Asha hesitated a few feet before the tower itself, uncertainty holding her back. It had been a few days before she had been allowed a free day from her mother's work, but when it arrived she had immediately set out for the ruined tower. But now that it was in front of her, uncertainties came into her thoughts. She couldn't forget her mother's warnings about the strange man being a Forest God - that Forest Gods weren't human, even lords who had once been mortal. The cuts on her arms were mostly healed now, they wouldn't even scar, but she took in a few deep breaths and reminded herself of her goal in coming back. She couldn't forget his loneliness, and because of it, she was going to be his friend.
But as she worked to build her courage back up, she was interrupted.
"You had no issue trespassing into my tower before," commented the Crow Lord's strange croon, "Why hesitate now?"
Startled, Asha whirled around to see the Crow Lord standing behind her. He was a few feet away, but his looming presence made it feel as though he was closer than that. Even directly in the sunlight, she could not make much of his face. The shadows were darker, but his mismatched eyes were brighter in retaliation. It took a moment for Asha to bring herself to speak in the face of the Crow Lord's apparent wariness and shadowing loneliness.
"That was... Things are different now," she managed, which caused the Crow Lord to fold his arms across his chest.
"How so?"
"I know what you are now."
"Do you?"
His reply was sarcastic, baiting, and Asha frowned with an annoyance that revealed itself in her words.
"You're the Crow Lord, created by the Raven God. My mother told me."
It became quiet again, the Crow Lord seemingly stunned but Asha's thoughts leaned more towards the idea that he was actually thinking something over. When he did speak, his words were neutral and measured.
"Your mother is quite knowledgeable of the forest gods, but then again so was her mother, her mother's mother, and all starting with your ancestor."
"What you do you mean?" Asha asked him, and the Crow Lord replied plainly, "Exactly what I said. Who do you think taught your ancestor the ways of the Herb Witch?"
"You?"
"No," he sighed, "Most of the forest gods know much, but Corvus knows more than even they do."
In an apparent attempt to now ignore her, the Crow Lord moved past her towards the tower. However, when Asha attempted to follow him he stopped her with a hand. She stumbled to a halt before she ran into it and looked up at him. Asha suddenly became more aware of just how tall the Crow Lord really was.
"What compelled you to return?"
"I wanted to see you again."
He took a step back from her, his wariness more palpable but looking into his eyes Asha saw a gleam of curiosity that surprised her.
"You wanted to... see me again?"
"I did," she confirmed, "I want us to become friends."
He was silent again, and Asha was beginning to wonder how often he would go silent in a conversation before he said, "Why would a mortal want to be friends with a Forest God?"
"Because you're lonely," Asha stated simply, to which the Crow Lord was visibly taken aback by, "It's what led me here the first time, I could feel it in the forest and I followed it. Then I met you in that tower and I saw it reflected in your eyes. You're lonely and I don't think anyone should be lonely."
Asha was nearly breathless by the end of her explanation, staring at the Crow Lord as he stared at her. Then he managed, "And because of that you want to be my... friend?"
"Yes."
The expression in his mismatched eyes was conflicted, but then his looming presence backed down suddenly. Asha felt like she could breathe easier now, and was more confident when she looked at him and asked, "What do you do as the Crow Lord? Though my mother told me the story of how you were given godhood, the story doesn't say what you do with it."
The Crow Lord unsure of how to answer, but decided upon, "Follow me," before he turned to enter his tower. Asha was stunned in place for a few seconds before rushing to catch up to him. There was a smile on her face as she followed him inside, the shadows of its interior somehow softer this time around. He then led her to those stairs on the far side, his steps incredibly careful as he climbed them. Asha, however, was not so careful. So focused on making sure to keep up with him, she stepped a little too close to the open edge of a step and it crumbled beneath her slight weight.
Asha barely made a noise of surprise before she felt a tight grip on her wrist, which ultimately prevented her from falling. When she looked up from the fall, she saw the Crow Lord's pale, thin hand around her wrist. He looked as surprised as she did, but then wordlessly pulled back close to the outer wall, where it was safer, before he quickly released her wrist.
