The Talking Gargoyle Part 1

The City of Bree

Late in the Afternoon in the year of our Lord, 1435

 

“I don’t understand why you made me give it back,” Ariana Skykeepers said on top of her doe beside her new founded friend, Sir Raven Sunnight covered in his silver Knight armor being hidden by the Royal blue cloak of Whispering Oaks, on top of his war buck.

She frowned over at him as he glared back at the cheery fur squirrel who had a little bit of blonde mixed in her. She wore the Hunter’s Green cloak of Thornwood, but she was not from Thornwood, she just like the color. She became a friend of his but not so much by choice. She stole his sword and had to track her down to get it back. Raven wasn’t happy about it, and the feeling was shared between them both when the street gang Ariana worked with tried to kill them.

Raven saved her from meeting her end that night and the next thing he knew the little thief was joining the Lionheart Guild because of him. After she became a member, they were put together something Raven wasn’t sure he wanted to deal with because she was a thief.

“Because it was not your,” the black fur squirrel said. The tone of his fur matched his name, Raven, well except for the white tips of his pointed ears.

“I know that,” she said, “but I wanted it more than they did.”

“How so?” Raven asked looking down at her. He had his helmet resting in front of his while the thief beside him kept her hood covering her face.

“Then they wouldn’t make it so easy to steal,” Ariana told him.

“It was a wedding ring,” Raven said. “You took it off of her finger.”

“I know, right,” Ariana said with a big smile. “I’m getting better at yet.”

Raven sighed dropping his head and then looking up to the sky. “What did I do to make you mad at me? Is this my punishment?”

“Hey, it was your idea for me to join your little guild of good doer’s,” Ariana said. “I told you I’m no hero.”

“I know that,” Raven said looking back down at her. “But you don’t have to steal everything you like.”

“I’m thief what else do we do?” she asked.

“How about don’t steal things that could get me killed,” Raven said.

“Yeah, that Lady had no idea I did it,” Ariana said still smiling. “And I can’t believe she bought my lie that I was trying to show her how easy it was for a thief to take the ring.”

“I can’t either,” Raven said watching a few squirrels race by them in the city of Bree. The city wasn’t too far into the Seneh Forest or the Thorn Forest, but it was one of the poorer cities in the Realm. The Arcane war did nothing to help the city out, and Thornwood was still trying to pull itself out of the damaged caused by the war that ended twenty-two years ago. The Ants of Abaddon came rushing into the Realm from the Black Forest looking for any magic to devoured and Thornwood along with all its cities were the first to be hit.

Sadly, even back then Bree only had walls of wood and mud to stop any foes from attacking it. The walls did little to stop the ants, and they flooded over them quickly. Some parts of the city still held runes from the battles all those years ago.

Raven remember those dark days well. He fought in the war like all Knights did and lost many good friends as well. He was only twenty-one and just became a Knight when he was tossed into the fray. He quickly learned how to fight and how to remove himself from watching others died.

He wondered what Ariana was during the war, but she had to be seven when the ants came to the Realm.

“Where were in during the war?” He asked.

“In Whispering Oaks,” she said. “It was still scary.”

“Yes, it was,” he nodded.

“And you?” She asked. “Where was your station?”

“I fought in Winter Night Line,” he said coolly.

“Oh,” Ariana said. “Was it as bad as I heard?”

“Far worst,” Raven said.

“My grandfather was there,” she said looking down at her doe. A doe Raven now started to study, it was not the same one she rode before.

“Did you steal the Lord’s doe?” Raven asked her.

“Not the Lord’s doe,” Ariana said grinning up at him. “I think, it’s his grandchild’s doe. Although, I’m not sure which one.”

“What?” Raven shouted at her.

“What, I left him mine,” she said. “So, I didn’t steal it. It was more of a traded.”

Raven shook his head and said, “You are going to be the death of me.”

Ariana laughed and said, “I think you are asking too much of me, you know?”

“By the AllFather, I know that,” Raven said.

“Sorry, stealing in blood,” Ariana said.

He huffed but didn’t a say a word. They keep riding ahead trying to get to a Traven for the night. They didn’t want to be stuck outside in the dark. The city wasn’t known for its safety and Raven didn’t care to be in a fight tonight. All he wanted to do was drink some ale, smoke his pipe, and sit beside a warm fire for a while.

“I hope they are treating Cheery well,” Ariana said looking behind them now wishing she kept her own doe, but she couldn’t leave one like this just locked up in the pens. A doe needed to be free to run like a sword need to cut something. It what they were made for and Ariana wanted this doe to follow her dreams. Also, Ariana had never stolen a Royal deer before, so it was a win, win.

“I’m sure they turn her into glue by now,” Raven said with a smirk.

  Ariana smacked his arm but mostly hitting his armor hurting herself more than him. “Ouch,” she wined, and Raven burst out in deep laughter. 

Reviews

[Onlyme]

A wonderful piece of writing a good interesting tale. Don't apologies for being dyslexic you are who you are. Be proud of the fact you had the courage to do this type of thing. And you are good at it. More power to you.

[A.G.Adair]

Other than the odd spelling mistake its a very good piece of work. A creative twist on the norm. When Raven mentioned the Allfather it made me think of the squirrel that lived in the World Tree of Nordic mythology.

[CLCurrie]

Thank you so much and yeah, I'm working on getting better at my spelling but my dyslexia makes it hard. Again thank you.

[A.G.Adair]

Oops I should really read my reviews before I post them lol. As someone that also has dyslexia, I know how challenging it can be.