Bird's Eye View

by AmbiguousTardigrade

The mind of Avian Conner, is a strange one indeed. How does she think? How does she perceive the foreign world found inside Wall Rose? How does she interact with her peers when Levi is not around? All this and other adventures ranging from serious to silly shall be explained. *This is a series of oneshots/drabbles/side stories that coincide with my main fic 'Learning to Fly*

2. Chapter 2

These series of drabbles take place during Avian's childhood to kind of give a glimpse into the relationships she had with each of her family members. She is around age 6.

These drabbles are told in THIRD PERSON

Family Bonds

Daughters are a Mother's Blessing

In the height of spring and just before noon, a woman hunches in the dirt over an array of different plant life, each flourishing and green as they grow under her skilled touch. Unbeknownst to her, a smaller body hides in the shadows, watching and waiting with baited breath.

"Another few weeks yet…" the woman mutters to herself, rubbing the leaf of a small herb between her fingers. "The mint should be ready to harvest, but the rosemary…"

The woman stands and moves around to the other side of her garden, closer to where the small being hides, and rests a hand on her hip, appraising her work.

"The ginger looks ready to harvest," she says, taking a step back. "We can take about a third of the rhizomes and replant them near the basil so I can start a second plant…"

Just as the woman bends over to inspect the herb in question, the bushes behind her rustle and a small, quick body leaps out of its fronds. The woman lets out a piercing yelp when the body lands on her back and clings to her whilst letting out an array of strange noises.

"BADGER ATTACK!" the body cries in the middle of vicious sounding snarls before proceeding to 'devour' it's chosen prey.

"CHILD!" the woman yelps back, instinctively reaching back to remove the sudden weight, and though her voice is loud, her face breaks out into a smile. "Be the death of me, you will!"

The woman lets out a sigh as she finally manages to dislodge the body from her and brings it around to her front, only to see a round face beaming back up at her.

"Honestly, Avian. Have you no thing better to do than to terrorize your dear Ma with your wild nature?"

The child in question merely lets out a boisterous laugh from a set of deep ginger hair, large curls bouncing about her features.

"But it's fun!" the girl smiles before reaching up and capturing her mother Generva's face between two small hands. "You should have seen your face! You were so scared!"

"I know I was." Generva says as she sets Avian down. "Rightly have a heart attack with you around."

At her comment, the girl's face falls slightly and concern scrunches her face.

"I didn't scare you too bad did I? I didn't mean too…" she mutters, looking crestfallen until her mother kneels down beside her to lay a gentle hand upon her cheek.

"I know you meant no harm, dear one." She comforts her softly. "Just startled me was all."

"Sorry màthair…" the child apologizes, her voice still low, but her mother just smiles and lifts the girl's head.

"There is no need for formal speech, love." Generva almost croons, lifting her daughter's head with a few insistent fingers. "Look here, what say you about helping me with my herbs? My ginger needs harvesting, and I have not enough hands to gather it all."

At the offer, Avian's blue eyes brighten.

"I wish to help!"

"Very well. Fetch me my basin please. We have a good amount of yield this year."

"Yes, Ma!" Avian smiles, sliding back into common speech, and rushes off around the house, returning moments later toting a metal bucket almost as big as she is.

"Got… it…!" the girl huffs, dragging it behind her, and the girl makes such a curious face from the exertion that Generva lets out a light hearted laugh.

"You mimic your brother's face quite well." She comments and takes the bucket from the girl. "I nary see anything aside from a frown from Romulus."

"That's because he's grumpy all the time." Avian elaborates as she follows her mother to the ginger they are to harvest.

"I understand not why he feels such a way. But such is to be expected from a boy his age I suppose. Perhaps we may lighten his dreary mood with a nice loaf of honey bread."

"Really!?"

At the prospect of bread, a rare treat to be had, Avian lets out an exaggerated gasp and openly gapes up at her mother.

"Yes, now shut your mouth lest a fly make his home in your throat."

The girl swiftly obeys with a quick snap of her teeth gnashing together, and turns to kneel on the ground beside her mother as she begins to carefully work her fingers into the dirt.

"Ginger likes to be harvested from its sides, so take care to leave its innards alone." Generva instructs as Avian follows her example and fearlessly digs her fingers into the soil. "Clear the soil away carefully until you feel the root, then snap off just a nub of it. Restrain from taking too much from one root, as we do not wish for the plant to die."

"Yes Ma."

Without much other instruction, both get to work and begin pulling away small pinches of root. Time passes in a comfortable silence in which Generva keeps one eye on her chore, and the other upon the child beside her.

Inwardly, she is glad that the girl has taken interest to learning about the art of gardening and caring for herbs. Watching the young girl concentrating on her task, her eyes and brows knit together in focus, the woman is reminded solemnly of how, once upon a time, she and her own mother were in the same position. Herb and medicine making is a trade that has been passed down through the daughters of her family for generations, and it fills her heart with pride to see her own daughter striving to follow in her steps.

"A healer we shall make of you yet." She states down to the ginger hair beside her, earning her a smile from the younger.

"Just like you?" the girl questions, to which her mother inclines her head just the slightest bit.

"More so than I." Generva tells her with pride. "You are well on your path to surpassing me, young one, a notion I am elated to see through. It does my heart well knowing you shall flourish with the knowledge I bestow upon you."

Avian watches her mother in reverent silence, able to pick up the gravity of her words even at such a young age, yet her head tilts slightly as she ends.

"What does 'bestow' mean?"

"To give as a gift, or present." Generva explains, very much used to the ritual of defining large words for the young girl. "Such as in the sentence, 'The winner was bestowed a prize.'"

"Oh…"

For a moment, Avian stops working as her eyes look off into the distance, and Generva knows that the child is working to commit the word to memory.

'And to know she is a child after my own heart as well.' She muses, intrigued by her daughter's developing interest in words and writing. 'Fluent and elegant her speech shall be, seeing as if she continues to learn.'

At moments like these, Generva cannot help but gaze in wonder upon the child she once carried, proud and happy to have done the service, even as unexpected as it may have been. It fills her heart with joy to see her youngest child thrive despite the complications related to her birth, and a great ball of worry seems to lift every time Avian smiles, laughs, or runs about in a fit of childish ecstasy.

'Time has been generous with you, my love. If luck be with us, many years shall you have to grow in intelligence and beauty.'

As a mother, Generva could not be happier, or prouder, of the three babes she has given her life to nurture and raise. Romulus, her oldest son who is as strong and silent as the mountains, and as reliable as the ground which aids her feet. Tolkien, her middle child with enough energy and optimism to be able to fly a kite with no wind. And her youngest, her dear baby girl, a blessing of luck who is only just beginning to spread her wings in preparation for the future.

'All of my children, you do your mother proud. I pray that fate may be kind to you, and may wisdom bless you.'

For the briefest of moments Generva closes her eyes, lost in her own calming thoughts until a tugging upon her blouse stirs her from her musings.

"Yes, dear?" she says, opening her eyes, then she lets out a loud shriek and accidentally falls backwards upon herself.

At her sudden burst of fright, Avian explodes into laughter.

"Aren't they cool!?" she says excitedly and tries to put her fist filled with an array of worms and odd bugs back into her mother's face so she can see. "I found them while you were sleeping!"

"Put those horrid creatures away!" Generva orders curtly, scooting back when Avian only pushes the bugs closer to her face which only earns another round of laughter from the child.

"But look! I even found a rolly-polly! See it!? It's right there!"

Completely unaware of her mother's severe fright, Avian shoves her fist in her mother's direction whilst pointing to a small armored bug crawling his way up her arm.

"Avian! PUT THEM DOWN."

Only after her voice turns severe does Avian take heed of her mother's words, and Generva lets out a held breath as the fist of creepy crawlies backs away.

"Of all things for you to learn from your brother…" she sighs, shaking her head as her heart slowly returns to normal. "Going through it with Romulus was trial enough, why must I suffer again?"

Avian merely lets out another laugh at her mother's expense, making a squinty eyed, toothy grin, and the girl gazes up at the woman with childish adoration.

For all the trouble she puts her through, Avian greatly adores her mother. Everything from her voice, which can switch between being as soft as down to as sharp as a thorn in the blink of an eye, to her cooking, which fills her with satisfied glee after every dinner, and even to her appearance.

