A Bird's Eye View
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of the characters from "The Adventures of Sinbad", although i wish i did...but I'm making no money from this so don't sue!
~#~
Part 1
~#~
People have always said life never turns out the way you dreamed of. In many cases that's true, including mine. Sixteen years ago I never would've dreamed I'd be what I am today, let alone where I am and who my friends are. I mean, who would've thought that I of all people would meet the legendary Sinbad and his crew and be able to sail with them. If I had tried to tell my village that they would have chased me out thinking I was some devil child sent to lie and corrupt their children. Funny what some people believe and how far from the truth it usually is. But then if I told them I had been a hawk for nine years, well, I hate to think what they would've done to me then. I guess I owe you a story, my story.
~#~
It all started back before I can remember. I lived in a small fishing village on the western coast of Eire. It was a small town, quaint in it's own way. My father was a fisherman ( what else could he have been?) and my mother helped the midwives, growing special herbs and such. I only had an older sister who towered over most woman and who had a reputation to be temperamental. My mother was unable to bear anymore children after me due to some sickness she caught. My father was a kind man and was happy with just me and my sister. My parents loved us very much and we were well taken care of. I attended the school down the road from the market square. There were a lot of children living here so there were always kids to play and have fun with. On holidays and weekends, I would go with my father into his boat and we would spend hours sailing around, dropping the nets whenever fish were seen. I loved those days, standing in the bow, letting the sea spray soak me to the skin. It was a very happy time for me and my family. But it was not meant to stay.
When I was about fifteen, and my sister, Maeve, was about nineteen, the king sent word that the western coast would be attacked by soldiers from Arabia. School was postponed and all eligible men were to be trained in combat training and so forth. My father was spared because he was just above the age level, but I was not. I was trained as a reinforcement , learning simple sword techniques and archery. Maeve insisted that she would need to learn and the committee, who was in charge of the whole thing, finally backed down after a tumoltous battle with words. She was always good at getting her way like that. An independant mind from the start.
It had been a few weeks after the messenger had arrived, when one of the fishermen had spotted a fleet further down the coast. Soon, our whole village was in turmoil. People fled in a hurry, throwing whatever they could into their wagons. Luckily our house was hidden in the forest so we had no need to worry, or so I thought. Anyway, the fleet arrived a few days later. It turned out that they were here to threaten the king, not us and our village was safe. Though there were a few skirmishes, nothing drastic happened and we were forced to let them hang around ( either that or die). I was eventually called to guard the eastern road. Maeve came with me, she had always been protective of me. It was then that my life was turned around.
We had been sitting in the saddle for a few hours and I was wondering wether I would be able to look at a saddle the same way again, when a young lady with dark hair came up to us. Unlike the usual drab garments that the villagers wore, her outfit was made out of silk. Her cloak was a thick, red satin and she wore expensive slippers. Definatly from the fleet. Maeve and I instantly stopped her from going any further. She smirked and opened her hand to reveal a handful of gold coins. We had been warned about this and me and my sister refused the bribe. Maeve glared at the brunette, I guess she sensed it long before I did.
We asked why she wanted to go along this certain road and she answered that she was waiting for someone. Maeve wasn't buying it and was ready to send her back to the village. I convinced my sister to let her stay for a few minutes, just in case she was telling the truth. That basically sums what I'm like around women. A pretty girl comes along and I'm instantly sticking up for her. At least I know my personality well.....
Anyway, Maeve turned away from the woman and went farther up the road where the woods began, leaving me behind to watch out for the raven haired woman. Soon, she had started up a conversation, and we began to flirt. I learned her name was Rumina and she was accompaying her father, Turok. He was the head mage of this fleet, and I wondered wether he used black or white magic. Even though Maeve had her back turned to us, I could tell she could hear everything we said. I could also tell that she didn't approve of it either, by the way she suddenly tensed in the saddle when Rumina suggested we meet again. A few minutes had gone by then, and Rumina sauntered off. As soon as she had left, Maeve was on my back. She demanded to know if I was going to go consort with the enemy. I shrugged and said I didn't know. She lectured me on why I shouldn't meet up with this Rumina again but I heard nothing. I was lost in a white, hazy fog and couldn't get out. It was as if I had been enchanted by the raven haired woman, which ended up being true, in a less-romantic way.
~#~
I did meet up with Rumina after that. Quite a few times actually. She told me about her homeland further down south and about her mother and younger sister. It seems her mother had left her father just a few years ago and had taken with her Rumina's sister. Nobody knew what had happened to them and Rumina said she was dying to find out.
