Read Winged: A Novella (Of Two Girls) for Free Online Page B

she steered the blimp-fin on its designated course, she
let one part of her mind dwell on the strange conversation she had
with Doctor James Ash earlier in the morning, when the dour-faced
man caught her before she made her way to the Flying Field.
     
     
     
     
    He had talked to her about her ankle, that
it was not merely a physical injury but a psychological one. It had
affected her, a niggling persistent problem; it would continue to
persist to hurt her, unless she chose to move on from the pain. She
was a little wary of the physician’s words, no matter how truly
concerned he came across. Who made him a phrenologist? Yet, as she
mulled on the topic, she knew that she was being petty. The man was
a doctor and he did have the welfare of the students at heart. And
she knew he was also an excellent Tutor-in-charge of College Azure;
he did care for the students. But why did he single him out?
     
    Somewhere in her mind, a harsh cackle could
be heard. The cackle made her heart cringe instinctively. And the
throb in her ankle grew to a sharp pain. Not this again , she
raged quietly. Oh hush, Miss Sharpton! She pushed the mental
image of her old nemesis away and focused on landing the blimp-fin.
Perspiration was trickling down her back in a constant stream.
     
    She was here at the Academy to excel. To
become a leo-fin pilot. She was not going to let some hoary old
schoolmistress stop her.
     
    She could see the Flying Field now, with its
crowd of tiny people now growing larger and larger as she brought
the blimp-fin down. There was some faint cheering and it grew
louder as she landed the vessel with an audible thud.
     
    For a moment, she simply rested her head
against the controls and breathed slowly. Her heartbeat was going
back to normalcy. Her knees felt like water. She had flown training
flights before but this one was so different. It would mark her
transition from Cadet to Intermediate Pilot-In-Training. If she
failed, all her efforts would go to waste and she would slink back
to Dorset with her tail between her legs. No. She would not want
that.
     
     
     
    As she opened the door, letting the fresh
morning air cool her skin and fill her lungs, she could see
Pilotmaster Lee and Captain Sagan conferring amongst themselves,
their heads inclined towards each other in intense discussion.
Captain Sagan looked animated, gesturing and showing her notes to
Lee who shook his head and said something which made the House
Tutor for College Sable, Katherine’s House, more animated, even
forceful.
     
    That is it , Katherine thought as she
limped out of the blimp-fin. I am done for . Her heart lifted
at the sight of her friends rushing to greet. Alethia was there.
Even Thomas, pompous and competitive Thomas, was walking up to her
with a big grin on his fair face.
     
    “A little shaky there,” the boy said to
Katherine, referring to the blimp-fin’s loss of balance. “But you
recovered right soon after!”
     
    “The winds were strong today,” Alethia said
mildly. The blind girl could have ‘seen’ the colors as she had
explained once to Katherine. “It was a challenge, no doubt.”
     
    “Well, Captain Sagan seems to be arguing for
you,” Thomas pointed out. He could be so blunt and cruel at times.
He was always constantly looking out for flaws in Katherine, no
matter how well she did in her studies and her training.
     
    Alethia squeezed Katherine’s hand once,
reassuringly. The results would be made known publicly, right after
lunch.
     
     
    ~*~
     
     
    Lunch was an anxious affair, with
surreptitious glances at the Administrativa building where the
results would be posted for all to see. Today was College Sable’s
turn with many of its students for the test flights.
     
    Cook had made vegetable stew with fluffy
white rice and Katherine ate it with false gusto. She was that
nervous.
     
    No more Dorset , she cried silently. No more mocking . No more tears .
     
    “You did well, Katherine,” Alethia’s