Slowly, she bent down and picked up the bundle and brought it within the doors. She closed the doors and walked to the side table in the foyer. She placed the child down on the table and unwrapped it.
"Oh my," she said again as she saw what was inside the bundle. Before the woman, lay a girl. But this child was not a human child. Her fingers had tiny claws on the end. Her feet were like a birds, three toes in front with one in the back. When the woman rolled the girl on her side, she saw two small wings on her back. But her head was the most peculiar of all. The head was shaped like a normal baby's head, but lacked ears on the side. Her mouth and nose were covered with a beak. But the rest was human. The little girl reached her hands up, wanting to be held by someone. The woman wrapped the child up and held it tight. "She's beautiful," the woman thought. The child fell asleep from the warm, motherly hug she received. But then a voice came from no where.
"Elizabeth, who was it?" came an elderly woman's voice.
"Someone left a baby on our door step, Mother Superior," Elizabeth said, walking into the Mother's chambers. The Mother stood up and walked over. Though she was in her fifties, her body did not show it.
"So this is the one who interrupted our chess game?" the Mother asked, softly, taking the child. She held it gently and was about to look at the baby's face when Elizabeth spoke up.
"Mother, there's one thing you should know," Elizabeth said, "This child, it isn't human. She's a harpy." Mother Superior looked at Elizabeth.
"A harpy, you say? There haven't been harpies around here for many years, you must be mistaken," the Mother said, looking at the girl's face. "I see you are partially correct," The Mother said.
"What do you mean?" Elizabeth asked.
"This child is part harpy, but also part human," the Mother said.
"How can you know this?" Elizabeth asked.
"Her eyes are human," the Mother said, "That is how I know. Now we must decide your fate young one. If you are to live here, you'll need someone to attend to you."
"I'll do it Mother," Elizabeth said, "I've always wanted a child. But as you know, I'm baron."
"I thought you might," the Mother replied, laughing a bit, "Then go get some milk from the pantry and an extra blanket. She could use a nice place to sleep after being out in such a cold night." Elizabeth nodded, taking the child. "And we'll continue the game tomorrow," the Mother said, smiling. The Mother Superior's only dislike for Elizabeth was her natural aptitude for chess. No matter how dire her side was, Elizabeth never panicked. And more times than naught, Elizabeth won.
"That won't be needed," Elizabeth said, walking over to the chess board. She picked up a piece and moved it, saying "Queen's rook to King's bishop five. Checkmate." The Mother rushed over to the board. The Mother was miffed by that, as she was only two moves from checkmating Elizabeth. Elizabeth looked at the child. "I'll call you Sarah," she said as she left the chamber, leaving the Mother Superior to prepare for bed as well.
Elizabeth gathered the goods advised by Mother Superior and took Sarah to her room. She gently fed Sarah some milk and wrapped her up in a warm blanket, keeping her next to her as they went to sleep.
How much time passes before we look in on this pair again?
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