On the Wing

Alexiel was ready to go home. She was beyond tired as the day proceeded to drag on. Time seemed to crawl by, as she tended to her work and dealt with her customers and coworkers. All she wanted to do was leave. . .

It wasn't that she didn't love her job, because she did. But the imbeciles seemed to be coming out of the woodwork, and the minutes were sticking together. Every second felt like twenty, and she found herself counting them all. Sadly it was days like this, that the woman questioned humanity as a whole. Surely if this was all that the world had to offer, then her species was doomed.

No, she chided herself, as the day finally wound down. I shouldn't be so cynical and dark. . . I just need to go home and recharge. . . Have some wine and draw something for myself for a change. The more she thought about it, the better her plans sounded. Oh, yes, just what the doctor ordered.

Finally after another hour, Alexiel was free. She shouldered her purse and gathered her things as fast as humanly possible, before she proceeded to make her way out of the building. It would've been horrid luck if she was caught on her way out and forced to stay longer. So she did her best to remain unnoticed as she retreated. She dashed as fast as she could without running, and felt her lips twist into a smile as she got her first glimpse of the sky. It was far later than she would have liked, but her schedule had been insane that week. Every day she'd come out of work long after the sun had set, and tonight was no exception. The stars weren't visible yet, but they were well on their way.

Alexiel slowed her pace as she spotted her car. As soon as she got in and drove away, her weekend would officially start and she'd be able to relax. She would be free and not a moment too soon! Pajamas, boysenberry wine, and a date with her tablet. The list of what awaited her became a mantra in her head, as she fished her keys out of her pants pocket. At the thought of drawing, the woman felt a calmness begin to envelop her. Art, creation, relaxation: could anything be better?

Alexiel heard her own footsteps echo against the pavement as she cut through the line of cars that were still in the lot. She often parked a little ways off from the main building so she could get in a little bit of exercise. She believed in being as healthy as possible, in the areas she could manage.

Several more steps. . . Just as she was about to reach her car, something odd caught her eye. It was a flash of pure black in her peripheral, that made her stop mid-stride and double take. There on the ground in a tangled mass of midnight feathers, was the most magnificent bird. A crow.

It looked up at her with intelligent eyes and held perfectly still. Perhaps it was gauging her to see if she was a threat. Or perhaps it was too stunned to move. Either way, the woman mimicked its action. She stopped and became motionless, regarding the creature with warm, concerned eyes. She'd always loved crows, and this was by far the sleekest specimen she'd ever seen.

"Hello there," she greeted softly, making sure not to make any sudden movements as she slowly knelt down beside the bird. "What happened to you, sir? You're completely disheveled."

The crow eyed her as she addressed him, but still remained as still as a statue. Alexiel looked closer and saw that its wings were tucked under its body at uncomfortable angles. She couldn't see any external injuries, but her heart immediately went out to him. Poor fellow had probably crashed into a windshield and been stunned. It was a miracle he hadn't been run over by a car while he was grounded.

"You don't look very comfy, mister. How 'bout I help you? Can't just leave you here. . . You'll get crushed by a car if I do." Alexiel knew the crow couldn't reply, but it didn't stop her from talking to him. Animal's were far smarter than most people gave them credit for, and the respect she used for the crow came naturally. She'd always loved animals and birds, and she'd be damned if she let him sit there in pain or confusion.

Slowly, Alexiel lifted her hands and reached out to the crow. His feathers were as soft as they looked, fluffy and silken against her fingers and palm. She had anticipated him perhaps pecking at her, or in the very least being a bit startled. But the crow allowed her to lift it gently into her arms without a fuss, and visibly relaxed as she held him.

"Well aren't you a cuddle bug," Alexiel laughed to herself, shocked by the crow's willingness to be held. "Guess you don't see me as a threat then. That's a step in the right direction."

She once more began to walk to her car, going over her options in her head. She could try to take him to a vet, but it was late enough where she wasn't sure she could find somewhere that was open. And she sure as hell wasn't going to leave him to fend for himself. . . Then, she came to a decision.

As she gently laid the crow on her passenger seat, and wrapped him up in her jacket, she smiled. "There. Just sit tight. I'll take you to the vet tomorrow. Tonight you'll be my guest."

