“CAW!”
The creature lunged at Coll’s head and its jaws closed with a snap, missing his nose by a millimetre. It pulled free of his hold and swung a claw at him again.
“CAW!”
Coll raised his left arm and again there was a metallic clash. But this time Coll fell back, letting the attacker tip forward on to him. He raised his legs and heaved, throwing it away, and it smacked against a tree. He scrambled to his feet again and finally he got a clear look at the creature.
It was a girl.
She looked somewhere between his and Fillan’s age and was wearing a feathered cloak. Slicks of lank hair half covered her face, and her mouth was drawn into a snarl. A wide black stripe was painted across her face at eye level, and her eyes glared out dark and fierce. Her ‘claws’ were blades in each hand. She was thin and quite pale.
“CAW!” she screamed again, racing forward and sweeping with her blades.
Coll grabbed a long branch and swung hard. The branch cracked against her feet and she collapsed with a yelp.
“Stay down!” he shouted.
Rieka and Fillan ran forward. “What’s going on?” asked Rieka.
“It’s a Raven,” said Coll. “This is a trap! It’s an ambush!” He stared up at the trees around them. How many more? How many hiding in the grass, getting ready to attack? He stood over the girl and raised his stick. “Where are they?” he demanded.
“Coll,” said Rieka, “she’s not—”
“Tell me!” he shouted.
The girl scrabbled away and stood up painfully. She held up her knives in defiance. “CAW!”
“Stop that!” Coll snarled.
“Coll,” insisted Rieka, “look at her.”
Coll frowned, but looked again and saw what Rieka meant. The girl was very thin, he realised, and filthy. The look in her eyes was hatred … or perhaps desperation? As he watched, she glanced from side to side as if trying to work out where to run.
“Are you Raven?” asked Rieka.
The girl glared at her. “You’re Wolf,” she growled, and spat on the ground.
Coll’s hackles rose and he lifted the stick again.
“Coll, stop!” said Rieka. She turned back to the girl. “Yes, Wolf. But we’re not here to harm you.”
The girl’s panting slowed, and her arms lowered a little. “Go away,” she muttered.
“Or what?” sneered Coll. “You’ll peck me? Peck-peck-peck, little bird?”
Rieka rolled her eyes. “Don’t be stupid. Can’t you see what’s happened?” Coll glowered at her, but Rieka ignored him. “Raven is gone,” she said to the girl in an unusually gentle voice. “Your crew have left, haven’t they?”
The girl said nothing. Coll saw her pulse beating in her neck. She was trying not to show it, but she was terrified. He realised he was taller than her, and bigger, and he still had his stick. But she still had her knives…
Rieka, in that odd soft voice, said, “Do you know where they went?”
The girl didn’t react at first, but then gave a tiny shrug.
“I’m Rieka,” said Rieka. “This is Fillan, and Coll. We’re not a threat. Look, Coll’s going to put down his stick, see?”
Coll blinked. “What?”
“Shut up and do it,” hissed Rieka out of the side of her mouth.
Coll clenched his jaw, but threw the stick down. It clattered in front of the Raven girl and she flinched.
“See?” said Rieka. “Not a threat. I’m Rieka, this is Coll, that’s Fillan behind us. What about you – what’s your name?”
The girl stared at the stick as if expecting it to turn into a snake, but eventually she whispered, “Brann.” She lowered her knives just a little.
Rieka beamed. Coll wasn’t sure he’d ever seen her smile before. “Hello, Brann,” she said. “Can we sit here?” The girl nodded, and Rieka sat. “Thank you. We’ll all sit, OK?” Fillan sat down. Rieka tugged hard on Coll’s leggings. “Sit,” she hissed, and he half sat, half collapsed beside her. Rieka smiled again. “See? Now you, Brann. Will you sit with us?”
Coll scowled and leaned into Rieka. “She is Raven,” he muttered. “What are you doing?”
“She’s like us,” said Rieka calmly, not looking away from the girl. “She’s stranded, on her own. I think she’s been on her own for days. Am I right?”
Another nod. Rieka smiled. Her smile really disturbed Coll. It was quite a nice smile; it was just weird seeing it anywhere near Rieka’s face. “We’ve got soup, Brann. Would you like some?”
The girl stared at the soup pot for a moment, then back. She swallowed, and Rieka nodded encouragingly. “Fillan, could you fetch some soup for our guest?”
Fillan brought a bowl and Rieka offered it. “There.”
