The Rabbit And The Raven Read online

  “Me too,” Abby replied. “How did he get here?”

  “Ravens have always had the uncanny ability to transcend the boundaries of our worlds, so long as a portal is open,” Eulalia explained.

  “So now that we restored one, he’s back in business,” Abby concluded.

  “It appears so,” Eulalia agreed, smiling.

  Brarn had joined Fergal and Nysa in sitting on top of the breakfast table. They communed as old friends, sharing the meal without needing to say anything at all.

  “I think I had a dream about you last night,” David said.

  Abby and David were sitting on an ornately carved wooden bench outside Eulalia’s chambers, waiting to meet with her for a discussion on dreamwalking. Eulalia thought it would be helpful for them to practice walking in their dreams together, in preparation for their upcoming journeys.

  “I don’t remember all of it,” David began, “but it seemed like you were very frightened of something—you were running—and then I reached for you and told you everything would be okay.”

  “That was what I dreamed about too! Well, it was something very similar...do you think we made a connection?” Abby asked.

  “Could be,” he said, slipping his arm around her. “Do you remember any more of your dream?”

  She nodded. “There was this black darkness that was coming for me, and it was all around me, like smoke. I was trying to run from it, but it was choking me.”

  “Ugh—sounds horrible,” David grimaced.

  “It was,” Abby confirmed. “But then everything was okay because you came to me and pushed the darkness away. Well, I think it was you—it felt like your spirit—I think I saw you in your animal form.”

  “Really? That’s awesome!” David’s face lit up with excitement. “Tell me I was something fierce, and not pathetic—like a tiny mouse. Or a hamster.”

  Abby smiled slyly. “Something fierce, huh?”

  “Yes, please.” He had a hopeful look in his eyes.

  “Well, I’m very sorry to disappoint you, but you were a…” She paused for effect.

  “What? What was I?” David asked. He looked worried.

  “You were a weasel.”

  “What?!” His mouth dropped open in surprise, and then he frowned. “That’s not cool.”

  Abby shrugged. “Sorry, kid, I don’t write the future, I just see and say.” She patted his hand sympathetically. “On the bright side, weasels are pretty fierce, aren’t they? Or is that wolverines? You were definitely weasel-ish though—very, very tiny and rodentlike. Actually, now that I think about it, maybe you were a ferret. I saw one in a pet store once. It seemed friendly.”

  David stared at her. “You have got to be kidding me.”

  Abby grinned. “Totally am.”

  “Really?” The hopeful look returned to his eyes.

  “Really,” she said, nodding. “I saw a white lion.”

  “Now that is wicked cool.” David smiled to himself.

  Abby laughed and playfully punched his arm. “Yeah, dude. That’s wicked fierce.”

  “You little tease.” David reached for her, and she slid away from him, giggling. “And then you make fun of me?” He scooted toward her and she tried to escape, but she was laughing too hard. He caught her and pulled her back to his side of the bench, then scooped her onto his lap, pinning her against his chest. “There. That’s better. Now, to think of a punishment for your impudence…”

  Abby tried to wriggle free and gave up. His strong arms were like bands of steel. “Are you going to torture me?” She tried to look repentant, but could tell by his knowing smile that he wasn’t buying it.

  “Hmm, there’s a fun thought,” David said, raising an eyebrow. He leaned in close and his lips brushed her neck. “No, love, I think I’ll save my revenge and serve it cold,” he murmured, slowly running his fingers up and down her arm. “You won’t see it coming.”

  She froze, transfixed by his touch. “Ohhh, scary,” she managed.

  He pulled back to look at her, and then his face erupted into a smug grin, as if he were very pleased with the effect his touch had on her. “Just you wait,” he whispered. He meant it as a threat, but she kind of liked his idea of revenge. And judging by the cocky look on his face, he knew she liked it. She leaned into his touch, hoping for more, but he laughed and kissed her nose, releasing her. “Someone’s coming,” he said.

