Molly ran as fast as she could down the alley way. Her daemon, Erocur, was
in the form of a crow and settled on her left shoulder when she stopped.
"Where have they all got to?" she wondered.
"Probably ran ahead. Better get moving," replied her daemon. He changed into a fox and scurried ahead past the fish crates and old sacks closely followed by Molly who was looking quite peeved.
Molly was 12 years old, tall, lanky and had large hands and feet. She had light brown hair and eyes the color of muddy grass. Her face was slender and pale and she had a slight bounce in her step which made her look like a fidgety bird. She wore a dark green dress that came down to her shins and a white apron. Her boots were weather worn and sported some holes as was the condition of all her clothing. Dirt was smeared on her face and hands and her hair looked wind-blown.
"They must've gone down to the smoke house, Erocur, I don't see them anywhere!" she said wearily.
"Let's go and check then! It's not like they'd leave us without telling where they were going." Erocur replied with a hint of annoyance. " It's almost dark and we have about and other hour before we need to be back."
-------------------
Candle light flickered in the old tin shack. Outside the wind howled and the shack was filled with cold drafts. Five children and their daemons sat huddled in the corner on the small building.
The interior was as insulated as it could get. Blankets had been draped clumsily on the walls and across the space so as to have what seemed like two rooms. The remaining scrapes of clothe the children had were sewn together in to a patchy blanket that the five of them could huddle under.
These children were alone. In one way or another each of them had been left with no parents and homeless, hungry and cold they had all found each other. They were all around the ages of 10, 11, or 12. None of them really new their age but that didn't matter to them.
At the moment they were eating what one might call a dinner. They had stolen a smoked piece of meat and were now passing it around so all of them could get the same amount.
"Here, Molly, take another piece. I'm not that hungry," said a the boy next to her. He handed her the chunk of meat and smiled. "I know you didn't have breakfast this morning. You have the rest."
"Seth, really I don't need it. Give it to Emily, you know that she's the smallest of us all. She needs to be well nourished or she'll freeze ounce winter comes. It's cold enough already."
"All right, but you need to have your breakfast tomorrow." Seth took back the meat and handed it to Emily who immediately started to tear it apart and bite down on the tough chunk.
"Do you think that you'll be warm enough?" Seth asked her as she pulled her shall a little closer.
"I think so. But I'll a bit worried about René and Martin. Their coats are getting a little more torn every day and soon it'll be winter."
"You're worried for everyone. It'll be okay, don't worry so much," Seth smiled at her and gave her arm a slight squeeze.
René then blew out the candles. The little building grew suddenly quiet. As Molly lay down, Erocur changed into a great dog and lay down next to her. The beating of his heart next to hers felt so comforting that she forgot her hunger and fell asleep thinking of how beautiful the snow would look once it covered the river banks and the pavements of the city.
"Where have they all got to?" she wondered.
"Probably ran ahead. Better get moving," replied her daemon. He changed into a fox and scurried ahead past the fish crates and old sacks closely followed by Molly who was looking quite peeved.
Molly was 12 years old, tall, lanky and had large hands and feet. She had light brown hair and eyes the color of muddy grass. Her face was slender and pale and she had a slight bounce in her step which made her look like a fidgety bird. She wore a dark green dress that came down to her shins and a white apron. Her boots were weather worn and sported some holes as was the condition of all her clothing. Dirt was smeared on her face and hands and her hair looked wind-blown.
"They must've gone down to the smoke house, Erocur, I don't see them anywhere!" she said wearily.
"Let's go and check then! It's not like they'd leave us without telling where they were going." Erocur replied with a hint of annoyance. " It's almost dark and we have about and other hour before we need to be back."
-------------------
Candle light flickered in the old tin shack. Outside the wind howled and the shack was filled with cold drafts. Five children and their daemons sat huddled in the corner on the small building.
The interior was as insulated as it could get. Blankets had been draped clumsily on the walls and across the space so as to have what seemed like two rooms. The remaining scrapes of clothe the children had were sewn together in to a patchy blanket that the five of them could huddle under.
These children were alone. In one way or another each of them had been left with no parents and homeless, hungry and cold they had all found each other. They were all around the ages of 10, 11, or 12. None of them really new their age but that didn't matter to them.
At the moment they were eating what one might call a dinner. They had stolen a smoked piece of meat and were now passing it around so all of them could get the same amount.
"Here, Molly, take another piece. I'm not that hungry," said a the boy next to her. He handed her the chunk of meat and smiled. "I know you didn't have breakfast this morning. You have the rest."
"Seth, really I don't need it. Give it to Emily, you know that she's the smallest of us all. She needs to be well nourished or she'll freeze ounce winter comes. It's cold enough already."
"All right, but you need to have your breakfast tomorrow." Seth took back the meat and handed it to Emily who immediately started to tear it apart and bite down on the tough chunk.
"Do you think that you'll be warm enough?" Seth asked her as she pulled her shall a little closer.
"I think so. But I'll a bit worried about René and Martin. Their coats are getting a little more torn every day and soon it'll be winter."
"You're worried for everyone. It'll be okay, don't worry so much," Seth smiled at her and gave her arm a slight squeeze.
René then blew out the candles. The little building grew suddenly quiet. As Molly lay down, Erocur changed into a great dog and lay down next to her. The beating of his heart next to hers felt so comforting that she forgot her hunger and fell asleep thinking of how beautiful the snow would look once it covered the river banks and the pavements of the city.