literature

Dark Wings, Dark Words

Deviation Actions

Published: Jan 31, 2016

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Literature Text

Finarel

Finarel was one hundred percent certain that there was a white raven roaming around the territory the last couple of days. The auburn pup knew them well, for they were very common in Teirm, the pack she was born. However, she had never seen a white one, and that was something that made her curiosity reach its limit. Besides, what were they even doing in Vale?

Brunhilda was still sleeping when Finarel got a glimpse of white feathers, the one she recognized to belong to the bird she had been looking for. If she went after them right now, it would be possible to catch them before they left the main den site, which was the perfect place to meet. The auburn pup got up, but, before leaving, she tunerd her gaze to face Brunhilda. Would she worry? Well, it was true that she wouldn't wander far from the den and she would be back soon, other than that, Brun had been lacking her sleep, it was a miracle that she could finally get some rest. There was definitely no need to wake her up. Or, at least, that's what the little pup had decided as she sneaked away from the dark brown wolf.

The heavy rain that poured during night was long gone, but its remains still could be seen in the muddy land. Finarel's tiny paws would sink in the clay and squishy sounds followed her as she tried to move through it. It did not seem to bother her, though, as her eyes were more interested in observing every place that they could meet as she walked, obviously searching for the one white raven."Where did you go?" She wondered, could it be that they were already gone?! How was that even possible? She would've certainly heard its wings flapping if they had flown away - if not seen them actually doing so.

Walking forward, she managed to reach a hill. It wasn't as big as a few hills that she had climbed before, but it sure would help her to find the white raven when she reached the top of it. She would be able to see waaay more than she was seeing right now! Without thinking twice, she climbed to its peak.

Or, at least, tried to, before her paws slipped and she rolled all her way down.

Thud.

With her head on the ground and her rear up to the skies, she hit something. At first she thought it was a tree, but the scent that hit her nose and filled in her lungs quickly warned her otherwise. Wolf.

"Oh, I'm sorry, sir." Ella said to the wolf whose soft, large paws held her in place. She rolled to the side and stood up, lifting her head to meet red eyes; completely oblivious to the fact that her fur was now covered in mud. "Guess I was waaaaay too distracted, you see. I saw a white raven around and I was really excited thinking about saying hello to them. Since, like, I've never seen a white raven before! But I guess I missed the chance, I can't find them anywhere!..." She paused, although her mouth was kept open as if she still had a lot to say. Silver eyes narrowed as she tilted her head to the sides, as if she had suddenly realized something important. "I don't think I've seen you before. Hi! I'm Finarel!" She finished, with a wide, innocent smile.

Rhaegan

Winter was unusually mild in this northern kingdom, and though snow fell frequently enough it seemed just as likely to rain despite the season. Rhaegan found this strange, and not a little frustrating. Snow he could hunt in, but slush? It bogged him down just as badly as it did the elk. The ravens teased him from the branches above each time he failed a hunt, and, finding their raucous caws insufferable, the Watchman had now made his way deeper into the valley where it was quiet.

Solitude was what he'd hoped to find. As had been so often the case of late, what Rhaegan desired and what he received were not the same things. He rounded with fangs bared as something large crashed through the undergrowth, only to find a juvenile tumbling down the slope over rock and root as through she'd forgotten how to use her own feet. Snarl shifting back into his customary scowl, Rhaegan rolled his eyes and raised a paw to help stopper her descent.

The whelp was covered in filth, but got to her feet quickly enough, at which point Rhaegan was content to turn and be on his way. But then she started talking. After so long being met with only suspicious glares and turned backs by the wolves of Vale, Finarel's excitement hit him like an avalanche. Taking half a step back, Rhae's words deserted him and when she finished, he stood in bewildered silence long enough to make the space between them uncomfortable.

Following the ravens? Saying 'hello'? Did the girl have any idea what was going on, at all? If not for her scent he would scarcely have believed Finarel a wolf of Vale.

