She couldn’t remember how she got here. She lay quietly on her side, her eyes closed, taking a big gasp for air. The sun blared on her face, and she opened her eyes just as pain screamed through her shoulder. A gentle breeze picked up as her eyes adjusted to the bright light. She looked up at the blades of grass standing around her like trees. She sat up sharply but yelped at the pain in her shoulder. Had she fallen? She looked around again at her unfamiliar surroundings and tried to spring to her feet. Staggering sideways, her head dizzy and her body week. She looked at her shadow below as she steadied herself and turned her body sideways. A bolt was sticking out of her back in her shadow. She regarded it blankly.
Cautiously, she pushed the grass back, seeing an enormous ant walking along, as big as her feet. She yelped and jerked back while the ant’s eyes casually watched her, but the pain from her wound shot through her back again. Taking a steadying breath, she looked through the grass and noticed a pathway. She took cautious steps onto the trail.
She hesitantly began walking, gathering her skirts in her hands. She looked down at her bare feet. Why was she barefoot? She touched the silky fabric of her dress and noticed it was wet. Was she sweating profusely? No, she was bleeding. She stopped and stared at the fresh blood on her hand, then tried to steady her breath. She kept walking.
How was she shot in the back by what looked like a crossbow bolt? The thought made her sway on her feet for a moment. After a pause, she quietly walked along, her progress slow and painstaking. She knew she was weakening. Her skin was growing pale, and she could feel a clammy sweat gathering on her brow.
She slowed her steps, finally coming to a clearing. The grass gave way to trees, and she took in the massive size of the trees compared from her fairy-like stature. She hung back at the edge of the clearing, not feeling as safe without the grass hovering over her.
Suddenly, a thunderous caw sound came from above, and the swoosh of black wings sent a swirl of air all around her, blowing dirt into her face. She stared upward in a dreamlike trance, mesmerized by the majestic bird. All at once the enormous crow landed in front of her, straightened, and stood before her, observing her quietly, tilting its head as it looked. Although her breath had quickened and her heart was pounding, she calmly stood before the giant crow.
“Well. This does not happen every day,” she said, gazing up at the bird.
“I wouldn’t think so,” said the crow, hopping towards her and cocking its head again. She took two quick steps sideways, the world took a sudden spin, and then she hit the ground.
When she awoke again, she was laying back in a neat, warm nest. She found herself tucked in with a soft piece of fabric, tufts of feathers around her. As peaceful and comfortable as she felt, she still startled as the memories from earlier in the day rushed back.
As her eyes adjusted to the dim light, she could see the outline of the crow’s silhouette sitting on the edge of the nest quietly. She could not tell if it was awake or not, but she sat up. As she did, she again noticed the pain in her back, but as she touched her shoulder, she realized the bolt was gone and her torso was wrapped. The dress was replaced with a cream-colored, long-sleeved linen night shift.
There was movement from where the crow perched, and she could see its eyes glistening in the light as they watched her. She let out a quick breath.
“You are safe child, there is no need to fear,” the crow said.
“Why have you helped me?” she asked.
“This is a place of healing,” the crow said.
“What am I healing from? What happened to me? I just remember waking up with a bolt in my back, thinking I was having a bad dream,” she said, the ache warming her shoulder again.
“You were betrayed,” the crow said quietly. “You cannot remember because you do no need to remember,” the crow said, slowly rising.
“I am Crow,” he said, after a pause. “And you are here to grow strong again.” Crow walked across the branch the nest was on, following it onto a platform where a fireplace was carved into the tree and a small fire burned under a caldron. Crow took a mug in his beak and scooped broth from the caldron, tilting his head and carefully carrying it back to her.
“I am Gabriella. Well, Gabby,” she said. “And thank you,” she said, accepting the mug from Crow. She held the bird’s gaze a moment and then peered inside the mug, inhaling the warm broth, feeling saliva rush to her mouth. She waited for it to cool enough to slowly sip. Her eyes welled with tears, a feeling of confusion overwhelming her, but she gratefully drank the broth, swallowing the tears back.
