Legends of Belariath
Naidra
The day that Naidra meet Inaya
Naidra walked along the forest edge weaving in and out of the trees, skipping along like most children do. The sun was high in the sky and light shined through the tree tops casting showdows on the groud around her. She hummed quietly as she skipped along playing in the forest which to her had been transformed into a magical wonderland. Her mother told her not to go far but Naidra never really listened she was to curious. She went further today then she normally did wanting to see the lake and try and catch the glipse of the water fae. She saw the glitter of the sun on the lake up ahead through the trees and angled her steps that way.
Inaya had been flying, enjoying the way the wind had rushed through her feathers. She'd rarely left her natural state, it was comforting to be in that way, but it was something too that she had been concerned with, knowing hunters often populated the forest. She twisted in the air, her heart free and light, as it often was. She heard a call, a small Sparrow was crying and it made her drop closer to the forest to investigate, always the curious one, always asking questions, it was why she was out and about in the first place.
Naidra skipped to the forests edge playing around the trees for a moment before making her way to the lake. She sat down on the waters edge slipping her shoes off and placing her feet in the cool crisp water. Looking over the lake then up into the sky her used her hand to sheild her eyes form the sun as she watched a swan flying closer to the groud. Growing bored her eyes droped down and she noticed a cluster of little white flowers beside her. She picked one and then another lacing them together to make a chain.
Inaya was flapping her wings, trying to slow herself when she heard a noise. The rustle in the forest sending her on alert she rose into the air, a sting felt as she started to drop down to the ground, falling into the water instead, straight down. She landed into it with a splash, her wing pinned where it had been hit and the arrow bore into her body.
Naidra looked up when she heard the splash. The pretty swan she had seen flying was now in the water about 15 feet from her. She jumped up her flower wreath falling from her hand as she then dove into the lake. Something her mother had made her promise not to do but she had also told her to help those in need and the swan was in need. Naidra swam out into the water, she was a good swimmer Charlie who worked for her sister Theo had givene her lessons for years. She wrapped her hand around the swan pulling it to her "It will be ok swan" she said heading back to shore her little legs kicking as she worked them in the water one hand moving over her head to stride though the waters surface. She got to the edge panting from her efforts then pulled the swan out on to the land. The arrow stuck out of her side blood maring those silky white feathers.
Inaya had been dead, she was sure of it, at least she would have been were it not for the searing pain that she could feel. She squirmed, a bit, feeling the girl pulling her, straining to help her. She would have groaned but she couldn't, she was weak, her eyes barely opening, the crystal color was fading into a darkness. She felt her pulling her out, heard the shouts of the hunter, screaming about losing his prey, her eyes opening a bit, looking at the small catgirl, surprised she'd managed to pull her out but so grateful. She couldn't change, there was no way she could, the arrow kept her in her form, the blood mottled her feathers, making the wing stick to her as well. She let out a coo sound, wishing the girl was not to witness this but she couldn't push her away, her head dropped to the ground, her eyes closed.
Naidra heard the hunters cries. She whipsered to the swan "I'm sorry I promise I will help" then picked her up struggling a bit under her weight. She half ran and half stumbled into the forset heading home not wanting the hunter to get them and take the swan from her. Tears on her cheeks as she begged the swan in panted breaths to hold on.She saw her home up ahead and took the swan to the healers quarters, struggling with the door as she tried not to drop her patient. She laying her on a bed when they got inside, rubbing the swans neck trying to soother ber before she went to find the bandages and salve she would need so she could pull the arrow out. she placed the things she gathered on the edge of the bed and took hold of the arrow shaft with her small hands pulling it free. Luckily it wasn't barbed so came out clean. She placed the gaze over the wounds pressing as much as she dared to stop the bleeding.
Inaya felt awkward, she tried to move her legs, to help the girl move her, knowing she was far too large for her to move. She forced her eyes open, fighting for her life now. She felt the girls tears splashing on her, she shivered, passing in and out of consciousness. She felt herself lifted, placed in a bed, her eyes widened and then she dropped down, passing out again. The arrow left her, soon a light would bath her, even as the small girl pressed gauze onto her wound as the bleeding slowed she felt herself changing, unable to stop, somehow instinctively seeking her humanoid form as if knowing it would be healed easier in such. She lay there, her hair streaked with black, the white leaving it, the feathers that would normally rise like a crown from her dropped to the ground. She groaned, finally able to vocalize the pain. She lay still , unable to do more than whimper in pain.
Naidra was shocked as the swan changed before her it was like the magical world she envisioned in her head as she played had come to life. Even as she stared at the woman now laying where the swan she rescued had been, she picked up the gauze looking down at the wound as her mother had taught her to. She looked up at the woman and said softly "I need to get some water I will be right back." she ran for a bucket of water stopping only to get the needle and thread to stitch the wound that mamma kept in the draw on the desk. She wished her mother or father were home but they were at the market today and wouldn't be back for some time. She made her way back to the bed slowed by having to carry the bucket of water. With gentle care she cleaned the wound while she looked around for the willow bark her mother kept here. She found it in the jar on the shelf. She took some out and brought it back to the woman trying to get her to chew it "please miss it is for the pain and the stitches will hurt i know mama had to give me some last summer..please miss chew it"
Inaya shivered, nodding, the sway looking like she was about twenty though she was so much older. She would never say how old she was, her body just trembled, feeling the water running over her, she looked at the willow, putting it into her mouth, whimpering as she chewed on it. She was worried about the pain but that was better then dying, she wasn't ready for that. She whimpered, nodding, chewing as she was told to.
