Chapter 12
"Flight of Crows"
Arianna pulled her knees towards her chest and rested her chin on them. Her brow furrowed in concentration as she tried to sort out the jumble behind the night's events.
Not less than thirty minutes ago, she was poised in action, admired by all and ready to take her victory as Ari, the peasant boy. Then, in a flash she was here, in a wooden crate alone, hiding from the world because she knew that if she would ever be caught, she would die. Condemned for being a traitor, a liar and a witch. She glanced at her right arm, her mark was still shining bright red, and she cursed at it as she hid it beneath her torn vest.
Reflecting back to the events of the night, she now realized why the crowd had been distracted from seeing Uther's foul play. They had all been struck with shock when they noticed the fairies' mysterious disappearance. Arianna wondered to herself, when, where and why had all the fairies gone? She remembered that small voice she heard earlier and it's warning.
Saedi Thies it called her. Now, what in Kannaham's name did that mean? In fact what did the whole message mean? She hardly understood a single word of it. Except the word flee… The fairies knew who she was, Arianna remembered as she recalled the fairy king's crystal white eyes staring deeply into her own. They knew something that she didn't know and when they saw her and that golden nightingale, they grew anxious and afraid. Why?
But Arianna knew this wasn't the time or place to understand the ways of the magical creatures of the East. She had to find a way out of Vasdenin without being seen. Then she thought of Lord Freso, he was the only man in Vasdenin kind enough to her, though she knew he would be a bit shocked if she came up to him after finding out she was really a woman and not the poor lad he helped the other night. Still, she would explain her side and maybe he would show pity and compassion then maybe could somehow help her.
But just as Arianna started to climb out of the crate, she heard footsteps and low voices approaching; she slumped back down and covered her mouth with her hand to soften her breathing.
There were two hunters approaching and they stopped just inches away from Arianna's crate that Arianna almost believed they would look right into it or hear her breathing and find her. But the hunters did neither and instead were caught up in their conversation.
"Have they located the whereabouts of the red haired witch?" one of them asked.
The other shook his head, "No, they believe that she might be hiding within one of these houses, our fellow brothers have already begun their search."
"Shouldn't we join them?" the first man asked with concern.
"Not yet. There is still a certain matter that I have to attend to without delay." the second man replied gravely.
"Lord Freso?" the other man guessed in a low voice.
His partner grunted, "That devious conniving piece of filth is unfit for the title Lord. Not after what he's done. I just pray that I get to him quick enough, so I might still get my chance to slaughter his black heart out before I take back what's mine.
Arianna's eyes flew open; they were planning to kill Lord Freso!
"I agree. After all his promises about paying us back tenfold if we placed a good amount of gold in that lad's name at the archery contest and convincing us to believe in the lad's remarkable skill and sure win. I would dare say we were all made great fools of. Since I didn't even make the slightest hesitation in throwing down fifty gold pieces in his name."
"Well, I count you lucky, my dear brother, I gave up a hundred gold pieces for that lad who turned out to be a woman and a fraudulent witch herself. I had an inkling that that Freso man was up to no good from the very start. He deliberately conned us all and I won't rest till I have my gold back, down to every last bloody piece!" the second man growled.
"Then let us hurry, my friend, before that yellow bellied coward makes his escape with all our gold. He was in his right mind to disappear once that girl was found out. But he won't fly too far."
The two men left in haste, leaving Arianna with hot tears in her eyes as she begun realizing the true intentions of Lord Freso, he was merely using her, bribing her to do her best just so he could win a inconsequential bet.
Isn't there any honest being in this town that I can trust?
She roughly wiped away her tears streaming down her face and she decided that there was no one she could depend on except herself, as always, she knew that one way or another it would always end up this way. She should have realized this sooner but now it was too late.
Suddenly there was another noise outside her crate and she looked out and saw a figure of a small boy heading towards her, stopping to look around in confusion at the clutter of pails. Arianna recognized him as the servant boy from The Golden Eagle Inn, the one she had bestowed her generosity upon. She smiled to herself; she might have a chance to escape after all.
"Boy!" she called out in a hushed whisper.
The boy stood up straight and stiff, "Who's there?" he called in a frightened little voice.
"Boy! Come over to the crate. I must speak with you!" she said urgently.
The small boy walked carefully towards the crate, "W-Who are you?"
Arianna stood up and the boy gasped in horror. She stepped out of the crate and dusted herself off, "Don't be frightened. Tis only I, Arianna. Do you remember?"
