Runaway

Cool dew misted across Raven’s face as she angled deeper into the hazy grey interior of the lazily drifting cloud.

A few more miles and she’d be well over Chasm Lake, far away from the watchful eyes in the Sabbran Fort that guarded this stretch of the eastern shore. Raven snorted and shook her snout, blowing away the cloud-water that had accumulated in her nostrils. It wasn’t that she feared reprisal from the wary and paranoid humans of that nation – she could outrun anything they might send to chase her away – she just wasn’t out for a leisurely flight over the Arvairian border this time. No, this time she was on a mission, one of great importance to her, and one that didn’t brook any distractions. 

She banked south-west as she broke out of the cloud, sighing as the warm, mid-day sun warmed her damp wings and scales. She’d been cloud-hopping for the better part of the last three hours – along Sabbré’s border with her homeland, the Red Savannah – so it was nice to feel the heat of the sun again. 

Raven looked down into the inky blue waters of Chasm Lake, the long and narrow inland sea that divided the two continents of Kindreth and Torin. She was nearing the middle of the impossibly deep waterbody and soon she’d cross into Arvairian territory. She was exhausted, but once she reached the other side she could rest, secure in the knowledge that the Arvairians at least wouldn’t try to shoot her on sight. 

Before long Raven crossed over the western shore and made for the line of towering hills that dotted the horizon not far beyond. There were only a few small human settlements in this part of the country, so she could have a long and much-needed nap before setting off again. She tilted her wings downward and dove towards the crest of one of the hills, alighting at the top amidst a rocky outcrop that was free of trees and bushes. Raven paced a couple circles before settling down with her leathery wings folded neatly and her long, spiny tail wrapped around her body and head. The sun had warmed the rocks nicely and Raven was asleep in moments.

Sometime later, her amber-flecked eyes popped open as she was pulled from her rest by a harsh racket coming from somewhere nearby. She climbed to her feet quickly and quietly and scanned the nearby forest with her wings flared, ready to carry her away at a moment’s notice. The deep, harsh cawing sound rang out again and Raven followed the sound north, to see two large shadows circling in the air not so far away. She relaxed – it was only a pair of king vultures, massive and formidable birds, but no threat to her.

Raven sat on her haunches and yawned as she looked up to check the position of the sun. It was past mid-day – if she wanted to make it to the Viper’s Tongue Mountains by nightfall she’d have to leave now. Her stomach growled, reminding her she’d have to catch a deer, or perhaps a mountain-goat or two, before night fell. She’d hardly eaten since leaving home several days ago. 

With one last cavernous yawn Raven stood up. She trotted down an open stretch of the hillside, spreading her wings wide as she did. When she’d built up enough speed she pushed off with all four legs and swept her wings downward, lifting a cloud of fallen leaves from the ground beneath her. She could feel the muscles in her chest heave as her mighty wings carried her higher and higher into the air with each beat. Any remaining sleepiness flew away as the wind whistled through her ears and she circled upwards into the sky, basking in the freedom of flight.

Raven leveled off high above the hills and forests and began to turn towards the far-off mountain range, where she would spend the night before continuing on to her final destination. But hardly had she done so when another noise, faint and distant below her, caught her attention. She tilted her head down, squinting toward the tangle of trees below her. She spotted one of the king vultures, turning a tight circle low over the forest, and could just barely make out its mate stalking along the ground beneath it.

Perhaps they’d found a wounded animal, Raven thought, as another cry rang out from beneath the trees. But a third, louder cry told her that wasn’t exactly the case. She caught a flash of movement at the same time and her keen eyes picked out the form of a human child running frantically through the forest. Raven gasped and began to dive but stopped herself just as quickly. She looked towards the south-west, remembering her mission. Every minute she wasted could send her quarry farther and farther away – was one little life really worth missing out on an opportunity for which she’d waited centuries?

