Legends of Belariath
Inaya
Quiet and still, season after season the swan did the same thing, watched the gosling in the spring and returned to the flock in the fall to weather out the winter with them. Her flock had taken under its wing a normal family of Swan, watching to help tend their children, knowing that someday one like them might be born to it, after all at least two of the spirits had been born to this flock. There were of course other flocks as well that they tended, Inaya's own was tended by the Great Swan herself along with her mate a swan man born of the same, a kin to Inaya. She could barely remember the day she'd been found only knowing that as a gosling she'd awoke one day on the shore in an odd form, one that had taken a very long time to be explained as to what it was exactly.
Those days felt so long ago as she sat with the small ones, tending them now, watching for others like herself, watching them grow each summer, watching to see if there would be a new spirit among them. So often she'd found that they would manifest the signs early, usually an unnatural curiosity about more things on land then in the water was a good sign. Her flock in and of themselves were in fact dying off, not that death occurred only that Gaea the great Mother had not seen fit to bring more of the spirits from the flocks around them and only two had been born to the mated sets. She grew worried, it was not her place to worry, she was not in the higher station if natural law to make comment on the state of the flock, that was left to those who'd taken mates within the flock itself.
Inaya doubted she would ever actually mate, at least she would prefer not to it seemed. She disliked the idea of what it did to some, turning them into little more then "Yes Dears" to the men of the flock. They seemed to hold the real power, at least the Great Swan's mate did, often whispering in her ear this or that. It was why Inaya had been sent from the flock, he disliked the sway, disliked everything about her. She often sighed quietly to herself over it but learned long ago any discussion on the matter would only lead to a lot of issues that they did not need. The task she was given, after all was important, even if she'd been sent to the flock that was the furthest away.
It was mornings like the one before she would leave to return to the Swan Maidens and Sirs that made her happy to be a swan, the air was crisp and clean, the water so cool and refreshing, it started out as the perfect day, nothing it would seem would or could make it better or worse. She'd started out saying good bye to each of the small families, happy the flock she tended had become large and healthy, making sure things were all set before she would return and give her report to the Great Swan about their activities and move to the winter nesting grounds with them.
She started off the day with a small light breakfast then to the air she went, flying over the trees, watching for familiar landmarks, something to tell her where she was at any given moment. She was debating such things when suddenly she felt a sting in her wing, her eyes grew wide a moment before there was another, making it impossible for her to fly and causing enough pain to send her into shock, falling now she hit the water with a splash, sinking below its surface, the inky darkness swallowing her whole.
Her eyes opened, head pounding, was she dead? She felt alive, perhaps this was just the start of what death felt like. She was surprised to awaken though, looking up at a small catgirl who had rescued her somehow. It was from that moment on she had a new purpose, to see this small thing before her grown and happy with a long and pleasant life. (See http://belariath.com/legends/naidra/nmetinaya.html for that scene)
She served Naidra's parents well and for a long time, even after the young girl now grown into a woman had left. It was the place she'd found herself belonging, in service to others. She often wondered when though she would be reunited with the little Miss that had so long ago saved her. It had been a happy day when she'd gotten the news that she was to be sent to Naidra in her new home, to be her slave and servant there. She had packed the little that had been gifted to her before setting out, flying over her homeland, leaving it to seek out the Mistress she'd sworn long ago to serve.