Though she has no basis to go by, Avian always believed her mother to be beautiful: the way her face is shaped like a heart, the soft tan of her short cropped hair, the calm jade of her eyes, even her rather tall height are all beautiful in the eyes of her daughter. To Avian, her mother is a hero, able to accomplish so many things that the girl can't even begin to understand. All she knows is how her mother cooks for her, sews clothes for her, has taught her how to read and write, watches over her…

How one person can do so much is beyond her comprehension, yet she does not question it. The bond with her mother is strong, and with every book she reads, whenever a mother makes an appearance, it is always her own mother that she sees.

And so in a fit of happiness and childish spirit, Avian lets out another laugh and rushes to her mother, clutching the woman about her middle and rests her head upon her breast so as Avian may hear her heart.

"I love you Ma." She pronounces suddenly, tightening her grip to which Generva returns the gesture with every ounce of motherly love in her body.

"I love you too, my dear one."

So overwhelmed with compassion is she, that Generva doesn't even notice the damp spot forming on the back of her blouse from where Avian still clutches her handful of slimy worms.

Rambunctious Brotherly Love

"Can we go!? Can we go!? Please oh please oh please!"

"If you'd calm down for a second I could actually ask, numskull."

"Hurry! Rom is coming back today and we have to be back before he gets here!"

"I know that, now quit tugging. OUCH! That was my hair!"

"Sorry!"

All Tolkien can do is let out an exasperated sigh and keep his hands firmly around Avian's ankles so she doesn't fall off his shoulders.

"You're ridiculous."

Above him, the small ginger lets out a self-satisfied laugh and rests her arms atop his head, smooshing dark blond hair into his eyes.

"Hey, I can't see! Do you want me to walk into a wall!?"

"YES!"

"Wow, harsh much?"

Nothing but a childish giggle answers him.

Tolkien can't help but shake his head slightly at his sister and, doing his best to see through strands of hair, makes his way through the hall and into the open kitchen where, as usual, his mother stands tending to an assortment of herbs and vegetables that will eventually make their way into their dinner for the night.

"I fail to recall allowing a pair of badgers into my homestead." Generva states without looking up.

"Hey, don't blame me. The only badger I see is small and really annoying."

"Hey!"

Tolkien pretends to flinch in pain when Avian bats him on the head, but before he can do anything else, Avian's mind is already on the next topic, and she suddenly leans over his head in excitement.

"Ma! Ma! Can we go, please oh please oh please!?" Avian bounces in excitement, face a wide smile, and her energy spurs Generva to raise her eyes away from her task.

"To where shall ye go?"

"Avian wants to go…" Tolkien begins to reply, but before he can finish Avian suddenly leans forward again and plasters her hands over his mouth.

"I wanna ask!"

Ignoring her plea, Tolkien easily dislodges Avian's small hands from his face and repeats himself.

"Avian wants to…"

"I WANNA ASK!"

At this, instead of telling her to hush, Tolkien merely blinks, leans back, and forces Avian to slide off his shoulders. The unexpected act forces a squeal, then a long string of giggles, out of the young girl as she falls backwards and hangs upside down against her brother's back with only his grip upon her ankles keeping her aloft.

"As I Was Saying…" Tolkien dramatically begins again, giving the girl dangling behind him a pointed shake before returning his eyes to his mother. "... Avian wants to go to the lake."

"I concur." Generva replies, completely unaffected by her children's antics as she is all too used to their odd behavior. "Assured that you escort her."

"Of course, What else would I be doing?" Tolkien shrugs. "Someone has to make sure Buzzard here doesn't kill herself."

From behind him, Avian lets out an indignant huff and she raises herself up just enough so she can smack the back of his head.

"I am not a buzzard!"

"You sure? You certainly smell like one sometimes."

"You smell too! Like rotten meat!"

"I do not. I think I smell pretty good, thanks."

"Stinky, stinky Tol needs a bath!"

"At least I can wash off. You were just born smelly."

"Was not!"

Before the banter can go on, Generva interrupts by throwing them both a hard look.

"Dispel your insults and still your tongues lest I rip them from your mouths." She warns, instantly hushing Avian, and centers her eyes upon her middle child. "If you wish, then go now 'for I am tempted to change my mind."

Tolkien easily recognizes the change and swiftly nods, suddenly locking his legs together and raising his arm in a mock salute.

"As you command, Grand Màthair!" He bellows, ignoring the complaints of Avian who now dangles only by a single ankle, and makes his way back down the hallway leaving his mother shaking her head in his wake.

"You got exactly thirty seconds to get ready." Tolkien states simply as he reenters their shared bedroom. "After that, I'm leaving."

"Okay!" Avian answers, barely able to control her excitement, and the moment Tolkien sets her on the ground she becomes a flurry of ginger, rushing about the room as Tolkien begins his countdown.

"29…. 28… 27.… 26…."

Avian runs about the room, grabbing up her swimming clothes from her dresser and rushes to fetch her shoes as Tolkien casually makes his way to his bed and slings a pre-packed cloth bag over his shoulder.

"25… 24…. 23…. 22…."

Avian rushes back in, nearly tripping over herself as she hops on one leg while putting her shoe on the other.

"Em hurren! Em hurren!" she tries to say through the left shoe she holds in her mouth, then lets out a gasp as she takes it from her mouth and begins to work on the other foot. "I'm hurrying, please don't leave me!"

Tolkien merely watches her flounder, still counting.

"21… 20… 19… 18… 17… 16…. 15…."

Shoes on, Avian now scrambles to grab up her other things, up to and including a small fish net and jar in the possible prospect of catching something to take home. After taking the items from where they were kept upon one of shelves on her bookcase, the girl flounders to stuff them all in her bag. Seeing that she's almost done, her brother suddenly starts to the door.

"10-9-8-6-4-2-0-BYE!"

Avian can only let out a sound of great distress as he waves at her over his shoulder and makes his way out.

"WAIT FOR ME TOLKIEN!"

Behind him, all the boy can hear is the rapid stomps of feet upon the floor and something running into the wall pretty hard as the girl rushes to chase after him. By the time she finally runs and catches up, he's already making his way down the trail behind their home.

"You left me!" Avian huffs as she waddles up beside him, glaring up at him while doing her best to keep her towel from dragging the ground.

"I didn't leave you. You're just too slow." He shrugs back at her easily, slightly amused by her sour attitude.

"Am not…."

Her argument is all but a grumbled whisper as Avian keeps her eyes fixed firmly upon the yawning trail ahead. Soon enough nothing but green surrounds them, and the calls of numerous birds and the rustling of rodents in the brush lull any remaining annoyance from her mind. Avian has always loved the outdoors; all the plants that grow along their path, the shards of sunlight that pierce the dense canopy above them, the chorus of nature singing about her, the crinkle of leaves beneath her feet… Everything is a joy to the child, and the entire way to their destination, Avian is lost in it.

The only thing that stirs her out of her thoughtful daze is an unexpected hand upon her head.

"Still awake there? Don't tell me you're sleepwalking." Tolkien jibes, roughly messing up her hair, much to her displeasure.

"I'm awake! And stop it! Why do you always mess up my hair!?" she pouts and slaps his hand away, glowering at him as she tries in vain to run her fingers through ginger locks to straighten them.

In answer, Tolkien gives her a shrug and smirk, his signature answer to everything.

"It's fun." He says simply as if he can't understand why she would ask such a thing. "Besides, I figured I'd wake you up before you walk straight into the water and drown. Mom would kill me."

At the slap comment, Avian looks about ready to argue with him, but catches herself when a sliver of reflection shines through the trees. Instantly the girl breaks into a run, hurdling down the rest of the trail all the while avoiding tripping on her towel, and she nearly runs headfirst into water.

Once out of the trees, a calm body of water rests before her, it's waves mellow and inviting. Though it isn't large by any means, to the child, her mind sees it as endless and bottomless, and at the thought of it she lets out an exuberant sound of delight.

Without another thought and without giving her brother time to catch up, Avian unceremoniously tosses her things to the ground and makes a mad dash for the shore. With a practiced leap that takes her farther that what you would expect, her laughter is cut off by a splash of cool water, and once she is submerged, Avian knew bliss.

Unlike Tolkien, the natural water does not hurt her eyes, and she gazes at the watery world around her, surveying the silt covered bottom just below where a small school of tiny fish swim about in energetic bursts, startled by the new body that so suddenly appeared by them.

She stays down there, keeping herself submerged with practiced, easy strokes of her arms until, after a minute or so, she returns to the surface.

