Chapter 9. The Ravens.
The beautiful southern woods had been a good home for a while, but once Honeybee had recovered from her Sacrifice Cycle, and had rested well with Songbird, she was in great haste to get to the battle fields and play her part. Lilliana was equally excited and they set off after a good breakfast and grateful goodbyes to Songbird and the nymphs. It was a sad goodbye for Songbird but she understood her daughter’s independence and courage.
Lilliana suggested that they rode as far as the River Tre, take a boat into Slow Water before spending some time in the riverside town of Water’s Break. This would take them into King Sorre’s realm in The Southern Coastal Lands. There they could catch up with all the latest war bulletins and rest a while.
Water’s Break was a lively riverside town with many local merchants and seafarers who had come up from Greig-Mouth. The Grieg was a beautiful wide river with tree lined grassy banks and tow paths. It was resplendent with wildlife of every sort. Water birds, insects to feed them, small mammals, butterflies and dancing damsel flies. A walk along this river made the world seem a better place and lovers’ hearts would soar as they strolled along the banks arm in arm. Barges made their way right up into the Western Farmlands and the produce from the farms came back down to feed the population of the Southern Coastal Lands or even go off to sea in the wide, shallow keeled, double ended ships that were famous in the southern tip of the continent. These remarkable vessels had tremendous red sails on gaff riggs and could ride stormy seas, they sat deeply laden in the water without coming to harm. In times of calm the ships creamed through the water with mighty oars and were easy to navigate up wide rivers. Where the Par Sea met The Long Sea lay River Mouth. It was a large estuary that was the home of the famous boatbuilders at Twycross. This was where two rivers crossed, The Fetch and The Glan. These elegant ships were the pride of the Coastal Lands.
The people of the southern lands were as at home on the rivers and sea as they were on land. The rivers were their roads and often made travel much easier than riding across great expanses of woods and flat plains inland. Nearer to the sea the cliffs were rugged and perilous. Many towns had sprung up over hundreds of years to supply the needs of all travellers, fishermen and farmers.
The Sea People had a natural affinity with the ocean and its many-fold creatures. Throughout the day but especially at low tide, the people wandered along the beaches below the cliffs. They swished and swashed their bare feet through the water as they moved along the breaking tide line. They could predict the weather from the mood of the sea and the sky. They gazed out with a purpose across the waves and could recognise the swells in the channels between the shifting sandbanks. Grey seals would come close by them unafraid. As the seals rose for a leaping fish small shoals of silvery bream would ride the gently breaking waves. People would peer down as the fish swam in on the crest of a wave beside their feet but as soon as they saw them the bream quickly ducked under and swam back out to sea in the shallows. The sea folk were always busy; they walked out to rake up cockles and collect muscles and razor fish at low tide to dine on the freshest of sea food for dinner. The coastal folk were all weathered by the sun and wind. When they ventured inland amongst the woodland and hills it would not be long before they yearned to be back beside the salty shore.
After some time at Water’s Break the women had fresh horses and crossed The River Brae and the beautiful tree lined Grieg. They were on their way to King Sorre’s castle . There they would meet Queen Quanda who was reigning in the absence of her son. He had gone off to war and they knew he would have left news and instructions for them at his castle whenever they should arrive.
It was a very long time before Honeybee and Lilliana finally found themselves as guests of Queen Quanda. They were feasted, rested and had important meetings with the Sergeants. There was much news of the war with Lord Ivy. He was not playing by the rules and they had to listen to sad tales of treachery and deception and of the deaths of many good knights and ladies. This was indeed a new type of war and needed new strategies to deal with it. One thing was for certain, that new troops were always of use. The kings and knights had been fighting for a long time and must be exhausted, as were all their faithful followers. Farmers and families who had some training in the arts of war had already gone to join the battle. This meant that many youngsters had found themselves in charge of homesteads and farms as they were growing up. The Queen had sent good squires to all the local towns and villages to train and assist the farmers. It would be no good at all if the population and the soldiers were to go hungry.
Late one evening the women were talking privately with the Queen when she introduced them to The Priestess of The Ravens. They were shocked and honoured to meet this lady. Her reputation was well known in the entire continent of Grieglands. They rose from their seats as the elegant lady entered. Her hair was blue black, her graceful head was adorned with ravens’ feathers. Her strong shoulders bore her bow of silver and her quiver of silver arrows. At her belt hung a golden chain mail bag and a sheathed silver knife. She wore black leather armour, half armour this evening, and blue black trousers on her long legs with strong black leather boots.
She walked straight towards them so gracefully, her piercing dark eyes surveyed the room, she lifted, with visible no effort, a heavy wooden chair and sat amongst the women. The Priestess sat very straight and proud, her body was slender but it was clear to see that she was muscular.
“Let us drink together my fellow women,” she said.
From her small chain bag she produced a rather large bottle of dark red liquid, then out came four small cups of gold, each decorated with the bird deities. Again she reached into the tiny bag and brought forth a small glass bottle of powder.
“I shall make no apologies for what we shall now do. Together we shall drink of Goshawk Blood and our traditional drug named “The Shared Mind.”
