Sky Serpent

Chapter One: Little Bird

Emelyn woke to the sound of a shrieking bird. He was a pathetic little thing of brown feathers, skin, and soft bones. His beak was agape and for such a tiny guy his lungs had the strength of forge bellows. He back was ruler straight as he expected food and expected food right then and there.

She briefly considered rolling over and ignoring her charge but all hopes were dashed the moment Megan groaned and something solid collided with her blanketed form. "Get up will you? And shut that thing up!" Two days ago 'that thing' was the sweetest, cutest thing ever, until the girls were forced to feed it every fifteen minutes and then every half hour. They continued to draw out the time between feedings with every ounce of strength he gained, but Emelyn was feeling her conviction slip through her fingers along with previous night's dreams.

"Why do I have to do it? He's your bird too," Emelyn grumbled, sitting up despite her words. Megan was not hearing any of it. Emelyn glared at her older sister before slipping from her bed and creeping towards the kitchen in nothing more than her cotton gown her mother made for Megan, but had since been passed down to her when Megan received a newer one from their older sister Grace. The gown was no longer white and the light blue embroidery was coming out of the fabric, fitting her more awkwardly that its previous owner.

Her first task was to light the hearth. Normally the first person up lit it but not even her father was awake at such a God forsaken hour. Her little bird literally rose with the sun, even if it wasn't visible over the clustered buildings. Dawn filtered in from between the drawn curtains and shaded the living room and kitchen area in silvery blue. The chilled floors stung the bottoms of her bare feet and she hurried her search for the small pan needed to fulfill her chore. In the background the bird continued his cries of hunger.

It was not before long the whole household was astir. A tall, broad man packed with muscle and proud owner of flesh the color of burnt honey earned from working over blazing fires and hot metals appeared from the depths of her parents' bedroom. His hair was dark, nearly black, and matched his eyes to the shade, flopping over his ears and forehead. Scars marred his rough skin and he was proud of every single one. Well, except for the one on his hand; that one he earned from a folly he spoken of only once before with red tinged ears. His eyes were droopy, features broad and crude, and he was simple when it came to everyday, but he made weapons fairly well despite his general lack of wits.

"A good wake up call as any," her father grunted.

Emelyn gawked at him. "You're kidding."

He wasn't.

Her father had slept in his clothes - she could tell by their dishevel appearance and a stain from previous night's supper - and his dark hair was unruly as ever. She idly wandered how late he had worked but was distracted by the smell of goat milk heating up over the fire. If too hot, the baby bird would have to wait even longer to be fed and she wasn't sure how much more of his squawking she could take before he found himself being thrown out a window. Taking the smallest reed she could find, she dipped the tip into the warming milk and let it drip against her wrist. The pearl droplets were warm to the touch and she quickly took it off the flame to mix in some honey.

Back in her room, Megan went about her morning routine of brushing out her red hair and washing her face in the basin they kept by their closet. She was already dressed in a simple blue dress, the one that looked the best against her fair skin and light blue eyes, fussing and muttering to herself under her breath. Emelyn bit back a knowing smile and proceeded to feed their bird with the reed. "You're up early," she noted. "Usually you fall back asleep."

"How can anyone fall back to sleep with that God awful noise?" Megan retorted, eyeing her sister through the reflection of their shared mirror. Emelyn hummed (sure) and set the milk to the side once the little bird had his fill. "Besides, shouldn't you be getting dressed? Or did you forget what today is?"