Rephiam

We reached The Valley earlier than I expected. The high cliffs stretched above us and memories of first seeing this land formation came to me, both kind and gruesome. I looked beside me and saw my brother Amaro with his eyes closed. "You are remembering as well Amaro?"

He looked at me, his facial expression solemn, something rare for my brother. "Yeah." He sighed and looked at the cliffs. "If only things did not go as bad as it did."

"Hm." I looked at the formation as well.

"Um… I thought we were going to a valley?" Stevie Rae inquired.

"We are."

"Um…"

"You will see momentarily." We released our ravens and they flew upwards, up and over the cliffs. We went straight towards our secret entrance and we immediately broke into our posts. Reid and Chogan took the outposts and watched for anyone that might be looking onto us. Hotah and his brother Hothlepoya got off their horses and climbed up the cliff, just enough to see farther out than Reid and Chogan. Meanwhile Amaro and I got off our horses to move the boulder out of the cave's mouth. It is hard work but once the boulder is rolled out of the way the cave is reveled, just big enough for a horse to go through. "Alright, let us get in." I looked at Stevie Rae who had shock written all over her face. "Get down. You have to walk here." She followed orders and walked up to the cave.

"Still don't see a valley."

"Patience girl." Reid said as he stood next to her. In his hands were to sap covered sticks. "Ready to light up?" I gave him a look. Just light it already. My thoughts impatiently commented. He transferred one stick to his other hand and pulled out his matches. Striking the box fire came from the little stick and with that he lit one of the larger stick. He blew out the match and threw it onto the floor and handed the lighted one to me. He then lighted the other and we are ready to go in.

"Alright, you know how we get in." I said. I looked at the girl. "It is dangerous in there. The horses know their way but they need the light to see so we have to walk beside them. Stay close to the wall and do not push the horses over."

"Gotcha."

I whistled for Shadow and he came up to me. "Come along Shadow." I grabbed some of his mane and motioned for Stevie Rae to do the same, she did. I started walking and soon the others followed. The formation was simple really. I would be in front trying out the trail followed by at most three others with Reid behind them and the remaining behind him. I took the most dangerous part and usually Amaro would follow me and watch what I do but nowadays he goes wherever he ends up going. He claims he knows what to do, I always say he could learn some more. It went well except for the clinging girl at my back. At some point the trail got at its narrowest and she stopped holding onto Shadow's Wing and decided she cling to me, her hands practically chocking me. I would have pushed her away but first time going through is always a frightening experience… Anyways after that I told her to stop and she let go quickly as if she was ashamed she did that. I then remembered something. "Who is at the end?"

"Chogan." A voice behind me said. I realized it was Hotah.

"Ah. Did he remember to close it most of the way instead of our usual partially?"

"Let me check." I heard mumblings and realized that he was passing down the question to Chogan. It took a moment but I got the answer. "Yes he did. He left a small crack, just big enough for the kid to wedge his fingers in there." He chuckled. "It is just the thing of opening the thing."

"Still wrong… So very wrong…" I heard Stevie Rae mumble to herself.

"Good." I sighed out. I really could not wait until we go out in the open again. After a few more minutes the disappearing sunlight lighted the end of the cave trail. My horse started to get exited, space, freedom, some light before darkness comes again. I took in his excitement. Our horses our linked to our spirits, our souls, and it is very easy to feel their feelings in ourselves. Once Stevie Rae and I stepped out Shadow ran out into the green valley. I heard Stevie Rae gasp softly and I extinguished the light in a small pond beside me. I looked out then and as the others arrived and their horses ran off (except for Reid's who has to wait to get the saddle and reigns off him), I marveled at The Valley. It is a green field surrounded by cliffs with the only ways going in is the cave or climbing up the dangerous cliff sides, fighting the higher altitudes, and dropping down the cliff face on the other side without getting killed. There were few trees but they all were huge, allowing some shade, a river flowed through the center. I had once followed the river and found that it goes into the cave and empties out in an underground lake but where that lake empties out, or even how the river even starts is still a mystery. The Black Ravens' house sat in the distance, on the highest hill, looking down upon everything and then I saw them. Black horses, living wild, yet contained, ran by and our tamed horses joined them and were welcomed with open arms. Reid's horse then ran by and joined them, free of his equipment.

