The Raven Society

Chapter VI

Raven was making her way to the Golden Goblet the next evening after a long night of unrest. She was walking a brisk pace, the sun just setting at her back, when a scream pulled her out of her train of thought. She whirled, searching for the source. It was then she noticed the growing throng of people crowded and jumbled together in the main plaza. It was like an angry mob.

Raven pulled her hood tighter around her face and pushed through the throng of tightly packed people to the front. On the street was an older woman, clutching an apple, blood flowing from a gash on her cheek. Standing over her was one of the palace guards, the baton he held wet with her blood. Raven felt sick. The poor woman was probably just trying to feed her family. How much could a single apple cost the vendor?

Raven was about to turn away feeling sick in her stomach when a child ran into the square. His legs were so very small and boney that they looked like they were snap carrying just his weight. Tears streaked his dirty face, and he fell beside his mother, arms flung out, protecting her.

Raven couldn't tear her eyes away. She wanted to help so badly. But if the guard saw she was mercato he would beat her half to death. It was then that Raven noticed a familiar scar on the boy's arm. The people around them started to scream 'Mercato! Mercato!' The chant sounded deep inside Raven. She thought that she was going to be sick.

Raven watched painfully as the guard raised the baton in the air, ready to strike. She closed her eyes, preparing herself for the sickening crunch of bone that was soon the follow. The scream of pain from his mother. The blood that would soon run in the cracks in the cobblestones.

But nothing came. Quite the opposite, actually. Raven did hear screams, but not a single one from the mother. In fact, they came from all around her, and she was almost trampled by the people as they ran, running to get away from the scene. But why were they running?

Slowly, Raven turned and opened her eyes. Before her stood the guard, frozen in time, baton mid-swing, and the boy kneeling, shaking on the ground, hands held out in front of him. The mother was sobbing, out of fear, shock, joy, Raven couldn't tell. Raven stood slowly from her crouched position and drew a dagger, approaching the boy and the frozen guard with caution. All time seemed to have stopped as she approached. Not a single sound pierced the air. Raven felt devoid of all emotion as she, as silent as death, stood behind the guard, and slid the dagger across his throat.

The guard made no sound as the life left him.The small boy looked up in surprise as his body fell unceremoniously to the ground, lifeless and cold. For a brief moment, his blue eyes locked with hers, and glanced at the scar at her cheek. There were so many unspoken words in that one look as Raven stood there, dagger dripping with blood. The boy broke the stare and turned his attention to his sobbing mother. He scrambled to his feet, and tugged at his mother until they limped away back into the shadows.

Raven glanced again at the dagger, and then to the body. Blood poured from the wound. She wasn't wrong about the blood running through the cracks in the cobblestones, however she didn't think it would be his blood to do so. The square, once filled with people, now stood completely empty with the exception of her. Absently, she knelt down, and wiped her dagger with the guard's cloak. Once it was clean, Raven stood, sheathed the weapon, and walked back into town.