Raven (16 page)

The nest had  a centre chasm which had tables made of wood from the big old fig trees that littered the forest floor and off the centre chasm ran many tunnels that appeared to be individual sleep quarters from what she could see of things. The raven who had brought her back indicated she should sit at one of the tables and wait for the others to return. He promised that once they had Eilam settled then they would fix her up with some dry clothes. She nodded her thanks and sat glumly waiting for news on his condition. She wanted desperately to help in any way she could, but felt at the moment she was a bit like a third wheel.

Here Eilam was on the brink of death and she knew they wouldn’t want to have to fuss over her too. So instead she sat patiently, wringing her hands raw from the tension that was mounting as she suffered the inexplicable loss she was feeling. 

There was commotion then, shouts in human voices -not ravens, as they made their way towards her. Those in front were directing those who carried Eilam’s body and fresh tears stung at her eyes to still see him so inert and unresponsive.

They made their way to the very back of the nest and she ignored the looks and stares she was getting as she got up to follow them. They were all a young flock, men and women, but none older than she. These must all be the offspring of the originals, she thought. They entered the last room in the nest, the entrance covered by large fern fronds similar to the ones she had seen growing in the mountains. They were pulled aside now and the young men carried Eilam in and lay him down on a large bed. The frame was the same wood that had been sourced from the surrounding forest and it was plush with feathers and heather that had been foraged by the ravens. Over the top were sheets – not from nature, but from a department store in town. Obviously their flock didn’t seem to go completely without the modern necessities.

Most of the flock left now, only two remained at his side. They checked his body over completely, turning him this way and that, inspecting the wounds on his back, feeling his pulse, running their hands over bones to check for breakages. She couldn’t stand the suspense anymore – it was absolutely killing her.

“Will he be okay?” she sobbed - not even caring to be embarrassed in front of these strangers. They looked at her now, as though only just realising that she was even in the room. They weren’t unkind though, just preoccupied. The older looking of the two with furrow lines on his brow came over to her now and spoke to her in whispers.

“He should make it. It will take some looking after to heal those wounds on his back – the claws of the ravens have done the most damage and cut deep into his flesh. I’m going to have to fly out and get some herbs to make a paste to put on the cuts before they get infected. His collar bone is broken and he won’t be able to fly until it mends and he has a concussion. He’s very weak right now and needs to rest,” he said kindly.

“Shouldn’t we take him to a Doctor?” she asked.

“It’s not that simple. The short answer is no, for many reasons but the two main being that we’ve never tried human medicine in our bodies and it’s just about as likely to kill him rather than cure him and the second problem we face is the minute the Doc lays eyes on his markings on his lower back he’ll know he’s part of the new race. The APP puts bulletins out to these places on a regular basis, you know”.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t know,” she said feeling like a complete idiot.

“It’s okay, you’re not to know, but it is important for his safety that he remains here and we treat him as best we can,” he said.

“May I stay with him?” she asked hopefully.

He contemplated for a minute and looked to his companion to obtain a silent confirmation in the nod of a head.

“You can stay, but you have to promise you won’t interfere with how we treat him,” he said.    

She sighed in relief. “I promise I won’t get in the way. I could help you apply the herbs to his back if that would help,” she offered as she dried the tears from her face.

He nodded. “Okay. I’ll be back soon”. He went to leave then but she called out to him.

“I don’t even know your name,” she said guiltily.

He stopped and turned around to face her. “My name is Cillian, and dimples over there is called Reed,” he said.

“Well thank you both, for everything I mean,” she said with gratitude.

They both nodded at her and Reed flashed his dimples in a parting smile. Aiyana knew that they must feel a bit apprehensive at having her here, but she was grateful that they had hadn’t kicked her out on her arse just yet.

With the room now empty except for her and Eilam, she had time to inspect him fully. He looked terrible; with cuts razored up and down his back. It was like he had just received lashings from a cat-o-nine tails but with a knife on the end instead of leather. Cillian had left him on his side that didn’t have the broken collarbone so that his cuts could air and the arm on that side had already been strapped up near his neck so that it wouldn’t move unnecessarily. She knew she loved this man, this raven creature that could fly in the skies and she didn’t want him to hurt anymore. She wanted to touch him, love him and feel him in every way that a person could be with another.

She leaned forward ever so slowly so as not to disturb him and gently put her soft lips to his. The magic of his touch made her shiver. Not because she was still in wet clothes, but because it made her remember what it was like to be naked next to him. She wanted that and more again, but with her senses fully in check she had the mind to be fearful at the same time, for he would after all be her first.

****

Eilam had been unconscious for days. He ran hot with fever and called out in his sleep and she was right there to bathe his wounds and dress them. She cooled his head with water the ravens brought from the waterfall and tended his every need. She hadn’t cared about her own concussion but had gladly accepted some pain relief medicine that one of the younger girls had flown into the city to get from the pharmacist. Her nausea had soon passed and she could then concentrate fully on helping Eilam recover. She hadn’t returned to her apartment since she had disappeared and she was sure her friend Elijah had probably called her at least a hundred times by now but she didn’t care.

Let them think she was dead anyway, at least then the ravens would assume their attack on them had been successful and the APP might have stopped looking for her as well. She could resurrect her art career once she stepped back into reality. That was the thing about being with Eilam. It was like being in another world, where it was totally normal for a morphing raven to be able to fly.