"You should be more mindful of where you step," he cautioned quietly, "This tower has seen better days, and is not as safe as it once was."
With that, he returned to climbing the stairs and quietly Asha followed, this time more wary of where she stepped as she did so. The stairs did not last much longer, however, as they ended very close to the very top of the tower. The Crow Lord had to duck beneath the door frame slightly in order to enter the room it led to. Asha had no such issue with the door frame but stopped just inside the room as her gaze was met by dozens upon dozens of beady eyes blacker than moonless nights.
The top of the tower was filled ravens, perched on whatever surface had room for them. They cawed at each other, swooping from one perch to another, and many preened themselves as they ignored the others. As she looked around, however, Asha also spotted crows and magpies with their black and white feathers among them. She looked up at the Crow Lord in awe and wonder, and he glanced down at her when she did so. His eyes were shining brightly.
"I care for them all."
Asha looked back at the birds, the sheer number of them, and asked, "How?"
"Mostly by giving them sanctuary here," he too returned his gaze to them, "It is mainly the crows and ravens that roost here, but sometimes the magpies come and stay for a night or two."
"What else?"
"I tend to their injuries and illnesses as well, and if they are unable to come to me I come to them."
When Asha looked up at him again, her voice was breathless. "You're doing for them what you did for the white raven."
"Yes," the Crow Lord nodded, his reply quiet, "Just as I helped Corvus in his time of need I do as well for all his birds."
They fell into a comfortable silence, watching the birds and their interactions with each other for a few moments. He didn't look sad as he watched the birds he cared for, and Asha was willing to bet he was content. Not quite happy, but definitely not sad at this time. Eventually, she asked, "What's your name?"
He looked down at her. "My... name?"
Asha looked up him in turn as teased, "Yes, your name. I'm sure your mother didn't name you the 'Crow Lord'."
"No, she did not," He agreed wryly, but then looked away from her though, watching the birds for a few seconds more before answering her. "My mother named me Darrah."
Asha gave him a bright smile. "A pleasure to meet you, Darrah."
He glanced down at her again, and after doing so his tone was amused. "And you as well, Asha."
But as she worked to build her courage back up, she was interrupted.
"You had no issue trespassing into my tower before," commented the Crow Lord's strange croon, "Why hesitate now?"
Startled, Asha whirled around to see the Crow Lord standing behind her. He was a few feet away, but his looming presence made it feel as though he was closer than that. Even directly in the sunlight, she could not make much of his face. The shadows were darker, but his mismatched eyes were brighter in retaliation. It took a moment for Asha to bring herself to speak in the face of the Crow Lord's apparent wariness and shadowing loneliness.
"That was... Things are different now," she managed, which caused the Crow Lord to fold his arms across his chest.
"How so?"
"I know what you are now."
"Do you?"
His reply was sarcastic, baiting, and Asha frowned with an annoyance that revealed itself in her words.
"You're the Crow Lord, created by the Raven God. My mother told me."
It became quiet again, the Crow Lord seemingly stunned but Asha's thoughts leaned more towards the idea that he was actually thinking something over. When he did speak, his words were neutral and measured.
"Your mother is quite knowledgeable of the forest gods, but then again so was her mother, her mother's mother, and all starting with your ancestor."
"What you do you mean?" Asha asked him, and the Crow Lord replied plainly, "Exactly what I said. Who do you think taught your ancestor the ways of the Herb Witch?"
"You?"
"No," he sighed, "Most of the forest gods know much, but Corvus knows more than even they do."
In an apparent attempt to now ignore her, the Crow Lord moved past her towards the tower. However, when Asha attempted to follow him he stopped her with a hand. She stumbled to a halt before she ran into it and looked up at him. Asha suddenly became more aware of just how tall the Crow Lord really was.
"What compelled you to return?"
