Lillibeth Tripp's Arc

Chapter 3 of 9

The sky thinned as Lillibeth flew on, the rabbit bobbing at her shoulder. Then a hawk's cry split the air. The rabbit squealed and dove into her chest, claws hooking into the dark cloak. It yanked hard. A seam pulled loose. A sliver of green light leaked out. Lillibeth grabbed the rabbit, but it thrashed and tugged harder. Every kick dragged the cloak sideways. More light spilled free. She scanned the cliffs below and spotted a small carved burrow in the purple stone, its vents lined with soft feathers. The rabbit's home. She dove for it. She landed hard inside the feathered chamber. The rabbit kept twisting, claws still snagged in her cloak. Lillibeth pinned it gently against her knee and dug into her pack. Her fingers closed on the small leather pouch she had packed for sleep — dried lavender and calm herbs. She crushed a pinch under the rabbit's nose. The little creature's eyes drooped. Its wings folded. Its claws slid free of the cloak. Lillibeth pulled the dark fabric tight again and pressed the loose seam flat with shaking hands. The glow vanished. Outside, the hawk's cry faded north. She tucked the drowsy rabbit into the pouch's loose strap against her chest, where it could not kick. Then she stepped to the burrow's mouth. The sky was clear. Her cloak held. She lifted into the air again, quieter than before, the edge of the world still waiting somewhere ahead.