Her time at the nest had helped her form bonds with the others too. At first they were sceptical and wary, unsure if they should trust this outsider who had invaded in their inner sanctuary and rattled them. But the more she talked and interacted with them the more she felt like they readily accepted her. If she was honest with herself, she kind of thought it would be nice to hide out here in the mountains forever and never have to return to the dismal city that had held her captive for so long.

Here she felt free, not constrained by time frames and telephone calls. Here, she could just be herself and not feel like an outcast in a city of despair.

In the middle of the night on day five of Eilam’s fever induced sleep, he stirred at her side. His movement woke her instantly and she immediately put her hand to his forehead to see if he was still burning. With relief she found him to be cool to the touch, a clear indication his fever had broken and he was on the mend. Cillian had said he was healing fast the day before and had even removed the bandage that kept his arm in place to restrict the movement of his collarbone. His hand now came up to touch hers and he pressed it to the side of his face, eyes still closed as he felt for her.

“You’re here,” he whispered with relief. She hadn’t left his side since he’d been brought back and the rest of the ravens had continued to let their world spin on its axis as much as they could with the other flock still watching over their every move. They had come to accept Aiyana as part of the ‘furniture’ and readily accepted her to stay in their nest with them.

“I’m here,” she whispered back, not wanting the ravens close by to hear they were talking, for surely they would want to see him the minute he woke. It wasn’t her intention to be selfish with him, but her need to have him kiss her once more was burning in the pit of her belly like a fire raging in a summer heat wave. For five days she had looked at those lips and willed him awake so that they could share a kiss that so fulfilled her that she wouldn’t have cared less if she had died the minute it ended.

“Are you okay?” eyes closed still, his deep husky voice asked her. All the while his hand stroking hers, making it very hard for her to concentrate on what he’d even asked her.

“I’m fine,” she said in a breathy voice.
What was with her? Why did he have such a hold over her?
“How are you feeling now?” she asked him.

“I ache all over and my back stings,” he groaned.

“It’s healing nicely, the cuts have scabbed over and will probably start to itch soon – Cillian said you’ve healed very quickly considering the extent of your injuries.”

It was dark in the room and she could only see the outline of his face, but already felt like she knew every square inch of it after staring intently at him for the last week.

“Cillian has no idea how much this hurts,” he said, trying not to roll on his back as he shifted his weight on his hips.

“Would you like me to put some more ointment on your cuts? Reed left some crushed herb cream that he made up earlier,” she offered, only too keen to run her hands over his muscular back.

“Yes please, if you wouldn’t mind,” he conceded.

She got up from where she lay and moved to the small stand that held the crushed herb ointment. At that precise point in time the clouds must have cleared outside and the moon shone brilliantly down the skylight bathing the entire room in a blue-ish hue that illuminated Eilam’s body in its light. She moved to him now with confidence, being able to see exactly what was in front of her.

His back was so big and strong, the muscles that rippled along his shoulder blades evidence of the hard work put in from flying all the time -now covered with strips of cloth that kept the ointment close to his skin. She removed it carefully; mindful that he flinched every time she did so.

“I’m sorry,” she said quietly and tried to get it over with for him as soon as possible. Once done, she couldn’t help but be entranced by him. She slowly ran her finger along the back of his neck and on towards his shoulders, slowly taking her time to feel his soft skin beneath hers and feeling a little short of breath as she did so. In the moonlight his skin showed signs of goose bumps, like she suddenly found a weak spot.

She stopped now, as though the thought just crossed her mind that what she was doing was inappropriate. She put the ointment back and came back around the bed to the side he was facing.

“Why’d you stop?” he whispered to her, eyes awake now and dancing with blue light from the moon.

“I, ah…” tongue tied. Completely and utterly tongue tied.

“Lay next to me,” he motioned to her with his good arm. She hesitated for only a split second, not needing to be asked twice. She shuffled close; he wanted her closer. He reached behind her to the small of her back and pulled her towards him, wincing as he did so.

“Don’t,” she said, “you’ll hurt yourself”.

“Touch me,” he said, his breath tickling her face as he did so. He smelt earthy and fresh, just like after it had rained.

Aiyana touched his face and ran her hand down the front of his solar plexus, unsure of where to touch him next.

“Aiyana,” he breathed. She liked the way her name rolled off his tongue.

“Yes,” she said.

“You’re beautiful”. He closed the hairs breath between them and placed his soft lips on hers. He was warm, gentle and giving. Giving her exactly what she wanted. She kissed him back hungrily, a lifetime’s worth of built up tension released in that moment. She’d never kissed or been kissed in such a romantic way in all her life. It was like his lips were made for hers and she felt him mimic every move she made. Comfortable within his embrace, she explored his mouth with her tongue, feeling for his and enjoying the sensation all too much.

She needed air, but was enjoying the headiness she was feeling. In the end she had to gently push him back a minute to catch her breath. He breathed hard in her face, thrill and delight clearly lit on his face.

“I feel a lot better now, thank you,” he said.

She giggled quietly, “Ah, you’re welcome?” 

“Kiss me again,” he demanded. So she did. Passionately and lustfully; she never wanted this moment to end.

But in the dark recess of her mind though, a little voice said to her
but it will end sometime, you know it has to.

The weeks following their heated kisses were a painful recovery for Eilam. He was frustrated that he couldn’t fly and was forced to stay in the nest until his collar bone healed enough to support his massive wings as they flapped to hold him in the air. Each day he would walk out to the cave entrance and half morph in to his raven form so he could stretch his wings out gloriously behind him. He would flap them slowly, exercising the muscles and getting movement back into his body without weight bearing on the bones that still had a little healing to do.