Well, it was one of these secret encounters that sent my whole life into turmoil. We were seated on the edge of a cliff, forty meters above the ocean, the sun was just starting to set. Rumina was especially flirty today and it got to a point where I became annoyed. I moved away but she followed me over to my new seat. She ran her fingers through my chestnut hair ( I got it from my father) and told me she was sorry for whatever she had done. I melted inside ( hey, I was young and hopelessly devoted) and kissed her. The sound of hoofbeats made me pull away, just in time to see Maeve ride up the path. When she us her jaw hung open, and her eyes got this strange look. We instantly seperated from each other and Rumina turned to face one another.
The following events happened so fast it's still hard for me to remember them clearly. Rumina raised her hand and a large red globe of light formed. Maeve narrowed her eyes and leaped off of her horse. The horse, seeming at that point to be the only one with common sense, bolted from Maeve's grasp and galloped away without so much as a glance back. Smart horse.
Maeve drew her sword and held it out, pointing the tip at Rumina's throat. Our uncle ( from my mother's side) was an expert blacksmith and this sword was one of his finest pieces. He had given it to her for her thirteenth birthday, declaring that all women should be allowed to wield a sword. No one in my family had a problem with that, but many people in the village did. But that's another story......
Anyway, neither woman made any attempt to begin at that moment and I just stood behind Rumina, not knowing what to do or how to stop it. It was Rumina who attacked first. She threw the red globe of light at Maeve's head. Maeve ducked and swung her sword in a perfect arc, the blade coming in contact with Rumina's left arm, creating a large gash from her shoulder to elbow. Rumina screeched something and suddenly a dirt wall rose from the ground, concealing my beloved sister. When I saw that Rumina was closing the walls, I reacted. Yelling, I threw myself into her, knocking her to the rocky ground. That was enough to break the spell. Suddenly Rumina leapt up, pulling me up with her. Holding me by the throat in a strangling grip, she told me her vicious plans. I can remember it clearly, like it was only yesterday:
"Let me tell you this, peasant. I never loved. Never have, never will. I cast a spell over you to make you believe you were in love with me. I only stuck with you to find out the whereabouts of troops and other things essentiel to our victory over your pathetic homeland. Since you know all about this, I must do something to silence you forever."
I couldn't believe that it was happening. I tried to say something but no words came out of my mouth. Suddenly, Rumina let go of me and created something in her hand. It grew to be the size of my fist but it wasn't her fiery red colour of magic. It was a murky dark grey, almost black. And she sent it in my direction. It hit me hard in the chest and I fell back onto the ground, out of breath. The last thing I heard was Maeve's agonized scream as I tumbled into a pitch black eternity.
~#~
I woke up feeling slightly dizzy. As soon as I opened my eyes I knew something was definatly not right. I felt strange, almost feathery. Everything seemed to be twice my size, and my vision.....well, all I can say is woah! I could see ants crawling over a rock hundreds of feet away. I tried to stand up but fell back again. Suddenly and enormous shape came into my view. I reconginzed Maeve's face instantly ( but I wondered how she got to be so big). It looked as though she had been crying. She called my name quietly and when I tried to answer back all that came out was a squawk. I turned my head to look at my side and noticed a feathery wing potruding from my heavily feathered side. Suddenly, I went into panic, screeching, flapping around. Maeve caught hold of me before I could tumble off of the cliff and she put me on a large grey rock. Watching me closely, she explained everything that happened after the spell had hit me and I noticed tears welling up inside her eyes. I wanted to tell her it would be alright but I didn't know how to. Neither of us knew how to break the spell. I didn't want to be a hawk all my life.
We established a communication of sorts in a few minutes of explaining ( it wasn't until later on when we established mind speak). A nod for yes and a shake for no. Easy and simple. Maeve couldn't confront my parents about what had happened. We decided it would both be easier if they didn't know the truth. So instead Maeve told them that I had been taken by bandits. It's indescribable to tell you how terrible I felt at seeing my parents when they heard the news. I had perched on the windowsill ( Maeve thought it would be best if I didn't show up in my new body) and with such cool vision, I could see their every expression. I still grimace at that thought to this day.
