A Raven's Tale

13. VERNON HALE

The wooden planks started to vibrate, my body bouncing slightly along with whatever had me pinned. 

I continued cawing, and finally, my wings spread, enabling me to find a little leverage. With tremendous effort, I started to flap, and my chest rose a fraction from the quay. The movement caused my attacker to grip the back of my neck even tighter. Sweet Elune, it hurt!

A huge shadow loomed over me, and suddenly the pressure on my back and neck was released. With my attacker gone, my body was instantly buoyant. I was airborne. 

My eyes levelled with a burly man and in his hand, he held a charcoal coloured feline by the scruff of the neck. The cat hissed and swiped at me in mid-air. Instinctively I beat my wings more frantically, trying to ward off the offensive creature. 

My flapping caused the man to raise his hands to shield his eyes. In so doing, he dropped the cat - over the side of the quay into the water.

A spine-chilling yowl came from the feline and with ears flat against the back of its head, it panicked,  pawing maniacally at the water. 

Hilary screamed even louder. 

Shawn yelled, "Effcee overboard!" 

The man, all brawn and extremely flustered at dropping the cat in the lake, jumped down into the water to rescue the beast. 

Meanwhile, I remained airborne, watching all with keen interest.  I confess to a little smugness knowing my attacker had ended up - literally - in deeper water than I'd been when it pounced on me. 

"Hurry mister Hale, Effcee is drowning!" Shawn shouted over the edge of the quay.

"Hardly drowning lad," the man's voice answered back. "Her feet are touching the lake bed." 

At that, Hilary yelled even louder. 

Mister Hale shook his head then reached out and snatched the cat out of the water. The thankless creature clawed at his face and neck before wriggling free, jumping out of his hands and landing on the grassy ledge. It quickly shook itself, head first, rippling down to its tail before sloping off, shaking a different foot with every step.

"Can you get Hilary's necklace while your down there Mister Hale, please?"

"What?" the man said, rubbing his face and neck. I noted the cat's scratches, red, weeping.

"Her necklace - it fell under the dock. You can see it; it's shiny."

"Honestly! You kids!" Mister Hale said, exasperated, then headed back under the dock.

Checking the cat was no longer anywhere to be seen, I landed back on one of the supports and proceeded to preen my plumage. The effort, however, caused me some discomfort, and I flinched. My neck felt oddly damp, and I could smell something - coppery. 

Mister Hale came up out of the water, causing huge ripples and swells as he approached the banking. He strode up onto the quay, water dripping from his clothing, creating damp stains across the planks as he neared. 

He held out his hand, from which dangled the precious necklace. "Here, lass. Now I strongly suggest you don't wear it when you're playing."

The girl's eyes widened, and she smiled from ear to ear. "Oh thank you, Mister Hale."

The man nodded. "Right then, off you scarper, the two of you, you're scaring the fish, and I've got a living to make. And feed that damn cat, why don't you?"

Hilary clapped a hand over her mouth and mumbled. "Why Mister Hale! You shouldn't say that word in front of children."

Mister Hale stared in disbelief. He put his fists on his hips and glared at the two children. "I'll be saying a lot worse to your parents if you don't run along!"

At that, both Hilary and Shawn took off along the quay and disappeared up the hill behind the inn. 

Mister Hale stood watching them, chuckling to himself. Then he turned to me, the smile instantly vanishing from his broad face. "As for you," he said, reaching out and grabbing me before I had a chance to react. 

I cawed, irritated. I was snared - yet again. 

"You almost ended up as the cat's dinner. I'll check you over, make sure you're not seriously hurt, then I expect you to be on your way."

Feet squelching in his sodden boots, he strode towards a shack at the lake's edge. 

Outside an array of fishing rods were perched against the side of the small building. I was striving to remember what they were called when he turned and flung the door to the shack open. 

A table sat hard up against the wall on the left. It was strewn with odd multi-coloured lures, hooks and reels. Underneath containers were piled, haphazard. They looked like traps. 

When he pulled one of them out and placed it on the table, I just knew I was in for another spell of imprisonment. He shoved me inside and closed it firmly, winding a bit twine around a bauble on the front of the contraption.

He reached under the table again, and this time produced a silver-blue fish. He slapped it down on the table beside me; scales and droplets of water were splattering over my newly cleaned feathers as a result. 

"No doubt you'll be hungry once I check you over," he said, looking at me from under his bushy eyebrows. 

He removed a blade from his belt and shoved it into the belly of the fish. With a quick yank, he slit it open, head to tail. Dark purple and blueish innards spilt onto the table's surface which he duly scraped off into a bucket on the floor.

His mouth twitched, and he gave me a sideways smirk. "I'll soon have you fed and on your way raven. Just want to make sure that mental moggy hasn't injured you too badly. She's got quite a bite on her, not to mention her ruddy claws." He rubbed his face and neck again, smearing some fish scales on his skin.

He smiled. "Name's Vernon Hale by the way," he said, waving the blade in front of himself. "Your local fishing supplier and luckily for you, keen bird-watcher."

I relaxed. I preferred these humanoids to creatures with fur or toughened serpentine hide. The humans didn't try to kill me and the bonus was they fed me! 

I was so ready for this fish.