I alone am different from all shape shifters. I can never find my
place. My father, Zane, is a cobra, my mother, Danica, a hawk. Not that
I despise my abilities, no. I enjoy them. But my instincts confuse me.
My hawk senses tell me to be reserved. My cobra instincts tell me to
show emotion. But I know my mother and father will force me to marry
either a bird or a cobra. That is one responsibility I do not want. I
do not want marriage. It is like a cage, no freedom. But I want
freedom. But, my only freedom is changing to a hawk or cobra at my will.
The sun lazily crept into my bedroom window. I knew that my mother would be knocking on my door soon. I pulled the sheets over my head, not wanting to wake up. I heard the door open. I jumped up, alert for any threats. It was only my mother. She smiled at me, but her smile seemed troubled. I looked behind my mother and saw my father.
"Mom," I questioned, "are you ok? What's wrong?" My mom quickly glanced at my father, his face matching hers. "Oh Visilia," Danica whispered. I could see her trying to fight back the tears. "Visilia," Zane repeated, "Irene died last night." The words hit my gut like a sledgehammer. "How," my voice cracked, "how did she die?" I too tried to fight back the tears.
"She died in childbirth," my mother quietly replied. I flinched at the words. It was common for women to die in childbirth, but this news was none I thought I would ever hear. "Did the baby survive?" I questioned hopefully. "Yes," my dad smiled, "she had a beautiful boy named Ethelinde."
I smiled, happy the baby had lived, but mourning the loss of my aunt.
As I walked through the market square, I could feel the stares of the Serpiente people watching me. Just as they did not approve of my parents' marriage, they do not approve of me. They do not like the idea of a shape shifter that can change to a hawk or cobra. I've never understood it.
No matter where I am, at the Keep or Palace, I am treated with respect in public, but I have heard enough in the square. They call me a traitor to their kind and that I should be skinned. They have no basis for me to be skinned, but I am still wary of what I do.
Even if I am skinned, I will have my hawk form to comfort me. Unless the avian people find a way to take that from me, too.
The sun lazily crept into my bedroom window. I knew that my mother would be knocking on my door soon. I pulled the sheets over my head, not wanting to wake up. I heard the door open. I jumped up, alert for any threats. It was only my mother. She smiled at me, but her smile seemed troubled. I looked behind my mother and saw my father.
"Mom," I questioned, "are you ok? What's wrong?" My mom quickly glanced at my father, his face matching hers. "Oh Visilia," Danica whispered. I could see her trying to fight back the tears. "Visilia," Zane repeated, "Irene died last night." The words hit my gut like a sledgehammer. "How," my voice cracked, "how did she die?" I too tried to fight back the tears.
"She died in childbirth," my mother quietly replied. I flinched at the words. It was common for women to die in childbirth, but this news was none I thought I would ever hear. "Did the baby survive?" I questioned hopefully. "Yes," my dad smiled, "she had a beautiful boy named Ethelinde."
I smiled, happy the baby had lived, but mourning the loss of my aunt.
As I walked through the market square, I could feel the stares of the Serpiente people watching me. Just as they did not approve of my parents' marriage, they do not approve of me. They do not like the idea of a shape shifter that can change to a hawk or cobra. I've never understood it.
No matter where I am, at the Keep or Palace, I am treated with respect in public, but I have heard enough in the square. They call me a traitor to their kind and that I should be skinned. They have no basis for me to be skinned, but I am still wary of what I do.
Even if I am skinned, I will have my hawk form to comfort me. Unless the avian people find a way to take that from me, too.