Eventually Gabby laid back again in the nest, her eyes drooping as the warmth of the broth filled belly. Crow had quietly walked back to his perch on the edge of the nest, watching over her as she had slipped back into a grateful and peaceful sleep.
The next morning, not long past dawn, Gabby awoke again to an empty nest. She slowly stood and stretched, picking twigs out of her hair as she gazed around, her eyes moving along the branches surrounding her. The tree the nest perched in was an ancient oak.
Her eyes followed the branch back to the platform, where a fire was smoldering in the fireplace. A quick shiver pricked goosebumps on her skin. Taking a deep breath, she slowly started to walk along the branch towards the fire. She placed one bare foot in front of the other, moving slowly and methodically, more nervous as the branch grew more knotted and bent. She squatted lower, thinking it safer, but on her next step she stepped on her night gown, immediately slipping down the branch, scraping her hip and the underside of her arm. She hit her head on the branch, falling headfirst into the air.
She shrieked as she fell. Suddenly, in a swoop of black feathers and beating wings, Crow snatched her right leg, flipping her up towards his neck as he flew towards the platform. She clung to his feathers, trying not to cry aloud from the pain that ran up her side and rang in her shoulder. As they landed, she flopped to the platform, letting out another yelp. Tears stung her eyes, part embarrassment and part pain. She turned away, trying to hide her child-like frustration from Crow as she steadied her breath.
“You are bleeding again from your shoulder,” Crow said gently. “Come, we will re-dress it.” Gabby pulled her knees to her chest, feeling immediate relief that Crow had not chastised her. She slowly rose to her feet and walked to where Crow was pulling supplies from a cabinet.
“You know, you should not be so hard on yourself,” Crow said. “I am the one who brought you here to a tree. It is not like you know how to walk across a branch or have talons to cling to it.” Gabby looked at Crow, shocked that he had seemingly read her mind. He turned back to the table, measuring gauze and snipping it with his beak. “Take off your gown. We must re-wrap it.” Gabby hesitated. Crow looked at her, then pulled out a stool. “Here,” he said, placing the stool by the table and turning his back.
Gabby gingerly eased the night gown over her head and held it to her, then sat on the stool.
Crow began to snip away at her wrapping with his beak as she pulled her long hair aside. She took a deep, steadying breath. “Crow, why are you helping me?”
“I am your spirit animal. A great injustice was done to you,” Crow said quietly. She looked down at her gown, the fresh blood still brightly coloring the cream fabric. She tried to remember.
“Why am I so small?” Gabby asked, trying to make her voice sound stronger than she felt.
“The person you trusted most made you small. But I am always watching over you,” he said, dipping his beak into a jar of salve and slowly spreading it over her shoulder.
“Will I go back to my normal life?” She asked, her eyes roaming as she tried to remember what that life even was.
“Yes, of course. When the time is right you will,” he said. “Here, hold,” Crow said, laying the wrap over her shoulder as he began to wrap her again. Crow reached for a rainwater basin and cloth, telling Gabby to dab her other scrapes. She carefully applied salve on those wounds too, feeling her headache as she leaned forward. When she sat up, Crow was facing away, gazing over the meadow below, and there was a fresh dressing gown on the table.
“Dress child. You must eat now,” Crow said.
Crow sat fresh bread slices on the table with honeycomb and an array of berries and nuts. Gabby tried to eat slowly, but pushed large handfuls of food into her mouth, drinking tea with more honey in it. When she finished, she sat back on the bench.
Crow stood up and crouched down near the tree limb. “Come, I have things to do. You must get more rest.”
“I will not ride on you,” Gabby protested.
