Much to Asha's delight, she was soon back at the ruined tower. Only two days had passed before she was allowed another free day, as her mother needed their home to herself for the day. Sirona needed to make an important herbal remedy that would take the rest of the day to make, and since Asha was too inexperienced she was allowed the day to herself as long as she was back before sunset. Asha had only stayed long enough to eat lunch before making for the tower and her friend.
With a smile on her face, she entered the tower without hesitation, as she knew that Darrah was likely inside with the birds. This was proven true after she carefully climbed the stairs and she entered the room at the top of the tower. Rustled wings and caws announced her arrival, and Asha gave them a little wave as she looked around for Darrah. It was somewhat hard to, as his cloak blended in well with all the ravens and crows that roosted here. He was at one end to her left, where there was a small table, and he seemed intensely focused on what he was doing. Asha cleared her throat, which startled him and he turned around to see her standing there, after which he relaxed somewhat.
"And what brings you back so soon?"
"My mother needed our home to herself for the rest of today, so I can spend that time as I choose to." Asha proudly told him, to which the Crow Lord tilted his head to the side slightly when he then asked her, "And your mother knows that you venture into the forest alone?"
"I've done it before," she assured him, "I know how to take care of myself."
Darrah looked her up and down with his eyes only, and Asha got the impression he hadn't quite fully accepted her answers.
"And why do you come and visit me this time?"
"Because you're my friend and friends visit each other... and because I want to see how you do your job." She admitted a little shyly.
Surprised, Darrah then asked, "You truly wish to see what my routine is like?"
Asha nodded, and at that moment an indignant caw came from behind him. The Crow Lord sighed before he moved a few steps to the side, making room for her. She had a smile when she walked up next to him, but when she saw the crow on the table it was replaced by an expression of concern. It was on its side, its black eye looking between the two of them before it focused on Darrah and cawed at him again. This was accompanied by a few flaps of its wing, which Darrah ignored.
Asha looked at him. "Do you understand what he's saying?"
Darrah nodded as he replied, "I understand them all."
"Can you tell me what he said?"
"Something very rude and uncalled for."
"Oh," was all she could really think to say in response to that. "How uncalled for?"
"He was assuming our relationship and speaking of which," he looked down at the crow, and it looked it he froze the poor bird with his stare. "She is my... new friend, nothing more to it."
The crow cawed weakly, but Darrah shook his head.
"I am not the one in need of an apology, something which you can think of while I finish bandaging your leg."
"He broke his leg?"
"No, only sprained it badly enough to make him limp," Darrah replied calmly, "He will just have to be easy on it for a few days."
"Not a few weeks?" Asha questioned as the Crow Lord picked up from what he was doing before she had arrived.
"No," his reply seemed to have a smile attached to it, but she couldn't tell with the shadows that inhabited his hood. "Like your mother, I do have the privilege to use magic."
"Privilege? But my mother has always had magic."
"Not quite." Darrah elaborated as Asha listened intently, "Your ancestor was already an Herb Witch, but she sought out Corvus in order to learn magic so she could better help people. Her descendants do have magic in their blood, but they must earn the right to use it so the apprenticeship was created."
He paused for a moment, testing the bandage to make sure it wasn't too tight before he finished with, "The craft would be passed down from mother to daughter, rarely sons, and each would have to pass their apprenticeship before being allowed to use their magic."
Then, carefully, he cupped the crow in his hands and set him upright before slowly letting go. The crow stumbled a bit but caught himself. He looked quite proud when he turned and faced Darrah and cawed. However, Darrah folded his arms over his chest and gave the crow a stern look. The crow bowed his head in defeat, then faced Asha and cawed what Asha assumed to be a few things. She looked to Darrah when the crow was done.
"What did he say?"
"He said he was sorry and did not mean to offend my friend and future-" Darrah stopped suddenly and glared at the crow. The crow, on the other hand, looked entirely unapologetic and proud of it. This sent Asha into a small fit of giggles, to which the Crow Lord sighed and sent the crow off with a gesture.
"Away with you, little troublemaker."
The crow cawed, then flew off to join the others. By this time, Asha had her laughter under control and she looked up at Darrah and asked, "Any way you can teach me to understand them?"
"I think not," was his swift reply, "And even if I could, it would not work."
"Why not?"
"Because that is a privilege of the Forest Gods to understand certain animals."
"Only certain ones?"
Darrah nodded. "Corvus and I can understand all ravens, crows, and magpies. Other gods can understand other animals within their respective domains."
"And my mother needed permission to use magic?"
"From Corvus himself," he confirmed, "As will you when you complete your apprenticeship."
Asha was shocked by that particular bit of information. "I'll meet Corvus?"
Seeing her reaction, Darrah further explained with, "Likely not in person, but in a dream, as he has done for a while now."
Asha looked saddened by this, which caused Darrah to spend a quiet moment thinking before he said, "But since you are determined to be my friend, he might come personally."
