as a matched one on the engine as she did so. “We’re doing it, Clay! We’re fully inflated and ready to go!”
She darted over to the tree and unhooked the anchor, tugging the rope to keep the balloon down as she walked back to it, pulling herself along the rope until she had a hold of the basket. “Goodbye, old house! Goodbye, old neighborhood!” She hopped from halfway up the ladder into the basket, grinning over the edge at Dad. “Bye, Mr. Donahugh!”
Dad waved and cupped his hands together to call to them as they started to slowly drift upward and to one side. “Be safe! I’ll be thinking of you!”
“Bye, Dad!” Clay called back, clutching the edge of the basket as his stomach stayed below on the ground. He watched the ground get further and further away, then noticed that the anchor was getting closer. He turned to watch as Lyra pulled the anchor in, winding the rope around a hook on the inside of the basket, then turned to the engine.
She twisted a dial, then pushed a horizontal lever. The gentle flame shooting from the top of the engine suddenly intensified, and the balloon lurched, suddenly launching skyward a lot faster as it cleared the tops of the houses, then the tops of the buildings downtown. Once they were high in the air, Lyra turned the lever back down again and locked it in place before leaning on the basket, looking self-satisfied.
Clay watched the town shrink to the size of his hand as a breeze blew them away through the sky, then turned to his bag and dug out his cell phone. He dialed and put it to his ear while Lyra watched with a raised eyebrow.
Dad’s voice answered on the second ring. “You’ve only been gone for five minutes. You miss me already?”
Clay nodded, his voice trembling. “I just… I wanted to make sure this thing actually worked. Um… I’ll see you again, eventually. I hope.”
Dad’s voice chuckled. “Enjoy your adventure, Clay. I’ll be here if you need to come back.”
Nimius pavor, non satis disco.
You will always be welcome here, no matter how long you've been away.
Check out my list of stories here.
You will always be welcome here, no matter how long you've been away.
Check out my list of stories here.
-
GingaDensetsuAleu
- Posts: 2029
- Joined: Mon Apr 22, 2024 10:10 am
Re: Love, Lost, and a Balloon
Chapter 3: Wild Blue Yonder
Clay watched his hometown shrink away below as Lyra carefully adjusted several valves until the balloon leveled out and started blowing evenly with the ground. After a long time, he sighed, turning to face inward and sinking to the floor of the basket. It had been lined with a soft pillow; he guessed to protect their paws and give them someplace to sit.
After a while, Lyra sat down next to him and nudged him with her shoulder. “Hey. Doing okay? I know you were hesitant to leave home behind.”
Clay shook his head. “I think I’m gonna be sick.” He leaned back against the side of the basket and looked up into the flickering flame keeping them aloft.
She chuckled and patted his arm. “You say that every time we do something new. You almost never do.”
He shook his head and clutched his belly with both arms. “I mean it this time. I’m gonna hurl. Chunks everywhere.”
“Well, aim it over the side if you do.” She laughed, looking up at the flame. “We’re pretty light, so the three tanks together should be able to keep us aloft a day or two before we’ll need to refill.”
“Oh, good. More chances to fall out and die.” Clay grumbled, averting his gaze from the engine. “Why do I let you talk me into these things?”
“Because you secretly like it.” She grinned, then took off her collar. “Well… now that we’re underway, I’d say it’s time for a change of costume.”
Clay blinked and looked up at her. “Wait, what? Why are you taking your collar off?”
“Because I’m not a pet anymore. Only pets need collars.” She nonchalantly tossed her collar over the side of the balloon and turned to one of her bags, bending over to dig through it.
Clay stared at her tail nub for a moment before blushing a little and averting his eyes. After a moment, Lyra cleared her throat to get his attention. “How do I look?”
Hesitantly, Clay looked up and blinked at Lyra. She was wearing a white tee shirt underneath a leather aviator jacket. She held her arms out and gave him a slow spin with a grin.
“You look… um… good, I guess?” He tried not to look at the worn patch around her neck where her collar used to sit.
She beamed at him happily, then frowned and eyed him over. “I don’t suppose you brought more than that jacket, did you?”
“Er… no. Just the jacket and some supplies. You only said to bring something to keep warm.” He tugged at his jacket self-consciously.
She shrugged and stepped forward. “It’s not bad for a start, I guess. Maybe we can get you a piercing later. With your fur color, I think silver would look good on you.”
“I’d rather not get my ear pierced, actually.” He put his hands up to cover his ears.
She shrugged, then snatched his collar off his neck. “And you won’t be needing THIS anymore.”
“Wh- HEY!” Clay jumped up and grabbed for the collar. “I’m gonna keep my collar on!”
She let him grab it, but didn’t let him take it. Instead, she reached over and grabbed his tag, ripping it off and sending the now-bent ring flying, then tossed the tag over the side of the balloon. “Whoopsie-daisie!”
Clay scowled when Lyra let him take back his collar, and he clipped it back on, even without the tag. “Don’t you ‘whoopsie-daisie’ me, that was CLEARLY on purpose.”
“Yeah. It was.” She chuckled and flopped back down on the floor next to him.
He grumbled and retook his seat. “What if I wanted to keep it? For sentimental reasons?”
She shrugged. “Too bad, it’s gone now, so why worry about it?” There was silence aside from the gentle roar of the engine for a few moments, and then she nudged his shoulder with her own. “So? How’s your stomach feeling now? Settled?”
He glared at her for a few moments, then sighed and nodded. “A little, I guess.”
“Success.” She grinned and leaned into him, laying her head on his shoulder.
“Shouldn’t you be driving?” He asked suddenly, looking up at the engine.
She chuckled. “That’s what’s great about balloon travel. You don’t really NEED to drive. You just go where the wind takes you, and go higher if you’re going to hit something. If I REALLY need to steer, there’s flaps on the top of the balloon attached to some of the rigging that I can pull on, to let air out one side and guide the balloon one way or another.”
“Oh.” He looked up at the flame again, then over at her. “Why do you want to travel the world, anyway? Are you looking for something?”
She shrugged and stared at the flame for a moment before answering. “My mom used to tell me stories. My real mom, not the human I lived with. Back when I was a pup. She said we had an ancestor who used to lead a real pirate crew. She would sail the oceans, swashbuckling and plundering and… all that. She made it sound so COOL, being able to go anywhere you wanted and do anything you pleased… I guess I’ve just kind of always been chasing that.”
He glanced sidelong at her, then looked down at the cushioning under his paws. He wiggled his toes, pressing them into it with a frown. “That sounds… kind of fun, actually. I can see why you’d want to do that. But… why me? Of all the dogs you could have chosen to be your traveling companion, why did you pick me? I’m kind of a coward.”
She stood up and busied herself with the engine, closing one valve and opening another, causing the flame to lessen, then grow again. “You’re not a coward. A coward would never have set paw in this basket.”
Clay stared at Lyra for a moment, watching her work. He guessed she didn’t look too bad in her new outfit. Actually, it kind of suited her, like she was born for it. After a few minutes, he stood up and peeked over the edge of the basket before pulling his head back in. Nope, still didn’t like the view. “What does that make me, then? If I’m not a coward, then what am I?”
She laughed, pulling the lever to make the balloon lurch further upward and into a better breeze. It jostled sideways as it suddenly started to pick up speed. “You’re just careful. You think things through before making decisions. It’s not a bad thing, just… different. It can be good, in certain situations, actually.”
He frowned. “Like what?”
She laughed. “Like that time I wanted to explore that little cave we found down by the creek and you wouldn’t go in. You said it wasn’t safe. I swore I’d never tell you this, but it turns out you were right. I went back to explore it without you later that day, and it had collapsed. If we’d gone in, we would have been trapped, maybe even buried alive.”
He blinked at her in surprise. “Lyra, that was TWELVE YEARS AGO. We were barely even adults then!”
She grinned. “Time flies, doesn’t it?” She settled down on the floor again, putting her hands behind her head. “Besides, now we’re REAL adults for the first time. Nobody to report to, no bedtime, no curfew… this is REAL freedom!”
