Her name was Raven

Chapter 5

***Sorry it's been awhile, only a short chapter. More coming soon!***

Duran’s house was large, and on an estate. Raven immediately thought of the manor. Had she fallen into an obvious trap? Duran hadn’t seemed to want to harm her, but then, he could be a good actor. She would just have to keep her guard up, though she had no idea how she would beat him if it came to a physical fight.

The stables were more than she’d imagined and she made her first priority Robin. Once he was unsaddled, brushed and eating from a bin full of oats and lucerne Raven turned to the house. She heaved her saddlebags over her shoulder, they contained her meagre possessions.

Duran was waiting for her in the main entrance. He’d watched her care for her steed. She knew about horses, was good with them. That meant she’d either owned the one she’d been riding, or worked in a stable. He guessed the former after he showed her to a spare set of rooms. While she was surprised at his generosity, she knew her way around the manor. She didn’t tread gently like one who feared breaking something. She walked with bold curiosity and familiarity. For some reason that made him happy and intrigued. Where had she come from? Why was she living on the road, for he was certain she was.

“It’s my parents’ house legally, but I live here most of the time,” he explained as she set her saddlebags down on the carpet.

“Do you mind if I open the windows?” she asked. The request surprised him.

“No,”

“Thank you,” she walked over, not only opening the window, but throwing it wide and dragging back the drapes as far as she could. It almost seemed she was trying to let as much light in as possible.

“You’ve been very generous to a stranger,”

Duran smiled. “You think I want payment?”

She bowed her head, “the thought crossed my mind.”

“You are safe here, from whatever you’re running from, whatever is scaring you; you are safe. I’ll look after you.”

“Thank you.” Fear ran through her mind though, how far would he go to protect a stranger?

“I hope you’ll come to see that I don’t need your thanks, you don’t need to give them. You have done nothing to me to not warrant the fair treatment of a guest.” With that he left and Raven felt relief at being alone, but also a strange sense of wanting. The young man with his horse and manor was intriguing. And he promised to treat her justly. It was a promise she’d never been made before, not even by those who’d come to care for her.

It was overall strange and foreign to be treated so well. Despite the generosity though, or perhaps because of it, Raven felt she couldn’t drag her demons to this place. She couldn’t burden the young gentleman with the weight of her shadows.

Just a few days; no more than a week, to rest Robin and she’d be gone. Maybe she’d leave her faithful horse with the kind gentleman and ask to take one of his own. Robin should live his days out in a lush paddock being groomed and cared for. A paddock like the one she gazed at out her window would be lovely for him. No more walls. Even as she thought it she made a promise to herself. No more walls, not ever, not again.

She was free. And even if she had to run to the furthest, harshest corner of the earth to do so, she’d stay that way.