Tag: gunner leafwing

Bowman Left Behind (3/3)

Neon BrightLeave a comment

This heartbreaking short story gives some detail to an important event in the life of Bowman Leafwing. Bowman’s later years would be impacted heavily by this, and the emotional backlash would stick with him for a long time. In this story, he is recently nine years old.

Possible trigger: Abandonment

Read Bowman’s story here.

( Part 1 ) ( Part 2 )

I matched him, reaching towards his hands. They were so big compared to mine. And, I knew, callused from his work as a knight, constantly training to keep the village safe from things like foxes snooping too close.

But right now, his hands were shaking. I barely brushed one before he flinched away from me. “Bowman, don’t make this harder on everyone,” he told me, and I looked up at him again. I pleaded with teary, bright green eyes for him to stop. To give me another chance.

He didn’t.

My father glanced apologetically at my aunt and uncle. “He doesn’t have much back at home. I can get it to you some other time, but … I should go.” With that announcement, Larxe nodded once, his brow knitted with melancholy.

“No!” I finally wailed, trying to follow him. My aunt was there suddenly, her arms wrapped around me and her wings slowly following suit. My father had a defeated slump in his gait as he hurried out. I watched him desperately until he was obscured by one of my aunt’s protective green wings.

I only struggled for a few minutes after he was gone. But there was little I could do, especially after Larxe knelt to hold onto me, too. Candara was crying softly as I tried to escape her. My tears came with more desperation than hers. My wings strained against hers but it didn’t work.

You’ve got strong wings. You’re a Leafwing.

“I’m a Leafwing,” I whimpered. I stopped, letting more tears come while my aunt and uncle, now my parents, held me. They waited a long time as I cried my eyes dry. Dad wasn’t coming back.

Dad wasn’t coming back.

I don’t know how long I stayed in that state. Eventually, I buried my face in Candara’s embrace, desperately seeking her motherly patience and comfort. Her hands brushed my wings softly and she hummed a broken tune through a tight throat until I fell asleep, exhausted in her arms.

Bowman Left Behind (2/3)

Neon Bright1 Comment

This heartbreaking short story gives some detail to an important event in the life of Bowman Leafwing. Bowman’s later years would be impacted heavily by this, and the emotional backlash would stick with him for a long time. In this story, he is recently nine years old.

Possible trigger: Abandonment

Read Bowman’s story here.

( Part 1 )

He stood up. He was tall, like his dad had been, and like I might be someday. But I was still only two and a half inches tall. When my father was at his full impressive four inch height, I had to look straight up to keep him in my desperate, pleading gaze. I scanned his face, Praying to the Spirit that I’d find something there. Something that’d end this nightmare before it was too late.

“Bowman,” he said, trying for his authoritative, fatherly tone. But his voice was wavering as he looked at me. If this was so hard, then why was he doing it? “Bowman, I’m going to go, and you have to stay here with your aunt and uncle. Okay?”

I glanced aside at Candara. She was still sitting, watching me with watery eyes of her own. Larxe remained by the wall where he’d stopped, after I got away from him. Then, I turned my eyes back up to my father, a determination still burning along with the hurt in my eyes.

“It’s because of my flying lessons, right?!” I blurted, and his eyes widened a little. I latched onto his surprise like I was drowning and it was a low-hanging plant over the stream. “Th-that’s … I’m sorry, dad! I know I haven’t gotten stuff right but I can try harder. ”

There was that wince again. Like I’d physically struck him with something sharp. This, I was realizing, really was difficult for him to do. But I didn’t care. He was doing it anyway. “Bowman, that isn’t it,” he said, his voice even closer to breaking now.

I almost shot back an immediate reply, but choked on a sob instead. I felt a hand on my shoulder. It was Candara, trying to comfort me while tears kept slipping past my defenses. When I could finally speak again, I quit trying to hide my tears and my voice was husky and desperate.

“Dad, I’ll be the best flyer in the whole village! Just please don’t leave me!” That elicited a quiet noise from Candara and a step back from my dad.

Bowman Left Behind (1/3)

Neon Bright2 Comments

This heartbreaking short story gives some detail to an important event in the life of Bowman Leafwing. Bowman’s later years would be impacted heavily by this, and the emotional backlash would stick with him for a long time. In this story, he is recently nine years old.

Possible trigger: Abandonment

Read Bowman’s story here.

Larxe could not hold me back any longer. I knew exactly what I was hearing, and I was desperate to put a stop to it. I had to change his mind. I had to make my father see. I could definitely do better so he’d be proud of me.

So he wouldn’t abandon me.

I marched into the sitting room of my aunt’s home. My father sat on one cushioned bench, his eyes watery with tears. Candara, whose eyes were just like my own and just like my lost mother’s, had fresh tear tracks down her round cheeks. Both of them looked at me as I entered. I’d come in with purposeful steps, my skinny shoulders set and my wings rigid. But now they fell slack behind me.

“Dad, no,” I said, my voice higher pitched and weaker than I wanted it to be. “You don’t have to get rid of me, please!”

I knew nothing I said would work when I saw the grimace on his face. Like my words raked across his skin with poison. “Bowman, that isn’t … I mean …” He floundered for an answer. How does one tell their only son that they don’t want him anymore? The tears shining in his eyes threatened to break free the more he looked at me.

“Y-you don’t need to leave me here,” I repeated. “I’ll do better. Whatever you say, dad. Don’t leave me …” The tears built up and spilled past my eyelids, no matter how tight I tried to close them to stem the flow. I felt like a lightning storm was bringing the entire forest down around me.

His silence roared in my ears. I knew. He would never listen to me. My father had made up his mind.

My father had given up on me.

Pronunciation guide

Larxe: LAR-zeh

Candara: KAN-dra

Flying Lesson

Neon BrightLeave a comment

This short (very short) is a glimpse into Bowman Leafwing’s childhood. Bowman is the star of my story, Fairy Tales: Bowman of Wellwood and you can read more about him here. In this short, Bowman is about eight years old.

“Did you see that one, dad?” I called, absolutely bouncing with pride. It was the first time I managed a midair turn and landed almost perfectly, only stumbling backwards a few steps. Until then, I had inevitably fallen flat on my back, often squashing my poor wings in the process. It was hard to figure out how to redirect momentum the right way so a graceful landing was possible.

“I did! I’m proud of you,” my father answered as he strolled up. He was grinning at me and his large, leafy green wings were fanning open and closed ceaselessly.

“I can’t believe I didn’t fall!” I said, awed. It was hard to land backwards! Ten times harder than landing frontwards. If I could get the hang of this, there wasn’t a flying technique I couldn’t master.

Dad chuckled. “You’re a Leafwing, Bowman! Of course you’d learn it quick. You’re going to be the best in the village someday, my boy.”

I grinned up at him as he reached out a hand to tussle my wild, pine green hair.