Clay sat down again with a frown. “... But was it worth giving up everything we had?”
Clay watched his hometown shrink away below as Lyra carefully adjusted several valves until the balloon leveled out and started blowing evenly with the ground. After a long time, he sighed, turning to face inward and sinking to the floor of the basket. It had been lined with a soft pillow; he guessed to protect their paws and give them someplace to sit.
After a while, Lyra sat down next to him and nudged him with her shoulder. “Hey. Doing okay? I know you were hesitant to leave home behind.”
Clay shook his head. “I think I’m gonna be sick.” He leaned back against the side of the basket and looked up into the flickering flame keeping them aloft.
She chuckled and patted his arm. “You say that every time we do something new. You almost never do.”
He shook his head and clutched his belly with both arms. “I mean it this time. I’m gonna hurl. Chunks everywhere.”
“Well, aim it over the side if you do.” She laughed, looking up at the flame. “We’re pretty light, so the three tanks together should be able to keep us aloft a day or two before we’ll need to refill.”
“Oh, good. More chances to fall out and die.” Clay grumbled, averting his gaze from the engine. “Why do I let you talk me into these things?”
“Because you secretly like it.” She grinned, then took off her collar. “Well… now that we’re underway, I’d say it’s time for a change of costume.”
Clay blinked and looked up at her. “Wait, what? Why are you taking your collar off?”
“Because I’m not a pet anymore. Only pets need collars.” She nonchalantly tossed her collar over the side of the balloon and turned to one of her bags, bending over to dig through it.
Clay stared at her tail nub for a moment before blushing a little and averting his eyes. After a moment, Lyra cleared her throat to get his attention. “How do I look?”
Hesitantly, Clay looked up and blinked at Lyra. She was wearing a white tee shirt underneath a leather aviator jacket. She held her arms out and gave him a slow spin with a grin.
“You look… um… good, I guess?” He tried not to look at the worn patch around her neck where her collar used to sit.
She beamed at him happily, then frowned and eyed him over. “I don’t suppose you brought more than that jacket, did you?”
“Er… no. Just the jacket and some supplies. You only said to bring something to keep warm.” He tugged at his jacket self-consciously.
She shrugged and stepped forward. “It’s not bad for a start, I guess. Maybe we can get you a piercing later. With your fur color, I think silver would look good on you.”
“I’d rather not get my ear pierced, actually.” He put his hands up to cover his ears.
She shrugged, then snatched his collar off his neck. “And you won’t be needing THIS anymore.”
“Wh- HEY!” Clay jumped up and grabbed for the collar. “I’m gonna keep my collar on!”
She let him grab it, but didn’t let him take it. Instead, she reached over and grabbed his tag, ripping it off and sending the now-bent ring flying, then tossed the tag over the side of the balloon. “Whoopsie-daisie!”
Clay scowled when Lyra let him take back his collar, and he clipped it back on, even without the tag. “Don’t you ‘whoopsie-daisie’ me, that was CLEARLY on purpose.”
“Yeah. It was.” She chuckled and flopped back down on the floor next to him.
He grumbled and retook his seat. “What if I wanted to keep it? For sentimental reasons?”
She shrugged. “Too bad, it’s gone now, so why worry about it?” There was silence aside from the gentle roar of the engine for a few moments, and then she nudged his shoulder with her own. “So? How’s your stomach feeling now? Settled?”
He glared at her for a few moments, then sighed and nodded. “A little, I guess.”
“Success.” She grinned and leaned into him, laying her head on his shoulder.
“Shouldn’t you be driving?” He asked suddenly, looking up at the engine.
She chuckled. “That’s what’s great about balloon travel. You don’t really NEED to drive. You just go where the wind takes you, and go higher if you’re going to hit something. If I REALLY need to steer, there’s flaps on the top of the balloon attached to some of the rigging that I can pull on, to let air out one side and guide the balloon one way or another.”
“Oh.” He looked up at the flame again, then over at her. “Why do you want to travel the world, anyway? Are you looking for something?”
She shrugged and stared at the flame for a moment before answering. “My mom used to tell me stories. My real mom, not the human I lived with. Back when I was a pup. She said we had an ancestor who used to lead a real pirate crew. She would sail the oceans, swashbuckling and plundering and… all that. She made it sound so COOL, being able to go anywhere you wanted and do anything you pleased… I guess I’ve just kind of always been chasing that.”
He glanced sidelong at her, then looked down at the cushioning under his paws. He wiggled his toes, pressing them into it with a frown. “That sounds… kind of fun, actually. I can see why you’d want to do that. But… why me? Of all the dogs you could have chosen to be your traveling companion, why did you pick me? I’m kind of a coward.”
She stood up and busied herself with the engine, closing one valve and opening another, causing the flame to lessen, then grow again. “You’re not a coward. A coward would never have set paw in this basket.”
Clay stared at Lyra for a moment, watching her work. He guessed she didn’t look too bad in her new outfit. Actually, it kind of suited her, like she was born for it. After a few minutes, he stood up and peeked over the edge of the basket before pulling his head back in. Nope, still didn’t like the view. “What does that make me, then? If I’m not a coward, then what am I?”
She laughed, pulling the lever to make the balloon lurch further upward and into a better breeze. It jostled sideways as it suddenly started to pick up speed. “You’re just careful. You think things through before making decisions. It’s not a bad thing, just… different. It can be good, in certain situations, actually.”
He frowned. “Like what?”
She laughed. “Like that time I wanted to explore that little cave we found down by the creek and you wouldn’t go in. You said it wasn’t safe. I swore I’d never tell you this, but it turns out you were right. I went back to explore it without you later that day, and it had collapsed. If we’d gone in, we would have been trapped, maybe even buried alive.”
He blinked at her in surprise. “Lyra, that was TWELVE YEARS AGO. We were barely even adults then!”
She grinned. “Time flies, doesn’t it?” She settled down on the floor again, putting her hands behind her head. “Besides, now we’re REAL adults for the first time. Nobody to report to, no bedtime, no curfew… this is REAL freedom!”
Clay sat down again with a frown. “... But was it worth giving up everything we had?”
Nimius pavor, non satis disco.
You will always be welcome here, no matter how long you've been away.
Check out my list of stories here.
You will always be welcome here, no matter how long you've been away.
Check out my list of stories here.
-
GingaDensetsuAleu
- Posts: 2029
- Joined: Mon Apr 22, 2024 10:10 am
Re: Love, Lost, and a Balloon
Chapter 4: Camping Out
When the sun started to dip low over the horizon, Lyra turned to the engine and twisted a dial backwards, shrinking the flame a lot. The balloon started to sink, and Clay’s ears perked suddenly. “Wait, what are you doing? We’re going DOWN! What if we crash?”
“We won’t crash. I know what I’m doing.” Lyra looked over the edge of the basket and adjusted the dial some more. The balloon sank faster.
Clay jumped to his paws and looked over the edge, putting his ears back as the ground approached. “We’re falling!”
Lyra glanced over the edge, then turned the dial back up just a little. Their descent slowed, and the balloon came to a gentle stop, bouncing off the ground once before settling into place. Once they had landed, Lyra flipped up a metal bar in each corner of the basket before cutting the engine entirely. The balloon started to slowly deflate, settling over the bars to form a sort of tent. Lyra jumped out of the basket and got behind the sinking canvas to tug on it, creating a doorway and turning it into a yurt-like structure.
Clay frowned, slowly climbing out of the basket and wobbling on solid ground for a moment. “What are you doing?”
She grinned and gestured at it. “Setting up camp. It took me a little bit to come up with this, but I figured that if I rounded off the poles, it shouldn’t poke any holes in the balloon, and it’ll make a good tent. Should keep us dry in the rain or warm in the snow. We can build a campfire in front of it if the weather’s good."
Clay frowned and walked out in front of the balloon, turning around and looking at it as it settled into position, drooping over the edges. She grinned and patted his shoulder. “So, how was your first day as an aeronaut?”
He slumped. “Scary. I miss home already.”
