Drabble #171: Lost

[redwolf]

...we had a nice response to the drabble prompt of Drabble 170, with entries by apachefirecat, jalenstrix and redwolf and comments by apachefirecat, jalenstrix and redwolf

For this prompt, we continue with our one-word/phrase drabble roots:

Lost

Tell us all about it. Labyfic-style, of course.

Given our entries from recent months, let's continue with the suggested limit of 500 words. Though remember that shorter pieces are most definitely welcome!

Your entry should take the following format, posted as a comment on this entry:

Word count: # of words
$your_beautiful_drabble

I'll be running weekly challenges in the space around jalenstrix's monthly challenges.

You can see our current collected suggestions here.

Remember: Feedback is LOVE. So do reply to your fellow labyficcers' drabbles if so inclined. (Though be careful of concrit unless specifically okayed by the author beforehand. Authors generally write for love.)

Comments

Reaping

[redwolf]

Word count: 500

The small community near the border of the Goblin Kingdom was a picturesque, agrarian idyll of neat stone cottages surrounded by a patchwork of fields. It was a threat to those crops that had drawn the monarchs, most of their domestic guardians and a large contingent of warm bodies eager to assist.

Sarah shaded her eyes with a hand and looked out at the field of a yet to mature grain crop. It was a sea of green, with plants around chest height and she was tall enough to make out the winding trails of the guardians as they hunted in their animal forms.

The now familiar rustle, snap and squeak preceded the corpse of a small animal arcing out of the field to be caught by one of the spectators, where the carcass was handed off to be field dressed.

While she did find the small creatures to be adorably appealing, Sarah did understand the necessity of the task. If the over population was left unchecked it threatened the food supply of the kingdom.

A murmur of appreciation went up from the gathered onlookers as a large wolf leapt high in a pounce. From the brief flash of coat colour, Sarah guessed it was Bishop that sent the next kill arcing up. His aim was a little off and a barn owl swooped down to snatch the animal out of the air, dropping it into the waiting hands of a spectator.

The owl circled the field once before landing on Sarah’s shoulder. “Show off.” She smiled fondly as he nuzzled into her cheek.

Jareth had told her that the culling was an infrequent event which had been brought about by the indiscriminate killing of the predators that crept the voracious herbivores in check. Frustratingly, this unsanctioned hunting was being done by a neighbouring kingdom, and while the neighbours had been informed of the issue, Jareth had been disgusted that it was a cycle that needlessly repeated itself every decade or so.

A pair of wolves emerged from the field. The small, gangly wolf would be George, as his sister Ada was sitting astride a much larger wolf. Ada looked like a feral child, complete with splashes of blood starkly visible on her arms and two fistfuls of small animals dangling by their tails. “Look how many we caught, Papa.” A volunteer relieved the girl of the catch before she threw herself into her father’s waiting arms. The wolf she was riding morphed into Rook, who accepted a waterskin and offered it to George before taking a drink herself.

As a hyena and thylacine stepped out of the field, the comforting weight on Sarah’s shoulder disappeared and Jareth stood at her side. He quietly addressed those gathered to thank them for their efforts throughout the day. The Goblin Kingdom could look forward to another successful harvest. Their neighbours, on the other hand, were about to be more than a little inconvenienced by a sudden crop failure of their own making.

Re: Reaping

[apachefirecat]

Very descriptive! I love the world you've built here around the Labyrinth and look forward to reading more of it. I also have to admit that I LOVE the idea of Jareth still cuddling with Sarah in his owl form and can't honestly say I've encountered that prior. Splendid!

Re: Reaping

[redwolf]

Who doesn't love a snuggly owl? 🦊🧡

Re: Reaping

[apachefirecat]

Very true!