The pair built a single room home with a dirt floor and beds made out of daily changed leaves. Much to the pleasure of its builders this one never collapsed.
August built a stone fireplace to keep the chill out at night and allowed Adela to cook inside. He was so proud of his new skill of mason work that Adela kept having to remind him of how many colorful curses had escaped his lips during the process. That usually brought him down from his high and mighty horse.
In the evenings they still spent a few hours alone. Adela had started planting a flower garden not far from the one she had started for berries and the various other edible plants they had found.
August still went to visit the raven. He never told Adela about it however. But then raving about a talking bird didn't seem a wise idea.
Unbeknownst to August, the raven still watched the young woman from his perch on a branch high above. But true to his word the raven never spoke to her.
And so a year passed by and August became 19 years old and Adela 16.
August had gone to bathe in a near-by stream one evening, leaving Adela to erect a scarecrow she had assembled to stand guard over her two gardens.
The raven watched from his usual spot as the stick…thing was hammered into the ground. What was his angel doing?
When she went back inside the shelter to check on a soup she was cooking he flew down and landed on one of the scarecrow's outstretched arms. Peering closely at its face with berry smudges in the shape of eyes and a smile he didn't notice the young woman emerge from her home and peer closely at him.
"Well so much for scaring away birds." She sighed and the bird jumped around and hopped backwards away from the lady and towards the scarecrow's head. "Oh, I did not mean to frighten you, Mr. Raven. Although that was supposed to be the purpose of my scarecrow." Recognition registered in her eyes as both she and the bird stared at one another. "You are the raven we saw when we first came here, are you not? You are so pretty you must be."
Adela kneeled and reached into a small, growing berry bush and picked a couple ripe berries. "Well, since you are a friend." Standing she then extended a finger out to the raven so he could hop on.
He in turn backed up more, hit against the head of the scarecrow, chirped in surprise, and flew up and landed on the scarecrow's head.
Restraining herself from giggling she shook her head lightly. "I am not going to hurt you. Come on. I was just going to give you some berries."
Warily the raven watched her and eventually hopped closer before cautiously perching himself on her finger.
Bringing her other hand with the berries up to his beak, she smiled as he nipped a piece off one and gulped it down. "There. See? I won't hurt you." The raven began to nip at the berries with more enthusiasm.
When he finished he nipped her finger lightly, but Adela could tell it was in affection, and he hopped onto her shoulder.
Reaching up she lightly scratched the top of the raven's head.
"Adela?" August paused in mid-stride seeing the raven on his sister's shoulder. "Wh-what is that thing doing? Get away from her!" Moving quickly to the young woman's side he swatted away the raven. "What were you doing? That thing could have bit you! Who knows what diseases it could be carrying!"
"August, calm down. I am fine. The bird didn't do anything." She watched him in confusion. The bird had quickly flown off after the first swat.
"I'll be back in a little while." Turning he headed back through the woods to a place he often visited in the evenings.
"August…" She stared after his retreating form wondering exactly had just happened.
The raven heard the man storming through the forest before he even saw August. What was the human so upset about exactly?
"Bird! Where are you!" August was clearly not a calm man.
"What's the matter? Why are you so upset?" The black bird was perched on a branch in the apple tree that August had gotten the supplies from. The one that had berry bushes surrounding it. The same one he met the bird at every evening. But now the raven sat just out of the young man's reach. Just as a precaution.
"You promised me you wouldn't talk to Adela!" August was feeling very protective of his little sister at the moment and also very betrayed. He also didn't want his sister having to deal with a crazed, obsessed bird that was seemingly infatuated with her.
Shocked the raven simply blinked at the man for a few long moments. "b-bu-but I didn't. I haven't said a word to her!"
"Then why were you there with her?"
"I watch the two of you sometimes it reminds me of-well never mind what it reminds me of-but I've never gotten that close ever before! I was simply looking at that-that-that thing she put up in her garden and she surprised me! I simply ate some berries she offered. I did not talk to her. I did not do anything wrong." What harm could a small raven like him do?
"Are you sure?" August shot back almost unbelievingly.
"Y-yes."
With a sigh the lad sat on the ground, feeling rather guilty and foolish. The bird had done so much for them. Without it the duo would have never made it. And here he was yelling at the poor thing.
"I apologize then. I guess I'm over-protective when it comes to my sister. She just…she's been through so much, I'm not sure she's ready to deal with a talking raven who thinks she's an angel." If a bird could flush that's exactly what the raven would have done.
"Apology accepted." They sat in silence for a few moments before the raven spoke. "My friend, the Woman in the Wood knows you're here. She's picked up your scent. You have to be extra careful now. She will not harm or touch your sister but she will you if she gets a hold of you."
"I'll be fine." There was a great deal of confidence in August's voice.
"I hope so, my friend. Just be careful on your journey to and from here." The sun was almost gone and the raven took off without another word.
August wouldn't fully understand all of the raven's warnings until about a week later as he was traveling to the apple tree to visit the bird; he strayed from the beaten path. Lost in a daydream as he walked the young man wandered very off course and by the time he realized it a delicious smell hung in the air.
