18 Dec 2019, 12:12
Just "hoo" might you be?
@Koko Riddle
Jo was in the owlery, alone as usual, twirling a quill between her fingers and staring at a blank piece of paper.
Dear… dear Lady Aithne. What ever should I write to you? How could I even begin? Are you angry at me that I have not written for so long? Must I hide my house? No…you would notice something was wrong in a heartbeat.
She wondered what Lady Aithne would expect. An emerald envelope with an ornate silver seal embellished with a snake, no doubt - a lengthy letter penned in swirling green ink. Gloating accounts of those daring exploits children are so fond of…sealed with a detailed account of her grades and perhaps a souvenir or two. Maybe a photograph of her and her friends by the lake. Maybe not.
An apology, then, for failing her guardian, in trembling letters of scarlet to match the embarrassed flush of her cheeks.
“Never be ashamed of who you are, even when others are ashamed of it.” The flamboyant woman’s words once more returned to her mind. A nonchalant statement made not long ago while purchasing robes- a lesson the girl still struggled with today. She allowed herself to picture the old aristocrat now, reclining in her silk bathrobe as she carefully open the wax seal, thoughtfully chewing on a sugar quill or sipping brandy as she pored over the contents, her lips pursed and her eyes deep in thought.
Her guardian would want the truth. Nothing more, and certainly nothing less, although that was a very hard thing to do since Jo had a nasty habit of omitting and cherry-picking details to suit what she wanted others to hear.
Jo shakily took a breath and scribbled an elaborate cursive D, adding on a smaller e, a, and r. She changed the ink to green for “Lady Aithne”, understanding that the woman’s house pride was clearly not something that would be soon forgotten.
She’d put her quill to paper without really thinking of what to write next, and a large blob of ink dripped onto the parchment. She tried to wipe it away, but it only smeared itself around. Ugh. She’d have to redo the whole thing.
Jo sighed dramatically, crumpling up the paper and stuffing it into her pocket. She was about to reach for a new piece of parchment when she heard a faint meow behind her.
Now, Jo had never had much luck with animals. She'd wanted to buy a cat her first year, but Lady Aithne would hear nothing about it. "You're far too young to take responsibility for the life of such a graceful, delicate animal, and that's that!" she had huffed, suggesting instead a rat or toad - both which Jo considered pests rather than ideal companions.
She swiveled around and immediately began to make a "pspsppsppsps" noise to get its attention. It was an admittedly half-hearted attempt, with a tactic that failed more often than it succeeded... but miraculously the cat began to trot towards her. It was a tiny thing, startling in its beauty and grace. It mewed as it approached her - lost, perhaps?
Any bond the two new friends could have shared, however, was shattered in an instant. The screeching of several owls echoed through the freezing room as many began to flap their wings, preparing for a delicious, defenseless meal.
Think, Jo. Think fast.
The answer came to her like a flash. The squid! Yes, that would work!
She ripped the dried maritime snack from her pocket and shook it at the cat, continuing the abhorrid "pspspps" noise. Whether it was from fear of predators or the enticing smell she would never know, but her mission was successful - the small feline brushed its head against her hand and allowed itself to be scooped up, curling like a ball as it began to tear the squid's legs apart with its tiny claws and fangs.
Jo had to admire the thing - it was a predator in its own way, and would grow to be a fine hunter if it was given the chance. Ferociously hissing at and waving away any owls who got too close, she began to pace around the room, the ball of fur still quivering in her hand and gnawing on the treat.
Oh dear. Whatever would she do next?
Jo was in the owlery, alone as usual, twirling a quill between her fingers and staring at a blank piece of paper.
Dear… dear Lady Aithne. What ever should I write to you? How could I even begin? Are you angry at me that I have not written for so long? Must I hide my house? No…you would notice something was wrong in a heartbeat.
She wondered what Lady Aithne would expect. An emerald envelope with an ornate silver seal embellished with a snake, no doubt - a lengthy letter penned in swirling green ink. Gloating accounts of those daring exploits children are so fond of…sealed with a detailed account of her grades and perhaps a souvenir or two. Maybe a photograph of her and her friends by the lake. Maybe not.
An apology, then, for failing her guardian, in trembling letters of scarlet to match the embarrassed flush of her cheeks.
“Never be ashamed of who you are, even when others are ashamed of it.” The flamboyant woman’s words once more returned to her mind. A nonchalant statement made not long ago while purchasing robes- a lesson the girl still struggled with today. She allowed herself to picture the old aristocrat now, reclining in her silk bathrobe as she carefully open the wax seal, thoughtfully chewing on a sugar quill or sipping brandy as she pored over the contents, her lips pursed and her eyes deep in thought.
Her guardian would want the truth. Nothing more, and certainly nothing less, although that was a very hard thing to do since Jo had a nasty habit of omitting and cherry-picking details to suit what she wanted others to hear.
Jo shakily took a breath and scribbled an elaborate cursive D, adding on a smaller e, a, and r. She changed the ink to green for “Lady Aithne”, understanding that the woman’s house pride was clearly not something that would be soon forgotten.
She’d put her quill to paper without really thinking of what to write next, and a large blob of ink dripped onto the parchment. She tried to wipe it away, but it only smeared itself around. Ugh. She’d have to redo the whole thing.
Jo sighed dramatically, crumpling up the paper and stuffing it into her pocket. She was about to reach for a new piece of parchment when she heard a faint meow behind her.
Now, Jo had never had much luck with animals. She'd wanted to buy a cat her first year, but Lady Aithne would hear nothing about it. "You're far too young to take responsibility for the life of such a graceful, delicate animal, and that's that!" she had huffed, suggesting instead a rat or toad - both which Jo considered pests rather than ideal companions.
She swiveled around and immediately began to make a "pspsppsppsps" noise to get its attention. It was an admittedly half-hearted attempt, with a tactic that failed more often than it succeeded... but miraculously the cat began to trot towards her. It was a tiny thing, startling in its beauty and grace. It mewed as it approached her - lost, perhaps?
Any bond the two new friends could have shared, however, was shattered in an instant. The screeching of several owls echoed through the freezing room as many began to flap their wings, preparing for a delicious, defenseless meal.
Think, Jo. Think fast.
The answer came to her like a flash. The squid! Yes, that would work!
She ripped the dried maritime snack from her pocket and shook it at the cat, continuing the abhorrid "pspspps" noise. Whether it was from fear of predators or the enticing smell she would never know, but her mission was successful - the small feline brushed its head against her hand and allowed itself to be scooped up, curling like a ball as it began to tear the squid's legs apart with its tiny claws and fangs.
Jo had to admire the thing - it was a predator in its own way, and would grow to be a fine hunter if it was given the chance. Ferociously hissing at and waving away any owls who got too close, she began to pace around the room, the ball of fur still quivering in her hand and gnawing on the treat.
Oh dear. Whatever would she do next?
"Out here, the wild ones are taming the fear within me.
Scared to call them my friends and be broken again; Is this hope just a mystical dream?"