She patted his back and pulled him in for a sideways hug. “Aww. I know, it’s not easy leaving home. I do appreciate it, though. It’ll get better once we get further away from here and start seeing some interesting sights.”
He sighed and leaned into her. “You really think so?”
“Yeah.” She turned and walked into the tent and climbed into the basket, rotating and then tipping out one of the tanks of propane. It came off with a hiss, and she tapped on it. “This one’s empty. I saw a propane shop on the way down not too far away; I’m gonna go see if I can get it refilled. You stay here and see if you can get a little fire going. Not too big, just enough to cook over. I’ve got a kettle and some instant noodles.” She started off, then turned back. “Give me your water container. I’ll refill it, too.”
Clay stared at her for a few moments, then sighed and went into the tent, finding his water bottle and bringing it back to her. She took it from him and gave him a smile. “Hey. I promise, you won’t be homesick for too long.”
He watched her go with their two water bottles clutched in one hand and the propane tank tucked under her arm, frowning. Once she was gone, he looked around and started gathering up sticks, muttering to himself. “Build a fire, Clay. We’re gonna have instant noodles, Clay. Did you ask me if I know HOW to build a fire? Noooo…”
Once he had an armload of sticks and some dry grass, he found a clear area and plopped down on the ground, busying himself with stacking up his sticks into a pyramid. He had to start over a few times because they kept falling over, but he eventually got it standing up and stuffed the middle with the grass.
He stood up and admired his handiwork, then frowned. “Okay, now what? That’s as far as I ever learned back home.”
After a few moments, he decided that the next step was going to be to light his pyramid. He went back into the tent and started looking through bags for a lighter. He found one bag full of dried foods- fruit, noodles, jerky, and various dried cereals. He closed that bag back up and checked the next- maps, a compass, and Lyra’s paperwork. She seemed to have taken her citizenship license with her. The third bag was his- he left it alone, because he knew there wasn’t a lighter in there. He opened the fourth bag and peeked inside: various tools of measurement, spare parts for the engine, a journal, and a lighter. He grinned and pulled the lighter out. “Jackpot.”
He made his way back to his pile and glared at it, noticing that it had blown down. After setting it back up again, he held up the lighter and debated with himself on which part to light. A few minutes’ consideration landed on him lighting the grass, then standing back and watching as the grass burned completely up without lighting the sticks. He scowled at the freshly-empty pyramid.
“You have to use leaves and some bark, too, or it’ll burn out too quickly for it to catch.” Lyra’s voice sounded from the direction she’d gone. She walked past him and into the tent to hook the tank back up to the engine and set down their water bottles, then came back, gathering up a handful of dried grass, leaves, and some bark she stripped off a nearby tree. She carefully stuffed them into his pyramid, then took the lighter from him, lighting it up.
It burned for a few moments, catching the sticks, then starting to crackle merrily. She grinned and sat back, grinning at him. “See?”
Clay nodded with a grunt, watching Lyra get up and start gathering more sticks. She smiled. “We need to keep it burning for about half an hour to get it up to temperature for boiling water. We’ll need to add a few sticks now and then for that.”
He nodded again and got up to help her find sticks, and she smiled at him. “You’re doing great. It’s hard to believe this is the first time you’ve camped out.”
He shook his head. “Dad took me camping once. It was just a long time ago.”
She frowned. “I don’t remember that.”
He nodded, then turned his attention to the fire, poking at it with a stick awkwardly for a few moments.
Lyra sighed. “Clay… it’s not too late. If you don’t want to come with me, you don’t HAVE to. We’re not that far from home, you could probably walk back in a day or two. Faster if you have a bus pass.”
Clay was silent for a bit longer, poking at the fire with a stick. His ears were held back thoughtfully. After a long moment, he shook his head and sat up. “No, no, it’s fine. I’ll come with you. Who knows, maybe it’ll be fun! We’ll… PROBABLY get back some day.”
She sighed and shook her head. “I’m never coming back. Not here. Not to this crappy town. I’m gonna travel the world until I get tired of it, and then I’ll travel some more until I find a place to settle down, build myself a nice little house. I’ll dismantle the balloon and use it to make a furnace, and I’ll hunt my own food. Maybe I’ll settle somewhere near a town and make occasional trips in for extra supplies I can’t find or make myself. It’ll be just me and the wilderness.” She paused, looking over at him. “And you, if you like.”
Clay stared at her, then looked down at the fire again. “I… Maybe.”
When the sun started to dip low over the horizon, Lyra turned to the engine and twisted a dial backwards, shrinking the flame a lot. The balloon started to sink, and Clay’s ears perked suddenly. “Wait, what are you doing? We’re going DOWN! What if we crash?”
“We won’t crash. I know what I’m doing.” Lyra looked over the edge of the basket and adjusted the dial some more. The balloon sank faster.
Clay jumped to his paws and looked over the edge, putting his ears back as the ground approached. “We’re falling!”
Lyra glanced over the edge, then turned the dial back up just a little. Their descent slowed, and the balloon came to a gentle stop, bouncing off the ground once before settling into place. Once they had landed, Lyra flipped up a metal bar in each corner of the basket before cutting the engine entirely. The balloon started to slowly deflate, settling over the bars to form a sort of tent. Lyra jumped out of the basket and got behind the sinking canvas to tug on it, creating a doorway and turning it into a yurt-like structure.
Clay frowned, slowly climbing out of the basket and wobbling on solid ground for a moment. “What are you doing?”
She grinned and gestured at it. “Setting up camp. It took me a little bit to come up with this, but I figured that if I rounded off the poles, it shouldn’t poke any holes in the balloon, and it’ll make a good tent. Should keep us dry in the rain or warm in the snow. We can build a campfire in front of it if the weather’s good."
Clay frowned and walked out in front of the balloon, turning around and looking at it as it settled into position, drooping over the edges. She grinned and patted his shoulder. “So, how was your first day as an aeronaut?”
He slumped. “Scary. I miss home already.”
She patted his back and pulled him in for a sideways hug. “Aww. I know, it’s not easy leaving home. I do appreciate it, though. It’ll get better once we get further away from here and start seeing some interesting sights.”
He sighed and leaned into her. “You really think so?”
“Yeah.” She turned and walked into the tent and climbed into the basket, rotating and then tipping out one of the tanks of propane. It came off with a hiss, and she tapped on it. “This one’s empty. I saw a propane shop on the way down not too far away; I’m gonna go see if I can get it refilled. You stay here and see if you can get a little fire going. Not too big, just enough to cook over. I’ve got a kettle and some instant noodles.” She started off, then turned back. “Give me your water container. I’ll refill it, too.”
Clay stared at her for a few moments, then sighed and went into the tent, finding his water bottle and bringing it back to her. She took it from him and gave him a smile. “Hey. I promise, you won’t be homesick for too long.”
He watched her go with their two water bottles clutched in one hand and the propane tank tucked under her arm, frowning. Once she was gone, he looked around and started gathering up sticks, muttering to himself. “Build a fire, Clay. We’re gonna have instant noodles, Clay. Did you ask me if I know HOW to build a fire? Noooo…”
Once he had an armload of sticks and some dry grass, he found a clear area and plopped down on the ground, busying himself with stacking up his sticks into a pyramid. He had to start over a few times because they kept falling over, but he eventually got it standing up and stuffed the middle with the grass.
He stood up and admired his handiwork, then frowned. “Okay, now what? That’s as far as I ever learned back home.”
After a few moments, he decided that the next step was going to be to light his pyramid. He went back into the tent and started looking through bags for a lighter. He found one bag full of dried foods- fruit, noodles, jerky, and various dried cereals. He closed that bag back up and checked the next- maps, a compass, and Lyra’s paperwork. She seemed to have taken her citizenship license with her. The third bag was his- he left it alone, because he knew there wasn’t a lighter in there. He opened the fourth bag and peeked inside: various tools of measurement, spare parts for the engine, a journal, and a lighter. He grinned and pulled the lighter out. “Jackpot.”
