crow

I felt so brave, I had a great hawk on the run, three times my size and running from me, and the clan,.. but I was the closest,

I learned too late that the others were holding back, when the hawk turned and attacked, I had no where to go

The pain of talons ripping into my wing and body was the most intense event in my short life,

The trees were so far away, and the ground too close, too fast,…

The last view before the jarring impact was the clan flying in circles around the hawk harrying it and leading it away,

How long the darkness held me I know not,.but the waking panic drove me to act,

The closest cover was a human thing, the shadow below it promised cover, a place where I could hide,..

My legs worked, but my wings worked in a parody of their usual power, so I clumsily lurched to cover and hid, hoping the clan would soon return for me,..

As dusk approached I cried for my kin, I knew darkness would keep them at the rookery guarding the nests, but I hoped they would come for me

I heard the scree of the hawk in reply to my call,. and I hunched deeper into the shadows,

Watching from beneath this evil smelling hulk I saw a squirrel dashing for the trees from where it had been rooting in the open grass,

It didn’t make it,

The last thing I saw of the squirrel was it twisting and flailing in the grip of it’s captors talons, being carried to a place where the hawk could dine undisturbed

Fear mixed with relief were my only company as the day turned to night

Assessing my hurts, I seemed to be somewhat whole,… a large chunk of feathers missing on one wing and an oozing wound in my belly,.. I hurt, but I was alive,

Through the night I was wary and slept little, but the only threat were inquisitive mice who upon determining I wasn’t dead decided to make a meal elsewhere,

Dawn,… I cautiously moved from my cover.and noticed the earthworms moving back into the earth from their nightly meanderings, a feast before me, and my body clamoring for the sustenance needed to heal,.

After gorging or a bit I decided to try to fly,..I could do short flights but they hurt and drained me,..so I stuck close to the woods edge where I could hide,..

The open grass of the field was short and the feeding was thick and easy, worms crickets grasshoppers and the occasional nest of baby mice,..

The food kept me going, even though there was blood in my droppings I could feel the healing process taking over,..

Later in the morning the human that roamed this ground came and perched on a small thing like the one she had slept under the previous night,..

It rolled around the field and severed the grass making it shorter there seemed to be no threat with the human,.. it looked at her but made no aggressive motions, and when the shadow of the hawk went over with the human out, the hawk stayed high and moved away quickly,

I decided the human was a good thing and only avoided it if I seemed in it’s path,

I kept flying short runs,.. each one a bit easier

Late that first day the clan flew over calling to me I couldn’t get up into the great oaks they stuck to, but they reassured me they were aware of me, then they went off on their rounds assuring me I wasn’t forgotten,.

They came by again several times each day,.. and as I got stronger my wings started to molt as they grew new feathers to replace those that were ripped out,but it would be a while before I could fly with them,…

Eventually I went from the lower forest branches to the point of the hollow tree the human lived in, slowly getting ever stronger, the internal bleeding stopped and I spent my time eating and getting better

Even though the clan checked regularly they mostly came to say come on, catch up!, and went about their business,…

The lack of social interaction slowly was filled by the human who made noises at me from time to time, as it went about it’s business

It’s presence a security that helped the healing….

Eventually I became able to fly with the clan, and went back to a normal life,..

Almost,..I had evolved a kinship with the human,..and I often would visit and play tag with it as it knocked the top off the grass

It was like a dance of friendship and I could sense it enjoys it as much as I do,..

Even though the clan laughs about my odd friend, I feel like there is room for this thing,.. crows and humans can be kin,..

At least in this case,..