The Wings of the Raven

Chapter 12 - Tàladh an Dràgon

After Poppy gave us the tour Raven wandered down to a nearby river. Sitting on the bank she removed her black knee-high boots and waded into the babbling waters. The current swirled around her ankles, the cold water taking the aches away. The mud squished between her toes as she waded through the shallows.

Raven swayed to the whistling of the wind, and moved her arms in beat with the current. Sight became an option as she felt the music all around me. The earth struck the chords and the rocks hummed the baseline. A song began to bubble up around me. A song she sang every hatch day. Lost in the music around her, she began to sing,

"Bidh sgiathan na h-oidhche gad stiùireadh dhachaigh
Tro na beanntan agus na raointean
Ann an achadh bogha-bogha beinn Aingeal
Miann air mo sholas agus bruadar na sgiathan

Bidh an gaisgeach fhathast gad chumail sàbhailte
Ann an gàirdeanan gràidh agus cridhe dòchas
Faigh cobhair anns a 'chompanaidh aca
Agus gràdh anns an dìlseachd aca

Na gabh eagal mo phàiste mairidh tu
Bruad na sgiathan gus an giùlain thu fada -"

"That's pretty," a voice said from behind her.

Raven spun on her heel, using the currents to propel her forward. Her hand snaked down to her ankle retrieving her dagger from its sheath. Her dagger's tip rested under the chin of a very pale young man. Raven's hand relaxed as she realized it was Reed with Thorne right behind him.

"And here I thought you two were smart enough to know not to sneak up on someone," even to her own ears the irritation sounded forced. "What do you need, boys?"

"We're sorry to have interrupted you, Raven," Thorne said gently. "It's a beautiful song by the way." A soft growl rumbled up from her chest.

"We wanted to talk to you about what happened down in the cave," Reed added quietly.

"You'll need to be more specific, which part are you referring to?" Raven's voice sounded dull and far away, as if she were hearing it from someone else. "Several things stand out on their own. The history, the architecture, the ritual, the reactions, the secrecy. You each get one question. Go on now."

Reed furrowed his brows and his nose scrunched up in concentration. When he finally spoke Raven noticed fear and tension radiating off of him, "how did Dove know the real story and why didn't it sound like her?"

Raven let out a huge sigh before dejectedly saying, "have you tried asking Dove?"

"She won't talk about it."

"Of course not, because you all suck at communication. Boys and their feelings, siblings and their powers, friends and their secrets. Honestly, I'm tired of having to explain every dang thing to you lot."

"You good, Rae?" Thorne asked sarcastically.

"You know what, you irritating little lightning rod? I am good. I'm great," Raven let out a huff of air before she calmly continued. "I'm lying. Reed, your sister is a soul vessel, meaning she can hold a soul or many souls inside of her in order for them to speak to the living. It's incredibly painful and typically impossible. On top of that she has precognition, telepathic influence, the ability to control, create, and manipulate fire and is a very weak empath. Much of this she doesn't even know. Souls aren't the only things that can speak through her. If you recall, Dove had a run-in with some entities when we were at my house. That time it was angels, all of them. They sought to inform me that I was being an idiot. They're not supposed to interfere with mortal affairs, especially when it could change the course of history. Lousy feather brains. Thorne, you have one question, make it count."

"What was the song you were singing?" Thorne's voice wavered slightly but he held Raven's gaze without backing down. He shifted his feet and started to sweat under her intense gaze.