The bird sat anxiously in the confusion of branches and twigs, waiting for the woman to come back. She had been gone for a long while.
She didn't come. The sky remained the same uncertain blue. Finally, the bird began to nod off. As soon as sleep came, however, it was shattered by a murmur of movement slipping through the trees.
The bird's eyes flicked open, and it surveyed the long whispering grass for any signs of life. In its jigsawed mind, pieces connected into one short and frantic thought:
SNAKE
The bird trembled and took off, flittering its wings and glancing at the ground, searching for the Viper. It waited to see those beautiful iridescent scales and that thin, winding body, but nothing of the sort made an appearance. The bird did see something, however—what was it? It had wispy, ghost-like fur, a translucent pelt, and a quiet tread. The bird clenched onto a nearby branch and watched. The animal wove its way like spilt liquid through the meadow and between the trees.
Its curiosity piqued, the bird jumped off its perch. It followed this silent mystery, tracking its movement from above. The animal made its way eastward, to where the river, ashen land, and redwood forest lay. To where the woman had gone.
After a time, they arrived at a mossy embankment. The bird hid under a fern, keeping its eyes on the animal. The river rushed by, dark and swirling as before. This side of the river was wider, however, and the fire-struck island raged at a comfortable distance.
The animal padded to the edge of the bank and dipped its light blue tongue into the water for a drink. Its ears twitched at a sudden sound. The creature stiffened and stared into the surrounding foliage.
It was the woman who appeared, parting greenery and wiping her cheeks. The songbird let out an involuntary tweet of joy and flew to the woman, who managed to smile.
The animal lifted its head. It crooked its tail into a crescent and beckoned the pair to come nearer. Its pupils narrowed. It sat still, its earnest gaze boring holes into the woman and bird. And then—it somehow spoke, though its mouth didn't move. Not even a whisker stirred.
"Hello, my fellows," it said. Its words were enunciated clearly, and its voice lilted like a spring wind. "I've wanted to find you for some time."
The woman stared. The songbird chirped a question mark.
The animal nodded. "Yes, you two specifically.
My kind lives far from here, indeed,
In a land, across a bridge,
Above a slate-gray canyon'd sea.
We want to meet you, them and I.
Please, don't be frightened, why—
I am a friend, so don't be shy.
If you come with me, I'll explain
And make my case as clear as rain."
"You'll explain who you are?" the woman finally managed. "And how you found us, why you're here? And you promise you don't plan to harm us?"
The animal smiled. "I give you my oath:
'I'll inform you,' I quoth.
For I am a whisperer, and we are good,
Pure of heart and clear in mind
To betrayal and treason we're blind,
And we practice trust, as anyone should.
Now, dears, come. For I am done."
YOU ARE READING
Aeolia
General FictionA woman runs from everything. A songbird joins her from nowhere, singing colors and images. A whisperer finds the pair among a field of poplars and graves. A dark and vicious viper stalks them from deep in the earth. They must flee from the Viper...
