The Raven's Unkindness

Chapter Three: Unexpected Friends

The others thought she was building an army, but I saw what they were. The swollen monstrosities were crafted in the image of my own creations, but hers serve a different purpose. They are watchers, hunters, and guardians. Her wandering eyes and ears.

*****

Callum sighed in contentment, as he sat on the porch of the hall, a cup of hot tea in hand, with his feet propped up on a nearby table. He sat there for a half hour, watching the sun rise around the edge of the mountain where his home lay. The orange light illuminating the buildings, and the surrounding tree line. A few roosters crowed and the inhabitants of the glade began to stir.

Callum took a sip from his smug, and chuckled into it as a tall figure dropped out of the stable's loft. The figure brushed the straw off of himself and began to walk towards the hall.

Franar stomped onto the porch beside Callum, a few missed pieces of straw caught in his hair. "Where's Jarl Redmane?"

Callum slowly turned his head to regard his scarred grimace. "He's eating. You'll find him inside." Franar turned and took a step towards the hall's door, but Callum reached out and grabbed his wrist. "You should watch how you speak to your betters. Not everyone is as thick skinned as me, and someone other than me might take your blatant disregard for proper respect as a sign of hostility." Callum held the herald's wrist, not letting him pull away, until Franar met his gaze. He gave a cowed nod, and Callum let him pull his wrist away. Franar rushed through the door, bumping into someone moving the opposite direction as he did.

Brynna slid into the chair beside Callum, as she blew on her own mug of steaming tea. "What was his rush?"

"I think he saw something that scared him," Callum replied, continuing to stare out at their awakening surroundings. "Maybe he saw a predator in the woods. The bears should all be out of hibernation, and the wolves will be heading north."

Brynna sipped her tea, and took in the woods. The boughs of the trees bent under the weight of the snow, that was ever so slowly melting in the light of the rising sun. "I don't see anything, and I doubt any wild animals would come near this many people."

"You'd be surprised, they often hide in plain sight." Callum swung his legs off the table and stood, gesturing with his now empty mug. "I'm going inside, you want anything?"

"No, I'm good, I'll be there in a little while." Brynna tucked her legs underneath her, and huddled down in her chair sipping from her mug.

Callum shrugged, and pushed through the door into the hall. It was dimmer inside, the smoke from the coals curling up to set among the rafters. At the end of the hall the Jarl sat in his chair, a quill in one hand, the other holding a scroll spread out on the table. He glanced up as Callum walked up, and leaned against a nearby pillar to observe what was happening. Fanril focused his gaze back on the parchment, and scribbled out a few lines of symbols before signing with a flourish. He set his quill aside, and rolled up the paper and slid it into a hard leather tube.

Fanril twisted his fingers into intricate signs, signaling Callum, who nodded and addressed the herald. "Jarl Redmane gives you this message to deliver to your liege. He also gives you a warning. If for any reason this message should not be delivered to Reeve Fareye, or delivered to another first, you shall be held solely responsible, and you should not desire to receive the Jarl's ire."

Franar gave a stiff bow, holding out his hands to receive the message. "I assure you the message will reach the Reeve's hands and only the Reeve's hands."