~*~
“Walnut
Keepers!” Roan’s deep voice rumbled across The Commons. “Stand
fast. Let loose your fear. The crows are nearly upon us, and you must
fight with your very soul or die!”
Every
hair of every creature stood on end at these words. This was their
time. This was their moment to make a difference in the world.
Ash
stood fast on the king’s balcony and gripped his spear tightly,
scanning the bits of sky visible between the leaves. Just inside the
tree, Sky had crept up to the opening of the King’s Chamber to peer
out.
“The
time has come, old friend,” he said quietly to Ash.
He
started at the sound of Sky’s voice. “What do you mean, young
prince?” It was odd to be called old
friend
by someone so young.
The
heir of Evershade grew uncharacteristically sober. “You saved my
life many months ago, but it may have been for nothing. I may not
live through the night.”
“Nonsense,
young prince,” Ash said, managing a weak smile. “I am here to
guard you. Besides, if you die, who would be heir to the throne?”
A
loud caw sounded close by, and he was certain he could hear the
beating of wings.
“Get
back inside!” he hissed.
At
once, a flurry of black wings and shrieking cries filled the air. The
noise was maddening. A solitary crow wove its way through the canopy
to The Commons, its head turning left and right in search of an easy
target. It spied him and veered right sharply, gliding toward the
balcony. From nowhere, a dart zipped through the air, glancing off
the crow’s black beak and penetrating its eye. The crow gave a
shriek and tumbled clumsily forward onto the balcony, right onto
Ash's outstretched spear.
He
stood in place, horrified to find the black bird impaled on the end
of his weapon. A sickening pulse traveled the length of the wooden
shaft to his paws, and it was a moment before he realized the pulse
was the dying bird’s heartbeat. The young crow screamed and
stumbled backward, hitting the rail and falling over the side, the
spear still protruding from its chest. The bird landed with a
nauseating thud far below, where it flopped helplessly about on the
ground.
Petal
appeared on the steps below, paws clamped over her mouth in horror.
“It
was you?” he asked in wonderment.
She
nodded.
The
two leaned over the railing from their respective places and watched
with an equal mixture of awe and disgust as Mr. Barkwhistle waddled
over to the fallen crow and beat it to death with his strong, flat
tail.
~*~
"Season of Crows" is available on Amazon in both paperback and ebook formats.
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