Ol' Flint the Crow

Flint's Second Tale pt. 7

After the wind subsided and we were back on our feet, with me fumbling on Edrick's smooth shoulder, the first thing I notice was the countless number of felled trees before us. In the back of my head, I was thinking who could have done this, and why didn't they even have the decency to at least take the logs laying haphazardly over their respective cracked trunks. My beak clamped tightly, knowing full well what creatures had the audacity to do such a wasteful act... Humans. It was always humans that caused the problem. That was my answer, back then, for everything.

"What are we doin' here, Edvrick?" I said, vehemently tapping him on the head. "Are we gonna find the filths that did this to the forest?"

Edvrick didn't answer my question. He was too preoccupied gazing down the hill to a treeless valley where many log cabin houses were placed together in a horse shoe shaped row. To the left a river with a swift running current flowed past the homes and traveled far from view. On its bank, old logs, covered in weeds, lay discarded and unused. A rusty saw was buried into a half-cut piece of timber that lay hanging off the edge of the flowing river. With one kick, it would splash into the water and be swept away to the towns that need the wood for lumber.

Looking away from the river and logs, I faced the right side of the village. There was a maze of thick bristly trees that ominously went off a good mile or two. The labyrinth's winding paths were only made more obscure and difficult to navigate by the canopy of thick fog gliding over it. If anyone found themselves lost in such a place, they would never get out, I was sure of that.

Just then, while I was squinting my eyes at the complex maze of trees, I saw a break in the fog. For a split second, I thought I had seen the top of some mighty edifice far off in the distances. A lone spike stabbed through the haze as I looked at it in wonder. However, the strange building immediately disappeared, leaving me pondering if what I saw was actually real or just a trick of the eyes. Either way, it caused a shiver to run in me.

"We ain't gonna go through there, are we?" My feathers fearfully rustled against the side of Edvrick's face.

Edvrick swiftly shook his head and instead pointed towards the village. "The wind's telling me to go here."

Without consulting me, he descended the rocky slope. A great rush of terror shown from my eyes as I realized what he was doing. He was traveling to the log cabins which must have been built by human beings. It had to be. Only humans with their nimble fingers and creative minds could have constructed such elaborate homes, each big enough to fit an entire legion of humans.

All the rumors the old wizard had filled me with came rushing over me. What would they do once they discovered my abilities? I would become some show animal for their amusement, I thought to myself. While they were made fat by their riches I helped them make, I would live on stale nuts and endure blow after blow for any mistakes I made during my performance.

All these thoughts made me desperately latch onto Edvrick's neck. My grip was so tight that red marks appeared from Edvrick's tender skin.

We reached one of the buildings made of beautiful oak wood. The roofs were expertly crafted with gold colored thatch that sparkled in the sunlight. That thatch would have been perfect to build a nest I was thinking. Looking back on it, it was lovely to behold, but I was too frightened to be impressed.

"Edvrick!" I squawked, my longs beginning to contract into a tight lump. "What are ya doin'?! I don't like this place. Stop!"

However, my friend took no heed of me. In his mind, the wind was calling him, telling him someone was in need of help. Nothing would draw him away until he found out what was troubling this village. Not even my frantic calls could sway him.