  Abby heard the click of footsteps echoing off the stone floor of the corridor and slid off David’s lap just before Eulalia rounded the corner.

  “Hello!” the queen exclaimed. “I am so sorry I am late.”

  “No worries, Mom,” David said. “We had plenty to chat about to keep us busy.”

  Abby tried to stifle a giddy laugh, and it came out as a giggle-snort, which made David burst out laughing.

  “Oh?” From the perplexed look on the queen’s face, Abby guessed she was wondering what she had missed, but thinking perhaps it was best not to know.

  “Yes,” David said. “Little Miss Giggles over here may have dreamed about what animal I will change into.”

  “That is fantastic. What did you dream, Abby?”

  Abby cleared her throat, regaining her composure. “He was white lion full of the Light, vanquishing the Darkness.”

  “Oh.” David smiled dreamily. “Sounds even cooler when you say it like that.”

  Abby thought his smile was a little goofy and that he was probably thanking his lucky stars not to be turning into a rodent. He looked endearingly dorky.

  At the sight of David’s funny smile, Eulalia looked confused again, and for a moment seemed tempted to ask her son why he was acting odd. Then she turned to Abby instead. “That would be wonderful, Abby. There are stories in the human world that white lions are divine messengers, ushering in eras of peace and prosperity. I hope it is true.”

  “That would be nice,” Abby agreed, trying hard to ignore her distractingly cute but dopey boyfriend and focus her attention on the queen. “I’m all for peace and prosperity.”

  Eulalia nodded. “As am I.” Then she smiled shyly. “Not to change the subject, but I also bring news. There is a reason why I arrived late today.”

  “Oh? Does it involve Cael?” Abby asked.

  “It does.” Eulalia’s smile grew bright. She suddenly seemed to be having difficulty containing her own giddy laughter.

  “Oh really…?” Abby smiled back. There could only be one reason for the queen to smile like that.

  Eulalia nodded. “Yes. He asked me to marry him.”

  “Oh!” David exclaimed, surprised. “Congratulations!” He jumped up from the bench and hugged his mother tightly.

  Abby joined him in the hug. “Congratulations, Eulalia. This has been a long time coming.”

  “Yes, we are so thankful to be reunited after so many years apart.”

  David pulled back, his brow furrowed with concern. “But with the journey coming up, you’ll be separated again, at least until we get back.”

  “Yes, this is true,” Eulalia agreed. “That is why the wedding must wait until after you return, and of course there will be much to do while you are away. In the meantime, we must focus on your journey. I would like to hear more about your dream. Come, let us continue this discussion in my chambers.”

  Abby and David followed Eulalia into the sitting room of her suite. In contrast to the more spacious room containing her bed and dressing area, this room was small but cozy, with an oriel window offering a magnificent view of the Western Sea.

  Once they were seated, Abby recounted what she remembered from both dreams and asked the question that was on both their minds: were the similarities in the dreams mere coincidence, or had she and David really made a connection?

  “It is difficult to say,” Eulalia began. “The dreams have similar themes and content, but are different enough that I cannot say for sure if you actually communicated with each other. Let us try a different approach. Choose a location that has meaning to you both and fo
cus on that image as you fall asleep tonight. As you dream, try to make yourself aware that it is a dream, and then meet each other at that location. Try to remember as much as possible, but do not tell one another your dreams. I will want you to each tell me separately so we can see if a true connection has been made.”

  “All right,” David said. “I’m not very good at remembering the details, but I’ll try. I’ll write down the dream as soon as I wake up. Where should we meet, Abby? Where we first danced?” He took her hand and squeezed it.

  Abby smiled, remembering that night. “The steps by the beach…sounds good,” she said. “That’s a special memory for me. I think there’s enough of an emotional connection there to draw us together.”

  “Yes, that is exactly the kind of place you need,” Eulalia agreed.

  “It’s a date,” David said.

  The session was interrupted by a gentle knock on Eulalia’s chamber door. “Come,” she called.

  David looked up to see Cael enter hesitantly. “I do not wish to intrude,” he said.

