Chapter Ten: Decisions
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The object that Malaika held in her upraised hand was a silver medallion with blue, gray and green gems encircling it. In the center was a red diamond-shaped jewel with a beady black-as-obsidian stone in the center. Around the four points of the diamond were different runes of some kind. On the north-facing point was what looked like a shining globe at the top; the east-facing point had a right wing; the left on the west facing point. Finally the south had a gold eight-pointed star.
"Wow," Pippin said. "Where did you get it?"
The girl lowered her head and whispered,
"Someone gave it to me."
"Who?"
"Someone... Maybe I will tell you later." Malaika's eyes flashed quickly upward and noticed Pippin was gazing at something over her shoulder with a mixture of curiosity and awe. She raised her head and sighed, wondering what he was looking at. She followed his gaze with her eyes and realized he was staring at her wings; the tips still caked with dried blood. "Pippin," she said softly, getting the hobbit's attention. "You seem to fancy something. What is it?" Pippin looked at her, tentatively lifting a hand towards her wing.
"M-May I t-touch i-it?" He stammered nervously.
Malaika's eyes widened a bit; she had never been asked this question before.
"I, eh... alright, you may." Pippin cautiously reached out and gently stroked the soft feathers, sending an unnerving chill down Malaika's spine.
'Eerie,' she thought as the boy's fingers brushed her wing. 'It's like something... unnatural.' Suddenly a voice called out from around the corner where the rest of the group was staying.
"Malaika, Pippin, where are you? Gandalf says we are going to be leaving soon!"
The girl immediately recognized it as Merry's voice and Pippin instantly jerked his hand away.
"Malaika, stay here," he whispered urgently, "Unless you want Merry to see your wings." The girl shook her head sternly, fear in her hurricane gray eyes. Pippin swiftly walked back to the camp and Malaika could hear him talking to Merry. Several minutes passed until Pippin came back. "Malaika," he said, "I just told Merry-"
"You what?!" Malaika hissed fiercely, anger flashing through her eyes. "Did you tell Merry? I said no one should know about this!"
Pippin sighed.
"I didn't tell Merry about your wings, Malaika, so calm down. I just said for him to tell Gandalf that I will be coming in a little bit."
"What about me?" she asked nervously, her meek tone so different from the harsh girl he had heard earlier.
Pippin shook his head and looked into her eyes, stormy gray meeting sea green.
"I don't know."
Malaika shivered. Those three words... they haunted her. So many times in the past had people said that, and she knew they had the power to do something, but they didn't. She leaned her back carefully against the ledge face, taking note of her delicate, newly opened wings, and sat atop the snow. Covering her face with her hands, Pippin could hear her whisper,
"What am I going to do? Oh why... Why me? I didn't ask for this, Mother..."
Malaika's shoulders were shaking faintly, and Pippin could hear mute sobs. He knew she was crying. Crying for all that had happened. Suddenly, Pippin realized he felt sorry for Malaika.
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The object that Malaika held in her upraised hand was a silver medallion with blue, gray and green gems encircling it. In the center was a red diamond-shaped jewel with a beady black-as-obsidian stone in the center. Around the four points of the diamond were different runes of some kind. On the north-facing point was what looked like a shining globe at the top; the east-facing point had a right wing; the left on the west facing point. Finally the south had a gold eight-pointed star.
"Wow," Pippin said. "Where did you get it?"
The girl lowered her head and whispered,
"Someone gave it to me."
"Who?"
"Someone... Maybe I will tell you later." Malaika's eyes flashed quickly upward and noticed Pippin was gazing at something over her shoulder with a mixture of curiosity and awe. She raised her head and sighed, wondering what he was looking at. She followed his gaze with her eyes and realized he was staring at her wings; the tips still caked with dried blood. "Pippin," she said softly, getting the hobbit's attention. "You seem to fancy something. What is it?" Pippin looked at her, tentatively lifting a hand towards her wing.
"M-May I t-touch i-it?" He stammered nervously.
Malaika's eyes widened a bit; she had never been asked this question before.
"I, eh... alright, you may." Pippin cautiously reached out and gently stroked the soft feathers, sending an unnerving chill down Malaika's spine.
'Eerie,' she thought as the boy's fingers brushed her wing. 'It's like something... unnatural.' Suddenly a voice called out from around the corner where the rest of the group was staying.
"Malaika, Pippin, where are you? Gandalf says we are going to be leaving soon!"
The girl immediately recognized it as Merry's voice and Pippin instantly jerked his hand away.
"Malaika, stay here," he whispered urgently, "Unless you want Merry to see your wings." The girl shook her head sternly, fear in her hurricane gray eyes. Pippin swiftly walked back to the camp and Malaika could hear him talking to Merry. Several minutes passed until Pippin came back. "Malaika," he said, "I just told Merry-"
"You what?!" Malaika hissed fiercely, anger flashing through her eyes. "Did you tell Merry? I said no one should know about this!"
Pippin sighed.
"I didn't tell Merry about your wings, Malaika, so calm down. I just said for him to tell Gandalf that I will be coming in a little bit."
"What about me?" she asked nervously, her meek tone so different from the harsh girl he had heard earlier.
Pippin shook his head and looked into her eyes, stormy gray meeting sea green.
"I don't know."
Malaika shivered. Those three words... they haunted her. So many times in the past had people said that, and she knew they had the power to do something, but they didn't. She leaned her back carefully against the ledge face, taking note of her delicate, newly opened wings, and sat atop the snow. Covering her face with her hands, Pippin could hear her whisper,
"What am I going to do? Oh why... Why me? I didn't ask for this, Mother..."
Malaika's shoulders were shaking faintly, and Pippin could hear mute sobs. He knew she was crying. Crying for all that had happened. Suddenly, Pippin realized he felt sorry for Malaika.