Scout Stories: Bruised Beginnings

Bonus Chapter: SOAR

I found a man in ice and snow

A very long time ago

I sang for him 

and loved him so

But melt his heart never did

Weeks before Cuno left for his job, Faye had entered the forest, Keefe had his run in with the cat or Miach had lost her grandmother, Layra Louchnah sat on her window and looked up.

Her arms and back were stiff but she didn't move. She couldn't risk startling the robin that hadn't noticed her when it landed. This was the closest she had ever been to one of the small birds and she wanted it to last as long as it could. She could make out all of the finer details on it's feathers. It was so close she could reach up and touch it if she was brave enough and fast enough. That would only scare the small creature away, though, and the moment would be lost. Instead she settled for staring at it with her eyes watering from the effort of trying not to blink. She wanted to lock the pretty interplay of the browns and creams and reds into her memory.

She might not be able to draw it as well as her sister could, but she could stitch it into a cloth if she remembered it right. She would have to beg her mother for the materials for it. Layra would most likely have to go with her to visit Errigal and his father. Layra stared at the beautiful colours of the bird and tried to think that it would be worth it.

"Layra!" called a familiar voice.

The bird fly away in a flurry of panicked feathers. Layra sighed and glanced down onto the street where her sister stood with Errigal. Larya shouldn't have let thoughts of him come into the moment. Everything about the boy was bad luck. At least he had the decency to looked a bit embarrassed and apologetic for disturbing her. Her sister was the one who yelled. She pulled him forward and waved up at her older sister like some kind of moron.

"Layra," she shouted up again, "Look who's came to visit."

Her sister found the entire thing incredibly romantic and entertaining. Layra sighed and tried to force a smile. She managed to make the sides of her mouth twitch in Errigal's direction. Aria had less sense that the average eleven year old, but even she should see what a farce the whole thing was.

He gave her a slight smile in return and waved up at her. Then he glanced around, his face expressing how painfully aware he was of the neighbours who had stopped to watch the exchange. Layra would have reacted similarly a few months ago but there had been so many public fights and arguments with her parents since the debt had come up that she had stopped caring.

"He brought a present," sang Aria.

"Um," said Errigal. "Could we go inside?"

He was holding a wooden box at his side that was small enough for him to grip with one hand.

Aria smiled brightly at him. She proceeded to drag him towards the door, telling him about how happy her mother was going to be to see him. Layra glanced at the spot where the robin had been perched for a moment. Then she got up and walked away from the window. She tried not too look too sad while heading down the stairs. She had already forgotten the curve of its wings.