Fable - Ask Silver and Gold, Worth Feathers Untold

[Lorinna Astarel]

"Steel," he hissed. "Fire," it clacked. Shook a quick shake. "Not welcome here,"

Lori silently reminded herself that they had not come here to be truly tested. They had come to learn from the experienced knights. Yet here she was, trying to negotiate with a three-headed raven.

She took her hands far from her sword, crossing them over her chest. She took a half step to put herself in front of Marannie again.

"We would not have brought steel..."

She glanced over her shoulder. Her gaze slid off the mist like water off a stone. There was nothing to focus on. Lori quickly returned her gaze to the unpredictable three-headed raven.

"...and fire if we had not been concerned."

She set her hands back at her sides and offered a slight bow. If it was a gesture the heads could do to one another then she could mirror it.

After all, a prince ranked far above a Baron's daughter.

"We've come because our friend was taken. Taken here. I would be grateful if..."

"Marannie!" the choice was high and shrill and came from above.

"Rhidghast!" she called back, darting back out from behind Lorinna again.

 

[Hector]

At Lorinna's first words, the three headed prince bristled. Center-most cocked, as it showed its spade beak. Left-most rosed with curiosity, and the Right- most clattered its beak. All seemed eased, when the young noble gave her bow. The right with a shake, the left with a squak, and the center with a bob.

Almost approval.

Korvo's heads listened. Intent to understand as their dark eyes gleamed, and their sharp mouths gave a staccato of clacks.

But the parlay was interrupted.

"Marannie!" the voice was high and shrill and came from above.

"Rhidghast!" she called back, darting back out from behind Lorinna again.

A flurry of feathers, as a darksome shape swooped down from the branches above. A fan and turn, swirl and twist as the mantle of ebon plums whirled just above the forest floor, a vortex that slowed towards Marannie, gathered in on itself, and from the feathered bundle was pulled a boy. Ebon haired, and dark gentle eyes.

He glid for a stride or two. Taloned feet scratched at the floor, and he short hopped, skipped to embrace young Marannie, with wide arms, and a strong squeeze.

Korvo's six eyes glared. And his three heads shrieked. Feathers raised in a puff. "Rhidghast!" They sounded, unified in their disapproval. He swelled up, all chest and throat. The right head lunged and pecked, the left head shook side to side, whilst the center glared down its long beak. "Why?" left. "Why?!" Right. "Why do you do this?" Center asked. "A mockery," Left squawked. "A shame," right crooked. "A joke, is it?" the center asked. Anger, mixed with the mildest amusement.

From the near distance, where the veil of mists thinned. The snap of twigs, the soft crunch of leaves, and a figure ducked into view, just beneath a branch that would have otherwise given him a smack. It was Hector, cautious as he slunk forward, his eyes turned from the branch toward the scene, and widened at the site as he straightened up.

 

[Lorinna Astarel]

Lorinna placed her left hand behind her own back towards Hector. She gave a single gesture with that hand. Her palm waving down towards the ground.

Calm

Another giant raven and the scene was chaotic once more.

"Korvo," replied Rhidghast. One long leg that ended in a four-fingered claw drew them ahead of Marannie.

"I come because she is here," he said plainly.

Lorinna stayed still. This one seemed to have a more direct focus. Perhaps one head was better than three.

"Prince Korvo," Lorinna called out. "I would be grateful if you could tell us if you knew where our friend is. They were brought here."

 

[Hector]

Calm.

Right. Easy. Calm. He could do calm. Though the way the three headed prince glared at him. Eyes narrowed and beaks pointed together in unity.

One head clattered, whilst another croaked, and the center most shook its beak back and forth as its feathers floofed. "Pah! Pah!"

A taloned hand twitched toward the leafed branch at his hip. Fingers flexed and flared, but did not clutch about the handle as Hector stood in the distance.

"Your friend?" the center most head rasped out. Turned away with a snap, and flutter of his cloak. "Your friend," the beaks clattered and clacked, and a taloned hand was raised, pointed due east, and the mists parted in its wake. "Rests at the heart of Mirewind Manor," One head peaked over broad shoulder. "But you will not be permitted to enter," snapped its beak. "Not until you right the wrong born from flame,"

Hector shrunk back.

