I had been called to observe. My presence was not to be known. I watched visitors pay respects to the residing couple. He was all talk and flamboyant gestures. She was quiet abiding and careful words. If they knew I was present, they said nothing of it.
The visitors and their offerings were not of my concern. I was to watch Allons, but remain as close to Lady Athena as possible. When Lady Athena expressed concern about “it” being so close to the cave, Allons downplayed her worries with elaborate gestures and long phrases bragging of his natural masculine abilities to keep her safe. His thick French accent only added to his displays of arrogance.
Morning stretched into noon. Lady Athena sat on a thickly cushioned chair on the receiving platform carved into the rock of the mountain. The cave she resided in had been expanded into a series of chambers. Her concern was written clearly on her face, but she said nothing.
Lady Athena was wrapped in layers of cloth and ribbons. She was a young teen on which the adult-sized clothes hung precariously. She was an old woman, frail and delicate, as if only the clothes kept her upright. Her voice was also young and ancient. Everything was new to her. Everything had happened already.
And still, her brow furrowed.
“See. It comes. The bear.” Allons smiled as he pointed out the shadow emerging from the forest. Lady Athena said nothing, but her posture stiffened. He stood. She reached out to him. He turned away and hefted a long bag on his shoulders. “It should not have come. I have warned them.” He turns to her, facing me squarely yet still not seeing me. “I shall teach them a lesson! Their severity shall be my sport!” His handlebar mustache wiggled as he smiled.
Allons pulled from the bag an elaborate cape and several brightly wrapped blades. Wrapping the cape around his neck and arm, he hefted the blades and walked towards the emerging bear, laughing. “You shall see, dear Lady Athena! You have the queen’s seat! And I, your humble torero, shall show you there is nothing to fear!” He placed one blade in his right hand and pointed it at the bear. “And then I shall show you there is nothing.”
No matter what happens, protect Lady Athena.
I only nodded as the whisper heard inside my head changed my directive. The force that kept me from revealing myself lifted, but I remained hidden. In such a field of play, being seen can change the game. Unless necessary, they shall not know I am there.
The bear that emerged from the edge of the woods is monstrous by modern reckoning. Its shoulder is higher than I am tall. Its mouth would have no trouble fitting about my head. It lumbered deceptively slow towards the cave. Only Allons, tall and thin, stood as guardian.
The bear regarded Allons with idle curiosity, and snorted his dismissal of the man. The bear meant to just go around him, but once within range, Allons charged his sword with power and drove it deep into the bear’s shoulder.
“You dare to dismiss me? I am your opponent, beast! Now, come face me with something akin to honor so you may at least die with a sliver of dignity!” The bear whirled around to face Allons. It roared, then charged the man. Allons remained standing until the last moment, when he stepped aside, easily dodging the charge, driving another sword into the bear’s side.
“¡Olé!” He laughed at the bear’s pain. Lady Athena said nothing but gripped her robes tightly. I remained standing behind her. The grassy meadow between the cave and the forest’s edge was large enough to give the combatants maneuvering room. Allons was teasing the bear with the swords. As large as they are, they are not penetrating the bear’s hide and fat deep enough to do any extensive damage. All they are doing is keeping the bear’s attention on Allons.
“And now, my lovely Lady, I shall end this farce!” Allons ran around the bear, coming up near the porch to pick up a long halberd. I noted the collar of the weapon had a wrapping of fur with feathers and red ribbons hanging from it. The shaft was elaborately carved and the metal glowed with a dark teal aura.
My first thought was Allons meant to capture the bear’s spirit with the weapon.
My second thought was suppressing a desire to slap Allons for not taking the weapon with him when he set out to meet the bear. The bear was approaching the porch too close for my comfort.
“Allons…” Lady Athena whispered but did not say any more. It was clear she was disturbed by the closeness of the bear. The bear was now only fifty feet away. As massive as the creature is, it might as well be in her lap already. I did not move from my post at first, but continued to consider escape options for Lady Athena.
