My Mark
The higher we soar, the smaller we appear to those who cannot fly.
How true that is.
I got to where I am, not by being taught to fly, or even being allowed to fly. No, I saw my chance and took it. I jumped off of the highest cliff that I could ever dream of. Without looking back. Yes, the journey was long and brutal, but it was worth it. Several times I nearly hit the ground, hard. But each time I kept going; I kept trying to spread my wings and make my mark. Now that I am here, I realize that I only made it because of my determination, my stubbornness.
There are those who may want to follow in my path. And yet, even though I have made it easier for them, they will not take that leap. This is not because they cannot fly; look at what I have become. This is because they do not dream, nor do they believe in themselves. They may not even see their chance to fly, for there is always a chance, even if it is merely to fall. I know that I cannot influence them; I am so small to those who are grounded that they can barely see me – they can probably not hear me.
Then there are those who are prepared to do what I did, though probably much more gracefully. Those who can be strong enough, stronger and more determined than those who try and push us down, hold us back. It is the ones who want to learn that will do as such. They are the ones that cannot be contained; cannot be reshaped against their will. I am one of them; though the first in several hundred years. I did not hit my mark; I landed much higher than I had aimed, and in doing so I made the path easier for those who will follow in my footsteps.
I am Alanna, Lady Knight of Tortall, King's Champion.