As the Crow Flies

Chapter 1: Shelter

Alina made it to shelter just before nightfall. At the top of a hill, she found an old stone building that was partially fallen down. It had no roof left, so she wouldn't be dry if the rain clouds on the horizon rolled in over night, but at least it had four walls that were still standing, which meant that she only had to watch the broken doorway for danger.

There was a little pit that had once been a fireplace. Alina dumped the kindling and twigs she had been gathering for the last half mile of her trip, knowing that she would soon need a fire. She took a piece of flint and rock from her pocket and made quick work of creating a small blaze. Instantly, the cold stone walls took on a warm glow.

Alina took from her pack her last bit of meat and her container of water. She sat with her back against the corner nearest to the fire and ate her meal as she listened to the burning branches crackle. She stretched her legs out and put her feet on the edge of the fire pit, warming her toes through her shoes. Alina's toes always seemed to be cold. She put her pack behind her back as a type of cushion and relaxed down lower against the wall.

As the initial flare of the fire began to die down into a more subdued flame with only the occasional hiss and pop, Alina began to take in the sounds of the early evening. She heard a soft hoot from a nearby tree, followed shortly by a long howl from somewhere much further away. Alina looked up into the opening where the roof should have been, and she saw little white stars beginning to shimmer into appearance. Everything seemed safe for now. Maybe it would be alright to close her eyes for just a little while.

The sound of gunfire drifted in from the distance. It wasn't close enough to worry about and didn't last long. Someone probably just bagged his supper. If it was anything else, thinking about it wouldn't help Alina prepare or get any rest. She let it go, let herself go, found herself drifting pleasantly into a fog of dim awareness and warm feet.

Then something howled again, still in the distance, but much closer than before. Alina breathed in sharply and shifted her position a little, but it didn't take long before she was drifting again. Full dark was almost upon her. She could see a brilliant array of stars peeking above the open roof. Her arms were getting cold, her face had been cold, but her feet were still pleasantly toasty. That was enough for now.

~~~

Rustling, rustling... On her left, now on her right... A flash of color--a bright slip of blue... Feathers just briefly passing her cheek... A voice--a small twitter, only a brief snippet... Above her, beside her, beginning to move faster and more urgently...