Gerent was so stupid.
...Or maybe she was just so much smarter than him!
Clarent did her best to stifle a laugh, not wanting her hard work to be wasted. Besides, her little hollow was comfortable. It was a curved piece of metal, thrown two dozen falms from the airship’s wreckage. At the expense of her hands and dress, she’d borrowed her way through the loam, slipping herself underneath.
Her mother would be furious, of course. Clarent grins, what would be the fun otherwise?
The muffled shouts outside grew more frantic, and she could imagine the frustration of the other children, especially Gerent. The Miller’s son was always teasing her, now he would taste how it felt to lose at hide and seek for a change. The hollow was dry and warm, and Clarent’s eyes drooped…
…
Time passed
…
For a moment, Clarent wondered why she couldn’t see the exit. Then, shaking sleep from her eyes, she squirmed out, greeted by a starry sky. She saw no sign of the others… her mother would be more than furious now, and with a stab of guilt she imagined the woman’s worry.
The distant howling of a wolf shattered her revelry, and she scampers back to her hiding space, hair and dress covered with dirt and leaves. She’d simply have to wait for the morning… if Gerent couldn’t find her in here, surely the wolves couldn’t?
She tries to find a comfortable spot, her arm brushing into something strangely warm. It was circular and hard, and Clarent cups it in her hands, using it to ward off the night’s chill. Her stomach rumbled, and suddenly she thought of fresh meat. It had been a while since she’d had mutton…
-Scratch-
Something claws at the metal.
-Scratch Scratch-
Something forces itself under the lip of the hiding spot, snorting and yipping. Clarent screams and falls back against the opposite side. The beast howls and begins to dig, scraping at the earth.
“Child…†Something calls to her. A powerful, deep voice. She can feel her fear fading, replaced with something else. Rage?
Who was this wolf to hunt her? She snarls and darts out of her hiding place, meeting the wolf with a yell…
…
…
…
For a moment, Clarent can’t open her eyes to greet the morning sun. Too much blood cakes them shut. Wiping them, she stands unsteadily, what remains of the wolf scattered around her. Strangely the site doesn’t unnerve her, only fill her with a sense of pride.
“Child…†The voice calls again, the coin hot in her hand, “...I have much to teach you.â€
...Or maybe she was just so much smarter than him!
Clarent did her best to stifle a laugh, not wanting her hard work to be wasted. Besides, her little hollow was comfortable. It was a curved piece of metal, thrown two dozen falms from the airship’s wreckage. At the expense of her hands and dress, she’d borrowed her way through the loam, slipping herself underneath.
Her mother would be furious, of course. Clarent grins, what would be the fun otherwise?
The muffled shouts outside grew more frantic, and she could imagine the frustration of the other children, especially Gerent. The Miller’s son was always teasing her, now he would taste how it felt to lose at hide and seek for a change. The hollow was dry and warm, and Clarent’s eyes drooped…
…
Time passed
…
For a moment, Clarent wondered why she couldn’t see the exit. Then, shaking sleep from her eyes, she squirmed out, greeted by a starry sky. She saw no sign of the others… her mother would be more than furious now, and with a stab of guilt she imagined the woman’s worry.
The distant howling of a wolf shattered her revelry, and she scampers back to her hiding space, hair and dress covered with dirt and leaves. She’d simply have to wait for the morning… if Gerent couldn’t find her in here, surely the wolves couldn’t?
She tries to find a comfortable spot, her arm brushing into something strangely warm. It was circular and hard, and Clarent cups it in her hands, using it to ward off the night’s chill. Her stomach rumbled, and suddenly she thought of fresh meat. It had been a while since she’d had mutton…
-Scratch-
Something claws at the metal.
-Scratch Scratch-
Something forces itself under the lip of the hiding spot, snorting and yipping. Clarent screams and falls back against the opposite side. The beast howls and begins to dig, scraping at the earth.
“Child…†Something calls to her. A powerful, deep voice. She can feel her fear fading, replaced with something else. Rage?
Who was this wolf to hunt her? She snarls and darts out of her hiding place, meeting the wolf with a yell…
…
…
…
For a moment, Clarent can’t open her eyes to greet the morning sun. Too much blood cakes them shut. Wiping them, she stands unsteadily, what remains of the wolf scattered around her. Strangely the site doesn’t unnerve her, only fill her with a sense of pride.
“Child…†The voice calls again, the coin hot in her hand, “...I have much to teach you.â€
![[Image: yr2A1Eo.png]](http://i.imgur.com/yr2A1Eo.png)