He made his way back to his pile and glared at it, noticing that it had blown down. After setting it back up again, he held up the lighter and debated with himself on which part to light. A few minutes’ consideration landed on him lighting the grass, then standing back and watching as the grass burned completely up without lighting the sticks. He scowled at the freshly-empty pyramid.
“You have to use leaves and some bark, too, or it’ll burn out too quickly for it to catch.” Lyra’s voice sounded from the direction she’d gone. She walked past him and into the tent to hook the tank back up to the engine and set down their water bottles, then came back, gathering up a handful of dried grass, leaves, and some bark she stripped off a nearby tree. She carefully stuffed them into his pyramid, then took the lighter from him, lighting it up.
It burned for a few moments, catching the sticks, then starting to crackle merrily. She grinned and sat back, grinning at him. “See?”
Clay nodded with a grunt, watching Lyra get up and start gathering more sticks. She smiled. “We need to keep it burning for about half an hour to get it up to temperature for boiling water. We’ll need to add a few sticks now and then for that.”
He nodded again and got up to help her find sticks, and she smiled at him. “You’re doing great. It’s hard to believe this is the first time you’ve camped out.”
He shook his head. “Dad took me camping once. It was just a long time ago.”
She frowned. “I don’t remember that.”
He nodded, then turned his attention to the fire, poking at it with a stick awkwardly for a few moments.
Lyra sighed. “Clay… it’s not too late. If you don’t want to come with me, you don’t HAVE to. We’re not that far from home, you could probably walk back in a day or two. Faster if you have a bus pass.”
Clay was silent for a bit longer, poking at the fire with a stick. His ears were held back thoughtfully. After a long moment, he shook his head and sat up. “No, no, it’s fine. I’ll come with you. Who knows, maybe it’ll be fun! We’ll… PROBABLY get back some day.”
She sighed and shook her head. “I’m never coming back. Not here. Not to this crappy town. I’m gonna travel the world until I get tired of it, and then I’ll travel some more until I find a place to settle down, build myself a nice little house. I’ll dismantle the balloon and use it to make a furnace, and I’ll hunt my own food. Maybe I’ll settle somewhere near a town and make occasional trips in for extra supplies I can’t find or make myself. It’ll be just me and the wilderness.” She paused, looking over at him. “And you, if you like.”
Clay stared at her, then looked down at the fire again. “I… Maybe.”
Nimius pavor, non satis disco.
You will always be welcome here, no matter how long you've been away.
Check out my list of stories here.
You will always be welcome here, no matter how long you've been away.
Check out my list of stories here.
-
GingaDensetsuAleu
- Posts: 2029
- Joined: Mon Apr 22, 2024 10:10 am
Re: Love, Lost, and a Balloon
Chapter 5: Setting Off
Clay was awoken in the morning by a gentle, repeated clicking sound. He opened one eye to find Lyra standing over him, fidgeting with the engine. She was squeezing something attached to the nozzle, which was sending sparks flying each time she did it. After several tries, the fire suddenly caught with a whoosh and a large ball of fire. A small flame remained after the fireball disappeared, and Lyra nodded, satisfied.
She turned and glanced down at him with a grin. “Morning, Clay. Ready for another day of adventure?”
Clay yawned and sat up, rubbing his eye a little to get the sleep out of it. “Not just yet. I think I need a few minutes first.”
She giggled. “Well, it’s gonna take about a half hour to inflate the balloon, so you have until then.” She grabbed the anchor and tossed it over the side, checking the knot holding the other end of the rope in place before hopping out of the basket to retrieve the anchor and find a place to tie it off.
Clay watched her go, then yawned again, turning to dig through his bag for his water bottle. He paused and stared at it suspiciously. “Hey, uh… Lyra? Where did you fill our waters at? Do we need to be treating the water?”
She glanced up. “I filled them from the tap at the propane shop, don’t worry. It should be clean enough to drink. We won’t need to worry about treating the water until we get to landing in the wilderness.”
He nodded and took a quick gulp from the jug, then wiped his mouth and packed it away again before turning to her. He watched her cleaning up their campsite for a few moments before speaking. “So… Never going home, huh? Won’t you miss your mom?”
She paused, then resumed working. “Maybe a little. I mean, she practically raised me. But so what? That doesn’t mean I owe her anything. What am I supposed to do, stay tied to her for the rest of my life just because she took me in when I was a pup?”
Clay watched her quietly, then shook his head. “No, I guess not.” He climbed out of the basket and walked over to help her pick up the campsite, scatter the ashes from their cooking fire, and disappear any sign that they were ever there.
She nodded thankfully and glanced at the balloon. It was about half inflated by now, and she smiled. “It’s going to be time to go soon. Last chance to use the restroom.”
He nodded and headed off into the bushes to take care of his business. Once he returned, she followed suit. He waited for her, his ears held back as he watched the balloon slowly inflate. The basket was starting to threaten to lift off when she came back, and she grinned at him. “Hey, you wanna learn to fly?”
“What?!” He squeaked, glancing over at the balloon. “I can’t fly that thing!”
“Sure you can. It’s easy. I’ll show you.” She climbed into the basket and put her hand out for him.
He hesitantly climbed in, letting her take his hand, and she grinned, pointing at the engine. “It’s easy. See, look. Each tank has its own meter on it, so you can see about how much gas each one has. When you’re ready to use a tank, you just open up the valve on that tank to let the gas into the intermix chamber. It’ll mix it with air so it can ignite, and then you pull this lever to let it out the top.” She showed him the lever. “The more you open the valve, the more gas is going to be let into the intermix chamber, and therefore the more you have to open the throttle to let it out, or it’ll get too rich to ignite. For a hot air balloon like this, you actually want a really lean mixture, because it’ll burn hotter and more efficiently. You have to be careful; too lean, and it’ll go out, too rich, and it’ll use more fuel for less heat.”
Clay’s head felt like it was spinning as he watched her touch the various dials and meters. “Wait wait, so… This lever…” He frowned at it.
“That controls the flame. It’s like the faucet in a sink. You turn it one way, and it lets out more gas. Turn it the other, and it lets out less. The tanks hold flammable gas, and it makes a big difference how much air you let it mix with.” She grinned. “Right now, we’ve just got a little flame with a fairly rich mix, because we’re inflating the balloon. When we’re ready to take off, we’ll open the valve a bit, and it’ll make the flame bigger and hotter, and we’ll lift off.”
Clay stared at the engine for a moment, trying to work through the information in his head. “Oh. Okay. And… why is it only one of the tanks is open right now?”
She glanced over. “Oh, that’s because you only need one at a time. The engine fits three, but one is enough to get you up in the air and keep you up for a few hours. Think of the others like extra fuel tanks. When one gets low, you switch to the others.” She tapped the tanks. “It’s so we can go higher and further than we could with just one tank. This balloon was built to stay up for up to two days before needing to land.”
“Oh. Okay. So why not just have them on a switch? Turn one on, the other off, all on their own?” He poked uncertainly at one of the meters.
“Oh, that’s easy. Because you have to keep an eye on the mix. It takes some practice, but as you go further up, you have to add less propane because there’s less air to mix with it. The flame will tell you when it’s getting too thick, and you can adjust how much gas is getting let out of the tanks to thin it out a bit.” She pointed up at the fire.
The balloon lurched, and Lyra glanced up, grinning. “Ooh, feels like it’s about time to go. Lemme just check that we’re fully inflated…” She jumped out of the basket and jogged a short distance away before turning around to look. As soon as she was out of the basket, it lifted up a small amount and floated a foot or two off the ground.
She grinned and ran back to the basket, taking Clay’s hand and putting it on the lever. She pushed it forward just a pinch, shrinking the flame a little. “Okay, hold it here. I’m going to go get the anchor. As soon as I get the anchor untied from the tree, pull the lever back to about here.” She pointed at a spot along the lever’s arc. “That’ll start filling the balloon with hotter air so it can rise. I SHOULD be able to get back in before it gets out of reach, though.”
Clay stammered. “W-wait, what?! You want ME to fly it?!”
