“Sounded like a wild animal. Can’t have it running around the grounds.” He sounded nervous.
“Don’t worry; I brought the gun, just in case.” Said the other male, with whom I was not familiar with.
“I don’t see anything. Do you think it ran off?” Charles fretted.
“There’s a light on in the stables.” Said the other man. They sounded very close now.
I flinched. We had left a little lamp flickering in the corner before we had started the flying lesson.
I couldn’t see where Camryn was any more. I worried. What was she doing? Beside me and Jack, Hawthorne had a worried look across his furry face. I tried to convince myself that everything would be okay before I could reassure him.
Three banging knocks on the stable door made my heart stop. Jack and I looked at each other fearfully, and we tried to be as still as possible.
“Coming!” Came Camryn’s voice. What was she doing?
I listened hard, and heard Camryn open the stable door a crack.
“Hello Charles, and, uh, George?” Camryn guessed.
“Ralph.” Grunted the other man.
“Close enough.” Camryn had a hint of amusement in her voice, “To what do I owe this pleasure, so late at night?” She said. Obviously she was barring the way as to not let them enter.
“Why are you here so late?” Charles said suspiciously.
“Midnight here hasn’t been feeling too well.” Camryn lied, obviously referring to one of the Pegasi.
“Oh. So you’re here … keeping an eye on him, are you?” Charles guessed.
“Of course. Can’t have my pride and joy feeling under the weather, can I?” Her voice dripped with false cuteness.
“Indeed.” Charles trailed off.
Ralph huffed impatiently, “We heard something out here, like a wild animal. Sounded close.”
“A wild animal?” Camryn faked her shock, “I thought I heard something, but it sounded as though it ran off into the woods.”
“Woods.” Ralph mused, “It’ll be long gone.” He sounded annoyed. I assumed he liked to hunt, hence the gun.
“Oh well.” Charles sounded glad, “We’ll be off then. Don’t stay out too late, Miss Dreghorn. You’ll catch a cold.”
“I won’t.” Camryn promised.
After a few moments I heard the stable door close again. I heaved a sigh of relief. It sounded as though Charles and Ralph had gone back to the manor, for I could hear their chit-chat fade away as they walked back.
I grinned at Jack, and he smiled back, thrilled by the sudden adrenalin rush.
“That was fun.” I whispered.
“Let’s never do that again.” Camryn said faintly as she came and unlocked the stall door.
We got up and brushed ourselves off and waited half an hour before we left the stables, ensuring that Charles and Ralph would be back in bed by then. I kissed Hawthorne’s forehead and he whined gently as I left with Jack and Camryn.
At lunch the following day the three of us sat in the staff room, munching away and discussing the previous night.
“Who do you think it was in the trees?” Camryn wondered.
“Three guesses.” Jack rolled his eyes, “It was obviously Swaggart.”
Jack explained the story of Seth Swaggart to Camryn, who did not know the whole tale. He told her of how he had tried to curse me on my first day in Frost Arch, and how he had been caught on the grounds a few times since.
“Creepy.” Camryn shivered.
I felt the need to change the subject, for the topic of my impending doom was growing tiresome.
“So what do we do about Hawthorne flying?” I whispered to them so no one might over hear.
Jack though for a moment, “I had an idea this morning we might be able to try. I suppose we’ll just have to wait until the moon comes out again.”
I nodded, “All right.” I wished that Hawthorne learning to fly did not go hand in hand with his immediate departure from my life.
A gentle tapping noise caught my attention.
I looked over to the window and gasped. Sitting on the ledge was a beautiful black bird, with a scroll of parchment clamped in its beak.
“R?ven!” I exclaimed, jumping from my seat and dashing to the window. I noticed Jack and Camryn exchange confused glances.
I jerked open the stiff window and R?ven fluttered inside elegantly, and morphed back into her Mage self a moment later. She handed me the small scroll of parchment and I gave her a tight hug as my thanks. She remained stiff but her expression was slightly shocked. I had almost forgotten about the letter that I had sent home.
“Did you send a letter?” Camryn asked.
“Yes, to my family.” I glanced up at Jack who nodded in understanding. Jack knew my situation with home, Camryn did not.
I became aware that R?ven was still standing near me. I looked at her. Perhaps I had forgotten something? She was staring at me. Her piercing blue eyes raked over me, studying every inch as though expecting me to explode at any moment. I flinched away from her.