Trinket (Reverse Harem)

The Proper Way To War

Ravens. Ravens.

"Probably why it hasn't been noticed until now. A raven making off with a small child?" Itek grinned humoursly. "But I'd bet my Trinket it was ravens."

Ethat growled.

Itek shifted ihs shoulders. "You were how old, Theia?"

"They think... five? I was small and scrawny even under the injuries."

Itek nodded. "Six ravens could carry a small girl-child away," Itek said to the others. "If they didn't care about harming her, which they didn't. Drop her, swoop in on her to finish it off, leave her for dead."

"It would also explain her intense fear of flight and her panic," Ethat said softly. He brushed his lips against my neck. "Poor love. We did not realize."

Itek grimaced.

Korr waved a hand. "Ravens can fly swiftly, and far, but not that distance from Haven carrying a child."

"Unless it was a large unkindness and birds swapped in and out of position in-flight," Itek said.

"True."

"But spiriting her directly from Haven to where she was found? That is a long journey. It'd take us several days at least. She was probably taken from Haven, then disposed of."

"You're assuming I'm the hippocamp princess," I said irritably. "Maybe I'm no one."

Korr rolled his eyes. "An unkindness of ravens would not carry a child to the middle of nowhere if she is no one. You are clearly someone. I'll bet Soir's claims that his interests reflect our interests are a lie. He recognized your scars as raven wounds."

"Then we should go beat the information out him," Ethat said.

Korr raised a white brow. "Brother, how many degenerate unkindnesses of ravens do you think there are in the wildlands? Soir recognized the work of his own kind, but he will claim it was not his ravens. Our clan will not be happy if we create a diplomatic incident with so little to go on."

"So you don't think Soir has anything to do with this," I said.

"I didn't say that. I said we can't prove Soir knew anything about this. Until we discover why you can't shift, and why you have no memories of the event—not even nightmares—we can't link any of this back to the ravens here in Haven."

"It's possible it might not be the ravens," Itek added. "There was a great deal of controversy around the hippocamp claim. Another clan could be responsible and just hired some degenerate ravens to dispose of the body."

Ethat growled. "You are maddening when you two talk like politicians."

"You're the one who tagged along on my diplomatic quest," Korr said.

"Wait, you're the diplomat?" I asked Korr.

Korr grinned. "Shocking, isn't it. Ethat is a blood-thirsty killer. What, you thought he was the gentle one?"

"Well... I suppose..."

"Oh no," Korr said. "He is quite the murderous butcher."

Itek nodded once to affirm this was true.

"I am the diplomat that minces words and slides ice-blades through ribs," Korr pressed his palm over his breastbone, a devious smile on his lips, "Itek is the hunter that always finds his prey, and Ethat is the beast that lays waste to anything if you wake him from his nap. I only let go of Ivern's wife last night because I knew Ethat would kill that stupid wolf, and killing him...that would have been a problem, brother."