The Rabbit And The Raven

by Melissa Eskue Ousley

  “Villagers to woo, monsters to slay…” Abby whispered to David.

  “Shush, you,” David whispered back. He chuckled as he nudged his horse forward.

  Abby heard the rush of wings and was surprised to see Brarn landing on her horse’s neck. The horse did not seem at all disturbed by the arrival of a second passenger. “Good girl,” she said, stroking the mare’s neck. She nodded to Brarn. “Hey, you. Nice of you to join us.”

  The raven seemed to be searching for a comfortable perch and finally settled on Abby’s saddle horn. He looked up at her with a kind of beaky smile, if it could be called that. She wasn’t sure if ravens smiled with their beaks or their eyes, but Brarn’s eyes seemed to twinkle as if he were happy to be a part of the expedition.

  “You have a friend,” Marisol said, her horse matching pace with Abby’s.

  “One from our world,” Abby smiled. “Did you know that Brarn is the one who first led me to Eulalia?”

  Marisol looked perplexed. “Huh. How’d he do that?”

  “You know the labyrinth at the old mansion?”

  Marisol nodded. “Ah, yes. The spooky tangle of overgrown weeds we drove past the night we came here.”

  Abby smiled, remembering. The labyrinth had looked spooky that night. “Yeah, that. Well, Brarn led me through that tangled mess to the queen,” Abby said.

  “Wow,” Marisol breathed, her eyebrows raised in surprise. “Smart bird.”

  “He’s pretty amazing.” Abby beamed down at Brarn. “He also helped Fergal deliver the Sign of the Throne to David.”

  “Impressive,” Marisol replied. “And I thought it was a bad omen when he showed up—I guess I need to rethink that.”

  “I think you might,” Abby agreed.

  They had been riding through the woods in silence for a while when, suddenly, Brarn broke from his perch and flew toward a sunny break in the trees.

  “We are coming to the edge of the forest,” Cael announced, gesturing to the open field beyond the archway of branches.

  Brarn circled the field, then shot upward to the top of one of the trees. Abby followed him with her eyes, and gasped as he landed on a branch next to something that seemed to be dripping red liquid.

  “Stop!” Abby cried. “Brarn’s found something!”

  “Is that blood?” Marisol asked, horrified.

  They heard the swish and snap of feathers as Erela landed on the path in front of them at the edge of the field. She set her feet apart in a fighting stance and looked around, scanning the woods for signs of an impending ambush. She watched Brarn circling above her and then frowned when she saw what he had discovered in the tree. With one great flap of her large wings, she launched herself into the air to retrieve it.

  “Whoa—she makes quite an entrance, doesn’t she?” Jon said. “Where’d she come from?”

  “She flew over the forest,” David answered, dismounting. “I think being under the canopy makes her feel trapped.”

  “Hmph. The claustrophobic angel,” Jon muttered.

  Erela carried Brarn’s find to David and Cael. It was a decapitated goat—the head was nowhere to be found.

  “Holy headless goats, Batman,” Jon said.

  “How’d that get all the way up there?” Abby asked.

  “I know what did this,” Marisol said. Everyone turned to look at her.

  “What?” David and Abby asked in unison.

  Marisol blushed as though she suddenly felt embarrassed to have so many eyes focused on her. “Well, I mean, we’ve got a goat, and it’s been totally drained, right? And whatever attacked it had to be able to jump really high to put it in a tree. So…it had to be a chupacabra.”

  “Yeah, but the blood drained out because it’s missing its entire head!” Abby pointed out. “Doesn’t that seem, I don’t know, a tad overzealous?”

  Marisol shrugged. “Maybe the chupa was really hungry.”

  “Um, I don’t think chupacabras exist, guys. They don’t, do they, Cael?” David asked.

  Cael shook his head. “No. Not in this world at least.”

  “I was thinking velociraptor,” Jon whispered to Marisol, making little clawing motions with his hands.

  Marisol stifled a giggle. “Inappropriate,” she hissed under her breath. But Abby could see that she was smiling.

  Cael turned to Erela. “What do you think?”

