Wildhafer Pt. 01: Young Love Ch. 01

A melody of sweet flute music rose from the small window of a stone manor house west of a small village and wheat fields. Through the open window was a bedroom with large rugs covering the stone floor. A short woman with an aging face and a tight bun covered in a laced shawl looked lazily towards identical twins playing on recorder-style flutes. The beautiful teenage girls had small electric blue eyes and long raven-black hair which was covered on top with a linen skull cap.

Each wore a full length dress covering nearly their entire body from chin to ankle and shoulder to wrist. One of the girls wore a gauzy light blue material over a dark blue dress beneath. The gauzy material was open at the sleeves beneath each shoulder, but the dark blue dress beneath covered her arms to her wrists and her legs down to her ankles. At the hem of the dress was a circular spiral design that was repeated about every three inches over the entire hem.

The other dress was very ornate and entirely white. The top was covered in a bodice tied in the back and covered in white on white paisley design with lace at the neck and waist. The sleeves were a bit puffed at the shoulders and tied with small white bows at the elbow and beneath the shoulder. The skirt section was wrapped in rows of elegant eyelet/lace design patterns.

"Quite good girls. You have mastered that one," said the old woman. The girls lowered their recorders. They had strings tied on the neck of the wooden instruments so that they could be worn like a necklace.

"May we take a break teacher? We want to go outside, it's so nice."

"You have earned a short rest, come back in half--"

The twins had already left, hand in hand, ignoring their teacher as they ran through the door and down the stairs. Next they went across the manor home, their sandals moving across the woven rushes that lined the floors. They snuck behind their mother who was busy instructing one of her servants as they entered the main kitchen.

"Careful!" said a woman who was preparing soup as they ran to a backdoor. The twins opened the door and entered a small garden covered in grass and wildflowers.

"Ally and Ady!" shouted a small female voice from the otherside of the garden, several hundred feet away, beneath a tree. "I found some sheep." The girl had an olive complexion and a small scar across her chin.

"Sarteina, shouldn't you be inside with our mother?" Adalla asked.

"She said she didn't need any help till after lunch," she replied with a smile. "Is that your wedding dress? Why are you wearing it?"

"Our Mother let us try it on this morning just to make sure it still fits," said Allora, the twin in the beautiful white dress. "But then she left when one of the servants asked for help."

"It's a bit of a walk, don't get it dirty."

"I'll be careful," Allora affirmed.

The twins had been holding hands since they ran out of the manor, and Sarteina grabbed Allora's other hand, tugging her into the woods. "Come on let's go."

The teenage girls ran across a path through bushes and trees until they reached a stream. They went carefully across damp stones to the other side.

"Is it much farther?" Allora asked.

"Not far," the girl replied.

It was only a few minutes more across the narrow path until the forest opened up to a large field. A herd of sheep could be seen in a nearby area of low and flat land. It took them about half an hour to get here.

"There they are," Sarteina said. The girls were eager to approach, amidst running to the herd. A figure on the far end of the animals was herding then along.

"So many sheep," Allora said.

"This one looks like uncle Deinmag," Sarteina said. The twins giggled.

"We should go back to continue our lesson," Adalla warned.

There were two black birds in the sky approaching. They looked like ravens. But when they got closer they seemed to get impossibly large. Each was bigger than a horse with huge wings.

Sarteina was the first to notice, pointing up towards them.

"Fareik! Those birds are big!"

Allora turned to Sarteina, chastising her.

"Sartie, you should not take in vain the name of--" Suddenly she felt a painful squeeze around her waist. She looked down and saw a giant black talon wrapped around her. "Fareik!" she shouted as the giant raven started flying away with her. The other raven had picked up a sheep which bleated loudly.

"Allora!" cried the young woman as her twin sister was carried away. She ran after her, but stopped after about 10 yards. Sarteina ran next to her.

"Adalla, we need to go back to the manor and tell your mother."

"Alright let's go."

They ran through the grass and to the trees. They were careful over the roots and rocks in the woods until they reached the stream. Although Adalla was scared and fearful of what had happened to her sister she couldn't keep up.

"Not so fast Sartie," she panted. She held her side. "The corset our mother makes us wear makes it so difficult to breathe," she explained.

"But you did say we had to hurry," she replied.

When they finally reached the manor, Adalla ran inside through the kitchen.