Another yell reached out from below and Raven whipped her head back down to see the little girl run into a wide clearing, the grounded vulture hop-flapping along close behind her and the other circling lower towards her. The girl scrambled beneath a tumble of boulders, out of Raven’s sight, and the vultures alighted on top, peering under the narrow cracks. Raven growled and tilted her head away. Perhaps if the vultures couldn’t reach into her hiding spot they’d give up and leave her be. Perhaps there was no reason for her to get involved at all.

She shook her head and forced herself to turn away. But when a loud scream rang out again she barked out a puff of red flame and spun about, tilting into a steep dive. 

Raven plummeted like a diving falcon, her muscled bulk and clipped wings speeding her descent until she was screaming downwards like a black bolt from the heavens. Moments before she was level with the tree-line, she flared her wings to slow her momentum and let out a deafening roar. She passed low over the clearing, barely a few feet over the backs of the suddenly panicked vultures. They croaked and cawed up at her, puffing out their feathered manes and flaring their wings. Raven banked sharply and dropped into a hurried landing, snapping the tops off of several trees along the edge of the clearing before she touched down. Her mighty claws churned the dirt, bringing her to a skidding stop before the boulder pile and the hissing vultures.

The great grey birds snapped in her direction with their heavy curved beaks and beat their wings in anger, showing they wouldn’t be scared off their prey so easily. Raven snorted – annoyed, but also slightly impressed by their stubborn tenacity.

She stretched her neck towards them and let out a growl like a distant rock-slide, baring her dagger-sized fangs. The vultures hopped back slightly but still refused to flee, every now and then peering down into the little girl’s hiding spot.

Enough of this, Raven thought.

She lunged forward, letting out another mighty roar, this time allowing a gout of flame to accompany the deafening cry. She stopped a dozen feet from the now-scrambling vultures and pounded one massive clawed foot against the ground.

“Begone!” she snapped, swiping towards their tail-feathers as the horse-sized scavengers hopped away, struggling to get airborne. She barked out another puff of flame and glowered as they finally got some wind under them and flapped hastily over the tree-tops, still croaking in anger.

When they were out of sight Raven let out a long breath and dropped to her haunches. She craned her neck down to peek into the crevice beneath the boulder-tumble. 

“It’s safe now,” she said, taking care to speak as quietly and gently as possible. “You can come out, I won’t hurt you.”

Raven could just barely hear the girl breathing and knew from the scent of blood that she must be injured, but how badly she couldn’t tell.

“Are you hurt?” she asked. “Are your mother or father nearby?”

“No.”

Raven cocked her head to the side – the girl spoke quietly but her voice was strong enough that she doubted the child was badly hurt.

“What’s your name child?” she asked, dropping down to her stomach so that her head was as low to the ground as possible.

“I’m Vetra.”

Raven grunted, a Sabbran name, or Lumish perhaps, but the girl’s accent sounded Arvairian.

“It’s nice to meet you Vetra,” she said. “Now, I know I must look big and scary to you but I promise you’re safe. The vultures are gone and I have no desire to hurt you – quite the opposite.”

Raven heard the child shift.

“Are you a good dragon?”

Raven chuckled. 

“I like to think so.”

“Okay, I’ll come out.”

Raven shuffled back slightly as the girl crept out from a narrow crack in the rocks. Her eyes went wide for a moment when she realized this girl wasn’t human after all, but an elfkin child of striking appearance.

Her hair shone platinum and her eyes were silver streaked with lines of jet black. Her tunic and blouse looked expensive, if a little dirty, and she wore fine jewelry on her ears and wrists. Raven noted the gash across the little elfkin’s right shoulder and winced in sympathy – the poor thing couldn’t be more than six or seven years old.

“Does it hurt?” she asked softly.

Vetra, who had stopped to stare up at the dragon wide-eyed, shook her head – though even that simple moment caused her to wince in pain. She inhaled sharply but put a hand on the wound and let the breath back out slowly.

