Here we go, another chapter. Please enjoy.
Walking along I started to notice that the road looked more used and off in the distance I could see what looked like buildings over the plains. I also noticed an oddly bitter smell in the air and as I grew closer I started to realize the source of the smell. The fields around the town looked charred and in the distance I could see plumes of smoke that I guessed was not intentional. I could tell that this town has fallen on hard times and I wondered if perhaps I should move though this town and not bother them, then again I know I am running low on supplies and I needed to restock and see if anyone knew anything about this mysterious place that I was looking for.
As the first golden rays of twilight kissed the scattered clouds in the sky I stepped into the main square of the town I saw People off to the right standing around a smoldering building and it saddened me. I had noticed coming into town that there were maybe only 30 homes in the town and I could tell that it was a rather tight nit community so to think that even one of these people lost their home or business was a sad thought. Catching sight of a person nearby I called out, the young brunette turned to me and curiously stepped my direction.
"I'm sorry to bother you miss but is there a place where I can perhaps get a room for the night?"
"No sir not any more, I fear that the inn was burnt down just this morning. We only just got the fire to stop." The girl admitted with a frown, "though if you really need a place perhaps you should check with the constable. He should still be over by the inn; he is the one wearing blue."
Thanking her I turned and quietly started towards the inn only to find the constable walking my way. Squaring my shoulders I walked up to him and asked one more if he knew of a place that I could stay he tells me to talk to the stable owners. For nearly an hour I walk around from person to person trying to find a place to stay finally I walk to a little shack on the very edge of town and softly knock on the door, the sun had just set and the whole world was basked in a soft blue glow as the stars started to twinkle in the sky. It was a beautiful and made me even more sad that something was clearly terrorizing this town.
When the door of the shack opened I was greeted by a sweet old woman. She had a kind eye and invited me in before I could say anything. The inside of her house looked just as poor as the outside. It was a single room with a single cot off to one side and a warm fire in the hearth, herbs hung all over the house in various stages of being dried. She sat me down in one of the two chairs in the house and pressed a small bowl of soup into my hands. She then got herself a bowl and sat across from me.
"Thank you for this, I understand that your town has fallen on hard times."
"Please child, my door is always open to those that need help."
"Are you perhaps a healer?"
"I am child, my name is Jemma. My mother was the healer here long before me and her mother before that, it is a very long tradition that I am proud to carry on."
"That is amazing; do you travel a lot for your job?"
"I do, I am the only healer in the whole valley."
"Have you seen anything odd in the past few weeks? It would have been two or three weeks ago now."
"That depends on what you are looking for, odd things have been happening all the time here for the last few weeks."
"It would be something moving fast and probably with some ravens, the last I saw they were moving towards the west."
"No but in the past few weeks there have been a lot of ravens in the area. They will flock in groups of seven around buildings and fields that will mysteriously catch fire a few days later; it has brought about hard times for our little town."
"I see. I am very sorry to hear that." Internally I had a sinking feeling that it had something to do with the raven that I had brought to life, I made a mental note to try and write a story later to help them.
"So are you hunting this thing? You know the raven thing you had mentioned?"
"More or less, it took someone that was very important to me and I am trying to get her back."
"You must really love her then; it sounds like you have been on the road for quite some time. I knew a man like you a long time ago. He was a brave knight that used to look over this land. He used to always come into my cabin all beat up with wonderful tales of his latest adventures. I loved listening to him while I worked on his injuries. The places he spoke about were amazing. Kingdoms that could swallow this whole valley and more, riches that would make the wealthiest king jealous, fantastic beasts both big and small and when I asked him why he came back he would always say that of all the places he had seen this valley still contained the most beautiful thing. I liked to think he spoke of me but he had every girl in the village on his arm. I wanted to go to these places that he talked about but I was bound here by my job and over the years not once have I seen the sun set the same way over the mountains and I realized just how beautiful that really was." Jemma faded out clearly lost in thought for a moment, "just the stories of an old woman. Do you know anything else about where your love was headed or just west?"
"Before she was taken she told me that she was going to a place before the beginning and after the end. I have thought it over many times in my head but not once has it made sense to me, no such place exists."
"Before the beginning and after the end you say? That is a very curious place indeed, I may not know a place like that but the knight I once knew had told me of a place where the numbers of raven was so great that they blocked out the light of the sun on the brightest day. A place where the ground was covered so heavily in fallen feathers that the mountain was black as the soot in the fire place, he would always grow quiet then. I knew that something bad had happened there, something bad. He would say nothing more about it only that it laid North West of here, where the mountains met the valley and the springs bubble clear as a diamond. But do not be fooled for in beauty lies danger, I have only ever known one person who has traveled there and returned and that was only once. He ventured there again and that was the last time I saw him, nearly 30 years ago."
"She is worth the danger, I have faced a lot with her and I will do anything to get her back. Even if that means I have to travel through the deepest and darkest caves. I will not stop."
"You are very brave, just like a knight. What did you do before embarking on this adventure?"
"I was a dancer, a writer and some times when I thought I needed to be I was a knight. Not a good one, clearly. I lost the one person that means everything to me because of one foolish mistake."
"Yet now you race on blindly into the dark and scary world to save her. In my eyes that makes you a knight, and a pretty good one at that."
"Thank you Jemma," I finally said softly. I can't explain it but her words had warmed me and made me feel better about this. "Is there any way I can thank you for all your help?"
"Just get some rest and find your girl, and maybe stop by on your way back through. I would like to meet the girl that is special enough to call for this quest," Jemma said with a soft laugh and I happily agreed.
The two of us sat and talked for a time longer before she offered me the small cot in the room, I quickly declined and told her I would be more than happy just to lie down near the hearth. It was nice to be safe not only from the bitter cold and howling wind but also the animals that were out looking for a meal. It was the first peaceful sleep I had ha in quite some time and early in the morning just as the first rays of light flitted through the windows to bask the cabin in their warm glow I was started awake by a thunderous sound followed by a loud scream. Sitting up I could see Jemma was already on her feet looking out the window with a saddened look on her face.
"It has happened again, it never happens so soon after the first building burns." She muttered more to herself than me though she shifted to let me look out when I stepped to her side.
Out in the valley that I had thought was so peaceful there was a large fire burning across the field towards a farm house. Even from here I could see people trying to get horses and cows out through the thick smoke, the air held a panic in it that made even me want to rush in and help. I watched as in the center of the burning field a twister of bright orange flames began to build and I realized that this had to be controlled by something else, praying I wasn't too late I turned to Jemma and asked for a quill and paper.
As soon as I received the items I asked for I wrote as quickly as I could, as if it was my own life at steak from this fire. I could distantly hear Jemma gasp but I could not risk looking up and seeing why, I only hoped my writing was working. I called upon a change in the wind to steer the flames from the people and the farm house and with the wind a storm of pure rain to wet the ground and stop the fire. On the heels of the storm a force will arrive from the kingdom with much needed supplies to help fix what has been burnt and for Jemma for all of her service a new home with room enough for all she needs to do to care for the people of the valley it was my way of thanking her for helping me. It was so selfless that she had brought someone into her home with no questions when it was clear the whole town was struggling.
When the story was written I took a deep breath and looked up only to see Jemma watching me with wide eyes, "did you just write the fire away?"
"Yes, I guess you could say I have a gift." I said carefully as the quill in my hand started to glow and it turned gold.
"I think it's time you heard the story of the writer and the sparrow," Jemma said as she sank down in the chair next to me.