He nodded, "Of course, Lady Arianna. How could I forget? You were so kind to me. But aren't you the one they are looking for?"
Arianna frowned, "Who are they?"
"The men. The great hunters They say there is a witch hidden among us with bright red hair and a glowing red mark of a star." He said in a scared whisper.
Arianna placed both her hands on the boy's shoulders, "Listen to me very carefully, I have no intention of lying to you, so I will confess. Yes, I am the one they are looking for but, you must believe, I am no witch!"
The boy jerked away from her just as she said the word witch, Arianna straightened up with her hands opened in defense, "You must understand. I am no more a witch than you are. I am just a girl that's been… greatly misunderstood."
But the boy showed no signs of believing her.
Arianna bent down until she had leveled her eyes with his, "If I was a witch, I would have killed you and everyone else in a snap of my finger."
The boy jerked again as Arianna snapped her finger as she said it.
"But as you can see, I have done no such horrible thing. Remember what I told you last night, boy? You are far better than anyone here in this town, any boy in this town. I swear to the gods above, you will not regret this. So please, will you help me? I promise neither you nor anyone else will get hurt."
Arianna waited as the boy eyed her warily, his trust wavering and Arianna held her breath hoping she wouldn't turn on her like everyone else.
Suddenly the boy nodded slowly and Arianna managed a small smile of relief, "Good. Thank the gods! Now tell me, where can I attain a fast steed without anyone seeing me?"
"In the inn's stables. The stable boy is probably not on his post as he left for the festival so there's no one guarding the guest's horses and I've been to the stables, there are a lot of big strong horses there, I believe. They will ride far and fast."
Arianna smiled gently, "Lead on, boy."
The boy smiled back, "Alright then, follow me."
He ran ahead of her and turned into what looked like a small back alley and then going far down a dark path. Arianna immediately trailed behind him and tried her best to keep up with his quick feet but she couldn't help stumbling a few times in the dark. She heard distant voices and shouts but she took no heed of them and concentrated on keeping her head low and following the boy. She realized that they must be going down the small path behind the wooden fences of some houses and she fervently hoped that none of the hunters would ever think of going that way. Glancing up, Arianna noticed that the once clear night sky had swiftly grown dark and gloomy as if rain was nearly about to fall but there was no whiff of rain in the air.
The bright lights coming from the windows of the Golden Eagle Inn lit up the dark path as they approached the back part of the inn. The boy signaled to Arianna to walk as slowly and as silently as possible as he looked around to see if anyone was close by but there hardly seemed to be anyone in the inn.
"The other boys must be already in their beds or still at the festival. Come, Lady Arianna, we must hurry if we are to get your noble steed from the stables." He whispered cautiously.
Arianna merely nodded and followed him to the back door of the stables. Pushing the large wooden door, it creaked noisily and the warm scent of hay and beast filled Arianna's nostrils. It briefly reminded her of the barn as she stepped inside behind the boy, the hay crunching softly beneath her feet as she listened to the snorts and sounds of the horses. The stable was sturdily built with large thick wood but it wasn't as large or as spacious as it should be for an inn's stable. The stalls were narrowly built together and the horses' watering basin could hardly fill enough water sufficient for two horses how much more ten. Large grunting steeds occupied nearly all of the fifteen stalls, ten of which were recently taken.
"Choose one." The boy said. Arianna looked around, not quite sure what exactly she was searching for. All she knew was that she needed a fast horse without delay, time was against her and if she didn't pick one out now, the hunters might appear at any moment.
All the horses were clearly well bred stallions, three were black, one had a mixed brownish white color, four were pure white, another was deep dark brown and the last one had light hay colored hair.
In the end, Arianna selected one of the black ones since she knew that they would benefit the greatest under the cover of night. She took down a large black coat that was hanging on a hook from the wall just by the stable door and donned it since she had forgotten her own grey cloak back at the archery field. The boy silently watched as Arianna opened the stall door of one of the black stallions. The black steed, clearly aware that the human approaching was neither his master nor the stable boy, reared up on his hind legs, neighing wildly but couldn't move back due to the limited space in his stall.
Arianna paused, her knuckles turned white as she gripped the swinging stall door. Trying hard to push back the memory of Helli doing exactly the same thing and nearly knocking her down with his great hoofs. She took a deep breath and tried not to show any sign of fear or reluctance. She boldly stepped forward, grabbed the stallion mane and gently stroked his nose.