“Are you sure it doesn’t hurt?” Raven asked doubtfully.

Vetra shook her head emphatically. 

“Master Frek always says ‘don’t pay attention to flesh wounds until something can be done for them’.”

“Master Frek?”

“My sword teacher.”

Raven narrowed her eyes in confusion and she took a moment to look the girl over again. She was clearly from a wealthy family, but rich elfkin weren’t exactly a rarity in Arvair. Though to have a sword instructor at such a young age meant it was likely a dynasty of high standing and expectation. And that hair…

“Does your family live nearby, Vetra?” asked Raven.

“No,” said Vetra simply. She cocked her head to the side curiously, still staring at Raven in awe. “Do you eat people?”

“Never even once,” said Raven, drawing herself up haughtily. “And it’s rude to ask a dragon something like that, you know.” 

“Sorry.”

“It’s all right. Do your parents know you’re out here? Are you lost?”

Vetra averted her eyes and stared at the ground sheepishly.

“I’m not lost. Momma’s in Daemedra. She sent me to live at the lake house with my teachers until I’m old enough to go to the Academy.”

“And your father?” Raven pressed.

“Pappa lives in Kantle now, so I don’t get to see him,” said Vetra, a crestfallen expression crossing her face.

“Is your house nearby?”

Vetra nodded and pointed down the hill towards the lakeshore less than a mile away.

Raven grunted, if her guess was right then this girl’s family were some of the wealthiest and most powerful people on the continent. There was no way they’d allow one of their scions to wander the woods alone. She sighed and dropped down to lounge on her side.

“Would you like me to stay with you until your people come to find you?” she asked. 

Vetra hesitated for a moment, but then nodded thankfully. Raven grunted again and looked in the direction Vetra had indicated. With all the noise she’d made scaring off the vultures, this girl’s guardians were likely already on their way to investigate. All she had to do was wait until they arrived and she could be on her way again. She looked back to the elfkin girl, still somewhat curious.

“Why are you alone out here Vetra?” she asked, though she already suspected the answer.

Vetra’s gaze stayed locked on the ground. She twirled a lock of her long, well-groomed hair in one finger.

“I just wanted to see the forest,” she muttered, but then her eyes shot back up. “You’re a very pretty dragon. What’s your name?”

Raven’s tail flicked in surprise and she burst out into heartfelt laughter. 

“Thank you Vetra,” she laughed. “You’re very pretty too. My full name is a little long, but my human friends call me Raven.”

“You have human friends?”

“Yes, back in my homeland. And I have eyra friends, elfkin friends, and siska friends.”

“That’s a lot of friends.”

“Yes.”

“Momma says I don’t have time for friends. But… I wish I had lots like you.”

Raven nodded, eyeing the girl pityingly. She remembered the feeling.

Vetra sat down on a flat rock and rested her chin in her palm. “I – I want to go back to Daemedra and live with my big sister again.”

“Is that why you were running away?”

Vetra blushed. 

“I’m not a baby! I know Daemedra’s far. It took Master Egilint five whole days to bring me and my maid here even with magic.”

Raven perked up at the mention of a mage. Perhaps she should leave before this girl’s guardians arrive.

“Is this Master Egilint one of your teachers?”

Vetra nodded. 

“Yes, he’s the nicest. His classes are my favorite. I like them better than history and mathematics.”

She picked up a small rock and held it up towards Raven. Suddenly it was the dragon’s turn to stare in awe as the rock levitated a foot above Vetra’s palm. The girl let it hover a moment before dropping it back into her palm and shattering it to dust with a surge of white lightning. 

Raven’s jaw fell open.

“My spells weren’t strong enough to hurt those big birds though,” Vetra lamented.

Raven shook her head. She’d never heard of a child this young being able to cast spells at all, never mind having the mental strength required to use telekinetics or destruction magic! She gave a low growl of amazement – this little elfkin would be a force to be reckoned with when she grew up.

