The Alligator Lady stumbled out of the forest with a wild grin on her lips. She did it. She'd finally gotten rid of the little brats.
With crazed laughter she started tearing at her clothes and tangling up her hair. After she had completed her tattered appearance, she moved on to destroying the carriage.
The woman spent the next half of the day burying all the remnants of the carriage and the possessions they had taken. Then she tossed herself upon the horse and took off towards the next town with a tale of robbery and narrow escape on her lips.
The ebony raven landed on a leaf laden tree branch. It's dark eyes trained on the young man and woman below him.
No one traveled this far into the forest. Not even the woodsmen. Why were they here?
A feathery, noble head was cocked to the side as he curiously watched the sleeping pair. The young woman reminded him of an angel. The way the sun's rays through the trees caught the golden tresses…it made it seem as if she really had a halo.
Making himself comfortable on the branch, the raven stayed there while they slept on, contently watching them.
A flicker of eyelashes revealed a glimpse of sky blue eyes. A soft sigh escaped pale pink lips. Adela slowly woke up and was greeted not by the familiar walls of home, but by a thousand trees.
"Oh!" Sitting up she realized the object she had been using as a pillow was her brother and the Alligator Lady was nowhere in sight. "August. August, wake up." Her small hands shook the young man, trying to wake him.
"Mmm…just a few more moments…" Was the drowsy reply she got.
She shoved him again a few more times. "No. Now."
Very, very slowly he opened his eyes, blinked a few times, then the emerald eyes widened. "Wh-"
"August, she's gone!" Panic crept into Adela's voice. "We're lost! She knew the way back and she was kidnapped! August! What are we going to do! It's going to be nightfall soon!"
"What!" Sitting up, somehow he had wound up lying on the hard ground and the groan of pain proved he was hurting for it. "Adela. Adela, calm down." He took her hands in his. "Why would someone kidnap her and leave us? Or at least you? You're young and beautiful, Adela. She wasn't kidnapped."
"They what happened to her, August? You cannot possibly-" Abruptly she stopped seeing the hard look in her brother's eye. "No! You think she left us! She may not be the kindest of people, but…how can you think that?" Pulling away from him, she stood up and was suddenly the one doing the pacing. "No. You always believe the worst of her. She is probably out there hurt!"
August watched her deny his thoughts on the matter and then get up and do what he always did when he was distressed. Pace. "I hope she is, Adela. Don't give me that fierce look. I hope instead of leaving us here she really was kidnapped. But it doesn't make sense." It was a hopeless battle with a woman who would never choose to see the worst in people if she could help it. Not that his battles with his sister were ever successful. Those big blue eyes and smiles usually got him every time.
"No, it wouldn't for someone who never gave her a chance in the first place." Finally overwhelmed, the young lady collapsed onto the ground, tears overflowing. "Oh, what are we going to do!"
Sighing softly he moved over to his sister and sat besides her, softening just a bit. He was silent for a few long moments taking the time to look around. He didn't even have a clue as to which way they had come from and what with all the twists and turns they had made the chance of making it back soon was slim. "I'm going to go look for firewood. .We won't make it anywhere before nightfall. Maybe with luck I'll find some edible berries too." He stood and she rose with him.
"I will go to."
"No. You stay here. With luck maybe you're right and she just left for a few moments. You should stay here incase she returns. But if anyone else comes you give a shout, you hear? I'll be back in moments." Adela nodded in understanding. "Good." With only a slight pause he threw his arms around his sister in a tight hug. "I'll be back soon." Turning he set off in a random direction, memorizing the way as he went.
How long could they survive in the woods alone?
The raven watched as the young woman slowly awoke like a princess. He saw the pair argue and witnessed the young lad leave. But he still didn't understand why they were there.
Spreading his wings, the bird glided down from a branch to land before the young lady. His head was tilted to the side as if in question.
She spotted him. The same dark, pretty bird she had seen while walking. Was it following them? What did it want? Should she shoo it away?
Before she had a chance to come to a decision it flew off.
The raven decided he didn't have enough courage to ask the angel why she was wandering so deep in the forest, so instead he flew off in search of the lad.
It took a little while to find the young man, but the bird eventually did. He had gone a good deal away from where he had left the young woman.
Perching himself on a low branch on the pathway the young man was taking, he let out a soft chirp before speaking. "Hello."
Every log the man picked up was too damp to even think about using for firewood. So he continued to go deeper and deeper into the woods in search of a log that was dry enough to support a fire.
August did not even notice the bird land before him on a branch, so intent on finding a log. In face he didn't even hear the bird's first word until it calmly, politely, and a little more loudly repeated itself.
The lad couldn't believe what he heard at first and his head snapped around in all directions trying to find another soul around, but was unsuccessful. Finally his eyes came to land on the black bird. Maybe he was hearing things. A bird cannot talk.
"Excuse me, but I was curious as to why you were here…"
The young man simply blinked at the bird. Only a few moments left alone in the woods and all ready he was hearing things.
