Tale 55- The Crow's Call

 Finding another inn, the two had no qualms about sharing a room this time, the staff merely ensuring there were two comfortable beds for both of them. Though the price was a little higher, Sarafelle was being careful about the money they had and trying to preserve it. The two wandered into the adjacent tavern, sitting down at the bar and the bartender smiling at them, offering them drinks on the house and recounting something he heard the other evening, warning the girls it was dark but that he felt the need to get it off his chest. The Traveler opened her book, Sarafelle giving a reassuring smile, and the man told them the tale of ‘the Crow’s Call.’

‘Some time ago, there was a family living on a farm, tending to their crops and animals and selling their produce to local markets. In the fields, they had a sentient scarecrow who was built by the children of the house, his straw made of love and his clothes sewn with strength. He sent the crows flying away in fright, though one seemed to reappear constantly, crowing thrice and flying over the barn. Angered by this, the scarecrow sought to destroy that crow, but couldn’t move its limbs to catch it. For months the scarecrow worked, managing to send every crow except that particular one fleeing, before one night there was a terrible storm, the scarecrow being blown over by gales of wind. The next morning, having fallen on his side, he watched the same familiar bird crowing thrice, before a warlord entered the barn and slaughtered everyone inside in cold blood, an entire flock of crows appearing and joining in the chant of death. But the scarecrow could do nothing, for he couldn’t move his limbs.’

The bartender sighed and went back to polishing glasses, Sarafelle pondering the story. She often saw crows around the castle, specifically one which always seemed to be watching with a strange look in its eye, one which chased butterflies up and down the stone halls and pecked at the flowers growing in all the corners due to the curse. It was a bit of a nuisance, but Calius didn’t seem to mind the creature so she let it slide, though she did sometimes have to push it aside whilst cleaning. That night, the two girls retired to their room, talking a little when they couldn’t sleep, before finally drifting into dreams.

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