“Just for a moment, while I get us untied and ready to get underway. I’ll be right back.” She slapped his back playfully. “You’ll be FINE.”
Clay hesitated, then held his hand as steady as he could on the lever while he watched Lyra run over to where she’d tied the anchor, starting to undo it. He watched carefully, then, just as she’d instructed, he pushed the lever open when she got the anchor untied from around the tree. The fire got bigger for a moment, then settled on a size halfway between the two sizes.
Lyra started running back toward the balloon, holding onto the anchor and watching Clay. He watched her get further away as the balloon started to rise, and she reached out for the ladder- then tripped. Clay yelped as the anchor dropped free from Lyra’s hand, and the balloon started to ascend. “Wait, no! Lyra!” He reached out for her.
Lyra jumped up and snatched for the anchor just as it passed out of her reach. “No! Clay, come back!”
Clay turned and stared at the lever, the engine, and the dials. Everything she’d just told him escaped his mind in his panic. “I can’t! I don’t know how! Do I just… turn it off?!”
“No! Clay, listen! Whatever you do, DON’T just cut the engine while you’re in the air! You’ll descend too fast!” She was running along under the balloon, rapidly getting further and further away as she tried to recapture the dangling anchor.
Clay felt sick as he watched helplessly, leaving alone in the balloon.
Clay was awoken in the morning by a gentle, repeated clicking sound. He opened one eye to find Lyra standing over him, fidgeting with the engine. She was squeezing something attached to the nozzle, which was sending sparks flying each time she did it. After several tries, the fire suddenly caught with a whoosh and a large ball of fire. A small flame remained after the fireball disappeared, and Lyra nodded, satisfied.
She turned and glanced down at him with a grin. “Morning, Clay. Ready for another day of adventure?”
Clay yawned and sat up, rubbing his eye a little to get the sleep out of it. “Not just yet. I think I need a few minutes first.”
She giggled. “Well, it’s gonna take about a half hour to inflate the balloon, so you have until then.” She grabbed the anchor and tossed it over the side, checking the knot holding the other end of the rope in place before hopping out of the basket to retrieve the anchor and find a place to tie it off.
Clay watched her go, then yawned again, turning to dig through his bag for his water bottle. He paused and stared at it suspiciously. “Hey, uh… Lyra? Where did you fill our waters at? Do we need to be treating the water?”
She glanced up. “I filled them from the tap at the propane shop, don’t worry. It should be clean enough to drink. We won’t need to worry about treating the water until we get to landing in the wilderness.”
He nodded and took a quick gulp from the jug, then wiped his mouth and packed it away again before turning to her. He watched her cleaning up their campsite for a few moments before speaking. “So… Never going home, huh? Won’t you miss your mom?”
She paused, then resumed working. “Maybe a little. I mean, she practically raised me. But so what? That doesn’t mean I owe her anything. What am I supposed to do, stay tied to her for the rest of my life just because she took me in when I was a pup?”
Clay watched her quietly, then shook his head. “No, I guess not.” He climbed out of the basket and walked over to help her pick up the campsite, scatter the ashes from their cooking fire, and disappear any sign that they were ever there.
She nodded thankfully and glanced at the balloon. It was about half inflated by now, and she smiled. “It’s going to be time to go soon. Last chance to use the restroom.”
He nodded and headed off into the bushes to take care of his business. Once he returned, she followed suit. He waited for her, his ears held back as he watched the balloon slowly inflate. The basket was starting to threaten to lift off when she came back, and she grinned at him. “Hey, you wanna learn to fly?”
“What?!” He squeaked, glancing over at the balloon. “I can’t fly that thing!”
“Sure you can. It’s easy. I’ll show you.” She climbed into the basket and put her hand out for him.
He hesitantly climbed in, letting her take his hand, and she grinned, pointing at the engine. “It’s easy. See, look. Each tank has its own meter on it, so you can see about how much gas each one has. When you’re ready to use a tank, you just open up the valve on that tank to let the gas into the intermix chamber. It’ll mix it with air so it can ignite, and then you pull this lever to let it out the top.” She showed him the lever. “The more you open the valve, the more gas is going to be let into the intermix chamber, and therefore the more you have to open the throttle to let it out, or it’ll get too rich to ignite. For a hot air balloon like this, you actually want a really lean mixture, because it’ll burn hotter and more efficiently. You have to be careful; too lean, and it’ll go out, too rich, and it’ll use more fuel for less heat.”
Clay’s head felt like it was spinning as he watched her touch the various dials and meters. “Wait wait, so… This lever…” He frowned at it.
“That controls the flame. It’s like the faucet in a sink. You turn it one way, and it lets out more gas. Turn it the other, and it lets out less. The tanks hold flammable gas, and it makes a big difference how much air you let it mix with.” She grinned. “Right now, we’ve just got a little flame with a fairly rich mix, because we’re inflating the balloon. When we’re ready to take off, we’ll open the valve a bit, and it’ll make the flame bigger and hotter, and we’ll lift off.”
Clay stared at the engine for a moment, trying to work through the information in his head. “Oh. Okay. And… why is it only one of the tanks is open right now?”
She glanced over. “Oh, that’s because you only need one at a time. The engine fits three, but one is enough to get you up in the air and keep you up for a few hours. Think of the others like extra fuel tanks. When one gets low, you switch to the others.” She tapped the tanks. “It’s so we can go higher and further than we could with just one tank. This balloon was built to stay up for up to two days before needing to land.”
“Oh. Okay. So why not just have them on a switch? Turn one on, the other off, all on their own?” He poked uncertainly at one of the meters.
“Oh, that’s easy. Because you have to keep an eye on the mix. It takes some practice, but as you go further up, you have to add less propane because there’s less air to mix with it. The flame will tell you when it’s getting too thick, and you can adjust how much gas is getting let out of the tanks to thin it out a bit.” She pointed up at the fire.
The balloon lurched, and Lyra glanced up, grinning. “Ooh, feels like it’s about time to go. Lemme just check that we’re fully inflated…” She jumped out of the basket and jogged a short distance away before turning around to look. As soon as she was out of the basket, it lifted up a small amount and floated a foot or two off the ground.
She grinned and ran back to the basket, taking Clay’s hand and putting it on the lever. She pushed it forward just a pinch, shrinking the flame a little. “Okay, hold it here. I’m going to go get the anchor. As soon as I get the anchor untied from the tree, pull the lever back to about here.” She pointed at a spot along the lever’s arc. “That’ll start filling the balloon with hotter air so it can rise. I SHOULD be able to get back in before it gets out of reach, though.”
Clay stammered. “W-wait, what?! You want ME to fly it?!”
“Just for a moment, while I get us untied and ready to get underway. I’ll be right back.” She slapped his back playfully. “You’ll be FINE.”
Clay hesitated, then held his hand as steady as he could on the lever while he watched Lyra run over to where she’d tied the anchor, starting to undo it. He watched carefully, then, just as she’d instructed, he pushed the lever open when she got the anchor untied from around the tree. The fire got bigger for a moment, then settled on a size halfway between the two sizes.
Lyra started running back toward the balloon, holding onto the anchor and watching Clay. He watched her get further away as the balloon started to rise, and she reached out for the ladder- then tripped. Clay yelped as the anchor dropped free from Lyra’s hand, and the balloon started to ascend. “Wait, no! Lyra!” He reached out for her.
Lyra jumped up and snatched for the anchor just as it passed out of her reach. “No! Clay, come back!”
Clay turned and stared at the lever, the engine, and the dials. Everything she’d just told him escaped his mind in his panic. “I can’t! I don’t know how! Do I just… turn it off?!”
“No! Clay, listen! Whatever you do, DON’T just cut the engine while you’re in the air! You’ll descend too fast!” She was running along under the balloon, rapidly getting further and further away as she tried to recapture the dangling anchor.
Clay felt sick as he watched helplessly, leaving alone in the balloon.
Nimius pavor, non satis disco.
You will always be welcome here, no matter how long you've been away.
Check out my list of stories here.
You will always be welcome here, no matter how long you've been away.