“Well, I will not have you fall again. Climb on and I will walk you to the nest where you can safely rest until my return.” Crow crouched down, and Gabby reluctantly swung her bare foot over Crow’s neck, nestling into his feathers above his wings. He stood and crossed the branch. She let out a small laugh, but clung to his feathers, burying her face as he jostled her along. Finally, he laid on his chest as she slid sideways, carefully landing to avoid jostling her shoulder. Crow stood.
“Crow?” Gabby called. “Who shot me?”
“The one you loved the most. You were trying to flee, and well…he shot you as you retreated. A pinch lower and it would have been fatal to you. A pinch more blood lost, and you would have been lost.” Crow heaved a sigh and turned away, then turned back. “Rest now. You will be stronger when I return.”
Gabby curled on her side in the nest, feeling physically exhausted, but mentally charged. Why didn’t she remember this person she loved or the attempt on her life? Why didn’t she remember anything except waking up, meandering in the meadow, and Crow and his nest? She laid peacefully, smelling the warm dirt in the nest as the afternoon temperature soared. Eventually breeze picked up, rustling through the leaves of the big oak, and her mind slowed.
She did not feel like she had slept, but the sun had slid down the horizon when Crow returned, carrying all his finds from the afternoon in his gullet. Gabby pushed up, watching him unpack berries and scraps of food on the table. Gabby thought about all the bread and fruits she had eaten earlier.
Crow said, “I do not go out with baskets to carry everything in,” Crow said matter-of-factly. “It is harder for me to move what I find.”
Gabby let out a laugh. “Crow…can you read my thoughts?” Crow shrugged.
“Yes, it is part of being your spirit animal,” Crow said, sorting his finds from the afternoon. He stopped and looked at Gabby. “Hey, want to get out?” he asked. Gabby smiled.
Crow walked to the nest and squatted down, letting Gabby climb onto his back as before. She grabbed two fistfuls of feathers and leaned forward, not sure what to expect. Crow hopped up onto the edge of his nest, asking if she was ready.
Before she could reply, he swooped down—a gentle, soaring glide. Gabby watched the ground around her, flying past in bright green, lush summer colors. Crow began to flap his wings, slowly bringing their elevation back up. Gabby could hear rushing water, and Crow soared over a river flowing nearby, gliding along the water’s edge. Sitting up taller, feeling more confident that she would not slide off, Gabby felt the wind blow back her hair and she closed her eyes. She felt Crow lean to the right and begin to pump his wings again. She opened her eyes to see a grassy knoll spotted with trees. The sun was slipping lower, filling the sky with pinks and purples. Crow carefully landed on the hill and squatted down, allowing Gabby to slide off again.
Although the flight was graceful and peaceful, Gabby felt her shoulder aching from using the muscles around the wound. She walked slowly to where Crow stood, placing her hand against his wing before sliding down and taking a seat beside him. Crow sat back too, letting Gabby lean her weight against him.
“Crow, who was I before? Before I was betrayed?” Gabby asked.
“You were the Queen of the Emeterra Empire. You had risen to the crown at a young age when your parents died at sea. You have always ruled with fairness and goodness, and your empire has prospered under your rule,” Crow said. As he spoke, the sky became brighter, illuminating in orange and neon pink. Gabby watched the sky quietly.
“You ruled alone for over a decade, building trade routes and strategic partnerships, making Emeterra one of the wealthiest empires in the world.” Gabby’s eyes filled with wonder.
“How could I not remember doing such things?” Gabby asked.
“You will, when the time is right,” Crow said simply. Gabby turned and looked at him, awaiting further explanation and knowing he could see her thoughts inside her mind.
“You wanted to marry and bear sons, and so you began to meet suitors. You were strategic and careful, examining each one as a potential political partner, considering their military, meeting their families. You came close to accepting an engagement with one prince, but then you met Renfry. He was a lord, and not of a great or prosperous family, but everyone knew it was true love. You were inseparable. You walked together in the gardens daily, you invited he and his family for dinner in your halls, and you hosted great festivals and holiday celebrations for your people that filled the air with the melody of your laughter. Everyone in your empire knew you were in love, and your happiness spread throughout the land. You wed, and almost immediately you were with child. You bore a healthy son, who you named William.”