When Asha's smile returned, he felt relieved though couldn't pinpoint why that was.
"I think we're well underway to becoming friends," she told him along with her smile, "I'm sure of it."
With a smile on her face, she entered the tower without hesitation, as she knew that Darrah was likely inside with the birds. This was proven true after she carefully climbed the stairs and she entered the room at the top of the tower. Rustled wings and caws announced her arrival, and Asha gave them a little wave as she looked around for Darrah. It was somewhat hard to, as his cloak blended in well with all the ravens and crows that roosted here. He was at one end to her left, where there was a small table, and he seemed intensely focused on what he was doing. Asha cleared her throat, which startled him and he turned around to see her standing there, after which he relaxed somewhat.
"And what brings you back so soon?"
"My mother needed our home to herself for the rest of today, so I can spend that time as I choose to." Asha proudly told him, to which the Crow Lord tilted his head to the side slightly when he then asked her, "And your mother knows that you venture into the forest alone?"
"I've done it before," she assured him, "I know how to take care of myself."
Darrah looked her up and down with his eyes only, and Asha got the impression he hadn't quite fully accepted her answers.
"And why do you come and visit me this time?"
"Because you're my friend and friends visit each other... and because I want to see how you do your job." She admitted a little shyly.
Surprised, Darrah then asked, "You truly wish to see what my routine is like?"
Asha nodded, and at that moment an indignant caw came from behind him. The Crow Lord sighed before he moved a few steps to the side, making room for her. She had a smile when she walked up next to him, but when she saw the crow on the table it was replaced by an expression of concern. It was on its side, its black eye looking between the two of them before it focused on Darrah and cawed at him again. This was accompanied by a few flaps of its wing, which Darrah ignored.
Asha looked at him. "Do you understand what he's saying?"
Darrah nodded as he replied, "I understand them all."
"Can you tell me what he said?"
"Something very rude and uncalled for."
"Oh," was all she could really think to say in response to that. "How uncalled for?"
"He was assuming our relationship and speaking of which," he looked down at the crow, and it looked it he froze the poor bird with his stare. "She is my... new friend, nothing more to it."
The crow cawed weakly, but Darrah shook his head.
"I am not the one in need of an apology, something which you can think of while I finish bandaging your leg."
"He broke his leg?"
"No, only sprained it badly enough to make him limp," Darrah replied calmly, "He will just have to be easy on it for a few days."
"Not a few weeks?" Asha questioned as the Crow Lord picked up from what he was doing before she had arrived.
"No," his reply seemed to have a smile attached to it, but she couldn't tell with the shadows that inhabited his hood. "Like your mother, I do have the privilege to use magic."
"Privilege? But my mother has always had magic."
"Not quite." Darrah elaborated as Asha listened intently, "Your ancestor was already an Herb Witch, but she sought out Corvus in order to learn magic so she could better help people. Her descendants do have magic in their blood, but they must earn the right to use it so the apprenticeship was created."
He paused for a moment, testing the bandage to make sure it wasn't too tight before he finished with, "The craft would be passed down from mother to daughter, rarely sons, and each would have to pass their apprenticeship before being allowed to use their magic."
Then, carefully, he cupped the crow in his hands and set him upright before slowly letting go. The crow stumbled a bit but caught himself. He looked quite proud when he turned and faced Darrah and cawed. However, Darrah folded his arms over his chest and gave the crow a stern look. The crow bowed his head in defeat, then faced Asha and cawed what Asha assumed to be a few things. She looked to Darrah when the crow was done.
"What did he say?"
"He said he was sorry and did not mean to offend my friend and future-" Darrah stopped suddenly and glared at the crow. The crow, on the other hand, looked entirely unapologetic and proud of it. This sent Asha into a small fit of giggles, to which the Crow Lord sighed and sent the crow off with a gesture.
"Away with you, little troublemaker."
The crow cawed, then flew off to join the others. By this time, Asha had her laughter under control and she looked up at Darrah and asked, "Any way you can teach me to understand them?"
"I think not," was his swift reply, "And even if I could, it would not work."
"Why not?"
"Because that is a privilege of the Forest Gods to understand certain animals."
"Only certain ones?"
Darrah nodded. "Corvus and I can understand all ravens, crows, and magpies. Other gods can understand other animals within their respective domains."
"And my mother needed permission to use magic?"
"From Corvus himself," he confirmed, "As will you when you complete your apprenticeship."
Asha was shocked by that particular bit of information. "I'll meet Corvus?"
Seeing her reaction, Darrah further explained with, "Likely not in person, but in a dream, as he has done for a while now."
Asha looked saddened by this, which caused Darrah to spend a quiet moment thinking before he said, "But since you are determined to be my friend, he might come personally."
When Asha's smile returned, he felt relieved though couldn't pinpoint why that was.
"I think we're well underway to becoming friends," she told him along with her smile, "I'm sure of it."