It smelled of homemade cookies and the pastry his mother used to bake. And all of the wonderful sweets he concocted in the bakery every day.
So instead of going back, August followed his nose. And it led him to the most bizarre and wonder sight. It was a house. A house made entirely out of cookies, pastries and sweets.
Without quite realizing what he was doing the young man walked up to the house and tore a piece of the gingerbread roof shingles off and ate it. Soon he had a whole section of peanut brittle siding off as well to enjoy.
"Who is nibbling at my house?" A soft, screechy voice from within the house called.
Suddenly the door opened and a woman looking as old as the hills, supporting herself on a weathered cane came creeping out.
August, realizing what he had done, and forgetting about the raven's warning turned to her and flushed deeply.
"Oh, young man, what has brought you here? Do come in and stay for a bit with me. I have better food inside. Come. I won't hurt you." Turning and re-entering her home she left the door open for the lad.
Feeling as if he owed it to her and completely forgetting the raven's warning, August followed close behind and entered the house.
Adela waited and waited for August to return home that night, but eventually she grew tired of waiting. Nothing had ever caused them trouble before in the forest. She couldn't believe anything terrible had happened. So she went to bed only mildly concerned.
In the morning he still was not back. Did he return and leave early in the morning? Where was August?
Slightly more worried about her brother she decided to go into the woods and try to find him.
"August! August, where are you? August!" The young woman shouted in the silent air. Where was he?
Adela spent the entire day searching the area, but to no avail. Extremely worried and upset she returned to their home hoping beyond hope he had returned.
"August?" Peering inside the room they shared simply confirmed he was not there.
Lost about what to do now she stepped back outside and saw a familiar pretty bird perched on her scarecrow.
"Adela, I know where your brother is."
"I don't get many visitors out here, so I will forgive you for your nibbling." Hobbling over to the table where August sat, she had a steaming bowl of soup clutched in her aged hands.
August ate the entire bowl of soup while chatting idly with the kind old woman. When he was done, he leaned back in his chair with a satisfied look. He hadn't eaten something that good in a long time.
A yawn over took the young man.
"Oh, tired, young man? Well, you'll just have to stay here in one of my nice warm beds." August had finally noticed that while the old woman looked at him while she spoke, she saw him through unseeing eyes. She was blind.
"Oh, no, thank you. I must be leaving now, but I will come back to visit." The man slowly stood, stretched, and yawned.
"Nonsense. Night has fallen. There are dangers out there in the woods. Come. You will spend the night." August, exhausted simply nodded and followed the old woman as she stood and led him to the back of the house. The passed a closed heavy oak door.
"Here we are. Now you get a good night's rest." Turning the old woman hobbled out of the pale, yellow room with only a bed in it and now August.
Yawning again, he nodded, forgetting the woman would not be able to see it.
What could be so bad staying here for a night? She was a kind old lady.
Falling onto the bed, the instant he closed his eyes he was asleep.
Sore beyond imagination, with a knot in his back, and a painful pulsing in his head, August slowly opened his green eyes and sat up.
Where was he?
Gaze was looking downward, but instead of seeing the sheets he had fallen asleep on he saw a dirt floor.
What was going on?
Bewildered he looked up to see bars. A quick look around confirmed he was in a cage that was short enough so he couldn't sit up properly. Sitting back down, he scanned the room again. He was in the sitting room, right by the front door. Talk about cruelty. He spotted the old woman sitting in a rocking chair not too far away.
"Let me out of here!" August yelled, shaking the bars.
"Did you really think I'd be so forgiving about your nibbling? No. It's been a while since I last ate meat. I think you'll add a nice flavor to my cabbage soup." The woman went on rocking, her blind eyes staring at the fire.
Shocked at her words the man just sat there. Why hadn't he listened to the raven and been more careful?
Stunned beyond words for a few long seconds she simple stared dumbly at the bird before questions started to over-take her mind. Had the bird just spoken? How did it know her name? How did it know where August was? Could she trust it? Was she going crazy? The bird could really talk?
"I-uh-I-he-I" Adela stumbled before she shook her head. If he knew where August was then that was the most important thing. "You know where August is?"
Then raven was slightly surprised her first question wasn't something else, but then it was obvious she was worried about her brother. "Yes. I-I've been speaking with him since you both arrived. I warned him but he did not listen."
Confused and stunned to learn her brother had been talking to a bird for a year without her the wiser, she didn't say anything.
"There is a woman who lives in these woods who preys on men. She has taken your brother and unless we act fast she's going to kill him." The raven didn't waste time trying to softly and gently give her the facts.
That snapped Adela out of her trance. "She'll kill him? Well, where is she? We have to go. Take me to her. Now. I've lost all of my family. I can not lose him too."
"Don't worry, angel, I have a plan." The angel nickname made her pause for a split moment to remember her papa who loved to call her that. "He is my friend and I want to help you, but first I need your help. Do you trust me?"
((There's going to be one more chapter than I had originally thought too, so instead of only one more chapter after this one, there's two. And thanks againto InChrist-Billios for pointing out the corrections. :) ))