Learning To Fly With Broken Wings

Chapter 2 : Seven Years Later

Jacinda's POV

My father died from being shot down by someone in the mountain when he was trying to rescue a fallen avian close by.

My father was called only a couple minutes after I went up to my room excited.

That memory still haunts me to this day still and I am 15 years old.

My mother has never been the same after two roost guards came to tell us the bad news.

She has become more focused on protecting our avian species and is snappish and rougher towards me...like it was my fault somehow.

I work and I am a healer of the roost, The roost lives high above in the Rocky Mountains.

No living human has ever found or laid eyes on our hidden home.

"Jacinda wake up!" yelled my mother from downstairs.

I opened my eyes and with a quick movement I sat up. "I am up!" I yelled.

"Well get moving, the injured and sick aren't going to wait for you!" yelled my mother again.

I mumbled something under my breath and got out of my bed.

I moved my hair out of my face and I looked into my mirror.

I eyed my wings which were a beautiful grey and has black lining the bottom and dappled white on the top.

Then I eyed my bird's nest of hair on top on my head. "Great" I thought and grabbed my brush off the top of my dresser.

After about five minutes of unexplainable pain, I walked down the stairs with a simple royal blue tee shirt, black army pants, and some black hiking boots.

"About time" said my mother thrusting a plate of eggs and bacon in front of me.

I took the plate from her and didn't say a word to her and ate my breakfast standing up.

After I had finished I quickly put my plate in the sink and quietly sneaked out the house before my mother could stop me and talk to me about watching out for our flock and stuff like that.

I stood on the porch and opened my wings and jumped into the air and my wings caught the wind and I was off.

I flew above the treeline, but kept an eye out for anything suspicious. Luckily I don't have to fly for than a couple minutes, thanks to my mother.

She moved as soon as my father's funeral and burial was done closer to the roost.

I landed next to a two story simple home/cabin, I entered and the familiar smell of lavender filled my nose.

"You're late" said a dry voice. I turned around and saw one of the oldest flock member of the roost, Nadia.

"Sorry Nadia it will not happen again" I said.

"I bet it will again fledgling" said Nadia, Nadia has a pet name for me...fledgling.

"Well get to work then, we have two with sprained wings and one with a broken limb who is in so much pain" said Nadia.

Then I heard a groan in another room, I then turned away from Nadia and walked towards the one in the most pain.

Before I went in, I grabbed some aloe and some warm towels to relax the irritated nerves around the broken bone.

I then grabbed things for a cast. I entered the room after I had gotten everything in my arms.

I saw the injured avian was no older than me...go figures.

"Hello and what is your name?" I asked before I began the process.

"My name is Orion" said Orion.

"Hi Orion, my name is Jacinda and this may hurt" I said.

"Good to know" said Orion. I looked at his right arm which was swelling and was turning slightly purple.

I looked for other injuries, mostly around his pure black wings, he had no other injuries.

I grabbed the aloe and one of three warm towels, I grabbed his right wrist and Orion winced a bit. "Sorry" I said.

"Not a problem" said Orion.

I then began rubbing the aloe on his whole right arm and then put the warm towels on his right arm.

His whole body relaxed, telling me I have done good so far. I then got out everything out for the cast a couple seconds later.

"Ready for a bit more pain" I asked as I took off the towels a couple minutes later.

"Ready as I will ever be" said Orion.

"Okay" I said. After about a good fifteen minutes, Orion was in some pain and my work was almost done.

I went out of the room and quickly made a tea that helped with relieving pain. "Here" I said after a couple minutes of making the tea.

"Thanks" said Orion.

"No problem" I said and began cleaning up.

I felt I was being watched so I looked behind my sholders and saw Orion looking at me.

"What?" I asked in a friendly tone.

"Nothing" said Orion and then rested back on the bed he has been on for who knows how long.

I went out of the room and put the old supplies away and got new supplies out.

A thought then suddenly popped into my head.

"What does it mean to have a life if you honestly keep reliving the same chapters over and over again?".