Isildilia.(Book 1 of the White Lily trilogy)

Chapter 1- Discovery at the river

Pronunciation guide for names at the end of this book-if anyone wants help, or feel free to think of your own way to say the names.

      Welcome, this is my first book. At least the first one completed successfully, plenty of non-successful ones. I hope you come to enjoy this trilogy following Isildilia's epic journey as others have before. Enjoy!

 Somewhere above him a branch snapped, dropping through the air to thud against the grass.

The man bolted upright from the sound and dropped his fishing rod as his hands automatically scrambled to get hold of his bow. He aimed it above his head as he desperately tried to settle an arrow in place. His head whipped around to face the direction where the branch fell, as well as taking the time to scan both sides of the river bank. He refused to lower the weapon until he was certain it was a false alarm.

After a few minutes of hearing no out-of-place sounds other than his fast-beating heart, he lowered his bow and let out a long, apprehensive breath. He had been to this fishing spot many times, but that didn't make him feel any safer. He'd encountered lots of them around this part of the river before. He had come across several before, all appearing different shapes, colours and sizes, but all dangerous. Maybe it was one, but it was able to change its appearance. He had heard tales of that before. How would he know if it was true or not? Thankfully he managed to escape every encounter without harm, but there was only so long luck could hold out.

Placing the bow directly by his side, he picked his rod back up. His skills were set in farming for crops, wheat and vegetables, so he found meat was hard to come by. Any he wanted had to be purchased it at the bi-monthly markets. But meat was expensive, so his nearest free option to feed his family was to fish in this river. It was risky, it was dangerous, but some days he just had no choice.

Just catch one and leave it at that, he thought to himself.

He was just about to cast his rod into the river again when all of the sudden there was a ear-piercing screech.

He yelled in alarm and threw his hands up to protect his head just as a wide assortment of birds shot past him. They had found him! They slipped past his line of vision so fast that all he saw was a wash of colorful feathers. His heart thumped uncontrollably in his chest. He thought he was done for, expecting claws and beaks to scratch at his face and peck out his eyes. But as soon as they appeared, they were gone. He turned his head just in time to see the last one settling down on the next bend of the stream, just far out enough that he could see its ebony feathers. It was too good to be true. Something else had caught their attention. Something more important than him. He had to get away before they came for him. Hisluck prevailed again.

He sprang to his feet and grabbed his bow once more. He had enough. He was going to take his basket and his rod and leave, even thought he didn't have any fish. He froze part-way through packing. Although part of him wanted to get away while the birds were still distracted, he also wanted to know what had distracted them. If it was another person, they might require his help. Keeping his bow held at the ready, he crept his way around the undergrowth, trying to stay as hidden as possible. When he thought he was close enough, but still out of sight, he pushed the bushes slowly to one side. He bit hard on his lower lip in order to stop himself from gasping out loud as he took in the scene.

He had never seen so many birds in one place, and certainly not such a wide variety. Apart from those too thin to hold any weight, there wasn't a single branch on the nearby trees not covered with them. Some of the larger, heavier birds stood on the ground, remaining deadly still and quiet. The silence was what unnerved him most. It wasn't like them at all.