Little Shadowling ~ A Wings of Shadows Short~

~Little Shadowling~

Rain bit his lip at the growling in his stomach and reached down to pluck the sunny-yellow flower at his feet.

The instant his fingers touched it, however, it withered before his eyes. Still, he tried to munch the bitter morsel.

'Such things will not sustain you, my little shadowling...'

"But I'm so hungry," he whimpered and shivered involuntarily at the soft morning breeze. It was so hard keeping the shadows from destroying anything he touched.

The darkness didn't respond, and he sensed it did not want to help him with what he desired.

He trudged on through the dew-soaked meadow as the dawn's welcoming light slowly drove away the damp chill and sent the shadows scurrying for cover. His smoky wings dissipated under the sun's gaze, and soon he no longer brought death with every step of his bare feet. Still, he could not yet hold living things for very long, even with the daylight's help.

The scent of smoke rising from a nearby hearth wafted along with the breeze, and it wasn't long before he spotted a small manor nestled among the rolling hills. The longing to see a human face tugged at him, even stronger than his hunger.  It had been days since he'd come across another living soul. 

'You really shouldn't go there...' the darkness cautioned, but there was a hint of amusement in its warning, as if knowing it would just be ignored.

Rain frowned. "I can do what I want," he said stubbornly, too hungry and lonely to be reasoned with, and crawled through the crude wooden fence that kept the cattle from roaming.

The creatures stopped their grazing and stared at him from between their big fuzzy ears as he passed.

He wanted to pet them... he had never been so close to cows before... But he was too afraid they would wither...

So he gave them each a big grin and a little wave instead.