“But Bared…” said Gründ, stopping mid-stride in the staircase and looking back. The mischievous look in the old shaman’s eyes reassured him, and he happily started back up. He had known Bared his entire life, and as gruff as he seemed, the old Töskr was actually really nice and loved to laugh. He wouldn’t really stop our young adventurer, especially if he could get a good view of the majestic flop he was sure would be coming.

“I AM this village’s elder…” dignity prompted him to say. “And this is MY house” the stairs were getting hard to climb for his stiff paws, and he was starting to consider moving into another house. Preferably one without so many stairs. “Huff... Puff ...NOT some bird’s nest!” He did look slightly offended, and all this climbing had made him grumpy. Gründ, however, knew exactly what to say.

“If it works, I’ll make myself a platform so I won’t bother anyone anymore. Maybe we can use it to scout for hunting parties.” Bared couldn’t believe his ears. The shock took his voice away, just long enough for Gründ to take a couple of steps. By the time he managed a dumb-struck “really?” he was talking to empty space.

“Yeeesssss” came an answer from the wind, who was lifting the wings and slowly but very certainly driving a certain Töskr away towards the sky. Haylir, Bared, Gotha and all the others looked up at the quickly disappearing silhouette, wondering if this was a good or a bad thing. When they heard an exhilarated laugh coming from a distance, they looked at each other and started seriously worrying.

Meanwhile, our flying Töskr was experiencing the feeling of freedom that he had been looking for all this time. The ground looked so far away, the trees so tall, he felt light and ecstatic and oh boy how strong the wind is at that height, this is going a little fast, how the Core will he able to slow down, oh no, that wasn’t part of the plan, help, please, anyone!

Just before he could start seriously panicking, his eyes caught sight of something on the ground. “Houses! Maybe there’s a colony here too?” he asked to the trees, who very politely ignored him. What would trees know of the comings and goings of tiny ground-dwellers? And why would they care, for that matter? They were impressed and amused by Gründ’s flying prowess, but that’s as far as their interest would go. Oh, and the crash that would certainly come in a moment.

Any moment, now.

Really? Still no crash?

Well that is disappointing.

“Softest. Landing. Ever!” Laughed Gründ, flat on his back and unscathed on the carpet of moss and grass that covered the clearing where the wind had led him. He was amazed, out of breath, still full of the wonderful feelings he had just experienced. Flying was, in the end, exactly as he had imagined it would be. Well, except for the control he didn’t have on his trajectory.