The crow stared at her for a long moment, before it dipped it's head, as if agreeing.

"Good! It's all settled then."

As she started her car and drove as slowly as the law would allow, so as to not disturb her guest, Alexiel felt a bloom of happiness spread through her chest. Apparently, it wouldn't be a quiet weekend after all. . .

Alexiel hummed quietly as she finished washing the crow in her tub. To her lasting surprise, he'd actually enjoyed his bath. He hadn't made a sound since she'd found him, but he'd seemed almost happy when she'd shampooed and rinsed him off. Now as she gingerly fluffed him dry with a huge towel, her humming turned into an actual song, though she didn't think twice about the words she was singing. She often sang late into the night when she was by herself, and with only the crow for company she felt quite at ease.

She picked up the newly dried crow, and loosely wrapped him in a blanket, before carrying him into her art-studio. Before his bath, she'd set up a place for him. She'd rigged a pillow in an alcove next to her art station, and now set him down upon it. Once she had tucked the blanket around him, she addressed him again, unknowingly raising her eyebrow as she spoke.

"So we've got you all clean and warm. There's water right there next to the pillow, anddd-" She cut off as she placed several small nuts and pieces of fruit in front of him. "And dinner if you're hungry. When it's bedtime I have a special box next to the window for you, so you'll have fresh air. . . Yeah, I don't think I forgot anything..."

When the crow proceeded to burrow deeper into the blanket, Alexiel grinned at him. Then she took her leave to go and grab her long awaited glass of wine. When she returned, she promptly sat down at her art station and began to sketch. For several minutes she merely warmed up, drawing whatever came to mind. She shuddered at her botched sketches before she continued to draw another. When the lines continued to fight her she snorted.

"Ughh, look at this piece of crap!" She laughed before lifting it to show to her guest. "Think it can be saved, mister?"

The crow looked at the sketch before cawing softly, making her smile widely. "Oh, so you found your voice. Good, you must be feeling a bit better. And I know, I know, this is horrible. But not to worry, I'm going to start over and make it better."

And she did, this time opting to draw a lovely lady in a victorian ball gown. As she finished the sketch (with the crow's approval) she continued to do deeper lines and finally began coloring and shading. Each step of the drawing, she took the time to ask the crow his opinion on her work. He'd either remain silent or caw at her, and she took it to mean a respective yes or no.

Finally as it grew late, Alexiel started to sing again, enjoying her art and the music she sang along with. Now as she colored and shared each step with the Crow, she found herself serenading him with a set playlist of songs. Though she chose one song in particular.

"Blackbird singing in the dead of night~ Take these broken wings and learn to fly~" She winked at him before continuing to the next phrase. "All your life, you were only waiting for this moment to arise~"

A Beatles song, how fitting! She chortled softly as she finished, and was met by a long stare from her guest. "Oh c'mon! It couldn't have been that bad! Was it?"

The crow was still for a time, before it leaned out of the blanket and gently nudged her hand with its beak. Apparently he was trying to assure her that he'd enjoyed the singing, in his own simple way. Alexiel let her fingers caress the top of his soft head, before she glanced at the clock. It was well after midnight and she was beat.

"Well it's bedtime, Sir Crow. You ready?"

When he cawed, she lifted him up and carried him into her bedroom. Once she'd settled him in the makeshift box-bed beneath her open window, she changed into her pjs and turned out the lights. As she settled deep into her pillows, she called out half-asleep, "Goodnight, mister. Sleep tight, and don't let the bedbugs bite."

It was almost 11 am when Alexiel awoke the next morning. She stretched and moaned as she rolled over, before her memory of the night before returned.

"Good morning, Sir Crow. Did you sleep-" she cut off as she was met with an empty box.

Alexiel's eyes scanned about the room as she momentarily panicked, before she remembered she'd closed her bedroom door before falling asleep. The only place her guest could have gone was out the window. Alexiel rose and looked out into the late morning. There was no sign of her crow. The only proof that remained was a single black feather that she found lying atop the blanket he'd burrowed in.

