Maiden Hawk
I felt my body shrinking. Suddenly my senses were sharper. My eyes were as sharp as a razor. I could smell a dead rat a mile a way. Everything grew, or was it that I shrank. My arms turned to wings. My feet to bright yellow bird feet. My toe nails to claws. I looked back. I had a tail. It was a reddish brown. I realized that some how I had morphed into a red tailed hawk. I half hoped over to the windowsill. I jumped with all my strength and pumped my wings. I easily flew onto the windowsill. I looked down from the 10-story building. Using all the courage I had, I jumped. I kept my wings tight against my side. My beak scraped the ground. I spread my powerful wings soaring high a sense of joy and giddiness ran through my body as the wind rushed through my feathers. Suddenly I lost speed; my wings turned to arms my beak to mouth. I was human again. I fell at a mind-boggling speed. I was waiting for my helpless body to hit the heard-packed ground. I was wondering why I hadn't hit the ground, not gathering enough courage to look down. Then it happened, I hit the ground with a sickening smack. As the dust cleared there lying in odd angles was a red tail hawk, motionless...
* * *
I, Daughter of Roger Smithson strutted through the halls of Winggroave high. Me, the daughter of the riches and most powerful man in this city had to go to some run down, non private, dirty publick school. Well at least all my teachers fear me. I never have homework and never do any work and I still get A's. Why because the teachers are afraid that daddy will fire them. Dane a snobby 15 year old thought to herself.
Dane walked through the crowded halls of Wing grove halls and thought to her self how beautiful and how popular she was. She seemed to have all the friends that she wanted and all the power. As she walked into her first teachers class room a crowed of friends crowded around her asking.
"Look at that ugly unpopular girl over there, do you think we should throw her out?"
Or "when is our next party going to be?"
"Whoa, whoa, whoa. There is no us or our it is me mine." I told them. "How many times do I have to tell you."
"Its time to begin class everyone take their seats." Called Mrs. Hampson in her nasally voice. "We will be talking about, yes Ms. Smithson?"
"Mrs.Hampson I need to go to the bathroom. My hair isn't all straight and
brushed perfectly." Sneered Dane
And with out a word she got up and walked out the door.
"What an ignorant girl she is yes in deed."
I walked proudly through the halls with my head held high walking like a princess. Like I always do. And when I came to the grubby large wooden door that lead into the girls bathroom I placed one hand and walked pushing it open before me, unlike most girls who just lean and walk. Then I calmly walked over to the mirror.
I gasped, my once storm-blue gray eyes were no more. They had turned into yellow birds' eye. The pupils were no longer full and round, they were silts. But my face still had its stubborn chin and my lips were still soft and red. I touched my face and then the mirror.
Then next thing that I knew I was speeding through nothingness. Visions, places, and people whizzed by. Then light. It was blinding; I shielded my eyes from it. Trying to escape the light I rolled up into a tight ball, but the light kept on finding a way in. Then I was thrown forward. I crashed into a tree.
"Thunk"
I hit the soft moss padded ground. As I took in my surroundings I saw that I was I was in a large dark forest. I could just barely see the sun peaking out from between the trees. I looked my self over, I was not hurt and I was still wearing the same close but they were dirty. They were so dirty that they didn't look the same. I was wearing not the black shirt and blue jeans, but it looked like a brown and black spotted shirt and grass stained jeans. How odd. I only hit the tree how could I have gotten so dirty. I thought to my self.
I heard voices. One was deep and majestic. The other was mysterious and yet soothing. I crept along the forest floor. As I peered through the branches of tree I saw that there was a clearing that seemed to be like a courtyard. Along one side was a stone pathway that winded off into the forest. Nearby was a stone bench for people to sit on and enjoy the day.
Two men were standing talking to each other in soft voices. One was tall with black hair that he tied back. His emerald green eyes danced. He wore a black baggy robe. His large sleeves had silver lightning embroidered around the large cuff. The other man was just as tall; his hair was short and a dirty brown. His blue eyes sparkled in the sun. He wore a blue tunic with a pearly white shirt with the cuffs buttoned. His brown breeches were not tucked in to his very fine black leather boots.
