2022 H : Helwr

 

Maybe it comes from growing up on a farm, but non-human characters seem to  insert themselves into the story. Horses, both the ordinary kind we ride in our world and the magical equines of the fantasy ones I have been privileged to write about, have done so the most.  However in Fire and Amulet, a legendary winged predator called a helwr flew in and refused to leave.

There were several memories that inspired the helwr. Lying on the grass beneath a huge willow tree on summer days watching hawks elegantly soar on the thermals. Or the occasional eagle who left the river and came the mile inland to have a rabbit for dinner rather than the usual fare of trout.

Image by kamyk293 from Pixabay

An excerpt of Karst's first meeting with a helwr.

“Vengeance on that stallion that lured my horse away,” Karst yelled to the large bird watching from its perch on a fallen tree. The bird’s black feathers blended so well with the shadows, only the dark orange of its eyes betrayed its existence...

The bird shifted from foot to foot. Karst couldn’t tell if the bird mimicked him or if there was another reason. A squawk and the bird stuck its head into a hole in the log. It came out holding a round green ball in its mouth. One claw held it while the bird tore off the hard covering to reveal a spongy inside surrounding a dark green nut. Three crunches later, the bird gave a satisfied croon, hopped down, and started scratching in the leaves. Four more balls were unearthed and eaten before the bird returned to its perch and preened its feathers.

So intrigued by the bird’s behavior, Karst almost missed the three white stones stacked atop each other that had been hidden beneath a pile of wind-blown leaves. “Yes,” he laughed. “Finally, a waymark. Hopefully, it points how to get out of these trees and the incessant green.”

The bird squawked a chastisement of having its rest disturbed.

Legend states that once a helwr adopts a human, the bonding was for life. When their companion dies, the helwr mourns at the grave for a period of time, then strikes out to find its friend’s kin, or depending on the manner of the human's death, their murderer. Karst found out the truth of the legend and a family secret is revealed.

 

 Sales Sites for Fire and Amulet at Books2Read.

 

To make following the hop easier, you can find all my posts at 2022 AtoZ Connections. Just remember, the next day's post isn't live until midnight.

~till next time, Helen 

 

 

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