Chapter 1- feathers of sorrow
I ran as fast as I could possibly run, the wind ripping through my brown hair. My eyes shone like the stars I was dashing under. The dogs nipped at my heels, playfully trying to cut me off, and 14 of the family hawks soared overhead. That's right. I was a falconer. And my family and I owned over 200 birds of prey. The perfect night, cool and lit up with moonlight and the summer fireflies, was soon about to go horribly wrong.
I entered the dark woodland that I knew like the back of my hand. Something whispered not to go, but I was feeling brave, and defied my senses. What a terrible mistake. In the distance, I heard a strange sound 'pop pop pop pop pop' and all was silent. My head screamed to turn back, run away from the horrible sounds, but my heart pushed me forwards, the dogs and birds screaming a ferocious battle cry that I hadn't heard since the war!
I ripped the door out of its frame, not even bothering to turn the handle, and it flew off of it's hinges. There, in a pool of blood, were my parents. I don't know....perhaps it was a hardened heart, perhaps to much experience and exposure....or maybe I was seething angry on the inside, but didn't know it....I didn't cry. I didn't even shed one tear. I just clenched my fists into tight balls and screamed my lungs out. Not a fearful, afraid scream, but more of an angry, furious scream. I WOULD avenge them. And with about 244 Owls, hawks, ravens, crows and falcons at my side, it shouldn't be hard. The dogs could pick up their scent and the warbirds could bombard him, just as they had done when they assisted us in the war against France. Piece of cake. "scent." I commanded, and my first in line German shepherd soldier#1 seemed to nod, putting his nose to the murder weapon. A handgun.
We were all soon hot on their trail, when soldier#1 suddenly stopped and sniffed around,confused as to where the scent had gone. That's it. They were gone for good. What luck! I growled deep in my throat, and soldier#3 began to bark, and a chuckle escaped the woods, a hand covering my mouth. "you should have run away, kid...." it whispered. He moved his hand to my neck, trying to close my throat, but not before I whistled the signal for attack. The birds dove down from the sky, pelting and tearing at him with razor beaks. He let go with a gasp of surprise, and the dogs surrounded me in pack formation, baring their teeth at him. "WITCH!!!!" he shouted. "no." I replied, smirking a bit. "I'm just a simple falconer." I said, a hint of amusement in my voice. There was a look of pure fear in his eyes, and my smirk faltered. "enough!" I said briskly. They stopped immediately, confused, but with the knowledge that I rarely ever spoke. And when I did, it was serious.
He looked weakly at me. "why do you hesitate when you can avenge your parents?" he spat.
"I need you alive, the cops will be here any moment." I said, almost childlike and full of happiness. It was quite creepy to someone that didn't know me for long. It was almost as if an aura of hate and Power surrounded my very being, despite my cheerful smile. There was a faint wail in the distance. "theeeere they are!" I cheered, and my animals all hid in the forest, hidden from prying lights. "Oi, what happened here?" he asked looking suspiciously at me. "he killed my mum and dad." I answered simply. "that's why I came. I meant why is he all beat up?" "my birds." "birds?" "HUNDREDS OF THEM!!!! DEAR LORD, TAKE ME AWAY NOW!!!!" the maniac cried, thrusting his wrists into the cops face. "where did they go?" he asked. I sighed and looked at him. "you won't hurt them, will you?" "no." "Mkay then." I whistled a low tune, and for a moment nothing happened. Then the shadows began to stir, and all 244 of them fluttered down, resting on low branches, logs, the cops, and me especially. "my family was all falconer."
Chapter 2- a new day
Here I was, watching happily as the police took away the man, trying to step over my birds as they did so. I let out another low whistle, and the wardogs came out of hiding. They stopped, and everybody was wary of my animals...me especially. I just sat there, petting them thoughtfully.
