I haven't posted in a while... I'll get better about that. This is another one of my older stories. It's short a bit on the short side.
She sat on a lonely cliff and stared at the dark sky, scanning it for some sign of the sun. The wind howled and the air was bitter cold, but she didn’t seem to notice. The sky was pitch black but, thankfully, there were other ways to count time during the long cold night. The idea of her getting off of sunrise-cliff to ask a time-keeper would have been laughable had she considered it. Her eyes never left the dark horizon, she never even blinked. If she did then there was a possibility she might miss the sun’s appearance, or even worse, it would never appear at all.
She sat on a lonely cliff and stared at the dark sky, scanning it for some sign of the sun. The wind howled and the air was bitter cold, but she didn’t seem to notice. The sky was pitch black but, thankfully, there were other ways to count time during the long cold night. The idea of her getting off of sunrise-cliff to ask a time-keeper would have been laughable had she considered it. Her eyes never left the dark horizon, she never even blinked. If she did then there was a possibility she might miss the sun’s appearance, or even worse, it would never appear at all.
The only markers of time she, and all the other sun-watchers before her, had were the relays announcing the start and end of work for each day. From that she could tell that yet another cycle of work and sleep had passed, with still no sign of the sun. It had been a month since it’s light had been seen on the top of the world, but still she waited, as was her responsibility, like her father before her, and her grandmother before that , on until the beginning of time.
The rustling of feathers behind her alerted her to the arrival of a messenger. She flapped a curved, almost leaf shaped wing at him in greeting, but didn’t turn her head, or even nod in acknowledgement. The messenger put one hand on her back and she adjusted her wings so it was hidden. He took this as a sort of signal - which it was - and approached. He pulled a horn from his pack, tore off the tip, and held it to her lips. A warm honey-like substance poured into her mouth and she swallowed without even a word of thanks, not like he expected one.
Once it was empty, the messenger pulled the horn from her lips and leaped from the cliff into the open air. A few moments passed before a sharp whistle pierced through the howling wind. She rose in an almost mechanic manner. Her eyes never left the sky as she rose her arms, the thousands of people on the lower cliffs followed her motions exactly. And then a single ray of sunlight peaked over the horizon, and then another, and another, and another, illuminating the sky in an array of colors. Slowly the sun drifted upwards until it had freed itself from the earth's grasp. Day had begun.
The others cheered and basked in it’s warm light, but she just stood there, staring at the sun.
The rustling of feathers behind her alerted her to the arrival of a messenger. She flapped a curved, almost leaf shaped wing at him in greeting, but didn’t turn her head, or even nod in acknowledgement. The messenger put one hand on her back and she adjusted her wings so it was hidden. He took this as a sort of signal - which it was - and approached. He pulled a horn from his pack, tore off the tip, and held it to her lips. A warm honey-like substance poured into her mouth and she swallowed without even a word of thanks, not like he expected one.
Once it was empty, the messenger pulled the horn from her lips and leaped from the cliff into the open air. A few moments passed before a sharp whistle pierced through the howling wind. She rose in an almost mechanic manner. Her eyes never left the sky as she rose her arms, the thousands of people on the lower cliffs followed her motions exactly. And then a single ray of sunlight peaked over the horizon, and then another, and another, and another, illuminating the sky in an array of colors. Slowly the sun drifted upwards until it had freed itself from the earth's grasp. Day had begun.
The others cheered and basked in it’s warm light, but she just stood there, staring at the sun.
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