Check out my list of stories here.
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GingaDensetsuAleu
- Posts: 2029
- Joined: Mon Apr 22, 2024 10:10 am
Re: Love, Lost, and a Balloon
Chapter 6: All Alone
Clay sat on the floor of the balloon’s basket, hugging his legs and pressing his face into his knees. He kept thinking that he would wake up any second and find out he was having a nightmare. He was a thousand feet in the air, in a hot air balloon he didn’t know how to work, alone.
For the first half hour or so, he had desperately tried to land while Lyra fell first out of earshot, then out of view below him. After that, he had kept poking at the controls, unsure of what to do, while panicking slightly less.
Once Lyra was out of view and he had determined that he had no idea what he was doing, Clay had gone to where he was now- sitting on the floor, trying to calm down and gather his thoughts. It had been at least an hour now, and Clay had almost managed to put his head on straight. He couldn’t turn around- he knew that- but he desperately wanted to get back to Lyra. He couldn’t just LEAVE her there, after all.
The flame suddenly guttered, threatening to go out, and Clay stood up, staring at it in concern. Why was it doing that? He rifled through everything Lyra had told him, then ran over to the lever and pulled it back, slowly, until the flame stabilized.
“The mix was too thin. I think.” He didn’t know who he was talking to. Maybe it was to himself. Maybe he just needed to hear his thoughts out loud. “Why would the mix be getting thinner?”
He looked at the meters on the tanks. Two of them showed the tanks completely full; one of them showed the tank slightly empty, but with plenty inside. After a moment, he twisted the knob on that tank, just a little, and the flame suddenly got a lot bigger. “Oh… right… Lyra said something about the thinner air messing with the mix.” He turned to the lever. “So… what happens if I…?”
He grabbed the lever and pushed it open a bit more, gasping when the balloon lurched and started rising rapidly. After a few moments, he pulled the lever back some, hoping he’d gotten it right and the balloon would level out now. He couldn’t really tell.
He turned and looked at another cluster of meters that didn’t seem to be attached to anything. Was one of them an altimeter? He couldn’t tell. What did an altimeter LOOK like? He supposed it was probably that one, that declared that he was 1,500 feet above sea level.
He busied himself opening and closing the lever, watching what it did to his altitude. After a while of playing with the lever, he tried adjusting the valve to let more gas out, watching the flame carefully.
It was some time before he returned to the thought of what he was going to do now that he couldn’t get back to Lyra easily. If he couldn’t go BACK, his only option was to go FORWARD. Maybe at some point in the future, he would be able to get someone to take him and the balloon back to where he’d left Lyra, and he could beg Lyra to come back home with him.
With that in mind, he looked over the edge of the basket to see what was below. He saw nothing but sprawling wilderness below, the treetops far below him. His stomach turned, and he pulled back with a grimace, pulling his ears back and grabbing onto the basket’s edge with both hands.
“Oh dog that is SO high,” he breathed to himself, then gulped and looked over the edge again, scanning around to figure out which way he was going, then looking in that direction to see if there was a town that way. He couldn’t see anything; even from up here, the trees seemed to go all the way as far as he could see.
Hours passed, seeming like years as the scenery drifted by below him at what seemed like a snail’s pace. Clay entertained himself by keeping an eye on the flame as he sorted through the bags of equipment that Lyra had brought with them. There seemed to be instruments to determine location, the temperature, the time, and even oxygen levels in the air. He wondered how important it was to know how much oxygen there was.
“What are you doing way up here, dog?” A voice sounded nearby. Clay startled and looked around until he spotted a hawk perched on the far edge of the basket, preening its feathers.
Clay stood up and stared at the bird nervously. “I… um…” He glanced around the interior of the balloon. “Floating?”
The bird cackled at him. “So it would seem. No wings to tell your balloon where to go, all alone up in the sky. Looking for freedom and becoming trapped.”
Clay frowned at the bird. “Are you… mocking me?” He tilted his head.
The bird cackled at him again and hopped along the basket to tap its hooked beak against one of the ropes tying the basket to the balloon. “It’s possible. What’re you gonna do about it? You’re trapped in this little basket, while I’m free to go wherever I want.”
Clay’s ears went back, and he looked down at the floor. “I know.”
The hawk cackled again and hopped down into the basket, using a clawed foot to open one of the bags on the floor. “What’ve you got in here? Anything tasty, perchance?”
“Wha- hey! Get outta there! That’s my supplies!” Clay darted around the engine to chase the hawk as it danced away with a sizeable chunk of his jerky.
“Nah. You got meat. I like meat.” It hopped back up onto the basket, put the jerky in its beak, then walked its way up one of the ropes until it was just out of Clay’s reach before grabbing the jerky with its claw again and starting to nibble on it.
Clay scowled, standing on tiptoe to try and reach the little thief. “Come on, I only have as much as I have with me! You’ve got the entire forest to hunt in!”
The hawk blew a raspberry at Clay, then resumed nibbling at the jerky. “It’s good, you know. You should try some.”
Clay scowled. He bent his knees to jump at the hawk, then thought better of it and huffed, turning to close the bag the hawk had pilfered its snack from. “Are you just here to steal from me, or did you actually have a reason to bother me?”
The hawk made a weird motion that took Clay a few moments to interpret as a shrug. “Just wanted to rest my wings for a moment. Seemed like a nice perch.”
Clay grumbled and paused to check the flame and look over the edge of the basket.
“What’cha lookin’ for?” The hawk jumped to Clay’s shoulder and continued eating his pilfered jerky in his ear.
Clay gave a startled jump, then huffed. “I need to land if I see a town. I accidentally left my pilot behind, and I’m hoping a human will help me get a lift back to… wherever I was.”
“Where were you? What town?” The hawk hopped to the basket in front of Clay with a flutter of wings to look in the direction Clay was looking.
Clay blinked. “I… um… I don’t actually know. We stopped for the night…”
The hawk chortled. “There’s dozens of towns within a day’s flight of here. If you don’t know which one you were in, how do you plan on going back to it?”
Clay sat on the floor of the balloon’s basket, hugging his legs and pressing his face into his knees. He kept thinking that he would wake up any second and find out he was having a nightmare. He was a thousand feet in the air, in a hot air balloon he didn’t know how to work, alone.
For the first half hour or so, he had desperately tried to land while Lyra fell first out of earshot, then out of view below him. After that, he had kept poking at the controls, unsure of what to do, while panicking slightly less.
Once Lyra was out of view and he had determined that he had no idea what he was doing, Clay had gone to where he was now- sitting on the floor, trying to calm down and gather his thoughts. It had been at least an hour now, and Clay had almost managed to put his head on straight. He couldn’t turn around- he knew that- but he desperately wanted to get back to Lyra. He couldn’t just LEAVE her there, after all.
The flame suddenly guttered, threatening to go out, and Clay stood up, staring at it in concern. Why was it doing that? He rifled through everything Lyra had told him, then ran over to the lever and pulled it back, slowly, until the flame stabilized.
“The mix was too thin. I think.” He didn’t know who he was talking to. Maybe it was to himself. Maybe he just needed to hear his thoughts out loud. “Why would the mix be getting thinner?”
He looked at the meters on the tanks. Two of them showed the tanks completely full; one of them showed the tank slightly empty, but with plenty inside. After a moment, he twisted the knob on that tank, just a little, and the flame suddenly got a lot bigger. “Oh… right… Lyra said something about the thinner air messing with the mix.” He turned to the lever. “So… what happens if I…?”
He grabbed the lever and pushed it open a bit more, gasping when the balloon lurched and started rising rapidly. After a few moments, he pulled the lever back some, hoping he’d gotten it right and the balloon would level out now. He couldn’t really tell.
He turned and looked at another cluster of meters that didn’t seem to be attached to anything. Was one of them an altimeter? He couldn’t tell. What did an altimeter LOOK like? He supposed it was probably that one, that declared that he was 1,500 feet above sea level.
He busied himself opening and closing the lever, watching what it did to his altitude. After a while of playing with the lever, he tried adjusting the valve to let more gas out, watching the flame carefully.
