Feathers of Bravery

Aihla

I used to hate the way the guards and warriors back home would look at me every time I tried and failed to do something in training. It was worse than pity, almost shameful. Now, I would rather take those stares than the ones that are being given to me here. Around every corner, every turn of my head I see birds quickly turning their head to avoid my eyes. They truly do not know how strong and owl's hearing is because even though they are whispering, I hear every word.

It's all the same.

"Oh the poor princess, so far from home and now she's lost a dear friend..." "You think magick is tied to matters of the heart, she hasn't performed any spells since they first arrived, with the betrayal and all..." "I can't imagine the pain, I don't which hurts her more, him turning on her or him slamming her against the walls.."

I will say however, that those are far better than the thoughts that keep playing in my head despite the comforting words of Gladier. This town, this beautiful place with its mighty birds were founded by the king of Baldir, Meylo's father. With the greeting we received when we first arrived and the dedication in the center of the town, I'm certain they saw the arrival of Meylo as prophecy.

Only instead of the reunion or their new leader arising, I brought a curse upon them. Although Jess has explained to me that her vision showed when Meylo contracted the curse, it still didn't explain how. How can curse be spread without a spell?

I spent a little more time in pity, thinking about I wish I could change things, about how I wish I could have gotten through to Meylo until I finally dry my tears. I've done enough crying already, I can hear my mother's voice as I think it.

Shaking out my feathers, I suck in all the courage I can to leave my room. I must have been really tired not to have felt Gladier bring me in here. I know he stayed the entire night guarding me, which I have a little bit of mixed feelings about, but overall I'm glad that I wasn't alone. I'm also glad that he gave me space when to wake up.

Good heavens, I feel like a jumbled mess. I do everything I can to ignore the stares, the whispers. I kept my head up high as I went to my chamber. The relief I felt when I thought that this was a gift from Gladier, a vulture who just met me, was short lived. It was like a slap to the beak. The rage I had coursing through me now, it erased all the other things that I felt previously.

Hidden in the corners were small runes. Runes, not quite like the ones that we had placed in Meylo's room his first night here, but ones that I have only seen at a glance in books. Immediately, I leave the chamber room and fly back down to the library. I found one of the birds that was this buildings caretaker.

"Sir!" He jumped up with a sharp chirp. "Pardon me, I didn't mean to scare you, but I need your help right now. Please, I need you to show me every book that Meylo looked at when we were brought here." I rushed out.

Thankfully, he sensed my urgency and went to the cases. I saw him bring down a total of ten books. Oh sweet heavens....