Naidra readied the needle with shaking blood covered hands "I'm sorry miss I have only done this on dead pigs but mama has been teaching me don't worry I can do it" she babbled more to herself then her patient. She looked into the womans crysal blue eyes "I ...I will try...to be gentle" her voice shook. Naidra had never had to do this by herself before her mother or father were always with her. She was only eleven to her the world was still fun of wonder not the blood and trama before her. She got the needle threaded and knotted the end then closed the wound with one hand as she put in the first stitch. Jerking a bit as the girl cried out from the pain. She tied off the first stitch bracing herself for the others that would follow.
Inaya whimpered, nodding, feeling the needle her eyes squeezing closed, a whimper leaving her a cry. She grabbed the side of the bed, keeping herself from squirming. She didn't wish to upset the girl, it wasn't her fault and all she was doing was helping her. She cried a bit more, biting the leaves, trying to dull the pain she felt.
Naidra tried to be quick with the other four stictches as she put them in with care. They weren't perfect but they would hold. She picked up fresh gauze and put it on the wound then bandaged the gauze in place. "there..... there that is the best I can do till mama gets back or papa to look at it....oh and my name is Naidra" She babbled some more then wiped the woman's brow with a wet cloth.
Inaya whimpered, feeling her done, pressing some gauze to her, stopping it from bleeding. She whimpered, looking at the poor girl, "Thank you," she whispered, shivering as she looked at her, "I... am called Inaya," she whispered, her eyes on the girls, "Thank you.. for the help." She whispered, feeling herself starting to slip into sleep again for a moment.
Naidra held her hand in her tiny ones "sleep Inaya your safe I won't let anyone hurt you and I will have mama look at you when she gets back till then I will stay with you" she offered bitting her lip to keep it from trembling. She looked out the window hopeing mama and papa would get home soon.
Inaya was already well on her way into sleep. She groaned in her sleep as she started to twist a bit, a shiver running through her body, whimpering in her sleep. Her dreams were troubled, she heard pounding on the door, she hoped the girl was not going to get into trouble for helping when her ma and papa returned.
***Inaya groaned as she shifted, her eyes opening, shivering a bit, feeling a blanket on her, pulling it up she groaned, looking down at her wounds. "Where.." she said, pulling herself up, finding she could at least move now, she sighed. "Hello?" She called out, her feet dangling over the edge of the bed, whimpering a little bit.
Naidra walked into the room seeing Inaya sitting up on the bed. "your awake, mama said you were doing better" she went to get her a glass of water then brought it over to her. "here you are?" she said sweetly still a little in awe of her new friend.
Inaya nodded, smiling as she was handed the glass of water, "Thank you little miss," she whispered, shifting a bit more, licking her lips. "Thank you, for.. for saving me.." she whispered, slipping down, letting out a breath as she stood, her eyes closed a moment. "Oh.." she said, groaning a bit, shivering, retaking her seat. "I.. your name little Miss, was Naidra correct?" She asked quietly, her eyes on the girl, watch her, studying her.
Naidra bobbed her head "yes that's me" she said sweetly her personality leaking back through "what are you?" she asked too curious for her own good that she seemed to have little tact if any at all in her young age. She bounce up onto the bed oppisite the woman. "you were a swan mama says I imagained it cause I was in shock but you were a swan I know it" she chimed.
Inaya shifted, looking at the girl, smiling as she jumped on the bed. She nodded, "Yes sweet Miss, I am a swan.." she said, "I am usually anyway," she blushed a little, "I did not mean to.. frighten you but.. I thought it would be easier like this.." she said quietly, tilting her head at the girl, "I owe you my life little Miss," she whispered to her.
Naidra smiled "I knew it! I knew it! My sister Clio is going to be so mad she told me all this time I was crazy and that I was seeing things. Mama told her to stop teasing me that I was in shoke but i was right... I knew it" she jumped on the bed some more excited that she was right not really understanding what the swan meant by her saving her life she just did what mama or papa would have done. She smiled at the woman "lets be friends Inaya I like you and your pretty" the little catgirl blushed she was a beautiful enthusuastic child with an abundance of energy very different from the woman she would become.
Inaya smiled, tilting her head, giggling a bit. "Yes, you are right sweet Miss," she whispered, watching her jumping, grabbing her waist, eeking abit as it still hurt, "Sweet.. please do not jump on the bed.. you could hurt yourself.." she whispered, thinking that would be the most horrid thing ever. She nodded, "yes.. we will be friends Miss," she smiled, looking at the girl, "as I said.. you have saved my life and.. I owe you it for that.." she said, her fingers moving to the girl, running them through her hair, brushing some of it back. "There," she said, giggling a little bit at her enthusiasm. "Miss will be much prettier than I will when she grows up," she said quietly, "and such a life.. I am sure you will lead.."
Naidra shook her head "no Clio is the pretty one she tells me all the time but we will be friends that is for sure" she smiled and stopped jumping on the bed though she still bounced alittle. She was still to young to understand the impact she had made on the swan the day she saved her or the impact the swan would make on her life. Time would show the bond that would grow between them as the years moved on.