  “It is a message for me. They want me to know they are watching,” Erela said.

  “Have they chosen a side?” Cael asked.

  “I do not know,” Erela said. She and Cael exchanged a dark look and she walked away, toward the village.

  “Cael, she’s not talking about the Kruorumbrae, is she? Who sent her a message? Who is watching?” David asked.

  “The Daughters of Mercy,” Cael replied. He turned to follow Erela, leading his horse by the reins.

  Jon swung down from his saddle. “The Daughters of Mercy? They sound like nuns.”

  “I don’t think so,” David contemplated. “They sound a little more dark side to me.”

  “You haven’t met many nuns, have you?” Jon asked.

  “I’ve met a few. They were nice,” David said, helping Abby dismount.

  “Well, I guess you had a different sampling than I did. All the nuns I ever met went totally dark side on me,” Jon recalled. He took Marisol’s reins while she swung her leg over her horse’s neck, grasped the saddle horn, and hopped neatly down from her mount.

  Abby laughed. “Hmm, I wonder why. Shall I list your offenses against the church?”

  “Ah, that won’t be necessary,” Jon scowled, narrowing his eyes. He shot Abby a look of warning. He turned to Marisol. “Nor is it necessary to ask for details. Especially not from my mom.”

  Clucking her tongue, Marisol shook her head and took back her horse’s reins. “You are a bad boy, Jonathon Reyes.”

  “I’m sorry,” Jon said.

  “Don’t apologize,” Marisol smiled. “I like it.”

  Jon grinned. “Oh, really…”

  “Yes. But to get back to the subject at hand,” Marisol replied. Ignoring Jon’s pout, she turned to David and lowered her voice. “She’s an angel right? Maybe the Daughters of Mercy are angels too—you know, like the Angel of Death? That’s New Testament dark side, isn’t it?”

  “Old Testament,” David corrected her. “And I don’t think she’s an angel. I was thinking more like a valkyrie.”

  “Aren’t they supposed to hang out on battlefields or something, taking the valiant dead to Valhalla?” Jon asked.

  David shrugged. “Maybe…look, I don’t know what she is exactly.”

  “Betcha five bucks she’s an angel,” Jon offered.

  “All right, I’ll take that bet and your money, Reyes,” David said, clapping him on the shoulder. “But I promise you, my friend—she is not an angel. Come on, let’s go chat with the villagers.”

  Abby saw that Eulalia had already arrived with her troops; she was talking with the two Nuren eldsmen and the eldswoman who served as village leaders, ambassadors, and at times, peacekeepers. Gorman had been teaching Abby and her friends about the politics of the region surrounding Caislucis. She noted that each wore long robes over his or her clothes and a medallion around the neck, signifying their role. David, Cael, and Erela joined the discussion while Abby, Jon, and Marisol stood back and surveyed the village.

  “Looks like this place got hit by a tornado,” Abby said. Structures that appeared to have once resembled a barn and some kind of tower had been almost leveled. Some of the villagers were clearing the rubble, while others worked with the castle guards to distribute supplies and care for the new livestock. Abby approached a woman working near the destroyed buildings. “Do you need help here?” she asked. “My friends and I can work on clearing this out.”

  “We would be grateful for your help,” said the woman. She had dark skin and wore her hair bound in a colorful scarf. The skirt of her printed, ankle-length dress was smudged with dirt. She smiled wearily a
nd handed Abby a pair of leather gloves. Jon brought over a small cart and Marisol led the horses to graze in the field. Returning, she picked up a spade and joined Abby and Jon.

  As Marisol shoveled away debris, Abby and Jon began placing heavy stones into the cart. “We’re emissaries of the Solas Beir,” Abby said to the woman. “I’m Abby, and these are my friends Jon and Marisol.”

  “I am called Yola,” the woman said. She looked as though she had not slept at all; her eyes were dark and full of worry.

  “Was anyone in these buildings when they fell?” Abby asked.

  “There were sheep and goats in the barn, but none of our people, thank the Light,” Yola said. “The other building was the granary—much of our food and the grain for our stock were stored there. It is a great loss to us.”

