the-corvidae-know

[the-corvidae-know]

The man in the woods

The Stranger: Hey there newcomer, Come sit by the fire for a while. It's warm and bright. God knows what’s out in those woods tonight, eh? Please, sit, sit! There's plenty of room. My buddy Billy here won't bother ya'. He don't talk much, really. Hasn't for a while. I don't mind it though! I talk enough for the both of us, eh? How about we talk a little bit more. I ain't really feeling the old sandman comin' for me so why don't I tell ya' a story, to pass the time. Consider it an exchange for an actual conversation partner for once! Not to hate on you o'course, Billy my long time pal. But anyways, a story, right? Well… Here's something we done on the road here. We're from out west - round Wyoming. It's where my family's always lived but we started movin' east after our farm went south. South as in outa business because some folks didn't like our kinda business. Farms don't move on their own, yanno! Well, we was on the road for a few weeks - this was back when Billy was more talkative - and well - he dropped some book he was reading and it fell down into a ditch a ways away from our path. This was when we were still over in Wyoming. You ever been? Naw, I assume not. I'd know if someone like you was over in my part 'a Wyoming at least. Wonderful forests and we was right in the smack dab of it. So, I says he should go an' grab the book, seein' as it's his and he walks down real fast and I lose sight of him. I expect him to be quick but he don't come back. I call out for him. "Billy, Pal, where'd you go?", but he don't answer. I was getting a bit confused so I went down out in the ditch too. It was steeper than ida' originally guessed and I slipped and fell the rest of the way down. When I brushed off the dirt it was a hell of a lot darker than it had been up on the trail. I kept walking, calling for Billy all the time. Now I ain't one of those fools who gets scared by noises in the woods - I was just about raised in the woods yanno? So I keep walking and calling but I feel as if I'd been walking for hours before I give up and go silent. Instead of thumping and calling I slink in an outa' the trees. I know how to not make a sound movin' through the woods, specially when it's woods I know. I was thinkin' I oughtta think of it like I was hunting. I went hunting a lot back in the day. Me and my whole family would go out and come back with a great haul. But anyways, I'm looking for Billy and then I see a shakin' and a shudderin' in the trees a distance away. Then the sound of footsteps. Then the smell of a scared human. So, I start running towards him. Silent o' course - the first rule of hunting is to not startle your prey, yanno. So I approach the sounds, and praise the Lord, I find Billy there. Except Billy ain't doing too hot. He was laying on the ground, cowering and shaking. Yanno, the best thing to do when facing a wild animal is to play dead! But I guess Billy didn't know that because suddenly he starts screaming and crawling away from something out there. Of course I couldn't have that; who knows who'd hear him! So I grab him and teach him my best lesson on staying silent in the woods. Billy took to it real well. Spent the whole time back to the trail struggling with it but eventually I beat it into his thick head how it works, yanno. Well, we never did find that damn book, but after that Billy didn't feel much like reading or talkin' or doing just about anything anyway. So we've been keeping on moving. Yanno, you've been a good listener, I can feel the sun just about rising over in the east there. You do look awfully tired though. I can tell you're about to be dead on your feet! Feel free to take a rest around here if you want. No? You'll move on? All right pal. Well. Wishing you well. I think I'll go out and look for some breakfast. Maybe I'll see you around.

[the-corvidae-know]

Drabble 2

Prompt: “I can’t smile at you, I’m mad.”

The fire at their camp, which had still clung to some form of life when Faithful left, was now fed and happy, even this late at night. She internally groaned. Someone was up.

“Faithful, I can see you. The cover isn’t that dense.” A perturbed voice called out from the camp.

Niveus damn it. It was Tarius. The man was much more of a rule follower than Alastor and cared too much for Faithful’s safety than they would like. It was sweet when he doted, but get frustrating after a time.

She tried to pull on some modicum of innocence and pulled the package she had brought behind their back. “Oh hey, Tarius! How has your night been? Sorry if I woke you, I just had to use the little girl’s room. I’ll just be heading to bed now then-” As they were speaking, they slowly backed towards their tent, But in a few quick bounds, Tarius loomed over them and said, “You’ve been gone for almost an hour. And you’re covered in- what is this? Soot?”

He brushed a hand over her cheek, wiping away some of the soot there. That just made her want to leave more. Lately, they had been grasping to understand their feelings for Tarius. She had always thought of him as a good friend, but it had recently changed into something… other. And right now, in the middle of the night was certainly not the time to deal with those feelings.

“What have you got behind your back? It must be important if you went out at night to get it.” Tarius reached for the package as Faithful moved away, resulting in a little dance that ended with Faithful in a chokehold and the package in Tarius’s other hand. After releasing his friend with a “Sorry,” he removed the thin cloth concealing it.

It was a shining longsword with a golden guard and pommel, and deep green leather wrapped around the grip. While simple in its adornments, Anyone with half a brain could feel the magic emanating from it. Tarius held it in a reverential tone while Faithful quietly said,

“It’s for you! You broke your old sword, so I got you a new one.” While before they looked innocent, now they just looked guilty. While stealing wasn’t exactly against her moral code, she didn’t do it unless she absolutely had to.

In their defence, Tarius had looked crushed when he broke his sword. Apparently, it was his father’s. Swords were precious to Tarius and Tarius was precious to Faithful, so this made the most sense to her.

Neither of them said anything for a moment. Then Tarius spoke, sounding more confused than anything. “Where did you even get it?”