“Your mother must be very proud of you,” Raven said, gazing at the girl with genuine respect. 

“She’s not,” Vetra protested, her lips pursing into a pout. “All she ever says is I need to work harder. She’s mean.”

So I’ve heard, Raven thought but didn’t say. She couldn’t help but feel a kinship with this girl, given her situation.

“She’s ensured you’re well-educated at least.”

Vetra shook her head vehemently and looked up into Raven’s eyes. The dragon’s heart melted to see the poor girl’s silver orbs lined with tears. 

“She’s mean! She told me I need to replace auntie when I grow up, and I told her I don’t wanna do that. But she says said my big sister and big brother aren’t good enough, so it has to be me! But I don’t wanna stay here! I wanna go home! I hate momma!”

Raven watched as tears rolled down Vetra’s pale cheeks and splattered into the dusty dirt. She understood. But...

“Those aren’t words you should say lightly, little one.”

Vetra wiped her eyes. 

“But I mean it.”

“Are you afraid of her?”

“What?”

“Do you fear your mother?”

Vetra scrunched her face up in thought, and after a moment, began to shake her head slowly.

“Does she tell you she loves you?”

“Sometimes.”

“Do you believe her?”

Vetra bit her lip and shrugged. 

“I dunno…”

Raven sighed and snaked her neck down, laying her head close to the little elfkin.

“You’re very young Vetra,” she said. “And I can tell you’re a very smart girl, so I won’t pretend that what your mother is doing is good. But people aren’t always as bad – as mean – as they seem. And families can be complicated. Most mothers want only what’s best for their child – and in trying to do what’s best, some make mistakes they come to regret.”

“I don’t understand,” Vetra whispered, curling her knees up into her chest and wrapping herself into a little ball. Raven reached a single claw up and oh-so-carefully tapped her on the forehead.

“You’re too young for hate, little one. And too young to run away.”

“What should I do then?”

Raven led her gaze back down the hill.

“Endure. Learn. Grow strong. Very few little girls have the chance to learn as much as you could, it would be wise to take advantage of it. You’re already rather impressive. Keep going and I promise you one day you’ll be strong enough to forge your own path, to make friends and live freely, whether your mother wants you to or not. But most of all, give her the chance to realize her mistakes. If she doesn’t, and you do begin to fear her, then you will have the proper tools with which to defend yourself. But if she does, I hope that you will forgive her.”

Vetra nodded slowly and wiped away her tears. The two of them sat quietly for a while, but before long the elfkin girl spoke again.

“It’s just so lonely here.”

Raven grunted and nodded in agreement. There was nothing she could say or do to change that. 

Or was there?

“You know,” the black dragon began slowly. “I pass this way often. The countryside is beautiful, and I enjoy watching your people from afar. You have such vibrant cities…”

Vetra looked up at her curiously.

“So,” Raven went on. “How about from now on, every time I’m near, I’ll fly close to your house by the lake and look for you. And when you see me, you can shout my name. That way we’ll both know that a friend is nearby.”

Vetra’s silver eyes went wide and she sat up excitedly. 

“We can be friends?”

“If you want us to be.”

“I do!”

Raven laughed and held out a claw which Vetra took and hugged enthusiastically, pressing her face against the dragon’s smooth and glossy scales.

“Just make sure to tell your teachers I’m nice.”

“I will!”

Vetra sat back down and Raven was glad to see a wide smile plastered across her face. She sighed in relief, happy that she had listened to her heart and come to aid the sweet little thing. But Vetra’s smile only lasted a moment. The elfkin girl’s face scrunched up again as if she was thinking about something and she looked at the dragon curiously.

“Raven?”  

“Yes?”

“Were you afraid of your momma?”

Raven drew back in surprise at the question. She averted her gaze and couldn’t help but look to the south-west. That certainly wasn’t something she liked to talk about. But Vetra’s innocent and curious eyes tempered what would usually have been a fierce response. 

