Post by Kestrelflight on Feb 25, 2011 11:38:09 GMT -6
Prologue
"Where am I supposed to take her, sire?"
"If I cared, would I be paying you to get rid of her in the first place? Just take her away, leave her somewhere, give her to someone, cut her throat for all I care. Just get the job done."
"Yes, sire." A heavily bearded man hefted a canvas sack over his shoulder, bumping his cargo as he did so. A soft moan sounded from within, the voice high and obviously young. The second man exhaled angrily.
"Put her back down Joseph, I doubt your competent enough to handle a conscious eight year old." Joseph wisely said nothing in response and lowered the canvas bag to the ground. The second man, a youth of fifteen or so, roughly untied the bag and yanked it open. With rough careless hands, he yanked the bag down and revealed a small girl no more than eight years old. She was huddled against the fabric, her eyelids fluttering as she regained consciousness. She had soft curled auburn hair that spread out around her face and a smattering of freckles across her nose. Her eyes slowly blinked open and she stared in confusion up at the young man.
The youth reached down, fastening one hand tight around the little girl's forearm. She tilted her head then began to squirm as he continually tightened. She bit her lip and tears formed at the corners of her eyes.
"Let go, you're hurting me!" The youth snarled under his breath and wrenched his wrist sharply to the side. The little girl screamed in reply before a hand was slapped over her mouth.
"Hush Ari, or the pain won't ever go away." The little girl, Ari, nodded though tears now flowed down her cheeks. She was lying flat on her back now. The youth slowly released his hold on her forearm which was now bent at an awkward angle. The little girl bit her lip hard enough to taste blood to keep from screaming as she cradled her now broken arm against her chest. She was wise enough to say nothing more. The youth grinned and shook his head. "Say hello to Thomas for me, won't you?" His voice was gruff and cruel but Ari caught the sorrow that flashed in his eyes. His face distorted in anger as he grasped her head by the hair and banged it against the floor. With a sharp cry that was cut off, Ari's head lolled to the side.
The youth stood and brushed off his hand as a slow trickle of blood came from the back of little Ari's head. Her body had gone limp though her broken arm was still cradled motionless against her chest. The youth smirked and turned back to the waiting Joseph who was looking in horror at the little girl.
"Have you killed her, sire?" He brought disgusted eyes to the youth who only grinned and motioned towards the little girl.
"Why don't you check for yourself?" Joseph looked between the fallen Ari and the youth for a moment before bending down to the little girl. He pressed his ear to her small chest, only realizing he was holding his breath as he let it out with relief. Her chest was beating and he could hear the soft whistle of her breath. He stroked a hand over the little girl's curls and gently began to pull the bag up around her small body.
"This wasn't part of the deal, sire. She was never supposed to be hur-" Joseph was cut off by an amused snort from the youth.
"What? You thought by getting rid I meant to keep her alive and well? You knew exactly what you were doing, Joseph, don't let yourself imagine yourself to be innocent. She's unconscious, but alive for now. If I were you, I would stop wasting time and get rid of her." Without another word, the youth spun on his heel and stalked off along the great halls. Joseph bent, cradling the canvas bag in his arms. He could feel the warmth from little Ari's body. With a heavy sigh and an even heavier heart, he turned away and carried Ari away from the only home she had ever known and one she would never remember.
He went to the stables, feeling utterly exposed in the bright light of midday. He felt as if every glance sent his way was filled with malice, as if no amount of canvas could conceal the broken little body he carried. He saddled his horse with shaking hands, leading Pride from her stall. The chestnut mare pawed at the ground, put ill at ease by the nervousness in Joseph. He patted her comfortingly, swinging his leg up in the saddle and settling himself on her back. Ari was still in his arms. He held the reigns with one hand and Ari secure in the other. With a swallow and a deep breath, he spurred Pride into a trot and then a canter as he sped away from the scene of the crime. High up a shaded window, a boy of fifteen smiled a sadistic grin and silently waved goodbye.
Joseph rode hard, putting as much space between himself and the Realm of the Hunters as possible. He wasn’t sure when exactly he crossed over into the land of the Songbirds. There was no marker, no distinct borders, no guards and no warnings. He just felt it, the foreignness and the hostility that seemed to strike out at him from behind thick trunks and out of waving grasses. He couldn’t risk encountering citizens. Sorrow’s Deliverance may have ended with a feeble peace between the Hunters and the Songbirds, but neither was on trusting terms. He wiped his forehead nervously with the back of his hand. As he did so, he felt a slight shift and heard a soft whimper. He froze with fear.