"I wanted to see you again."
He took a step back from her, his wariness more palpable but looking into his eyes Asha saw a gleam of curiosity that surprised her.
"You wanted to... see me again?"
"I did," she confirmed, "I want us to become friends."
He was silent again, and Asha was beginning to wonder how often he would go silent in a conversation before he said, "Why would a mortal want to be friends with a Forest God?"
"Because you're lonely," Asha stated simply, to which the Crow Lord was visibly taken aback by, "It's what led me here the first time, I could feel it in the forest and I followed it. Then I met you in that tower and I saw it reflected in your eyes. You're lonely and I don't think anyone should be lonely."
Asha was nearly breathless by the end of her explanation, staring at the Crow Lord as he stared at her. Then he managed, "And because of that you want to be my... friend?"
"Yes."
The expression in his mismatched eyes was conflicted, but then his looming presence backed down suddenly. Asha felt like she could breathe easier now, and was more confident when she looked at him and asked, "What do you do as the Crow Lord? Though my mother told me the story of how you were given godhood, the story doesn't say what you do with it."
The Crow Lord unsure of how to answer, but decided upon, "Follow me," before he turned to enter his tower. Asha was stunned in place for a few seconds before rushing to catch up to him. There was a smile on her face as she followed him inside, the shadows of its interior somehow softer this time around. He then led her to those stairs on the far side, his steps incredibly careful as he climbed them. Asha, however, was not so careful. So focused on making sure to keep up with him, she stepped a little too close to the open edge of a step and it crumbled beneath her slight weight.
Asha barely made a noise of surprise before she felt a tight grip on her wrist, which ultimately prevented her from falling. When she looked up from the fall, she saw the Crow Lord's pale, thin hand around her wrist. He looked as surprised as she did, but then wordlessly pulled back close to the outer wall, where it was safer, before he quickly released her wrist.
"You should be more mindful of where you step," he cautioned quietly, "This tower has seen better days, and is not as safe as it once was."
With that, he returned to climbing the stairs and quietly Asha followed, this time more wary of where she stepped as she did so. The stairs did not last much longer, however, as they ended very close to the very top of the tower. The Crow Lord had to duck beneath the door frame slightly in order to enter the room it led to. Asha had no such issue with the door frame but stopped just inside the room as her gaze was met by dozens upon dozens of beady eyes blacker than moonless nights.
The top of the tower was filled ravens, perched on whatever surface had room for them. They cawed at each other, swooping from one perch to another, and many preened themselves as they ignored the others. As she looked around, however, Asha also spotted crows and magpies with their black and white feathers among them. She looked up at the Crow Lord in awe and wonder, and he glanced down at her when she did so. His eyes were shining brightly.
"I care for them all."
Asha looked back at the birds, the sheer number of them, and asked, "How?"
"Mostly by giving them sanctuary here," he too returned his gaze to them, "It is mainly the crows and ravens that roost here, but sometimes the magpies come and stay for a night or two."
"What else?"
"I tend to their injuries and illnesses as well, and if they are unable to come to me I come to them."
When Asha looked up at him again, her voice was breathless. "You're doing for them what you did for the white raven."
"Yes," the Crow Lord nodded, his reply quiet, "Just as I helped Corvus in his time of need I do as well for all his birds."
They fell into a comfortable silence, watching the birds and their interactions with each other for a few moments. He didn't look sad as he watched the birds he cared for, and Asha was willing to bet he was content. Not quite happy, but definitely not sad at this time. Eventually, she asked, "What's your name?"
He looked down at her. "My... name?"
Asha looked up him in turn as teased, "Yes, your name. I'm sure your mother didn't name you the 'Crow Lord'."
"No, she did not," He agreed wryly, but then looked away from her though, watching the birds for a few seconds more before answering her. "My mother named me Darrah."
Asha gave him a bright smile. "A pleasure to meet you, Darrah."
He glanced down at her again, and after doing so his tone was amused. "And you as well, Asha."