A sense of bittersweetness washed over the woman as she picked up the feather. She would put it in a place of honor in her art studio to remember her friend. And everytime she looked at it, she'd think of him and smile. Alexiel would miss her beautiful Sir Crow, though she wished him the best no matter where he was.

After taking a quick shower, brushing her teeth, and getting dressed for the day, Alexiel left her bedroom and slowly made her way down the hallway to her kitchen. She smiled thoughtfully as she began to hum Blackbird to herself... Though she nearly fell over from fright when a deeper voice from within the kitchen began to hum along with her. . .

Alexiel barely had time to comprehend what was happening, as she rounded the corner. There standing in the center of the kitchen, was a strange man that she had never seen before. He was quite tall and lithe, dressed impeccably in a suit of the finest materials, and with hair that any woman would be jealous of. His mouth was turned up into a closed lipped smile, while his eyes, the shade of a well aged wine, shone with amusement, as he regarded the stunned woman before him. Before Alexiel could react, he dipped into a low bow, his gloved hand going to rest upon his chest as he did so.

"Ah, good morning, Miss Alexiel. I trust that you slept well? You went to bed quite late last night. . . I hope I did not wake you?"

Alexiel fought to speak, but nothing came out. She was too shocked to say much of anything, let alone use coherent words. There was a stranger in her house! Though how he'd gotten in was a mystery. She knew she'd had the deadbolt on, and she would have woken up if he'd climbed through her open window. How had he broken in without her hearing him!? . . . As she tried to think of what to do, the man in question seemed to read her mind. His smile became softer as he rose from his low bow.

"Please, milady, you needn't be afraid. I have no intention of harming you. I did not break into your fine home, if that is your line of thought, nor did I have any mischief on the mind." He paused before adding, "If milady will recall, it was she herself that invited me to make myself at home before she fell asleep last night."

Alexiel blinked slowly, while her eyebrow arched. "We've never met. So I'm pretty sure I didn't invite you into my home..."

His lips finally parted, showing perfect white teeth. "Oh, but we have met, milady. You were the proper hostess, pampering and feeding me, asking for my opinions on your work… And wishing me a good night after tucking me into that sweet little bed you put together."

Alexiel felt her mouth go dry. He was perfectly explaining what she'd done with the Crow last night. . . But surely that was nonsense. He must have been watching her or something…

"Look, I don't know how you got in here, or why you decided to break into my house, but I want you to leave-"

The man effectively cut her off with a look. . . a look that changed from wine red to a bright glowing magenta. He continued to smile, before silently holding his hand out to her. Alexiel glanced down, and before her eyes, a midnight black feather transformed from pure shadows in the palm of his hand. As he proffered the feather to her, Alexiel's heart skipped a beat.

"The crow. . . that was you?"

The man chuckled softly, as his eyes returned to their normal wine red. "Milady finally understands."

Alexiel felt the plushness of the feather against her skin. It was real, and he'd made it.. . She felt more than a little crazy, as she stared at the man who was also a crow. . . Though perhaps it wasn't so insane after all. The world was chuck full of wonders and the unexplainable. It actually made sense that she'd run into something otherworldly at least once in her life. . .

"I think I need to sit down," Alexiel said, laughing somewhat breathily.

"Milady?" The man seemed concerned, his brow drawing into a line.

"I'm fine, and I believe you. . . It's just a lot to take in."

The man nodded his understanding. "Then by all means rest. I was just preparing some tea for milady's pleasure. If you care to wait in the drawing room, I shall bring it presently."

"Sure. That would be nice."

He moved back to where he had been brewing tea in her Pewter Teapot, his attention solely on his task again. While Alexiel turned and walked into the living room that was adjacent to the kitchen, and slumped down onto the couch. For a moment she merely thought back on all the events from the previous night, cataloguing them. Now looking back, she was relieved that she never baby talked animals, otherwise she'd have been even more embarrassed facing her guest.

After a minute more, the man entered the living room, with a single tea cup and saucer in hand. As he gave her the tea he said, "Milady had many different kinds of tea in her pantry. I hope she does not mind that I took the liberty of making a choice on her behalf."

"Not at all." Alexiel said just before she took her first sip. As the familiar taste wafted through her mouth, she smiled. "Green tea and pomegranate. . . You brewed my favorite. Thank you, Sir Crow."