"I saw fish Tolkien!" she yells excitedly as the boy in question lazily places his stuff as well as hers at the base of a tree.

"You sure they were fish? Might have just been your reflection."

"Says you!" Avian replies, sticking her tongue out at him while he busies himself with removing his shirt.

But in her excitement, the girl just can't help but break into a smile again and swim closer to shore.

"Hurry up Tol!" she cries to him. "Come swim with me!"

"Give me a minute!"

"Swim! Swim! Swim!"

Tolkien sighs at his sister's insistent chanting and he throws her a hard stare, hushing her, as he tosses his shirt upon his bag. For a moment he just glares at her, both siblings completely silent. Then in a flash of sudden movement, Tolkien bursts into a run.

"DIVEBOMB INCOMING!"

Pelting at a full sprint, Avian lets out a shriek as Tolkien leaps into the air, knees pulled up to his chest, and body slams into the water only a foot away from her, throwing up a great wave of water and spray. Forcing his way up and throwing his head out of the water, messing up his perpetual blond cowlick, Tolkien bursts into laughter at his young sister's wide-eyed face.

"You almost landed on me!"

"Nah… you're too small to hit. You're just mad that I can leap farther than you."

"Nah-uh!"

"Uh-hu!"

In response, Avian splashes him in the face.

"I leap farther, you log-head!"

Tolkien dodges the sudden spray, blocking his face with his arms, before opening them slightly and smirking at the ginger between them.

"Of really? Tough words for such a little annoyance. Wanna fight me for it then, Buzzard? Winner gets title of Farthest Leaper."

At the challenge, Avian grins and propels herself forward, her small body lending a surprising amount of strength in water as she leaps at him and grabs him about his back.

"You're on!" she announces, using her entire body to try and submerge her brother's head into the water, though she is so light he doesn't even budge.

Tolkien lets out a mocking laugh at her flimsy attack and reaches behind him to grab her.

"You're gonna need to try harder than that!"

And so the two lock themselves in a vicious battle; the younger fighting valiantly with every ounce of strength and agility her tiny body can offer, and the older buffing her attacks with easy resilience and mock counters. Back and forth the two wage war, not afraid to scream, splash, and dunk the other to victory, but after a great deal of time, Tolkien finally ends it.

With a greatly exaggerated yell, he sweeps his arms under Avian, who was rapidly swimming toward him for another attack, and lifts her high into the air. All she can do is squeal and clutch to his arm, but such an act is feeble when he lets out a great grin.

"SISTER BOMB!"

Shrieking, Avian closes her eyes and draws in a great breath just before Tolkien throws her up and she lands heavily back into the water with a loud clap. After a few seconds, Avian makes her way back to the surface, swings her wet hair out of her face, only to find her brother nonchalantly flexing his arms and looking very pleased with himself in light of his triumph.

"I believe it's safe to say that I won." He smirks while raising a brow at her, to which Avian huffs and crosses her arms.

"That's not fair." She pouts which only causes her brother to laugh even more.

"Life isn't fair, Buzzard." He shrugs, turning his back to her, then waves her off as he steps toward shore. "Besides, now that I've claimed my rightful title I have no reason to fight you anymore, so you go and have fun. I'm gonna read."

"Fine. I will!" she sassily replies back, waggling her head as Tolkien takes a hard seat against a tree trunk and begins drying his hair.

"Cool." Is all he says back, drying himself off before draping his towel over his shoulders and pulling out a novel and opening it to his desired page. "Just don't drown. I don't feel like dragging your waterlogged carcass all the way back home."

"Glad you're so nice to me Tol…"

"I do my best."

With that, each sibling go their separate ways, Tolkien to his literature and Avian to her watery playground. Though they do not interact for the next couple hours, each find enjoyment in their respective tasks and neither fully pushes the other out of their mind. His words may come out easily and sound indifferent at times, but Tolkien truly does keep an eye on his younger sibling while he reads. And likewise, Avian always has an eye on her brother, in the hopes that he will see her when she practices her back flips, or catches an annoyingly slippery frog.

After a while, Avian becomes bored in her lone adventures and comes ashore to investigate Tolkien's engrossed reading. When she does, Tol casts her an appraising eye.

"Finally got bored floundering around?"

"I do not 'flounder', Tolkien. I 'swim'!" the girl replies swiftly, miffed that he always downplays her aquatic skills as they are the only thing she is really good at.

"Whatever makes you happy." He shrugs back, then cocks his head to the side. "Hey, don't freak out, but I got you something."

At this, Avi's eyes grow wide.

"What?"

"A surprise. Wanna see it?"

"YES! YES! YES!"

The ginger bounces up and down upon her heels in excitement and claps her hands, all the while Tolkien keeps a steady gaze upon her.

"You sure you want it?" he inquires more. "REALLY REALLY want it? It won't be what you expect."

"Come on Tol! What is it!?"

"Alrighty then…"

For a moment, Tolkien holds the gaze of his excited sister, struggling to keep his face straight, then raises his arm.

"Catch!"

A small… something flies out of his hand and lands on the girl. Avian steps back and gazes down at the new dark spot upon her stomach, trying to determine just what it is, and when she does, she lets out an ear shattering shriek.

At the sound, Tolkien bursts into laughter as Avian shrieks again and turns into a flurry of terrified limbs as she swats at herself, slinging the hairy spider somewhere far, far away. Even after the hideous creature is gone, the girl continues to scream and run her hands over every bit of body as if she could feel even more of them upon her.

After a moment or two of desperate, fear fueled thrashing, Avian finally calms down enough to whirl on her brother.

"I HATE YOU TOLKIEN!" she screams at him with anger filled tears, unimaginably furious. "I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU! WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT!?"

Her rage only causes immature Tolkien to keel over in more mocking laughter, delighted over his 'prank', and smiles at her.

"'Cause it's fun to see you freak out. You should have seen the look on your face! I thought your eyes were gonna bulge right out of your skull, ha!"

The boy falls into another round of laughter, unaffected by his sister's heated glare.

"YOU'RE A MEANIE!" she screams at him again, stomping her foot. "A BIG, FAT, STUPID, SMELLY, FISH-FACED MEANIE! I HOPE YOU DIE IN A HOLE!"

With that, she storms off and firmly takes a hard seat on a stone near the lake shore , her back facing resolutely toward Tolkien.

"Ah, come on. It's a joke." Tolkien continues, wiping his eyes and finally bringing an end to his laughter. "Take it easy. It's not like it was gonna bite you or anything."

Avian curtly ignores him and glares out into the waves.

At her silence, Tol just sighs and rummages through his bag before pulling out a small tome, which he waves in the air.

"Quit being a baby and come over here. I brought your favorite book for us to read." He entices, unbothered by Avian's anger. "It's the one about the wolf. I promised I'd read it to you, remember?"

Once again the girl keeps her silence, and this time, Tolkien's easy smile begins to fade.

'I didn't make her that mad, did I?'

But as he watches her and falls silent, he can just catch the sound of her hiccupping crying, and at the sound the last of his joy dissipates. A twinge of regret now spurts in his chest.

"Hey… you alright?" he calls out to her softly, leaning to try and get a look at her face, and fails. "You're not crying are you?"

For the third time Avian ignores him, and Tolkien's chest begins to ache.

'I really did make her mad…'

All he was trying to do was mess with her, like he always does. It's common place for him to threaten her with one of the eight legged creatures just to get a cheap laugh, but he never actually forced her to touch one until now. Seeing his sister's huddled form a few meters away, he now realizes that he went too far in his antics, and his regret only grows.

Easing himself up carefully from his spot, he slowly makes his way over to her and crouches beside her.

"Hey…"

Avian turns her head away from him, but not before he catches the glimmer of wetness upon her cheeks.

"Hey…" he repeats again, softening his voice. "…I'm sorry. That was my bad. I went too far with that."

Silence.

"Come on… I was only playing around. Don't do this to me Avi… I'm really, REALLY sorry. You're right, I AM a big, fat, stupid, smelly fish-faced meanie. But I want to make it up to you."

Avian still refuses to turn her head, but she does shift slightly, which gives Tolkien a bit of hope. Bringing the book still in his hand in front of him, Tolkien gently waves it, peering around to try and see her face.

"Ya know… It's no fun reading by yourself. And there are some words I need help pronouncing. Think you can help me with that? You ARE the expert on this book, aren't you?"