“I used to be terrified of her,” she admitted quietly.

“Was she mean?”

Raven closed her eyes and couldn’t stop her claws from flexing and digging deep furrows in the ground.

“Very much so, yes.”

“Does she eat people?”

Raven closed her eyes tighter, against the memories. The pain.

“She’s done a lot of very bad things.”

“Oh. Sorry, I forgot I shouldn’t ask that.”

“It’s all right.”

Raven opened her eyes again to see Vetra was still looking at her, her curiosity plain on her face.

“My mother is a very bad dragon who has hurt a lot of people,” she explained, laying her head back down beside the girl. “And she wanted me to be like her. So, when I was much younger than you, I ran away.”

“You told me running away was bad.”

“I know, and I wish I’d had another choice. But I didn’t.”

“Did you ever see her again?”

“I haven’t seen her for a very long time,” Raven closed her eyes again. “She lives in a place that I can never return to. And she doesn’t leave often.”

“If you do see her, will you forgive her?”

Raven growled quietly, thoughtfully, and met Vetra’s eyes.

“We may never meet again, no matter how much I may want that.”

The pair were quiet for another long while, but then Vetra hopped up off her rock and placed a tiny hand on Raven’s snout. 

“I’m glad you’re not like your momma, Raven,” she said.

“Me too, little one,” said Raven, leaning into Vetra’s hand and allowing the tiny pin-prick of warmth it held to spread through the entirety of her mighty body. 

Several minutes passed in soft silence, until the sound of galloping horses reached Raven’s ears. She lifted her head and craned her neck in the direction the noise was coming from. It sounded like a large force.

“Your people are close,” she said, looking down to Vetra.

“You can see them?”

“I can hear them.”

“You have good hearing, I just hear birds.”

Raven chuckled as she stretched and climbed to her feet.

“It would be best if I left before they got here,” she said. “But I’ll watch and make sure they find you.”

“Okay,” said Vetra, her expression crestfallen.

Raven craned her neck down one last time and brushed the girl with her snout.

“Remember what I told you,” she said quietly. “Be strong.” 

Then Raven reared up and flared her massive black wings. She smiled as Vetra marveled at the white, star-like speckles that decorated them – and which gave the dragon her full, much longer name.

“Watch the skies for me, my friend! We'll meet again, I promise!”

With that Raven turned about and leapt into the air, her wings – looking like twin tapestries of the night sky – churned the wind and carried her up and over the forest. She circled high into the sky, higher than arrows or spells could reach, all the while keeping a watchful eye pointed downward at the little elfkin girl who stood in the clearing, waving goodbye.

It wasn’t long before a line of soldiers on armored war-stallions rode into the clearing – the sunlight glinting off of their polished spear-points. Raven nodded in satisfaction as Vetra turned and ran towards them, though her smiling face and one of her slender hands were still pointing up, towards the sky.

Raven turned a joyful barrel-roll and blew forth a jet of red and orange flame in farewell. Then she banked south-west and flew hard for the mountains. 

As she flew, her mind lingered on Vetra and the questions the little girl had asked of her mother. Of her past. She couldn’t believe the coincidence of it, but she was thankful for the time to reflect, and the perspective of an innocent.

Then Raven’s mind drifted back to her mission. Her responsibility. Her shame.

Her mother. 

The rumors that had reached the Red Savannah placed her on an island in the Shattered Sea. If they were true, it was the first time Scarlet had left Corspeak in decades. But how long would she stay there?

Raven growled and forced her wings to beat faster as Vetra’s voice played in her mind once again.

Will you forgive her?

The question echoed over and over again. As she considered the answer, Raven felt fire well up in the back of her throat, and her claws flexed in grim determination. A puff of angry red flames streamed out from between the black dragon’s bared fangs.

“Never.”