Maiden, Warrior, Crow

Chapter one

The sound of heavy footfall outside dragged her from sleep. Sun filtered through the rips in the curtains, casting rays of light that danced on the wooden floorboard as the worn, frayed curtains flowed gently in the breeze that escaped through gaps in the frame. The noise ceased, and none of the girls stirred in their beds.

Worn wooden bunk beds lined each wall of the dingy room, and faint pen markings lined the frame, all that remained of the previous occupants' presence. Each bed had a small shelf adorned with well-loved books and sentimental trinkets. Despite the uniform, dull nature of the room, each shelf served as a window into the personality of the space's inhabitants.

The air was heavy with the scent of mildew and dust as she managed to drag herself from her bed, as the others were beginning to stir. She pulled on the clothes left out the night before. She creeped out of the room, careful of the floorboards she knew would creak. She ventured down the winding hallway, the yellow wallpaper was peeling from the walls that were coated in grime. A dusty frame held a picture of the King at the entrance to the matron's office. She slipped out the dark oak door into the street, a bitter wind whipped around her head sending a shiver down her spine and her dark hair into her face.

The city sat in the pass of two towering mountain ranges and was once again coming to life in time for the Samhain festivities, this year more important than the previous as preparations began for the arrival of the royal family. Each year, they visited one of the territories, to ensure the loyalty of the Uailse that ruled the province and to quell any possibility of rising dissent.

The leaves were a beautiful shade of burnt orange decorating the paths, and the smell of autumn filled the air as the city bustled with excitement. Bunting and banners hung from windows, bearing the royal insignia. Shopkeepers adorned their storefronts with the last of the season's flowers as she cut across the square. Vendors built their stalls in preparation for tonight, the final day of the festival.

Wood pilled up in the centre of the square, ash lay scattered from the previous night's fire. A great deal of men stood clad in military gear at the square. She continued to weave through side streets, coming across small congregations of the Kings guard. As she pushed open the door to the tavern, the smell of ale engulfed her, she squinted in the dim light until her eyes fell upon her friends.

Fionn sat in the corner, back to the wall, his eyes slowly scanning the bar and its patrons. His face was completely unreadable, but after years she could see the cogs of a plan turning behind his eyes. Eiran sat next to him in stark contrast, the picture of unwavering confidence with his lips curved into a rakish grin. Walking the thin line of confidence and arrogance.

Fionn's eyes stopped on her and gave her a tight smile, she ventured over to the table, almost climbing across the other patrons with the cosiness of the space. Eiran winked as she ended up on an older gentleman's lap, and she couldn't tell if it was delight on his face or if he was about to keel over. Muttering her apologies, she swiftly made her way to the table. "Could you have picked a smaller pub?" she huffed, collapsing into a chair in front of them.

A surge of anticipation and excitement surged through her as they sat together. The time they spent with each other had become scarcer in the last two years as the boys were transferred to the male halfway house at 16. Fionn shifted uncomfortably, his jaw tensed and dark circles prevalent under his eyes. His exhaustion was evident.

She knew that he spent a good majority of his day trying to use his draíocht but he had not particularly honed this skill, he couldn't tell you what was going to happen, just that it was going to be good. His eyes scanned the tavern, as if to ensure no one was listening and opened his mouth to speak.

"Whispers on the wind. We can't stay here, not with what's coming" he hesitated, "We need to get out of the city, tonight."

His words hung heavy in the air, his eyes betraying him as a flicker of fear crossed them. No one spoke to question him, Eiran, who would've usually laughed at his paranoia was painfully silent.