The crow watched as its charge of twelve years was whisked away by the strange human male.
The girl's body wrapped from head to toe in a gray woolen blanket. The fabric more of a shroud to the crow's solemn eyes.
The sadness of grief had not yet pierced its heart, as the still beating rage of its fellow creatures' deaths was still fresh in its mind.
The crow watched as the male cradled the girl with such gentleness that it was hard to picture that a monster layed beneath his skin. Until the crow saw the wolves beside his horse, and the group of riders with the pelts of dead animals tied to their horse's backs.
"I will not leave her to such vile beasts." The crow vowed to the empty woods. "She will need someone who knows their ways, one she can trust until the male can prove himself harmless."
With its desicion made, the crow leaves its perch upon the tree. Swiftly soaring into the air, setting its coarse to follow the humans and wolves.
Their destination, the imposing stone fortress just north of the woods. Placed upon a sloping hill, it casts its looming shadow across the small village and farm lands below. A thin band of blue cutting the valley and woods off from the fields of winter wheat and barley. The two lands connected by bridges of stone and wood.
The crow follows them across the river, through the fields and village, and pass the stone wall and battlements of the fortress. The party stopping in the great courtyard filled with wagons, animals, and humans. Circling above the crow the sees her charge slip from the male's hold. The human reaching out in vain to grab her back.
In the confusion of the yard, many do not see the girl plummet to the ground. Their tasks focused on releasing the horses of their human burdens and animal carcasses. With no other option the crow aims for the girl, its wings spreading wide as it nears the ground. Reaching the girl the crow is soon encompassed by a cloud of feathers and dark smoke.
The cloud soon dissipating in a whirl of wind, revealing the girl with her arms wrapped around the crow, whose form has changed into that of a young woman.
Their appearances were both strange and perfect, like wild untamed roses. One with tangled hair filled with feathers and flowers, her threadbare shawl and dress brown as the earth, and ragged beyond repair. Her skin covered with dirt from her face to her feet.
The other with hair black as night, the strands falling down to her ankles. Blue black feathers covering her head and weaving through her matted tresses. The almond color of her skin was a sickly hue, her limbs almost twig like. Her only clothing, consisted of a long thin cape of woven crow feathers, covering her thin frame.
They clung to each other in desperation as if in fear of losing their grip. Around them the courtyard had grown silent. Onlookers gaping in amazement and horror. Until the scrape of a loosened blade and a cry of "Witch!" filled the chill winter air.
A moment later, came the cries of the people, as vines began to shoot from the ground and spirals of dark smoke twined through the air. Twisting towards the open blue sky.
YOU ARE READING
A Wolf's Courage(Tales of Europa Book 1)
Werewolf🥀Heat licks up my bones and into the surrounding skin, my groan of pleasure joining Damaris's low growl of desire. However, his lips stay as gentle as his grip on my waist, allowing me to choose how far this will go. My throat rumbles as I purr fro...
