He noticed other new sounds, too, as he sat with his ears perked. He heard the little rustling and tip-tapping footsteps of insects scuttering beneath him in the grass, and he heard their tiny, voices, like tiny tin bells, as they squeaked about the newest ant trails and the trees with the most rotting apples. "Curious!" Said Raven out loud. It seemed to him as if the quiet of the forest had suddenly come alive with a million sounds his ears had never heard before: He heard the leaves sighing leafy green sighs. The wind whistled a lonely tune of its travels over hills and empty fields, and the river too, sang a song that went rippling over the rocks and slipping between the stones.
The falling leaves made sounds like gentle chimes as they flitted to the forest floor like papery butterflies. He could even heard the worms gurgling in the dirt beneath and the furry whispers of rabbits deep in their dens.
Raven felt as if he had stepped out of his life and into a dream: the forest was like a whole new world. Only in his grandmother's stories did the birds and beasts speak, yet here he was, hearing them all talk as if he had been able to do so all his life. And then, as he sat taking in all the new music of the woods, he heard quite a different sound: a deep, scratchy croak. It came from somewhere above him, and this croak stood out from all the other new sounds because it was saying a word that Raven recognized: HIS NAME.
"Raven!" The voice croaked again, and Raven got to his feet, speechless. He scanned the nearby tree branches carefully, trying to see where the voice was coming from. He wasn't sure whether to be frightened or inquisitive. The voice was harsh, but it was also kind, so after a moment or two he decided he wasn't afraid. He peered as hard as he could into the leaves, a cluster of shifting shades and sunspots, but there was nothing but a quiet rustling and then something shiny fell from the leaves right at his feet. Raven dropped to his knees and felt in the long, cool grass, and his fingers felt a cold, smooth piece of metal, and he closed his hand over it.
He opened his hand and inside gleamed a delicate, golden key. Raven had never seen a key so tiny and so perfect. Every corner was even and every edge was smooth. It caught the sinking sunbeams in its flowery carvings and made him blink. As he sat staring at the key, a voice right above his head croaked: "Do you want to know what it unlocks?" Raven looked up, and there, on a low branch, perched an enormous, ebony-feathered raven, his eyes as bright as berries, and his head cocked to one side. "You can talk?" Raven said. It wasn't a question, not really, but Raven was stunned that the bird was speaking to him, and even more so that he knew his name. It was all he could think of to say. "Well, you can understand me, can't you?" Said the bird. Raven blinked. "Yes, it's just that I've never met a bird who could talk before." "I wasn't always a bird, you know," said the raven. "I used to be like you." He sounded sad. "How did you become a bird?" Asked Raven. The bird ruffled his feathers like one might adjust a heavy winter overcoat. "Many years ago, a wicked forest witch put a spell on me, and I've been forced to fly around enchanted as a raven ever since."
"And the key?" Asked Raven. "Ah, yes, now we get to the point! The key unlocks a secret that I've been guarding all this time," replied the raven. "I've been waiting for someone like you to share my secret with, because as you may guess, it doesn't do me much good being a bird." He spread his wide, rich wings and glided deeper into the woods, melting into the shadows beyond. "Follow me!" Raven heard him cackle, and he picked himself up and ran after him as fast as he could go, the key gripped tightly in his palm.
Thank you so much for reading! If you enjoy "Raven," please remember to vote, and I also LOVE reading your comments! Even if you have some criticism or suggestion, please let me know, I really like hearing your feedback! XOXO
