Author's Note: The events in this story were originally published under the title of "Unforeseen Surprises." Somehow the stories between Raven and this new character Dove have managed to capture more peoples' hearts than I ever hoped for. But after nearly six years of writing, editing, roleplaying, and getting to know every character involved, I found myself so dissatisfied with the works I had once been so proud of. The style, the vagueness, the characterization flaws - at first I thought changing a word or minor detail here and there would fix it all. And then the rewrite took on such a life of its own, I couldn't do anything but publish it as an entirely new story. The interactions go deeper, the characterization is crisp, and I've taken scene descriptions to a whole new level. If "Unforeseen Surprises" was the rough draft, this renamed story is the final version I can be proud of. Whether you've read my Raven and Dove stories before or you're new to my fan-fictional archive, I hope these years of evolution show through and I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I loved writing it.
Read and Review,
~ Raven's secret-keeper
Prologue
The white-clad girl heaved herself out of the river and collapsed on the sand, coughing, gasping; shaking with weakness and shivering violently with the chills. The air here wasn't that cold - but she was used to a much warmer climate, a world with two suns and reflective metal everywhere… and the water was freezing. She had tried levitating across the river - she should have known better… Besides having pathetically meager strength with it already, her health and energy had been drained from lack of food and rest. And she had never learned to swim. But she thought it would be faster, and she couldn't find any other way across. This island was private, everyone told her; she wasn't supposed to find a way. It was a miracle she hadn't drowned. She still didn't know how her powers held together long enough to plunge her down where the current was weaker, where the water was shallow enough to stand up in, and then claw her way to safety.
The fact that she had finally reached her destination came without a flicker of triumph. Cold, helpless, lost, and homesick, she certainly didn't feel like a triumphant hero…
Now she sat on her knees, still sputtering river-water as she did her best to wring her waterlogged cloak and dress and dry her hair. Her hands quivered unsteadily the whole time - she wasn't strong enough to panic for long, and the adrenaline ran out already… but somehow she managed to force herself to her feet. She wavered. A handful of steps, reached the doorway -
She was thanking Azar for every breath but her relief suddenly turned cold when she heard the alarms blaring inside.
Intruder…?
Oh, no… She hadn't even spoken to them and already she was seen as a threat. That didn't bode well, it was nerve-wracking; the girl pulled her cloak closer around herself - wet silk wasn't very comforting, but it was better than standing there and feeling exposed; it was a gesture of insecurity. She couldn't help it. Or how tightly she held her breath as she faced the tall, daunting, utterly iconic building, watching the door anxiously as she waited for the inevitable reception… and praying her visions hadn't led her astray.