Starling Rise

Chapter 6 Part 1: End of Discussion!

The air was warm in the bright afternoon sun, but unlike the rest of the village Eris barely acknowledged the beautiful spring weather as she walked down the side of the main street, face rigid, hair drifting loose as usual. A common black hawk was perched on her shoulder, its sharp dark eyes alert. A few passersby paused to gawk at her as she passed, murmuring to each other.

Eris kept walking until she reached her destination; the saloon. Stepping inside, she made her way past the tables of drinking patrons. "Hey! Little girl!" A woman called out to her from the bar. "You're not allowed in here!"

Heads turned to look at the strange girl with a bird. Eris ignored them all and strode over to one of the tables at the far end of the large room. Father sat there, alone. His head rested on one arm while the other dangled from his side. Both ended in stumps bound at the wrists. His eyes were closed.

"Father." Eris stepped up beside him, shaking his shoulder. "Father. Wake up."

He moaned quietly but didn't stir.

Eris exhaled. "Father, this has to stop. You can't keep wasting Mother's money."

"Ugh . . . Go home," Father grumbled, burying his face in his arm. He smelled horrible as usual.

"Not without you. Let's go." Eris waited. "Now, Father."

He remained where he was. By this time the entire saloon had stilled to watch, exchanging amused grins and chuckles.

"Aw leave the poor bastard alone," one man drawled from across the room. "He's doing the only thing he's good for!"

Eris whirled around and raised her arms in one smooth motion, a slingshot aimed at the speaker, eyes sizzling blue sparks. Sudden silence consumed the room. The weapon she held wasn't deadly, but it could certainly inflict some pain. "Unless you want to loose some teeth, or an eyeball, the lot of you better mind your own damn business."

She lowered the slingshot and turned back to her Father, who was still motionless. "Alright then. You asked for it."

She raised two fingers and pointed at him. The hawk on her shoulder sprang into the air with an avian cry. It attacked Father's head with vigor, talons clawing, wings beating furiously. Father howled and sprang out of the chair, flailing his arms drunkenly at the bird. Everyone burst into laughter as Father stumbled across the room, trying to get away from his noisy feathery assailant. Eris followed her Father until he tripped his way out the saloon doors and fell flat on the side of the street.

"Shade!" Eris raised her fist, and the dark bird flew back to her shoulder.

Father vomited, then groaned as he stood up on swaying legs. People gave him looks of pity or disgust as they stepped around him.

Arms folded, Eris waited until he'd steadied himself against a hitching post. "You done?"

Father squinted in the afternoon sunlight, reaching one stump wrist up to touch a bleeding scratch above his eyebrow where the hawk had caught him. "Ouch."

"I don't want to hear it." Eris strode forward and grabbed his arm. A shopkeeper stepping out of his store paused to watch her practically dragging her tipsy father back up the street.

"He at it again?" he asked as they passed, eyeing Father with disdain. "What a bum."

"No more than you would be without your hands," Eris shot back with a glower, and continued on her way.

Halfway home Father collapsed in the middle of an alley and passed out, forcing Eris to once again fetch a neighbor to carry him the rest of the way home and place him in bed.