Ashelia was on edge.

Being on the road for days, eerie silence at night, watchful obscured eyes following her every movement, were taking their toll on her. Restless, she lay on unforgiving cold grounds at times, clung to tree branches others. 

She had all the time to rest. Yet, still remained deprived of blissful slumber.

Nutrition was scarce too. The girl could hardly hunt or tell the difference between edible and poisonous. Her mind was on continuous alert, always alarmed and ready to bolt at any suspicious sounds.

Oh, and there were too many for the forest was brimming with life yet slowly draining her of hers.

A not-so-distant faint crunch penetrated her attentive ears. Sleep disappeared andAshelia jumped to her feet, fists raised. Her gaze flitted between gigantic trees searching for the source until they landed on bright eyes staring down at her shuddering figure – a torn-up garment hanging off one gaunt shoulder, exposing blisters, scars, and faint bruises.

A couple of breaths later, her arms dangled limply. A prominent ribcage extended in a deep inhale before she shambled to her makeshift bed. 

Ashelia blinked at the beautiful black owl, then reached up and left the half-eaten two-tailed lizard that she'd been begrudgingly munching on atop a near branch for that was as far as she could reach.

The giant animal tilted its head to the side, unmoving, curiously watching as the human settled down, shuffled around before huffing and wrapping skinny arms around an empty stomach. Shooting a wary tired smile to the creature, she closed her eyes and hummed herself to sleep.

Spreading its wings, the owl flapped them a couple of times before gliding through the air. It picked up the dark green creature and flew away.

No one refused free food.

The sunrays tickled her sleepy form, the early morning's mist lifting as life poured through the forest. A heavy yawn broke the lazy bubble then she pushed herself up and stretched. "We have a long day before us." She cleared her throat, advancing once again through the endless trees, glad no one was there to witness her crazy soliloquy.

As much as she appreciated the peace and quiet, the silence was becoming too much and Ashelia yearned for voices and interactions even if she had to address herself.

Leaves crunched under numb feet. Her muscles ached as she dragged sore legs across the hard, jagged ground. Tears of unfathomable feelings streamed down her face. Her lips quivered and air nipped mercilessly at her exposed wounded skin.

Free, free. The whisper tickled a confused heart, prompting her to push harder, to walk, to get away, to stay alive.

When it was dark again, her body yearned for some rest. So, she sat huddled under a tree, rubbing sticks together and hoping a fire would start. Bloodied hands and soaked wood later, Ashelia gave up. Glancing at the eggs, she winced, cleaning her hands with dirt.

The tiny eggs didn't promise much to satisfy her growing hunger. However, she would take all she could find to survive. Survive, just as her mother requested for there was no reason to be alive anymore except a motherly plea.

Ashelia cracked open the egg and stared at it, tears brimming lifeless eyes. "I'm sorry," she croaked, guilt overwhelming her, "you would not have survived without your mama."

A dull ache settled between her breasts, the words pulling at tender heartstrings. Ashelia was too hungry, on the brink of surrendering to darkness when she stumbled upon a defenseless nest full of eggs and a sleepy reptile beside them.

She'd had a pet lizard before. The creature resided in a moist crack by their house. Lizzy was its name, for that was as far as her creativity could reach.

She'd snuck out bites of what little food she had for it, driven by a foreign need to take care of the reptile until her father found out. She came back and found it butchered, blood trails leading back inside to where Lizzy was being served as lunch.

Ashelia could never forget that day. It taught her how unfair and cruel life could be. Or maybe just her father.

The eggs never hatched. The lack of humidity and the necessary warmth the mother offered took the lives of innocent beings before they got the chance to bloom. She'd blamed herself for not doing anything to save them, albeit being in the dark of what should've been done.

Her mother comforted her as best as she could, apologizing over and over again and begging her to eat for the meals were already scarce.

So, with trembling hands and teary eyes, she slurped down its content, forcing it down for the taste wasn't too great. Her face pinched together then a set of coughs erupted, expressing her disgust.

