Chapter Eight: Surprising Discovery
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Malaika silently wished she would not die. As she fell to her certain death, her lips formed words in her own language without her meaning to. She whispered the chant repeatedly,
"Dun baltin anuri stil, ans pur il sistul nis tinsil binturai un sunis anuri kintulari. Murin wint fuil, turistar wint stiluin anuri ans wint disan hunil asguin thu futin purnurai uf se Ilintin."
Suddenly a white light enveloped her body and shearing pain ripped through her shoulder blades. Malaika screamed in anguish, clenching her fists and closing her eyes tightly, as if to lessen the pain. After a few seconds, the stinging numbed, and Malaika cracked one eye open. Much to her surprise, she didn't seem to be falling with as much swiftness. She opened her eyes fully and looked up; the cliff edge didn't seem more than fifty feet away and counting. She turned her head slowly, as if she knew what she would see and didn't want to. She reached out a hand and felt the one thing she hated to feel. Malaika whimpered. 'Oh no,' she thought, 'what will the others think?'
Pippin knelt on his hands and knees staring down in numbed shock. Malaika was gone, and it was his fault. Tears formed in his eyes and soon they were rolling freely down his cheeks.
"M- Malaika... I'm sorry I didn't hold on longer."
Teardrops stained the newly marred snow. Shaking them away, Pippin got up and ran to Aragorn, who was getting ready to pack up and head off again. The young hobbit shook his shoulders, yelling frantically, "Aragorn, Aragorn! Malaika fell off the cliff, and she's going to die! Help her!"
Aragorn sighed.
"You know I can't help the girl, Pippin. Do not bother me right now."
The Ranger waved him away. Pippin sighed in frustration and sulkily plodded back to the place where Malaika fell. Much to his amazement and shock there was a hand slowly creeping over the lip of the precipice. He rushed over and grabbed it, pulling up whomever it was that had fallen. Malaika's face peeked over and she smiled at the amazed hobbit that had helped her.
Pippin helped Malaika up over the edge and gasped at what he saw. Malaika knelt on all fours, breathing heavily. Her brown cloth shirt and dirt-covered tan jacket were ripped the full length of her back, and two beautiful white wings jutted gracefully from her shoulder blades. A deep gash ran across her shoulder, and another one across her brow. Her hands were covered with blood, and the tips of her wings were stained crimson from when they ripped the skin upon emerging. Drops of scarlet dotted the snow.
"Malaika," Pippin breathed, hardly able to out of amazement at the transformed girl before him, "you look awful. I'm going to go get Aragorn; he'll know what to do." Malaika nodded weakly and the hobbit ran off to get the ranger.
"Oh no...What have I done?" The girl whispered to herself. "I have betrayed my mother's trust by revealing my secret..." She closed her eyes and shook her head as shining silver tears rolled down her pale cheeks. "I cannot stay here any longer, I must leave before the others discover my painful secret." Spreading her newly opened wings, she sighed as she silently flew up to a distant ledge where no one would find her in her misery.
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Malaika silently wished she would not die. As she fell to her certain death, her lips formed words in her own language without her meaning to. She whispered the chant repeatedly,
"Dun baltin anuri stil, ans pur il sistul nis tinsil binturai un sunis anuri kintulari. Murin wint fuil, turistar wint stiluin anuri ans wint disan hunil asguin thu futin purnurai uf se Ilintin."
Suddenly a white light enveloped her body and shearing pain ripped through her shoulder blades. Malaika screamed in anguish, clenching her fists and closing her eyes tightly, as if to lessen the pain. After a few seconds, the stinging numbed, and Malaika cracked one eye open. Much to her surprise, she didn't seem to be falling with as much swiftness. She opened her eyes fully and looked up; the cliff edge didn't seem more than fifty feet away and counting. She turned her head slowly, as if she knew what she would see and didn't want to. She reached out a hand and felt the one thing she hated to feel. Malaika whimpered. 'Oh no,' she thought, 'what will the others think?'
Pippin knelt on his hands and knees staring down in numbed shock. Malaika was gone, and it was his fault. Tears formed in his eyes and soon they were rolling freely down his cheeks.
"M- Malaika... I'm sorry I didn't hold on longer."
Teardrops stained the newly marred snow. Shaking them away, Pippin got up and ran to Aragorn, who was getting ready to pack up and head off again. The young hobbit shook his shoulders, yelling frantically, "Aragorn, Aragorn! Malaika fell off the cliff, and she's going to die! Help her!"
Aragorn sighed.
"You know I can't help the girl, Pippin. Do not bother me right now."
The Ranger waved him away. Pippin sighed in frustration and sulkily plodded back to the place where Malaika fell. Much to his amazement and shock there was a hand slowly creeping over the lip of the precipice. He rushed over and grabbed it, pulling up whomever it was that had fallen. Malaika's face peeked over and she smiled at the amazed hobbit that had helped her.
Pippin helped Malaika up over the edge and gasped at what he saw. Malaika knelt on all fours, breathing heavily. Her brown cloth shirt and dirt-covered tan jacket were ripped the full length of her back, and two beautiful white wings jutted gracefully from her shoulder blades. A deep gash ran across her shoulder, and another one across her brow. Her hands were covered with blood, and the tips of her wings were stained crimson from when they ripped the skin upon emerging. Drops of scarlet dotted the snow.
"Malaika," Pippin breathed, hardly able to out of amazement at the transformed girl before him, "you look awful. I'm going to go get Aragorn; he'll know what to do." Malaika nodded weakly and the hobbit ran off to get the ranger.
"Oh no...What have I done?" The girl whispered to herself. "I have betrayed my mother's trust by revealing my secret..." She closed her eyes and shook her head as shining silver tears rolled down her pale cheeks. "I cannot stay here any longer, I must leave before the others discover my painful secret." Spreading her newly opened wings, she sighed as she silently flew up to a distant ledge where no one would find her in her misery.