Tiger, Tiger

Tiger, Tiger: Chapter 22

Dedicated to Elethewombat as today her story came to an end :( Read it pleeease! x

Hey Fanules,

I just want to apologise for this week's chapter size. The first reason is that I am in mourning for the death of my Mac computer, which passed away today :'( The second is that this is preparing for bigger things........

.....enjoy xxx

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Hasty in knowing that Jimmy and Elizabeth could return for trouble at any time, we quickly shared out what little food had been collected over the past few days in the forest and quenched our dry tongues straight from a cool stream nearby. Someone had even managed to catch and cook a few rabbits the night before, which were devoured cold by even the pickiest of eaters in the group.

Once we had gathered back in the glade, anticipation rolling off of the pack, I offered up my suggestion. “I say that we fly. It’s the quickest way to go.” I paused and thought about the logistics for a second, and then added, “A flock of birds, starlings perhaps, would be inconspicuous. No one would notice anything out of the ordinary.”

There was a murmur of agreement and then a boy called Tristan piped up. “Wait, wait,” he said, “I agree with the bird thing, but how do we get home? We don’t have a clue where we are. No maps, no guides. We don’t know even know what direction to start in.”

It was a fair point. Before I could respond, however, an ethereal looking shifter I knew as Avarielle stepped forwards. Hair that looked as soft as duck down cascaded over her shoulders and tapered at the small of her back. It looked even more impractical than my own hair, easily caught and grabbed in conflict, but it was hard to deny how angelic she looked. She fixed eyes the colour of sea foam onto Tristan. “Can’t you feel it?” she asked, putting a hand to her chest, “That magnetic pull home, like you could feel what way to go?”

That was the exact reason I hadn’t even addressed directions. Thoughts of that had been brushed aside by the feeling that if I closed my eyes and concentrated I would just know how to get there. It felt as if there was a cord tied around my heart, buried deep in my chest, which connected me to my forest, and that no matter where I was in the world it would always pull me home. Surely every other member of the pack had felt that too, or had I been too assumptive? Was it something in my Alpha’s blood that drew me so strongly?

Yet there was only the briefest second of discussion, and then scraps of dirty white cloth were fluttering to the floor as shifters pushed out of their clothes instead of sparing them, all morphing into a flock of expectant little birds. Wings twitched in anticipation as big personalities became accustomed to their smaller vessels. They did feel it too.

Alexander squeezed my hand gently before we drew apart and too became part of the flock. And with that, we leapt into the air, leaving nothing but piles of fabric to be swallowed into the leaves.

My movements were unsteady and sore for not having flown in some time. However, within a few wing beats I was shooting upwards and broke through the canopy of darkening leaves. A chorus of shrill calls erupted around me as we did so, fresh air filling our lungs and lifting what remained of our spirits. There was something magical I never got over when flying, something that sent a shiver of joy all the way to my wingtips. It must have been the sense of freedom you had with wings – the way you could carry yourself anywhere you wanted.

Soaring upwards and gaining altitude, I relished in the scents of the outdoors, the feeling of the morning sun on my feathers, the myriad of long unseen colours that stretched out endlessly before me. Never would I look at my world in the same way again. I would savour every moment of my short life. Treasure the beauty in things I had never seen before, made even more beautiful by the ugliness of the past week.

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So, are you ready?

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