Flash Fiction Friday (3)

Dottie over at Tink's Place have come up with the idea for a Monday Morning Flash Fiction challenge. Each Monday a new picture prompt will be posted and if you choose to participate you post your story on Friday - 350 words, give or take.

I have to thank Blodeuedd at Book Girl of Mur-y-Castell for introducing me to this fun meme. I don't know if I'll be able to keep up with every week, but I'll give it a try from time to time.

The Image this week:

By: Melissa

Laaron sat by the shallow stream watching the water slid over the stones creating its bed, waiting for the bird from his home forest to make its appearance as expected. The bird was late and Laaron starting to worry. He had felt a constant shutter through the forest and animals in it. All seemed to be on an edge, scared.

Turning his head he looks into the small pool of water collecting beside him and reached for a cupped hand full to drink. As he drank he looked at his reflection, seeing how his hair has darkened and his long lean face lightened in color from creeping through the forests shadows so many years now. But his face hadn’t aged, which is normal of his kind.

That bird needed to appear fore he needed to know what was going on in the rest of the world, and what the elders knew, so he can quickly get back to Aerialena to make sure she was safe. He had been watching over her since before she was born, and in that brief time before she graced the world Laaron used this time to befriend the animals in the area. Even though his kind are accepted with ease, he needed to make sure they trusted him endlessly as to not tell Aerialena of his presence, incase she was born with the ability his kind thought likely.

Laaron found his thoughts slipping to Aerialena. She has grown into a fine young woman of seventeen. The age of ended growth.  Oh Aerialena, when she was younger she had done one of the most impossible things Laaron had thought possible and snuck up on him while he sat in this very spot. Laaron’s hearing is so clear that no one has done so since he was a wee child. But Aerialena had done it, as if her feet were guided and protected by air but then again her name originates from the air itself. Aerialena was a vision of the suns rays drifting through wind with her long blond hair and long heart shaped face. He closed his eyes for a moment, to see Aerialena on his eyelids. But these days her presence in the woods have minimized as she was getting older and had to help tend the farm.  The way she tended the animals on the farm and strays from the woods was so gentle and graceful. Did she know what she could do? He shock his head causing his long hair to fall over his shoulders, she didn’t seem to know.

Laaron’s eyes sprang open and his head turned. He heard something coming, through the tree tops. It had to be the bird he was waiting for. He extended his arm and hand for the young hawk to land on, but it missed and landed with a splash in the now red clouded stream. Laaron leaned down and scooped the young hawk up, removing the torn note from it's leg, seeing blood spots on him. Laaron started to breath heavier, reading the note, Laaron new he needed to get back to the outskirts of the farm to find Aerialena, hoping her and her youthful mother had returned from town. Trouble was brewing in the land and Aerialena would be the target.

Taking the young hawk in his arms hoping Aerialena could help it and the note in his pocket he took off dashing to the farm.