  “I’m sorry. Did you see it happen?” Marisol asked.

  “No—I did not see it myself, though I heard it. When the creatures came, it was already dark, and most everyone was inside for the night. There was a terrible sound, like the wind, and hellish screams, the likes of which I have never heard and hope never to hear again. The creatures were attacking our animals, and the screams of those they took echoed throughout our village. Then everything shook as the buildings fell. There was a crash, like thunder—and then all was silent.

  “I was terrified to leave my home, but I thought perhaps people might need my help. I searched, but I could not find anyone wounded. As people emerged from their homes, we were able to identify the missing. Those who were taken were either guarding the village or doing their last chores of the evening. Had this happened during the day, more of us would have been lost,” Yola explained.

  Jon hefted a stone into the cart. “Have they found any of them yet?”

  “No. They vanished, as did the creatures that took them,” Yola said.

  “And everyone else is okay? I mean, no one else was wounded?” Abby asked.

  “We are all relatively unscathed, yes.” Again, Yola smiled wearily. “I fear, though, that I shall never see my brother again.”

  “Oh! I’m so sorry,” Abby said. In her surprise, she had almost dropped the stone she was holding, but Jon helped her ease it into the cart. “Thanks,” Abby said to Jon, then turned back to the woman. “Your brother was one of the taken? Oh, Yola, I am so very, very sorry.”

  “He should not have been among them. He volunteered for the night watch when someone took ill,” Yola said. She cast her eyes downward. “I should not have said that.”

  “Why?” Abby asked, putting her hand gently on Yola’s shoulder.

  Yola looked up into Abby’s eyes, fighting back tears. “He would not want me to think that way. Daudi is very brave. If he is still alive, he will do his best to return to us. And if he met his end, he would be honored to do it in someone else’s place. To speak otherwise is to dishonor him.”

  “I see. I pray he is still alive,” Abby said. “Yola, will you come with me to speak to the Solas Beir? I know he will do all he can to find out what happened to your brother and the others.”

  “Do you really think he can help me find my brother?” Yola asked.

  “I hope so.” Taking Yola’s hand, Abby led her to David, who was still deep in conversation with the village leaders.

  Out of the corner of his eye, David saw Abby and a woman walking toward him. He gestured for them to join the discussion. “Abby,” he said, “it sounds like, besides the six who are missing, no one was injured in the attack or when the buildings collapsed.”

  Abby nodded. “Yes—we were just talking about the same thing. David, this is Yola. Her brother is one of the missing.”

  David took Yola’s hands in his. “Yola, I am so sorry about your brother. I promise I will find out who did this.”

  “Was it the Kruorumbrae?” Abby asked.

  “I’m starting to have my doubts, based on what we’ve heard about the attack. Yola, please forgive me for speaking frankly, but I don’t want to keep information from you, and I hope what I share will not bring you more sorrow,” David said.

  “I understand,” Yola nodded. “Please—I am grateful for anything you can tell me. If my brother is alive, I will do whatever I can to help bring him home.”

  “All right,” David said. “What we know so far is that this attack was different than past Kruorumbrae raids. While the Blood Shadows do prefer to attack at night, they do not usually destroy buildings. They also would not just take the people who were outside; they would have entered people’s homes and taken everyone they could find. They have raided several villages north of Caislucis, and the Kruorumbrae were not deterred by closed doors.

  “It’s strange there is no sign of the people who were taken. Our guards have been searching the areas surrounding the village for evidence of the missing, and there is nothing there. The Kruorumbrae are, if anything, consistent. If they had come to feed, they would not have taken people and left the bodies of your livestock. Forgive me, but they would consider that a waste of food.

  “The other thing is that goat we found in the tree—that is the strangest part to me. There is simply no precedent for it. Yola, what I’m saying is that, while I don’t want to give you false hope…” David paused, suddenly unsure if he should finish his sentence. The woman took a deep breath and urged him to continue, patting his hands. “I think your brother was taken by something other than the Kruorumbrae,” David continued. “There is a chance he may still be alive.”

  “Oh, please, let it be so!” Yola cried.

