The Talking Gargoyle Part 4

Lona was over joy being on top of the doe with Ariana. They rode beside Raven searching for the white church, but every church they came up too had no idea what the child was talking about, and it was starting to get on Raven’s nerves. They have been roaming around the city for the last few hours with nowhere in mind to go, and the Knight wanted to get home, not help this lost child.

                Ariana was smiling from ear to ear with the child no matter what they were doing, and Raven couldn’t help but notice it. She couldn’t help but laugh with Lona or joke with her or be in awe with her as they walked around the city.

                Raven wondered why a thief like Ariana was so happy with this child, but it was a question for another time.

                “Look, one is missing,” Lona said pointing to the top of the church, and they all looked up to the line of gargoyles, but there was one missing. “I hope it’s safe.”

                “Me too,” Ariana said dropping down from the doe and helping Lona down as well.

                “I like them,” she said.

                “The gargoyles?” Ariana asked.

                “Yeah, they are neat looking,” Lona said. “Do you know who makes them?”

                “That I do not,” Ariana said as they headed for the door of the church and Raven followed behind them.

                He smirked at them talking and thought the gargoyles were “neat.” He wondered who as well made them, they looked old, but the artist of those gargoyles was lost to the history books. Maybe, it was a sad state of fairs for the artist, but at least his work is still seen by so many eyes.

                Does the name matter? Raven asked himself.

                They all stopped in front of the white doors of the church, and Raven asked, “Do these look familiar?”

                Lona shrugged a little and said, “I don’t know.”

                “Let’s go in,” Ariana said trying to open the door, but it was locked. She stepped back shocked by the door and frown. “That can’t be a good sign.”

                Raven smirked at her stepping to the door and knocking on it. “We’ll wait.” And wait they did for almost an hour. Raven knocked a few more times, and then they ended up sitting on the steps waiting for the doors to open.

                Raven and Ariana watched Lona play with the war buck and doe keeping them entertained for a while giving Raven the time to ask Ariana a few questions.

                “I always wanted a family,” she said keeping her eyes on Lona.

                “Then why not find someone?” Raven asked.

                “It’s kind of hard for a thief,” she said. “I had to make sure I can make to the next day before I could even think about children. Maybe one day, you know.”

                Raven nodded understanding what she was saying. She wasn’t in a place for a family. She had too many hardships going on in her life to bring someone else into all of it.

                “What about you?” Ariana asked.

                “Do I want a family?” He asked as she shook her head yes. “Maybe, one day, I don’t know. I haven’t thought about it.”

                “Ever been in love?” She asked with a smile knowing the past was normally a topic Raven would go near.

                “No,” Raven said, “not real love.”

                “Oh,” Ariana said a little shock he said the truth to her.

                “You?”

                “I’ve had my heart broken a few times,” she said with a light shrug, “but real love -whatever does that mean �" no.”

                Suddenly, an old squirrel with a long white beard knotted like the Mountain Clans walked up to them growling at them. Lona quickly dashed from him back over to Raven and Ariana as she hides behind Ariana. Raven rose to his feet stepping close to the old squirrel with dark brown eyes.

                “Hello,” Raven said studying him, seeing the white beard, like the one Lona said the Spellcrafter had but he couldn’t find any magic markings on his body. “What can we do for you, sir?”

                “Nothing,” the squirrel said, “what are you going in front of my church?”

                “You are the Father of this church?” Ariana asked.

                “I was,” he said, “but the church was closed.”

                Raven looked back at Ariana not sure how a church was shut down and then back to the squirrel. “How did that happen?”

                “With a lot of pain,” the ex-father said. “Now, why are you outside of it?”

                “We are trying to find her home,” Ariana said pointing at Lona. “She said she it’s near a white church.”

                “There are no white churches in the city,” the squirrel said. “Not like those in Whispering Oaks.”

                “None?” Raven asked.

                “Not a one,” the squirrel said.

                Raven dropped his shoulders along with his head hating that they wasted half of the day on nothing. When he glanced back up, he saw the squirrel’s eyes trying not to look at Lona. He was actively looking away from her.

                “Do you know her?” Raven asked him.

                The squirrel turned to stare right at Lona who backed away from the gaze. “I can’t say I do,” he said, “but I can ask around for a lost child if you like.”

                “Squirrels still trust you?” Ariana asked and saw the shock on his face. “Sorry, I didn’t mean it to come out like that.”

                “What she is trying to say,” Raven said, “do squirrels still see you as the church father?”

                “I know what she meant,” he snapped. “I might have lost my church, but I didn’t lose my faith.”

                “I didn’t mean any disrespect, Father,” Ariana said softly.

                “It is fine, child,” the squirrel said. “Would you like me to ask around?”

                “If you don’t mind, Father,” Raven said with a nod. “What is your name?”

                “You can call me Zeal,” he said holding out his paw to Raven.

Raven took it and said, “Nice to meet you Father Zeal. We will be at the Ghost Corpse Traven if you need to find us.”