The Weeping Clogway
She ran past more clogged half pipes, waterwheels and broken sluice gates without a care in the world. It was indeed a labyrinth with walls of planks and dead ends packed tight of willow leaves. Mr. Shade’s plan worked too well as she barreled into unknown territory only to find she wasn’t alone.
“Ah-caw-ah-ah-ah-ah!” a tall bird called out from atop an elevated aqueduct. It stood on two long indigo legs with white feathers tipped in indigo, a long neck, black beak and red plumage on top it’s head. More importantly though, it wore a vest, cone shaped hat and quiver of stitched willow vines, and carried a bow in its wings as if they were hands.
“Ah-caw-ah-ah!” it called again.
“Labyrinth cranes. Magie I think you should hurry along,” Mr. Shade warned.
Two more cranes flapped down beside it. Their heads twisted about as they looked to Magie, each other and back again. “Ah-caw-ah-ah-ah!” they squawked.
Magie instead walked closer, hoping to make friends but halted abruptly as an arrow narrowly missed grazing her leg.
“Run!” Mr. Shade yelled as five more cranes landed on the trees and woodwork around them. They all carried bows on their backs and drew them without hesitation.
Magie hopped into a half pipe and ran down the length of it. Arrows flew behind her and embedded themselves in the wood. She stumbled over tangles of vines and gurgling streams, jumping from pipe to lower pipe. The cranes flew overhead to track her. Thankfully their wings were occupied and they seemed unable to fire arrows unless planted on the ground. More so, their attack patterns lacked planning and they appeared no brighter than to land beside her, fire and take off again.
“Caw-ah-aha-ah!”
“Are we in trouble?” Magie asked.
“Not if you can find a door. Head to that village in the valley,” Mr. Shade instructed.
Magie ran and ran out of pipes and canals. She jumped from a water spout into the river below. It was deep enough to save her the fall, thankfully, and several meters wide. Magie surfaced as wet willows clung to her face. She swam to the bank but not fast enough as a dozen or so cranes drew their bows on the footing around her. She gasped.
“Magie look out!” Mr. Shade yelled.
-The Gatekeeper
The Weeping Clogway was based on a dream I had. I made a photoshop collage of the image then painted over it with a graphics tablet, which is shown here. I liked it so much that I made it play a small part in my book "The Gatekeeper".
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