sun's up, a little after twelve
make breakfast for myself, leave the work for someone else

“You!” Ángie shouted simultaneously with Jorg as he burst through the clearing. She started to unfold her arms, which was a mistake, because he grabbed hold of one of her hands and yanked her to her feet. Unused to such ruffian treatment, Ángie sucked in her breath, chest expanding as she prepared to give him an earful, but her admonitions died before they even reached her throat. An enormous white pig thing burst through the trees in front of her, swiping the heads off a row of bluebells with its enormous tusks.

Ángela’s mouth fell open. She might have screamed if Jorg hadn’t shouted first, his voice light and mirthful, as he dragged her away through the woods with him. Her feet reacted before her brain had caught up, spurring her into a dead sprint through the trees, her fingernails digging into the palm of his hand. Behind them, the boar careened and crashes about, temporarily stoppered by the logs Jorg kept leaping over but never for long. Blood pounded in Ángie’s ears, her breath shuddering through her chest in short, sharp spurts. She hadn’t run like this since… well, ever.

The land sloped downwards – some sort of valley, maybe? Ángie didn’t know this place at all. She’d been three when her family had left Shaman, for Zed’s sake! Jorg seemed to have a sense of where he was going, ducking round rocks and leaping over brooks, but the boar was still hot on their tail. Ángela’s brain finally caught up with her legs when she spotted the huge, mossy outcrop of rocks to their right – and, more specifically, the sliver of shadow which was indicative of some sort of opening. With no breath to waste on words, she yanked Jorg’s hand, changing their direction. Where was it, where was it… there! A slight opening. She kept their speed up until the last minute, releasing Jorg’s hand and diving inside.

She just managed to get in front-on and turned sideways in the tight space, her back against the wall, to allow him in after her. The gap was so tiny that a large adult wouldn’t have made it in, and the boar certainly couldn’t. With both their backs pressed against opposing walls, their chests were only an inch apart. Still unable to speak, her breathing hard and laboured, Ángela threw Jorg the filthiest look she could muster as if this was all his fault.

A split second later, the boar skidded to a halt outside the rocks and started grunting and snuffling around. Stupid animal. Stupid boy. Why did he have to go and drag her off her log like that? There was no way her parents would find her in this stupid tiny cave.

“Ugh.” Ángie breathed, sparing Jorg a tremendous glare before shuffling sideways back towards the opening. She placed her hands on either side of it and poked her head out. “Hey!” She shouted at the pig, which was rootling around on the ground by the rocks a couple of yards up. “Go away, you stupid, smelly – ”

She had to retract her head swiftly as the boar charged, smashing against the opening. The rocks above their heads quivered. Ángela shuffled back against the wall and swore colourfully at Jorg in Spanish.

Ángela
progeny of the warbird and the sun-god