  Abby put her arms around the woman. Then she turned to David. “If this wasn’t the Blood Shadows, then who was it? And why would they take Yola’s brother and the others?”

  “We’re still working on that part. We don’t have any answers yet, but we might have some ideas. I think it is more important than ever that we talk with the oracles,” David said. “Yola, I promise you and your people—I will send you news as soon as I can.”

  “Thank you, Solas Beir,” Yola said.

  “You are welcome. I truly hope we can find him and the other five.” David surveyed the village. “It looks as though the supplies have been distributed to everyone, but we could really use a place to store them, couldn’t we? Let me see if I can help with that. Abby, can you join me for a moment?”

  Abby nodded. “Of course.”

  David put his arm around Abby and guided her toward the field where the horses were grazing. He kept his voice low. “I need your help.”

  “What can I do?” she asked.

  “I’m going to use my power to rebuild the buildings that were lost, but I have no idea what the impact will be on me,” David whispered.

  “Do you think using power will make you sick like when you healed Nysa?” Abby whispered back.

  “No—I don’t think it will be that, exactly, but I’m worried I might pass out or something. Not a real confidence booster for them to see me like that.”

  “No, I suppose not,” she agreed.

  “Let’s bring our horses over, and could you just stay close to me? I have a feeling I’m going to be pretty exhausted. I’m going to need some help staying on my feet,” David explained.

  “Just lean on me if you feel faint, and I’ll keep you propped up until we can get you on the horse. I won’t let you fall,” Abby promised.

  “Thanks. I appreciate that.” He took the horses’ reins and led them back to where Yola and the elders were standing, then passed the reins to Abby. “Okay—here goes nothing...”

  “Good luck,” Abby whispered.

  David looked around. Everyone had stopped what they were doing. Although the adults all looked relatively young, they were diverse in appearance and dress. Like Yola, some of the women wore long, colorfully printed dresses, while others were dressed more like Abby in leather leggings and billowing shirts. Most of the men wore colorful tunics with loosely fitted pants, but a few were dressed in long robes. All of them were staring at him. No pressure, folks, he thought.

  Hold
ing out his hands and closing his eyes, David focused on what the buildings should look like. He imagined them coming together, stone by stone, beam by beam. He felt warmth radiate from his hands and heard the sound of stone grinding as it moved. He kept his eyes closed, letting go, trusting that everything was happening as he saw it in his mind’s eye. He felt an intense pressure building inside his head, which began to ache. Then, as if he had released a breath, the pressure left him. He heard applause and cheering and opened his eyes.

  The buildings were standing as if the damage from the night before had only been a bad dream. That wasn’t so bad, David thought. I wonder if I could do something similar to find the missing villagers. If I could just see them in my mind…And then he teetered back a step, overwhelmed by exhaustion.

  He slumped against Abby. She put her arms around him to keep him steady, and Cael reached out to help. Cael had been watching David intently and had moved closer when David started to look faint. Together, Abby and Cael helped David into his saddle, bracing his legs in case he should slump over again.

  The only other person who seemed to notice that something was amiss was Eulalia. Judging by the concerned look on her face, she too had noted the toll using his powers was taking on him.

  Everyone else was still looking stunned that the pile of rubble was gone as if it had never existed. By the time their attention turned back to David, he had managed to sit up straight in the saddle and put on a winning smile to mask how drained he was.

  “You are the true Solas Beir,” Yola exclaimed, walking over to David and taking his hand in both of hers. David smiled and squeezed her hands, and Yola pressed his hand against her cheek in a gesture of gratitude. At that, the villagers began cheering again.

  David was too exhausted to speak, so he kept smiling. Yola let go of his hand, bowing slightly before she rejoined the other villagers. David gave them a diplomatic wave, and the queen stepped in to say a few last words before they returned to the castle.

  They headed back up the forest road, with Abby and Cael flanking David in case he needed them. Eulalia joined them this time, leaving Phelan and Fergal to lead the other group back across the Plains. As the trees closed in around them, Eulalia nudged her horse to pull alongside of Cael’s.