Honeybee and Lilliana looked at the Queen to see what her face revealed.
Queen Quanda stated clearly that they would do as The Priestess said.
“The Ravens, our band of female warriors who not only fight but use purposeful and deep magic, wish you to join us. We can prepare you for the horrors that you shall see in battle and we can raise you up to strengths that you did not know you could have. If you join us you will be Raven Warriors for ever. We have a powerful and long history but I need not tell you all of this. We shall drink together and enter into a trance. Deep within the trance you shall learn some of the secrets and knowledge of the Ravens, some of my mind shall be shared with yours. You will then sleep for several days before you will join The Ravens at the Training Camp where your transformation will fully take place. This is a great honour and we bestow this on very few. We shall not discuss this and you shall say only yes or no and then we shall drink, is that clear?”.
Honeybee and Lilliana looked at each other and gravely nodded. They both agreed and then drank of the sickly draught.
Time passed and many days later the two women awoke in a new and strange place. It was a dark pine wood, with a large clearing. They heard the saws and hammers of a lumber yard, the water mill working by a small river grinding wheat, a smithy with a trail of smoke and the intermittent loud clang of the blacksmiths’ hammers. A settlement of wooden huts surrounding a grand, long hall, it was a mighty barn with a huge totem pole outside it; the decorations depicted the bird deities and the top was carved into the shape of a giant raven’s head, with a foreboding brow and prominent beak.
They rose sleepily from their battle beds and met a group of young Raven women who greeted and fed them.
The weeks were filled with battle training, deep sorcery, deeper and darker than any they had ever learnt. Around the evening campfires the Ravens told the ancient myths about their people and their battles. It was clear that these myths were lessons to prepare Honeybee and Lilliana for their future as Raven Warriors. They shared songs, rituals, potions and drinks which bound them forever. They understood the Ravens because they had drank of The Shared Mind.
Week after week saw the two become extremely physically strong. Their battle practice was intelligent and swift. They watched the other Ravens closely and gradually became more like them in word and deed. The Ravens spared them no quarter and fought them hard, not giving away any points to their new friends. Instead of falling into bed exhausted every night, as they had done in the beginning, they were now blessed with boundless energy and strength. They ate well and their appearance was that of strong and proud Ravens. They were ready for the final ceremony before they went to join the war.
One night Honeybee and Lilliana were woken just before midnight. They entered the quarters of The Priestess and were informed that their final ritual was nigh.
“Honeybee, you have proven yourself to be one of the finest Ravens who has ever trained here. You are ready to be a guardian of The Rules of The Ravens. You fight fiercely and your sword sparks with powerful magic. You use your darker powers with wisdom and you will lead many Ravens in your life to come. Now you must assume a greater form. You shall wear your woven cape flashing with images of the deities. From henceforth you shall be garbed in scarlet and always let your wild red hair fly free. You shall be the protector of children and the meek. From this day you will be known by your Raven name, which shall be ‘Honeybee Raven Warrior’. You have faced your Heart Sacrifice Cycles and your powers are now at their highest. You will be of much use in this world and maybe be others, for we have seen your destiny which you shall discover in your own time.”
Honeybee was shocked at this outpouring of compliments and honours but she knew deep within her breast that she was indeed a woman of great power and might. Her sacrifices had all brought her to this point and she was now a true Raven Warrior.
The Priestess turned to Lilliana.
“Dear and kind Lilliana, you, who know the secrets and truths of the land. You who understand the animals that dwell upon the earth and those who fly above it. You can talk to the trees and the beasts. Lilliana, you are the most loyal of friends have shown yourself to be worthy of The Raven’s Claw. You are a special type of warrior, one of an elite band of women. By blowing their horns they will always come to each other’s aid. Only the band of The Raven’s Claw can see the land with the eyes of a bird, as if from above, you will have the vision of a Raven in flight. Where normal mortals only see what is in front of them, you can invoke the bird’s eye view. This is a powerful spell that you can use in battle.”
After this speech the priestess gave Lilliana a whale bone horn as long as her forearm. The ancient whale had died an old and natural death many centuries ago. The horn was elegantly decorated with designs and symbols so old that no one now knew what they signified. Each Raven Claw Warrior owned a unique horn. They were only to be used in extreme circumstances after all other means had been tried. When blown, the horns could be heard throughout the land, crisply their sound travelled in high cold air. The deep magic of each horn could be felt via vibrations in all other horns belonging to the Raven Claws, it would call them where ever they may be.
The Priestess placed the Scarlett Deity-Cape around Honeybee’s shoulders. It was strong and tough like armour but felt as light as a feather. Instantly her flowing hair whirled up around her in a great movement as the cape was placed upon her proud shoulders. She felt alive and strong like never before.
So with noise, chanting, incense and fire the women were joined with the band of women with whom they had trained with long and hard. They had become friends forever more. After much drinking, giddiness and transportive potions the women made their final transformations. They now stood wild and proudly on the dais in the centre of the great hall as Lilliana Ravens’ Claw and Honeybee Raven Warrior.