Still silence, but after a few tense seconds, the girl finally brings around her head and glances at her brother with disbelieving eyes.

"You're gonna throw another spider at me, aren't you." She accuses, and Tolkien swiftly shakes his head.

"No! No spiders, I promise. That was really mean of me, and I'm sorry. I just want to read with you."

Avian continues to stare at him for a long while, deciding whether to trust him or not, but after a while she eventually concedes and gives him a small nod.

"Okay."

At her answer, her brother gives her a small smile and helps her stand. Without another word, he leads her to their stuff and he sits down at the trunk, Avian sitting in his lap.

"Alright, where were we?"

"Chapter three…"

"Okay. You want me to start?"

"Yes…"

"Alright then…"

And so he begins, and after the first few sentences, whatever doubt Avian held fades away, and she follows along with her brother, eyes scanning page after page with his. She becomes lost in the sound of Tolkien's voice as he tells the story, glad that he puts effort into its telling. He get soft when it's sad, excited when it's tense, loud when it's filled with action, and mellow when it's calm. Somehow, he brings the story to life in her ears and in her mind, and all her attention is always focused upon the next word, the next sentence, the next paragraph and page and chapter.

Before either of them know it, the sun begins to set upon their reading, so drawn in by tales of battles, losses and, sometimes, even victories. After so many hours of sitting, however, Tolkien begins to feel the irresistible urge to move again, never able to sit in one spot for long. And so, as he reads aloud a grand fight between the wolf and a lynx, he tenses.

"The cub felt the prod of the life that was in him," Tolkien reads, "and stood up and snarled valiantly by his mother's side. But she thrust him ignominiously away and behind her. Because of the low-roofed entrance the lynx could not leap in…"

Tolkien tenses while Avian sits in his lap, oblivious to what's about to come.

"… and when she made a crawling rush of it…" the boy speaks lowly, and only when Avian leans forward in anticipation, he swiftly grabs her up, tossing the book away.

"THE SHE-WOLF SPRANG UPON HER AND PINNED HER DOWN!"

Avian lets out a loud, delighted squeal as Tolkien snags her and assaults her with ticklish fingers about her belly. They wrestle, Avian squealing and Tolkien snarling just like the wolf in the story, until he suddenly stands and lets out a bellow of triumph.

"TOLKIEN WINS AGAIN!" he announces proudly, arms stretched wide where, and firmly grasped in his left hand, Avian dangles once again by a single ankle.

"Put me down!" she half squeals, half giggles, desperately grabbing for him.

"I don't think so, ravenous lynx! I've won with this battle!"

Both fall into a round of laughter, the girl's face turning ultra red from being dangled upside down, until a steady voice interrupts them.

"So it was two idiotic worms fighting that I heard…"

Opening their eyes, both turn to see their oldest sibling Romulus standing a few meters away, a string of rabbits strewn over his shoulder and his calm face leveled at them with just the tiniest hint of exasperation. At the sight of his brother, Tolkien lifts up Avian even higher and motions to her with a nod.

"Oi, Rom! Look what I caught! Great isn't it!?"

At the question, Rom stares at the still giggling Avian as if appraising her then, after a tense second, he turns toward the trail leading home.

"Too scrawny." He answers mildly without another glance. "Throw it back."

Tolkien shrugs.

"Whatever you say."

With a final shriek, Tolkien unceremoniously tosses Avian back into the lake, where she lands with a loud splash.

"Hey Rom! Wait up!"

The blond headed boy doesn't bother looking back as he gathers his things and follows Rom down the trail, causing Avian to rush and catch up. By the time she does, the two brothers are deep into conversation, and the girl is left to watch them.

They may fight often, and he may be very talented at making her mad, but Avian cannot help but smile up at her more vocal brother as he talks, always so animated and full of energy. Of everyone in her family, Tolkien is the most fun to be around, and he is the easiest to talk to.

'Plus, he's pretty…'

Though 'pretty' isn't the word she is looking for, Avian has always been enraptured by her brother's looks. Though still in his thirteenth year, he is just beginning to gain some height on him, and the fatness of youth is beginning to leave his face, leaving it sharp and mature. Even after rough-housing and playing in the water, his dark blond hair has long since dried and perked back up into its usual perpetual cowlick, an asset that greatly brings out his shining blue eyes and ever bright smile. Though she doesn't know consciously, she is aware of just how handsome he is, and there have been times where he has smiled so brilliantly at her that she couldn't help but blush at him.

To her, he is the living incarnation of the 'prince charming' she has read about in fairy tales; men who are charming, confident, attractive, and skilled. He has no qualms in showing his emotions, whatever they may be, and unlike Rom, Tolkien is never hesitant to show brotherly love out in the open.

Just like now as they walk, the blond turns to look at his sister, who is still staring up at him in wonder, and in response he lets loose his signature grin and ruffles her hair.

"You know, now that all the dirt has washed off, you're actually pretty cute for a buzzard…"

"I AM NOT A BUZZARD!"

And just like that, the prince charming persona is gone.

Silent Protector

Avian always loved the rain. Something about the sound of it tapping against the windows and leaves in a soft melody of sound, the coolness it brings in the height of summer, or the way the world smells after a nice, long shower, whatever the reason may be, the phenomena has always comforted her, and it was not uncommon for her to lay awake in bed just to listen to it.

But this night is different. Unlike most of the year, spring brings about a very different side to the rain that the young girl has yet to grow accustomed to. Instead of the gentle downpour she has grown to love, fat drops of heavy rain smash into the window with abnormal force, and even through the stone walls of her home she can hear the howling of wind and the creaking of trees.

Avian likes the rain, but doesn't like storms.

It's just weather, but the girl is still at a young enough age to where such trivial things stir in her a mix of wonder and fear. On one hand, rain still falls, though a little harder, and it intrigues her as to how so much water can stay up in the sky. Yet on the other hand, storms and heavy rain bring with them a couple of fearful companions in the form of gusts, lightning, and it's louder brother, thunder.

For the most part, the girl isn't afraid of it. She has always wondered what it was that creates such great noises, like the rolling of a gigantic ball or the footsteps of a towering giant. Thunder is much more intimidating than its brother, but the majority of the time, it does not boast its bellowing voice so the girl had no reason to be afraid. But this night she lays awake, unable to sleep due to the deep rumbling just beyond her window.

A flash of light brightens the sky, strong enough to illuminate the entirety of her room for a split second before going dark again. Somehow, both of her brother's lay asleep in their beds, unaffected by the storm brewing just outside, and Avian cannot help but be jealous of their assurance. She yearns for sleep, but every time she closes her eyes, a booming clap snaps her back awake and leaves her quaking under her sheets.

Loud noises seem so much scarier at night.

Another great flash of light breaks the darkness, and soon after, Avian covers her head as its accompanying bang splits the sky before grumbling away into silence.

"Sleep."

At the unexpected voice, the ginger headed girl uncovers herself and, through the murky gloom, barely makes out the form of her oldest brother Romulus turned to face her.

"I can't…" she mutters, shaking her head slightly though he cannot see it.

"Try. You keep me awake."

There is no accusation in his low voice, but Avian cannot help but feel embarrassed and guilty for waking him with her constant squirming.

"Okay…"

Rom answers her by turning back over and letting the room fall back into silence. Hard rain still pelts the window to their room hard enough to sound like little rocks, but the girl does her best to obey her brother by snuggling deeper into her covers and firmly clamping her eyes shut.

And for a while, it works. The storm does not let up, but the rolls of thunder are rather muted and subdued, and as her heart begins to slow, her eyes begin to grow heavy. Sleep tickles her mind, and the steady drumming of rain lulls her deeper into relaxation.

Yet as luck will have it, the storm has a nasty prank up its sleeve, for just as Avian begins to fall into a doze, the room flashes with brilliant white so strong it forces her awake again. For a moment, Avian stares drearily at the wall suddenly illuminated by a huge bolt of lightning, not quite awake enough to make sense of it. But that swiftly changes as a thunderous, powerful crack explodes in the sky, so loud and great that the window pane clatters and the frame of her bed shakes in its force.

Cold fear shoots through her tiny body, and she lets out a yelp and curls up into a ball so tight her knees push against her head and her limbs shake. She has never felt thunder strong enough to shake her entire room, and the simple fact that mere sound can cause such a thing to happen spurs her into a silent panic.

