The Regal Rogue

5. Blackbirds

I was running. The never ending trail through Dark Hedges. Fog as thick as smoke surrounding me and every turn I took looked identical to the previous.
The light toned fog turned dark and I looked up to see a swarm of blackbirds.

There was an army of birds heading down upon me. The constant caw numbing my ears. I felt nothing but cold.
I felt no hope, no emotion. Like I was a living, breathing shell of myself, but I had no point. My sight was blacked out by the birds and I seemed to welcome whatever oncoming doom awaited for me.

I half awoke as I felt Fey nudging me under the hammock. I sat up; it was only a dream.
A blackbird appeared from no where.
It cried a fight of caws, but strangely there was a faint voice through it. I almost thought I was crazy until I remembered Serenity told me of Callum.

He seemed distressed.
"What is it?" I asked urgently.

"Serenity........danger....danger." was all I could make out, but it was all I needed.

I called to Fey. She looked at me with a knowing look.

I rolled of the hammock and she followed me down the ladder and out the knob hole.

I climbed on her back and we rode trailing after Callum overhead.

Fey was swift, but it still seemed a far distance wherever we were going.
Callum was lost in a nearby tree and Fey hide me behind a dry, grey bush.

I could hear the grunts and exasperated breaths of Serenity.
I looked over and saw her. She looked so small compared to the fearsome creature before her.
It was really quite hideous. It had the body of a giant lion with goat horns and snaggle teeth and stood on its hind legs.

Not even thinking I tried to run to her to help, but my forgotten hip pain flared and I fell back.

The creature stopped a second as if to listen, but turned it's focus back to Serenity.

As it did, Serenity used the distraction as an opportunity. She struck one of its legs and hit the final blow as it fell to the ground.

With the creature a dead and lifeless mound she fell on her knees and laid her face down on the ground.

What was wrong? Didn't she just save herself?

I used Fey to steady myself to get over to Serenity.

I silently sat next to her.
I could see she was crying, but made no sound.
I hesitantly put my hand on her shoulder. She spun around and knocked me to my back.

Seeing it was me, she only cried more with an angry expression, but then gave me a barely visible smile.

"You said you were going to get herbs." I pointed out to her.
"That wasn't a lie. I was. I just ran into some trouble that's all. And you shouldn't have even been here." she got a little cross.

"Please let's not fight. By the way, what is this 'trouble' called?" I tried to sound light.

"It's a Dowlbeast. They're not really common. I was a bit surprised to see it myself."
Serenity explained.

"Well. I'm glad your all right now. And since I'm here I can help you." I offered.

"You'd really only slow me down." She said bluntly with a shrug. "But no point in a quarrel. Let's go. Oh and I hope you don't mind. But I've been relieving the castle of a few minor goods lately in this early frost season."

"No. No. It's fine. We didn't miss it anyway. But I'm happy the way it works out." I say, laying my hand on Fey to steady myself.

"Ugh. You should've stayed at the camp." She groaned, jumping on Fey's back and helping me up.

We seemed to stroll and I told Serenity of all the castle drama and she told me what she could remember of her brother.

We finally came upon the castle wall and Fey stopped. We sat there for a bit and I was dumbfounded.
"So what did you have planned?" I lean forward to whisper in Serenity's ear.

"Just wait." She told me and climbed off of Fey.
I did as I was told, but focused on every confusing action Serenity made.

She went up to the jagged cobblestone wall and knocked on it and listened.

All I could hear was the numbing silence and the faint rustle of leaves in the soft breeze.

Then to my astonishment, she ripped away the foliage from it and pulled out the biggest stone.
It was perfect for her to crawl through and she did.

To think, all this time she had been surviving on what she needed from the castle and it had gone unnoticed.

I slid off of Fey's back and followed Serenity.

I found myself in the Treasury chamber where we also kept our stored food. I half expected to see Serenity overlooking the wealth, but she was carefully examining the food at the far end of the cellar.

"You've done this many times and it never once occurred to you that there's riches in here." I harshly whispered, again in surprise.

"What have I need of riches in the woods?" Serenity asked, quite seriously as if I were the dumb one.
I did feel a little sheepish after that.

Serenity picked things here and there, when suddenly she stopped and her head jolted straight up.

She dropped the items into her bag and pulled it over my shoulder.
She seemed to have a slight worry in her eyes.

I was about to ask her when the cellar door slammed open.

She grabbed me and slung me behind wooden boxes near the escape.

Two guards were descending and I noticed their unfamiliar red and black stained armor.

We've never had any problems down here before. I don't see why there would be any now." One said gruffly slumping down the steps. "Aye. She may be a pretty one, but she's still a wench." The other dared to agree.

I crouched lower and watched them, taking in every word.

"It is.......rumoured that she is to have a son. It may be awhile, but gods help help Desmond if it was found not to be his own." The first began with mock-sympathy and ended with hearty laughter.
They were down the steps now and began lazily strolling around to look.

One of them was headed towards me and my breath quivered while my sped.

He put his hand on a box and Serenity had sprung on him.

"Run!" She screamed. And I did, again, as I was told. I was so frightened. I wasn't really thinking.

I scrapped through the escape and grabbed hold of Fey's fur in my distress.

I waited for Serenity, but she didn't come out.
It was late now so I crawled to the opening and peeped my head in.

It was pitch black and no sound could be heard.

They had taken her.