Finally recovering himself, Rhae shook his head and replied,"Rhaegan, brother of the King..." There was little pride in his voice at the statement. But whatever he thought of Renier, their blood could not be denied. "You would be wise to avoid the ravens, girl, especially the white one." Having said all that seemed necessary to say, he started to turn and leave, but the peculiarity of Ella's friendliness perplexed him, and Rhaegan found himself hesitating. Tilting his head back, he asked gruffly, "Where are your parents, then?"

Finarel

Finarel did not seem to mind the silence that started to grow between them as she waited for a reply. She was far from being the best wolf at reading other's emotions and the fact that the male was surprised by her words went completely unnoticed. Well, notcompletely because she sure found it weird that it took him long enough to actually reply. It was like the cat had gotten his tongue... Maybe he was shy?

When he finally spoke, however, her forehead immedtiately frowned at his words. Not because he was the brother of the king. In fact, she paid little to no attention to that information, but the way he spoke about the ravens... What was the meaning behind it? Why would it be wise to avoid them? What a cruel way to trigger her curiosity! And, to make it worse, he started to turn as if he meant to walk away from her - as if he had nothing else to say. Without thinking twice, Finarel took a step forward, deciding that she was going to follow him through the valley to get the answers she needed... but then he stopped, and the question that followed his hesitation made the juvenile slightly confused. Why would he want to know about her parents?

"Eh, my parents? Do you mean... my real parents?" She asked, although she did not wait for a reply to continue. "I don't know. Mother didn't say much when she left me here. I think they are in Teir... OH! Maybe you're talking about Brunhilda? Brun is sleeping in our den, which is a miracle. I feel like she's been avoiding me lately." With that last comment, her foehead frowned again, and her gaze got lost somewhere behind Rhaegan, ignoring his presence for a moment.

A raven cawed in the distance, and the raspy sound was enough to bring Finarel back to reality, also working as a reminder of what the dark brown male had told her before. She glanced back at him and then rushed to his side. If he was going on a walk, then she was inviting herself to accompany him.

"But, Rhaegan! Why did you say that I should avoid the ravens?! I thought they were friendly birds! You see, there were sooo many of them where I used to live. Old Opal used to say that, as long as the ravens were with us, no harm would be done to the pack." She looked up for a moment, a relaxed smile resting on her face. "Why would here be any different?"

Rhaegan

Rhaegan's ears pricked at the distant cackle of the raven, his eyes narrow. Many of the carrion-eaters words were still a mystery to the Watchman, but Rhaegan considered it a matter of great importance to learn each call. Standing very still, he listened for any other sound in spite of Finarel's pestering. She made it difficult to concentrate. "Hush." The watchman demanded finally, in a sharp tone that invited no argument.

Only when he was certain they were alone did the rogue relax. Turning a grim gaze on the juvenile, Rhaegan studied her. Brunhilda's whelp? This he found surprising. Brunhilda had been a troublesome creature, insubordinate and uncouth. The youngling before Rhaegan could not be more different in demeanor. Shaking his head, the dark wolf answered, "Because this is Vale. Because those are Alar's ravens."

Innocent as she was, could the whelp even understand what that meant?

An eager tongue was perhaps the most dangerous thing to possess in Vale, and Finarel wagged hers with abandon. Vale's Lead Sentinel had been unaccounted for for some time now. Even the birds could not find her; Rhaegan had assumed Brun abandoned the territory. Whether intentionally or not, Finarel had provided valuable information on where to find the red warrior. And Brunhilda was known to be loyal to the old order. She was a potential threat to the King's kin, and her secrecy was highly suspicious. As a Watchman, it was Rhaegan's duty to investigate the threat.

He should convince Finarel to lead him to Brun's hideaway, or else follow her to it in secret. If Rhae's suspicions proved true and treachery was Brunhilda's aim, Renier would be pleased to know it. Maybe this would even bring back some semblance of kinship between the brothers. And imagining the look on Alar's face when the craven learned Rhaegan had done what the flock could not gave the rogue no small pleasure. Without invitation, Finarel followed him deeper into the woods, trusting as a fawn. It would be all too easy...