In her wild, childish mind, the bellows change from a simple noise made by weather to the voice of a raging monster, each subsequent crack, rumble, and shaking of ground all evidence of its rampage.

Tears spring to her eyes at the thought of such a monster coming for her, just they do in her children's books, and she lets out a low, fragile whine.

Drowned out by the sound of heavy rainfall, the girl doesn't hear Romulus let out a drawn sigh as he sits up in his bed. From his vantage point, his sister is nothing but a small mass beneath her sheets, so tiny she could be mistaken for a misplaced pillow.

Having just returned from an exceptionally lengthy hunting excursion, he is beyond tired, and yearns for nothing more than sleep. But no matter how hard he tries, he just can't seem to push the sounds of his distressed sibling out of his mind, and so with grudging waver, he calls out to her.

"Avian."

At his voice, the girl is almost afraid to answer, knowing it was her fault that he was woken up again.

'He's going to get mad at me.' She worries, and decides the best course of action is to remain under her covers.

"Avian…."

Silence.

Rom lets out another sigh, rubbing a large hand over his face, and forces himself out of bed. The next thing Avian knows is the covers being pulled off of her, and the body of her brother looming over her.

"Rom…" she meekly looks up, very much expecting a back lashing for her continued noisemaking.

Much to her surprise, however, instead of answering her, Romulus merely crouches down and picks her up. The girl can only blink at his unexpected gesture as he returns with her to his bed, and without letting her go, climbs in and draws warm sheets over them both.

All Avian can see now is the subdued white of his shirt, and she can just barely feel his chin resting above her head. For a long time, she just lays there in wonder at this sudden change of events.

It isn't that he does not care, no, Romulus is far from uncaring, but to show outwardly affection, especially physical affection, is a rare occurrence. It has been many years since he has willingly hugged, and many more years before then that he last spoke endearingly to his family. Such things are just not part of his character.

Avian knows very well that her brother is not detached, or ungrateful, or unloving. In fact, it's quite the opposite. Avian knows Romulus to be a very loving, affectionate man, given you know where to look. Evidence of his bonds can be seen mostly in his gestures: his sole providence of meat for one, a toil that he took on completely voluntarily at a young age, the sporadic completion of chores that no one asked him to do, the sharing of his most prized catches, even his constant participation in the family gatherings they have ever night, though most of his interaction is comprised of watching silently and playing the guitar.

Romulus is a hardworking, thoughtful man of few words; nothing more, nothing less.

And so, with all that knowledge, it's natural for Avian to feel very surprised by her brother's sudden gesture. Never before has he done something like this, and as strange as it is, it's a good kind of strange. The girl shifts slightly, feeling curiously aware of how close she is to him, and her eyes latch onto his arm draped lazily over her small body.

Even in the dark she can clearly make out the ridges and valleys of muscle, large and strong after many years of hunting and gathering on his own. If it's one thing Romulus has to call his own, it's his strength. Only sixteen years of age, he is already taller and stronger than anyone Avian has ever known, including their father. She has lost count of how many times he has single-handedly felled great oaks with an axe, or hauled full grown deer miles through rugged forest and over hills after spending a week out in the wilderness.

In her mind, Romulus is unbreakable. Never has she seen him grow tired after working all day. Never has she heard him gasp for breath or bow in exhaustion. Never has she witnessed him find something he couldn't lift or split or carry. Even his character is unshakable: having never exclaimed in sudden pain, having never exploded with anger, having never shed a single tear… He is a wonder to her, an unreal being who knows no fear.

Unconsciously Avian moves, slow and deliberate, and she gently places both her hands around the bulk of his arm, her fingers extended as far as they can go. Yet no matter how hard she strains, her fingertips don't even come close to touching.

"What are you doing?"

His voice is calm, deep but mellow, and Avian looks up to see forest green eyes staring down at her from a neat mop of dark brown hair.

"You're arms are really big." She replies before returning her gaze to his arm. "Even bigger than Da's."

Romulus says nothing above her as she busies herself with examining his limb with childish curiosity, poking and prodding and squeezing as if it is some kind of toy. So lost is she in her wonder that Avian completely forgets about the raging weather outside until, once again, a great crack splinters the sky. The girl jumps as the sound shakes the entire house, louder than ever, and her heart leaps into her throat.

She wants to cry, as all children do when they are frightened, but before the sobs can work their way up, Romulus moves. The arm she was messing with before shifts and wraps around her, drawing her closer to him, and another unseen hand gently captures the back of her head.

"I got you."

It's such a simple phrase, short and blunt, but from it Avian's tears still upon her eyes. His thumb plays softly upon her head, just a minute movement, but it does wonders to calm the rapid thrumming of her chest. Like this, with her face in his chest, the world is all but hidden, limited to the strength of his arms and the cloth of his shirt. The scent of him reaches her, a mix of the smell of woods and growing things, and underneath her ear lies the steady beat of his heart, calm and strong.

Wrapped up like this, Avian's own heart begins to still and tension leaves her body. Like this, she knows nothing can harm her. Romulus will protect her, just as he has always done. He was the one to rescue her when she became stuck in a tree after climbing too far. It was he who sat behind her and held her as she was just beginning to learn to ride a horse. It was he who cradled her when she felt fear bite into her the first time a badger came across her path, and it was he who fought it creature away, completely unafraid.

Safe. She felt safe.

Avian wraps her fingers around the fabric of his shirt, the girl having always been one to want to hold something in her hands whenever she is upset. Sleep tugs at her and slowly, hesitantly, her eyes begin to close.

The constant thumb brushing against her hair doesn't stop, even long after she falls asleep.

Best Friends

"Hey! Hold on! Let.. Oof! Calm down! He-… hey Stone, cut it out!"

Her words are harsh, but Avian can't help but laugh at the antics of the horse she is attempting to feed, but against her insistent instruction, he doesn't wait for her to pour his feed into his trough and instead insists on sticking his entire muzzle into her bucket, nearly knocking her over.

"You big oaf! You aren't supposed to eat from this!"

But try as she might, the animal fails to listen to her and, in the end, she puts the bucket down and lets the horse have his way, spilling his meal all over the grass and plucking it up with eager lips and teeth.

"No wonder you're so fat…" Avian mumbles, watching until the horse is done, then gets out a giggle as he once again pushes his muzzle into her small body in the search for more food. "That's it! Stop it, silly! I don't have any more!"

In response, Stonewall gives her one last shove about her hands, giving them a good look and sniff before raising his great head and turning away.

"Oh stop pouting, you baby." Avian chides him playfully to which Stone merely flicks an ear as if annoyed she hadn't brought him something else. "You have the WHOLE woods to eat! Isn't that enough!?"

As if he can understand her, Stone once again flicks his ear dismissively and solidly taps a large, feathered hoof.

"Greedy."

Avian gives her companion a long stare, challenging him to 'say' something more, but when he doesn't she lets out a satisfied huff and motions to him.

"I thought so." She says, reaching up touch his shoulder and gain his attention. "Now, since you're fed, let's give you a bath, okay? You really need it…"

Standing on the very tips of her toes, the girl softly grabs what all she can reach of him, in this case a lock of his long mane, and gently leads him around to the rear of her home where a large basin filled with water already waits. At the sight, the horse under her touch gives a shake in his withers.

"I know it's going to be cold, but you're really dirty from the mud you played in yesterday."

It takes some firm leading, and a bit of sweet talk, but eventually Stone concedes to his rider's wishes. Since it's the only the girl can even get close to being able to reach all of him, the animal sighs and lays down in the grass, not putting up much resistance as the girl goes about rubbing every inch of his dappled gray coat with soap and cloth. Once done with his back, Avian prompts him to stand again and spends another good deal of time scrubbing stubborn, dried mud from his legs and scooping it out from the hollow of his hoof.

After an hour or so of rigid cleaning, the ginger finally tossed her filthy rag into the basin and lets out a sigh.

"All done! Now don't you feel better?"

In response, Stonewall gives a great shake and sprays drops of water everywhere, dousing the girl with liquid.

"Hey!" Avian shouts, mimicking her steed by shaking herself, and she glares up at him. "

Stonewall lets out a long, resonant whinny as if mocking her then, with a taunting toss of his head, turns and gallops away. Avian automatically follows, and chases after him.

"That's not nice!" she laughs, pelting after the young stallion. "Get back here!"

The girl reaches out with lanky arms but the horse easily sidesteps away. He looks back at her, always making sure he isn't too far ahead, and throws his massive head back as he gives another whinny. At her approach, the stallion dances on his legs, making little, playful hops before galloping away at the last second to avoid her grasp.

