Ol' Flint the Crow

Flint's Second Tale pt. 14

It all started with me perched atop the tree near Nettle's hut. Gnashing my beak, I gazed at the labyrinth with my spear tucked in my lap. Besides my head, the bag of Edvrick's marbles jiggling on a twig. I had been assigned the task to carry the sack since I was unwilling to help the villagers with their logging; and Edvrick needed his hands free to summon the wind in order to push the heavy wood planks into the rushing river. After handing them to me, Edvrick said to be very wary of losing or even touching them. He said, if anyone of the orbs broke, terrible things could be released. I, however, took this unwanted responsibly lightly; hence the reason why I let the sack of marbles dangle on the twig creaking from the wind. The breeze blew through the tree, rocking the bag back and forth as I watched it neglectfully.

What brought me up the tree in the first place, was that my friend and I had another heated argument which again started with Nettle. Driven by the nagging voice, I complained to Edvrick about wasting time teaching her how to speak.

"The dumb human won't ever learn!" I screeched. "The idiot ain't got the brains for it."

Edvrick was quick to scold me after Nettle whimper miserably. "Flint, if you're going to belittle Nettle the whole time during my teaching, then perhaps you should find a secluded place to cool off."

"But Edvrick!"

He shushed me and forced me to leave. I left in a huff, swinging his bag wildly to goad him. Meanwhile, the voice in my head planted more seeds of the possibility that my friend would forsake me for her.

Letting my gaze slip away from the bag, I glanced over to the Nettle's hut and spat in its direction. Just then the annoying sound of smacking lips pierced my ears. My eye's darted to the right where Birch, chewing on a hunk of dried meat, stared up at me. Like cattle chewing on cud, the boy, to me, looked stupid as could be. His fat cheeks puffed out like a chipmunk from the dead animal in his mouth. Licking his fingers clean, he waved up at me. All the while I wrung the spear on my lap, hating the irritating smacking sounds his mouth made.

"Hey Flint!" Birch's shrill voice boxed my ears roughly.

I clicked my tongue in response. I was hoping this would be the end of the boy's greetings, but unfortunately he was a pesky and curious child. Like a monkey, the boy sprang and climbed up the thick trunk and reached the branches, where I was, in no time. Taking a seat on the tree limb adjacent to me, Birch dug his grubby hands in his pocket and pulled out a handful of seeds. He offered me his 'gift' with a smile, but I refused it. Swatting his hand with my wing, I sent the seeds flying in the air and rained down to the ground. The boy franticly shook his aching hand.

Rubbing where he'd been hit, Birch asked, "Aren't you hungry?"

All I did was shake my head, 'no'.

His left hand, which was peeling off the bark of the branch nearest to me, began to slowly crawl towards my ruffled feathers. I guessed he wanted to get his hands on me. Stroke me like a pet and teach me tricks, but I was not to be his plaything. I was too proud.

So, grabbing hold of the butt end of my spear, I raised it above my head and sent the poisonous fang dangerously close to his wiggling fingers. If the tip had in anyway pricked him, he would have been paralyzed within minutes. That's how poisonous that particular snake fang was. But I made sure not to touch the boy, even when the voice in my head said to do so.

'Why don't you run that like filth through?' the hawk's voice whispered in my mind. 'He's devouring an animal! He deserves to die.'

"Quiet!" I hissed out loud.

Birch flinched and pulled his hand away, all while wondering if I was talking to him. Retrieving a second piece of dried meat, the kid feverishly nibbled on his meal and gazed at me in intrigue. My eyes immediately darted at him and glared at the dead animal, I'm guessing deer.