"Rephiam, we are going to the lodge." Hothlepoya said as they walked off.

"Alright. I will be there shortly."

"The lodge?" Stevie Rae asked me.

I pointed towards the house on the hill. "That is the lodge." My finger dropped. I looked beside me and noticed the other stick was extinguished. Good. I started walking and Stevie Rae followed.

"What is this place?"

"The Valley."

"Oh." She looked around. "So those horses are yours?"

"They are not mine. The do not belong to anyone."

"Then how…?"

"When the Black Ravens started we caught these horses and brought them in here when they were young. They grew up here and bred with each other. They belong to us but they are also wild. They are for new additions into the Black Ravens."

"And since you brought them when they were young they don't remember how to get out."

"Exactly."

"Wow. This is your own special place isn't it?"

"Yes and really we should kill you for being in here."

"Oh… But…?"

I stayed silent. How to answer that. I thought for a bit. "But seeing as you have spent a significant amount of time with us and you are also our responsibility, it would not be right if we just killed you."

"Oh…" She seemed disappointed by that answer but I was pretty pleased with it. "So now what?"

"We wait for the child to find us. If he does not come in four days it is safe to assure he is lost or dead somewhere so it is also safe to assure that you are staying with us for an additional three to four days."

She sighed. "I still don't agree with it. No matter if it's the Black Raven tradition. It's stupid." I shook my head and we continued our trek to the lodge in silence.

The Lodge/Stevie Rae

I still didn't understand why I got disappointed with Rephiam's answer. I mean come on, the guy's a Black Raven and despite the fact that he's kinder, and has more morals, he's bound to be just like the others, again, despite they act all good. When we reached the lodge I noticed that it was build like a log cabin. "Who built this?"

"Well… My father wanted something stronger than a tent so the original three build it out of wood."

"Oh…" Outside there was a randomly placed wooden pole. It was tall and looked almost like a flagpole. We entered the lodge and I was even more impressed with the inside. There was furniture, and I know this sounds bad but I really didn't expect it. Though I didn't see any beds I saw chairs and tables and cabinets, hopefully filled with hygiene credentials and kitchen ware. I noticed that when you enter the door immediately to the left is a ladder leading to what looked like a hay-less loft. The guys sat there and ignored us as we walked in through the door. Rephiam closed the door behind me and I suddenly felt really nervous. Here I am in a one room little house with six Black Ravens. I stayed by the door, silently refusing to move any father.

Hotah stretched, using the back of his chair to bend backwards. "So Chief, where is she going to stay while we wait?"

Rephiam stopped and looked at him. The others started to ask the same question. Chogan sighed. "Well it is apparent to me that she is safer alone but then she is not. She would have to stay with one of us but then…"

Rephiam sighed and placed a hand on his head. He obviously hadn't thought this out all the way. Then he looked up, a serious face on. "She will stay up in the loft with me. No one is to climb up there when she is alone without asking me first." Maybe he did have this planned out.

"That is not fair Rephiam." Hotah smiled widely. "You always have her."

"All the more to continue leaving her with me."

Amaro raised an eyebrow and dropped it. "I agree with him. She is most likely more comfortable with Rephiam and besides all that we all know Rephiam will not do a thing to her."

The other muttered softly. "Sure why not?" Reid practically yelled. "I agree too. With Mr. Morals over there, she's bound to be safest with him."

Hothlepoya nodded. "And besides, the loft is more than big enough for four people; they can stay on separate ends which should ease off tension." The guys chuckled and laughed all except Rephiam who still had his serious face on.

"Hothlepoya, Reid and Amaro, go out and prepare food and a fire; you can decide who does what. Chogan I want you to set up in here, Hotah, check the horses and see if you can't find the birds. I will go up in the loft and set it up there while Stevie Rae…"

"Yes?"

