Tears of Raven

20

"That's a problem for tomorrow I suppose."

They both nodded.

Raven heard something tap on her window but it seems no one else noticed. Not even Araxys.

Something white passed for barely a moment. It was so fast, it seemed simply a leave. The two maids turned to check what she was so attentively staring at. Raven realized it before it was too late and faking tiredness, she stretched and dismissed her girls.

"I will be seeing you tomorrow." She made sure none of them got a glimpse over her tall body and locked the door behind them.

How?

She opened the windows and peeked outside. Maybe she had imagined it. the night was dark but there were no trees close. Only rock and the waterfall.

Araxys seemed unbothered. She was simply exhausted. She reached the window's handle and begun to close it when the clear sound of flapping wings entered her space and the enormous bird came into view. It attempted to perch on her rail but Raven screamed causing it to shriek.

"They're covered in glue, if you land, you'll never fly away."

And then she remembered. Her glare found the small spring the prince had taken her. it was dark but she couldn't risk it. something so huge and bright could be seen even in the darkest of nights.

She grabbed the bird leg and pulled it inside shutting the curtains.

The bird landed flat on the pavement. His next reaction was something that Raven was not expecting.

It slowly turned; one eye blinking spasmodically than the other as if it couldn't believe she had just done something so stupid. Its beak was half open. it evidently had no more words for her. he simply stared, his scarred eyes twitching.

"I'm sorry." Araxys head scrolled at those three words and his eyes opened. They found the bird right away and his teeth bared.

The dragon's jaw snap, attempting to catch it but Raven lunged on it.

"Now listen to me, that bird saved my life. You will not eat it."

"That excuse of a feather ball is a spy." Growled the dragon.

"And I will not tell him anything. I just want to know what it wants.

"Make it quick or I'll call the shadow prince."

Undaunted, the large eagle stood on one leg opening his beak to squeak a mockery Araxys understood. Because his claw was at Raven's side before, she could even react and It attempted to crush it.

The bird jumped back unbothered as I cleaned its feathers theatrically.

"How did you find me. Why are you here?"

It stopped going through its plumage and Raven noticed it was holding something in its other leg.

Something familiar.

Something small and defenseless.

Before Raven could give Araxys permission to act, the bird threw the small ball of feathers in Raven's arms.

The owl was in bad shape, all his feathers were ruffed but he looked okay. It was shaking and squeaking.

"It's me, Zeus." She couldn't believe her words when the owl cried and she saw physical tears stream down his blind eyes before jumping all around her and peck her gently on her cheeks. He was happy to be back with her.

Raven hugged the little friend to her chest as had as it was possible without killing. She felt a piece of herself snap back.

"You can leave now." Araxys thundered but Raven rose a hand to stop him.

"Wait." The bird twisted its head in a very odd angle and hooted for Raven to continue. "You understood what I told you in the woods. I asked you if you knew where my friend was and you found him for me?"

The head twisted to the other side.

Raven caressed Zeus head. The small owl was happily hooting moving from shoulder to shoulder. Raveen's next words broke her heart but she couldn't do much about it.

"Take him back." She reached for Zeus but the small owl, offended, flew on Araxys head and shriek in opposition.

"You can't stay here. They will kill you if you do." She attempted to explain but her friend was not having it. he stomped its tiny legs and spread his wings to show his dominance. He even pulled two small feathers over his round head to scare Raven.

"I don't think he will want to leave unless your other friend doesn't snatch it from my head."

"You have to go back, Zeus. Please." Raven was determined to climb all over her dragon to get the owl but someone like Araxys would never let her live after that humiliating so he bellowed when she tried to step on his neck.

"Help me out, will you?" she intimated to her dragon.

"I will keep him safe. You just keep that atrocity away from me."

He had a point. But poor white eagle.

"But you have to promise to stay with Araxys. Promise me Zeus." The small whistle the owl let out wasn't convincing but what more could she do.

Raven stumbled back to her bed and she let her head fall on one of the canopy columns.

"I owe you."

The white bird shook his head but Raven knew better.

"When I saved you from that trap you kept me from freezing to death. We were even. Now I owe you for bringing him back to me. He means-"

"Careful, hatchling. It will repeat everything you tell."

"He knows already, don't you?"

She was sure he had been close enough to listen to what they were saying. He had showed himself only where it didn't matter anymore. Zeus was an exchanged offered for the information it had retrieved. Or an excuse.

"You better go. He has the bad habit of checking my room before he goes to bed to see if I made it back or if I ran away. If he finds you here, I'll never hear the end of it."

Raven begun collecting all the feathers on the pavements.

"What are you waiting for, go."

"You heard her."

The bird opened its wing. She has been right he was as tall as Araxys paw. It was impressive in a space so contained. It reached and snatched a small clear blue feather and passed it to Raven.

When the feather touched the palm of her hand it was heavy.

Because it wasn't a feather, it was a crystal shaped like a feather.

The bird narrowed its beautiful blue eyes before flying away from Araxys nest.

"What is it?" she inquired.

"Throw it in the fire and be done with it." he curled up on the other side.

He was particularly grumpy today.

"I don't like birds. They're dirty and vicious. Wannabe dragons with no grace."

And yet Zeus was hooting all over his head and he didn't seem to mind.

"This one is your only exception."

Raven paced to the fire and threw all the plumage she had managed to retrieve.

Beside the crystal feather. That she hid under her mattress for safekeeping. she had learned that, if an animal gave you something, it was mostly for a good reason and she couldn't wait to discover what was the reason behind this gift.