Faithful told Tarius how she went to the Smithy in the closest town to first try to purchase it. Quickly realizing they did not have enough money, they broke in. But since Dwarves need hardly any sleep, many were still up and bustling. They used their magic to put everyone asleep, turned off their fires so nothing burned, and grabbed the sword that emanated the most magical energy.

She hesitated a moment in the middle of her story but then continued to tell that while she had been leaving, She tripped not once, but twice over the dwarves she had put to sleep, and got covered in soot in the process.

Tarius and Faithful were smiling at the end of her story when Tarius suddenly stood up and frowned.

“No, I can’t smile at you, I’m mad. You can’t sneak out like that. You could get hurt or worse.” He looked into her eyes before letting out a tired sigh. Go to sleep. We’ll talk more in the morning.“

Faithful, not really that chastised, turned to head to go back to their tent.

“And I’m keeping the sword. Thanks, that was really great of you.”

And Faithful went to sleep smiling.

[the-corvidae-know]

Drabble 1

Prompt: "High heels do look good on you”

Even though Alastor was not excited about this plan, he could admit the dress did look fairly fetching. Or at least comfortable.

What would his family say, seeing him in such a dramatic ballgown? Helen would just laugh, and his father would probably die on the spot. It wasn’t a revealing dress, for it if was the plot would surely be given away. It covered his back and arms; the only part of him clearly visible were his neck and face, but even that was covered in a great deal of makeup.

If Helen would have laughed, it was nothing on the storm that erupted from Faithful upon seeing him.

“You- you look like some kind of pastry!” Faithful brushed an imaginary tear from their eye and continued. “Sorry, just pink is really not your colour is it?”

Ah yes. The dress was also bright pink with an abundance of bows decorating the skirt. “It was the only colour we could find that fit,” Alastor grumbled. It wasn’t his preferred outfit either. He told Faithful as much.

She replied, “No no, you really look quite dashing,” the look on her face said otherwise, “But it’s only for a few hours if all goes according to plan. Get in, pass along the information, and get out. Shouldn’t take that long.” She stood up from her chair to cross to the small desk where the letter Tarius had found lay, presumably to read it over once again.

Alastor wanted to keep the realm in peace as much as the next veteran soldier, but did it really require him to be covered in frou-frou and flounce around gossiping at a ball? The invitation they had stolen along with the compromising letter was for a Mr. William Shaden, A human man who was some kind of war hero. Alastor would never be able to pass for human in close quarters (He thought it was his elven eminence, but it was really the ears), so Tarius had taken up the mantle. Faithful, who actually was female, would have accompanied Tarius, but suspicious looks from townsfolk advised them to not bring them, lest their devilish features draw unwanted attention.

Though unwanted attention was sure to come wherever they went. Tarius stubbornly refused to wear something other than his savage land attire, a sign of barbarians all over the continent; and while all of them were scarred, Tarius had the most visible. Faithful mainly received confusion. People could not quite make sense of why one with infernal ancestry would wear holy vestments. Alastor himself, while the most civilized appearing, drew looks because elves were fairly rare on this continent (He was just half-elven, but that didn’t garner the same level of respect so he didn’t correct any assumptions).

He was really from across the sea, but he and his band had travelled around the world keeping peace and solving the gods’ cryptic riddles. In fact, all of them were from other continents than the one they were currently on.

Alastor was pulled out of his musings by the opening of the door. Tarius stepped out fully adorned, jacket, trousers, waistcoat and all. Now it was Alastor’s turn to laugh.

“I’ve never seen you in something so tight fitting, Tarius. Can you even breathe?” He knew it would be impossible to sit in his own monstrosity of an outfit, so he leaned on the wall and looked on.

Tarius sent him a glare. “At least I’m wearing proper shoes. What about you? No dainty slippers for our great warrior.”

Alastor gave him another once-over, noting Tarius’ own shoes clash with his outfit. (And if Faithful gave Tarius a once-over for a different reason, well, she had eyes, didn’t she)

“I was planning to go barefoot.” Alastor quipped. He had forgotten about shoes, but Niveus strike him down before he admit to forgetting anything.

“Actually,” Faithful began, “I grabbed a few pairs I thought might fit you back from the boutique.” With that, they pulled out two pairs of shoes. The first was very thin and had a pointed end. The second was a slightly higher two or three-inch heel. “As you can see, not many seemed your size.”

He tried the former with no avail, it simply did not fit. The latter wasn’t a perfect fit, but better than the first one, certainly. He stood up and quickly wobbled at the new stance.

“I am already tall enough without the added height. This just makes me look foolish. Also, I cannot fight in these.” He let out a disgruntled sigh as he tried to walk around the small inn room and find balance.

He was right of course. He was already taller than both of his companions, but now Tarius had to tilt his head a bit to meet Alastor’s eyes.

“It’s too late now - and we shouldn’t even be preparing for combat. No fighting this time. And for the record, I think high heels do look good on you.” Tarius gathered the invitation and held Alastor’s arm.

“Now lets go. We’ve got a party to crash.”

[the-corvidae-know]

The Jackdaw is Crowing

This is a side blog where I can post my writing without judgement. I'm Jack and I like to write.

Me posting fan fiction here is a slim possibility, but its possible. Mostly ill be posting short stories for competitions and about my pet project worlds.

Obligatory get the hell out of here if you suck disclaimer.