  “Cael! Congratulations!” Abby jumped up and pulled the knight into a hug.

  David chuckled at Cael’s look of surprise. Cael was, as a rule, not the huggy type, but the emotional armor he’d kept so close over the years had just about melted away now that he was free to express his love for Eulalia, and now that he had four protégés who were becoming like children to him. David smiled as he watched Cael laugh and hug Abby back.

  David’s relationship with Cael was still more formal, but mutual respect was growing day by day. Standing, David went to shake Cael’s hand. “I’m very happy for you both. These last few weeks—you’ve helped me so much by mentoring me that it already feels like you’re part of my family. It’s an honor to make it official.”

  “The honor is mine, David. Thank you.” Cael smiled, and then, since he was apparently on a roll with the hug thing, pulled David into an embrace. “I hope you know that I will always love your mother, and will ever keep her safe, so long as I have breath.”

  “I do know that. And I know you’ve done your best to care for her in far less happy circumstances than this. You have both sacrificed so much—I hope we will have better days ahead,” David said.

  “And alas, that brings me to my reason for interrupting you. I, too, hope for better days, but they seem to be far off just yet,” Cael stated.

  “Oh no,” Eulalia said, concerned. “What happened?”

  “We received a report that Nuren, a village on the Great Plains near the South Forest, was attacked last evening,” Cael reported. “It was mostly livestock that were taken, but…”

  “How many villagers?” Eulalia asked.

  Cael looked at his feet. “Six,” he said gravely.

  “Six,” Eulalia breathed. “The Kruorumbrae have grown bold in the knowledge that their master has returned. We must quickly go to offer our condolences and see what can be done to help.”

  “Yes,” David nodded. “That should be our first priority. I imagine we should take some of our own stock to ease the loss and replenish other supplies as well. Cael, what other damage was done?”

  “Some buildings were destroyed. I do not wish to sound callous, but this may be an opportunity for you, David, to use your powers to assist them and win their trust,” Cael proposed.

  “No, you make a good point,” David replied. “I can help them rebuild and tend the wounded. That’s why I’m here, isn’t it?”

  “Yes, dear one,” Eulalia said, taking David’s hand. “That is why you are here.”

  “All right then—it’s decided,” David declared. “Abby, can you pass on the news to Jon and Marisol? They should join us so they can see what we’re up against. Mother, could you please make the arrangements for supplies? Cael and I will go brief the guard.”

  “Of course,” Eulalia said. “We shall meet at the stables in one hour.”

  Taking Eulalia’s hand, Cael kissed it tenderly as they headed for the door. To David it seemed like a kiss that expressed both Cael’s love for her and his fears about dark days to come—dark days that might already have come. David stayed back a moment with Abby.

  “You did well,” Abby whispered, placing her hand against his cheek.

  David knew she was trying to be supportive but couldn’t help but think that her gesture might mirror the sentiment of Cael’s kiss. His own fears about the future were overshadowing the present. He placed his hand over hers and then brought her hand to his lips to kiss her palm. “I’m trying. Abby—I don’t know what we’ll find at that village. I’m afraid it may be worse than Cael let on. Six people gone—that’s a huge loss. No one there will be untouched by the tragedy. I’m worried for them...I’m worried for us.”

  “Well, we can’t change what’s already happened, but we can keep working for those better days. This is where we start—pulling the people together, strengthening each other,” Abby replied, lacing her fingers through his.

  “You’re right. We’ll keep working for that,” David said. He squeezed her hand and looked into her eyes. “In the meantime, though—what am I supposed to say to these people? ‘I’m sorry for your loss’ doesn’t quite cut it. It sounds pretty empty when I’m supposed to be this powerful leader but I can’t bring back the six they lost. I can’t heal that hurt.”

  Abby stared back at him and then wrapped her arms around his neck. “No. You can’t. But you know what it’s like to lose someone.”

