The Last Fire Weilder

What is that noise?

My name is Keegan Black, and I just ran away... From school. 

I bolted past bare tree trunks, my white converse thumping against the bare, needle-carpeted floor as I ran farther and farther from what was familiar. 

The trees got thicker the further I ran, I never once looked behind me, even as the ground started to slope up. In my peripheral view I started to see smaller plants and thistle, easily recognizable from the rich purple color. The foliage started getting thicker the farther I ran away from what I knew. 

I had no idea what lurked within these woods and I heard no evidence of anything bigger than birds which I occasionally scared from low hanging branches or from around small plants. I still didn't look back, even as the hills toiled before me as I climbed the gap between the mountains. 

I really should head back... What if they have a search party? What if my mom and dad are mad at me? I didn't do it I swear!

I said the last part out loud, rather aggressively, may I add. That noise echoed around me and was quickly swallowed by nothingness. I was not expecting what the forest offered back in place of my words. Something screeched loudly, something very angry and almost... Desperate? 

I curved toward the sound, my oxygen levels returning to a safe amount. It sounded like a bird, I had deducted. A crow maybe? But something wasn't quite right for a crow's caw, even with that tone. 

It started to quiet down the closer I got, 

It must hear me and be afraid..

I hard shuffling around the ring of trees I was at. It took me a second to figure out which tree it was but when I found where it came from, a small hollowed out base of a twisted pine, I approached it. 

And when I discovered the origin of the noise, it let out a piercing screech of terror. I had to cover my ears as I winced and closed in on myself as if that would make it stop. When it did, I looked to inspect the bird, it was huge. 

I was almost a foot tall as it stood to it full stance, it's feathers puffed in defense, but something seemed off. I was about four feet away from it, trying not to aggravate it further. I studied it from where I stood, crouching down to sit on my heels as I looked at it. 

I studied it closer and not only noticed the dark substance on the ground, no sooner than I identified it as blood, I noticed that it's wing was limp at the side of it's body, the length of the wing was so large it was bent more than halfway to accommodate into the small space. It was twisted at an odd angle and looked broken.

 I got on my knees and scooted a foot or so closer and it let out a loud, threatening hiss to let me know that I was not welcome. I made sure not to lean my face in, lest it lash out and hurt me. 

I want to help it but how am I going to do that when it's big enough to not only cause serious damage to me but also to itself. I don't want to leave it to die...

I apparently said the words out loud because the bird barely tilted it's head at the noise. I tried again, hoping that by some miracle, not by my words but by something that if I tried this it would let me help it. 

"I want to help you, I won't hurt you, I promise-" I warily reached a hand out and set it on the ground in front of it and it backed up a bit but did not hiss again. 

"Please come out, you're hurt." I scooted closer and it remained puffed up but did not move. 

Thank the gods above or whoever granted this miracle, I have good intentions. 

I reached out my hand again, showing it the back of my hand and it remained puffed up but folded it's good wing against itself. 

"Please.. It's going to be okay, you just have to let me help you." I was less than two feet from it now and it didn't seem to think I was such a threat anymore. I reached into the hollow slowly after showing it my hands as I moved forward and cupped it under it on the sides of it's legs and tilted it as I pulled it out, careful not to hurt it's damaged wing. 

It let out a small warning hiss, letting me know that it was still a worthy opponent, but smoothed it's ruffled feathers. Then I realized that the huge bird before me was none other than a raven. 

I sat with my legs crisscrossed and set it gently in my lap, it's good wing facing me and pressed to my chest while it's wounded wing stuck out at an awkward, gruesome angle. You could clearly see where the bone was snapped, it was a bad fracture, but one that wasn't hard to heal with time and care. 

It's blue feathers shone as I showed it my hand and ran it from the front of it's chest and down its back to feel for other injuries. It hissed very faintly, again reminding me I was treading on dangerous territory. 

Suddenly the raven's head whipped behind it, to my left and I stared at where it was gazing to and felt a presence- And not a good one. 

Oh God the smell of blood.. The noise.. Oh no I don't know what lives out here! Let alone how to defend myself against it! 

I made a small scared noise and unzipped my jacket, making quick work to wrap up the large bird that sat in my lap, much to it's angry but quiet protests, careful not to touch the wounded wing and make it worse. I let the wing rest against the outside of the jacket, not caring it I got blood on it. 

I held the raven tightly to my chest and walked backwards from the direction the raven was looking, turned and bolted full speed at an angle down the mountain, making sure to angle down but also away from whatever that bad energy was. 

I was breathing hard as I ran down the mountain, gaining a bit of speed at the incline. I held the raven so it didn't move when I ran and felt the presence slowly fade after about five minutes of running. 

Soon I recognized in the distance between the trees. Cut grass. 

Home... I can go home! I can see my parents! Oh God what was I thinking... What if they hate me! What if they still think I hurt Betheny! My body heated up at the thought, despite the chills of the small droplets of rain coming down, I didn't shiver. 

The raven wasn't looking around like it was in the woods, but rather at the door and was letting a small amount of air out in what could barely be recognized as a hiss. 

"Here we go..." I sighed as I opened the door.