Please don't be so difficult. I need to get out of here and I need you to help me. Please…she begged silently as she continued stroking the black stallion. Looking directly into his eyes, she continued her unspoken plea and it seemed that the stallion understood her. He stood very still and the tension faded fast. When Arianna was sure the stallion wouldn't resist her anymore, she led it carefully out the stall door.
She turned to look at the boy and then saw that he was staring at her with his mouth agape, "How did you do that?"
"Do what?" Arianna asked as she took the saddle, bridle and reins hanging on the wall.
"Make him so calm and silent. I heard black stallions are too dangerous to handle even by their masters and even more dangerous with strangers but you achieved it in no less than a blink of an eye. Are you sure you're not a witch?"
Arianna gave him a half-smile, "I told you, boy… I'm no witch. I simply… have a special talent when it comes to animals, especially horses. I have two of my own back in the fields."
The boy stayed silent as Arianna saddled the stallion. When she was done, she mounted the stallion with such speed and ease that it seemed as if it was as simple as walking and standing.
"What is your name, my friend?" Arianna asked.
"John." The boy replied
"John. Well, my dear John. I believe that sadly this is farewell. I don't know how I am ever going to repay you but believe me if it were within my power I would give you all the pleasures and riches in the world for all these simple favors you have done for my sake."
"Fear not, Lady Arianna, what you have given me is worth more than any amount of wealth in this world."
Arianna smiled at him, not wanting to ask what it was exactly that she had given. Instead she gratefully bowed her head and he returned the gesture.
"Farewell John." Arianna said and without another word, she signaled the black stallion into an immediate gallop and raced out of the stables.
"May the gods guide you on your journey." John called out but Arianna was already a good distance away to hear him or even reply to t he Northern aphorism and even if she did hear him, she wouldn't dare reply for she knew very well, she was never going to return.
Arianna rode out unto a road that was dimly lit and veering closely to the shadowy forest. She could see the main gate coming to view but she knew better than to turn back to the main road, very much aware it was heavily guarded. Arianna slowed her stallion to a halt, dismounted silently and her black steed by the reins. She walked far away from the large closed doors, following instead the high wooden wall that surrounded the town, wondering how she could manage to escape without being seen. Trailing her hand along the wooden planks, she suddenly felt a damp spot. A part of the long tall fence was damp with what seemed like water that was carelessly splashed into it. Arianna knew how brittle this kind of wood can be when moistened, so hoping that she wasn't making too much noise, she kicked tenaciously at it. After a few strong strikes, the wood broke off, making a hole big enough for a small child to crawl in. Arianna kicked some more at the slightly damp areas and pulled away a few planks as well, until she made an exit just wide enough for the horse and herself.
Panting heavily, her hands stinging from the roughness of the wood and the intensity of the force she had exerted, Arianna led her stallion through the gaping hole in the wall and out into the wide grounds. Smiling triumphantly, she leapt back unto her horse and sped away into the darkness. But then, instead of going at a more relaxed pace knowing that her pursuers were far behind her now, she redoubled her stallions velocity, leaning forward with her thighs gripping tightly into the horse's side. She didn't know why, but she knew that she had to hurry back home as fast as she could go.
Suddenly, a glint of gold caught Arianna's eye, she looked up and saw something flying high above her. She slowed the horse's pace a bit to get a clearer view and soon made out the golden nightingale that was set loose earlier. It was holding something long, slender and solid in its beak. Arianna squinted her eyes to see what it was. As if on cue, the moon peeked out of the darkening clouds and shined on the nightingale that glittered brilliantly in the nighttime sky. The etched name on the far end of the object made her realize that it was a bow, her bow!
The nightingale swerved unexpectedly to the right and Arianna without a second thought urged her stallion to head in the same direction. She tried her best to keep up with it but the bird was flying farther and farther from her sight. Until, it had disappeared into the dark forest, diving into the trees.
Arianna pulled the reins and the stallion skidded to a stop. Her mind was racked in confusion, pulling both ways. A part of her knew she had to keep moving on, she had to get back home but the other part was telling her that she needed her bow back urgently as well. She was motionless for a moment, trying to contemplate her situation.