Allons ran around the bear again, trying to taunt it away from the porch and back into the open meadow. The bear looked back towards Lady Athena and was hit on the head by a rock for it. “Ah! Brute! How dare you disrespect me! I am your opponent!” Allons threw another rock, hitting the bear in the eye and recapturing its attention. “Now then, let us end this child’s game. To me! To death! Allons-y!” Allons braced himself and lowered the halberd’s point. The weapon’s power increased such that I heard a humming from the head.
The bear took a step towards Allons. My instinct screamed at me to open the doors leading into the cave. Lady Athena clutched her robes in fear, unable to look away.
The bear faced Allons and stopped. The doors were heavy, even for me, but they are now open and fixed. Lady Athena did not notice the doors opening apparently by themselves, but remained fixed on the battle.
The bear charged towards Allons.
Then turned.
Then charged towards the porch.
“Inside! Now!” My voice was heard but I remained invisible. In the second it look for Lady Athena to run screaming from her chair to the doors, the bear’s distance was forty feet away. I ran behind her, my cloak ready to take wing at any second, but where to fly to?
Only one interior chamber door was open. She had to turn to run through it. In the split-second it took for her to turn, the bear closed the distance to thirty feet.
The open chamber was a library, with a very tall ceiling. Smooth walls for the first ten feet, then rough-hewn for the next 30 feet. I saw up at the very top of the wall, an alcove had been carved out. It looked just large enough to hold a large statue bust. It was large enough to hold Lady Athena.
The bear was twenty feet behind her, fifteen behind me. If it swiped me from behind, I was broken.
“Lady Athena! I have you!” Still invisible, I transformed into a giant raven and grabbed her with my talons. Using our momentum from running, I was able to clear the squat shelves and fly up to the alcove. She shrieked from fright and pain as my talons pierced the many layers of clothing. I wedged her into the alcove, became Weaver Ravenwinged and visible, and clung to the rock face to keep her from falling out.
The bear collided into the wall trying to dislodge her. But the stone of the mountain did not yield. It roared and tried to climb up. The vertical face, while textured above ten feet, did not have enough roughness for the bear to cling to. It remained below us, bellowing in rage, the embedded swords flashing the light of the many candles in the room.
“Damn you, beast!” Allons appeared in the doorway with the halberd. “How disgraceful of you! Of course a thing would not know of honorable combat! Come! This cowardly action will not go unpunished!” He looked up at me with the same hate as he shown the bear. “And then I will deal with you. Defiler.”
In the moment he looked away from the bear, the bear silently charged and swiped him. The halberd was knocked out into the hall. Allons was thrown into one of the bookshelves, knocking it over before bouncing onto the floor. I could hear the bones break from my perch.
“Please. Save him.” I looked at Lady Athena. Her youthful and ancient face was pleading. “I’ll sit right here. I won’t move. But please, save him. If you can.”
If you can save him, then save him if you want. However, Lady Athena is your priority.
I whispered to Lady Athena’s shadow, giving it form and presence separate from her. The shadow wrapped her arms around the youthful ancient woman and pulled her further into the niche. “Lady Athena, your shadow will hold you fast. It will not let go until I release it. So no matter what happens, you will not fall. Nor can you jump down. I’ll do what I can.”
When Lady Athena spoke, the bear turned to face us. My presence confused it, and after a moment of indecision, it decided to turn its attention back to Allons again. But in that moment, Allons had dragged himself away from where he had fallen into a back corner of the library. The bear sniffed at where Allons was, unable to find a scent trail leading to where the wounded man is.
I descended quietly from the niche, and went around the stacks to where Allons had dragged himself. His torso was crushed, his right arm was shattered. His right leg was also broken. He saw me approaching and twisted his face in rage. I motioned to be quiet, putting my finger to my lips. The action confused him. Wasn’t I here to finish the bear’s job?
I pulled my shadow off of me, leaving me completely exposed. I reached down and pulled his shadow off of him. I threw my shadow over him, hiding his presence. I wrapped Allon’s shadow around me, changing my appearance. He looked at me in confusion as an able-bodied version of himself winked and twisted his mustache in gloating mirth.
The bear had sussed out the scent trail and was trying to follow it. The narrow passage between book shelves was preventing him. Again, I motioned to Allons to be quiet, then snuck away circling around the shelves. By the time I reached the doorway (and the halberd), the bear was one shelf away from the stricken man. He could smell Allons, but could not see Allons. All he saw was a pile of raven feathers.