Gabby looked at Crow, shocked. “I have a son?”
“You have three children, Gabby: two sons and a daughter,” Crow said, regarding her carefully.
Gabby sprang to her feet. “I must go to them. How have I forgotten my own children? How is this even possible?” Tears sprang up in her eyes as a feeling of complete helplessness washed over her.
“Gabby, your mind has blocked this life for now because of the trauma you suffered at your betrayal. Renfry plotted to overthrow you. In your bliss, you did not recognize that the man you regarded as your champion and one true love had turned into a snake beneath your feet.” Crow went quiet, and Gabby let out a gasp, eyes racing from him back to the darkening sky. Strands of purple and blue filled the horizon.
“I want you to take me there. I want to go back,” she said, her voice hoarse with emotion.
“Gabby, the day comes quicker than you know for you to reclaim what is yours, but today is not that day. It is not even three days since you were attacked.” Crow said softly.
“I want my children. I need to protect them from this madness,” Gabby said desperately.
“You must trust the right timing. No harm will come to your children,” Crow assured her.
“You said Renfry plotted to overthrow me. How could he do such a thing so plainly without being tried for treason? How could none of my adoring people notice me fleeing with a bolt in my back?” Gabby twisted to look at Crow in the dwindling daylight.
“My dear, we have spoken enough of these things, and you have had such a long day,” Crow said gently.
Gabby stood. “How, Crow? How did he intend to overthrow me?” Gabby questioned.
Crow paused a long moment, staring at the ground. “After you put the children to bed three nights past, you went to bed yourself. Renfry tried to smother you with a pillow. He wanted it to look like you died peacefully in your sleep.” Gabby’s hand went to her mouth. “Your son William came into the room and pushed him from behind. He is only eight, but Renfry did not want the child to bear witness. When you realized what had happened, you tried to reason with Renfry, but he was screaming that you must die for him to be king. When he seemed subdued, brooding darkly on his throne deep into the night, you fled. You knew he would not hurt his own children. He pursued you and caught up with you as you ran through the city gates, shooting you with his crossbow.” Crow stopped again. Gabby folded her arms around her body and listened, shivering.
“Why did he stop? Why did he not drag me somewhere and finish me off? There were plenty of ways to make it look like an accident still,” Gabby said.
“I was there,” Crow said, “And I scratched his face with my talons.” He paused and looked around. “You had enough time to get up and run into the woods,” Crow continued.
“We were all there,” he said, looking up at the trees around them, “And we all helped you.” Gabby tilted up her head and saw the shadows of dozens of crows in the trees surrounding them.
“Who are they?” Gabby whispered reverently, gazing around at the silhouettes.
“They are my family,” Crow said, “And we have all been watching over you.”
Gabby blinked in the growing darkness, astonished at how many crows she could see, and how many more there were as she looked. “Thank you,” she whispered, bowing her head.
They flew back in silence, Gabby resting her cheek against Crow’s neck until he flapped up and finally came to a stop at the platform.
“You should eat, Gabby,” Crow said.
“I cannot eat. I will not sleep. I need revenge, and I want my children back,” she said fiercely, pacing.
“I have cheese,” Crow said, ignoring her. “There is still bread.”
Gabby slowed her steps and regarded him for a moment. She finally dropped her head. “Broth please, and the newer bread you found today. The other bread is going stale.”
Crow let out a chuckle and gave a little bow. “Spoken like a queen.”
Gabby tossed and turned that night, still aching in her body, but she felt increased pain as the full story set in. She processed the events repeatedly, running into rabbit holes in her mind, and lingering in shadowy thoughts. Sometimes she would close her eyes, only to jolt awake, feeling like she could see Renfry standing over her with a pillow.
