The kites danced in the sky, and the twins shrieked with delight. Mina laughed out loud as hers dodged and swooped. The colors were brilliant against the blue, and she felt the tug on the string as if the sky wanted to run away with her kite. Beside her, Papa was twisting the two strings that held his kite so it would dive beneath the others, then rise up above them. Gaton’s kite was wobbling in the air, and he unspooled more string. Mina guided hers higher and higher.

Soon she heard voices carried on the wind: the wind guardians on their beasts. Holding her kite steady, Mina watched the sky.

And there they were!

The wind beasts were silver dragons with white feathery wings and brilliant, sparkling antlers like deer. They flew in loops and spirals through the air between Mina’s family’s kites, while their guardians called to one another, shouting and laughing. Dozens of them flew overhead, flocking like shimmering birds, and Mina knew that hundreds of them were spread all across the farmlands, on their way to the bay to carry the fishing boats out into the deeper ocean. They’d remain with the boats for the rest of the fishing season. But today is our wind day! Mina thought as she flew her kite higher. With her free hand, she waved to the wind guardians.

Very soon, I’ll be flying too.

Chapter
Two

After the wind passed, Mina drew her string in and rolled it up carefully. Less careful, Gaton tossed his kite aside and squirmed out of his harness. Mother and Papa unhooked themselves and the twins. “Excellent wind day,” Papa said.

Mother agreed, and the twins squealed.

“Remember Gaton’s first wind day, when he lost his grip on his kite—”

Mother laughed. “And it flew up and smacked that wind guardian in the face!”

Mina grinned at Gaton. She’d been too young to remember, but her parents brought it up every wind day, to Gaton’s dismay. At fifteen, Gaton liked to think of himself as all grown up, the mature storm guardian who knew everything, who’d never been a silly kid. He is still a kid, though, Mina thought. Even if he thinks he has all the answers.

She wondered if she’d feel that way too, once she had her beast.

“The kite didn’t hurt the guardian,” Papa quickly reassured the twins.

“Surprised him, though,” Mother said with relish. “And made him colorful. The ribbons got tangled around his wind beast’s antlers—”

“Hey, it wasn’t my fault!” Gaton protested. “I was four.”

They continued teasing Gaton as they tromped up to the house, and Mina reached to free herself. But the hook didn’t budge. “Mother? Papa? Could you help me—”

The farmhouse door banged shut behind them, even though their chatter continued to spill out the windows. Frowning, Mina wiggled the hook. She raised her voice. “Gaton? Papa? I’m stuck.”