Arianna knew that out of all the important rules her grandfather had set out for her, the most important and most forbidden one was setting foot into the forests of Vasdenin. Throughout all the years of Arianna's life, she had hardly any serious complaint against that rule… until that night. Her bow, her greatest and most precious item was taken away from her and was now somewhere deep inside that forest, may the gods forbid her to just let it lie there in the possession of that horrid nightingale. She couldn't…she wouldn't… but she knew she had to.
The distant sounds of an approaching horse made Arianna jerk her head up in surprise. She immediately turned her horse around to see who was coming her way; she saw a lone dark figure making its way towards her. Just when she was about to drive her horse into mad dash, the other rider called out in an all too familiar voice.
"Wait! Stop! Halt!"
"Hollin?" Arianna voiced out in bewildered tone. Her friend's sudden appearances in unlikely and yet extremely dire situations left Arianna stunned, "What in Kannaham's name are you doing out here? How in the world did you find me?"
His face was pale and sweaty, great angst written all over him as he ventured nearer to Arianna, "Arianna? Oh thank the gods I found you! After what had happened at the tournament, knowing you as I do, I thought I would have lost you and you would have fled for good."
Arianna noticed that he was extremely relieved to find her but that didn't stop him from trembling so strongly, "Hollin, what's happened? What's wrong? You look scared to death!"
"Arianna, something very unusual is coming about and I have no notion about what it is but I do know its something terrible. Watchmen from our fields have been bringing strange reports to the town head; I've overheard them sometime tonight. Something about dark knights on fiery horses approaching very swiftly. I don't know if they mean good or harm but I do know they will be bringing trouble, they would pass our fields long before the moon reaches the center of the sky."
Both looked upwards, it was still shy of midnight but the moon so faded and distant it was difficult to be certain it was not nearing its climax point.
"We have to get back to the fields, Arianna. We have to warn people and get our families far away before that strange company arrives. Come! We must ride now!" Uther declared urgently.
Arianna made ready to go but something held her back and she turned her head towards the forest. Her bow…
"Arianna?" Hollin called.
Frowning with determination, Arianna suddenly said fiercely with a strange glint in her brown eyes, "Give me any weapon you have on you this instant, Hollin. That revolting gold bird stole my bow, I have to get it back no matter what the cost and maybe I could have that bird as well."
Hollin's eyes wide with perplexity, "What? But Arianna we must—"
"I know! I know, Hollin! But I'm useless without any weapon, just let me obtain my bow again and we could fly straight away to the fields. Turn them over! Your quiver as well!"
Hollin, trembling even more, handed her his weapons with reluctance and confusion.
"You must ride on ahead without me. I wouldn't want you to linger around here for me. I'll see you back at the fields. I promise I will be as quick as a fox, all right?" Arianna assured him as she shouldered his quiver and bow.
But seeing as Hollin made no move, she snapped, "Go now, will you! Trust me! I'll be well. Go!"
"ARIANNA!" she heard Hollin call after her but she did not care to heed him as she sped away into the direction of the forest, stopping slightly in front of it, nearly having second thoughts about her desperate decision, but then dismissing her thoughts, she goaded her stallion a little hesitantly into the dense dark forest.
Soon she was enveloped in complete darkness, tiny bits of sky were seen through the small gaps between the leaves and branches of the dark and massive trees. Unusual, eerie sounds filled Arianna's ears and the hairs on her skin and the back of her neck was raised, a sudden chill flooded her veins and trickled down her spine. She sensed her stallion agitation growing every step of the way. Every sudden sound or movement made Arianna's pulse quicken and her nerves jitter relentlessly. Gripping tightly unto the reins as she journeyed deeper into the forest. She felt a tinge of familiarity with her surroundings and Arianna stopped, startled by her sense of déjà vu.
The very atmosphere of the forest was not appealing to Arianna at all and without another thought of her bow or the nightingale, she tried to turn back but then it seemed that everything, every direction she turned was identical, dark, musky and unnatural.
Fear crept up Arianna's skin and she turned cold and clammy, her stallion trudging to and fro with distress. Arianna prodded it forward somewhere in the dark, knowing that she was undeniably lost in the middle of a tangled forest. Just as she was about to lose all hope of finding her way back outside, she miraculously caught sight of her bow hanging on a high branch in a small clearing in the middle of the dark forest.
She headed quickly towards it but just as her hand stretched upwards to reach for it, the golden nightingale alighted from above and unto the bow, eyeing her mockingly with its red ruby eyes before it flew off with the bow in its talons into another tree. Arianna climbed down off her steed and raced to the tree where the bird had landed on. Stepping unto a small-elevated stone structure, she took an arrow from the quiver and fitted it to Hollin's bow, aiming directly at the heart of the nightingale. The golden bird sung a soft note and took off once again into the forest before Arianna could release.
