Chapter 2

Caw woke me up with a jolt.

I swore at the idiot bird, then heard a person tearing out of my room, dropping a bucket of water on the floor.

I so the back of Ron as he ran through the door and out of sight down that hall.

I looked over to see Caw looking at me with intent yellow eyes.

"Thank you." I finally said. Then got up and dressed. I must stop leaving my door unlocked. I went and closed and locked the door, then opened Caw's cage and set him on the bed. I wrapped him in a blanket so he wouldn't hurt himself and fed him stale bread that I had taken from the kitchen that night.

He ate little of the bread with his thin, curved beak, but enough for me to put down more.

I opened the window to let fresh air in, and changed.

By the time I was done the sun had shone her fingers over the horizon and the morning bells had rung.

I put Caw carefully back into the cage and locked the door.

Then made sure he had water with the medicine Daine had given me, and stuffed a few more pieces of bread into the cage.

I gathered up my books, finished what homework I had, and went off to breakfast.

I didn't eat in the mess like everyone else. I enjoyed a quiet meal with Rake out in the garden.

He was a chatter box, when it came to plants, and he was helping me commit to memory all the herbs and plants I would find in the forest I could live off of.

"And what can you eat that flowers?" he asked as I was nibbling a bread role. I thought for a second.

"The roots of Queen Anne's Lace. Garlic mustard sprouts, and, and-" I looked at him, but came up with the answer. "Dandy lion leaves." He nodded. Then continued to eat.

"And what if you get a cut? Or a gash in your leg?" he asked. I thought for a minute.

"Call for help?" I asked. He laughed.

"Lambs ear Alanna. Lambs ear." He grabbed the leaf from a near by plant that hugged low to the ground, and had many light colored fuzzy leaves. He handed it to me. "It grows as a weed here in the castle. But if you break it open you can smear the juice of the leaf on a sore to make it feel better, or a bug bite so it won't itch, or use the leaves whole for bandages." I took the leaf and felt the fuzziness of it to my face. It was soft, just like a lamb's ear.

I heard the bells chime so I gathered my books up and dishes and skimmed through the kitchen and out to the rest of the Pages.

The day was boring the staff fight and sword fighting went without incident, though against Ron's wishes. Twice he tried to strike me out of order. But twice I ballade him back.

When I got to my room Caw greeted me. I pulled him out of his cage and let him hop around the room.

He had eaten all the bread while I was gone, and the little from the water was gone. After replacing the water, and doing my homework I put him back in the cage.

I fell asleep and had fitful rest.

I woke up to have Caw's claws landing gently on my forehead. I still jerked awake. He jumped to the bed between my legs, and fixed his yellow eye on me. I must have left the cage door agar.

"Caw!" He croaked. I groaned and flopped back in bed, then stuffed the pillow over my head.

"Go back to bed you demon bird." I moaned. I felt him land on the small of my back.

"Caw!" He pecked at the blanket, it was to thick for his sharp beak. "Caw!" I grumbled ineludible words even for me.

"Caw!" he cried, jumping to the floor, in the direction of the door, and for a terrible moment I thought I had slept through the bells.

I jerked awake and looked at the window, thin cold rays of sun were starting to sparkle over the horizon.

Then the bells rang.

I cursed, louder then I wanted to, and threw my pillow in Caw's direction.

Then turned over as I was listening to the bells.

I worked my way out of bed slowly.

Cursing how much I hated that bird.

I would have to give him back to Daine, this wasn't working. As if hearing my thoughts he jumped up, fluttering his wings and landing on my head.

I cursed him again-I seemed to be cursing a lot.

He stayed there as I washed my face, hands and arms, then when I brushed my hair he hopped to the mirror, watched as I put on my tunic and trousers.

I heard the bells for breakfast and put Caw in the cage hurriedly, then, ran for breakfast.

When the lessons I had had finished their torture on me I did my homework with Rake and went back to my rooms.

Caw had gotten out of his cursed cage again. I made a point not to swear at the droppings and the ripped up feather pillow he left on me bed.

I cleaned up and went to the cage. I realized then that the lock was broken, I hadn't noticed it when I had put him in the cage earlier.

So I grabbed a bangle bracelet I had, and bent it around the lock as a replacement.

I fell asleep again and had fitful sleep.

Something about the woman who had died still haunted me.