The Alpha Twins and their Runaway Witch

3

A small pebble fell from the sky directly onto her head. Bouncing off her head and landing in the cold water with a plop. Waking her up with a start. Her teeth immediately started to chatter as the cold stole all the warmth she had imagined while she was sleeping. The sun was not long up. 

She jumped up with a thunderous sounding crash and splashing of water in the still air as she realized she had been so tired she had fallen asleep, sat up in the shallows of the lake. Horrified that she had squandered any advantage she had gained by swimming across the pond by not forcing herself to keep going. She could have frozen to death. They could have caught up. Could have seen her from across the water.

Her clothes were heavy, dripping with water. Her shoes squelched with every step. She sat down on a long piece of dead wood protruding from the forest into the lake like a bridge. Taking off the oversized flannel shirt she tied it around her waist before sitting down. Taking off her shoes and socks. Tucking the toes of the socks into the flannel shirt, and picking up the shoes. Tying the laces together and throwing them over her shoulder. Taking off her tshirt and wringing as much water as she could before putting back on. She was cold, and wet and miserable. But free.

Prepared to walk barefoot until the shoes could dry out. She rose from the log, and felt a second pebble hit her square on the top of her head. She looked up, only for a large raven to land on a low branch barely four feet away from her. Cawing loudly while looking directly at her.

She had been startled as the pebble hit her head. Hadn't any idea what had happened at first. Worried that her brief period of freedom was already at an end. As soon as she saw the beautiful ink black raven she calmed down. Unsure what was coming over her. She was struck by an urge to talk to the bird. "Did you drop the rock?" She asked the raven. Who bobbed up and down several times, before cawing again. Almost like it was nodding yes.

She looked at the bird, who seemed to be looking back at her intently. "Do you-" She started to say, feeling immensely stupid as she did, wondering if hypothermia or exhaustion could cause lasting brain damage. "Can you understand me?" Again the raven bobbed up and down with intention and cawed. "I'm lost in the woods and talking to a raven." Trying to think if she had struck her head at any time during her panicked escape.

The crow cawed again, hopping up from the branch with a flap of its wings to turn around, looking back at her, and flying into the forest. Having no better idea of what direction to go, following an intelligent raven seemed like as reasonable a choice as any other direction. Gisella hated ravens and crows, the hyena's would shoot the birds dead anytime they were spotted and a gun was handy. There was always a gun handy.

She was feeling tense, having to move slowly and carefully on her bare feet. Wet feet in shoes for long periods of time was dangerous. The last year she had been in school, the history teacher was nice, and she tried harder to pay attention in that class. They had been learning modern history. Trench foot was a thing in the first world war. She needed her feet healthy and ready to run. 

Trying to be careful and silent as she moved. Terrified that one of the Hyenas were going to jump out from behind a tree and drag her back, ready inflict awful punishments on her for what she had done, and for running. Constantly worried that the familiar sound of a silenced gun would ring out and she would watch the beautiful raven die in an explosion of black feathers as it fell to the forest floor.

A thought that broke her heart in a way she was unprepared for. The Raven continued to fly in short bursts through the forest like it actually was leading her. As they moved through the woods squirrels and small song birds chirped in the thick canopy overhead. A comfort, if any hyena were nearby the noise would stop. The small creatures would instinctively know to make themselves quiet and hard to find if a real predator was nearby.

The raven was leading her mostly north, she thought at least. It was her secret superpower, being a human compass. Her mother had bought her a tiny mostly plastic cheap compass when she had been young. She had loved spinning in circles stopping and guessing which way she was facing, her mom calling out "Correct!" every time. A boy at her first foster home had stolen the compass. She hadn't ever gotten another one. She wasn't certain if her mom had been honest, or if it was just a happy memory she had polished into a pearl of a memory that hadn't ever been real.

The sun was nearly directly overhead, but the day had not gotten any warmer. She had rearranged her socks and flannel shirt, trying to dry as much of the clothes as she could. Her stomach rumbled. She hadn't eaten since yesterday at breakfast, and did not have much in reserve to keep her body going. Her stomach rumbled loudly, seeming to echo through the woods bouncing off the trees. The raven made eye contact and cawed at her. Waiting for her to catch up this time.

The raven bounced on the low branch he had perched on, beak facing in one direction. She looked where he seemed to be pointing, and saw heaven. Overripe raspberry canes, wild blueberries and strawberries were all growing in a small thicket in the forest. A plump squirrel retreating into a tree from the berry patch as she entered. Raking her fingers through the low wild blueberry bushes, getting small handfuls of berries at a time. Only pausing long enough to pluck out most of the leaves and twigs before throwing the entire handful in her mouth. Scooping handful after handful, plucking tiny wild strawberries from under their leaves. Carefully reaching through the thorny canes to pluck the least rotten raspberries.

She was practically moaning. She couldn't remember the last time she had fruit, or anything remotely sweet. She had no idea how long she sat on the grassy opening in the forest. Slowly working her way through the berry patch, eating every single berry that was remotely still edible. A lunch of berries wasn't an ideal meal, it was still better than most she had enjoyed in the last year. She actually felt full when she had stripped the thicket of everything she could reach. Of course sharing several berries with the Raven, who was surprisingly delicate as he reached his large, sharp looking beak to pluck a berry from her.

When she was certain there was nothing left to eat, she had stood up. The raven had sat on a branch waiting. Having been more than content to share the berries she had offered on her flat palm while she was eating. She had felt like she owed the raven some of the peak best looking berries for leading her to this tiny paradise.

Now that she had eaten and didn't feel like she was on the verge of fainting. She once again continued following the raven as it made short hops through the forest. Now that he had led her to a bountiful garden, she was even more willing to follow him wherever he wanted to take her.

All afternoon she followed the raven barefoot through the woods. The effort of keeping up with the flying raven helped keep her warm in the chill late fall air in her damp clothes. All day long she followed the bird, the berries were the only food she had to eat, and nothing to drink. Her head was starting to feel all floaty as her blood sugar levels crashed back down to nothing while her dehydration level increased.

Her feet were sore and beat up from walking barefoot. It didn't matter how careful she tried to step, there was always something sharp or rough underfoot. Her sneakers were still wet. She had no idea how she was going to get them dry. She was so tired, so hungry, so thirsty, it was a struggle to keep putting one foot in front of the other. Her steps were getting stumbly as she forced herself to keep going well past the point her body was signalling it was time to give up.

The raven seemed to sense she was flagging, and cawed loudly several times making her look up from the ground she was focused on. Finding that the raven had been leading her towards an overgrown log cabin, nestled deep in the woods. It didn't appear like there was anyone around, the windows were dark, the chimney cold as it reached up from the lichen covered roof. There was a small stack of wood under a lean-to on the side of the cabin, but it was overgrown with moss as though the stack had been left to rot. She made her way to the heavy wooden door, and almost cried in relief as the latch opened under her hand.