''Just a crow''

-King & Queen-

And the world turned.

It marched on inevitably.

The world would not stop for one woman, for one mentor, for one soul.

Yet faster moved the winds, faster and faster, moving on despite it all, despite the rain and the thunder, despite the heat and the drought, it moved on.

A lonely crow, high in the clouds, high above the world, high above even dragons, a crow that looked for her ever promised story's end.

One misstep had caused her to gain thought that day and meet her master, the legacy of such a woman, bursts of storms that would carry her through forests, mountains or deserts of sand, flying far and long and yet to find anything.

It had been long, or had it? Days and nights came and went and yet the crow moved on.

A being chased off with brooms and fear would only smile at the little humans, having long known of such, who'd trust an omen?

but she was alright with loneliness because all comes to an end, even it... Even her.

She was Hellebore, legacy of a mage, the one given thought, daughter of the wind, spirit of the wild, omen of death, and even she had an end.

And so she didn't blame the hunter, she didn't blame the winds, she didn't blame the arrow, she didn't blame the gods.

She didn't blame them because the hunter was looking for food, the winds were distracted in her ever joy, the arrow for hitting true, she didn't blame the gods.

She didn't blame the god for they had opened her eyes and let her see, let her think, let her meet her master, let her soar so high, let her see the beautiful world crafted through their thoughts and touch, let her be a part of it, even if for a moment.

But the wind wailed, the storm raged.

Fire's force blown away, water's fierceness whipped around, earths strengths shaken as the wind whipped the world that would take such a being away.

Such storm seemed so violent and yet the rain drops hit her feathers like the tears of a mother, the warmth of flame from thunder cradled her and the earth caught her when she fell.

"I should congratulate him on his shot." The crow through, laying on the ground at the foot of a wall, the grass feeling softer then ever, winds screaming around her. "He hit so true."

She would have smiled if she was a human currently as her beak couldn't form such a shape, ever grateful for these short moments she had, she'd bring them into the eternal rest with a warm heart.

But just as ready as she was for death, this world had chosen otherwise.

It still needed her.

"Mar look!"

"Your highness stop!" But the carriage's door opened.

Out stepped a young girl soon to be crowned queen, her soon to be husband, one of the young sons' of the king, hurrying after her.

Always being an animal lover, the young to be queen thought she saw a cat, wanting to help it. She too tho slightly got cold feet in seeing this death bird instead of the envisioned cat.

"Leira please let's go back." The prince Mar said, pulling her away, getting her out of her stupor.

"The poor thing is hurt." Mar pulled a face that would have amused Leira if it was not for the bird she picked up, not a fight back outside of a caw of dull pain from it.

"Please leave that dirty bird, you don't want to invite death into our home."

"That's superstition." Even if she believed it, trying to not show that she had also come up with that thought. "I can't leave it back now." The feathers were... Way softer then she thought.

And so had a death bird found itself in the warmth of another pair of arms to save her from an end she could have avoided herself.

----------------------------------------------

Hellebore never expected to once again open her eyes and yet she could greet another day with hope.

"Had the gods been merciful? For a simple crow like me?" She thought, trying to move around, feeling a restraint on her right wing.

Cocking her head to it to see large batches of white cloth, bandages, wrapped around her whole body but trapping the right wing... And she was alive.

She was grateful for whoever it was even if she saw the golden bars of a cage she was sitting in, she laid her head down, slumber calling her, smiling on the inside.

She awoke again to tapping on the golden cage, lifting her head.

She wasn't along anymore.

The young man barely had any beard, he was probably struggling with it because of his elven heritage? There was a hint in the ears and the bright green eyes but his skin was of soft amber so she had made it down south, she didn't realize it with the wind's cries. He was quite simply dressed. A loose undershirt with red and golden trimmed pants from what she could see, what looked like a crown of rose gold grass wrapping around several skarlatine gems on his head, has hidden by his shaggy hair, slightly curly but straighter then they should be if he was pure blood, maybe a grandparent was half elf.

The young lady with him and the one actually tapping on the bars was of a lighter honey color with dark brown eyes, hair more curled but still not the tight curls she saw for the pure natives of this kingdom along her travels, mid-back length she'd say, a much gentler face then the young man. She wore a golden sand colored long sleeved dress, golden embroidery on them and her chest, her crown the exact same but the metal to it was violet.

"Hey there birdy, how you feeling?"

"It's a bird Leira, it can't answer you."

"Ah, the newly coronated fourth prince of the nation, Mar the just. Malart was the name of this place and the previous king's name if I am not misremembering... Then this must by his wife, Leira of the golden sea." Hellebore thought to herself, shaking out her feathers. "A lot of good will come from you Graces, hardships but a lot of good that the kingdom will need after these last few hard years."

"Are you hungry? I stole this from the kitchen." It must be some meat by the looks of it but the smell didn't remind her of anything.

She hopped closer, a leg a bit sore but it must be from how she fell.

She could see the young king was more interested in not being near her while the young queen was more open to this, with a spark in her eyes. She accepted the food... Well she calls them young but they are like in their 20th decade both of them.