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 Posted: Fri Jun 29, 2007 1:36 am
Emalthya stumbled slightly on an ancient tree root. She wasn't yet used to this sort of forest. There were no roots to be tripped over in the bush. Everything wasn't so cramped in the bush either. And you could usually hear crows or Little Mickeys or at least rosellas and rainbow lorikeets. Here there was only a dull whisper of birdcall. Emalthya didn't mind. She was definately not a nature child, and hated the outdoors with a passion, but she loved exploring. And more than she loved exploring, she loved hisory. Even though her homeland was thousands of years older than the trees around her, she seemed to be tresspassing in an ancient land with nearly tangible memories.
Emalthya turned left at a patch or briars to avoid her long skirt being shredded. She decided to wear better clothes next time she went exploring. She kept stubling over twings but couldn't help it as her shoes were barely made for walking, let alone off-roading. Yet she couldn't bring herself to curse her favourite black boots with their 3 1/2 inch heels. They elevated her and extra 7 centimeters- not that she needed extra height.
Emalthya reached into her shoulder bag that jangled so many badges were stuck there for a pack of gum and instead pulled out a stick of Juicy Fruit. She chuckled wanly.
"Sticks of gum. Americans. I'll never understand." She unwrapped it, stuck it carefully between her black-coated lips and placed the wrapper in her bag. She would rather sleep on a bed of nails than litter the environment that someone else cared so much for. She was standing before a huge pine tree. They didn't have pine-trees in Australia- at least, not outside parks where the government paid good money to have the area look as European as possible.
She heard a scuffling should above her and paused, mid-chew, to look around. It wasn't as heavy as a footfall, but it wasn't nothing either. She cresed her brow and almost walked on when a scrap of bark fell into her immaculate hair. She reached up to pull it out, turning her eyes skyward to view a birds nest and a little fluffy heart-shaped face staring down at her with beautiful brown eyes. She gasped with delight. Never before had she seen an owl that hadn't been in captivity, let alone an owlet.
She sighed sadly when the face vanished and began to walk away when she heard a terrible crunching sound that wasn't nearly as loud as it sounded in teh bear silent foret. Emalthya's head shot up to see the runtiest owlet freefall towards her along with the scattered pieces that were once the edge of its nest. For a moment, Emalthya dithered, wondering what to do. Then she lifted out her skirt like a net and let the tiny thing land in it. She then sat slowly down and gathered the folds of her skirt around the owlet so that it couldn't fall again. She refrained from touching it because if the chick got up to its nest with the smell of human, the mother would kill it- or so she'd heard.
The owlet was as far away from her as it could get, its tiny heart-shaped face looked small as its eyes widened with fear. Emalthya's heart went out to it and it was terribly hard to restrain herself from holding it in her hands. Then she wondered what to do. Should she climb up the tree, with her huge boots, billowy skirt and one useful hand and put the owlet back? Or should she risk loosing the tree and go back to town for help. Emalthya rubbed her forehead, ruffling up her fringe and tried to think clearly. She couldn't leave the poor thing here, it would get eaten by snakes or skunks or whatever kinds of animals they had in the States. And she couldn't take it with her, she'd lose it's tree and when it came to feeding time, she couldn't know at what stage of development it was. Could it eat bugs yet? Or just skinned fresh meat? Or could it only eat regurgitated food? She couldn't leave it, She couldn't take it with her. Which left her only one option- Stay in the forest.
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Posted: Sun Jul 01, 2007 5:18 pm
After a time, Emalthya decided. She couldn't stay here forever, and she certainly couldn't climb that monster of a tree, so she gathered her skirts and the owlet and tried to go back to town. Trouble was, she was hopelessly lost.
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