  He nodded and looked away, avoiding her gaze so she couldn’t see the sadness in his eyes. “I do know about that,” he whispered. His adoptive parents were gone, and even though he had Eulalia, they had left a void in his heart. There were still moments when it seemed impossible to believe that he couldn’t just call Margaret Corbin and tell her about his day, as he had regularly done when he was away at college.

  “All you can do is your best to heal the villagers’ other wounds. And keep fighting so that this doesn’t happen to other people,” she added. Abby rested her head against his chest. “I know it feels empty, but just being there with them, in this moment, that’s something. Maybe somehow this loss will inspire them to stand up and fight with you when it comes to that.”

  “I hope so.” David swallowed. His fears were threatening to choke him. Fighting a wave of emotion, he placed his hand gently under Abby’s chin, lifting her head to look into her eyes. Then he tilted his head down toward her and kissed her hard.

  After a moment, Abby pulled back to study his face. Her eyes widened with concern. “Hey, now,” she said softly. “What was that for?”

  David tried to cover his fear with a smile, but Abby held his gaze. Given her look of determination, he decided it was best to answer honestly. “I just have this fear that when we enter this fight, I’ll end up losing you. No matter how hard I try to keep you safe,” he said.

  “Well, David Corbin, you may be the Solas Beir, but you are just one man, and there are greater things at work here than you. Keeping me safe is not your job.”

  He stared at her, shocked. “It’s not? I kind of thought it was.”

  Abby put her hands on her hips. “Nope. Your job is to stand up for your people and to serve the Light. So is mine. At some point, we’ve got to trust that no matter what happens, the Light will prevail, even if it means we have losses of our own.” She smiled. “Besides, remember what you told me when we met? Carpe diem.”

  “Yeah, but Abby…I was talking about recreational cage diving—which is a totally different animal than what we’re currently dealing with,” David countered. “What happened to the girl who said she didn’t see the point in risking her life for no good reason?”

  Abby kissed his cheek. “I found a good reason. The best reason. You.”

  “Well then, you’re crazy to be willing to die for a slob like me,” he laughed.

  “Crazy is what makes me so darn irresistible.” Abby grinned. “You know you like it.”

  “That I do.” He kissed her and took her hand. “Co
me on, then. We’re burning daylight.”

  “Yep, lots to do. Villagers to woo, monsters to slay…”

  Within the hour, two small armies had been gathered: one to help the villagers of Nuren, and one to stay behind to guard Caislucis, in case the attack on the village was meant as a trap to leave the fortress vulnerable. Abby watched as Cael gave the castle guards their final instructions and then dismissed them to return to duty.

  Fearing an ambush, Cael further divided the group that would be traveling to the village. The larger group, led by Phelan, Cael’s second in command, and Fergal, swordsman extraordinaire, would travel by way of the main trade road leading to the Great Plains. Cael would lead the Solas Beir’s party eastward through the forest.

  “The Kruorumbrae will not expect two groups,” Cael explained, holding the reins of his mount. “If something should happen, the unaffected group can circle around and give aid with a surprise attack from behind.”

  “The villagers will, however, expect to see a member of the royal family in the group that travels the trade road,” Eulalia said, settling into her saddle. “I will travel with Fergal and Phelan.”

  “I would feel better if you were with me,” Cael said.

  “I know,” Eulalia replied. “But if either of us is in danger, the other will sense it—and this way, you can focus on training your students.”

  “The queen will come to no harm, sir,” Phelan said. “You have my word.”

  Fergal leapt from his perch on Phelan’s horse to the queen’s, brandishing his sword in agreement. “And mine.”

  Cael looked from Phelan to Fergal. “I will hold you both to that,” he said. He looked up at Eulalia, then took both of her hands in his own and kissed them. “Safe travels, my love.”

  “And for you as well,” she smiled, leaning down to kiss his cheek. She turned her horse’s head toward the road and led her group away.

  “She’ll be fine,” David reassured the knight as he watched them go.

  “I hope so,” Cael said, swinging up into his saddle. “Come. The village is not far, but there is much to do.”