"What's wrong?" the cook asked, putting something in the oven. He was balding with short dark brown hair on the sides, a large nose and a short beard. He wore a gray smock and long brown tunic.

"Gerben, my mother? Where is she?" Adalla asked, hunched over, clutching her stomach and struggling to breathe.

"In her room I believe," he said with concern.

Adalla went through the main hall to a door at the far end. She opened the door and entered a bedroom.

"Adalla, I've told you before to knock," an older woman sitting on a chair said. Standing next to her were two women in dark brown clothing.

"I'm sorry mother, but Allora's been taken!" she said with urgency in her voice.

"What do you mean?"

Adalla bent down at her mother's feet. The other women around her looked a bit frightened.

"It was a giant black bird. It came out of the sky and took her away along with the sheep."

"Where were you?"

"Less than a league away. The meadow with the sheep herds," she cried.

The woman frowned.

"Now don't cry," she said. "We'll find your sister," she said.

***

High in the sky the two giant ravens were flying. Although they were similar, one was larger and had distinctive white markings on its head and neck. It looked like the feathers might be painted. Along the sides of the neck and head, the feathers were painted to indicate the bones underneath. Allora was clutched in one of the claws of the painted raven.

"Help!" she shouted. "Let me go!"

A screeching voice came from the giant bird. "Are you daft?"

"Oh my!" she exclaimed. "Why does everyone ask me that?"

"If I let you go, you would fall."

"Oh right," Allora conceded.

The air buffeted across the young woman's clothing and hair. The view was a bit frightening, the trees seemed so small below. They had flown to a small ridge of mountains and were following them East.

"How can you speak?" Allora shouted. Because of the wind she had to yell, but the raven's screeching voice easily cut through the whipping air.

"I have always been able to speak, flightless one. Do you want to know how I learned your language?"

"Yes!"

"I observed your kind below. I took one many years ago and he spoke much for my learning."

"Why did you come to capture me?"

"I'm teaching my son Sahvauje how to hunt. I thought you were a sheep because of your white trappings. And I don't see as well as I used to."

The bird turned it's head slightly and Allora saw that the left eye was faded white, apparently blind. It looked like an old wound, the skin cut vertically on either side of the eye.

"But meat is meat," the bird said grimly.

"Where are you flying with me?"

"I do wish you would be quiet!"

"I'm sorry."

"We'll be at the nest soon."

Allora opened her mouth to say something, but then closed it again. She appeared sullen.

They flew towards the highest mountain in the ridge. As they approached, Allora made out a dark spot in the side. Getting closer she could see that it was an opening, perhaps a cave, filled with branches along the bottom. Three large raven chicks, their feathers gray and downy, were chirping loudly as the giant flying birds began their descent.

"Aahh!" Allora cried as the giant raven holding her dropped her into the nest before landing beside her.

Then the other raven holding the sheep dropped it within the nest and landed.

Branches, about the width of Allora's wrist made up most of the nest. There were bits of feathers, bones, egg fragments, and bird scat strewn throughout. The sheep seemed somewhat stunned and was having trouble walking on the uneven surface.

The raven chicks kept their beaks up and chirped loudly. Allora crawled backwards over the branches until she was against the side of the cave, away from the chicks.

Now that the young maiden could see the largest raven's face, she noticed it had white feather pattern on the face that resembled a bird skull. It cawed loudly and the chicks stopped chirping for a second, but then they continued. Suddenly the raven bit down on the sheep's neck with a loud crunch. The animal gave one last bleat while its blood was spilt.

"Oh why did you kill it?" Allora asked with a shocked expression.

The raven used its mouth to bite at the sheep, breaking it into smaller chunks. Then the bird fed it to the chicks open and eager mouths.

"Oh," Allora said with fear in her voice. She tried to move further back, but the stone of the mountain was solid. When the meat of the sheep was gone the raven with the skull markings turned towards the young woman.

"Now it is time for you!" The raven said in its screeching voice. "I think I'll let my son finish you. He needs to learn how to kill."

Allora trembled as she heard the raven caw out sounds that sounded like words.

"Sahvawke, cawh haw auc!"

The other raven hunched over Allora as she shrank against the wall.

"Caw euk?" the raven's son replied.