Though he is full grown, the horse is still a young stallion, and he finds much enjoyment in teasing his master with jesting knickers and sassy swooshes of tail, not quite grown into calm mental maturity. Just the same, Avian has yet to realize her own maturity as well, the child still abundant in youthful energy and charisma. With the two combined, the confident stallion and energetic child, with no other company than each other, have formed an unmistakable bond akin to the ones Avian has for family. As she runs about chasing after the prancing animal, she cares not that her best friend is only an animal of burden. With no experience or knowledge of people outside the small family she keeps, the girl is perfectly content with sharing her life with Stonewall, and Stonewall, having no experience or knowledge of any of his kind outside the trees in which he roams, is also content with sharing his life with Avian.

So in that way, an odd balance of connection has formed where each consider the other more family than friend, despite being completely different species. They communicate without words, a phenomena that neither understand, but do not care to investigate. To them, there is nothing odd about the bond they share: they grew up together, the stallion being her senior by only a year, and Stonewall was just as much of a witness to Avian's growth as her human family.

To him the girl is a sibling, a precious playmate of whom he loves and does not judge. He cares not that the girl chases him and sometimes yanks on his tail fur by accident. He does not mind the uncomfortable struggle he endures while the girl climbs atop him for a ride. He enjoys following her around as she flitters about, galloping with her when she is about catching fireflies, and lays down beside her when she reads to him. The horse does not understand most of her words, but he has always loved her energy and her voice, so full of adoration and love and playful jest.

Since the passing of his parents in years past, Stonewall has known no family other than the girl to which he belongs. The other humans to which she is kin are just as well, but it is the youngest of which he as the closest bond. He loves nothing more than the feeling of her tiny body astride his back, or the soft touch of her hands upon his muzzle. Being an animal who needs companionship to survive, he adores every caress and pet and scratch Avian gives him, the physical interaction always constant in warming his spirit.

Even now as he gazes contently into the darkening greenery of the forest he likes to roam, the warmth of the child is upon his side. Bringing his head around, he gives the girl a careful sniff, but refuses to dislodge her from where she had fallen asleep against his shoulder while in the middle of braiding flowers into his mane. She has been there for a while, since the sun began to set, and his legs are beginning to become uncomfortable underneath him. But instead of shifting and risking the chance of disturbing her, Stonewall keeps true to his namesake: unmoving, steady, and strong.

"Avian, supper is ready!"

At the voice, Stone's head lifts and he can just barely see the dark form of Avian's father, Reid, from where he stands in a soft yellow doorway. When his daughter doesn't reply, Reid steps out and kneels beside the girl and the horse, his eyes gentle as he gazes upon them.

"Done 'er right, you did." The man tells the stallion with heavy accent before giving the animal an affectionate bush of hand over his muzzle. "You watch over 'er like a third brother. You have my thanks."

With a final pat, Reid removes the child from Stonewall's side, allowing the steed to stand and follow close behind them as they make their way back inside. Just outside the door, Stone stops and gives the girl one last investigating sniff.

At his action, Reid lets out a hefty laugh and pulls out a small apple from his pocket.

"Keep it up and you'll rightly put me to shame, and strike me dead the day I let a horse be more of a father than I."

Stonewall has no way of understanding the man, but at the presentation of the fruity treat, the stallion's dock raises in delight and he swiftly takes of it, knowing he has done well.

"Good horse. Grown into a right stallion you have. You do your Ma proud, Stonewall."

With that ending statement, Stone just catches a glimpse of his sleeping master's face before Reid enters the house and closes the door. For a moment, the horse stands there, staring at the wood as if he could see right through it, but after a second or two he gives himself a great shake and proceeds to head into the wild in search of something to hold his attention until Avian wakes and comes to him tomorrow.

Seamair

'It isn't fair. It just isn't!'

And yet for all her thrashing and indignant mulling, Avian cannot help the tears that spring in her eyes.

She sits in her room upon her bed, just a huddle of violent emotion, though she has no real idea why. She's always known that lying was wrong, and that, in the back of her mind, she knew that one day her family would become fed up with her behavior. So why is she feeling like this? A mixture of anger and guilt.

She hates making her parents mad, she really does. The sterner of the two, her mother was the first to confront her daughter about her prevalent problem and, though she is never degrading or insensitive, Generva has always been an outspoken woman who knows how to speak her mind without being afraid to do so. She is a solid enforcer of manners and discipline, and she has a way with language that easily cuts to the soul.

Her father, Reid, though not as outspoken is just as stern. His words are fewer, but his voice carries in it his disappointment. Along with his voice, the laugh lines around his eyes harden, his gaze even more so, and he has a talent for inflicting punishment upon the spirit with a mere glance. While his wife is the voice of discipline, he is the body; formidable and intimidating in silence.

Together they are a force to be reckoned with, and having been born a person highly sensitive to anger, Avian has always feared their parental power. And it is that fear that fuels her now, in addition to other emotions that her little mind and heart can't comprehend.

Prompted by these emotions, the girl yearns for nothing more than to get away, to angry to stay in her room, yet too ashamed to face the disappointed faces of her family. So with nowhere else to go, the ginger nimbly climbs atop one of her brother's beds and slips out the window. At the sound of her dropping onto the grass Stonewall, who was nonchalantly picking apart weeds a few meters away, lifts his head and, as he watches his young owner step stealthily into the woods, he instinctively follows.

Once surrounded by greenery and shadows, the girl breaks into a run, skirting down a narrow trial with surprisingly nimble steps. With these very woods being her personal playground since she was young, Avian traverses knots of roots and uneven ground with practiced ease, not stopping until her home is well out of sight.

Slowing to a walk, hooves upon earth greet her ears and a second later, Stonewall comes up beside her, giving her an investigating look with dark, intelligent eyes.

"They hate me." She tells them through tight lips and, though she knows what she is saying isn't true, it helps to vent some of her anger. "They got mad at me, and I hate it."

Once again, Avian realizes that there is no one for her to blame except herself. The girl knew her constant fibs would one day get her into a heap of trouble, but she always justified her lies with childish reason. They hurt no one, so why is it bad? So what if she lied about certain things to make herself seem as capable and talented as her brothers? She meant no harm, and she only did so to fill in the void that she felt when comparing her own abilities to theirs.

'I just want to be special like them too… but they got angry with me, and they all look so disappointed…'

It kills her little heart to see her family look at her in such a way, especially her brothers, the two people of whom she admires most. Her father and mother are wonderful, and the girl cares for them deeply, but it is something about Romulus and Tolkien that she has always admired and adored. They are her protectors, her teachers, her best friends. In her mind, they are capable of doing anything, and for as long as she can remember, Avian has always wanted to be as strong and talented as them.

But she isn't. She's small and weak and clumsy. Her childish hands lack the dexterity of which she desires, and her body is still lanky and awkward like that of a child's. Right now, she's physically incapable of doing the things she sees her brothers do. She can't wield an axe or string a bow like Rom, nor can she tie fishing knots or shingle a roof like Tol. In her eyes, they are both experts at whatever task they are given, and her… she still struggles.

The fact of age never comes to Avian's mind, though that gap is the very reason for her distress. Being born so distant from them, seven years from Tolkien and ten years from Romulus, of course she would look amateur compared to them. But being a child, such a notion goes right over her head, so she is left with nothing but frustration and sadness regarding her own failings.

Avian continues to walk for a very, very long time, much past the point where she knows she is not supposed to go. Never has she ever ventured this far away from home, but it is for good reason, for out in the wilds Romulus hunts, and where he hunts, he lays traps.

She knows she isn't supposed to be here, but at this moment, the child fears her family more than she does the unknown, and so with her horse beside her, she keeps walking.

And walking.

And walking.

So far has she walked that the trail she had been following ended long ago, and all that she treads on now is a narrow deer path winding through thick green bushes and dark brown trunks. Without paying much mind to where she is going, she automatically follows the overgrown path, Stonewall right at her heels, and she doesn't pay attention to the placement of her feet.

Perhaps if she had been more vigilant, she would have spotted it, but on the other hand, Romulus is a brilliant hunter and hides his traps well. So the outcome could have gone either way, but in this instance, fate has deemed it worthy to take the more ruthless path.

