Tracking down
That morning Eda woke up earlier than usual. In fact, she woke up before Luz and King, who were still sleeping peacefully curled up in the girl's room. Surprised at herself, Eda went to the kitchen to pour herself some apple blood, but when she opened the refrigerator door she noticed that the carton of blood was empty. Eda sighed.
―To go or not to go to the market. Let's see, how badly do I want a cup of apple blood? ―She wondered thoughtfully, but noticing in the cupboard that Luz's favorite cereal had also run out, she commented to the air―. Well, I guess I can go for fruit while I'm there and maybe even rip off some people along the way.
Carefully and quietly, Eda exchanged her pajamas for her crimson dress, took her staff and set out for the Bonesborough market.
Walking along the long dirt path, Eda kept thinking about what her life was like nowadays.
«One day you're twenty and looking to eat the world and the other you wake up with back pain. Even with that curse on me I was unstoppable. Ha! No one could stop me. Who would have imagined that now I, Eda, the great Owl Lady, would end up playing the role of mother owl».
Off the road, down the hill where a wide river ran, a huge tree crossed the river from side to side and, from its eroded appearance, one could assume that it had been torn down a long time ago. The currents of the river churned fiercely and Eda just gazed at it wistfully.
The wind howled and the leaves of the trees rustled vigorously. Eda could almost watch herself cross the river, walking through the rough bark of the tree that, like her, looked more youthful then. «What memories», she said to herself serenely.
With a smile, Eda Clawthorne continued on her way to the market, but her mind was still wandering among the hundreds of fragments that were lying in her memory like a gallery. That day belonged to a distant stage of her life, one where the mere existence of Luz and King would never have crossed her mind; one where the orange-haired girl ventured into the hidden nooks and crannies of the Boiling Isles.
After going through the wide river, the girl with the flaming hair observed her surroundings with great attention to detail. Anything, even the smallest thing, could be of use to her. Some mark in the trees or footprint in the ground, even a thin tuft of the creature's fur was useful. It was just a matter of finding the trail. Luckily, the morning sun shone brightly and illuminated the entire landscape, making things easier for her.
«There must be something around here», Eda thought as she smiled. Something about playing the role of hunter amused her.
―That slippery beast escaped from my grasp! Just when I thought I had it at my mercy ―said a purple, hairy, and buffed man with four eyes to a small group of hunters who listened attentively to his story in the pub―. But the next time I see that thing it won't be so easy for it to get away. People think no one can catch it. But I, Maximus the Great, will prove otherwise.
Behind them there was only a loud laugh followed by a snort. When the group of hunters turned to look they only noticed young Eda, who, with a challenging look, was watching them firmly.
―Please, old man. Everyone here knows you'd let it slip away again ―she said with a mischievous smile on her face.
―But what do we have here! ―replied the purple man mockingly―. If it isn't Eda Clawthorne, the owl girl ―he laughed vigorously, while the others chorused and the young woman blushed with embarrassment―. Get out of here, you monster!
But she ignored him.
―You're only kicking me out because you know I could do a better job than yours and you don't want your bootlickers to know it, four eyes.
―Oh, you really think so?
―I don't think so, I know…
«This was the last place he was seen» thought Eda as she continued to search for any trace of it «. I've gotta find something to beat that puppet».
After a while, the witch finally found a tiny trace: a footprint that was almost fading into the earth. After examining it for a moment, she set off in the direction where the creature was likely to be found. It had been a few days since the young woman had learned a spell to banish creatures to other distant and unknown places and she was very excited to try it out.
So Eda ran through the forest, following every clue she came across. For her this was just another game. The creature's trail was becoming more and more obvious. She could no longer contain her joy.
The end of the road came at sunset. Eda was right where she wanted to be: hiding behind some rocks, cautiously watching the creature she had been looking for the whole morning. There it was, with its long neck stretched toward the top of a tree, eating a few leaves. The last of the giraffes on the Boiling Islands.
