07-21-2015, 09:51 PM
She stared wide eyed as it fluttered across her brow, the colours catching in the autumn sunlight. Greens, blues, purples, too many to count and all entwined to create something so beautiful of the like she had not yet seen. It fluttered from stem to leaf, from one crinkled autumn leaf to the next. And whilst the dead leaves crunched underfoot from her weight, the little creature which fascinated her so made not a sound upon landing, its delicate wings fluttering open and closed, open and closed. “What are you?” she asked of it, lowering her muzzle towards the thing, her childish curiosity unstoppable. And as if in answer, the little creature took flight once more, tickling her nose with the flutter of its wings and Illae giggled. “No come back,” she called after it as she watched it flutter away beyond her reach. With a childish scowl, Illae stole a sideways glance at her mother, and wondered if her mother would mind terribly if she followed the creature for a just a little. Too many times had she been scolded for wandering beyond the protective gaze of her mother’s watchful eye. If she asked, Illae knew her mother would tell her no, of course she would. ‘The world is too dangerous for one as young as yourself Illae to wander alone’ She would need to sneak away and return as if she had never been gone. As such, with her curious mind and her will for exploring, a lot of practise had almost made her perfect at sneaking away unnoticed. And so Illae slunk as slowly and as quietly as she could away from her mother’s flank. Her mother too consumed with foraging on the last sweet blades of grass to be found before the cold of winter turned everything dead. Tread slowly, tread carefully... She told herself, all the while searching for the creature which had fascinated her so only moments before. “Found you.” She whispered, as she spied it fluttering between the branches and leaves amongst the first of the tree’s which marked the tree-line. There was no question in not following it, though Illae had not yet been beyond the tree-line on her own. Where the field was bright and full of sunshine, the forest was dark and heavy with shadow. But strangely enough, that did not deter her. And she stepped out of the sunshine and into the darkness, where the tall forest trees shielded her from her mother’s sight and her mother’s protection which always felt like iron chains. And free at last, if only for a small moment, for she could not be gone long before her mother would surely note her absence. Illae broke into a trot and gave wild chase to the winged creature which fluttered further and deeper into the forest. |