Each time she started, she always found Crow quietly squatting by her side. She nestled her toes under his feathers, feeling his warmth. Her hands were tired from making fists when she finally slipped into a fitful sleep, but she only dreamed of her children. Her sweet, faceless children. She could picture their hands and their arms and the backs of their heads. Why could she not see their faces? Even in her sleep she tried to beckon them so she could see their precious faces again, but they were always facing away from her.
She finally startled awake as dawn was breaking. She was relieved she at least slept some. Crow had started a fire and walked her to the hearth where she sat with her blanket over her shoulders, staring into the flames. As she stared, she felt an overwhelming hatred well up in her heart for Renfry. She finally noticed Crow’s gaze.
“Those thoughts will only hurt you, dear one, not him,” he said. “First you must forgive.” Gabby scoffed, then paused. A feeling of self-pity and helplessness overtook the hatred. She looked down at her hands, her eyes filling with tears.
“And self-pity can be even more dangerous than hatred,” Crow said. “You must learn to protect your peace.” Gabby opened her mouth to make a smart remark, but Crow added, “Once you can protect your peace, you will protect your children and your kingdom again.” She sat with his words a moment, and then found herself nodding.
Once they had eaten breakfast, Crow took Gabby down to a meadow and they walked together. Slowly the stiffness in her shoulder was leaving, and she was walking longer distances without stopping. Gabby focused on walking longer distances and would swing a staff to rebuild her muscles and walk with it during their longer walks. Crow insisted they stop so Gabby could eat three meals a day. He found her fish in the river some afternoons. He picked up a field mouse one evening.
“Crow, I cannot eat that,” Gabby protested, standing at the table.
“Oh, it’s good for you, Crow said, a little offended his prize wasn’t being celebrated more. He poked it with his beak.
“It is a rodent, Crow.” Gabby said.
“It is good protein. We will roast it and it will be like you are entertaining in your great hall again,” Crow said, waving his wing in a grand gesture.
Gabby gave Crow a look and began to slice carrots they had found on their walk. As she worked at the carrots, she asked about her children again. She regularly pleaded with Crow could take her to check on them.
“Gabby, I am a crow. We constantly chatter. We speak multiple bird languages. Everyone knows I am giving you shelter as you recover from your ordeal, and word will spread quickly if anything happens at the castle. No harm will befall them,” Crow assured her.
“Crow?” She said softly. “When will I return to the castle?”
“When the time is right you will know,” Crow said. Gabby continued chopping in silence.
The days slipped into weeks, and late summer brought cooler temperatures, changing leaves, and an autumn glow. Gabby marveled at the world around her, never having spent so much time in nature, especially not fairy-sized. She had grown strong now and would burst into a run in the meadow as Crow’s shadow soared over her. One afternoon she crested a hill and stopped to whack a tree with her staff several times before plopping back against it.
“What did that tree ever do to you?” Crow chided, laughing. His laugh fell silent when he saw the distant, cold look on Gabby’s face. Crow pondered her thoughts.
“Gabby, you must not seek revenge. You should fight for justice. It is what you have always done, and it is your path to restoration,” Crow said.
Letting out a sigh, Gabby rose to her feet, clipping at the tree with her staff again.
As fall went on, Gabby spent more time flying with Crow. Sometimes Crow’s family would join, and they would go wild, shrieking as they flew high in the sky, and sometimes it would be a more peaceful ride in the amber afternoon light.
As they flew silently one mid-morning, Crow spotted a hawk in his peripheral vision. “Gabby,” he hissed. “Hold tight.” The hawk flew alongside innocently at first, but closed the space between them quickly to examine the tiny figure clinging to Crow.
