Raven

Chapter 1

Smoke wraps its heavy arms around my face, suffocating me. Its deadly breath is like needles to my eyes and I can't see anything. My lungs scream for air but are ignored horribly. I keep running, running.

Towards the fire.

I don't know why but something is calling me.

Then I arrive.

It takes a painful moment to realize what I am seeing. My old house is being swallowed by flames. Seemingly burning away all the happy memories along with it to ash.

My mother had sketched the walls delicately to form small drawings. The once-dark maroon window frames and fence now faded out because of age. The small but cozy house with the flat black roof was boarded with different kinds of wool to block out the winter chill. All engulfed in fumes of smoke.

I can hear terrible screaming inside. Although ragged and muffled, I can make out my mother's voice screaming for help. And my father's pleading that they hadn't done anything wrong.

Then they scream my name.

Raven help. Why did you leave us? You brought this on us.

Raven...Raven...

Raven gasped for air. Breathing hard, he tried to haul himself up. He was drenched in sweat. He shielded his eyes when blinding light welcomed him.

"Raven shh..you had a bad dream."

He could make out the tall figure of Ansel standing over him holding up a small lantern. He felt her cool hand over his cheek and started to calm down. Adjusting his eyes, he could see that it was still night and the other natblidas were fast asleep.

His eyes were watery and the air was stuffy as if he was still covered in smoke. He put away his covers and blinked hard.

Ansel sat down on his bed and put her arm around Raven to steady him. "Was it the same dream?"

He nodded shakily.

The silky-haired girl blinked sympathetically. "But if there really was a fire that big, we would have heard about it from rumors. We're in Polis, remember? Your family will be fine."

Raven nodded his head slowly. As much as he wanted to believe what Ansel had told him, he feared that something had really happened to his family. What about Forest? Would she be fine?

He felt despair clawing at him whenever he tried to remember his twin. It had already been more than eight years since he had left his family. And their faces were beginning to fade from his memory. Even the most beautiful times, which he tried his best to cling to were slipping out of his grasp.

Ansel tapped his arm, breaking him out of his fears. "At my clan, there was a place full of dandelions," she whispered softly. "The people used to say that if you think of a worry or a problem that you want to get rid of, and blow on the dandelion, all your worries will fly far away."

Raven imagined a meadow filled with cotton-like dandelions that draped across the landscape like a thin summer blanket. The thought itself soothed him.

"And while the seed of the dandelion is on its wonder, it will turn into a wonderful piece of hope that will help others going through hard times." Ansel explained. Her scent mixed with a faint whiff of lilac and soap reminded him of his mother. He leaned into the older girl. She had always been like a caretaker for all of the natblida children. Even to Tempest who kept to herself and hated being looked after.

Titus disapproved of her actions in 'creating a senseless bond between the nightbloods.' He believed that all natblidas should learn to overcome their own hardships. Love was weakness, of course.

But Ansel never listened.

"So when you feel lost, imagine blowing on a dandelion."Ansel pinched her fingers as if she was holding something between them and closed her eyes. Then she blew gingerly for a few moments. She reopened her grayish blue eyes and smiled assuringly. "Like so."

Following her instructions, Raven took in a gulp of air and breathed out slowly. He felt his fast heartbeat subside.

Shutting his eyes tight, he tried to forget his horrendous dream.

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Raven groaned in pain as Jennifa punched his stomach with her elbow. As her wooden spear came down, he quickly sidesteped away and used the gripping of his sword to hit her face.

She stumbled away clutching her eye and Raven caught the moment to swing his weapon at her legs to knock her to the ground. But Jennifa jumped away just in time. She rapidly twisted her spear in the air and caught it again to adjust her grasp and lunged at him. He ducked and heard the wind whisk above him as the sharp point missed its aim.

Raven focused on the arm that Jennifa was using to hold onto her spear. Hand-to-hand combat had always been her weakness. He needed to take that weapon away from her. But she knew her weakness as well as him and always had a firm grip on her spear.

So he attacked her leg, swiftly blocking her strike, he drew his sword onto her leg and cut it. Outbalanced, she momentarily stumbled and he used his knee to kick her spear away.

Jennifa grit her teeth and stood straight again. But the spear was already out of her reach. Rolling her hand into tight fists, she aimed for his face. But her legs didn't fall in course with her fists.

Dodging, he struck the arm with his sword and hooked her feet from beneath her, making her fall to the ground. Raven pointed his sword tip at her neck to show that she had lost. Panting, she pressed her hand onto the cut on her leg.

"You should go see the healer." Raven advised as he offered his hand to her.

Ignoring him, she picked herself up and limped towards her spear. Raven frowned, confused. She was turning out more aloof and cold to everyone these days. It was probably because she was spending more time with Tempest..

He shifted his gaze to the girl fighting with Haru. Her cold blue eyes were chips of ice as she attacked the younger boy with ferocity. Tempest was a deadly fighter, but there was fear behind the way she fought. As if she didn't trust herself in her own skin.

That made her brutal, but also easy to win.

"I see your training is coming around nicely."

Raven whirled around to face the commander. Her understanding eyes showed her wisdom and she had a voice as strong as woodwind. Her presence could make any warrior kneel at her feet. It was Lexa kom Trikru.

"I saw you fighting with Jennifa." She continued.

"She's a promising novitiate yet you beat her well. I can see that you have the ability to understand the weakness and strength of your opponent and use it against them." She nodded at him approvingly.

Raven bowed to show her his respect. "Thank you Heda."

Lexa nodded. "But all the novitiates have their own abilities. I hope you learn from them all." She paused and met his eyes. "So you can be ready."

Raven gulped as he remembered what would happen if his commander died. He would have to kill the people he had known longer than his own family. How could he do it?

Ansel who was like the mother he had forgotten, Jo and his calm and sagacious demeanor, mischievous Freya whose aim was always true, Quinn and Heydi with their love for the library, Haru and his strict adherence to rules. And there were Jennifa whose weapon seemed to be a part of her, and Tempest with her sharp tongue. Even they seemed to be family.

Lexa must have seen his expression change because she put her hand on his shoulder. "It will be hard." she said calmly.

"But it must be done. You must put your people above your priorities. They will need one of you to lead them as heda."

Raven murmured in agreement. But his mind flitted back to his dream. The fire, his house, his real family.

Would he have to forget them to become heda?