Whirlwind slowly rotated her body to face her miniature assailant. Her movements were passive, and she spread her wings, ready to make her escape if need be. Her blood rushed through her veins like it was trying to break free.
The young human still advanced, his fingers grasping a short stick. Though the sky called to her, and her siblings' past warnings coursed through her ears, the Avi's feet stayed firmly on the ground. She edged a step back, her talons sinking deep into the mud.
His hair was a dirtier shade of blonde than hers, and tickled his ears in the same short curly style hers naturally kept. Mud stained his knees and hands, like he had been playing in the dirt. This little creature had sneaked up on her; she had been so careless. Yet, he stopped in his tracks when she had receded a step, just looking up at her from a few paces away.
Whirlwind had no idea how to react, or how to respond. She had only watched humans from afar, and tried to tune out all of the horror stories and warnings that her siblings had drilled into her. She struggled to swallow down the cuisine that had been so delectable before the situation had gotten complicated.
An idea burst into her mind in vibrant color. Humans greeted each other when they spoke, and he had complimented her, right? Maybe it was a tad childish to hope that he was being friendly, she conceded. She held the food in one hand, raising her stained claws to give a shy wave. "Hi," she mumbled sheepishly.
The kid must've interpreted this as a sign, because he pranced right up to the table, plopping down on the bench just a couple feet away. His covered feet swung in the open space as he jabbed the stick into the marshy ground like a javelin. Whirlwind's eyes grew wide, and she fought the urge to fly away. Her feathers hissed together as she shifted uncomfortably. How was she supposed to proceed?
He admired her with baby blue eyes. Lips turned in a smile and expression overflowing with hope, his question floated through the meager space between them. "Can I touch your wings?" She fought another flinch, even though he didn't dare reach towards her.
"No." Her answer was snappy, and the light died in the kid's eyes. He stared back down at the dirt, downcast. Immediately guilt washed over Whirlwind like a wave. What could she say to fix this? She didn't want the first human she ever spoke to to hate her. "They're sharp," she added, a peace offering.
"Oh." He examined her again, his brows wrinkled together. Silence stretched between them, seconds ticking by as the boy gathered his thoughts. "Can you fly?" he finally asked, as if the answer wasn't obvious.
Whirlwind truly was offended this time. She scoffed, the air rushing to her aid, shaking the branches above them with fury. "Of course I can fly!" Both of their hair stood on end in the sudden gust. She had always been able to fly. Certainly she could soar better than any human.
The child gazed around them in wonder, even reaching out a hand to catch the wind for a heartbeat in swirls she knew he couldn't behold. The breeze slowly calmed, Whirlwind's feathers resting back as she realized this human was just as blind to her customs as she was his. They were so different, and yet here they were, speaking to one another like equals.
Whirlwind sat carefully beside the small human, tucking her wings in tightly behind her as she returned the food to its bag.
"Are you an angel?" Now it was her turn for her brows to furrow. She had never heard that word; she had no clue what it could possibly mean. He regarded her with expectation, awaiting her answer with the impatience of those who do not live forever.
The words sprung on her. She could finally ask all of the questions she had pondered for years. "What is an 'angel'?" She started with the obvious part of the conversation, locking the rest of her questions behind her teeth. He considered her form, his gaze sticking on her claws and horns for some time.
"I guess angels look just like you!" Something caused the little one to giggle, his warm breath scattering into the now gentle draft. Whirlwind's lips tipped upwards in a ghost of a smile, watching the little creature with fascination.
"Then I am an angel," she told him. She had learned something new today.
His next words made her heart skip a beat. "Do you know the other angel? The one that stopped the storm?" Thoughts scrambled in her head, each racing to find a foothold to bring into English words. She pulled on one of her horns, trying to focus. Her sisters made storms. They all held deep in them a need for revenge. Her thoughts coalesced into an icy sheet of dread.
"What color were they?" The kid opened his mouth but she quickly corrected herself. "Her wings, what color were her wings?" She tapped her own feathers with an urgent talon, hoping beyond hope that she, or this human, was wrong.
He peered around them, then pointed through a gap in the branches to a patch of stormy grey in the clouds. "Like that cloud!" he proclaimed, his legs swinging under him. Whirlwind's blood became thick as mud and her heart dropped out of her chest. "Do you know her?"
Whirlwind's wings drooped into the mire, and she kicked her toes into the ground in front of her, uprooting grass. "She's my sister." The human fell silent as if he understood. He copied her as best he could, pulling up the mud with his stick. "Do you have siblings?" she wondered aloud after he was quiet for a minute or two.
He shook his head, his voice uncharacteristically soft. "I'm the only one." He sounded so lonely, Whirlwind thought. Her heart ached for both of them.
She plucked a golden feather from her wing, only as long as her hand. It was loose anyways, she lied to herself. "The wind is always with you." Whirlwind extended the gift to him, holding the sharp quill between her fingers, offering him the hollow point.
The boy's lips pressed into a tight line and she could see tears brimming in his eyes. So young, and already so hurt. She wondered where his parents were. "Be careful," she gently reminded him as he took it from her talons.
"Thank you," he murmured, holding the feather like a treasure. The duo sank into a more comfortable quiet, staring out into the distance and losing themselves in their own thoughts.
"Keegan! Where are you? We found a snake!" Whirlwind whipped her head towards the yelling, still far off. Another little human was searching for her newfound friend.
"Hey, do you want to meet my friends?" Keegan beamed at her with hope once more, but this time she knew she would have to disappoint him. She needed to take care of some things.
Whirlwind's own eyes pooled with tiny tears. "Sorry, I have to go. My family needs me." She was right, she watched his spirits fall. He clutched her feather tightly. "I'll be back," she promised, making her voice comforting like Gale sometimes did to her.
His smile returned tentatively. "See you soon," Whirlwind assured, standing and stretching her wings. She flashed him a full smile and gave him a little wave as she leaped into the air.
"Bye, angel!" The boy called up to her, waving with childlike enthusiasm as the golden winged Avi vanished into the waiting clouds.