Rounding a bend by a group of young saplings, Avian misses the glint of silver shimmering in the sparse light speckling the ground. In the span of an instant when the girl steps down, a twig by her foot moves, and suddenly a great pain wraps around her ankle and flings her off her feet.

Stonewall lets out a distressed whinny at the sudden movement as Avian shrieks, her feet abruptly yanked from under her and she is nearly flipped upside down. Instant panic sets in, and the girl let out yell after frightened yell as she dangles there, her back just barely touching the ground while a thin metallic wire attached to a large, bent sapling pulls her ankle skyward.

Instinctively, the girl moves in a frenzy, hands flying up to her ankle and she kicks out in a blind attempt to get away. Of course such a movement doesn't work, and in the nature of the trap, the wire about her ankle only tightens the more she struggles.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Full panic; cold, inborn, and powerful, this is all she feels. She is aware of nothing around her, nothing save the pain and the desperate desire to run, until she's suddenly laying on the ground. There is just a sliver of conscious thought enough for her to look up and see Stonewall stamping down on the think sapling with his massive hooves and weight. Due to the sapling being young and green, it bends instead of breaking, but it gives enough leeway for her ankle to rest on the ground and allow her to sit up.

Now on the ground, Avian glues her eyes to the pain enveloping her limb. The trap wire is fixated in a slim loop about her ankle, then thin wire cutting into her flesh all around, and at the sight of the large amount of blood pouring from the deep laceration, Avian does what all children naturally do: she bawls.

It is a deep cry from the most inner part of her being, long and filled with fear, and the girl is paralyzed by it. She can't bring herself to move, instead focusing all her energy into bellowing out her desperation into the empty forest.

"MAAAAAAAAA! DAAAAAAAAAAAA!" she cries, tears caking her face in salty rivers. "MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY! DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAADDYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!"

Her pain and fright give her the strength to scream at the top of her lungs, over and over even past the point where her throat yearns to give out. She cries, and cries, and cries. Endless crying. After a while, her tears run out, yet even then she continues to cry in broken sobs until, after hours of wailing it seems, the last of her strength gives out and she falls into a pitiable whimper. Even more time passes this way, the child to frightened to do anything, but eventually even her whimpering stops and she is left with nothing.

Having given all she can, instinct changes. At first, she attempts to remove the wire from about her foot, but just the slightest touch makes her cry out, and she gives up on the endeavor immediately. Next, she moves onto trying to break the sapling, but it is too young and flexible to splinter, and Avian is too weak to cut it through. After that, she tackles on the roots, determined to dig up the offending plant and free herself that way, but after a half hour of digging, her sore fingers have found nothing but a knot of intertwined root which is impossible for her to dig around.

And so, with no options left, the girl sits back down on the deer path and resumes her whimpers. Throughout all of it, Stonewall never leaves her side. He lays behind her, letting the girl find comfort in his presence, but other than that, he can do nothing but wait with her. And wait they do.

It could have been minutes or hours, even days for all she cared, and yet no one has come for her. She knew she wasn't allowed to be here, but she paid no heed to the limitation, and now she is paying the price.

The blood has long since dried up, crusting her entire bare foot in maroon, and the girl is so emotionally exhausted that all she can to is lean back against Stone and ignore the wound upon her ankle, fatigue having dulled the searing pain having into nothing more than a throbbing ache.

Her lids grow heavy now, her eyes tired and sticky from all her tears, but just as she begins to close them, a rumbling in the earth wakes her, and she freezes. The rumbling comes again, and once more, and again, and again; a steady rhythm that she instantly recognizes, and a bolt of terror seizes her.

It is very rare for a giant to make its way this deep into the forest which protects her home, but it has happened, and the unmistakable shudder of their gigantic footsteps was seared into her mind at a very young age. So at the unquestionable sound, the girl stops moving, becoming nothing more than a statue.

As the steps draw closer, she dares not to breathe, but newly formed tears begin streaming down her face once again. She is afraid, very afraid, yet unable to do anything aside wait for the monster to find her.

With each step, her heart thuds faster, and when it sounds like the giant is just beyond the field of her vision, she lets out a gasp as the horse behind her suddenly stands and walks away.

"NO! COME BACK! DON'T LEAVE ME!" she sobs to him, reaching out to which the stallion looks over his shoulder.

For a moment, his dark eyes look conflicted, but at the shuttering sound of another step, he makes up his mind, gives the girl a soft whinny, and makes his way down the deer path. Avian cries after him, but he is already out of sight, and a new fear takes hold of her.

Closer and closer the steps become, but just when it seems the giant is a stride away from stomping her, the steps stop. At the silence, Avian's fear persists, and she holds her breath waiting for the monster to find her.

"Avian?"

The unexpected voice calls out just as a pair of bushes shutter a few meters from her, and to the girl's widening eyes, a swath of bright red hair followed by a man steps out, and the girl's crying once again begins anew.

"DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

She doesn't even notice as Stonewall follows the man into the open, for her eyes are glued to her father, and his to her. Before she can blink, she is in his arms, and she wraps her own little arms around his neck so tightly it could choke him. She weeps then, letting go of all her fear, and Reid cradles her, relief flooding his body like a wave.

"We thought we lost you…"

All Avian does is cry, so lost in relief that she pays no mind as Reid removes the offending wire from her ankle and they begin the trek back home. She doesn't even have the ability to be fearful of the giant she heard before. Her father has found her, and is taking her home; that is all she cares about, and she hides her head in his shoulder.

Neither of them say anything for a long time as they walk, Stonewall only a step behind. But after a handful of quiet minutes, Reid speaks.

"Avian…" he begins softly, and at his voice, the ginger turns to him. "… why did you run?"

At the question, the girl's heart clenches, and she is rendered speechless.

"Avian?"

It takes all her will power to open her mouth, but even then shame and guilt clutter and mute her words, and she mumbles illegibly.

"Please speak louder, Avi, so your Da may hear you."

Avian swallows, then pipes up again.

"You and Ma where mad at me…"

"You ran 'cause we tongue-lashed you?"

Avian nods.

"You know why we did so." Reid speaks, voice still soft. "Do you remember why?"

Avian curls up into his shoulder in shame.

"I lie…"

Reid nods back to her.

"Aye. I've already said this to you, so I shant repeat myself, but I know that you know it is wrong. You are better than that, Avian."

The girl keeps her silence.

"Why do you lie to us?"

"Because…." She begins to answer, but a lump of emotion stops her voice.

"Yes?"

Unexpectedly, wetness flows down her cheeks yet again, and she shutters when she speaks.

"…I want to be special like Rom and Tol."

"Special? You are already special, Avian." Her father retorts, slightly bewildered by her response, to which Avian shakes her head slightly.

"No I'm not… I can't do anything they can. I'm useless."

"No child of mine is useless."

Reid's voice comes out stronger than intended, and at the tone the girl looks up into his eyes.

"Now I never want to hear you utter such a ridiculous thing ever again."

"But…"

"Nay. No buts. I will not stand for my daughter cuttin' herself down."

They hold eye contact for a long minute, still walking through dense green, but at the end Avian turns away despairingly. Her expression is so hurt and sullen that Reid's heart breaks for her, and words fail him.

However, a few paces of silence grants him an answer, and in his same soft voice, he speaks.

"You are special, Avian." He tells her wide blue eyes again. "You always have been."

A spark of mild interest colors his daughter's gaze, and Reid continues.

"Avian, do you remember what I call you?"

At first, nothing happens, but almost hesitantly, Avian nods.

"What was it?"

The child hesitates again, the forces out the answer in a delicate voice.

"Seamair…"

"Aye. And do you remember what it means?"

She shakes her head.

"Well," Reid begins, gazing down at her to make sure she is listening before going on. "tis a word from the language of our ancestors. The Celtics called it 'seamair', or 'little clover'. Do you know why I call you that?"

The girl shakes her head again.

"Tis 'cause we have the little clovers to thank for you."

At the ambiguous explanation, Avian lifts her head just a bit and concentrates on her father, just the reaction he was hoping for.

"You see," he explains as he steps over a fallen log, careful not to disturb his daughter's injury, "you were a bit of a surprise to us. Your Ma could not carry you for long, so you were born very early, and you were very, very small."

Lively attention begins to color the child's expression, and it takes all he has for Reid not to break out into a relieved smile. As he continues his explanation, Reid decides to stave her curiosity with partial truth, and gives her only the minimalist of information.