 

[Lorinna Astarel]

Lorinna held her ground, feet planted even as she mentally reeled. She resisted looking over her shoulder at Hector.

Righting the wrong could entail almost anything. She didn't want to spend too much time thinking about which of those might involve demands for Hector to be punished.

There was clearly a magic to the place. Subtle, the kind she couldn't overcome with brute force.

"How do you want us to write this wrong?" She asked.

There seemed to be nothing else to do but ask at this point. Then it was either force or seeing if Marannie and her friend could negotiate.

 

[Hector]

A squawk. Prickly with irritation. "How does one mend the flame kissed?" one of the heads mocked. "If a forest burns, what is there to take its place?" another called. "Ash," one snapped. "Waste!" the right horked. The center most bristled. Korvo paced toward the portal in the mist, the clear path. "You must ask that corhuk," one of the heads asked, as they all peered over their shoulder, three hooked beaks and their shiny eyes gleamed as they fixed themselves upon Hector. "The one he burned,"

Hector felt his stomach drop. Still, his hands tightened as he took a step forward. "I will see to it!"

Korvo turned to screech and cry, his three heads a-snap with fury as he strode forward with long steps. "See to it!" they mocked. "See to it!"

Quick steps saw small body dart between them. "Brother!" Rhidgast called out, his human hands up and wide. "Calm, please!" he fanned.

Hector stood wide eyed. His heart quick, but he did not take back a step. A nudge at his side.

"They hold grudges," Marannie whispered to the elf.

"I can see that," he said through a nervous smile.

"Rhidgast," Korvo sneered, and shook. "You said you were here because she was here,"

"And she cares about them," he said easily with a nod.

"Kah," Korvo sounded. Turned again with a snap of his cloak, and marched through the clearing in the mist. "I have told you what needs be done," he said more clearly. "Do not make me regret this," A short hop skip bound turned to a bound clear. Cloak to wings and tail feathers, and Korvo took flight as a great raven. Three headed and monstrously large.

Still, not a branch broke at his ascent.

 

[Lorinna Astarel]

Lorinna waited until the air had settled around them. For the dust, leaves and detritus to fall back to the soil.

She turned slowly to consider the three people she found herself with. Hector, who she would trust with her life without a thought. Then Marannie, a girl she still didn't understand. And then Rhidghast, the raven-boy creature who had come here for the human girl.

Lorinna's eyes fell upon him.

"What are we walking into, Rhidgast?" She asked clearly.

He turned one eye to Marannie and then back to Lorinna. A strangely avian characteristic on his new features.

"You can tell her," she said quietly.

"Using fire against one of our kind is... Worse than using iron. It is as my brother says. The one sighted has a right to retribution."

 

[Hector]

Hector grit his teeth. Felt his whole stomach turn to pit, and his brow stiffen.

Marannie frowned. But nod as she stepped between them. "But," there was a worried hope in her breath, her eyes on Hector, and then Lorinna. "We don't know what will be asked, not yet,"

Rhidgast set one eye onto Hector with a tick of his head. "A small miracle Korvo did not set the unkindness upon you, really," something like a smile played across his lips.

Hector's brow scrunched, and he half smirked himself. "No doubt thanks to you," he turned his eye back to Lorinna, full with a warm shimmer of hope "And you,"

Rhidgast croaked a small laugh as he hopped forward. "More so me," he said with a hint of pride. Head turned to Marannie, and his smile widened. "And Marannie," he bade they follow, and strut toward the open path, dappled by silvery sunlight, and the shade of long branches, and big leaves. "And now me again, to make sure you don't get lost,"

Marannie turned toward Rhidgast, scrunched brow and pouty. "I could have guided them!"

Rhidgast croaked a laugh, and the sound of their talk grew steps more distant.

Hector stepped to Lorinna, slow with a tender look in his eye. "None of this makes much sense, does it?" he said with a small laugh. Cast a look out to the other two, still striding toward the mistless way, "And still makes sense all the same,"