|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Mon Jan 19, 2009 9:30 pm
As the final rays of the setting sun slipped from the forest canopy slipping the world into darkness. A small child ran through the forest, completely and utterly lost. Tears streamed down her face as she crashed through the quickly darkening underbrush trying desperatly to hide from whatever that was chasing her. She only dared to look back once which caused her to trip and fall over a fallen branch scrapping her knees and palms when she tried to catch her fall. She silently broke into a sob as she crawled to the nearest place she could hide, the hallowed bottom of a long dead tree. There she curled up, tucking her knees under her chin sobbing silently into them.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Jan 24, 2009 6:38 pm
 It was as though Dwenna found a brazen, unknown source of strength as her stone casing had begun to crack, the lines spreading and deepening until they erupted into thousands of pieces. It felt wonderful to stretch her wings and limbs, bringing the life back into them as she immediately launched into the sky, feeling neither stiff muscles or pain, but this she expected. Just like she fully expected a good tongue lashing from someone for not returning to the mountains in time for sunrise.
Oh well. Certain things just couldn't be helped at times. Besides, it wasn't like she'd done it on purpose. Normally, she didn't get sidetracked, but every grand once in a while, those oddball humans showed her a fleeting moment of strength, and she got suckered in by curiosity. Again, they had failed to prove they could stand on their own, but as long as they never saw their silent audience, she didn't really mind. Now she just had to make it up to her brothers and sisters.
It was when she was soaring over the forest canopy that she heard them; the frantic rustling and snapping of branches, accompanied by a soft whimpering. She knew the sound couldn't possibly be made by an animal, and she felt an unusual twinge as she drifted along the currents, slowing and finally swooping down to the soft earthen floor. Though there was anything to be seen amiss, she thought she could still hear the soft cries, and decided to follow them, wrapping her leathery wings about her like a deep, dusky cloak as she went.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Jan 24, 2009 7:14 pm
Ariana continued to sob into her knees, but quickly gasped and jerked up when she heard a horrible distant roar. She couldn't help but whimper a little more and scoot further into the tree. She didn't know where she was or how far she was from the road, her traveler's cloak was tattered and blood stained, but it wasn't her blood. She had minor cuts and bruises, and her dark reddish brown hair was messy and out of her braid. Her pale sea green eyes shimmered with her tears as she watched the ever darkening forest. They might be coming for her, the bad people who killed her grandmother and uncle while they were traveling. She clutched her Grandmother's cross tightly. Praying that her guardian angel would come and find her.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Jan 24, 2009 7:37 pm
Well, this was going well. And here Dwenna thought she'd be able to find whatever or whoever was making the noises and use it as an excuse for staying out beyond when she should have last night. Probably the wrong way to look at things, but she still wasn't entirely comfortable with others knowing about her more personal encounters.
Off in the distance, she thought she heard more branches snapping and crackling, and froze, eyes narrowing as she tried to pinpoint the location. It seemed to echo through the night, the disturbance like harsh ripples of sound in an otherwise peaceful air.
When a fox sprung out of a nearby brush, Dwenna wasn't satisfied in the least. The creature was alone, and far too small to be making such a racket. Besides, she knew this particular type to be a more silent, stalking and striking, not bumbling about as though it were blind. Her tail flickered back and forth for a moment as she considered her options. It was entirely possible to find a safe place to watch, and that sounded like a good idea. No need to aggravate whatever was out there unnecessarily.
She found a suitable tree and prepared to launch into the branches when she noticed that the sounds were now much, much louder, harsher. Almost as though whoever (she had decided that it was a "who," rather than "what" by this point) were rising in their stage of panic. Frowning, Dwenna glanced around once again. Maybe she could work this to another advantage, after all. She stepped back into the shadows, not wanting to present herself as vulnerable, or alone.
"I know you're out there," she said calmly, her voice oddly apathetic and factual. Might as well convince whoever was out there that she already knew more than she actually did. It usually saved trouble for the future.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Jan 24, 2009 7:42 pm
Ariana froze yet again after hearing the voice. But her child instincts took control, because the voice was soothing, and motherly (to her at least) and she went closer to the edge of her hiding place.
"If I come out...ye won't harm me?" She asked her voice still shaken with tears and her fear. She then thought a moment, thinking her prayers have been answered. "Are ye me guardian Angel?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Jan 24, 2009 7:59 pm
Dwenna blinked in mild surprise, wondering if she'd heard correctly, even though she knew she had. The voice sounded so young. Still, nothing had come out into view. It seemed a bit more was needed, and she had nothing better to do.
"Have you done something that you think you should be hurt for?" she asked in return, then burst into a fit of almost bitter, ironic laughter that ended on a sad note. She shook herself, mentally scolding her sanity for letting her lose her upper hand by showing that particular display. A guardian angel? Of some human? Her?!
