Her Clockwork Wings

[Tiggs]

Her clockwork wings shattered on impact.

Seagulls scrambled skyward, as heavy cogs careened across wet sand. From the sea’s icy grasp, Jenna dragged herself, battered, but unbroken.

Upon the dawn horizon, distant black sails gathered. The Prince’s men, come to bind her with iron, and return her to the Needles.

Or, at least, to try.

Upon the Isle of Needles stand thirteen granite towers, taller than the oldest oaks. Atop each tower, a sky prison — the fate of any witch with curses too powerful to kill, too dangerous to be granted the shadows that walls provide.

A lesser witch would have thrown herself to her death, long ago. Many had. The Prince’s men made sure Jenna saw the scattered bones, before they marched her up the tower's steep spiral steps, to seal her on its roof.

It took three days to lure a magpie, another six for its return. In its beak, a silver pin to scratch symbols into the unforgiving stone; spells to summon welcome rain, and enchant the island’s birds. But the mainland was distant, and the materials heavy and rare.

It took Jenna’s flock five years to gather everything she needed.

Five long years to plan revenge on those who’d put her there.

Each night, her fingertips had bled from scratching out those symbols. But here, she had sand. And sand could be shaped, over and over.

Her flock watched her from a jagged outcrop, as she carefully tested her legs. The sloped top of Jenna’s eyrie had been barely wide enough to hold her sleeping form. Here, the beach stretched past the corner of her eyes, and beyond.

Her legs held firm. She would shape the symbols of binding with her feet, just as she had planned.

She ran across the beach, spinning wildly, dancing death and bone.

By noon, the black sails had slid beneath the water, but she had debts yet still to pay.

The birds sang as she danced, a chorus of retribution.

But as nighttime fell, they melted away, leaving her to dance alone to the rhythm of the waves against rocks — rising, soaring, crashing — dancing death and bone.

[Tiggs]

2 hours ago, Goddess of the Mist said:

@Tiggs This is awesome! 

Hi, @Goddess of the Mist 

I'm currently at the point where I still can't write as well as I want to, but was hoping some of it would be okay to share. 

So thank you, for your encouragement.

[Helen of Annoy]

1 hour ago, Tiggs said:

Hi, @Goddess of the Mist 

I'm currently at the point where I still can't write as well as I want to, but was hoping some of it would be okay to share. 

So thank you, for your encouragement.

I think it would be more than okay if you'd share more of your work. 

I really enjoyed this one. (To be honest, I had to look up few words, so it was also educational for me  )