With its huge wings there was no way to outpace the hawk, so Crow dropped quickly towards the ground. As they plunged down, the hawk pursued, closing the space between them. Gabby had her face buried but glanced up just fast enough to see the hawk draw up its talons and try to snatch her. She half dove, half slid over Crow’s shoulder, grasping towards Crow’s leg with her hand. He moved and snatched her, rolling away from the hawk. By then the ground was quickly approaching. A large, dead tree stood nearby.
Crow made one more rolling move and flung Gabby towards the tree. She tried to tuck and roll as she landed, but she let out a big grunt as she hit the ground with a thud.
Crow turned and flew at the hawk again, trying to distract it. Gabby, get up. You must run. Gabby stood, looking up at Crow as he continued to tussle with the other bird. Gabby, run and hide in the hollow tree. She grabbed her skirts and took off as quick as she could towards the opening at the base of the tree stump.
Suddenly, she saw the hawk’s yellow legs come to a thundering halt on the ground in front of her. She stopped, gasping for air, and looking up at the tremendous bird. It let out a shriek and she covered her ears, wondering if she should run the opposite way.
Crow dove at the bird sideways, striking it low. Gabby did not wait and ran inside the opening, crouching in the back of the hollow stump. She could see a mix of the hawk and Crow’s feathers through the opening as they fought outside. Suddenly, the hawk’s face filled the opening, trying to snip at her feet. Gabby yelped and squeezed back further.
Crow took flight behind the hawk, gazing over his shoulder to make sure the hawk followed him. Stay hidden, he said, I will lead him away. He circled when the giant bird hesitated, but let out shrill caws, and finally the hawk left its little snack and followed Crow.
Gabby’s breath slowed and she stood. When did I learn to read your thoughts? She wondered, knowing Crow would still listen, despite the battle he fought outside.
You have always been able to, child, you just did not know you could until today.
The days were getting shorter, and the nights were colder. Crow had found Gabby warmer blankets and boots, but he usually gave her doll clothes, and the fabric was not very warm. One bleak early winter morning she awoke to Crow sitting on the side of the nest, staring down at her.
“What is this?” She asked, smiling sleepily.
“Today is the day. You must reclaim your empire,” Crow said. Gabby sprang to her feet, immediately wide awake.
“Crow. You cannot be serious. How can I do such a thing? How can I prevail against the forces of Emeterra?” Gabby’s voice rose as her cheeks and neck grew red. She had waited so long and yet she had no plan, and no army. She did not even know if Renfry had brainwashed her own children to hate her in her absence.
“You will know what to do. Now eat and dress,” Crow said calmly.
“I could not possibly eat,” Gabby said.
“At least warm yourself with coffee. You need your wits about you,” Crow said.
Gabby had grown comfortable scampering across the branch between the nest and the platform and swept to the table where she found a linen tunic, pants, and a leather vest. She put them all on. She took tiny sips of coffee, pacing. Finally, she slammed the mug on the table. “When do we leave?” She asked, clutching her staff in her hand.
Crow carried her across the countryside, gray clouds low on the horizon. As they flew, more crows gathered around them. Gabby looked around and saw that by then a murder of twenty or more crows had joined them. Suddenly, one crow let out a cry, jarring Gabby’s attention. More crows joined in, a chorus of cawing rising from the group. She looked to the horizon and saw her kingdom. Distant memories slowly came back—warm evenings at her mother’s skirts by the fire, times she raced through the stable yards to greet her father and his horse after a time away.
They steadily approached a stone fence near the perimeter of the castle. Gabby clutched Crow’s feathers nervously with one hand, holding her staff across her chest with the other. “Do we have a plan?” She asked apprehensively as they landed. She slid off his back as the other crows perched on the wall.
“What is meant to be will be. This is your destiny,” Crow said, sounding cheerful.
“That is not reassuring,” Gabby said faintly. She paced, thinking of her children, who had not seen her for months. Her courage gathered and she approached Crow again.