He looked at me and I wondered if he didn't know what to do with me. "Stay out of our way." Yep. He didn't know what to do with me. I rolled my eyes and scoffed and they all broke out into their tasks. Rephiam went to a cabinet and pulled out some blankets, some looking like they were made by Indians, other manufactured and probably stolen. He climbed up and that left me alone with Chogan down at the bottom.

"So… Chogan, do you need any help?"

He looked up from finding some blankets out of the same cabinets Rephiam was recently in. "Sure I suppose. What about you look in those cabinets over there and set up the table for seven. You are also going to have to move a chair to the table too." He went back to looking for blankets while I set off doing my task. While I was moving the chair I noticed that there were three windows, one by the door on the right when you come in, and one on the side of the house and a small one in the loft which I barely saw. I kept on looking up at the loft. It was so quiet up there, I even wondered if Rephiam was up there. Either way I continued setting up the table and Chogan finished just as I had. Rephiam came down short moments afterwards and we all sat in silence, except for Chogan playing his flute. Rephiam sat in a corner carving a piece of wood while I just sat in my chair waiting, listening and watching. I sighed and placed my head in my hand while my elbow rested on the table. I'm bored again.

An hour must have passed by before food was actually prepared and brought it. It usually takes less, Hothlepoya being a good hunter and all, but I guess they had to get out of the cave and come back in lugging around enough food for at least three days which was probably another reason it took so long. We all ate deer in silence and Rephiam sat at the head of the table. I looked around the table as I chewed the meat. Amaro sat to the right of Rephiam, Chogan opposite of him, and Hotah beside him, his brother in front of him, I sat beside Hothlepoya and Reid sat in front of me. I only realized then that this is the closest thing to a full family dinner I've had in years. Back when momma was still alive and her family came over to eat. My father would sit at the head, I'd sit where Chogan sits and momma where Amaro is and whoever grabbed a seat would sit there. I smiled softly but it faded. My poor father. He must be really lonely sitting there in the table that was too much room for the both of us… I swallowed and felt coldness spreading through my body. Why did I run away? Now the guilt's getting to me. Goosebumps formed on my arms and tears started to form. I didn't even notice a tear fell until Hothlepoya handed me an extra napkin.

"Are you alright Stevie Rae?" He asked me softly. I gave a court smile and nod and took the napkin, rubbing it into my corneas to stop the tears. I thanked him and throughout the rest of the night I refused to look at anyone. I fell asleep by crying.

Somewhere in the plains/The Kid

I waited by the fire I had built a few moments ago. I had just finished my rabbit and was waiting for Zeina to come back to me. I got tired of waiting and just tired in general so I decided to fall asleep. This was she woke me up not ten minutes after I fell asleep. She cawed loudly in my ear and I groaned and rolled over. I heard wings flapping and I felt her claws on my shoulder. She once again cawed loudly in my ear. I groaned and sat up suddenly. She fell off and started cawing angrily at me. "That's what you get for waking me." She cawed once and turned her head at me. I sighed. "Sorry. Sorry for making you fall off." She cawed softly which meant she accepted my apology. I wondered if the other Black Ravens have birds this annoying and noisy. Probably not. Oh how I envy them. She cawed again and I focused my attention on her again. "So, did you follow them without them noticing?"

'Caw!' Yes!

"So you found where they were going?"

'Caw, caw! Caw, caw, caw!' Of course! I followed 'em didn't I!

"Alright. Good job. So first thing in the morning, you're leading me to them."

'Caw! Caw, caw.' Yep! Hope I don't forget.

"Don't play like that Zeina." She cawed one last time. I smiled at her and petted her before I fell asleep and before she woke me again. This time she was angry at me because I didn't save her any scraps from the rabbit.

Please review! My fav part of this chapter was the end with the still nameless kid talking to his bird. (: What's your favorite part so far in the whole story or in this chapter?