A special thanks as always to my wonderful beta Tamora Pierce Junior, I don't know where I'd be without your help and support.
A special thanks to Ally-Marty as well for constantly reminding me of the joy of nestlings.
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Nawat Crow Was a Man Now
It had been a year. A whole year since Nawat Crow had turned man. Since he had left his nest and family to be with the two-legged woman in league with the Trickster. The Trickster had promised sparklies in exchange for the crows helping the woman.
The other crows did not understand why one whom was Gifted with the form of a crow would want to become a two-legger. Why one would give up such a life to live one of sorrow and grief? For in becoming a human Nawat Crow had lost much, much more than just a shape. He had lost his family and his freedom. He had lost his place among the crows, for if he wished to go back, he could no longer be whom he had been.
He had been forced to see much loss and be torn in the battle for the Isles. And yet Nawat Crow was neither hurt nor willing to change back.
More confused than ever at this the crows asked him why he did not come back to them, join the family once more. Their painfully simple minded views of love and nestlings were limited. They did not fully comprehend the power of human emotions. Nawat watched with sadness, knowing they would never understand.
The crows watched with their own sadness, knowing he would never come back. They tried, every day for a little longer, hoping against hope that he would join them once more. The hope was in vain, he was not ever coming back.
When it came time for the crows to leave, to find new nesting grounds like they always did after a while, the crows took to the sky with a strange silence. One crow hung back to look down at the strange shaped creature she called her son. With a caw of love and goodbye, Nawat Crow's mother rejoined her murder. The power of love may be somewhat hard for an animal to grasp, but the power of sadness was one basic and painful enough for any to comprehend.
Nawat Crow watched his mother fly away with that same sadness he had felt when trying to explain love to his old friends. He knew he might never see them again, and his mother was old for a crow, there was a good chance she wouldn't make it another spring. He was overwhelmed with longing at the sight of them flying away. A year ago he would've gone with them; would've been happy with them.
Now he had seen things. Many things. Things that made his heart wretch, things that made his heart pound faster and faster. Nawat Crow had known loss and pain, and friendship of a kind he never would have had as a crow. And holding Alianne Cooper in his arms he knew that he could never go back, never fly the endlessly jeweled skies again. He could never bear to lose the feeling of loving and being loved. The feeling of pride in his mate and excitement for the nestlings to come.
He would never fly again.
And somehow that was alright with him because Nawat Crow was a man now, and he would never give that up for all the blue skies in the world.
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To all my lovely and patient readers, I hope you've enjoyed yet another one-shot. I really am working hard on chapters for my other stories. You'll just have to bear with me for a little while yet.
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Keep Reading,
xxTunstall Chickxx
10/7/09