"The ravens are the Black Watch's eyes and ears. They bring death and deceit." And so do I... He thought grimly. Day by day Rhaegan struggled to hold on to the ideals he had once called Honour. Using a child to bring about the parent's ruin? Where was the pride in that? There is pride in protecting Shen, Wren... Rhaegan told himself, but the excuse felt hollow.

"Hasn't Brunhilda taught you these things?" He asked, as innocuously as he could.

Finarel

Finarel's brows furrowed at the word "hush" and she looked at him, warily. Took her a few seconds to realize that something had made him tense. "What is it?" she whispered, glancing in all directions, ears perked as she tried to find whatever it was that had made the male uneasy. His next words, however, were enough to bring her attention back to him.

For a moment, her countenance became one of an annoyed child. Him saying that this was Vale and that those were Alar's birds didn't say much to her. She didn't even know Alar. She knew who he was, for she had seen him before, and she also knew that he was one of those Black Watch wolves, but... so what? What was more to be said about him?

She let out a sigh.

"Hmm.. a bit. I don't really remember. As I said, she hasn't been around much." Truth was, even before the Lead Sentinel started to spend hours, even days, away, they wouldn't talk much about what was happening in Vale. Finarel knew that something was wrong, she had heard the adults talk a few times, and she had seem them behaving differently around those "Black Watch wolves", but, for the most part, it seemed like they were hiding it from her. Maybe trying to protect her? How silly.

But this wolf, Rhaegan, he didn't seem to mind if she was too young for that. Maybe if he kept talking...

"But hey! You could tell me, right? Seems like you know a lot about them! Those ravens and this Black Watch thing, I mean. If you explain all those things to me maybe I will understand why I should avoid the ravens. And why they bring death and deceit, as you say." She asked, an enormous, not-so-innocent grin appearing on her face. Yes, yes, it was perfect! There would be no better chance for her to finally understand what happened, and what was happening, in that pack.

Rhaegan

Paw-steps muffled by the mossy forest floor, Rhaegan glanced sideways at Finarel. He was reminded of his own puphood, and being forced to learn much of the ways of the world on his own. The ruddy juvenile beside him was far more naive, but even so the resemblance was an unsettling reminder of Rhae's own past.

With the flick of an ear, he gave a gruff 'hmph' in reply. It seemed a simple explanation could not be enough. Rhae supposed he should have expected the whelp to persist in her questioning. Explaining the true nature of the Black Watch would not be easy, no matter how attuned his senses, it was impossible to be sure whether unfriendly ears might be listening. Speaking the truth was too often a crime these days.

But she'd asked a fair question, even if a dangerous one. After a moment of thoughtful silence, he replied, "The Black Watch is sworn to protect the interests of the King. " Sworn. Above all else. "And it is the interest of the King to do away with any who displease him." Tilting his head, the dark wolf gave their surroundings a cursory glance and then frowned at Finarel, "It is not difficult to displease the King."

Rhaegan shook himself, running his tongue across the scar on his nose. "My brother is not a King willing to take chances. The suspicion of malcontent as serious a crime as open rebellion. And the ravens talk too much." Indeed Renier's rule was so merciless even Rhaegan curbed his tongue in the King's presence. Brother or not, Rhaegan knew that if Renier saw a threat in his kin no bond of blood would save Rhaegan from the King's wrath.

"The Aristocracy sees treason in every shadow, and ignorance will not protect you." It was as much a silent warning as an answer. Rhaegan was one of the Watch, too, though telling her that outright when she was his only lead to Brunhilda would be a betrayal of the greatest magnitude.

"You can trust no one, least of all the Watch."

Original skin by SimplySilent | BG from Burtn

Summary:
Finarel stumbles into Rhaegan who warns her about following the ravens. Curiosity piqued, Ella trails after Rhaegan hoping for an explanation, and unwittingly reveals to the Watchman that Brunhilda is acting suspiciously, and hiding somewhere in the territory. Without revealing that he is one of them, Rhaegan attempts to explain the dangers of living under the eye of the Black Watch.

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Shameless GoT reference :'D
I love Ella so much <3