"Oh!" Allora cried in shock with his loud shrieking voice. "Please don't eat me!" she cried. "I can't leave my sister behind. And I haven't even seen the cairn of King Uhgmaun of Deirkam the third yet. I've never touched the ocean or sand. I haven't been married yet! I want to have children of my own! And faries, I always wanted to meet one. And..." she continued listing things she hadn't done or experienced yet, her voice becoming more and more faint.

The smaller raven tilted his head to the side looking at Allora with puzzlement.

"Caw haw auc, Sahvawke!" shrieked the larger raven.

The smaller raven moved forward, opening its sharp beak.

"Caw!"

Allora closed her eyes and cried out, "No!

A moment passed and nothing happened. She opened one eye tentatively.

"Huh?"

She saw the raven passively looking down at her curiously, but not hungrily. The smaller male bird cawed out a bit quieter now. And his taller mother replied in her harsh cawing language.

"You did not eat me," Allora said with a smile.

"Although he's my oldest," the largest raven began, in her screeching voice, "Sahvawke has never eaten a human before. Or any live meat." She moved to the edge of the nest. "It's time he learned. I know what will change his mind." The giant raven moved to the edge of the nest, flapped its wings and flew up into the air.

Allora looked up into the sky as the mother raven soared away and smiled. "I can't believe she left." The young woman went to the side of the nest. There was a wall of branches without a gap to pass through. She started climbing up, the nearly five foot high nest. Because it was made of branches she could easily climb. But as she got about half way up her dress got caught on a sharp piece of wood and it tore before she was able to avoid it. "Ouch," she said, as another sharp stick jabbed her thigh. Despite a few scratches and a torn dress, she was able to get over the wall onto the other side.

The chicks seemed to be chirping louder when she got over the nest. Allora looked down and saw past the small ledge which she was standing, nearly a straight drop down into trees and rocks. She got a little dizzy seeing such a fall.

"Oh!"

There weren't any handholds to climb down and she was hundreds of feet up, maybe a thousand.

"I'm stuck here," she said hopelessly, grabbing one of the branches as she sat down on the ledge. She sat for a minute, hugging her knees. Then she noticed she still had her recorder around her neck. Around the top piece there was a ridge that had her name engraved in her native tongue of Deiru. She grabbed the recorder and placed it against her lips. She began playing the beautiful tune she had just learned this morning. It was long, but as she played the music it made her feel light as if she was somewhere else entirely. The chicks calmed down, becoming nearly silent behind her. When she finished, she stood with a smile.

"You're so quiet. Did you like my music?"

The chicks chirped in appreciation.

"CAW! Like maw mu! Sic?" the raven called Sahvawke replied.

"You speak Deiru too?"

"Spek too?"

"Of course I do," Allora replied with a small laugh.

"Cahs!" he crowed.

"I'm scared of what will happen when your mother returns. You won't eat me will you?"

"Nah eat' tho!" Sahvawke replied.

"Oh you are kind," she said with a smile. She reached up a tentative hand and pet the raven's shoulder. "But your mother is a terrible beast! If I stay she'll kill me for sure. I have to try to climb down."

Allora faced the nest and grabbed one of the branches while she lowered her foot down to a narrow crack. She felt confident that she might be able to go slowly down when suddenly Sahvawke cawed loudly, startling her and causing her to fall backwards into the air.

She screamed, the air suddenly causing her bonnet to be knocked off of her head as she fell backwards away from the cliff.

*

Meanwhile, her sister Adalla looked out of her bedroom window. Sarteina stood next to her. Her mother had sent Sarteina and a servant back to the field with the sheep. They didn't see any indication of Allora, but they did find a giant raven feather. They brought it back and showed the twins' mother. She was very surprised. Adalla had been in her room at her mother's insistence. When Sarteina had returned to the bedroom she had found Adalla staring out into the sky. She had been standing there for over an hour now.

"What's wrong?" Sathie asked.

"Well... you promise not to tell?" Adalla replied.

"Of course."

"I wanted to fly away. I prayed so hard and I think Fareik got Allora by mistake. It's my fault."

Sarteina thought for a moment before speaking.

"I don't think so. The giant bird picked up a sheep too."

"Maybe the sheep prayed too?" Adalla theorized, looking serious.

Sarteina stifled a laugh.

*

"Oh Fareik!" Allora screamed as she plummeted towards the base of the mountain. She was approaching the tops of the trees when suddenly she started going back up.

