Fairy Tales for Family
These started yesterday, with shadesong's wonderful poem here. Now it's my turn.
From the time she was a child, I followed her. My brothers were content to stay at home and wait for rescue, but I could not stay still. My brothers left only once a day to fly around the mountain, but they took no joy of it. They ate what the dwarves brought them with little thought, and slept on gilded perches. I slept on rough tree-bark and ate whatever I could find. I gloried in the feel of the wind beneath me and the sun warm upon my feathered back. And I followed her, a dark shadow flitting from rooftop to tree branch. She never saw me.
I was there when she learned of our existence, and when I saw her tears I knew what she would do. I was with her when she left our parents’ house and I followed her into the wide world. I was with her when she came to the sun. Remembering how the first Raven had freed him, he burned bright in welcome, as I had known he would, and his heat made her flee (as I had known she would). I was with her when she came to the moon, and he, smelling my carrion breath, turned her away also. As I had known he would. And I was with her when she came to the stars, but they merely winked knowingly at me as they gave her the key.
That night, I stole the chicken bone from her pocket while she slept and hid it at the top of the tallest tree in the forest. I am a Raven. It is my nature to steal that which is valuable.
When she came at last to the glass mountain and found the key missing, I hoped she would turn back. And when she cut off her own finger to open the door, I felt ashamed. But only for a moment.
And so at last I followed her home. And when my brothers arrived for their meal I joined them one last time. I knew before I drank what I would find in the bottom of my cup. Radiant, my sister stepped from the shadows, into the light. My brothers gathered round her, human once more, and cried tears of joy.
Gazing into the eyes of the one I had followed so long, I too cried. Gripping the fatal ring in my human hand, I cried tears of sorrow for the loss of my beautiful wings.
Remember, we are taking requests -- so let us know what you'd like to see. And one lucky sponsor will get a lovely pendant by kythryne at the end of project (details at shadesong's journal). So please sponsor, and help me get home for the holidays!
From the time she was a child, I followed her. My brothers were content to stay at home and wait for rescue, but I could not stay still. My brothers left only once a day to fly around the mountain, but they took no joy of it. They ate what the dwarves brought them with little thought, and slept on gilded perches. I slept on rough tree-bark and ate whatever I could find. I gloried in the feel of the wind beneath me and the sun warm upon my feathered back. And I followed her, a dark shadow flitting from rooftop to tree branch. She never saw me.
I was there when she learned of our existence, and when I saw her tears I knew what she would do. I was with her when she left our parents’ house and I followed her into the wide world. I was with her when she came to the sun. Remembering how the first Raven had freed him, he burned bright in welcome, as I had known he would, and his heat made her flee (as I had known she would). I was with her when she came to the moon, and he, smelling my carrion breath, turned her away also. As I had known he would. And I was with her when she came to the stars, but they merely winked knowingly at me as they gave her the key.
That night, I stole the chicken bone from her pocket while she slept and hid it at the top of the tallest tree in the forest. I am a Raven. It is my nature to steal that which is valuable.
When she came at last to the glass mountain and found the key missing, I hoped she would turn back. And when she cut off her own finger to open the door, I felt ashamed. But only for a moment.
And so at last I followed her home. And when my brothers arrived for their meal I joined them one last time. I knew before I drank what I would find in the bottom of my cup. Radiant, my sister stepped from the shadows, into the light. My brothers gathered round her, human once more, and cried tears of joy.
Gazing into the eyes of the one I had followed so long, I too cried. Gripping the fatal ring in my human hand, I cried tears of sorrow for the loss of my beautiful wings.
Remember, we are taking requests -- so let us know what you'd like to see. And one lucky sponsor will get a lovely pendant by kythryne at the end of project (details at shadesong's journal). So please sponsor, and help me get home for the holidays!