“Take me to the gates. You are right, what is meant to be will always be,” she said. Crow crouched down for her to climb on, and the crows shrieked and cried as they all took flight again. Crow beat his wings. It was not like normal when Crow rose into the air, though. The screams of the other crows filled Gabby’s ears, and black feathers surrounded her, making a swarming cyclone as they ascended from the ground. Suddenly Gabby felt a falling sensation.
Gabby opened her eyes again and found herself laying on her back, her staff at her side. She opened her eyes and sat up and looked around, noticing immediately that she was normal sized again. She touched the grass in wonder, slowly rising to her feet. The crows were still screaming, circling above her, Crow lingering closest overhead. She turned and walked towards the city.
Gabby paused outside the gates, taking a deep, steadying breath. Crow and the others still flew above her, but their cries had hushed. She listened to the sounds of her footsteps, her heart thundering in her chest. She walked, haltingly, one uncertain step after another. She paused in the archway to the city, looking up at the guards. They chattered among themselves, not even glancing her way. The standards were still her family’s, the ones that had flown for generations. She lowered her head and her steps quickened; her mouth set in a tight line as she continued into the city.
Along the walls, people sat barefoot and crouched in the slivers of the sun peeking in. Gabby looked at the streaks of dirt on their faces. They shivered, mothers holding their children close, elderly couples embracing each other, small whisps of their breath around their faces. One mother stared blankly ahead, but finally looked up at Gabby and registered the face before her. “Queen Gabriella?” She asked, barely a whisper. “You have returned?” The woman pushed up to her feet. Others stood and joined in, pressing against Gabby and holding her free hand.
She smiled briefly, overcome to be greeted so warmly. “What has happened here?” She asked.
“Renfry said you were dead,” the woman said. “We had a terrible fall harvest, and he has been rationing our food and fuel and firewood and raising our taxes. It is truly a wonder to see you,” the woman said, gently touching Gabby’s cheek.
Gabby turned her gaze to the castle. “I am here to make it right again,” she said quietly.
A crowd had grown and gathered around her as she turned and walked towards the castle. She was astonished at the number of people sitting outside in the raw, chilly winter morning air. She heard a murmur rising. People whispered her name, and some wondered out loud if she was a witch.
“He said she died,” one man said. “But he lies to us. Of course he has lied to us about our beloved queen.”
By now Gabby had crossed the town, and as word spread, people pressed together in the streets to see her pass. She smiled, happy to see her people and recognize their warm faces again. She lifted her gaze, seeing the castle wall and the armored gate. The clamoring crowds had gathered enough that the guards at the main castle gate were paying attention. They immediately recognized her with expressions of shock and wonder, many of them her age or younger. She paused outside the gate, listening to the murmur behind her. A wave of uncertainty swept over her, but Crow and his family settled along the top of the castle wall, and she immediately felt more courage.
Suddenly, a burst of sound rang out as Renfry pushed a young guard aside at the top of the castle wall. The young guard’s armor clattered. Renfry placed his palms on the wall, a look of shock and horror on his face.
A hush grew over the crowd. “What’s the matter Renfry? You look like you have seen a ghost,” Gabby said stiffly. Renfry stared at her, his mouth agape.
“Fire,” he whispered hoarsely. “Loose arrows!” He yelled. The guards hesitated, unsure about firing into the group of townspeople surrounding Gabby, and hesitant to fire at their queen. Time slowed as some guards finally stepped forward, pulling arrows from their quivers.
“No!” Gabby screamed as the arrows shot into the crowd. People cried out as the arrows hit, scattering, and falling aside. Gabby looked around, horrified, watching her people fall. The guards looked around uncertainly.
“Fire again!” Renfry yelled. The guards hesitantly pulled out arrows again. The crowd held its breath, waiting for the next shower of arrows, pulling together. Some tried to push back and flee, but they were packed too tight.
