Pain. Pain like never before lanced through his body. It forced him to cry out. Forced him to scratch at the agonizing limb in a sub-conscious display of panic and fear. This couldn't happen. Not to him... Not to him.

It was beyond that red veil of pain that he called to his brothers and sisters; begged for them to land and aid him.

They never did.

Instead, they circled low only for those scarce few moments he begged, and then vanished within the confines of the trees. They didn't care. They wouldn't help the weak.

Flashes of the spearow's life dashing past his eyes, and he shut them tight. His beak clacked shut as tears made their way down his feathered cheeks. He lay small and useless and broken, curled up in the dull grass. Why did this have to happen to him? He'd never done anything wrong…

The image of his parents smiling down at him burned into the front of his brain. He remembered the blurred sights, the smells, the sounds of that day. It was his first recollection of his family and his home.

Then next came the test – his first day of flight. It hung heavy before his closed eyelids, showing him everything of that morning as if it had taken place yesterday.

The fluting laugh of his sister as she watched him flap unsteadily and ungainly, trying to build height. She had teased him in a kindly tone, pushing at him with her beak and telling him how best to improve. The ironic thing was; she had not long learned how to fly either.

Her laughter filled his head and his eyes shot open. He craned his neck, trying to fight the growing ebb of pain that flowed out from his wing to his back. With his sharp eyesight he tried to pinpoint his sister among the roosting silhouettes. But, they all looked to be the same. He couldn't tell one from the other, and it hurt to think he couldn't even tell his parents from the shadowed figures.

But, why should he care? None of them seemed to care for him. They coldly ignored that bleeding spearow that lay sprawled on the earth below.

Why? Why would they hate him so? What had he done wrong? He called out again, voice hoarse from the cries of pain and pleas for help.

Suddenly, there was something else. A noise that didn't belong. Through his pain and broken words, the spearow heard it. He stopped, tilted his head automatically.

"Oh, you poor thing! How did you end up like this?"

A large creature crouched beside him, careful not to disturb the space around him.

He looked up, his wing and aching sides forcing him to see there was no point in escape, even if his mind was screaming at him to do so.

The human smiled down at him, tears brimming in her eyes. "You'll be safe with me. I – I'll take you home."

Gentle hands wrapped around him and he squawked in surprise and fear. His eyes widened and he bent to peck at the fingers that bound him, but, the pain was too much. The world around him darkened and blurred. He blinked, then blinked again. Everything was too much. The realization that he meant nothing to the flock. The fact he may never fly again. The thought of never being able to drive his wings to their limit and take to the open skies…

He blacked out.

When he next woke up, the world around him was different. It blazed with orange and yellow, bright red colours and odd black markings painted the flat surfaces all around him. The cold that had set in his body with the settle of the pain was gone. Instead warmth took his place.

He observed the strange world he opened his eyes to quietly. Panic fluttered in his chest, but, on the instant he realized his pain was dulled curiousity overtook it.

He must have made a noise, as the next thing he knew, a comforting voice spoke up, "So, you're awake? Good, I hope you're feeling better."

Something rustled nearby and the spearow lifted his head, anxiety rising in his chest. But, soon, something was set down beside him. An odd circular object filled with, what looked like, food. He eyed the seeds carefully, and pecked at them with an equal amount of caution, however he soon found they tasted good. Before he knew it, they were all gone.

The object was removed by the hand of the human and her face came to hover within a small distance of him. He cocked his head to the side to view her better and she chuckled. "It must have been bad; whatever happened to you. Don't worry, I'll look after you." She smiled, her eyes smiling too. Thinking back to his family, the spearow's heart clenched.

Carefully, the girl reached out and stroked the spearow. She was careful to keep it brief and avoid touching him for too long in fear of being nipped by his beak, but, it was far from his mind. For a few moments, it soothed him.

"I'll make sure no harm comes to you," she said quietly.

He looked at her and the sincerity in her gaze was all it took for him to believe her.