Gaurdian Of Thy

• Micheala Krass, Grade 8
• Short Story
• 2010

The dense foliage of the forest rushed past me as I sprinted forward. Balanced in my arms lay a bundle of cloth. Voices sounded near and I sped up. People didn’t appreciate you taking their food, but life had been hard these last few days. The previous spring’s crop had spoiled and food in the stores were slowly depleting. The voice’s of furious people finally resided into the distance and I slowed to a trot. Hunger clawing at my stomach, I opened the cloth that contained my cargo. Instead of the bread I was expecting, a beautiful, woven pouch rested in my hands. It was decorated by threads of silk, dyed to imitate that of a fire. I peeped inside to find a heap of ashes. Someone not laid to rest, I thought. I found a little meadow, and I tipped the contents of the pouch under a willow tree.
“Rest well, and may the sun shine on your face” I murmured to the scattered ashes. With a final look, I turned my back on them, still clutching the little bag. It could fetch a good price, enough to feed pa and the others for a few days. I heard a rustle behind me and I turned around slowly. I searched the trees, looking for anything which could have caused the sound. Finally I turned to where I placed the ashes. A gasp escaped my mouth as I stared in awe in what lay before me. “May the light shine on your face, little one” a voice echoed in my head.

Standing in front of me was one of the mythical kind. Its beautiful feathers cast a sheen as the sunlight bounced off them, its wings held delicately at its side, its claws terrible, sharp things, able to rip you to shreds as easily as a child rips paper. Its head cocked to a side as it considered me. I felt bare in its wizened eyes, and I tucked my long brown hair around the tatters of my clothes. Suddenly it jerked its head up. “Come little one, climb on to this sling, we don’t have much time, the Others pursuit” My eye caught on the sight of a sturdy, brown sling draped over it’s claws. Suddenly scared, I edged back. The Phoenix launched with a flurry of feathers, I screamed as it reached forward with its claws to grab me. I closed my eyes sharply and felt the sting of cold air on my face, cutting like daggers. “I’m sorry to have frightened you, but the consequences that would have been triggered if the Others found you would be great” With these words we alighted on a hill not too far from my village. “Take this, it said plucking a feather from its form and if you’re in danger I will come. Fare thee well, guardian of thy phoenix” With these words it solemnly alighted and left. I lifted the feather to the sun, as it glistened, I smiled.