Legends from The Warlock's Chair - Book One - Ravengaard

Chapter Thirty-seven - Returning Home

THE RAVEN SWOOPED LOW over the Warlocks Chair. The first light of a new day crept above the surrounding hilltops, chasing away the night and the last of the shimmering starlight. Below it a scattering of bodies lay spread across the hillside, unmoving amongst the bracken and gorse. The bird paid them no attention, something else called to it on this early morning. A weak compelling call had summoned it here. The Raven climbed high into the sky once more. It was searching for something; it did not know what, just that it was important it found it. The bird's keen eyes caught a glimmer among the gorse below. It swooped and landed close by. A series of hops brought it to the object it had spied from above. Taking care to avoid the spines, the Raven pulled its prize free from the gorse. It grasped it up in its beak.

A large golden ring fashioned like a bird's head, with dark stones set as eyes, flashed in the first rays of the rising sun.

A whimper came from close by, one of the bodies was stirring. Grasping the ring tightly in its beak the Raven flapped its wings and sprang into the air. It flew back across the hillside to where a jagged stand of rocks and an ancient gnarled tree pushed up from the earth. It landed on one of the tree branches and spent several moments surveying its surroundings. Nothing moved. The bird dropped from the branch into the shadow of a deep rocky crevasse. There strewn among the damp earth and leaf litters lay a small cache of objects; pebbles, bottle tops and even part of a child's toy. The Raven placed the ring within the cleft and hopped back up onto the branch. It let out a low grating kraa and took flight once more. It circled then flew down into the valley to find its mate.

Danielle slowly came to her senses and lay for a moment collecting her thoughts.

Warily opening her eyes, frightened of what she might find when she did so. She became aware of warmth on her face and could feel the damp grass beneath her fingertips. From somewhere nearby came a low groan. Shielding her eyes from the bright sunlight she slowly she sat up. Her clothes felt damp and uncomfortable against her skin. Mentally she checked her body, arms and legs everything appeared to be working again. Whatever had caused the paralysis seemed to have passed.

Danielle looked around, the air was crystal clear and above the sky was the purest blue. The dark swirling clouds, thunder and lightning, had all disappeared. The sun was just beginning to peep its head over the low hills to her left, flooding the hillside and the valley below with golden light. She gazed out over the valley, gone was the vast expanses of forest and ravaged landscape of the previous day. Of the Faerie races; locked in battle for the past days, there were no signs. All appeared to have returned to normal.

Ravens Bane was no more. She remembered the terrible explosion or was it an implosion, that destroyed it. Returning it and all its evil back into the Dark Abode.

Was Ravengaard really gone this time? she wondered. 

The sun sparkled silvery off the River Coblyn as it flowed out across the patchwork of fields on the valley floor. Far off in one of the fields, she saw the glint of sunlight on a vehicle's windscreen. Farmer Price is up early, she thought. And he seems completely oblivious to all that recently happened.

A sudden movement caught the corner of her eye. Warily she turned towards it, George rolled over and sat up. He groaned and massaged the back of his head. Danielle stood; a little too fast, steadied herself and walked over to him.

'Are you okay?' she asked.

'Sore head,' he winced checking for blood. 'Otherwise, I seem to be okay.'

'Jess. Where are you?' Danielle shouted. A note of panic rose in her voice when she could not see her.

'It is all right, she is here,' called a voice from behind her. Princess Meriol and Captain Thrax were kneeling by some gorse bushes. Danielle could just make out her sister lying amongst them.