Well, Maeve had jesses made for me and a glove for her so I could perch on her hand. The fleet had scampered away, probably worried that we would drive them out if anyone found out what Rumina had tried to do. We hung around our village for a few months but it just wasn't the same. Maeve sunk into some sort of depression, and it was to difficult ( emotionally) for me to fly around the village so I tried to stay in the forest. It was hard because I had no knowledge of what a hawk was supposed to do or how to build a nest. Instead, I filled a hole in an ancient maple tree with leaves and dry grasses. It was sort of cozy, but nothing like a real bed. I won't go into great detail about my newly acquired eating habits, but all I'll say is that cooked meat was something that I dreamed about at night. It was as if I had been reincarnated and all those memories of a past life were *just* memories, nothing more. I felt all alone in a world of my own that nobody completely understood.
~#~
One day while I was perched in the old gnarled branches of my maple tree, Maeve came galloping into the clearing. She dismounted and held out her arm for me. I settled down and she quickly explained a plan to help me. It seemed she was talking to a local in the tavern and he told her about a great white-magic sorcerer who knew how to transform people into animals and vice versa. It seemed to shape change permenantly was a very complicated task and that only a handful of people in the world were able to do it or break a spell. At that moment, I felt a trickle of hope ripple through me as my sister went on. Maybe there was such a man that could do that. Maybe I wouldn't have to be a hawk all my life. Maybe I wasn't crazy to think that I could be cured.
Then she brought up the fact that he lived further down south and the next ship heading that way was in two days. We spent some time figuring out how to tell our parents. Maeve had a lot more to pack than I did, so I rarely saw her until two days later.
I remeber, perched on the railing beside my sister, watching the ship receiving it's last wash down, thinking about what would happen to us. I knew Maeve was thinking the same thing.
We travelled on the "Lionheart". A beautiful ship, longer than a royal ship and very well taken care of. The crew and captain were very kind towards us and actually allowed me below deck. Everyone was very respectable and they didn't try to take advantage of Maeve ( although I told her I'd take care of them if they tried). The food was fine, nothing elegant, yet nothing overly tasty either. The sleeping quarters were nicely kept and the rats stayed below the crew's living quarters.
We spent two weeks on that ship before reaching our destination. During that time, I perfected my fishing techinique and learned that nobody really likes to have me around when I'm ready to eat whatever I've caught. Maeve learned some new sword skills from one of the crew members. It was nice not having villagers breathing down Maeve's neck trying to find out what really happened to me, or where she got the new hawk. I know Maeve enjoyed that too.
~#~
TBC........
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of the characters from "The Adventures of Sinbad", although i wish i did...but I'm making no money from this so don't sue!
~#~
Part 1
~#~
People have always said life never turns out the way you dreamed of. In many cases that's true, including mine. Sixteen years ago I never would've dreamed I'd be what I am today, let alone where I am and who my friends are. I mean, who would've thought that I of all people would meet the legendary Sinbad and his crew and be able to sail with them. If I had tried to tell my village that they would have chased me out thinking I was some devil child sent to lie and corrupt their children. Funny what some people believe and how far from the truth it usually is. But then if I told them I had been a hawk for nine years, well, I hate to think what they would've done to me then. I guess I owe you a story, my story.
~#~
It all started back before I can remember. I lived in a small fishing village on the western coast of Eire. It was a small town, quaint in it's own way. My father was a fisherman ( what else could he have been?) and my mother helped the midwives, growing special herbs and such. I only had an older sister who towered over most woman and who had a reputation to be temperamental. My mother was unable to bear anymore children after me due to some sickness she caught. My father was a kind man and was happy with just me and my sister. My parents loved us very much and we were well taken care of. I attended the school down the road from the market square. There were a lot of children living here so there were always kids to play and have fun with. On holidays and weekends, I would go with my father into his boat and we would spend hours sailing around, dropping the nets whenever fish were seen. I loved those days, standing in the bow, letting the sea spray soak me to the skin. It was a very happy time for me and my family. But it was not meant to stay.
When I was about fifteen, and my sister, Maeve, was about nineteen, the king sent word that the western coast would be attacked by soldiers from Arabia. School was postponed and all eligible men were to be trained in combat training and so forth. My father was spared because he was just above the age level, but I was not. I was trained as a reinforcement , learning simple sword techniques and archery. Maeve insisted that she would need to learn and the committee, who was in charge of the whole thing, finally backed down after a tumoltous battle with words. She was always good at getting her way like that. An independant mind from the start.
