This is for my friend the sickling and all the other sicklings out there who could be reading this. Get better soon!

Chapter 8

Annalaya wasted no time to follow after the woman. She had to know where the woman was taking Galian.

She couldn't let the sparrow escape her sight or chances were she might not ever see him again. She couldn't let that happen.

Annalaya didn't bother changing her clothes. She hoped that she would blend into the woods better with her present clothes.

She wished she knew how talk in the tongues of a sparrow. She wanted to tell Galian she was coming for him.

The old peddler was faster than she looked at Annalaya had to sprint to catch up to her. Every so often she would hide behind a bush or tree. The woman seemed to know she was being followed and kept looking back. Annalaya followed her all the way to the village and almost lost her through the alley ways.

By the time the woman went approached a path leading toward a small cottage, Annalaya was panting hard from trying to keep up.

She had to duck behind a brush as the peddler opened the cottage door and looked behind her, narrowing her eyes.

Finally the woman closed the door and Annalaya had the freedom to creep up to the window to peek in. Her heart nearly stopped at what she saw.

The old woman had thrown Galian into a cage. It was way too tall for even an eagle. Annalaya realized at once she must know about Galian being able to turn into a human. That was the only explanation, and it made her sick. What was the woman going to do to him now?

The peddler threw the empty sack over a rocking chair with a smirk. It sent chills down Annalaya's neck.

She was scared for Galian, really scared.

Just as Annalaya feared, the woman knew about his shifting. It was all the tree girl could do to keep from pounding on the window. She watched as the old woman slammed a broom against the cage repeatedly. "Show your other self to me and I will cease this torture.

Galian the sparrow kept himself retreated into the back of the cage without so much as a chirp.

Annalaya could hardly imagine anyone inflicting harm to an innocent bird but it was happening right before her eyes.

"I will find your tree girl and put her in here with you if you don't show me yourself!" The peddler rammed the broom into the cage with a vengeance.

The sparrow looked toward the window and Annalaya frantically shook her head.

He couldn't let the woman see him and fully recognize him. If the woman could prove he was also the man she saw she would have reason to kill him and Annalaya. The girl couldn't let that happen.

Annalaya had a plan. The woman would not find her at all. When she would come back from looking she would get a surprise.

Annalaya smiled to herself.

The woman cried out in outrage, pointing the broom at the sparrow. "I will find her, and when I do I will kill her unless you show yourself to me." She tossed the broom to floor and yanked her cloak off the rocking chair and threw it on, tying it around her neck with a jerk.

Annalaya had never seen someone so livid. She crept away from the window around the back of the cottage into a group of bushes. She felt the branches bite into her skin but she stayed put as she watched the peddler woman disappear down the path and away from her cottage.

Annalaya sprang into action. Her arm stung, but she barely took notice that a branch had cut into it. She had to find an entrance into the cottage. She assumed the front door to be locked. She tried it anyway, finding it bolted shut.

Annalaya huffed and went around the cottage feeling for any door or window big enough to get into. She went around the entire cottage finding nothing but windows. She knew she could crawl through one if she could only break the glass and frame away.

Annalaya started hunting down a stone big enough to bust through a window. She settled on a back window. It was less noticeable and the woman wouldn't see how they escaped as soon as she was home.

Annalaya took a deep breath and flinched as she smashed a stone into the window with a crash. She gasped as shards came back at her but she didn't have time to pick them out of her skin. She had to get to Galian as quick as she could.

Annalaya glared at the wooden frame keeping her outside. She gripped it firmly in her hands and yanked back with all her might. It gave a satisfying crack, and she flew backward still holding it. She hit the ground hard, but she was grinning like a crazy woman. She got up quickly and threw it behind a nearby bush.

Annalaya came back to the window and jumped up while grasping the window sill. It hurt, but she heaved herself over. She fell into the cottage with a loud thump.

Galian gave a loud alarmed chirp from the front of the cottage. She wanted to cry out to him but knew it wasn't wise.

Annalaya rose up from the floor and ran toward the sound of Galian.

"Galian!" Annalaya stopped and fell to her knees by the cage.

"Annalaya, you're hurt!" Galian said and was the front of the cage in an instant.

Annalaya reached for his hand but the bars stopped her. They were too close to each other. "I'm fine. All that matters is that we get you out of here."

Galian frowned as if he wanted to argue but sighed. "She took the key with her. There's no unlocking it, Annalaya. Get out of here and save yourself."

"No!" Annalaya cried, turning to look around for anything that might help her unlock the cage. She saw nothing and felt like crying she was so upset.

She didn't want to leave Galian by himself but she had to search over the rest of the cottage. For maybe an ice pick or a hair pin? She tracked down the little cottage, finding herself in the old woman's chamber. She immediately searched the rigidity old vanity. In a box she found a few hair pins. She took two back to the front room and knelt down at the cage.

Galian knelt down against the cage and watched as she picked at the lock, repeatedly. There was no giving up. Not for Annalaya. She was determined to set her sparrow man free.

"Come on, come on!" Annalaya cried out, shoving the pins into the keyhole and twisting with all her might.

"Annalaya, please just-."

Click.

"Yes, thank you Lord," Annalaya cried out in joy.

Galian pulled her into a hug and she had to keep herself from crying in relief.

Annalaya pulled him with her toward the window, without another word. They had to make haste. Annalaya wasn't sure how long it took to break Galian out. The woman could come back now. They couldn't risk her seeing them.

Galian cupped his hand for Annalaya to put her foot, giving her a lift over the sill. She landed a little more graceful than last time.

Galian flew out and landed on her shoulder, giving a tendril of hair a soft pull. Annalaya stroked his feathers and walked swiftly back. She went through the alley ways as silent as a cat, careful to not be seen.

Finally they were into the woods again. Annalaya purposely walked the opposite direction of the tree house. That was where the woman probably was. They couldn't go back there tonight. They would have to make a home somewhere else less cozy for the sake of freedom.

Galian flew off her shoulder and Annalaya followed him deeper into the woods where the trees and brush were thicker. She saw a small creek ahead of them. This would be where they stayed the night.

Galian turned back into a man for a few moments to help Annalaya rid herself of the shards imbedded into her skin. He tenderly pulled them out, one by one. Not complaining when one went into his own skin. Afterward, he washed the blood off of his tree girl, kissing her forehead.

That wouldn't do for the tree girl. She wanted to give him a proper thank you. She pulled him back and kissed him softly on the lips, her fingers finding that soft feathery hair of his. Galian smiled down at her.

Annalaya wanted to beg him to stay like he was, but she knew it was more dangerous for there to be two people hiding together. She was sad to see a sparrow take his place.

Annalaya found herself some berries after that and gathered a bunch up in her skirt. She weak and famished, knowing she hadn't ate all day. She wouldn't tell Galian that.

Said sparrow was flitting around building himself a small nest. Annalaya was a bit jealous of the small luxury. She contented herself in a patch of leaves and pine straw, curling up into a ball for warmth after she had eaten all her berries.

It was going to be a long night.

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