Chapter 3

The summer holidays felt like a million years, it stretched on like a elastic band being pulled tautly. Every day Thomas checked on Blaze and took her round the local forest. It seemed to him that the beautiful exotic forests, emerald fields, and fresh water lakes were more familiar than; the choked city bursting with people and overflowed by cars and trucks coughing out petrol fumes and into windows of the many attached houses forming a corridor of raw bricks. Unlike the contagious city, the countryside boasted many great inspiring sights. Such as pine trees creating a choir of dark green, daisies brightening up the blunt grass and the daffodils just coming into their own beautiful selves. Also fresh clean lakes showing off amples of species of fish. As the warm winds rippled through the fields, making the corns rustle vigorously, Thomas found a stillness he had never known before.

During the shaded night, Thomas woke up and silently walked to the woods, beside the lake shaped like an old oval. The woods were where Thomas relaxed and played with Blaze quietly dashing and weaving out of trees while jumping over random tree stumps. As with Blaze who follows not long after. Every time Blaze’s ears pricked up he knew to get her some food, he clicks his fingers twice and Blaze lands on his shoulder and then Thomas heads outside to go fishing. He always gets an amazing catch for Blaze to eat, Thomas admirers Blazes patience while he is fishing; conclusively she gets an extra treat after.

The one thing that made Thomas anxious was that someone or something might stumble across Blaze and be slightly interested. In the daytime, she kept herself hidden inside the darker depths of Blunt’s Acre, resting in the most dense places where the bushes and brambles offered camouflage and protection to her. At night, she flew over many miles but given her light feathers, and shy nature, she was almost impossible to be seen.

It happened though. One single night towards the end of July Thomas was making his way into the woods when he heard a screech surrounded by a brave protective squawk. Thomas soon recognised Blaze’s call and rushed forwards, shoving through brambles, bushes and trees until he came into a clearing of all of the growth. Blaze stood with her beak opened and her body tensed as if ready to take flight. A few metres away, Jack from down the road faced her, his pale face twisted in terror. “T…T… Tho,” he stammered, taking a few large steps backwards towards a wall of trees.

“Stay still,” hissed Thomas, catching Blaze’s bold eye shimmering darkly. As he advanced, Thomas’s hand held out, offering her a freshly pike from the lake nearby, and talking to her in a deep, soothing voice, Jack took his chances and fled as quick as he could. Thomas could hear him stumbling through the forest, yelling as he went back. Blaze seemed to ruffle her feathers in confusion, she took the fish and flew back into her favourite tree (An old ornate oak tree). Heart trembling, Thomas made his way back through the woods, up Storm street and into the small peaceful village. What now?

The secret that had been kept for so long was out. When he returned home, Thomas and Miss Cave talked long into the night discussing the loss. Perhaps they could move Blaze somewhere better for her. After all, there were five valleys that led away from the town of Cirencester and each valley had wooded slopes where surely an animal like Blaze could live undisturbed, but anywhere that have trees would be decent for Blaze.