It had been a few weeks after the messenger had arrived, when one of the fishermen had spotted a fleet further down the coast. Soon, our whole village was in turmoil. People fled in a hurry, throwing whatever they could into their wagons. Luckily our house was hidden in the forest so we had no need to worry, or so I thought. Anyway, the fleet arrived a few days later. It turned out that they were here to threaten the king, not us and our village was safe. Though there were a few skirmishes, nothing drastic happened and we were forced to let them hang around ( either that or die). I was eventually called to guard the eastern road. Maeve came with me, she had always been protective of me. It was then that my life was turned around.
We had been sitting in the saddle for a few hours and I was wondering wether I would be able to look at a saddle the same way again, when a young lady with dark hair came up to us. Unlike the usual drab garments that the villagers wore, her outfit was made out of silk. Her cloak was a thick, red satin and she wore expensive slippers. Definatly from the fleet. Maeve and I instantly stopped her from going any further. She smirked and opened her hand to reveal a handful of gold coins. We had been warned about this and me and my sister refused the bribe. Maeve glared at the brunette, I guess she sensed it long before I did.
We asked why she wanted to go along this certain road and she answered that she was waiting for someone. Maeve wasn't buying it and was ready to send her back to the village. I convinced my sister to let her stay for a few minutes, just in case she was telling the truth. That basically sums what I'm like around women. A pretty girl comes along and I'm instantly sticking up for her. At least I know my personality well.....
Anyway, Maeve turned away from the woman and went farther up the road where the woods began, leaving me behind to watch out for the raven haired woman. Soon, she had started up a conversation, and we began to flirt. I learned her name was Rumina and she was accompaying her father, Turok. He was the head mage of this fleet, and I wondered wether he used black or white magic. Even though Maeve had her back turned to us, I could tell she could hear everything we said. I could also tell that she didn't approve of it either, by the way she suddenly tensed in the saddle when Rumina suggested we meet again. A few minutes had gone by then, and Rumina sauntered off. As soon as she had left, Maeve was on my back. She demanded to know if I was going to go consort with the enemy. I shrugged and said I didn't know. She lectured me on why I shouldn't meet up with this Rumina again but I heard nothing. I was lost in a white, hazy fog and couldn't get out. It was as if I had been enchanted by the raven haired woman, which ended up being true, in a less-romantic way.
~#~
I did meet up with Rumina after that. Quite a few times actually. She told me about her homeland further down south and about her mother and younger sister. It seems her mother had left her father just a few years ago and had taken with her Rumina's sister. Nobody knew what had happened to them and Rumina said she was dying to find out.
Well, it was one of these secret encounters that sent my whole life into turmoil. We were seated on the edge of a cliff, forty meters above the ocean, the sun was just starting to set. Rumina was especially flirty today and it got to a point where I became annoyed. I moved away but she followed me over to my new seat. She ran her fingers through my chestnut hair ( I got it from my father) and told me she was sorry for whatever she had done. I melted inside ( hey, I was young and hopelessly devoted) and kissed her. The sound of hoofbeats made me pull away, just in time to see Maeve ride up the path. When she us her jaw hung open, and her eyes got this strange look. We instantly seperated from each other and Rumina turned to face one another.
The following events happened so fast it's still hard for me to remember them clearly. Rumina raised her hand and a large red globe of light formed. Maeve narrowed her eyes and leaped off of her horse. The horse, seeming at that point to be the only one with common sense, bolted from Maeve's grasp and galloped away without so much as a glance back. Smart horse.
Maeve drew her sword and held it out, pointing the tip at Rumina's throat. Our uncle ( from my mother's side) was an expert blacksmith and this sword was one of his finest pieces. He had given it to her for her thirteenth birthday, declaring that all women should be allowed to wield a sword. No one in my family had a problem with that, but many people in the village did. But that's another story......
Anyway, neither woman made any attempt to begin at that moment and I just stood behind Rumina, not knowing what to do or how to stop it. It was Rumina who attacked first. She threw the red globe of light at Maeve's head. Maeve ducked and swung her sword in a perfect arc, the blade coming in contact with Rumina's left arm, creating a large gash from her shoulder to elbow. Rumina screeched something and suddenly a dirt wall rose from the ground, concealing my beloved sister. When I saw that Rumina was closing the walls, I reacted. Yelling, I threw myself into her, knocking her to the rocky ground. That was enough to break the spell. Suddenly Rumina leapt up, pulling me up with her. Holding me by the throat in a strangling grip, she told me her vicious plans. I can remember it clearly, like it was only yesterday:
"Let me tell you this, peasant. I never loved. Never have, never will. I cast a spell over you to make you believe you were in love with me. I only stuck with you to find out the whereabouts of troops and other things essentiel to our victory over your pathetic homeland. Since you know all about this, I must do something to silence you forever."
