Crow Feathers

Page 3

They followed her through the forest, until the woods gave way to a cliff. Ysabelle sat on some rocks near the edge, overlooking the land below, green fields and a pool to her right, fed by a thin waterfall. The birds settled around her, and waited, uncommonly silent. At last, Ysabelle stood and untied the bundle. She flung the cloak around her shoulders and pulled the feather out from under her shirt.

She turned to face the birds. Again her gaze locked with a crow's human eyes. She heard the echo of a voice sounding within her head like her own thoughts, the same voice that had whispered "Corax" when she fell off the
roof.

"Come," the voice said softly, moving like a gentle breeze across her mind. "Come with us. Fly with us."

"Teach me how," Ysabelle begged aloud, unaware how to answer with her mind.

"You are too heavy," a second voice echoed within her head.

Slowly, she stripped off all her clothes and left them folded atop the blanket. Naked, her wounds exposed to the light for any and all to see, she turned back to the crows, and thought, with as much strength as she could muster, "I am ready now."

"You are too heavy," the second voice repeated.

"Let yourself go," another crow said, hopping into the air to demonstrate.

Ysabelle jumped into the air in imitation of the crow, but fell back to the earth as she always had. "It's not working," she said out loud, forgetting in her frustration that they could hear her thoughts. Ysabelle met Corax's gaze, begging for help.

"Relax," said the crow's voice, echoing softly.
"Let your thoughts go.
"Let them drift among the clouds.
"Be free."

With a tiny corner of her mind, Ysabelle realized she was flying now, in the shape of a crow. She did not let herself worry about how she was flying, or why. She was too busy feeling the wind filling her wings and the sun on her back, soaring through the clouds and racing with the other crows.

When she had exhausted her first thrill of flight, the crows brought her back to the cliff where her clothes were. Ysabelle's human form returned to her as her thoughts ceased to soar and she remembered Galen and his family and the inn. The edges of the cloak swirled around her as she landed.

"You know how to fly now," Corax's voice echoed softly from within Ysabelle's mind as the flock dispersed.

She stared into the bird's human eyes and knew that he too had been human once, but had forever given up the form. Ysabelle considered, but she was not yet ready. She thanked him, and put on her human clothes, folding the cloak of feathers carefully. She would use it again, of that there was no doubt, but she was not yet free. She began walking towards the inn, of her own choice now, for there were matters left unsettled, and a leavetaking to be made properly, if not easily. Without that, she would never be free, and Ysabelle intended to be free. She was determined now to leave this ill-suited nest at last, and begin to soar as high as her strength would take her.