I picked up the halberd and motioned to Lady Athena. She took the cue. “Allons! The bear!” The bear looked up at her.
“That beast! Ha! I was angered before, but now I am resolute! Allons-y!” Sounding like Allons, I hoped I mimicked his wording as well. The bear thought I did. It charged out of the stacks back into the main aisle looking for Allons. I ran out of the library into the main hallway, making sure it saw me make the turn.
It charged blindly after me, making the turn with speed and roaring as it did. I knew I had only one chance to make my move. It turned and saw me standing braced with the halberd. Thinking me the same as the easily broken man before, it stood above me and roared as it descended.
I made sure where I gripped the halberd would keep me clear of the paw’s range, but focused on the open maw of the beast as it fell over me. The threshold of the doors was raised slightly, giving a place to brace the end of the halberd against. All I have to do is hold true and aim true.
~snick~
~THUNK~
~thud~
I had managed to spear the pike of the halberd into the bear’s open mouth, into the back of its throat, and into the base of the brain. It fell dead.
I had to take a few deep breaths to recover my composure. I did not want to show how afraid I was. “Lower her gently, then return to your station, released from my power.” I whispered my command to Lady Athena’s shadow. I could hear her gasp as she was lifted out the alcove. “You are released from my power. Be true to yourself.” Allons’ shadow raced away from me, as mine raced back to embrace me before returning to itself.
Allons is a fast healer, I see. He had managed to place himself back together enough to limp out of the library, but his right arm was still useless. Lady Athena tried to help him, but he shook off her attempts.
I tried to pull the halberd free from the maw of the dead bear, but it was stuck. I could feel the bear’s spirit caught fast in the cooling body by the ensorceled weapon. Allons also saw the spirit was caught, and smiled in glee.
I looked up at him with stoney glare. Without taking my eyes off of him, as Weaver Ravenwinged, I reached out and released the bear’s spirit from both body and weapon. It emanated as a sigh from emptying lungs.
“No! My prize! How dare you! I was going to add that spirit to my collection!” I ignored Allons’ cries and found I was able to pull the halberd out of the bear. Throwing the halberd to the side, I stroked the bear’s surprised face and closed the eyes.
“My relationship with Clan Bear is already troubled. I want no reason for them to openly despise me. They know the difference between duty and grudge. And I hold no grudge against them.”
Lady Athena nodded in understanding. Allons only glared at me in deepening anger. My shadow and wits now secure, I stood to say my farewells.
“How long had you been there, watching over me, stranger?” Lady Athena took my left hand and studied it.
“Long enough, Lady Athena.” I bowed slightly as I answered.
“You were sent to protect me.” She laid my hand against her face. My fingers felt the smoothness of youth and the roughness of age at the same time.
“Yes, Lady Athena.” Long locks of platinum hair fell over my arm as she rubbed her face against my hand.
“By who?” She looked up at me. I saw her eyes clearly, the irises were completely devoid of color, appearing as silver.
“I can not say, Lady Athena.” Not because I was forbidden to, but because I truly did not know the answer to the question.
“I am grateful. Please extend my gratitude to those that sent you. And please accept my thanks for saving myself and Allons.” She kissed the palm of my hand and released it.
Your work here is done.
I stood stiffly and formally bowed. “Merely performing my duty, Lady Athena. I am pleased that you are safe. Please forgive my roughness when picking you up. Did I injure you?” I did not mention Allons. I was not confident I would be able to keep from verbally berating him for his foolish antics in the field.
Lady Athena laughed the dismissive laughter of the young, and the understanding laughter of the old. She pulled her ripped robes off her shoulders. My talons had pierced the porcelain hued flesh and left ugly bruises on her shoulders. Allons was infuriated at the sight.
“You did nothing, stranger. I see nothing here that I should hold you answerable for.” Allons looked at her in confusion. I raised an eyebrow in understanding. “Go in peace, stranger.”
I formally bowed and spoke my farewells to them both. Allons was sputtering in rage that I was being allowed to leave. I heard Lady Athena’s youthful ancient laughter responding to him. As I crossed the threshold of the cave, I was swept out of the dream.
Make of that, what you may.