Chapter 4: Chapter 3

Jane

 

Playing pranks is not an easy task. To be successful in playing pranks, you need a certain amount of experience. You need to be able to recognize a good moment to strike unnoticed. You need to know your victim or opponent. You have to be quiet and deceitful. A good prank takes wit and genius.

A true master of pranks will never be caught.

Rosalie and I weren't true masters of pranks, but we were bored and had a great idea. My idea.

We flew as quietly as possible to the sacred place where an elderly harpy with brown wings meditated in front of a statue. She didn't hear us. That was good. Through this, we were able to start ‘Operation Blue Wings’. Rosalie carried a small bucket of blue paint and two brushes. I crept around our shaman and waved my hand in front of her face. Hailey did not respond. "She's knocked out", I said quietly, and Rosalie nodded in amusement. The statue of the First looked down on us skeptically. It was made of sparkling stones and shimmering eggshells. It is said that, once, harpies got them from the dragons or stole them. We weren't so sure.

We passed on our stories and our legends purely orally. We didn't have our own letters. We didn't need them. However, like this, there sometimes were two different versions of a story...

We sneaked up to the shaman's wings and dipped the brushes in the blue paint. I took the first step. My brush hit a magnificent feather and left blue paint. Hailey still didn't respond. Then my best friend dared and we quickly painted a handful of feathers and finally looked at our work.

"That looks good!", whispered Rosalie, giggling. "It will take her a few days to wash off the paint!"

"Will it?" Hailey slowly turned to us. She looked at the brushes and the paint. We were rigid with fright.

" Shaman Hailey! Isn't it wonderful weather to fly, today?", I asked blinking. "And to expand your own artistic abilities?"

"You're right, my dear. And obviously also to decorate my wings without permission!"  She gave us a very sinister look. "Our wings are as sacred as the statue of the First! What were you little clowns thinking of?"

"That blue looks good on you?" Rosalie grinned nervously. "Your wings look magnificent! Wonderful! A true ... blue... feast for the eyes!"

"Thank you." Hailey crossed her arms and spread her wings angrily. "And what am I going to do with you artists?"

"Thanking us?", I suggested. But that was not a good idea.

"Thank you, sweet children!" Her smile became dangerous. "Out of gratitude, I let good Rosalie clean my nest. For a month? I'm sure your parents will agree that this is a suitable task for you. And what do I do with you, Jane? I certainly won't give you the same task..."

"Um..." I looked at my best friend, who was already let her head and wings hang.

"Ah! I know. Surely you two know dear Tinke?" The question was rhetorical. Of course, we 'knew' the harpy, which rarely left her parents' nest because she had to be carried to do that. ‘The poor girl lacks friends. Jane? You will visit her every day from now on and spend some time with her."

I sighed. That sounded boring. What should I do with a harpy that couldn't walk, climb or fly? "Of course."

"Wonderful. I think that's enough gratitude from me for now! I will then devote myself to the color of my wings. I hope for you two that I don’t have to climb down the mountain instead of flying! ... Can I fly with the paint? ..." She gave us another sharp look. "Don't forget to ask the big one for success in your new tasks. Especially you, Jane!" And she flew away. It looked a bit bumpy as the wet paint hindered her, but she flew.

"That went great!", murmured Rosalie and we sighed together and let our wings hang.

A few hours later, when Rosalie and I had survived the reprimand of our families, we met with Falk, who had heard about the whole tragedy and therefore wanted to know everything.

"You tried to paint her wings?" His blue eyes glittered with happiness and his black wings fluttered excitedly. "Am I offended that you didn't take me along, yes! But that's awesome! Well… That you got caught not as much..."

"We don't think that's awesome!" Rosalie rolled her eyes. We sat on a nice branch of a tree that stood a little away from the nests of our swarm and looked at the river that ran through the mountains and the forest. "And how was your day?"

"Oh... My first attempt was unsuccessful. The lady of my choice found my tail feathers too short! And my..."

You are reading story Harpy – The Flock at novel35.com

"Falk! No", I interrupted him quickly. "Too many details!"

"I'd love to hear it." Rosalie giggled. "And your? Your what? Butt? Or something else hidden under the feathers?"

"Maybe I have to make a loop around the name of the thing that Jane doesn't want to hear so that she is happy? But the second attempt was crowned with success. I was together with a god of a harpy! His wings! His tail feathers! Those male tail feathers!"

The tail feathers of the male harpies were slightly longer than those of the female harpies.

"Was it Harper's son again?" Rosalie put an arm around his shoulders.

"Yes! You've caught me!", exulted Falk. "You really should visit him! Those tail feathers! A dream!"

Rosalie rolled her eyes. "Maybe."

"No, really! But... After four rounds with him..."

"Falk! No details!", I immediately grumbled. I didn't want to know.

"Oh, don't be so boring, my dear, sweet Jane!" The seventeen-year-old pressed a kiss to my cheek. Apart from my parents, he was the only one who was allowed to do that. "So? Are you going to be Tinke's new best friend? But don't forget me and Rosalie, yes?"

"Don't you forget us! You walking one-night stand!", I grumbled. "We hardly see you lately, you stupid harpy!"

"Ouch!" He put one of his wings around me. "I would never forget you two. My interests have only expanded! Rosalie? How about the two of us?"

I rolled my eyes, and at the same time my best friend muttered: "Ask Jane!"

"Jane? Can I sleep with Rosalie?" Falk asked me this with a true expression of innocence.

Rosalie, on the other hand, pulled indignantly on one of his feathers. "Not that!"

"Ouch!" Falk took his wing from her and hid behind me. Which certainly looked silly, since he was two heads taller than me. "You told me to ask Jane!"

"But not if you can sleep with me!"

"Why not!"

I turned to him and crossed my arms. "No. Rosalie is out of your reach!"

"Too bad. And how about us?" He stuck out his tongue at me. "But no. The lady is too fine for this!"

"You are my best friend. And not my best carrot!"

"Hey! You insult my gem!" He pointed to the feathers that covered said gem.

Rosalie looked at us as if we had lost our minds.