A New Friend
*Shira's POV; The following morning*
Blinking against the light of the bright morning sun, Shira walked in the quiet of the woods, wings comfortably tucked back. Sniffing at the she smelt a damp, moldy smell 'Hmm, a river must be close' her ears pricked at the sudden growl that erupted from her stomach. Placing a hand on her belly, she puzzled over where to find food. 'What I would do for a couple of deer legs?' she thought, attempting to ignore her intensifying hunger. Yet she didn't want to return back the city, not just yet. She needed time to think, gather her wits about her. As she reached the river, she glanced around at her surroundings. The soft rustle of the leaves in the breeze, and rushing of the river, and the sharps chirps of birds filled the air. Inhaling deeply, she took in all the scents of the forests. The crispness of the river fish, the wood and waxy sap that pulsed within, and the dry husk of fallen leaves, dried twigs and grass; reminded her so much of her home.
Stepping into the river, a sharp shiver ran up her spine, taken aback by how cold it was. She inhaled and blew a small torrent of fire around her feet, warming up the water instantly. Glancing down, she noticed the fish that darted like torpedoes through the water. Remembering the hunting lessons with her father, she found a comfortable crouched position. "If there was a virtue more tested in hunting, it's patience" she recalled her father say while hunting for deer. She steadily dipped her tail into the river, poised and ready. Five fruitless attempts later, and she was beginning to get irritated, grumbling about how a brainless creature could move so quick. Suddenly a much bigger fish caught her eye; grinning eagerly she submerged her tail once more.
The body of a foolishly curious fat, brown trout who had wandered to close to her tail now limped lifeless on the tip of her sharp spade tipped tail. 'Gotcha!' she celebrated, tossing the body over on the bank of the river. After another hour she was rewarded with 3 more fish to add to her meal. Her hunger got the best of her and she quickly devoured one of the trout to soothe her aching hunger. After a crude fire was built, she set the remaining fish to roast over the flame. Finding a sturdy looking branch of a nearby oak tree, she settled into her familiar bat pose, hanging upside down by the talons of her feet, tail wrapped around the branch for good measure. She wrapped her wings loosely around her enough to let the cool breeze of the day circulate around her body.
"How could it have gone so wrong?" she asked allowed to herself. Brooding over how this simple plan to get a stupid book turned into a whirlwind of craziness. The second-guessing of Demona's whole scheme, the Clan and the feelings that they provoked in her, the botched attempt to capture the crooks. Everything seemed to be crumbling apart! Her thoughts suddenly interrupted when a high-pitched agonizing shriek reached her ears, startling her so that her feet unclasped from the branch, and she just dangled by her tail, wings and legs askew. Growling lowly in her throat, she righted herself on the ground, following the sound of whatever miserable creature needing to be put out its misery.
"Ugh, what in Oberon's name…" she started, but then was cut off, by what she saw. It was a mink, squealing and squabbling in a hunter's trap. The poor thing seemed so tiny, still a baby, struggling to free itself from the metal chord around its neck. Irritation turned to pity, as Shira saw the poor thing begin to grow weak. Making her way through the bushes, she carefully came up to it. The little mink's dark eyes stared at her, frozen in fear or shock.
"Easy, little guy. I'm not going to hurt you" she cooed softly, slowly reached a clawed hand to him. She could see that it made him uneasy as his fur began to poof up. She gently scooped him up under his belly. The poor guy wiggled in her grasp, attempted to claw and bite at her fingers with his tiny teeth. "Alright, you little scrapper, hold still, or else you'll become some human's fashion accessory" she quipped at him. Gently taking a hold his head, she slowly bent his neck down to expose the thick metal wire that was slowly embedding itself into his neck. 'Poor thing would have chocked himself to death' she thought as she brought her mouth close to the mink's neck. The creature suddenly became stiff in her arms. She found a good grip on the wire with her fangs, gave two bites, and gently placed the freed mink on the ground. For a minute, the mink glanced at the broken wire, then at Shira. "You're free", she said nonchalantly and got up from her knelt position. The little brown mink opened its mouth, letting out a weird squeal, then ran up to Shira's feet, squeal again. Puzzled, Shira stared down at the tiny creature as it kept squealing at her "Uh…you're welcome".
As she turned to go back to her probably charred breakfast, the mink quietly followed her. Reaching her fire, she saw that the cooking fish were actually just about done. Sensing company she turned around and saw her little victim, sitting on his hind paws, curiously sniffing the air. Sighing loudly, she finally succumbed. Tearing one of the fish in half, she tossed it over to the tiny mink. It sniffed precariously at the meat, and began to nibble at it. After it was gone, the mink sauntered over to Shira, climbed in her lap, and nuzzled against her belly. Touched by the cute tenderness, Shira leaned against the trunk of the tree and quietly eating her meal, feeding a few more small bits to her new little friend.
"I wonder how Demona is going to feel about a new pet?" she wondered aloud. Even as she stated, she still mused over what she really wanted to do involving that. She ignored the subtle nagging feeling in her mind. 'Whatever. I'm mean, it's not like Demona hasn't proven herself to be of benefit. Her plan does make legitimate sense. She's given me a home, after all' 'True but you could have a better home with Goliath's Clan too' counter argued her conscience. 'Goliath's Clan is blind to what the real problem is! He would rather spare the life of a criminal, risking their release from prison than to annihilate them in the first place. Get rid of the infection before it festers. Why can't they listen to reason?' "Are you sure that it's them who are truly blind?' 'Shut up! I'm sticking to this plan. I'll see for myself where it leads.' Tilting her head back, she rested her head against the gnarled tree trunk, half-mindedly stroking the mink's soft, brown fur. The warmth of the sun and the breeze eased her to relax her rampant thoughts as she drifted into unconsciousness.