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Enrique stepped between the old wooden posts from which the front gate once hung. He looked back at the farm house, at his mother's worried face. He waved one last time and set off down the beaten and rutted dirt road, taking the first steps of the rest of his life. It hadn't been easy, deciding to leave... but he just couldn't stand being used as a pawn in his family's plans for the future. He wasn't just some breeder to be used for genetic purity. He was a sentient, thinking being. He was going to do what he wanted with his life.

As the clouds floated above, Enrique let his mind wander to the near future. He focused on what he was going to do once he reached town... and settled on simply buying a ticket on the next transport to wherever his mind told him to go. He thought of places he'd been hearing of in the news broadcasts during the night... all the adventures happening everywhere but where he grew up. He hated the quiet, boring life he'd lead... Because he knew it would've lead him nowhere. The girl he was arranged to marry was someone he couldn't stand being in the same room with, let alone actually be with.

That thought turned his mind to the girl of his dreams, the one he'd seen in countless fantasies. He imagined her face, her hair, her entire body. Nothing was in great abound, nothing lacking either. She was a balanced being, his own view of the closest humanity could come to perfection. He had always imagined a deep, mutual understanding. They would laugh with and never at one another, they would be able to communicate volumes without ever speaking a single word. He felt as if he'd known this girl, this real girl, his entire life. He'd even imagined her with wings. Having never left his home before he was under the impression everybody had them.

The faint hum of a derigible flying overhead broke him from his reverie. He looked up and smiled at the craft his people had designed for long journeys, their wings not being enough to fly from country to country. 'Just think. In a couple hours I'll be riding one of those things to the nearest port and getting myself away from this hell of silence.' He shaded his eyes against the sudden light of the sun bursting out from behind the clouds, and resumed walking with his eyes upon the craft.

The derigible was flying parallel to the road. They did that when roads were available because they offered two things, room to land in an emergency and an easy route back to civilization. As high as it was, not even Enrique's sharp eyes would've seen the door of one cabin slide open. His eyes would not have seen the young woman who stepped out onto her private balcony. He did, however, make note of the balconies themselves; balconies on an airship meant it was privately owned. Meant a rich somebody was flying overhead. His eyes saw the balconies, but as he took his eyes away from the craft he never could've seen as the young woman slipped herself over the edge of the balcony.

Enrique kept on walking until the shrill cry of a startled eagle caught his attention and he looked up. He saw the young woman, only being able to make it out as a person, falling. It looked as if she was falling from the derigible... His eyes widened and he ran forward as fast as he could. He could see she would fall directly onto the road, but there was a good bit of ground distance to cover. His mind raced through his options for a safe landing until he settled upon trying magic. His parents had fobode him from learning magic, but he'd manage to teach himself some basic force manipulation.

With an educated guess at the distance he leapt forward, flapping his wings hard to gain altitude and speed. As he approached the top of his low arc he saw he would catch her just as he started to descend after one more hard flap, which would be perfect... and as she turned slightly from the wind he saw her wings. They were folded in as if it were intentional. He started to fall and they got closer. He flared his wings just enough to spin him around so his back was to the ground. He couldn't see her face as it was turned away, which for the moment was better.

They intersected and fell together sharply. Enrique put his arms tight around her and pulled her to him, her shoulders and knees against his arms. He felt the brush of her feathers against the bare skin of his forearm as he flew a few feet more. They came to a hard landing, but with what powers of magic he could summon Enrique kept his feet steady and stood. It wasn't until now that he actually looked and saw her face as her eyes fluttered open. Little could hide his surprise.

In that instant of her eyes opening he looked at her entire face, her entire body. Everything right out of his dreams. This was the girl that he'd forever hoped and dreamed of loving and being loved by... or at least someone very similar. His blush turned to a smile as her eyes opened and locked on his. She was clearly surprised to be alive... yet the surprise gave way to something else.

"Who are you?" She asked. Her eyes told a story that Enrique understood... her life had not been her own, her decisions had been made for her. His smile was gentle.

"Enrique. And who, oh fallen angel from the Heavens, are you?"

"Silver..."

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My inspiration, provided by my good friend (practicaly sister) Rachel.