Cursing under her breath, she chased after it on foot. Shooting arrow after arrow but all carelessly fell unto the ground or else caught in the trunk of a tree. When a number of her arrows started dwindling, Arianna grew more and more frustrated. Finally with only three arrows left in her quiver, she took out the third one and ran with it readily fitted on the string.
The nightingale surprisingly dropped down on the ground, the bow it let fall before her feet as it landed on a branch that was in level with her raised bow. It stared at her haughtily daring her to shoot. Arianna hesitated no longer and without bothering to figure out why the nightingale had let loose of the bow so soon, she shot her arrow straight to its heart.
The nightingale made no move to escape and as the arrow pierced straight into its chest, a bright beam of purple and gold burst forth from its open wound and with a loud cry it crumbled into black ashes.
Arianna breathed a heavy sigh when it had finally disappeared. She shouldered Hollin's bow and was just about to bend down to pick up her own when the most dreadful noises of all sounded high above her. A sound that she thought would only remain in her darkest dreams. But this wasn't a dream and the sound was as real as the rapid thumping of her heart.
No… It can't be… Crows!
Before she could make the slightest move, a large black swarm descended rapidly unto her, the loud cawing rang sharply in her ears and she shrieked in pain as tiny sharp beaks and claws scratched her face, neck, arms and torso. Shielding her head with her left arm, her right hand felt for her bow on the ground and when she picked it up, tried to swat away the raucous crows but they were hardly daunted by her meager defense. Clawing and scratching her all the more, Arianna felt an oozy substance trickle down her cheek and arms. The crows were almost on the verge of literally ripping her to pieces when Arianna gave one loud cry of anger, pain and despair that the star shaped mark on her arm glowed a deep bloody red and its sharp beams blinded the crow hordes that they flew sideways in a confused cluster.
Arianna scrambled rapidly back into the forest, scurrying as fast as her legs could carry her, having no sense of direction or realization as to where she was heading to. It seemed as though she was passing back and forth from her dreams to reality as she ran through the trees of the dark forest.
Stumbling aimlessly on roots and rocks, scraping her elbows and knees through sharp brambles that stuck on the side, she wondered when this terrible nightmare would end.
After what seemed to her like endless hours of torture and running, Arianna thrust herself forward and she tumbled down into a small heap outside the edge of the forest. She lay unmoving for a while on the rough soil, not wanting to open her eyes, wanting so much to just lie there numb and cold. Praying that it was finally all over, that she would wake up back in her own bed in her grandfather's cottage or else that she had already died and would wake up in Kannaham, the blissful heaven of the immortals and the gods.
But when she finally forced herself to open up her eyes, she found that none of her prayers had come true. A surge of pain swept over Arianna and she groaned helplessly. Her open wounds and bruises stinging excruciatingly as she made an attempt to roll over on her side since she was lying face down to the ground. She found it too difficult, too impossible to sit up much less stand upright again but she knew that if she didn't want to spend the rest of the night bleeding on the ground, she had to make a move. Mustering all her strength, she gritted her teeth as she pushed herself up with her palms on the ground. She finally settled in a kneeling position, Arianna looked at her shoulder and saw a great big gash oozing blood. She agonizingly shrugged off her shredded and bloodied vest and laboriously tried to wrap it around her wound, in the end it didn't give her a lot of comfort or lessened the pain but at least it would somehow stop the heavy bleeding.
Clutching tightly at the bandaged wound after shouldering her bow which she managed to carry out of the forest, Arianna somehow managed to stagger to her feet. She looked around her, the area looked slightly familiar to her and Arianna realized she must not be that far off from her grandfather's cottage. Trying hard to recall which direction she should turn to, Arianna swerved around and when she did, a small gasp escaped her cracked lips.
No…Oh Gods…No…Please no…
A sight she thought only her dreams could conjure.
The sky was no longer a dark grey color but instead it was glowing bright red orange. Where she would have seen the rooftops of the barns, mills and cottages, Arianna's eyes only reflected the growing flames licking up everything in her sight. A tear fell from Arianna's pain stricken eyes and she stood motionless glancing at the dancing shades of red, orange and bright yellow blazes engulf the entire place in a mass of hot, burning fire.