"Tell you what. You come out where I can see you, and I'll let you decide that for yourself."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Jan 24, 2009 8:16 pm
Ariana shivered, but still being only seven years old, her child insticts told her that she needed to go with a grown up that would help her. Slowly the small child crawled out of her hiding place and stood up, she would have been a lovely child, had she been fed enough and cleaned of the dirt and blood. At first look she looked as if she was hurt, but really she was only scared. She looked around, wondering where her supposed guardian angel was, hoping it wasn't a trap. "Are you with the bad people that killed my Gram and uncle?" She asked, her voice now again shot with oncoming tears.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Jan 24, 2009 8:43 pm
It was, perhaps, not a fair trade, letting the human come out first when it was obviously frightened of something, but common sense sure beat fair any day. This way, Dwenna could take off if she needed to, or if the human was too worked up, she could find some way to handle it without revealing herself and making things worse. Bad things tended to happen when humans got frightened.
What Dwenna had not been expecting was such a small child, let alone her horrible condition. She was filthy, and Dwenna didn't need to see the blood to know it was there; she could smell it. This child had obviously been hiding for quite some time, and her wide green eyes as they searched the darkness betrayed her fear. Any predator would've gladly swooped in to devour the small thing.
Oh. Oh no. This child was crying. Dwenna couldn't stand tears. It just made things unnecessarily awkward, never mind that those with tears were usually unnaturally weak or helpless. They just gave up to easy. Usually.
"No, I'm not," she said with a bit of a sigh. "I suppose that's why you look like you do? Running from the...bad men?" She still hadn't revealed herself yet, though she had come closer to get a better look at the child.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Jan 24, 2009 8:51 pm
The small child continued to look around, not knowing whether to bolt or crawl back into her hiding place. But she wanted to know, if the female voice was not part of the bad people, and perhaps really was her guardian angel, she would be safe... Like her Gram promised her she'd be. She looked down at her dress, tattered, blood stained and ripped. She looked at her hands, seeing how dirty they were. "I don't know where I am, Gram, Uncle and I were traveling when..."She began to sniff "when...the bad men came..." She rubbed her eyes sniffling. "I'm lost, and I don't know where else to go."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Jan 24, 2009 9:11 pm
Well now, Dwenna was starting to wonder why she'd let herself fall in like this. Things could get out of hand if there were bloodthirsty humans on the loose. This could be bad for just about anything - other humans, animals, and gargoyles alike. Whether she liked children or not (and she was not about to admit to herself which way she was leaning), this required attention. She needed more information, and that meant stepping out into the moonlight, away from the safety of the trees.
"I believe I can help you, child," she decided calmly, quietly. "But I must know. When did this happen?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Jan 24, 2009 9:22 pm
"Just before the sun set over the mountains." Ariana said pointing to where she thought the sun had set, but she couldn't see through her tears and she didn't know if she was pointing in the right direction. "Gram yelled for me to keep running and not to look back..." She clasped her cross again in both her hands, her little body trembling.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Jan 24, 2009 9:33 pm
Dwenna frowned at the child's words, contemplating how best to go about fixing this particular situation. That wasn't too far from where they were now - or where she'd been when she'd entered her stone sleep. That particular thought didn't sit well with her. Humans usually didn't stray too far into the forest, but there were always exceptions to every rule.
"Your...gram...was wise to tell you so, young one," she said, now just barely hidden, the pearlescent dove gray of her skin a soft, visible pink in the moonlight. "You have done well to survive as long as you have without running into further trouble." Well, it was true. Humans were magnets for trouble.
"I can take you somewhere safe for now, where you can hide and be cared for, for a day or so until you have regained your energy. From there, something can be decided upon." She decided not to keep the child in the dark anymore. If she really needed the help, she would find it, somehow. Being with Dwenna just might make things a mighty bit easier. Still draped in the cloak of her wings, she stepped out, saying noting else, watching the child as she waited for her reaction.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Jan 24, 2009 9:51 pm
Ariana didn't gasp, wasn't afraid or freaked out, she just fell into a complete sob and ran to the Gargoyle. Her Gram had told her stories about them and said that some helped her Gram when she was a little girl. That she considered them Guardian Angels, Ariana was so use to the fact that they mean no harm that her first reaction was to run and hug the pearl pink female, sobbing into her leg like one would do to their parent. "Gram was right, ye are guardian angels of the night..." she said in a whisper holding onto the gargoyle female tightly.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Jan 25, 2009 5:35 pm
Whatever Dwenna had been expecting, it was not what she got. It was simply beyond her grasp that a human would trust a gargoyle so completely, even so young. She let a soft "oof" as the child sobbed and ran to her, more surprised than anything, blinking slowly as she tried to absorb what the child was saying. Awkwardly, she placed a gentle clawed hand on the girl's head, patting her in reassurance. She certainly didn't think of herself as an angel.
"A'right, then. Why don't you tell me your name?" she suggested after a moment, her voice low. "It will service better than shouting 'human' or 'child' this night. Especially since you're being followed." She frowned at that particular thought. She was going to have to do something about that, for certain.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Jan 25, 2009 6:06 pm
Ariana looked up at the Gargoyle. "A-Ariana..." She replied. "Where are we going to go? What place is safe? Oh please let it be with you, Guardian Angel, oh please!" She said again her eyes pleading more than her now dry and cracked voice.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reply
