Soft rains came, but the heat did not relent. The shewolf shambled slowly through the land, paws bloody and dragging wherever she went. Her voice warbled, glancing off the high walls of the rises on either side of her.
"And the eaters will call -
Chirrup! Chirrup!
The sun and moon will sigh
the wind will wilt the grassy summit
and all the land shall die."
She could not remember the rest of the words to the song, so she sang the same verse again and again - not really even knowing that she sang at all. To her ravaged mind, the song came from the ravine itself, and while there was a part of her that knew there was nothing to follow, she was intent on finding the source of the sound. So she sang, and as she sang, she staggered after her own voice.
"The eaters... they call... sun and moon sigh..." she trailed, coming to pause before the white-bleached jawbone of what must of been a great beast. She gaped at it for a moment, eyes widening as she realized what was missing.
"Why have you left me?" she wailed, her voice echoing more strongly than ever. She stared aghast at the bone, uncomprehending. "Sing! Let me follow," she begged, crouching down and crawling on her belly toward the bone - bigger than he head, up close. Mocking her. She nosed at it, whining in supplication. "I swear. I swear - I will not leave you again. I will never stray," she whimpered, tail lashing back and forth across the ground behind her, clearing a half-circle in the dust. "Please, take me with you. I'll do anything."
For a long time, she spoke to the bone, alternately begging and berating it. When sleep eventually came to her, it was filled with strange and terrible dreams. And when she awoke, she picked up the jawbone and skittered back the way she came. "There's only death here," she whispered to the bone. "I can protect you. I'll take you somewhere safe."
"And the eaters will call -
Chirrup! Chirrup!
The sun and moon will sigh
the wind will wilt the grassy summit
and all the land shall die."
She could not remember the rest of the words to the song, so she sang the same verse again and again - not really even knowing that she sang at all. To her ravaged mind, the song came from the ravine itself, and while there was a part of her that knew there was nothing to follow, she was intent on finding the source of the sound. So she sang, and as she sang, she staggered after her own voice.
"The eaters... they call... sun and moon sigh..." she trailed, coming to pause before the white-bleached jawbone of what must of been a great beast. She gaped at it for a moment, eyes widening as she realized what was missing.
"Why have you left me?" she wailed, her voice echoing more strongly than ever. She stared aghast at the bone, uncomprehending. "Sing! Let me follow," she begged, crouching down and crawling on her belly toward the bone - bigger than he head, up close. Mocking her. She nosed at it, whining in supplication. "I swear. I swear - I will not leave you again. I will never stray," she whimpered, tail lashing back and forth across the ground behind her, clearing a half-circle in the dust. "Please, take me with you. I'll do anything."
For a long time, she spoke to the bone, alternately begging and berating it. When sleep eventually came to her, it was filled with strange and terrible dreams. And when she awoke, she picked up the jawbone and skittered back the way she came. "There's only death here," she whispered to the bone. "I can protect you. I'll take you somewhere safe."
« Next Oldest | Next Newest »