"Whaa?"

She felt her butt resting on the feathers of the raven as he flew her higher.

"Oh thank you Sahvawke!" She smiled and held on tightly to his feathers.

They started flying back up towards the mountain.

"No don't take me back to your nest, take me back to the sheep herd. The baa baa!"

Allora bent down her head by Sahvawke's and pointed in the direction she remembered them flying.

"That way," she said.

The giant raven turned and began flying in the direction she had indicated.

"Sahvawke!" A screeching voice called. It was the giant raven with the skull pattern on her feathers.

Allora turned her heard towards the voice, her hair whipping in the wind. The giant raven was flying towards them with a sheep in her talons.

The birds screeched at each other as if talking. Then the raven mother spoke in words that Allora could understand.

"Girl! How dare you bewitch my son. I will devour you for your treachery!"

"But I didn't do anything."

The raven drew closer to them.

"Die!" The bird screeched. The fierce raven snapped her beak at Allora's head. The young maid ducked just in time, flattening her body against her steed.

The mother raven sped in front of them and lowered as she maneuvered for position. Then she dropped the sheep and suddenly she shot straight up into Sahvawke using her powerful wings. It was a stunning blow. He tilted back and they began to fall. Allora held on tight as they picked up speed, gravity pulling them down in freefall.

"Wake up!" she shouted.

They continued to plummet, the trees seemed to be zooming up to meet them.

"Please wake up Sahvawke!"

His eyes suddenly opened and he began flapping his wings. He squawked and screeched in fright as he flapped above the trees, only a few feet away from the points of the pines.

"I can't believe it!" Allora exclaimed in relief.

Allora looked back and saw Sahvawke's mother closing in on them.

"She's catching up to us!"

He swerved around a tall tree to the left and his mother hit it directly with a crash, because of her blind left eye.

"That was close!" Allora said. "She hit hard."

They flew for quite a while before they saw the sheep down below. The herd had moved to the opposite side of the meadow from when they last saw them.

Sahvawke landed on the grass and Allora crawled off his back and stood next to him. He cocked his head to the side as she pet him.

"It's good to be back on the ground. Thank you."

"Caw?" He replied and tilted his head to the other side.

"What is it?" Allora asked.

The giant raven mother flew overhead, the sheep back in her talons, but battered and bloody. Sahvawke suddenly started flapping his wings and flew up into the sky after her.

"Wait!"

They flew next to each other as they went back into the distance.

"He still loves his mother after all that," Allora muttered to herself. "Oh! I better get home to mine."

She walked through the forest, across rocks on the stream and back along the faint footpath until she saw the back of her house. From there she entered the kitchen where she found the cook, Gerben cleaning up.

"Milady Allora! Your mother is worried for your safe return. Come with me."

He took her through the kitchen to the main hall. There they found the twins' mother sitting and eating along with her ladies-in-waiting.

"Milady Meikell. Allora just came from outside into the kitchen."

"Oh mother," Allora said with a smile.

"Thank Farleik you found her, Gerben. Let's get her-." she frowned. "Wait- come here," she told her daughter. Allora approached tentatively. Lady Meikell put her hand along Allora's dress where there were several rips.

"Take her to my room," she scowled. "And no dinner." Allora's expression collapsed into sadness.

"Yes milady."

Gerben put his hand gently on Allora's shoulder and walked her across the hall and to the door on the opposite side to the kitchen. From here they entered a stairwell and passed through to Lady Meikell's room.

"Wait here for your mother," he said.

Allora nodded, sitting at the edge of the large four post bed. She waited as best she could, but in all the excitement, and now the sudden boredom, she lay down on the edge of the bed and fell asleep. Allora woke when her mother entered.

"Allora, I'm disappointed. You should never wear your wedding dress outside. you should have never been so far from the manor."

"But-"

"Do not speak," Lady Meikell sighed heavily. "You will understand what I mean. you have forced my hand. Bend over the bed."

Allora lay with her front on the top of the bed and was bent at the waist, her rear, covered in skirts facing her mother. The older woman took a stick from a group of several in the corner. It was about the thickness of her finger. She went to Allora and pulled up the wedding dress and petticoats, revealing Allora's bare flesh. Allora was trembling, closing her eyes and gripping the duvet cover tightly as she waited for the first strike.