Bloody Raven in the Shadow

Let's dream of distant lands

Even though Rin was an apple, her body was bubbling with energy. She just loved to create chaos and especially when it said you could blow things up. She had to remember that next time she would have to speed up the effect of the fire, it almost went wrong. For a short time, the girl had even been really afraid for Snow White.

Despite all the positive energy she was feeling at the moment, it had been a shock to learn Snow White's abilities. So often in the evenings she had thought about what had happened that day. About how helpless she had been, how much it hurt and the feeling of overwhelming fear, something she didn't often feel to such an extent. If she had known that it was her thoughts that kept her companion from sleeping soundly every night, she would have tried to think of something nicer.

Yokai was still a little confused, but took the situation with a certain composure. He explained that there must be another magician in the village nearby and so the group went further north. After some time, the small team reached said village and they entered it.

The sun had long since set and the streets were quiet. The area seemed almost ghostly. Streets of stones that seemed to have been swept empty, the houses dark and not a single soul far and wide. The wind blew softly through the village and a shutter squeaked in the darkness. Ice cold ran down Snow White's spine.

"Do you know where the inn is?" Snow White whispered questioningly and hugged Rin because of the coldness.

"Yeah, come with me," Yokai replied. The two walked quietly to a large building, it was the only house in which the light was on. The ground crunched softly under their feet and a few bats flew overhead. It was new moon and only the stars shone in the sky. When Yokai opened the door to the inn, the mood changed abruptly. It smelled of juicy food and strong drinks. People laughed and bright light came through the door.

"VISITORS!" shouted a strong man beaming and dragged the young apprentice and the princess into the room.

"EY!" the silver-haired hissed and fled from the grasp. Visibly annoyed, he stepped back while the overwhelmed Snow White stumbled into the room.

"What brings a noble lady like you, together with a grumpy magician, to our humble village?" asked a tall landlady, putting a large jug on the table next to her. Everyone present looked at the newcomers with interest.

"We need information!" Yokai grumbled, crossing his arms.

"Some accommodation and something to eat would also be nice. I can pay!" the girl replied kindly.

Rin watched the hustle and bustle in fascination. So far they had had to avoid villages, many people were looking for the group, even before the twins had shot Regina. The Queen, Medusa, and the Wizard had made enemies of the lands before they even left the mountains. There was an inn in her own homeland, but no one wanted her in there. The only times they were forced to enter towns was with great caution and under the pretense of gathering supplies for the group.

"Today's a great day, it's on the house!" the man laughs in a deep voice. Rin took a closer look, he and the landlady were tall people, maybe over six feet. In contrast to the blond woman, the man had short black hair and a mustache. Smile lines could be seen around their eyes and they also shared a dark tan.

"Helene, give our guests a nice juicy meal!" he explains further and shortly afterwards pushes Snow White and the bad-tempered Yokai in the direction of an empty table.

"Thank you," with a friendly smile, the princess sat down and placed Rin on the table. Hazelnut the vixen sat down next to Yokai on the table. She left Harvey and Mary in her belt buckle just in case, it might be better not to reveal too much right away.