the green Ravens: departure into uncertainty

The father and his daughter

„Fine, Sahra, but only pick up this from the blacksmith, nothing more. Don't let anyone hold you back either, understood?" Her father looked at her sternly.

„Yes father, of course," she replied in a slightly shy voice. He must have remembered what had happened the last time she went to the village alone. But that was not going to happen this time, Sahra thought to herself and ate the last spoonfuls of her porridge.

„Come on then, the cows have been waiting for quite a while." Her father took a last sip from his cup of water. They both got up from their chairs and went out. Sahra dashed out a little into the yard to breathe in the freshness of the morning. As she did so, she caught sight of the shed that stood next to their house. Ever since she could remember, she had wondered what was inside that shed. It couldn't be tools, as all the tools for working the fields and for the animals were in the barn. Whatever it was, her father didn't like her to see it, because until today she was never allowed in the shed. Even though she had tried many times. He always stopped her. Finally, Sahra went to the stable with her father. When they got there, the cows' mooing was so loud that Sahra could hardly understand her own words. He immediately went to the four cows and stroked each one's head. Immediately they stopped their loud mooing.
„Well my sweethearts, how are you today? Don't worry, I'll be right with you. Sahra, get me some buckets, please." Immediately, Sahra rushed into a small room in the stable where there were not only the buckets, but also all kinds of other tools. She grabbed three buckets and dashed back to her father.

„Here, father, if you are milking the cows, could I go ahead and feed the horses?" There was a big hopeful smile on Sahra's face. Her father had to grin slightly when he saw that.

„All right, but don't feed everything to the foal again. Otherwise, you'll have to clean out the stable before you go to the village. Understood?"

„Yes father." Filled with joy, she rushed back into the small room. There was a basket in which carrots, turnips and stale bread had been put the day before. Sahra took the basket and ran past her father. He had just sat down on a small stool and started milking the first cow. When she approached the boxes of the three horses, they were already looking out expectantly and wanted something to eat from her. But she walked past all three to the fourth box, which seemed to be empty. One of the horses, to which Sahra came a little too close, tried to snatch a carrot from her basket.

„No Sohno, you'll get something in a minute. I have to feed Karas some first." She nudged the horse's head away from the basket and went straight to the fourth stall. She slowly opened the door and in the middle, on some straw, there lay a small foal. When it saw Sahra with the basket, it became quite curious and slowly rose to its feet. She carefully approached the foal and held a carrot to its little mouth. It ate the carrot as soon as it had sniffed it. Just as the foal had the carrot in its mouth, Sahra laid her hand on its body to stroke it. The grey dark coat was extremely soft and smooth. She could feel exactly how the foal breathed.

„You've grown up really fast, Karas. Maybe one day, father will let me ride you. But only if you want him to, of course." Karas neighed at Sahra and pressed his head against her shoulder.

„All right, if that's what you want. It will take a while though. First, you have to grow big and strong."

Sahra put some more carrots, turnips and bread in the box before she headed out again. She watched Karas eat for a short while and was reminded that his mother had died only a short time ago. It had only been a few weeks. Karas' mother had been running in the paddock and suddenly fell. She broke her leg. Her father had no choice but to kill her. That day was really terrible. For Sahra did not want to admit it and hid in the stable with Karas. Only when her father had done it, he came to her. She hated him so much then and stayed with the little foal all night. Maybe that was why Sahra loved Karas so much, because he, like her, no longer had a mother. For her mother died giving birth to her. Fortunately, she thought, Karas still had the chance to get to know his mother.