"Fit in my hand, you could. Not but a wee lass who could not even breathe by herself. No baby should have been born as early as you were, it was luck that saw you through even that far, but after you were born, we feared that you'd lack the strength to keep goin'."

At this point, Reid stares straight ahead, heavy accent deepening as he frowns upon the memory.

"You were tiny, so tiny that the nurses took you from us the first moment they could. They hooked you up to all sorts of gadgets and things, and they wouldn't let us hold you. They told us they'd try their best, but we mustn't hold to hope. You were so weak and helpless… Your Ma and I… we thought we would lose you."

Reid pauses, momentarily caught up in himself and Avian takes the opportunity to speak.

"Lose? You mean like how we lost Odhrán and Euraid?" she asks, remembering the sudden passing of both of Stonewall's parents a few years past.

"Aye. Just like that." Her father confirms. "We were very scared for you, yet there was nothin' we could do. They kept you inside a box to keep you safe, so all we were allowed to do was watch you and put our fingers to the glass."

"We were desperate and despairin', but against the words of your nurses, we still kept our hope. Instead of wallowin' in our misfortune, your Ma and I decided to do all we possibly could to give you the best chance for life. So, with hope in our hearts, we started to give you a garden."

Avian tilts her head, completely unaware of the moving forest about her or the horse pacing behind her.

"You see, back where our ancestors hail, there grows a plant believed to be lucky. You know it as shamrocks, but to them it was called 'seamair'. According to legend, very rarely these plants yield a special clover with four leaves believed to give luck to whomever finds them. Well, near our home such a patch of 'seamair' grew, and every day on our way to see you, we would scour that patch until we found a four leafed clover. Once we did, we would keep it, pray that it would heal you, then once we reached your box, we would lay the clover upon the cover in hopes that some of its magical luck would rub off on you."

"We did this every visit, day after day, week after week, and every time we made sure to find a lucky one to give you. After a while, the clovers would build up, but as they withered and died, we feared to take them away lest somethin' happen, so we begged your caretakers to leave them be. So they built and built upon themselves, and for the longest time, we thought our efforts were useless…"

Reid stops again, caught up in memory for a moment before snapping back to reality. He turns a reassuring smile to his daughter, and gently nudges her.

"But as you can see, all our prayin' and pickin' paid off. By luck of fate and those hoards of clovers, you made it. Now…"

At this, the man stares deep into his daughter's eyes, and his voice grows a serious undertone to it.

"…never shall I hear another word from you about you not bein' special. You were born special…" he states, eyes growing a bit misty.

For a moment he stares at her, and though the girl doesn't know it herself yet, Reid is all too aware of the great power dwelling in her, a secret he must protect at all costs. The girl has no way of knowing that it is that very power that nearly killed her all those years ago, a blessing as well as a curse, and Reid's mouth turns tight.

"You are more special than you realize, my Seamair." He tells her softly, prompting a look of confusion from the girl before he leans forward and plants a kiss upon her forehead.

But as he pulls back, a mild sadness and guilt still clouds her gaze.

"Avian…"

Reid draws hand upon her round face, thumb rubbing her freckled cheek.

"…. Do not compare yourself to your brothers. There shall be things in which they will be more talented in, but know that talent is a two-way road. For whatever endeavor they may surpass you in, you in turn shall surpass them in another. Remember what I have always told you, my bird. You are still earning your feathers, still learning to fly. Your time will eventually come, and when it does, know that your wings shant fail you."

"But how will I know!?" Avian states suddenly, her guilt growing. "I try to learn but it feels as if my feet are glued to earth. I try, but I don't feel any closer, and I don't know when I'll get there. Tell me how you know!"

Reid considers her for a long moment, then gives an apologetic smile.

"That is the key, there Avian. No one knows."

"But that makes no sense!"

"Of course it doesn't."

Avian blinks up at her father, confused and ridden by emotion, yet she soaks in his words.

"How are we ever to know? How does a bird know when it is time to take flight for a land he has never been? Every year new chicks are born at our lake, and every year they take wing to journey to a distant place we've yet to see. How do they know when and where to go? How do they understand when it is time to take up a breeze and fly for the first time? Tis a mystery of life, but it isn't as complicated as it seems…"

Once more Reid brushes his daughter's cheek.

"… Do not fret, for everythin' you need is already inside you, and worry not. When your time comes, you will open your eyes to the dawn and, deep within your spirit, you will know what you have to do. All you need to do 'til then is be patient and wait."

The ginger wanders her eyes over her father's features, and deep in herself she understands his words to be true. His wisdom is that beyond her comprehension, and his accented voice, the one she loves so much, has never led her astray. Looking up at him, she wonders at this face she trusts, her own looks modeled so close after his. His dark ginger hair and beard, his smiling gray-blue eyes, even his own swath of freckles… all traits she inherited from him.

She stares at him with bubbling warmth blooming in her chest, and after a long silence, she lays her head upon his shoulder and drapes her thin arms around his neck.

"I'm sorry Athair…"

Reid does nothing in response to her apology except brush her hair out of her face.

"You need not thank me. Tis my job and honor to teach you, Seamair."

Up against his body, Avian finds comfort and contents herself with resting there as they finally break though the tree line to where her family waits. They fuss about her with revived laughs and hugs and pull her inside. They tend to her injury and do not mention the incident of which drove her to run, but even after hours of time spent at home, the girl still sits subdued upon her father's lap. Claws of negative emotion refuse to release her from their grip, even as all her family makes circle in the living room floor for their nightly gathering.

She gazes impassively as Rom takes his seat and gives his attention to tuning the guitar in his hands. Usually, she would be filled with excitement, having always loved this time her family always spends together singing song and conversing, but after the events of today, all the strength has fled from her body.

Through fatherly instinct, Reid can almost feel the weight of sadness upon the child in his lap, and his heart hurts. He knows that she is still bothered by her own actions today.

'Always was one to take punishment to heart.'

While they all wait and make small talk with one another, Reid clears his throat.

"Romulus," he calls, and his eldest son automatically looks up. "what say you to giving your sister a chance?"

At the question, Avian's attention perks and she looks up at her father with wide eyes.

"She is in her sixth year, and has yet to touch an instrument."

The brown haired teen doesn't answer verbally, but instead casts his eyes downward to the child in his father's lap. Without word, Rom shifts and suddenly, Avian is sitting in his lap, his legs crossed beneath her own.

The girl can barely contain herself as he sets the guitar upon her thin legs and takes her small hands into his own. Her fingers mould to his around the neck and above the strings, and with skilled motion, he moves his hands and the girl's fingers begin plucking notes. Up and down the notes go, and her heart fills up with the sound of music.

She's playing!

Her eyes follow her brother's hand wrapped around her own, and out from her mother's mouth comes a soft melody of words.

We're walking in the air

We're floating in the moonlit sky

The people far below are sleeping as we fly

We're holding very tight

I'm riding in the midnight blue

I'm finding I can fly so high above with you

Her voice is soft, like a summer breeze, and after her turn, her father picks up the song in his baritone voice, accent ringing naturally along the words. It could not be more beautiful to the child's ears, even after Tolkien botches his turn so badly that Generva clamps her hand over his laughing mouth.

The girl does not have a concept of heaven, or even an idea of what paradise is. All the knows is that, this moment of peace, of family, of love… it's perfect. She gazes at all of them, memorizing each of them, then she looks up to find Rom's eyes soft as he watches his fingers dance upon the strings. For a moment, he takes no notice of her, but when his green eyes finally reach hers, he gives her just the faintest shadow of a smile.

Yes, this is it. Paradise. Even after the trouble she put them all through today, they still love her. Of course, how could she doubt?

The pain in her ankle is far away in light of the joy enveloping her chest, and in her mind, Avian wishes that they could stay like this forever. Her world is small, encompassing only the living beings within her sight, but even with such a tiny existence, the girl is happy.

Blissful and content, Avian smiles and closes her eyes.

'I never want this to change.' She prays. 'I want all of us to be like this forever.'

*Author's Note*

WHY WAS THIS SO LONG!? *glares at Tolkien hogging all the spotlight* Seriously, it wasn't supposed to be this drawn out, which is why the first story is so short, but WHATEVER. Did this more for my satisfaction than anyone else's but hopefully this will shed some light on Avian's family. Anyway, short note here cause there ain't much else to say except thank you for reading! And a special thanks to close enough story for leaving a review! It makes meh happeh ;u; Til next time!

-Ambi