“They’re going to find your mother,” he said. “To let her know that you’ve returned so that she’ll come back, and you’ll be able to see her again.”
Serafina looked at Braeden and felt a deep warmth filling her chest. “That’s so kind of you,” she said, “to think of that, I mean, to ask them to do that. Thank you. I hope they find her, and the cubs, too. I’d love to see them all again.”
“You’re very welcome,” Braeden said, pleased that she was happy with what he’d done. “Now that you’re back, your mother and the cubs belong here with us, in our forests.”
Serafina couldn’t agree more, and she liked the way he said our forests.
As they were talking, she noticed that he was standing in an awkward position, favoring his bad leg. She glanced down and saw that the bracket on the brace was still broken.
“How’s your leg?” she asked.
“It’s been feeling much better,” he said, trying to stay cheerful, but as his trembling fingers began fumbling with the straps and buckles, tightening them the best he could, it was clear that his leg was still sore. “I guess this rickety old brace does need some work,” he admitted. “It was brand-new when my uncle got it for me, but after all it’s been through, it’s definitely suffered some wear and tear. This metal piece here broke off completely, and it’s been causing me no end of trouble.”
She shyly put out her hand and said, “Maybe this will help.”
In her open palm were the two kidney-shaped, multi-holed leather straps that she and her pa had made.
“What are those?” Braeden asked with fascination as he leaned toward her and took a closer look.
“One for each side of your knee,” she said, “to replace the metal bracket that broke. My pa and I made them.”
“You did?” he asked in amazement, looking up at her. “Thank you!”
“Try them on.”
“Yes,” he said excitedly. “Let’s see how they work…”
He took the leather straps out of her hands, his fingers brushing her open palm as he did so, sending a jolt of energy up her arm and down her spine. Then he folded himself to the ground, tore off the broken bracket, and began attaching the new straps.
“I hope they fit,” she said.
“They seem like they’re going to work very well,” he said, standing up and flexing his knee back and forth as if someone had just given him a new, fully functional leg.
Seeing his happiness, Serafina smiled.
She glanced westward across the mountains. The westbound crows had disappeared on their journey.
“Do you think they will succeed?” she asked wistfully. “It’s a big forest out there, and she’s very good at hiding.”
“The crows don’t have the eyesight of a hawk, the nose of a vulture, or the speed of a falcon, but they are the smartest birds I know, and they will work together to find her.”
“Are the crows always so noisy?” she asked, still a little amused by all the racket they’d been making. It seemed so quiet now up on the hill with only the horses grazing nearby.
“Oh yes,” Braeden said. “They love to argue, those crows, and boy, are they quick to take offense. But they’re good birds all the same.”
“What about all the other crows that flew off in the different directions?”
“Each flock is a small family group that trusts each other, hunts and scavenges together, calling each other when they find something good, and warning each other when danger approaches. Each flock protects their own territory where they’ve learned to find food, roost at night, and stay safe. I asked all the different flocks in the area to post sentinels all around Biltmore’s grounds and keep guard, to warn us if they see anything suspicious. Uriah has been their hated enemy for many years.”
Serafina marveled at Braeden’s story of the crows, but her gut twisted at the sound of her enemy’s name. “And have they seen him?”
“They say he’s moving every night, circling Biltmore.”
Serafina couldn’t help but take a swallow. “I don’t like the sound of that one bit.”
“Me neither,” Braeden agreed. “The crows will be able to give us a short warning, but that’s all.”
Serafina gazed back at the house and the surrounding gardens, her heart filling with a dark foreboding. Noticing a change in the wind direction, she glanced up at the sky.
In what form would Uriah attack? Would it be a sudden strike like a rattlesnake’s bite? Or would the storms and floods come gradually, doing his work for him, sweeping everything away in their destructive path?
“Last night Waysa told me that the rivers are getting worse,” Braeden said. “Whole areas of the forest in the mountains above Biltmore are flooded with water and mudslides.”
“When Uriah sees his best opportunity, he will attack,” Serafina said.
“But what are we going to do?”
“We need to find the others.”
“They’re down by the spillway of the pond.” Seeing her look of surprise at his quick answer, Braeden said, “Crows have long memories, so they keep a watchful eye on Rowena wherever she goes. They don’t trust her any more than they trust her father.”
“What about you?” Serafina asked. “Do you trust her?”
“Yes, I think she’s on our side now,” Braeden said. “With the four of us working together, we can defeat him.”
Serafina wanted to agree, but wasn’t too sure what to make of Braeden’s new optimism. A death struggle with a powerful sorcerer loomed ahead, but he seemed happier than he had been in a long time. But he wasn’t just returning to his old self. There was something different about him, more focused and determined.
“Let’s go,” he said, touching her arm, “they’re going to be looking for us,” and they started down the hill toward the pond, his newly repaired leg brace seeming to provide a new smoothness to his gait.
She felt an unusual sense of satisfaction as she walked at Braeden’s side. This, she thought, this is how it should be. She enjoyed being with him. His leather boot still dragged a little in the grass, and his hands were still trembling, but he seemed stronger and more at ease than he ever had before.
She wanted to keep this sense of peace and belonging for as long as she could, but as she and Braeden reached the bottom of the hill, she felt an unusual stirring in the air. A small flurry of wind swept by her. She might not have noticed such a thing in the past, but her senses were too keen now to ignore it. Suddenly, she caught the scent of a coming storm.
She looked around at the wind blowing in the tops of the trees. A storm seemed to be moving in with unnatural speed. Even as the light of the sun withdrew from everything around them, a flash of lightning lit up the sky.
“So much for the sunny day,” Braeden said. And she knew he wasn’t just talking about the weather.
Rolling over the ridge of the closest mountain, a dark bank of clouds loomed like a great wave.
“It’s coming this way,” she said, eyeing the black front of the storm. “He’s attacking now.”