No, Ari, you can’t be awake already! He panicked, looking around himself. He had planned to abandon the little girl close to a village. She would awake and surely be found. The minute she shifted to her Mira, he knew the villagers would kill her. In a way, he almost felt like that meant the blood would shift to the hands of another, but he knew in his heart that he was delivering an innocent eight year old girl to her death. He frowned sadly and quickly dismounted. He still cradled little Ari in his arms. He was still a good two hour’s walk from the nearest village on the map. He was in a small field on the outskirts of thick forests. He looked around himself, slowly lowering the bag to the ground. With a regretful sigh, he untied the canvas and gently lifted Ari from the bag. He laid her gently on the ground, her head lolling to one side. Her arm was still bent at an awkward angle and had swollen. The blood had dried on the back of her matted auburn curls. Her little face was pale and Joseph stood quickly to stop the tears pooling in his eyes. He was a soldier and duty came first.
He balled the bag in his hands, stepping back from Ari’s still form. She would regain consciousness, slowly and painfully. He shook his head and whispered to her. “Forgive me Ari.” He turned on his heel, quickly striding back to Pride who was pawing at the ground with agitation. He mounted her, taking one last look at the little girl laid in the grass before digging his heels into Pride’s flanks and spurring the horse away from the dismal scene. Left behind, Ari slowly shifted and her eyelids began to flutter. Over the space of an hour, she slowly began to regain consciousness. She descended into tears as the pain – now in her head and arm – began afresh. She stood on wobbly legs, sobbing and confused. She looked all around herself, unsure of where she was or how she had gotten there.
She began to wander, screaming for help in between her sobs of pain and confusion. She pushed through grasses, cradling her arm against her chest. She wasn’t sure how long she had wandered, she could have been walking circles, when she began to hear footsteps. They were slow and cautious at first, but they began to grow in speed. Ari froze, her heart beating wildly as she backed away regretting her screams and the noise she had made. The high grasses rustled and Ari stared in horror at whatever might appear. The grasses were shoved aside and a middle aged woman’s face greeted Ari’s. Ari couldn’t help her first instinct.
She screamed.
The woman froze for a moment, confusion then pity on her features. She took a slow step towards Ari, speaking softly to the little girl. Her hands were up in a sign of peace.
“Hush, hush now little one. I’m no threat to you. Hush, I won’t hurt you.” Ari took a step away, stifling her scream but shaking her head and sobbing. She still cradled her arm against her chest. She looked around for an escape. Her eyes locked on the woman and suddenly her skin and dress began to fade. Long feathers grew from her body and her shape changed. On instinct and seeing no other choice, Ari was shifting to her Mira. In moments, a small kestrel stood where Ari had only moments before. One wing was bent at an awkward shape, as Ari’s arm was in human form. She hopped, attempting to flutter and calling out sharply with fear. The woman froze, eyes widening in brief horror as she took in the Kestrel. She shook her head before slowly shifting into her Mira. She shook herself, revealing a small wren where the woman had once stood. She cocked her head at Ari and hopped towards the little girl. Ari had stopped screeching, though was in obvious pain. She was silent and the wren slowly shifted to human form again. The woman knelt before Ari and held out a hand. “Let me help you.”
Ari the kestrel seemed to nod before slowly shifting back. She was on the ground now, curling in on herself and trembling. The woman moved slowly, determined not to scare the poor girl. She looked around, hoping no one had seen her. Ari looked at her distrustfully. “Who are you? Why are you a Songbird? Where am I?” The woman hushed her and gently picked Ari up in her arms.
“My name is Terra, and I am a Songbird because you have entered the Lands of the Songbirds. I’m going to make you all better okay? But you’re going to have to help me, can you do that?” Little Ari nodded her head, the logic of an eight year old instinctively trusting this motherly woman. Terra continued. “Can you tell me your name? Who you’re family is? How you got here?” Ari began to cry anew and shook her head. She hiccupped slightly.
“I can’t tell you because I don’t remember-“ She cut herself off. She didn’t remember anything. She had nothing, no memories, except for one. She almost held on to a deep voice whispering to her, asking her to forgive him. He called her Ari. She looked back at Terra. “I think my name is Ari.” Terra looked at the small girl in concern, brushing her tangled hair away. She felt the bump and the crusted blood and bit back a small expression of horror. She held Ari tight against her.
“Ari, honey, someone’s hurt you but you’re going to be okay now. You’re going to have to promise me something okay? You know how you shifted for me? The pretty Mira you have?” Ari nodded mutely, large eyes blinking at Terra. “You’re going to have to not show anyone else okay? You’re not in the Realm of the Hunters anymore and more people might want to hurt you. Do you understand?” Ari nodded her head, feeling weak. Her voice was a broken whisper.
“I’m a secret now.”
