The Little Crow

Chapter Seventeen - [Bullies]

Hi everyone!

Sorry for the delay and thanks for your patience!! <3 Here's the newest chapter!

Love, Luckycharms!

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After a decent night's sleep and a relatively decent morning as well, Thea made her way out to work the next day with a smile on her face, at least until she was stopped by Mrs. Karse. At first, Thea panicked a little bit, thinking that Mrs. Karse knew she had been out late the night before and that she was going to get in trouble for it. However, from the rather calm looking expression on her face, Thea figured it was something else. "Good morning, Thea," the woman started. "You had a few phone calls yesterday, I'm assuming they were birthday wishes."

"Oh," Thea felt an excitement well up in her as Mrs. Karse handed her a note paper, knowing the calls were certainly from her friends and family. Though they had all already sent her cards and letters that she hadn't yet had a chance to respond to, knowing they called as well made her extremely happy. "I took down the numbers, you're welcome to use the phone in my office to call them back."

"Thank you, Mrs. Karse," Thea said. "I'll try my best to call them during my lunch break today but if that's not possible, I'll borrow your phone."

"Good, good," the woman said. "Have a good day."

As she had hoped, Thea did manage to get a chance to call them during her lunch break. Thankfully, Milo had a phone in his office, so after letting him head out for the cafeteria without her, she pulled the phone with its long wire to her desk to make the calls.

She recognized all the numbers. Her home, Laila... and Theus' shop. It was the last number on the list but despite that, Thea felt the need to call him first.

She hadn't talked directly to him since she left for the Capital and despite their falling out, she missed him the most. Her mother would update her on his affairs every time she called, and she was sure that her mother updated him on hers too, but obviously that was not the same.

And despite everything, she wanted to talk to him.

So she called him first.

"Abureth Town Mechanics, how can I help you?" A deep voice answered when she called. It wasn't her brother, but she recognized the owner of the voice immediately. "Hi Rek," she said. "It's me, Thea."

There was a pause before he spoke up again. "Thea," there was happiness in his voice and Thea smiled. Rek was also a Crow, but he was one of the good ones and a close friend of her brothers. Really, Rek was one of the few Aburethian Crow that Thea actually liked, aside from her brother, of course. "It's been a while, how are you?"

"I'm well thanks, it's been a big change but it's been going well... is my brother around?"

"That's good to hear... but yeah, let me get him, hold on." Thea heard him set down the phone and her heart raced a little when Rek began calling out to Theus. Within moment's, she heard her brother's comforting voice. "Hello?"

"Brother," Thea said, maybe a little too quickly. "It's me."

Her brother was silent for a moment before he let out a soft breath which she heard through the receiver. "I called yesterday to wish you, but you weren't at the hostel."

"Yeah... the team got me dinner right after work, so I didn't get home till very late."

"Oh... well, happy belated birthday."

"Thank you."

"I'm assuming you had a good time?"

"I did," she said, confidently. "Everyone here is really kind to me, so you don't need to worry at all... and just as Captain Brayne promised, the General really does seem like a good person." He didn't respond to that, so Thea continued. "And I made some new friends... there's Luana, who's an Elorian though she works as a State Soldier–"