Chapter 5 - We are leaving! The adventurous journey and a sacrifice
While the elf was preparing the wagon, he watched warmly as the girls played with the raven. They tried to catch him, but they couldn't, he was so agile and with a hop he jumped from stone to stone. Every caw the bird let out was transformed to the elf's ears into laughter.
- Why is your daughter a raven and not an elf like you? - Galani asked as she slowly approached the wagon and looked intrigued at the veteran elf.
- Mmm... mmm... - He stroked his beard as he thought about how to explain to the girl why his daughter was a raven.
- There was an elf who always dreamed of flying, he would watch the birds glide over the trees and mimic them from the ground. He would open his arms and run everywhere. One night he sneaked into my house and stole a magic book. He went to the mountain with the book under his arm and a cauldron to talk to the Raven Lord. The Raven Lord promised him that he was going to give him wings but that was a lie. What the Raven Lord did was to transform all the elves into ravens and took them to his lair. His magic could not transform me because I always carry with me an amulet of protection given to me by the Lord of the Forest, an old druid.
- But my family did not have the same luck - The elf pointed his index finger at the raven.
***
They set out on their journey..., the donkey-pulled cart marched towards the mountain. On the way, the little girls opened a leather bag containing nuts and berries, which they shared between them and the raven.
The sun reached the top of the sky as the road came to an end.
- Well girls, from here we have to walk. We have to make little noise, because Mr. Raven has a good ear. - Said the elf as he looked around in guard position.
- And why did we have to come to this place? I'm afraid of that Raven Lord - asked Galani with a trembling voice and holding tightly Liana's sweaty hand.
- I'm scared - Said little Liana as she hugged Galani.
The elf approached them with the raven on his shoulder and gave them a tight hug. With his small arms he could not reach them completely, but with his heart he gave them a giant hug.
With a paternal voice and a protective look he spoke to them
- Girls, you stay calm, I will take care of you and protect you - The elf caressed the raven.
- My three beautiful little ones. - Said the elf attentively while he looked sweetly at his daughter.
- Only at the foot of this mountain grow trees that have a sap so powerful that it can break any spell. It took me many years to find the way to reverse it and I believe that if we get hold of it, we can not only save your family and the whole village, but also all the elves that are under the power of the Raven Lord.
They walked stealthily through the bushes while the elf was pushing aside the branches that were in the way with his staff. When they finally approached one of the trees, the elf hammered what looked like a metal tube into the bark of the tree and left on the ground beneath the tube a container with an open lid to hold the sap. To get the sap out he had to do a magical treatment to the tree. While he was concentrating on that job, the girls were loitering around the place. Liana approached a beautiful bouquet of flowers that glowed bright red. She thought about plucking them to give as a gift to the elf, but when she grabbed the thick stem of that beautiful bouquet she didn't realize that it had thorns and let out a cry of pain.
The jar was almost half full when the elf turned abruptly to look at what was happening. He ran to the girls, pulled the thorns out of Liana's hand and put one of the many ointments hanging from her waist.
Galani wiped Liana's tears with her sleeve and asked her to stop crying because they could hear them.
- Girls! It's time to go, I have the sap. - Said the elf showing the jar with the bright fire colored sap.
He covered the jar and with hurried steps, almost strides, they tried to get to the wagon as soon as possible.
But it was too late, a black cloud created of ravens was above their heads and slowly descending towards them. At the height of the treetops that black cloud opened up from the center to become a ring. And from that center a lump as big as a grown person descended toward them.
With a large beak, wings so long they reached to the ground and a hat that covered his eyes in front of our group of adventurers was Mr. Raven.
The girls immediately got behind the elf and burst into tears.
- Well, well, well. But who do we have here. You brought me what you stole from me and two human girls to boot. That's very generous of you. - Said Lord Raven in a shrill, cynical voice.
- None of those ravens are your property, it's my family, my friends and my people that you have in that form! - The elf raised his staff and with a thunderous shout said some magical words
- Avis Cavea! - Magical cage!
From the elf's staff a bolt of electric lightning shot in the direction of the Raven Lord.
The Raven Lord crossed his huge wings in front of his chest in the form of a shield and repelled the magical attack made by the elf.
- You don't think that with your magic you are going to cage me as if I were a parakeet, do you, insolent elf? - said the Raven Lord as he looked at him over his wings with his neon red eyes.
Then, he jumped up and threw the elf to the ground, pressing his claws into his chest.
Galani, who from the impact fell a meter backwards, together with Liana watched in astonishment what was happening in front of her eyes. But immediately he felt his hands warm up and with the rage that inflamed his chest when he saw the danger, he got up; he ran towards the Raven Lord and pushed him with the strength of two men, making him move away from the badly wounded elf.
- Don't hurt my friend! - As she looked defiantly straight into his eyes with rage.
Lord Raven looked at her blankly and with a wing swipe, knocked her to the ground. Liana ran to Galani and threw herself in front of her wanting to protect her by giving her a tight hug.
The elf, faced with such a scene, gave up.
- All right, all right..., you... you win Mr. Raven. Don't hurt the girls please. Let them go with my daughter. Take me and transform me into a raven.
- But I don't want you, you insolent elf. I want what you stole from me. My raven. - Lord Raven was slowly turning away from the girls and heading towards him.
The raven-turned-daughter on the elf's shoulders stroked him on the cheek with her feathered head and flew toward Mr. Crow.
- Noo! come back daughter! I don't want to lose you again! - The elf stretched out his arm as if to reach for her and then collapsed.
- Your daughter is smarter than you. I spare your life. One more time. - And with a leap Mr. Raven was left in the sky.
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