“ENOUGH!” Gabby yelled. The soldiers lowered their bows, shocked at the sound of Gabby’s roar. “These are my people!” She stepped forward, glaring at Renfry. He stepped to the edge of the wall, slamming his palms on the edge. He finally let out a howl, raking his hands against his face and walking in a circle.
He stopped and looked around at the soldiers on the wall, who had grown in number. “Get the rocks ready! Heat the metal. We must defend the city!” Renfry looked around, desperate.
“Defend it from who?” One of the guards asked, shooting him an icy look. Renfry stammered, looking at the guard.
A breeze picked up as Gabby watched. The crows had taken flight and were sweeping along the edge of the palace wall, flying upwards as they circled. The sound of their cries swelled. Several guards had stepped forward, surrounding Renfry. “You can’t be serious,” he cried. “I am king now!” Renfry did not notice the crows were circling above him. They began to swoop into his face, scratching at his chest and neck.
“Curse these birds!” Renfry cried, swatting his hands at them.
“Watch out!” Gabby shrieked, pushing back on the townspeople she could reach. Renfry reached the edge of the palace wall, and she watched him fall, people scrambling out of his way. He landed with a hard thud, blood immediately pooling around him. Gabby held her hands up to her mouth, shock and horror washing over her as she watched the life leave his body. A hush lingered over the crowd for a long moment. Suddenly, a single whoop went up, and the rest of the crowd broke into cheers. Gabby backed away from the body, looking at the castle again blankly.
Suddenly, she heard a small voice and saw them in her peripheral vision, inside the gate. William, Evelyn, and Maximus, quietly standing side by side, holding hands. Gabby turned to them, unsure what they had seen from their father’s demise. She took in their faces, and the way the sunlight illuminated their hair. William’s lip quivered a moment, and then he burst into motion, running to the castle entry, and throwing the lever to the portcullis. The gate ground open, and a sob escaped Gabby’s throat. Her children rushed towards her, and she fell to her knees weeping, holding their little bodies to hers.
The winter was hard. Gabby set up extra housing inside the city. Many of the farmers abandoned their countryside homes temporarily to live in the safety of the city for the harsh winter months. Many of them brought chickens and goats, and somehow there always seemed to be enough eggs and fresh milk to sustain the crowds.
Gabby carefully brought peace and order again, restoring the warmth and goodness to her family’s castle and lands. Her late husband had brought unrest to the land, and many trusted trade partners and neighboring kingdoms had scaled back, but once Gabby re-established connections and word of Renfry’s demise spread, the Emeterra Empire stabilized.
Most disturbing were the moments she would find one of her children sitting silently, staring vacantly. It seemed her beloved staff in the castle had mostly shielded them from Renfry, but she could sense his lingering malice in their silence, and feel it when they clung to her, especially at night. William did not speak of the night he had interrupted her murder, but she knew some of his childhood had slipped away.
The castle was often cold at night, especially in the bedrooms, but Gabby insisted on keeping a small northern-facing window in her room open through the coldest months, requesting that her servants build a large fire in her fireplace before bed. Gabby added a perch for Crow in several rooms, paying no attention when the servants and guests murmured about her strange practice of having a pet crow. “He’s not a pet,” she chided. “He comes and goes as he pleases.”
One night, her children gathered at the dinner table, ready to hungrily feast on rabbit stew and bread. When Gabby set a bowl of bright red berries on the table, and Evelyn’s face lit up. “Momma, how did you get such beautiful berries this time of year?” Gabby smiled, tossing a glace over her shoulder at Crow.
“We have a friend who had some time to forage today,” she said, sweeping to the head of the table and sitting. “Now, my sweet children, eat,” she said, sitting down at head of the table.
Gabby folded her hands together, watching her children eat happily, slurping soup into their mouths. Crow flapped from his perch and landed on her shoulder, rubbing his head against hers. The children stopped, their mouths stuffed, staring. They burst into laughter, and Gabby joined in. The sound of their laughter filled the halls.
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