Before they had even reached the edge of town, Damien was yawning. "Tired?" asked Aidan. The boy just nodded. "I'll carry you then," he said, and scooped him up. Damien didn't protest, he just rested his head against Aidan's shoulder and was asleep almost immediately.

It was still dark but Aidan could see the very first hints of the coming dawn when they passed through Stonewood. The little town was silent, still asleep. It lay at the base of the Aerie Mountains, in among the very beginning of the foothills. The road here already sloped slightly, and as the sun rose it grew steeper, beginning the long climb to the pass. A few hours after sunrise Damien woke. Aidan halted and set him down. "Good morning."

He looked around curiously. "Where are we?"

"Halfway to Aerievale."

"Aerivale? I always wanted to go there!"

Aidan smiled. "To go somewhere where everybody else has wings too?"

Damien nodded. "Mom always said that someday..." he trailed off, and tears gathered in his eyes. Aidan hugged him again. "I miss her," Damien whispered. "I wish she was here."

"So do I," said Aidan, and stroked his son's hair. "So do I." After a while Damien stopped crying, and Aidan said, "Would you like some breakfast?"

The boy nodded, so they sat by the side of the road and he ate. When he was done Aidan said, "We'll get there fastest by air. Can you take off from the ground?"

Damien shook his head. "I never have yet."

"But you've been practicing flying?"

"Yes! I jumped off the roof a lot."

"Well, then you should be strong enough to at least try," said Aidan. "And once you're up you can follow in my slipstream."

"What's a slipstream?"

"Have you ever seen geese fly by in a big flock?"

"Yeah..."

"And I'm sure you've noticed that they fly in a wedge, with just one in front?"

"Yeah."

"That's because of the slipstream. When you fly there's a place behind you where it's easier for somebody else to fly, because of the air currents. So the goose in front is cutting the air, and working hard, but every goose behind him is in somebody's slipstream, so it's easy for them. They take turns going in front, so that nobody gets too tired. So once you're in the air, I'll lead the way, and you follow close behind and it will be easier for you to fly."

Damien nodded. "I get it. But I'm not sure how to get up from the ground."

"It's not too hard," said Aidan. I'll give you a good start." He went on one knee and cupped his hands together in a stirrup. "Put your foot here, and when you jump, I'll boost you higher. I'm going to do it pretty hard, so don't be surprised. You'll have to flap your wings pretty hard to get started, but once you're up just a little you should be able to circle and glide. Ready?"

Damien nodded, and stepped into Aidan's cupped hand. Then he jumped off from his other foot, and as soon as it was off the ground Aidan heaved upwards. Damien let out a little eep, but he got his wings open and working all the same, and didn't fall back down again. "Very good!" said Aidan with a grin. "Start circling up and I'll be right behind you." Damien circled, beating his wings every so often to help, but mostly using the air that was rising off the sun-warmed ground. Aidan followed after him, and soon they'd both reached a good altitude. Then Aidan turned to follow the road below, and Damien fell in behind him, finding that what he'd said about the slipstream was true, it was easier than flying alone.

They flew until noon, when Aidan dropped down again for a break. Damien folded his wings in and groaned. "I'm sore. I've never flown that long before."

"Well, we can walk the rest of the day," said Aidan. "But first, lunch!" Damien ate like he was starved, and then the pair set off again. By sundown they had climbed up above the foothills and into the mountains proper, but still hadn't reached the pass. Damien was dragging, exhausted, even before the sun set, so Aidan picked him up and carried him again. He was tired himself, but he didn't know if there would be some effort made to catch him, to take Damien away again, and if there was he wanted to reach Aerievale and the Kingdom of Tara ahead of whatever pursuit might follow. In the elven lands he had no particular status, but in Tara he was one of the Queen's Own, and nobody would be taking his son from him there!