Author's Notes:This is my first finished piece of HPF. Actually it's my first finished FF of any genre. Please be gentle with your criticism, as I am a novice at this. I want to thank Kerichi for being my beta and my sounding board. I also want to thank Wendy for being another sounding board and making me feel so welcome here. I gravel at both of your feet!
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Title:
Little Miracle
Author:Lark/Don'tCallMeNymphadora4
Word
Count:
676
Prompt:Lark,
m'dear, so nice to see a Sprout participating. I challenge thee to
write a drabble where the main character is one of the more
intelligent magical creatures. I'm thinking mermaid, centaur,
Acromantula, etc. At the start of the story they must be unhappy and
by the end their problem must be resolved, or their sadness
alleviated in some other way. I know it's a pretty basic prompt, and
I want you to know that I'm not patronising you. I'm just giving you
free reign, and I want to see something creative. Good luck!
--
Cassiopeia, one of Hagrid's favourite young female thestrals, had just given birth to her first foal, a beautiful little filly. She was exhausted. The warmth and thrill that filled her heart over the arrival of her young was severely tempered by the discovery that her baby might not live.
The foals of thestrals were normally as black as pitch at birth, but Cassie's baby was a pale bluegray with dark blue eyes. Already the tiny filly was displaying the marks of her birth defects. She was extremely small, even for a newborn, and it was apparent that she was both blind and deaf.
The little one had not responded to her mother's soft nickers when Cassie spoke her love and devotion to her child. And when it came time for the young one to nurse, she had not been able to find her way without help from her mother. Cassie's heart was breaking. She knew thestrals born with these birth defects rarely lived more than a few days at most.
As she watched her daughter taking tentative steps on her wobbly little legs, Cassie began to feel some hope warming her aching heart. Though the filly was small and could not see or hear, she did not appear weak and frail as most thestral foals born with her birth defects were. The young one got to her feet right after her birth and was able to walk, while most foals of her kind were unable to stand long enough to nurse.
Sapphire-blue eyes blinked reflexively as the little one turned her head back towards Cassie, her ears perked, almost as if she could hear the sounds of the forest around her. Lifting her head toward the canopy of trees above, the filly inhaled deeply, then moved to hide by her mother. Cassie also sniffed the air, but could smell nothing that might cause her daughter harm. Dipping her head, she softly nuzzled her foal, offering comfort and love to the trembling young one. A few moments later, Cassie caught the scent that had startled the filly.
A rabbit hopped out from beneath a nearby bush, and stopped to look at the new foal. Nudging the baby gently out of her hiding place, Cassie proudly showed off her little one. The rabbit sat on his haunches and watched the timid young filly step out from behind her mother. When the baby leaned closer to sniff at their visitor, the rabbit decided he had seen enough and disappeared back into the bush from whence he came.
Cassie noticed the young filly was now holding her head high and steady on her feet. Hungry again, the young one easily found her way to her mother and began to nurse ravenously. Suddenly, the baby pulled away and let out a cry of fright. She inhaled deeply, turning towards the source of the scent that had caused her alarm.
Cassie's sensitive nose didn't smell anything harmful. She heard not a whisper of noise, but the little filly was beside herself with fright and began pushing against her mother's hind legs, trying to communicate the urgent need to move.
The mare turned her head and saw the reason for the foal's panic. Slithering silently along the forest's floor was a large and deadly snake, making its way closer and closer to the terrified foal and her mother. Cassie swiftly turned to face it and protect her baby.
Slowly lifting one leg, Cassie brought her hoof down on the snake's head, crushing it. Heart beating so rapidly it hurt, the mare turned to her baby once more and realised that the tiny foal had just saved Cassie's life and quite possibly her own. As the mare nuzzled her daughter, soothing the little one's frazzled nerves, awareness dawned. The young one had an exceptionally sensitive sense of smell to compensate for her lack of sight and hearing.
Cassie's heart filled with hope and happiness. Though life wouldn't be easy, and she still had many obstacles to overcome, the tiny filly might just make it after all.