Sophie twirled the necklace between her fingers. It was a final gift from her mother, the only thing she had left of her. Her mother who she didn't know, and most certainly couldn't remember. Sophie always felt anger bubble inside her like a volcano whenever she thought of her. It wasn't completely her mother's fault, though.
Grady and Edaline had adopted her when an Emmisary found her in the Forbidden Cities barely a week old. She shuddered at the thought of the cities. There were stories of other elves that had been poisoned by the foul air, and rumors of elves killed by humans.
Her mother had died in the Forbidden Cities. No one knew by what or why. No one ever found her body, because no one even knew she existed until they found Sophie. No one knew how she had even gotten there.
Going to the Forbidden Cities was completely, absolutely forbidden to go there except for one exception. The only way to go was to have the Council grant you a crystal to take you you went without the Council's approval, the sentence was worse than death.
Sophie had witnessed the tribunal of a someone who went. That elf was never seen again.
Everyone assured her that her mother wasn't dead, but she knew better. She had overheard conversations between adults discussing the topic. Whenever Sophie thought of her mother, she didn't think of death, she thought of her necklace,
It was gorgeous. There was a huge pendant in the middle studded with diamonds and rubies. It looked as if it could open but Sophie had tried many times without success. The chain consisted of silver roses so small they looked like the links. She could still perfectly remember the day she got it.
"Sophie, wake up. Time for breakfast!"
"Coming!" Sophie gleefully shouted, lifting her head from the soft pillows. She was counting down until she was old enough to attend Foxfire. Just 6 more years. She heard an incessant tapping on her window.
"What-"
Outside the window was a crow. They didn't belong here. Found only in the Forbidden Cities. Edaline came to her door.
"What's taking so long Sweeti-" Edaline gasped. "I haven't seen those since we went to the Sanctuary. What is it holding?"
Sophie hadn't even noticed the small package tied to its right leg. It was most certainly not from the Sanctuary. Grady and Edaline had taken her to the Sanctuary and those crows were pitch black, glossy, and perfectly preened.
This crow however had a feathers so crusted with dust an dirt it looked as though it were grey and brown. Its beak looked sickly yellow and had gnarled claws. The feathers were ruffled and scruffed. The poor bird looked like it had been traveling for years and miles.
The package looked simple. Wrapped in perfectly simple paper, tied with perfectly simple twine, and attached to a perfectly simple crow, perched on a perfectly simple windowsill.
Little did Sophie know that her life would be as far from perfect and simple as possible.