"Oh…are you mute by chance?" The raven paused thinking that notion over. "Well…no, I suppose you wouldn't be considering you were talking to that angel of yours."
This was crazy. How could a bird be talking?
"You're…you're…you talk." August finally managed in an incredulous tone.
"Ah…so that's what had you so stunned…" The black bird nodded in understanding. "Yes. I am able to communicate with humans. Now. What are you and, your wife, doing all the way out here?"
"My-my wife?"
"The beautiful woman with golden hair? Surely such a treasure would all ready have a husband?" The bird shifted on his branch.
"Adela!" It was a bit un-nerving hearing a raven speak so passionately about a human woman…and his own sister no less. "She's my sister. Not yet a wife either."
That seemed to spark something in the ebony raven. "Really?"
"Yes…well…look we're lost. Do you know where the main road is?"
"No." Was the straightforward reply. "You never did answer my question. Why are you here?"
"I see…what does it matter why we're here?" The young many was suddenly filled with angry frustration not only because he was lost and the raven was no help, but because he was talking to a bird for heaven's sake!
"I suppose it really doesn't. I just…well it's a little boring here in the middle of nowhere. I…well…you…well…" The bird was a bit flustered now and unsure of what to say to explain him self. "I was just interested and curious, that's all."
Feeling slightly guilty August glanced around. "I'll make you a deal. If you can find some dry wood and edible berries, I'll tell you our entire story."
Perking up the bird grinned, well he would have at least if he would have had lips. "Deal." He made to fly off, but August stopped him.
"Just a moment longer. Please leave my sister alone. She's distraught enough as it is, she doesn't need to witness a talking bird." The raven watched the young man for a few long moments before nodding and flying off. August couldn't tell if he had offended the bird or but, he was sure, however, that the raven would not be spouting love sonnets to Adela anytime soon.
True to his word the raven returned and led August to an apple tree with completely dry limbs. And growing at its trunk were bushes filled with red and blue berries.
"The sun will set at any moment now. Meet me back here tomorrow just as the sun is starting to dip in the sky." Taking off from the branch it had been perched on; August nodded and began to collect apples, berries, and wood to take back to Adela.
After receiving news of the attack it took the aging man only a day and a half of long, hard riding before he was at his grieving, shaken wife's side.
He couldn't believe it. They were gone. His two beautiful children. Gone. Forever. The last and most precious thing he had left from his first wife. Gone.
"I was so scared…I thought they were going to find me and do horrible things…I wasn't sure if I would ever see you again." Breaking into sobs the woman clung to her husband.
"It's all right, you are safe now…do you know if Adela or August got away?" But that just drew louder sobs from his wife and no answer.
Maybe they were still out there. Maybe they were with his late wife. Maybe he would never know what became of them.
As the long days and nights stretched on Adela made herself busy by building a lean-to shelter with August that had a knack for crumpling in on itself. In the evenings she would bathe herself, keeping hold of just a single piece of lady refinery while August left to get more food and firewood.
Much to the young man's surprise he found himself telling the raven the complete story of their lives rather than just a shortened version of the travel leading up to his stepmother's abandon of them. And what surprised him even more was how intently and sympathetically the black bird listened. It was as if he really cared.
On one particular evening August had finished their tale and both him and the raven sat, or perched as would be the case of the bird, in extended silence, when August realized the bird did have a sort of regal quality about him. Rather than settling down, the bird stayed up right, and intent. If a bird could sit with a straight back and perfect posture then that's the way the raven sat and moved.
"I believe I now must warn you of the danger lurking in this forest, friend." The bird's voice sounded troubled. "There was a young couple that lived in a town like the one you stayed in before you got here. One day the man left the woman. Left her and the town without a word. Some people in the village started saying he had left to pursue a beautiful tavern woman, so some of the young boys started teasing her, tormenting her because she had been abandoned by her own husband for another woman." The rave shook his head sadly. "She moved out here, into the forest swearing off men and promising to kill any that came her way. In her old age she has lost her eyesight, but she can smell a man. She'll entice you in and then you'll become her prisoner.."
"Wait. Are you telling me this woman actually lives here in the forest?" If he had before thought a talking bird was mad then this new tale was completely over his head. And the bird sensed that.
The black bird took his time forming a careful answer. "Yes, but I am telling you this to warn you. She's not a force you want to reckon with. Trust me. The temptation she gives you will be great, but you must ignore it. Did you hear me? You must not give into the temptation! Do you understand?" The bird was obviously quite agitated and was about to fall off his branch.
In all reality August was simply terribly confused, but sensing that admitting his confusion seemed like a bad idea he choose to nod instead. "Yes. I understand."
Visibly relaxing at that the bird bobbed his head up and down. " Good. Now I must go. It's just about time for the sun to disappear for the night. If you go around the tree you will find a hole in it and inside there might be some things you'll need for your house." And with that he flew off.
Inside the tree August found clothes, nails, a hammer, a pot, and dishes. Old, but in perfect condition. How had the bird gotten these things?
((Thank you to InChrist-Billios for pointing out the errors that should be corrected now. :) ))