The Sword Of Damocles

The world closes in around her, crushing the very air out of Fern’s lungs. Her body trembles uncontrollably and she longs to melt away into the stones beneath her paws. Just when the gray girl is certain that she is going to die, soft sounds wash over her. They are gentle hushing noises that her mother use to make and it pushes back against the darkness. It offers Fern a life line to hold onto. With the sounds, she also hears her mother singing, calling her back from the edge of oblivion. Fern sees the light and follows the voice out of the tunnel. Everything comes crashing back into focus, colors flaring back to life and Meadow’s emerald gaze stares lovingly back at her. Blinking hard, her mother’s face disappears, replaced but a silver and obsidian woman with vibrant yellow eyes. As she works to regulate her breathing, Fern keeps her ocean-hued eyes locked onto that golden gaze.

When the wolf offers her name, the gray girl dips her head in greeting, not yet trusting her voice. Eska voice is soft and gentle and she finds no judgement hidden behind the words. The woman leads her toward a pile of furs on the side of the tower and the girl follows closely, flopping heavily onto the pile of furs Eska points to. Her heart no longer beats in frantic rhythm and Fern lets out a shaky sigh, speaking up to offer an apology, “Sorry about that. I… get those sometimes. I don’t mean to be an inconvenience.” A wobbly smile appears for a moment before quickly falling away. Taking a deep breath, the gray girl says, “My name is Fern and… thank you.” The smile that appears this time is gentle and kind, whether Eska understands it or not, her calming presence gave Fern a path back home.


"Fern"