Sighing, she stuffed the remaining eggs in the ground, covered them with dirt then climbed the tree. Howls could be heard from a distance. Unwilling to risk being torn into shreds, Ashelia considered at least delaying her doom by hiding up between the branches, blending among the trees.

Her once gray, now bloody and muddy, short-sleeved dress bunched up to her hips as she struggled to find a suitable position to settle in.

The trees had thinned out in this area, the branches barely able to hold her weight. She feared there'd be no more places to hide in from the lurking beasts. Strangely, however, it felt like she belonged there. "It appears I won't be sleeping tonight." Huffing, her lower lip jutted out in a frustrated pout.

A soft breeze tickled her exposed legs, the tiny hairs standing ovation at the welcomed freshness. The forest was too humid at this time of the year. She glanced down at her hairy legs, remembering those of her father's and she gritted her teeth, hardly fighting the urge to cut them off. Of all the things she got from his side was that. 

A rustling to the right alerted her to a new presence. Heart almost lurching from a rapidly moving chest, Ashelia nearly broke her neck at the alarming speed she turned, narrowed gaze searching for the intruder.

A faint purple mist caught her attention and ice-blues widened as it disappeared around the owl from last night. Mauve eyes blinked slowly at her. Her breath hitched as she gawked at the creature before her.

'It's rude to stare, tiny one.' Small Hands flew to press at her aching head, the voice penetrating, invading, squeezing at her mind. She gasped, almost losing her balance. 'So clumsy.' The creature chided. 'Will you be stuffing those eggs in your belly soon? Or, are you, perhaps, a fan of sharing? Just as the night before.'

"Huh?" Stupefied, Ashelia blinked slowly, wondering whether the creature spoke to her or she's finally lost her mind after everything that has happened.

'I am quite sure you're capable of uttering more proper words, child.' The teasing was clear in the silvery voice floating inside her head. In her perplexity, the puzzled youngster slipped to the left, her body subconsciously putting distance between her and the giant owl that seemed to change colors. 'Easy, I mean no harm. Hunger is simply why I sought you out.'

Somehow, she didn't believe him. Mischief and amusement were evident in his glinting, mauve orbs. Fixing her posture, she pulled her tiny body to its full height while straddling a squeaky branch and leveled him with a glare as hard, cold and untrusting as she could muster. "I am no food."

The owl blinked twice before letting out a set of hoots that sounded suspiciously like a laugh. Confusion flitted across a marred, skinny face. "Then, what do you seek?" The question was uttered slowly, cautiously. She was, after all, attempting to converse with an animal – an animal that was now bright white, a complete contrast to the looming darkness of the night and its previous color.

'An egg would suffice. That'd be rather generous of you. Or, perhaps, two.' He shuffled a bit, leaning forward. 'If you're willing, you kind, little sack of bones.'

Ashelia huffed. Her arms crossed over small breasts. "That's not very nice, Mr. Owl."

'Excuse my blunt remark. I haven't had a conversation with anyone other than myself for quite some time now. My manners are a bit rusty.' The amusement was still there, feeding her irritation.

"Well, go search for your own nourishment. I'm hungry too and hardly able to find any."

"You wound me, child." A soft purr reached her ears. Blue eyes narrowed when remembering a cat that was unfortunate enough to stumble upon their village only to end up being served as food along with its three kittens. 

Ashelia recalled stories her mother used to tell her about animals that lurked in the world which either lacked or withheld information about owls. Because she was sure they did not purr. The cat her father picked his teeth with did, however. 

"What are you?" Curiosity was thick in her inquiry.

'Call me Efû,' was the creature's curt response. It cut through the thick silence that enveloped them before his feathers grew invisible and he disappeared.

She leaned against the tree's trunk, startled as he departed with a resonating screech. 

Word count: 1548.

Total word count: 8793.

MEANING OF THE WORDS USED:

Efû is Kurdish and it means mercy, forgiveness. It's pronounced Ee-f-oo.