I cannot explain why I find it so pleasing, but I am unable to move away from the open doorway. There is something so freeing about the loud noises echoing through the silent halls of the castle, something so delightful about the rain pounding against the balcony outside, something so powerful about the white flashes of light that illuminate the world for brief moments, something so sensual about the wind throwing my hair back.

I know I should be afraid of it, and there is no denying the little jolt of panic coursing through my veins every time the noise explodes, but I love it. It's powerful and dangerous and all it wants is to be free from the cage that keeps it locked away.

Maybe I feel like somehow, we are connected.

I lift my head as the wind slams against me, and I finally let go of the doorway and step forward onto the balcony. I am immediately pelted by the rain, but I do not mind. I keep walking forward until I am right at the edge of the railing, and finding a courage I didn't know I had, I leap up and sit down on top of it so my legs are dangling in the open sky.

A strike of the light cracks through the sky like a whip, and I reach out my hand. I want to feel its power and its freedom. I want to join it and let it become apart of me. 

A screaming jerks me from the momentary spell the light casts on me. I leap off of the railing, rushing for the safety of the castle while cursing myself and my stupidity. It was a mistake to leave, a mistake to disobey George.

He told me not to step outside, but I had to know what it was like. I should have listened. He told me it was for my safety, after all.

I duck behind the doorframe and push myself up against the wall, the scream playing again and again in my mind long after it had died out. I listen, but I don't hear it again.

A moment passes, and I stop to think hard about what I had heard. It had sounded frightened rather than accusatory. Like something was hurt.

I step back outside, soothed a little as the falling rain hits me once more. I do not stop until I am standing in the center of the balcony. "Hello?" I call out into the night, my voice sounding meek against the ferocity of the storm. I am not expecting a response, but to my surprise, a tiny voice answers my call.

"Help me!" the voice cries. It is different than George's, or anybody else I have encountered so far. Drastically different.

"Where are you?"

"Behind you."

I spin around, hands raised in case of an attack like George often warned there would be. My heart is racing, beating so loud I am sure whoever they are can hear it. "I don't see anybody," I return, searching as another strike of the light explodes above in the great endless sky.

"Look down."

I do as instructed, and my eyes fall upon a small body barely moving. A gasp escapes my mouth as I rush over to the tiny creature. I don't know much about it, but it has to be in poor condition. Its breathing is ragged and deep, and there is blood sticking to the throat of the white body. "What happened?" I plea as I bring it inside.

"I was flying," it returns, its voice shaking as if it takes too much out of it to speak. "And something attacked me."

"Here, it's okay. I'm here now," I say, kneeling in front of the door on the now-soaked carpet. My work is quick as my fingers dance up and down the body of the creature. I don't know how I know what I'm doing, but I'm managing to heal its wounds with ease. "What are you?"

The creature stops, peering up at me through wide, blue eyes. Its white feathers, though stained with crimson, are touched by gold at the end of them. I run my finger down one of the golden accents subconsciously. "What do you mean?" it asks.

"I have never seen something like you before," I admit, making sure my touch is tender for the fragile creature. "What are you called?"

"I am a bird of the garden."

"Bird," I repeat, running the word across my mouth. "Do you have a name?"

"I'm afraid not." It pauses, then seems to remember itself. "My lord."

"Your... what?"

The bird blinks, as if it doesn't understand what I am saying.

"There you are!"

The sudden booming voice makes me jump. Careful to keep my grasp on the bird tender, I turn to face George, who does not look pleased in the slightest. I swallow as my mouth goes dry, and extend the bird to him, as an offering. Surely he has to find the creature as wonderful as I do.

His eyes soften, and his posture slumps. He is not expecting this. "Oh," is all he says, and despite being one word, it says so much, but it isn't enough. He is disappointed and surprised and confused all at the same time, but I don't know why and I don't know how and I don't know what he's going to do next or if he'll hurt me or if he'll punish me or—

"You found a bird," he continues, reaching out his hand. I carefully set the creature down in his palm and immediately regret it. I couldn't explain how overwhelming the desire was to never let go of such a wonderful creature. I had to protect it and keep it safe, like it was my own child.

I nod, not trusting my voice to not give away the apprehension I felt as I waited for him to do something. "I-is it okay?" I stutter, letting my hands fall to my side.

"Her wing is broken, but she will survive."

"Thank you—"

His mood shifts instantly as he sets the bird down on the window ledge. "What are you doing out here?" George demands. "I thought I made it explicitly clear that you weren't to leave your room."

I lower my head as shame, burning hot, rushes into my face. "I'm sorry," I say. "But I heard the noises, and I had to see what they were."

It doesn't explain the desire for freedom that overcame me the moment I saw the vast sky. It doesn't explain the power that surged within me as the light struck and the noises yelled. It doesn't explain the connection I felt to the rain pouring from the sky. But I can't tell him about that. I can't let George know how it speaks to me, how I can hear the soft whispers between each crash of noise and before each flash of light. They are calling out to me, beckoning me to join them.

I can't tell George about that. He wouldn't understand.

He doesn't seem to believe me, anyway, but he doesn't argue anymore. "You cannot go out. You cannot leave the castle. If an outsider were to see you, do you know what they would do?"

I nod, not daring to raise my eyes to meet his. He has been over the same speech hundreds of times before, but I still fail to listen to him. It isn't that I don't believe him, or that I don't trust him. I just can't keep myself from the being creating the rumbling and light.

"What is it called?" I ask after a harsh minute of silence. "The being, all the way up there?"

George pauses, confusion highlighting his face. "You mean the storm?"

I nod, satisfied with finding a name. I'd never heard it before, but it feels appropriate. A powerful name for a powerful entity.

"It's not a being," he says, shaking his head as he picks up the bird and starts to walk away.

"It's not?" I ask as I start forward and keep my pace quick so I can keep up with him. "What is it, then?"

"It's just nature," he says, shrugging. "Don't worry about it. It won't hurt you."

I do not argue with him, despite how much I wanted to. I have no doubts that the storm will not hurt me. "I think it's beautiful," is all I say instead, not daring to elaborate.

He pauses, and his smile feels like a prize hard earned. "As do I. I can show you how to channel it, if you want."

I nod. "I'd like that. Where are we going?"

"To get this bird to the infirmary. And, uh, I have something I need to show you." He turns away, his jaw clenching, and continues walking. His steps are too even, dangerously perfect. I don't understand. Is he mad? Did I do something?

"What's wrong?"

"It isn't your fault, but you have to see it nonetheless. I'm sorry."

I swallow as I ponder what could possibly be horrible enough to make me apologize.