It was some time before he returned to the thought of what he was going to do now that he couldn’t get back to Lyra easily. If he couldn’t go BACK, his only option was to go FORWARD. Maybe at some point in the future, he would be able to get someone to take him and the balloon back to where he’d left Lyra, and he could beg Lyra to come back home with him.
With that in mind, he looked over the edge of the basket to see what was below. He saw nothing but sprawling wilderness below, the treetops far below him. His stomach turned, and he pulled back with a grimace, pulling his ears back and grabbing onto the basket’s edge with both hands.
“Oh dog that is SO high,” he breathed to himself, then gulped and looked over the edge again, scanning around to figure out which way he was going, then looking in that direction to see if there was a town that way. He couldn’t see anything; even from up here, the trees seemed to go all the way as far as he could see.
Hours passed, seeming like years as the scenery drifted by below him at what seemed like a snail’s pace. Clay entertained himself by keeping an eye on the flame as he sorted through the bags of equipment that Lyra had brought with them. There seemed to be instruments to determine location, the temperature, the time, and even oxygen levels in the air. He wondered how important it was to know how much oxygen there was.
“What are you doing way up here, dog?” A voice sounded nearby. Clay startled and looked around until he spotted a hawk perched on the far edge of the basket, preening its feathers.
Clay stood up and stared at the bird nervously. “I… um…” He glanced around the interior of the balloon. “Floating?”
The bird cackled at him. “So it would seem. No wings to tell your balloon where to go, all alone up in the sky. Looking for freedom and becoming trapped.”
Clay frowned at the bird. “Are you… mocking me?” He tilted his head.
The bird cackled at him again and hopped along the basket to tap its hooked beak against one of the ropes tying the basket to the balloon. “It’s possible. What’re you gonna do about it? You’re trapped in this little basket, while I’m free to go wherever I want.”
Clay’s ears went back, and he looked down at the floor. “I know.”
The hawk cackled again and hopped down into the basket, using a clawed foot to open one of the bags on the floor. “What’ve you got in here? Anything tasty, perchance?”
“Wha- hey! Get outta there! That’s my supplies!” Clay darted around the engine to chase the hawk as it danced away with a sizeable chunk of his jerky.
“Nah. You got meat. I like meat.” It hopped back up onto the basket, put the jerky in its beak, then walked its way up one of the ropes until it was just out of Clay’s reach before grabbing the jerky with its claw again and starting to nibble on it.
Clay scowled, standing on tiptoe to try and reach the little thief. “Come on, I only have as much as I have with me! You’ve got the entire forest to hunt in!”
The hawk blew a raspberry at Clay, then resumed nibbling at the jerky. “It’s good, you know. You should try some.”
Clay scowled. He bent his knees to jump at the hawk, then thought better of it and huffed, turning to close the bag the hawk had pilfered its snack from. “Are you just here to steal from me, or did you actually have a reason to bother me?”
The hawk made a weird motion that took Clay a few moments to interpret as a shrug. “Just wanted to rest my wings for a moment. Seemed like a nice perch.”
Clay grumbled and paused to check the flame and look over the edge of the basket.
“What’cha lookin’ for?” The hawk jumped to Clay’s shoulder and continued eating his pilfered jerky in his ear.
Clay gave a startled jump, then huffed. “I need to land if I see a town. I accidentally left my pilot behind, and I’m hoping a human will help me get a lift back to… wherever I was.”
“Where were you? What town?” The hawk hopped to the basket in front of Clay with a flutter of wings to look in the direction Clay was looking.
Clay blinked. “I… um… I don’t actually know. We stopped for the night…”
The hawk chortled. “There’s dozens of towns within a day’s flight of here. If you don’t know which one you were in, how do you plan on going back to it?”
Nimius pavor, non satis disco.
You will always be welcome here, no matter how long you've been away.
Check out my list of stories here.
You will always be welcome here, no matter how long you've been away.
Check out my list of stories here.
-
GingaDensetsuAleu
- Posts: 2029
- Joined: Mon Apr 22, 2024 10:10 am
Re: Love, Lost, and a Balloon
Chapter 7: A Hawk Named Trouble
Clay peered over the edge of the basket, squinting at the horizon for any sign of civilization. The hawk hopped from the basket up onto his head, peering in the same direction as him. “What’cha looking at?”
Clay scowled and waved his hand at the hawk, shooing it off his head. It fluttered over to the basket with a screeching laugh. Clay glared at it. “I’m looking for signs that there’s a city nearby. I already told you that.”
“Oh! Then you’re gonna want to bear a little south.” It pointed its wing. “That’s the nearest city. Can’t you see it?”
Clay frowned and squinted in the direction the hawk was pointing. “Uh… no. No, I can’t see it.”
The hawk rolled its eyes. “You mammals and your weak eyes. Just nudge the balloon a little into that current. It’ll take you right there.”
“Current?” Clay frowned and looked around. He couldn’t see any sign of a current. What would a current even look like?
The hawk cursed a little under his breath. “I forgot, mammals can’t see airflow. Okay, so you’re gonna want to get the balloon about ten feet to the left, with this side here being the front.”
“I can’t… wait, maybe I can.” Clay frowned, thinking hard. Hadn’t Lyra said something about being able to steer the balloon if she needed to?
He frowned. What had she said? Flaps on top of the balloon attached to the rigging? He turned to look around himself. There were a total of eight ropes attached to the basket that went upward toward the top of the balloon; four were attached to the bottom of the balloon and a netting that went around the edge of the balloon at its thickest point. The other four, he had assumed, were attached to the top of the balloon. He frowned and approached one, giving it a tug. The balloon gently bumped in the opposite direction.
“Oh… I CAN steer. I guess not a LOT…” He looked around. “Where did you say that current was?”
The hawk pointed, and Clay frowned, moving around the balloon and tugging on ropes until he found one that made the balloon move in that direction; ironically, it was on the other side of the balloon from where he wanted to go. “Tell me when.”
The hawk hopped along the basket to get closer. “You’ll know when.”
After a few moments, the balloon jostled, then started moving significantly faster. The hawk cackled and hopped closer to Clay. “When.”
Clay let go of the rope and looked over the edge. “I hope you know what you’re doing.”
“Of COURSE I do. I’m a BIRD! The sky is where I’m at home!” It hopped over to Clay’s head again and gave him a peck on the forehead. “I’m Trouble.”
“You sure are.” Clay waved at it to get it off of him. “You sure are.”
It fluttered over and landed on one of the ropes holding the balloon. “No, that’s my NAME. Trouble.”
“Oh.” Clay blinked. “I’m… uh… Clay.”
“Clay. Sounds like a nice name.” Trouble climbed down the rope and onto the basket. “And… are you a boy mammal, or a girl mammal? I can never tell, what with all the various bits you mammals have.”
“I’m… a boy.” He frowned at Trouble. “And… you? Are you male, or female?”
Trouble pecked at his arm, clearly irritated at having been asked. “Are you stupid? I’m a red-tailed hawk! Can’t you tell from my nice, compact size that I’m MALE?!” He ruffled his feathers and turned to face out of the basket with a huff.
Clay cried out in dismay at the peck, pulling back and rubbing at the sore spot on his arm. “Sorry, I’ve not met many birds. I don’t know how to tell the difference. You don’t exactly have…” He gestured, trying to find a polite way to say it. “... bits.”
Trouble squawked out a laugh. “Touche, I guess. You got any more of that dried meat?”
Clay stared at him, then hesitantly went to his bag and retrieved a piece of jerky, offering it to the hawk. “I really should be saving this. I only have a limited amount. But you DID help point me toward a city, so… here.”
Trouble reached out a claw and took the jerky, raising it to his beak and ripping off a chunk. He chomped it down and then nodded. “Thanks, mammal. Uh… Clay, you said, right?”
Clay nodded. “Yeah. Clay, that’s me.” He turned and looked over the edge of the balloon, where he could see buildings just starting to come into view in the distance. “Oh, wow, there it is, just like you said.”
