Many thanks to xDarklightx, HPLUVR71495, Tishica, R0ki, Failing Mentality, Dajisary Goldeye, spazzysassyangel, RooenEnnyte, and xMxRosex.
Thanks for the reviews and comments!
Eleni Crow was tired of practicing for the upcoming examinations, and very tired of the older boys' fascination with her new sword work.
In fact, if one more boy brought up how quickly she was taking to the sword, they would find themselves impaled by every blade she owned. Trying to avoid the bloodbath that would occur, she had taken to locking herself in her room after dinner. After three evenings of solitude, Eleni was questioning the harm that a little knife practice could inflict on a human body.
Recognizing the signs of frustration in his tiny charge, Lokejo knew he had to do something fast.
"It's warm again." The weather was always a safe topic. With normal people.
"Sure. Right. If you say so." Lovely and eloquent answers. Lokejo could only draw upon his vast reserves of patience.
"I was going to suggest you go fly around for a bit," he said slowly. He knew he had caught her interest. "But you're obviously not in a good mood." He had barely taken a step towards the door, when Eleni was literally upon him.
"Please! Really? You're not trying trick me are you?" She was wearing a sweet smile that had gotten her everything she ever wanted as a small child. It worked for most people, but Lokejo was immune to it by now.
"I don't know." He would tease her until she begged.
"I promise I'll behave! Really! I'll stay out of trouble. Please!" Lokejo found that a small taste of begging was always healthy for growing noble children. Taught them humility. But he wouldn't abuse his power, he loved her too much.
"All right," he consented. The squeal that followed made him cringe just a little. Should he ever become hard of hearing, he would swear that she was the cause. Eleni was looking at him with those all-too-sweet eyes again. "What now?"
"Leave," she quipped. Once again, she was blushing, a new quirk of hers.
Lokejo instantly understood. As he closed the door behind him, his head popped in for final instructions. "You'll be back before three bells. Got it?" A nod from Eleni sufficed for him. "Be safe."
The door had barely closed and Eleni cast off her human skin. The painful reformation of a skeleton was the least of her worries. Ebony black feathers covered her tiny body and an appreciative caw left her beak. Her sharp talons took care to not tear her discarded clothes on the floor. After an entire winter spent indoors, Eleni couldn't wait to fly out her window.
The window that was still securely closed.
A severely annoyed and irritated crow ruffled her feathers. She had forgotten to open the stupid window! Resigning herself to the necessary task, she shifted back into her human form. Beyond being an incredibly uncomfortable process, it left her standing completely bare in the middle of her room.
"Now, I have to get dressed all over again," she grumbled to herself.
There was no way she could open her window while naked. Anyone passing by would see a naked girl in Myles of Pirate's Swoop's private room. Still, she couldn't open the window completely, because passersby could also see her transformation. Cracking the window a little bit, Eleni hoped the shutters wouldn't be too heavy for her crow form to push through.
Suffering the transformation twice was arduous, but Eleni decided it was worth it. The thought of the wind beneath her wings was the only incentive needed to block out the pain. Her light body pushed against the opened shutters and flew out into the young night. If there was one thing she wouldn't have to worry about, it was the cackling murder that heckled her so often. At this time of night, they would have already settled down to sleep.
The first sounds that assaulted her were the sounds of a battle, but Eleni quickly ignored it. It wasn't a battle, only Perci and Herne drilling Schuylar and Devin through sword work. Without a care, she flew away from the noises, intent on avoiding the boys. She would find entertainment elsewhere tonight.
Silence filled the palace grounds. The only noises heard were the footsteps of the guards changing shifts. The night had blanketed the place in an almost smothering silence. Two circuits around the entirety of the grounds revealed nothing important or remotely interesting.
Well, Eleni mused. This is sure to be boring. Nobody's doing anything!
Defeated on her quest for something interesting, Eleni settled herself on a branch overlooking a garden. Even at night, the flowers were gorgeous, their beauty radiating in the dark. They were rare blooms, then again, Eleni had never seen many flowers besides those that grew on the Islands. Even with her limited knowledge of Tortallan flora, Eleni could tell that these were not native plants.
If I must be bored, I will be bored in a pretty place, at least. An hour of her allotted time had already passed, and nothing of interest had occurred.
Eleni was just about to fly another circuit around the palace grounds, when one of the glass doors on the ground floor were shoved open. Light flooded the gardens ahead of the doors, momentarily blinding Eleni. Then two figures ran through the open door, the second obviously chasing the first.
The first figure, a small blur to Eleni's eyes, had instantly run into the flowering shrubbery. Giggles had permeated the garden, and the laughter was infectious. The second figure was larger and did not appear happy. The stance alone, conveyed heated anger and frustration.
"Yasumaru," Eleni heard a voice called out, deep enough to be a boy's but not a man's. "This is your last warning, come out."
Now that the spots had vanished from her eyes, Eleni could see that the second figure was indeed a tall boy, probably not much older than her. With the help of the dim light filtering to the garden, she could only make out that he had dark hair and a lanky physique. What was definitely catching the light was the brooch on his tunic. Beady crow eyes focused on the green jewel, wondering how it would sparkle in the daylight.
Laughter echoed through the gardens for the second time, and the boy's hands began to glow emerald green. After a whispered incantation, the Gift-glowing body of a small boy rose from a shrubbery and remained levitated. The sweet laughter died and was replaced by whimpers. As lighted as the small boy was by the green Gift, Eleni could make out that the little toddler had dark hair too, and almond-shaped emerald tinted eyes.
With a flick of the older boy's hand, the toddler floated to the open door. Right behind the boy, the svelte youth closed the door firmly, preventing Eleni from learning more.
At least I found something new. I suppose those two boys belong to someone who came to court with the old Yamani delegation. There's sure to be more interesting moments if I return to that garden. The boy was adorable!
Laughing at the small boy's surprise at being caught, Eleni let out a caw that was meant to be a laugh. Sometimes, being a crow proved less than fun. The ability to laugh was just one of the things beyond the capabilities of crows. A caw would have to do for now, because Eleni was ready for bed.
Sorry, my hand is still wrapped up.
This chapter is a little short, because I wanted to introduce those two sometime before the second year. Any guesses on who the boys were? I promise that they are important to the future plot, and hope that you bare through this tiny bit of filler.
BTW, I'm still interested in suggestions for Eleni's knight master. I have one knight in mind, but if a better knight is brought up, I'll really consider it!
Thanks for reading!
