by Fiona Cavell
Fiona’s heart leapt. Finally, she was free.
*
Sicarus moved out of her parents’ hut and Fiona moved back in. She continued with her occupation of looking after the village animals, and Maggie and Fiona between them took over her father’s occupation of making fences and animal pens. Later, as they grew older, the children helped out after school.
Although Sicarus was forced to leave the village, he didn’t go far. He built a house of sticks in the forest about a mile away from where Fiona and the children lived. Fiona’s instincts told her he was still coming into the village at night, spying on her and lurking in the shadows.
All she could do now was live her life, look after her children and animals. She needed to recover from her dreadful experience with Sicarus.
Fiona’s recovery took a long time. Her scars had to heal, her mind had to heal. But they did, and never again would she become entangled with a bird. And she would help others to escape, too. Fiona and Maggie set up an advice centre in the temporary hut in the village to educate and help people struggling with relationships with birds. They planned to turn every temporary hut in every village into an advice and support group to help people dealing with birds.
Please be careful of the birds.