His mouth quirked at the title she gave him, but he didn't comment on it. Instead he bowed again. "I assure milady, the pleasure is all mine."

Alexiel gestured for him to take the seat beside her on the couch, and after a breath he obliged. Once he was seated and Alexiel had taken another sip of her tea, the crow spoke.

"I must confess, Milady Alexiel has a sublime voice. May I ask what song you sang last night? The one pertaining to the blackbird?"

Alexiel coughed for a moment, choking on tea and her embarrassment before she replied. "It's called Blackbird, it's by the Beatles… Look I'm sorry I sang your ear off last night. . . If I'd known I wouldn't have bothered you."

"Please Miss, there is no need for apologies. I quite enjoyed it." He granted her another smile, making her blush despite herself. "It is not often that a beautiful lady serenades me, while waiting on my every need. It was an experience I shan't soon forget."

"That makes two of us," Alexiel snorted. "It's not everyday you save a crow in a parking lot and then find out he's actually a man."

"I had hoped to break that news to you gently, but you awoke before I had anticipated." He shrugged, lifting a playful eyebrow. "I hope it wasn't a bad experience for milady?"

Alexiel's blush grew deeper but she played it off. "Nah, I had fun last night. I'm glad you didn't fly off without saying goodbye. . . Though I am at a loss of why you waited for me to wake up. You must have something you wanted to say to me. Otherwise you would have just left and kept your secret intact."

He seemed amused, cocking his head to the side. "Hmm. As insightful as you are beautiful."

"Uhhh, I wouldn't go that far-" Alexiel shook her head, beyond flustered. "It's just being able to change from crow to man seems like a huge secret. . . I guess I'm wondering why you let me in on it?"

"You seem capable of keeping it safe, so I did not see a need to hide." He watched her, as if able to see into her very soul. She fought not to squirm in her seat, instead opting to take another sip of her tea. "Besides," he continued, "I had a matter of business to discuss with milady, which made it impossible to leave."

"What do you mean by business, Sir Crow?"

"Milady aided me when I was out of sorts. A debt is owed and I always settle such matters promptly."

"You don't owe me anything. I was glad to help." Alexiel stopped when the Crow reached out to take her free hand into his own. He met her gaze unblinkingly and with purpose.

"I will not hear otherwise, my dear. I shall owe you a debt until the day you choose to claim it. But you needn't make your request now. I know that a woman of your intellectual stature will obviously need time to consider all her options. There is no timelimit." The Crow's wine colored eyes danced as he continued. "Whenever milady should decide what she would like, no matter how outlandish or impossible, merely say my name with your request in mind and I shall come."

"But you never gave me your name. I've just been calling you Mister and Sir." Alexiel said with a bashful smile.

"It's just as well. I am currently in between names. . . But 'Sir Crow' should work as well for our purposes as any other title would." The crow winked at her, making her eyes go wide.

"Well, I don't think I'll ever need to ask you for anything, but I appreciate it." Alexiel squeezed his hand gratefully. "You really made my weekend, you know. I'm glad that I got to meet you, and that you're alright."

"Only due to milady's gentle administrations." He returned cordially, then moved closer to her on the couch. Before Alexiel could think of saying a word, he had leaned forward to brush his lips against hers. His lips were as soft as his feathers had been, and he ended up lingering as he kissed her. As he finally pulled away he flashed her an amused smirk.

"W-What was that for?" Alexiel asked.

"A promise to return when you call… and a sign of gratitude for your sweetness," he divulged, before brushing his gloved finger against her cheek. "Farewell, Miss Alexiel, until we meet again."

Then, in a cloud of dark feathers and shadows, the Crow disappeared, leaving a stunned Alexiel in his wake. For some time she sat in shock, as she tried to process what had happened, before she erupted into deep giggles.

"Well Damn!" She sniggered as she picked up one of the many feathers that now littered her living room. As she turned over the midnight black feather in her hand, she couldn't help but smile. It had been the weirdest 24 hours of her life, but Alexiel was far from complaining.

Take care of yourself, Sir Crow, Alexiel thought as she resumed drinking her now cold tea. Until we meet again.