The Talking Gargoyle Part 5

Night had fallen over the city and Lona was tightly strung in the bed fast to sleep while Raven stood by the window looking out on the street. He made sure the darkness hid him, an old habit he picked up years ago from a Hunter; stayed in the shadow of the window but still be able to look at it. He watched the few squirrels roam by thinking what to do next with this lost child.

                “Do you trust Father Zeal?” Ariana asked. “He did have a white beard, and Lona was scared of him.”

                “It seems like Lona is scared of a lot of squirrels,” Raven mumble. “But, no, I don’t trust him.” Which is why they were not sleeping and keeping an eye out of the window. They went back to the Traven like they said they would, but they wanted to set a trap for father and stayed in a different room than before under different names.

                “How does a church close?” Ariana asked. “Never heard of such a thing.”

                “The ground much has been desecrated,” Raven said, “it’s the only way.”

                “But how?”

                “That I do not know,” Raven said looking back at the sleeping Lona. She was happy in her dreamland and wore the smile of a great dream.

                “You are not too mad at me for pulling us into this?” Ariana asked.

                Raven turned to look at her as she was staring right at him. “Not too mad,” Raven said, “I did pull you into the Guild.”

                “You did.”

                “And if I found her,” Raven said with a sighed, “I would have done the same thing.”

                “You wouldn’t take her to the City Guard?” Ariana asked with a smirk.

                “Half of them are useless,” Raven said, “and the other half are paid off in this town.”

                “So, what do we do now?” Ariana asked. “Wait for the Father to help us or to send his cutthroats?”

                Raven shrugged and told her, “It’s all we can do.”

                “It’s a bad plan, you know, that right?” Ariana said.

                “Very bad,” Raven agreed.

                Ariana smiled, but the smiled quickly dropped as Lona shot out of bed screaming about how everything hurt. She fell on the floor crying in pain, and Ariana got to her before Raven could get to her, more out of a motherly instinct than anything else.

                She grabbed the child asking, “What is wrong?” But the pain wouldn’t let Lona speak through her tears. All she could do was lift her arms where the magic markings were swirling, but they seem to be creaking like stone, and it seems very painfully. Ariana's eyes were full of tears looking back at Raven, who had no idea what to do.

                Ariana petted Loan staring hard at the creaking happening on her arms and then as quickly as it came it was over. The scream was over, and Lona was sleeping from the pain, it was too much for her take otherwise. Ariana picked her up and set her back in the bed with tears rolling down her cheeks.

                Raven stood at the bed as Ariana backed away still seeing the creaks in her arm. Either one of them said a thing for a while, and Ariana couldn’t stop crying. Before Raven knew it, he was holding her from the tears.

                “What is wrong with her?” Ariana asked.

                “I have no idea,” Raven said. He held her for a little while until Ariana laid beside Lona holding her until the thief fell asleep. Raven shocked by the worry and pain in his own heart and found himself heading downstairs to grab some ale.

                He down the ale quickly as the Keeper stared at him. “What was all that about?” the Keeper asked pointing up to the ceiling.

                “I don’t know,” Raven said. “The child has magic markings -”

                “I have seen,” the Keeper said with a nod.

                “They are creaking,” the Knight said drinking some more ale.

                “Creaking?” the Keeper asked.

                “Like stone,” he said. “What does that mean?”

                “By the Angels,” the Keeper said, “I have no idea.”

                “Can I get another one,” Raven asked, and the Keeper nodded giving it to him for free. He drank it putting his paw into his face fearful there was nothing they could do for Lona. Was this sickness going to get worst? Was it going to kill her? He didn’t know, but he had to find the answer.

“Are there any Healers around?” Raven asked.

                “I know a few,” the Keeper said, “but are you are going to need a magical one.”

                “Yes, I will,” Raven said finishing off his ale. He set down the cup hearing boots above his head and then a loud crash. He jumped from his stool rushing up to room kicking the door open seeing a hooded squirrel with a dagger in his paw while Ariana was protecting Lona across the room.

                Raven huffed seeing his sword in her paw, but it was duller than a butter knife. She was determined to kill the assassin who came through the window, but the dull sword wouldn’t help at all.

                “Give me the girl,” the assassin ordered.

                “Over mine dead body,” Ariana said as Raven jumped between them.

                The assassin was a little annoyed the Knight was now in the room as Raven reached for his sword. He grinned telling Raven, “You going to hurt me with that thing?”

                But when Raven took the hilt of the sword the blade flashed into a perfect steel weapon, ready and willing to cut through anything. The assassin was a little shocked at the magical weapon.

                “Let’s try it,” Raven growled at him.

                The assassin frown looking at the Knight and the Thief seeing he couldn’t win this battle.

“You’re lucky I was ordered not to kill you,” the assassin said before he dashed back out the window into the night. Everyone let out the air being held in their lungs as Raven turned to Ariana.

                “You touch my sword,” he said.

                “Oh, come on,” Ariana moaned, “it was beside the bed.”

                “You can’t use it,” he said.

                “I know that, but I wasn’t thinking clearly,” Ariana said narrowing her eyes at him.

                “Whatever,” Raven said. “Are you okay?” he asked Lona looking down at her.

                “I am now,” she said smiling back up at him.