almost turn its head
upside down. "I’m glad to see you one last time before I leave."
The owl hooted at her, sticking its neck out
and rolling its eyes. Tressa couldn't help but laugh. It was the cutest thing
she'd ever seen. Nerak had always been loyal to
Granna, treating Tressa as nothing more than an oddity. She’d treated the owl
in kind. Now they had something in common – a loss so great neither knew
how to go on.
Nerak inched closer and closer until a claw rested on the tip of
Tressa's finger.
"Do you want to say goodbye to me?"
Tressa smiled. The owl hooted and moved fully onto Tressa's outstretched
fingers. Instead of digging in hard, it rested lightly. Warmth spread through Tressa,
radiating from her hands to her shoulders, then both up and down her body. She
shuddered, drawing her arm back into the cottage. As soon as both her hand and
the owl were back in warmth of her home, the bird jumped to Tressa's shoulder.
It nuzzled against her hair and pecked playfully at her braid.
A knock at the door startled her.
“Hey, Tressa, you still in there?”
Connor.
“Tressa?”
Bastian.
“You said you didn’t need much time. Everything
okay?” Connor knocked again.
“I’m here. I’m just, uh, changing clothes.
Putting on breeches for the trip.” Trip. She was probably changing her breeches
just to walk into certain death. “Give me a few more seconds.”
Tressa pulled food and clothes out of her bag.
Yanking the breeches over her legs one at a time, she cinched the waist under
her dress, then pulled it down over the breeches. Sure
she looked ridiculous, but not caring much at the moment, Tressa gathered up
the little owl in her hands. “If you want to come with me, maybe you should
hide in my bag.”
There were only a few owls in Hutton’s Bridge.
They were looked on as a good luck charm. No one would want her to take Nerak with her, but Tressa needed every scrap of luck she
could get.
Nerak didn’t argue, letting her lower it into her pack. She wrapped the
food in one of her clean shirts, then placed it next
to Granna’s friend. “Don’t eat any of that, okay?” She wasn’t even sure what an
owl would eat. Hopefully not apples or bread or jerky.
She flipped the flap over the top and secured
it with a small toggle. The owl didn’t protest. She patted the top of the bag.
“Okay. You can come in now.”
Connor opened the door, Bastian stood behind
him with his sword drawn. Tressa raised an eyebrow at their cautious entrance.
“Something’s not right,” Connor said, glancing around her cottage. He raised a
hand and Bastian lowered his sword. “We thought maybe you were being held
against your will. You are okay, right?”
“Yeah, everything’s fine.” Tressa tried to
appear calm. She worked even harder to keep her eyes from darting to her pack.
“When do we leave? Are we getting a proper send off or are they just kicking us
out of the village?”
“There are a few gathered,” Connor said. “Hazel,
my boys, a few of our neighbors, and some random others.”
Tressa didn’t ask Bastian if Vinya would be there and he didn’t offer the information.
“Ready? There’s no time left to waste. We need
to leave, make it through the fog, and find a cure.” Connor ran a hand through
his hair, confident. As if leaving was something easy and not a death sentence.
“Don’t forget coming back to save the village.”
Tressa slipped her pack off the table and onto her shoulder. Nerak didn’t protest. A small pressure on her back, like
nuzzling, told her the owl was as attached to her as she was to it.
Bastian cracked a small smile at the corner of
his mouth. Tressa smiled back, forgetting for a moment that he was no longer
her best friend and lover. She knew that smile all too well. A sudden rush of
jealousy swept through her, wondering if Vinya had
seen it too, or if that was only for her.
Connor opened the door. Bastian walked out
first, the smile wiped from his face. Maybe Tressa
upside down. "I’m glad to see you one last time before I leave."
The owl hooted at her, sticking its neck out
and rolling its eyes. Tressa couldn't help but laugh. It was the cutest thing
she'd ever seen. Nerak had always been loyal to
Granna, treating Tressa as nothing more than an oddity. She’d treated the owl
in kind. Now they had something in common – a loss so great neither knew
how to go on.
Nerak inched closer and closer until a claw rested on the tip of
Tressa's finger.
"Do you want to say goodbye to me?"
Tressa smiled. The owl hooted and moved fully onto Tressa's outstretched
fingers. Instead of digging in hard, it rested lightly. Warmth spread through Tressa,
radiating from her hands to her shoulders, then both up and down her body. She
shuddered, drawing her arm back into the cottage. As soon as both her hand and
the owl were back in warmth of her home, the bird jumped to Tressa's shoulder.
It nuzzled against her hair and pecked playfully at her braid.
A knock at the door startled her.
“Hey, Tressa, you still in there?”
Connor.
“Tressa?”
Bastian.
“You said you didn’t need much time. Everything
okay?” Connor knocked again.
“I’m here. I’m just, uh, changing clothes.
Putting on breeches for the trip.” Trip. She was probably changing her breeches
just to walk into certain death. “Give me a few more seconds.”
Tressa pulled food and clothes out of her bag.
Yanking the breeches over her legs one at a time, she cinched the waist under
her dress, then pulled it down over the breeches. Sure
she looked ridiculous, but not caring much at the moment, Tressa gathered up
the little owl in her hands. “If you want to come with me, maybe you should
hide in my bag.”
There were only a few owls in Hutton’s Bridge.
They were looked on as a good luck charm. No one would want her to take Nerak with her, but Tressa needed every scrap of luck she
could get.
Nerak didn’t argue, letting her lower it into her pack. She wrapped the
food in one of her clean shirts, then placed it next
to Granna’s friend. “Don’t eat any of that, okay?” She wasn’t even sure what an
owl would eat. Hopefully not apples or bread or jerky.
She flipped the flap over the top and secured
it with a small toggle. The owl didn’t protest. She patted the top of the bag.
“Okay. You can come in now.”
Connor opened the door, Bastian stood behind
him with his sword drawn. Tressa raised an eyebrow at their cautious entrance.
“Something’s not right,” Connor said, glancing around her cottage. He raised a
hand and Bastian lowered his sword. “We thought maybe you were being held
against your will. You are okay, right?”
“Yeah, everything’s fine.” Tressa tried to
appear calm. She worked even harder to keep her eyes from darting to her pack.
“When do we leave? Are we getting a proper send off or are they just kicking us
out of the village?”
“There are a few gathered,” Connor said. “Hazel,
my boys, a few of our neighbors, and some random others.”
Tressa didn’t ask Bastian if Vinya would be there and he didn’t offer the information.
“Ready? There’s no time left to waste. We need
to leave, make it through the fog, and find a cure.” Connor ran a hand through
his hair, confident. As if leaving was something easy and not a death sentence.
“Don’t forget coming back to save the village.”
Tressa slipped her pack off the table and onto her shoulder. Nerak didn’t protest. A small pressure on her back, like
nuzzling, told her the owl was as attached to her as she was to it.
Bastian cracked a small smile at the corner of
his mouth. Tressa smiled back, forgetting for a moment that he was no longer
her best friend and lover. She knew that smile all too well. A sudden rush of
jealousy swept through her, wondering if Vinya had
seen it too, or if that was only for her.
Connor opened the door. Bastian walked out
first, the smile wiped from his face. Maybe Tressa
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