The Drowned Bird

I told you didn't I?

Sora and I became closer as the weeks passed and soon became inseparable.

I had found someone to trust my marks with in Sora, whom had notions to call me Wren when we were at the river alone.

We had decided we'd go swimming in the still waters underneath my old nest every week.

One day there was a stranger. We paid no mind to him, for he gave no name, and no reason, but watched in a concerning fashion as we played.

We had told Ea about the man, but even Ea could not run him off.

One day the man says his first words and I still momentarily head tilted.

"Are you a little bird?" Was the troubling question. I did not think I wanted to answer truthfully to this stranger whom had never once said a single thing afore.

"Ay, little Rya Wren tends to think so." Sora says having begun like my strange way.

I knew as soon as the words had left my dearest friend it was the wrong answer.

"Can you swim across the way and retrieve my shoe?" he asks me, pretending to shrug off Sora's reply, but I still saw it weigh in his mind by the shine in his eyes.

"No, I cannot swim at all." I say and grip Sora's arm to keep him quiet.

"Will you boy?" he asks and Sora nods.

"I will retrieve your shoe." Sora promised and then slips into the water, I knew he was able enough to swim the currents weakened by the late summer.

"You little birds, never stay sacrifices do you?" the man says standing.

"No, for the gods detest the killing of sacrifices." I say stepping further into the waters.

"Sir! Where is your shoe?" Sora calls having made it to the other side. I turn my face to Sora, careful to keep the weathered face of the stranger in sight, he was advancing slowly, all casual like, as if to answer Sora.

"Sora fetch Ea quick!" I yell and Sora stills in confusion, the stranger pounces and I am forced beneath the water. I thrash and gain a lucky hit to his groin. While the stranger writhes I try to swim across.

My ankle is captured and as I'm dragged back I yell for Sora to go. He mercifully dashes off and I turn to the stranger.

"I told them to mark the sacrifices, keeps them from coming back. Nobody listens to this old one! Now I have proof, and I will show it, after it's been properly sacrificed." He says feverishly, blind to the water around him.

"I cannot die by drowning ever again, if you try, you will drown instead." I tell the stranger.

"Sacrifices should stay sacrifices! Was the god not happy for the pure bird given to Him and only Him?" The stranger continues as if I'd never spoken, and forces me back under the surface again.

The water ever faithful feeds me air, but that even is useless when cold, skeletal hands wrap around my throat and squeeze.

To that the water turns to a frenzy lashing and clawing at the stranger. His fingers leave me as the waters mimic his hold. I wave my hand and the water ceases to hold him. I drag him to the bank as Sora comes thundering back Ea directly behind him the look of murder set in his eyes.

"I told you didn't I?" I murmur to the stranger regaining wakefulness.

Sora drags me away from the man's side crushing me to his chest as Ea takes the man by shirt front.