sorry, not much dialogue in this one...same as the last i guess.
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The crowd of villagers gathered by the great oak, whispering and shuffling their leather clad feet. Impatiently waiting for a sight of the novelty, Lianah joined the group just as the excitement reached its climax.
And then, it appeared.
They gasped as the bird appeared seemingly out of nowhere, effortlessly gliding down through the branches. Opening its pearly beak, it uttered a lyrical cry, arranging its opal feathers in a comely fashion.
"Bless the gods!" Johnlin whispered in Lianah's ear. "Lia, its so pretty, ain't it?"
Regarding the creature for a moment, the girl hesitated. "It...oh, i don't know!" Several words flew into her mind. Imperial. Arrogant. None seemed to cover the subtle cruelty in the golden eye. The jaunty tilt of its head, the assumed prima-donna attitude...the effect was of a domineering monarch, passively approaching its unworthy subjects.
It met her eyes by a chance tilt of its head. The original glossy glow in its eyes flared silver twice before it left her gaze. But the encounter had left Lianah breathless with irrational fear.
"Lia!" Johnlin shook her. "Are you all right? There's your mam, over there."
Turning her head, Lianah caught a glimpse of her mother's grey blonde hair before the woman turned and ran desperately away.
"Mother?" Lia pulled away from her friend and sprinted down the path, holding her cumbersome skirts away from her speeding feet. Behind her, the simple villagers cried out with delight as the bird took flight, winging into the air with majestic grace. They did not follow either Lianah or her mother.
A crashing in the woods indicated her mother's location. Tracking her down with the loud snapping of twigs, Lianah was just able to grasp Mother's arm before the bird overtook her and landed on her frail shoulders.
Her mother screamed, a wild, uncomprehendable sound. The gleaming wings fluttered twice before its shimmer enveloped the woman and drew her into its feathery breast.
Lianah fell to her knees, grabbing the golden foot of the bird. "You killed my dam!" she cried, beating its frantic wings with her remaining fist. The creature pecked at her arms, but she refused to let go. Some stubborn instinct surfaced through her grief, and murmured to hold on. Lianah was not one to give up, even under normal circumstances, so she naturally clung to the metallic claw.
Then, in an unexpected move, the bird launched itself into the crystalline spring air, and she had no choice but to hold on as tight as she could.
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copyright sorka robinton 2001