I couldn't believe that it was happening. I tried to say something but no words came out of my mouth. Suddenly, Rumina let go of me and created something in her hand. It grew to be the size of my fist but it wasn't her fiery red colour of magic. It was a murky dark grey, almost black. And she sent it in my direction. It hit me hard in the chest and I fell back onto the ground, out of breath. The last thing I heard was Maeve's agonized scream as I tumbled into a pitch black eternity.
~#~
I woke up feeling slightly dizzy. As soon as I opened my eyes I knew something was definatly not right. I felt strange, almost feathery. Everything seemed to be twice my size, and my vision.....well, all I can say is woah! I could see ants crawling over a rock hundreds of feet away. I tried to stand up but fell back again. Suddenly and enormous shape came into my view. I reconginzed Maeve's face instantly ( but I wondered how she got to be so big). It looked as though she had been crying. She called my name quietly and when I tried to answer back all that came out was a squawk. I turned my head to look at my side and noticed a feathery wing potruding from my heavily feathered side. Suddenly, I went into panic, screeching, flapping around. Maeve caught hold of me before I could tumble off of the cliff and she put me on a large grey rock. Watching me closely, she explained everything that happened after the spell had hit me and I noticed tears welling up inside her eyes. I wanted to tell her it would be alright but I didn't know how to. Neither of us knew how to break the spell. I didn't want to be a hawk all my life.
We established a communication of sorts in a few minutes of explaining ( it wasn't until later on when we established mind speak). A nod for yes and a shake for no. Easy and simple. Maeve couldn't confront my parents about what had happened. We decided it would both be easier if they didn't know the truth. So instead Maeve told them that I had been taken by bandits. It's indescribable to tell you how terrible I felt at seeing my parents when they heard the news. I had perched on the windowsill ( Maeve thought it would be best if I didn't show up in my new body) and with such cool vision, I could see their every expression. I still grimace at that thought to this day.
Well, Maeve had jesses made for me and a glove for her so I could perch on her hand. The fleet had scampered away, probably worried that we would drive them out if anyone found out what Rumina had tried to do. We hung around our village for a few months but it just wasn't the same. Maeve sunk into some sort of depression, and it was to difficult ( emotionally) for me to fly around the village so I tried to stay in the forest. It was hard because I had no knowledge of what a hawk was supposed to do or how to build a nest. Instead, I filled a hole in an ancient maple tree with leaves and dry grasses. It was sort of cozy, but nothing like a real bed. I won't go into great detail about my newly acquired eating habits, but all I'll say is that cooked meat was something that I dreamed about at night. It was as if I had been reincarnated and all those memories of a past life were *just* memories, nothing more. I felt all alone in a world of my own that nobody completely understood.
~#~
One day while I was perched in the old gnarled branches of my maple tree, Maeve came galloping into the clearing. She dismounted and held out her arm for me. I settled down and she quickly explained a plan to help me. It seemed she was talking to a local in the tavern and he told her about a great white-magic sorcerer who knew how to transform people into animals and vice versa. It seemed to shape change permenantly was a very complicated task and that only a handful of people in the world were able to do it or break a spell. At that moment, I felt a trickle of hope ripple through me as my sister went on. Maybe there was such a man that could do that. Maybe I wouldn't have to be a hawk all my life. Maybe I wasn't crazy to think that I could be cured.
Then she brought up the fact that he lived further down south and the next ship heading that way was in two days. We spent some time figuring out how to tell our parents. Maeve had a lot more to pack than I did, so I rarely saw her until two days later.
I remeber, perched on the railing beside my sister, watching the ship receiving it's last wash down, thinking about what would happen to us. I knew Maeve was thinking the same thing.
We travelled on the "Lionheart". A beautiful ship, longer than a royal ship and very well taken care of. The crew and captain were very kind towards us and actually allowed me below deck. Everyone was very respectable and they didn't try to take advantage of Maeve ( although I told her I'd take care of them if they tried). The food was fine, nothing elegant, yet nothing overly tasty either. The sleeping quarters were nicely kept and the rats stayed below the crew's living quarters.
We spent two weeks on that ship before reaching our destination. During that time, I perfected my fishing techinique and learned that nobody really likes to have me around when I'm ready to eat whatever I've caught. Maeve learned some new sword skills from one of the crew members. It was nice not having villagers breathing down Maeve's neck trying to find out what really happened to me, or where she got the new hawk. I know Maeve enjoyed that too.
~#~
TBC........