I crept to a closer not so thin bush so that I could hear what they were saying. I heard nothing. Then like the crash of lightning I heard metal on metal. Steel on steel and the horrible screech of an unearthly bird rang in the air.
Both men looked up. The first man took his hands out of his sleeves. The other touched his hands flat on his forehead and then flat on his thighs.
"I hate stormravens," muttered the first man.
"So do I." whispered the second.
Horrible steel-winged birds with human heads flew through the trees, their claws out-stretched, feeling for human flesh. They reeked of death and fear. The first man started to through black fiery balls of magic rimmed with white lightning. The other man had begun to use a blot of lightning as a sword and was hacking at every stormraven that came in range.
The pain of every hit ran through my body. Their screams of horror were amplified in my ears. I covered them trying to block out their screams. I shrank into a small ball trying to escape the pain and the screams to no avail.
I had had enough. I stood up and ran, ran as fast as I could run. I rushed through the forest until I was exhausted; something seemed to take over by body and mind. I walked slowly trying to calm myself down. The first thing I thought was to try to find a village or city. Then I can get help and try to go home.
Hours later Dane stumbled through the forest totally lost.
"Where am I. I am so lost. HELP!" Dane shouted "Some one help me!" Just when she thought that no one would find her and she would walk alone in this dark forest forever she heard a faint call in the distance.
"Hello? Is some body out there?"
"YES! I'm here come get me over hear over hear!" her heart sang with joy.
But then out from behind a tree sprang a strong looking warrior with his bow taught and was pointed at her heart. Danes hands flew into the air in surrender.
"what have I done. I have done nothing. Nothing a all." Dane sobbed.
The man lowered his bow and stared at her. Comepleat confusion on his face.
"My, my what strange close you're wearing I ain't never seem such strange close. And you sure are some wimpering little girl, that I would not have expected a lawbreaker and a trespasser. This is my land and I want you off it before I get to 20. So start run-in girl."
Danes eyes widened. But she didn't think twice. She turned and ran as fast as she could. Running through small creeks and over logs. She never once looked back and faintly "15, 16, 17" got softer and softer.
"where am I? No the better question is am I off his property?" Dane questioned her self.
She crept forward and then she heard it. It was the cursing at her for causing so much trouble. As soon as she heard that she ran like she had never run before. Her muscles aced and all she wanted was a drink of water, but she had to run for her life. She had no choice. Then she made a big mistake. She looked back and ran strait into a fence. She tried not to break it by jumping but that only made it worse. Her foot caught and the fence broke under her weight. And then she fell face forward in a puddle of mud with pigs oinking around her. But as soon as they saw the open fence they charged out and trampled the bowman. The man jumped up threw the pigs off him and ran back into the woods with out even looking back.
"that was interesting. Well at least he-'
''oh my. Oh my oh my! My pigs! They're gone and now I have a strangely dressed young girl in their pen that is covered in mud! What a horrible day what a horrible day."
And old man who was wearing an old shabby black robe with baggy sleeves stood at the door holding a crooked old staff. His skin was wrinkled and dirty and a look of sadness seemed to be glued on to his face.
''oh I am very very sorry it is just that the man was trying to kill me and he told me-''
the old man held up his hand for silence.
"Nonsence malady he is a brut and is very mean besides they aren't important pigs and I will let you come in and get new close. They might be a little big but they will work. Oh shame on me shame, shame. I didn't introduce myself, my name is Eric and what is yours malady?"
"umm well it isn't Malady it is Dane just Dane." She answered.
"Dane where have I heard that before? That is a special name and not very many people carry it, now do they. Well I am sure I will remember sooner or later. Come in come in we will get you into some clean and proper close. And you shall tell me why you broke my fence and how you got tangled with a brutal man like him.