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K E I R A W A L K E R
The sky was still dark when Keira woke up. She washed her face, brushed her teeth and got dressed. But since it was snowing outside, she put on a turtle neck top and pants instead of her usual midriff top and skirt. It really wouldn't do anyone good if she froze herself to death. As soon as she tied the shoelaces of her boots, she stood up and took her favorite winter coat off the peg behind her door. She put it on and silently ran a hand on the soft, colorful fabric. The coat had been her father's Christmas gift for her. He had seen her admiring it in one of the shop windows weeks before. Several times her father asked if she wanted it but every single time, Keira said no and pretended that she was admiring a less expensive scarf instead. The coat had been too expensive and they were saving money for traveling. So as not to be miserable about it, she had made it a point not to pass by the shop again. But on the day before Christmas, she did and was disappointed to see that the coat was no longer on display. Figuring that it had probably been bought already, she had pushed it out of her mind and eventually forgot about it. Until she opened the gift box her dad handed her on Christmas day and found the exact same coat in there, nestled in pretty red and green paper.
She could still remember her father's smile as he watched her twirl the coat around.
She reached out and took the bow her father made for her from its mount on the wall. She slung it onto her shoulder. While she no longer used it, she still kept it with her as a reminder of her father and their love for archery. She took it down now for a very special event, one that she repeated every year. She didn't take any arrows. Today, she would make one of her own.
She headed out of her room and walked down the hallway, her shoes barely making any sound. Two doors down, she passed by a room with a "Knock Before Entering" sign hanging on it. She glanced at the door as she passed by, noticing a faint blue light coming from underneath the door. She shook her head. Cayde probably pulled another all nighter playing his games.
She walked briskly through the hallway, pulled the hood of her coat on and then walked out the door. She looked up at the gloomy sky and at the white snowflakes falling all around. A cold and gray day. It was the exact same day that her father passed away two years ago. Slowly, she made her way to the back of the house, the cool wind swirling around her as she heard the flap of wings followed by a shrill screech. "It's good to see you, Falco," Keira greeted as a blue-gray hawk landed on her shoulder. "Did you come to say hello to Dad too?" she asked and was promptly answered by a low grumbling sound from the bird of prey.
Keira nodded and carried the hawk on her shoulder to the back of the house. Once there, she looked up at the still dark sky. "Hi dad. How are you doing up there?" she spoke softly as she pulled her bow off her shoulder. She held the bow with her left hand and then pulled the string with her right hand. As she did, an arrow made of pure light formed in her right hand, its glowing shaft perfectly fitting into the bow's arrow rest. "It's exactly two years since you went away, dad. Are you happy where you are? Are you safe? Are you and mom dancing to wonderful music on the clouds?" As she spoke, her father's name appeared on the shaft of the arrow she conjured. The letters appeared one by one in elegant calligraphy. Lajos Walker
Falco watched the glowing arrow and cocked his head to the side as he listened to Keira speak. The girl poured her heart out as if she was writing a letter to her deceased father. And when she was done, she raised her bow straight up to the sky and pulled the string all the way towards her face. "I love you dad. I miss you every single day. Tell mom I can't wait for the day that I'll be able to meet you two again. But not yet. Not yet..." she smiled before she released both arrow and string. As she did, Falco let out another screech as though he was sending his own thoughts towards the skies.
The light arrow shot up into the dark sky. Girl and bird watched as it lit up its path and waited until it disappeared between the clouds before they turned away. Keira sighed. "Do you think they see it Falco? I try each year to make my arrows brighter so that the Gods may take notice of it and send my message to dad and mom. Do you think my arrows ever get to them?"
The falcon made a gurgling sound. "I'm glad you think that way. I'd like to think they were able to see all my arrows too. I...miss them a lot." The falcon touched his beak onto Keira's cheek. "I know you'll always be here for me. And I'm glad. I don't know what I'd do without you." Keira reached up and gently stroked the falcon's head. She sighed again and then looked back up at the brightening morning sky. She stared up at the sky for a few more seconds before deciding to go back to the house.
"I'll see you later, Falco. I've put something outside my window for you. Breakfast."
The falcon made another low grumbling sound before it stretched its wings and took to the air. "You're welcome," Keira called out before she walked back in.
"I'm making breakfast, guys!"
"Impeccable timing, Mel," Keira said softly as she felt her stomach grumble in response to the faint smell of something good wafting out of the kitchen. She removed her coat, a little damp from the snow outside and then headed back into her room. She hung her coat on the hooks behind her door and then carefully placed her bow back into its mount on the wall. She looked at it for a few seconds before she headed back out into the hallway.
Breakfast. Her stomach rumbled again as if agreeing to the single word in her head.
Sorry for the delay. Still a little busy. Will have a reply a little later. 