A Raven's Tale

5. HUSH

Daylight momentarily disorientated me. That moment gave my captor the advantage, and her hands closed around my wings. 

Still, I screeched and tried to gouge her, but she deftly avoided my beak this time. I'd injured her at some point, however, as I saw a dark liquid; blood, trickling down over her hand.

My head swivelled side to side as she carried me into the hut under which I had been hiding. All the while she kept making a strange sound - "Hush, hush,"- and tentatively rubbing her finger over my crown.

Dutifully, I kept trying to jab her finger but she was growing wise to me.  She plucked open a small door of a cage and placed me inside. Before I could escape she closed and secured the door. 

I started flapping and screeching, protesting, but she continued with her 'hush-hush' and drew a finger to her lips.

Another human approached the doorway. This one was big, strong, with a hairy face - male, I deduced. "Waw ye gonna do wif it?"

I recognised the voice from earlier. 

I stilled and glanced back at the female; her face had developed an odd glow, a little pinker compared to a few moments before. Her eyes were brighter too. 

"I wanta mek shur es nuh hurt." Her voice had raised a notch with a slight tremor. She seemed to have difficulty maintaining eye contact with him. I wondered if this big male frightened her somehow.

As he closed the distance between them, I sensed it was something entirely different which made her react so in his presence. Her skin flushed more and a tiny smile played upon her lips.

When he reached her side he grabbed her hand inspecting where I'd broken her skin. His brow knotted and he glared at me. "Black devil!" he grunted. 

I cawed a response - it had been self-defence.

He shook his head, but a smirk played on his mouth as he looked back at the female. "Yoo shudha been a stable hand, instead ov a soldja." 

His eyes lingered on her for a moment, then abruptly he released her hand. As he passed me, he knocked on the cage, causing me to screech and flap again. "Alarii, clean yur hand 'forit gets infected."

The female nodded and uttered some sound I could not even try to formulate. I watched her eyes follow the male's retreating back as he left the hut. 

She sighed and started quietly mumbling something while she moved over to a bowl of water and washed her hands.

This gave me a moment or two to come to terms with the fact I was able to form most the sounds these humanoids made. It was as if some hidden store of knowledge opened a little further with each exchange. I did not fully understand them of course, but the sounds seemed clearer, more concise.

My attention was once again drawn to the female. Her voice had softened slightly and by all accounts, she seemed to be talking to me. 

As she walked back over to the cage, I took note of her appearance. 

Pale irises glowed silver and her eyes were beautifully shaped, tapering at the edges, enhanced by long lashes. Her face was petite and utterly striking. 

I found myself somewhat enraptured, there was a mysticism about her. 

My eyes flitted to her mouth as she spoke, and I caught sight of small fangs. Not threatening like that of the green drake, but sharp nonetheless. Her ears were long and tapered, poking out from brown, silken hair which she wore loose, draped over her shoulders. 

Somewhere, from deep within my veiled conscience, I recognised she was a Night Elf. 

Her voice was a lullaby, and before long, I succumbed to a tranquillity induced by her dulcet tones.