After the fight, I ripped a strip of my shirt and wrapped it around the wound on my arm. My muscles were sore, and the pain from the snake's bite stung with every movement, but I pushed through. I cleaned the sickIe and was just about to head home to my parents when I heard it—a screeching cry, faint but unmistakable. The owl was calling again.
What should I do with you, little one? I thought, a small sigh escaping my lips. I turned and walked back into the woods, determined to see the owl through.
I eventually returned home with the giant snake draped across my back and the owl perched quietly on my shoulder. It had calmed down significantly, almost as if it understood the gravity of what had happened. It nestled into my neck, keeping its body close to mine as we made our way back to the house.
Even before I reached the door, my mother had already spotted me coming down the path. Her eyes widened with concern as she saw me, her motherly instincts kicking in. She rushed over to me, gently pulling me inside. Without a word, she began tending to the wound on my arm, disinfecting it with care.
I sat down, wincing as she worked, and began explaining what had happened. My parents listened in silence, a mix of disbelief and awe on their faces. But what struck them the most wasn't the fact that I had gone looking for the source of the screeching. It was that the snake, the very one I had just defeated, wasn't native to the area. My father's brow furrowed as he listened, the weight of this new piece of information settling in his mind.
"What are the chances that this snake just happened to be here?" he muttered to himself, more to think aloud than to ask anyone.
As I finished talking, Lea came through the door, her eyes lighting up when she saw the little owl resting on the cushion. The tiny creature looked peaceful, its wings folded and its big eyes blinking slowly. Lea immediately fell in love with it, her hands reaching out to pet the soft feathers. To everyone's surprise, the owl didn't shy away—it let her pet it, cooing in delight.
"Look, it's not even afraid of me!" she exclaimed, her voice filled with wonder.
I couldn't help but chuckle, watching the bond forming between Lea and the owl.
"Do you want to keep it?" I asked, my voice softer than usual. "If you take good care of it, I'm sure it'll stay with you as a pet."
"For real?" Lea's face lit up, her eyes wide with excitement. "I can have it? I can keep it?"
She practically bounced on her feet, her joy contagious as she gently stroked the owl's feathers. The owl seemed to purr at her touch, its small form nestled comfortably in her hands.
The evening was warm and comforting as we all gathered around the dinner table. The usual chatter filled the air, but tonight there was something different. The small, cozy family felt just a little bigger, the owl now part of it, feasting on the meat from the snake I had caught. It seemed like a strange turn of events, but I couldn't help but think to myself, it was worth it.
As we ate, my thoughts began to drift. The snake had been no accident. It wasn't native to this area, and yet it had appeared on our farm. The realization hit me like a ton of bricks. There was only one person who could have orchestrated this.
The noble's kid.
I didn't even know his name, but I knew that he had been eyeing me with contempt ever since the spar. I had humiliated him even though he did win. I could tell he hadn't forgotten it. The snake, the owl—it all seemed like part of some twisted plan to get back at me.
I couldn't shake the feeling that this was just the beginning. He would wait, plot, and find a way to get his revenge.
The thought gnawed at me, but I couldn't afford to let it distract me now. For the first time in a while, I felt something I hadn't felt in a long time—peace. But I knew that this peace wouldn't last long. There was more to come. And when it did, I would be ready.