“Of course it is. Why would I lie?” Trouble hopped to Clay’s shoulder, his claws digging into his jacket. Clay winced, but didn’t say anything. “We’ll be there in a couple hours, at the speed your balloon goes. If we could get into the faster currents above the clouds, we could travel much faster.”
Clay frowned. “Not that I’m ungrateful or anything, but… why DID you help me? You could have just flown on by and ignored me.”
Trouble ruffled his feathers. “I dunno. I wanted a balloon ride? I had nothing better to do? Take your pick.” He tore another chunk off his jerky.
Clay sighed and sat on the floor. “Anyway… thanks for lending a hand. Or… claw?”
“Close enough.” Trouble hopped down to the floor, then snickered and bounced around for a few moments. “I don’t know what this is made of, but it’s fun.”
He frowned down at him. “It’s just a cushion. Have you never seen a cushion before?”
Trouble fluffed himself up. “I’m a wild hawk. I don’t concern myself with stuff mammals make. Although… that dried meat is good. And this cushion thing is bouncy. I kind of like it.”
There was a pause, and then Clay chuckled. “Well… I’m glad you’re enjoying yourself. I was getting pretty lonely up here. It’s nice to have someone to talk to.”
The flame guttered, and Clay jumped up to adjust the engine. “Oh, this THING. I don’t know what I’m doing.”
“Oh, that’s easy. You’re trying to use a machine to fly instead of flying under your own power.” Trouble cackled at him.
Clay frowned at the various meters and decided that the flame was going too thin. He opened the tank just a pinch more, and the flame grew steady again. “Whew. I’ll either get the hang of it, or plummet from the sky. Or get back to Lyra.”
“Ooh, who’s Lyra? Your nest-mate?” Trouble climbed up the rigging to sit on the rim of the basket. “You gonna have hatchlings with her?”
Clay’s ears burned a little bit. “What? No, no, we’re just friends. We grew up together.”
Trouble gave a teasing wolf whistle. “Sure, sure, just friends.”
Clay peered over the edge of the basket, squinting at the horizon for any sign of civilization. The hawk hopped from the basket up onto his head, peering in the same direction as him. “What’cha looking at?”
Clay scowled and waved his hand at the hawk, shooing it off his head. It fluttered over to the basket with a screeching laugh. Clay glared at it. “I’m looking for signs that there’s a city nearby. I already told you that.”
“Oh! Then you’re gonna want to bear a little south.” It pointed its wing. “That’s the nearest city. Can’t you see it?”
Clay frowned and squinted in the direction the hawk was pointing. “Uh… no. No, I can’t see it.”
The hawk rolled its eyes. “You mammals and your weak eyes. Just nudge the balloon a little into that current. It’ll take you right there.”
“Current?” Clay frowned and looked around. He couldn’t see any sign of a current. What would a current even look like?
The hawk cursed a little under his breath. “I forgot, mammals can’t see airflow. Okay, so you’re gonna want to get the balloon about ten feet to the left, with this side here being the front.”
“I can’t… wait, maybe I can.” Clay frowned, thinking hard. Hadn’t Lyra said something about being able to steer the balloon if she needed to?
He frowned. What had she said? Flaps on top of the balloon attached to the rigging? He turned to look around himself. There were a total of eight ropes attached to the basket that went upward toward the top of the balloon; four were attached to the bottom of the balloon and a netting that went around the edge of the balloon at its thickest point. The other four, he had assumed, were attached to the top of the balloon. He frowned and approached one, giving it a tug. The balloon gently bumped in the opposite direction.
“Oh… I CAN steer. I guess not a LOT…” He looked around. “Where did you say that current was?”
The hawk pointed, and Clay frowned, moving around the balloon and tugging on ropes until he found one that made the balloon move in that direction; ironically, it was on the other side of the balloon from where he wanted to go. “Tell me when.”
The hawk hopped along the basket to get closer. “You’ll know when.”
After a few moments, the balloon jostled, then started moving significantly faster. The hawk cackled and hopped closer to Clay. “When.”
Clay let go of the rope and looked over the edge. “I hope you know what you’re doing.”
“Of COURSE I do. I’m a BIRD! The sky is where I’m at home!” It hopped over to Clay’s head again and gave him a peck on the forehead. “I’m Trouble.”
“You sure are.” Clay waved at it to get it off of him. “You sure are.”
It fluttered over and landed on one of the ropes holding the balloon. “No, that’s my NAME. Trouble.”
“Oh.” Clay blinked. “I’m… uh… Clay.”
“Clay. Sounds like a nice name.” Trouble climbed down the rope and onto the basket. “And… are you a boy mammal, or a girl mammal? I can never tell, what with all the various bits you mammals have.”
“I’m… a boy.” He frowned at Trouble. “And… you? Are you male, or female?”
Trouble pecked at his arm, clearly irritated at having been asked. “Are you stupid? I’m a red-tailed hawk! Can’t you tell from my nice, compact size that I’m MALE?!” He ruffled his feathers and turned to face out of the basket with a huff.
Clay cried out in dismay at the peck, pulling back and rubbing at the sore spot on his arm. “Sorry, I’ve not met many birds. I don’t know how to tell the difference. You don’t exactly have…” He gestured, trying to find a polite way to say it. “... bits.”
Trouble squawked out a laugh. “Touche, I guess. You got any more of that dried meat?”
Clay stared at him, then hesitantly went to his bag and retrieved a piece of jerky, offering it to the hawk. “I really should be saving this. I only have a limited amount. But you DID help point me toward a city, so… here.”
Trouble reached out a claw and took the jerky, raising it to his beak and ripping off a chunk. He chomped it down and then nodded. “Thanks, mammal. Uh… Clay, you said, right?”
Clay nodded. “Yeah. Clay, that’s me.” He turned and looked over the edge of the balloon, where he could see buildings just starting to come into view in the distance. “Oh, wow, there it is, just like you said.”
“Of course it is. Why would I lie?” Trouble hopped to Clay’s shoulder, his claws digging into his jacket. Clay winced, but didn’t say anything. “We’ll be there in a couple hours, at the speed your balloon goes. If we could get into the faster currents above the clouds, we could travel much faster.”
Clay frowned. “Not that I’m ungrateful or anything, but… why DID you help me? You could have just flown on by and ignored me.”
Trouble ruffled his feathers. “I dunno. I wanted a balloon ride? I had nothing better to do? Take your pick.” He tore another chunk off his jerky.
Clay sighed and sat on the floor. “Anyway… thanks for lending a hand. Or… claw?”
“Close enough.” Trouble hopped down to the floor, then snickered and bounced around for a few moments. “I don’t know what this is made of, but it’s fun.”
He frowned down at him. “It’s just a cushion. Have you never seen a cushion before?”
Trouble fluffed himself up. “I’m a wild hawk. I don’t concern myself with stuff mammals make. Although… that dried meat is good. And this cushion thing is bouncy. I kind of like it.”
There was a pause, and then Clay chuckled. “Well… I’m glad you’re enjoying yourself. I was getting pretty lonely up here. It’s nice to have someone to talk to.”
The flame guttered, and Clay jumped up to adjust the engine. “Oh, this THING. I don’t know what I’m doing.”
“Oh, that’s easy. You’re trying to use a machine to fly instead of flying under your own power.” Trouble cackled at him.
Clay frowned at the various meters and decided that the flame was going too thin. He opened the tank just a pinch more, and the flame grew steady again. “Whew. I’ll either get the hang of it, or plummet from the sky. Or get back to Lyra.”
“Ooh, who’s Lyra? Your nest-mate?” Trouble climbed up the rigging to sit on the rim of the basket. “You gonna have hatchlings with her?”
Clay’s ears burned a little bit. “What? No, no, we’re just friends. We grew up together.”
Trouble gave a teasing wolf whistle. “Sure, sure, just friends.”
Nimius pavor, non satis disco.
You will always be welcome here, no matter how long you've been away.
Check out my list of stories here.
You will always be welcome here, no matter how long you've been away.
Check out my list of stories here.