Aloria, 43
It had been two years since Aloria had come to live with the Quent family, and those were the best years of her life. Sure, living among giants had been nerve wracking at first. She would be crazy if she was not at least a little wary around creatures their size.Despite said size, young Falran was positively precious. Even Haethin had to agree to that. Gilrod and Shraley themselves were like parents to her, which was something she had never really known. She had been separated from her biological parents at an extremely young age to work as a slave, and when her master passed on, she was sent straight to an orphanage. It was the worst fate a child of her ethnicity could endure, but she was lucky to escape it in the form of a sacrifice gone wrong. It was truly a blessing and she would not trade her current life for the world.Gilrod even took Aloria and Haethin hunting and trapping with him from time to time. Aloria was always thrilled by the rush of catching her own food. It gave her a sense of control she had never had before in her life.Currently, she was sitting perfectly still in a tree next to where Gilrod crouched. Haethin was a ways off in another tree. All three of them were focused on a large, mindlessly grazing animal just beyond their clump of trees. She turned to Gilrod with an excitable, questioning look. He returned her gaze fondly, like a proud father, before nodding with a smile.She grinned and silently leapt off the tree branch, swiftly stalking their prey on her own. This one was in the bag. She pulled out her knife when she reached the tree closest to where the animal stood, facing away from her. This would be quick and painless for both her and the animal.Right before she could pounce, however, a twig snapped somewhere to her right. The animal's head shot up toward the noise. It stared in that direction for a few moments before bolting away.You're not getting away that easy, Aloria thought to herself as she unfurled her wings to follow. With precision and speed, she raced after her prey, not about to let such a catch slip through her fingers. The evening light made it difficult to see, but she was not about to lose her quarry…or so she thought.The light footed animal was much more adept at running on the ground than she was at giving chase in the air. It seemed to know exactly what routes to take to throw her off its trail. More than once, her wings snagged on a tree branch. It grew farther and farther away from her, before completely disappearing into the ever darkening night.Finally accepting she had lost it, she pulled up short and landed at the base of a tree to catch her breath. When she was rested, she glanced around, ready to head back to Gilrod and Haethin. But the darkness along with the unfamiliar area completely skewed her sense of direction."Mr. Quent?" she called, hoping his larger ears could pick up her voice. "Haethin?"Nothing but the light evening breeze rustling in the trees answered her. She stepped closer to the tree, suddenly aware of her vulnerability without her massive protector. She recalled her lessons from Shraley: when lost, stay in one place until someone can find you.Frightened, but trusting in the Sarbithian woman's advice, she sat down with her back against the tree and curled her legs in her arms. Please find me, she silently begged.More than once, eerie sounds echoing throughout the forest sent chills down her spine. She knew the Quents' presence had scared off the majority of the predators in the area, but they were very far from home this hunt. Anything could be out there.With each new noise, she curled in closer to herself. She wrapped her wings around her body for warmth as the heat of the day faded. Despite herself, tears seeped from her eyes. She wiped at them with the heels of her hands, but they did not cease.She did not know how long she had sat there when a heavy flapping reached her ears."Hey, I found her!"Aloria's head jerked up at the gruff, but familiar voice. A relieved smile graced her teary face. She never thought she would be so happy to hear Haethin's voice. She saw the young man alight next to her before she felt the ground shake slightly."Oh thank Arlan," Gilrod's own voice echoed high above her. The relief of being found caused her tears to flow once more. She melted when she felt a pair of massive hands close around her and lift her high into the air. Her crying only strengthened as she was pressed against a warm, living mass. She heard the thump of an enormous heart beat against the leather and cloth covered wall she now hugged."Shh, you're okay," the Sarbithian rumbled. "I'm here, I've got you."She smiled to herself. The man she considered a father did indeed have her and now all was right in the world.
~
Prompt: Lost
The setting is pretty much self-explanatory. :P
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Copyright © 2016 C. E. H. Dupré