―It took me a while to catch up with you ―said the flame-haired witch as she emerged from her hiding place―, but you can't outrun me.
But the giraffe didn't respond, just looked at him as he finished chewing and swallowing some leaves. Eda looked around, trying to calculate where the giraffe might flee to once the action started. She was cold and firm in front of her adversary, but the animal just kept looking at her, now with its tongue out, as if it didn't understand that Eda posed a threat to it. Resigned, the witch let out a long sigh.
―They are indeed weird ―she said as, drawing two large rings of magic in the air with both hands, she cast the portal spell that would banish the last of the giraffes from the Boiling Isles―. All right, let's go, get out of here. Shoo. Go through the portal ―she said, while insistently pointing with her hands to the huge luminescent portal, but the giraffe just looked at her, confused, not understanding a word.
Eda, now desperate, slowly ran her hands over her face.
―Don't you understand that no one wants you here? ―she asked the helpless animal while approaching the large doorway and pointing agitatedly at it.
The giraffe, seeming to have finally understood her, began to move closer, to Eda's relief, to the portal she was pointing at. But within a few steps of crossing the threshold and disappearing once and for all, the animal lowered its long neck until its face was on the same level as the witch's. She looked at it in puzzlement. Still with its tongue out and its eyes slightly averted, the animal remained like that, face to face, for a few seconds. Before the young woman could react, she began to hear a voice.
«What is that?» she wondered «Where is that voice coming from?»
«Eda Clawthorne».
The young witch realized that, indeed, somehow the giraffe was talking to her.
«Who are you? How are you doing this?»
«My name and origin do not matter» it replied «. My destiny, on the other hand, has already been decided by your people. Life in another world is waiting for me, where my sisters and brothers await me. Under other circumstances I would have put up resistance, but I have been watching you, Eda Clawthorne, and I have seen that it is you whom I've been waiting for».
«What are you talking about? Waiting for what?»
«In my life I have met all kinds of creatures, monsters, sages, wizards and witches. Before I left, I was interested in talking to someone one last time. I didn't really know who that someone was, but I knew I would know when I had them in front of me. Now I know it's you, Eda Clawthorne».
«And why me? What do you want to talk about with me, huh?»
«I want to give you a few words. That is my only wish» said the animal and Eda, a bit puzzled and curious, accepted with her gaze and invited him to continue. «. Eda Clawthorne, I sense in you the presence of a sickness. A curse lies within you and you know it. My destiny, as I told you, has already been written. But yours, ah, I see it still changing, like the waters of a river or the flames of a fire. I see in you a path of much suffering and pain. Separated from your parents and your sister. Lonely. Sad and desolate, hiding everything behind a false smile and confidence. You try to defy others, to put yourself before them, in an attempt to forget how vulnerable you feel».
The girl, dumbfounded, stared at the animal. Her initial mischievous smile was gone. Her bright amber eyes were moving from side to side.
«But don't lose heart, young witch» the animal continued «. Because now I understand the imperative need to have this conversation with you. My last role here is to convey to you the following message: I also see in your life a light, bright, shining, glowing, that will illuminate your surroundings and will show you the way to be followed like a lighthouse. The moment will come. You'll just have to wait for it. Do not lose faith».
With those words the animal turned away from Eda and began to walk towards the gate, but before crossing it, it stopped and, without turning to look at her, said its farewell.
«So long, Eda Clawthorne, the great Owl Lady».
So, with those words, the last giraffe of the Boiling Isles retired.
Eda finally made it back to the Owl House, with all the supplies wrapped in a blanket hanging from her staff. That memory of her youth... If she was not wrong, she had never remembered it again until that moment. As soon as Hooty welcomed her with cheerfulness and opened the door, Eda watched how King and Luz fought over the last ant cookies that remained in the cupboard.
―Those cookies were given to me by Amity, King.
―But I am your king! I deserve this and more.
Eda saw them gracefully.
«Giraffes» she thought, snorting internally as she smiled a fond grin «, bunch of freaks».