Denera sat before her sister’s grave, her head bowed in prayer. Though Diora, her twin sister, was hardly dead, it might seem she were to any other person beside her sister and the people of the village of Owendae. Her body had become cold, not a breath in her, as Diora’s small hand were crossed over her chest, and sacred coins resting over her eyes. The building was small, a resting place for the sacred Keeper, and where her energies connected her from this world to the next.
Each morning it was a routine, part of the ritual that Denera would come, make flowers and wine as offering, and tend to the small shrine her sister lay within. Even in the rain, she would come, and snow, and bring what ever offerings she could and make her will known to the Gods, and to her sister, that she was there to serve, she would always be there to serve, and that her sword and skill, her magics, would be use to preserve the balance of our world.
Then she would sit upon the floor and meditate, lighting incense and becoming one with the sounds of the forest and stones, before kissing her sister’s cold cheek to leave her to rest once more, sealing the stone door and drawing the same salted chalk symbol across the stone to protect her from any evil forces, or chaos, that might try to seek her out. When she turned around, she wasn’t surpised to see Drey standing there, a left ward grin stretching across the grisly, beginnings of a beard on his face. His hair was as dark as his eyes, though his hair was brown where his eyes were a cool, sea blue. And as he looked upon her, his eyes danced as he gave a nod of his head while he leaned a hand against the hilt of his sword, the edge of hwihc was pressed into the soft grounds.
“How is she?”
It was the same question he always asked. Denera smiled and nodded her head.
“She is fine, though she spoke of a vision, worrying about a black bird carrying some sort of fragment of chaos.”
Drey’s face twisted over the idea. “A black bird? Perhaps a crow,” he said, rubbing his chin and scratching through the bristled hairs. “It is said the crow can be both helpful, and evil, depending where he is born and where you first see him.” He laughed a little. “Though I recall Diora having a fondness for birds. She knew them quite well, even into her blindness, able to pick them out amongst the whole chorus of birds in the morning song.”
Denera smiled at the memory. “Yes, I recall we used to have contests to see who could name the most, but naturally she always won.”
Drey laughed, tossing back his head as small wrinkles creased beside his eyes. “As she always does! But come, let us head back to town. Perhaps one of the wise women might have some sort of idea what to make of this bird vision. If it has something to do with chaos, we’ll have to worry about it, no doubt. But maybe they can interpret it for us?”
Denera nodded, but paused as the pair made their way towards the muddy road. It had rained all night, but cleared in the morning, and the fog had since cleared, though it hampered any of the ground from completely drying.
“Drey..”
He paused in mid stride and turned to look at her, making a noise and cocking up an eyebrow.
“You know this is not your quest. As Diora’s twin..” Dnera began, but Drey gave a wave of his hand, shrugging off her story as always.
“Denera, you know the Gods don’t need to tell me to protect your sister,” he told her, dark blue eyes meeting to hers. “I love Diora, and always will. I know her mind is elsewhere, and though it pains me I can not tell her how I miss her, I will wait for her until it is our time.” He gave a grunt of a laugh. “It’s just the fate of a man in love. I would wait until death just to be with her. And if that is how it is to be fated," he pulled his sword out of the ground, twirled it a moment before sheathing it and turning back to her with a grin. "Then so be it. But for now,” he paused, eyes shining as a grin reachd his ears. “For now, you and I will remain steadfast and protect her.” He patted her arm firm. “Forever and always.”
Denera smiled up at him. “Forever and always.” Though as the pair of them turned towards the trail, a black bird swooped over head, and the two of them could not help it but tense at the sight.
“A black bird…” Drey's fingers curled around the hilt of his swrd. He kept his brows raised as he studied it, keeping a careful watch of where it was going. “You don’t suppose..?”
But Denera didn’t need to answer him, as she was quick to call her white horse Nightingale, and mounted her and took off in the direction of the black bird, pulling up Drey so he sat behind her as the pair rushed off deep into the shadows of the woods. Denera slowed the horse slowed, hearing a series of caws coming from the other side of some tall brush. Approaching cautiously, the pair dismounted and went on foot, parting the ferns and black-berry bushes aside to expose a small patch of forest full exposed to the sun (where as the rest of the forests remained beneath the canopy of trees, blanketing most o fit from the sunlight, except where fragments broke in through the break in leaves). Here, an old, dead tree remained twisted, grey and solemn, all the while it's branches held an entire flock of beady eyed black birds.
Denera could hardly believe her eyes. She had only taken a few steps before she paused, noticing that beneath the dead tree that held the birds, something shimmered within the grass. Drey had seen it too. He took a hesitant step forward, a hand upon the hilt of his sword.
"Denera," he started, eyes wavering. "Be careful." he said, then gestured for her to move forward. "I got your back." His eyes searched the trees, but as usual, the forest only appeared as wild and beautiful as ever. The only thing out of the ordinary were the grouping of birds, birds that hardly seemed disturbed as Denera moved forward, birds whose eyes seemed to be watching them. Drey kept behind her, just a few paces, hands itching to draw his blade.
"Brave birds, they should have taken flight by now," he muttered beneath his breath. His eyes now searched up towards the sky, tracing along the clouds, then the lining of trees all around them. "What do you suppose brought them here? ANd do you think that thing in the grass is what Diora spoke of?"
Denera held her breath. She wasn't sure how to answer him, though as she approached the tree and spotted the glimmering shard again, she released her held breath and slipped the sword she had drawn back into it's sheath. Dropping to her knees, she examined the fragment. It glittered, reflecting the sky, but not much else around them- except her own face, whihc, fora brief moment, she thought she had seen Diora instead. Frozen, she let her eyes flutter a moment before she furrowed her brows and lifted the glass shard delicately up within her hands.
"It's almost like a mirror," she murmured.
"It's just some piece of glass, reflecting the light," Drey said with a shrug, though he too, noted his own reflection in the pice. He glanced around again, eyes ever cautious as they kept on the birds, then to the shadows in the trees, rustling now within the wind. The white horse seemed ok, but Nightingale was a brave horse, so not much spooked her. He sheathed his sword and gestured to Denera. "Let's wrap it in some clothe and take it back to the village. I am sure they have answers. If this is truly something chaotic, they'll know how we can dispose of it."