Beneath broken stone and warped metal, a solitary raven panics as it senses imminent danger. It escapes certain death mere seconds before the structure finally crashes to the ground. On soaring above the devastation, the bird spies a wet-eyed woman...
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The sound of beating wings suddenly made us look skyward.
To my astonishment, another raven arrived and landed a short distance from where we sat. She was young and glossy, and by the looks of it hungry too.
I croaked at her, inviting her to join us. Her head bobbed up and down and to the side as she eyed Vernon warily. She was right to be cautious at least, but I thought I would offer her some food. There was, after all, plenty and I knew what it was to be hungry.
I tore off a piece of fish and skipped over to give it to her. I laid it down nearby, then hopped back to Vernon's side. She stepped towards the offering, then stabbed at it a couple of times before she scooped it up and swallowed it down. She cawed her gratitude. I delivered another piece for her. Again, she accepted. I felt proud for sharing my meal with a fellow raven and shook out my feathers.
Vernon's laugh startled me a little, and I eyed him questioningly. "Seems I won't be the only one getting his pleasure this evening." He raised his eyebrows at me then nodded over to the female bird.
A few moments passed. Then the penny dropped like a Gnomergan bomb. Sweet Elune! He couldn't possibly mean that I would...No! I couldn't! My avian instincts started to scream 'why?' Why? Well, the prospect was just...wrong!
Something else was prodding my conscience, but I knew not what, or why or how. Regardless, mating with this glossy lady raven was a definite no!
I turned my head towards the female and saw her looking back at me, expectant. Her eyes shifted to the fish, and she emitted a caw. I stayed put.
Vernon's big hand nudged me. "Go on boy, you started flirting with her, may as well go the whole hog now, she seems keen." His cheeks flushed from laughter.
Started flirting? I most certainly did not! I merely offered her -. I could feel my contours prickle as it dawned on me. I had inadvertently began a mating ritual. I shook my head, agitated, crestfallen. Why did I not think before I acted!
I flew onto Vernon's shoulder. That just made him laugh louder. "Why, boy! You shy now?" I huddled closer to his head, feeling both ashamed and decidedly nervous that I had misled the raven.
I peeked out from behind his jaw to see her cocking her head in my direction. She cawed again and hopped closer. I inched back on Vernon's broad shoulder, hoping somehow to become invisible.
The realisation of my desperate situation and pathetic attempt to hide was exacerbated further as a second female raven landed; directly on the spot which I'd just vacated when trying to seek refuge. That one too looked at me hopefully.
"Seems the Lakeshire Ladies are not just those of the human persuasion," the fishing supplier voiced, chuckling.
The two females started cawing - quite persistent. Their rather amorous insistence had me starting to feel uncomfortable and hot. I had two options, dive into the lake to get cool, or pant.
