The Dove and The Raven
So this story wasn’t really inspired by anything. I’m not really sure how I came up with it, but it did come out somewhat coherently. This one isn’t finished either, but I would love to see your comments and thoughts on it! So, sit back! Grab a nice cup of tea, a favorite throw, maybe put on some forest ambience! But above all…enjoy!
The two had been friends ever since they could remember. The townspeople had even come up with nicknames for the two of them. The gloomy raven and the pure dove.
The summer they turned twelve, the dove was taken away by a nobleman who claimed to be her father and that he had been looking for her for a very long time. The raven had tried to stop the dove from being taken away, but to no avail. The two friends were separated.
It wasn’t until the raven turned seventeen that she saw her friend again. This is the raven’s story.
The day was hot. Hotter than it had been all summer. Duna was resting under the maple tree waiting for her friend Claire when she suddenly felt a great weight drop onto her stomach.
Duna let out an oomph and opened her dark eyes. Lying on her stomach was Claire Lively. The pure dove that everyone adored.
With her fair hair, pale skin, and vibrant blue eyes, it was no wonder that everyone loved her. Duna included.
“Why’d you do that?” Duna whined. “That was my stomach!”
“I don’t want to go!” Claire cried.
Duna sat there, confused, for a few seconds before she said, “You don’t have to go. Go where?”
When Claire looked up, her pretty face was stained with tears. “My father came for me!” she wailed. “He’s going to take me away, Duna! I don’t want to go!”
Duna’s eyes widened in shock. The only thing she could do was stroke Clair’s soft, blonde hair in comfort. She had never imagined that her best friend would leave this hamlet village by herself. She had thought that they would explore the world together before Claire settled down, got married and had children of her own.
Yes. That had always been Claire’s dream. To marry and have children with the baker’s son, Gaius.
Duna swallowed. Clair’s dreams were shattered. And now she had to go away with the father that had abandoned her and her mother. “Does,” Duna started then cleared her throat. “Does your mother know?”
Claire nodded miserably. “She’s the one who saw him first.” She sniffled and wiped away a stray tear.
“Then you should hide! Hide until that man goes away! I’ll bring you food!”
“But where would I hide?”
Duna thought for a moment before she said, “You know that abandoned cottage in the woods?”
Claire nodded and sniffled. “Yeah. W-what about it?”
“You can hide there! I’ll bring food and stuff until they go away!” Duna thumped her chest.
Tears welled up in Claire’s eyes and she started sobbing again. “But it’s dirty there! And creepy! My mom said it’s a witch’s cabin and that it’s haunted!”
Duna fumed at her friend’s complaints. She had brought Claire with her to the cottage countless times when they were younger and now she was saying that it was dirty?! “Well?! What do you suggest?!” Duna exploded. “I gave you an idea on how not to go! What else do you want?!”
Claire stared at her, then started wailing again.
Duna’s eyes widened when she realized what she had said. “I-I’m sorry, Claire. I didn’t mean it! Honest!”
Her friend only wailed louder before she stood and ran away, skirt flying.
“Wait! Come back!” Duna ran after her.
What she saw when she finally reached the town, heart pounding and legs shaking, horrified her. Claire was climbing into a noble’s carriage!
“Stop!” she cried running after the carriage. Claire paused for a moment then climbed the rest of the way inside.
Arms pumping, Duna tried her best to catch up to the vehicle, but it was too late. Claire was now beyond her reach. Duna fell and fell onto her face, the stones in the dirt road biting into her palms and cheek. She slowly looked up at the disappearing carriage. Tears welled in her eyes. The best friend she had been with all her life was gone now.
Three years later, Duna was, once again, being chased out of the hamlet. Ever since Claire had left, the townspeople had steadily started isolating her. She suspected that it was because she was different and an orphan.
After Claire had gone, Duna had started living in the cottage that Claire had so avidly rejected. Duna had never been afraid of that house. She had always found it fascinating. After all, it still had many of her mother’s things. Including all of her clothes.
Her mother had been part of the Ronai people. A tribe of nomads. Duna barely remembered her mother’s face, but she remembered what her mother taught her. The ways of the Ronai. And, even though she had to sell everything of value to survive, Duna refused to sell her mother’s jewelry. She had opted to wear it instead.
The townspeople called Duna gloomy, but she was far from it! Her clothes were colorful and she loved to laugh.
She sighed as she leaned against the maple tree she used to play underneath with Claire. She had so many memories of playing under this tree in the summer months. She missed Claire terribly, but she didn’t have the funds to go and look for her.
She sat there with her eyes closed, feeling the warm breeze on her cheeks.
After a while, she heard an unfamiliar voice say, “Excuse me, are you the one they call Duna?”
Duna’s eyes flew open to see a pair of turquoise eyes in front of her. She jumped in surprise and stuttered, “Y-yes! I’m Duna! H-how can I help you?”
The young man gave a smile of relief. “Oh good! I was beginning to worry that I had the wrong person!” He gave a little bow. “I’m Claude Holland. Pleased to meet you, Miss Duna.”
“O-oh no.” She shot to her feet. “The pleasure is mine, Mr. Holland!”
“Please,” he gave her an easy smile, “call me Claude.”
“T-then please feel free to call me Duna!” She took a deep breath. It had been a while since she last had a pleasant conversation with someone. “Umm…may I ask why you were looking for me?”
“Ah! Right!” He snapped his fingers. “I was looking for you to ask you to join my tribe!”
Duna stared at him. “I’m sorry?”
“Whoops! That was probably too sudden of me, huh?” He rubbed the back of his head with a sheepish grin. “My father had heard that you and your mother had gone missing a few years back so he wanted to look for you both. Unfortunately, he lost his leg due to a logging accident when he was trying to make some extra money. So, our search was delayed for a few more years.” He paused when he noticed her confused expression. “You are Duna Blakeny, right? Daughter of Sheila Blakeny?”
She nodded slowly. “Yeah. I have a portrait of her if you want,” she went on. “It’s small, but it’s clear.”
“Would you mind if I took it to my father?”
Duna shook her head. “Just as long as you give it back.”
“Of course!”
“Alright then.” She moved past him and led him to her cabin.
The house was small; only one room. A fire pit took up the middle of the room. Her bed shoved in the left corner. When they entered, she immediately strode towards the small table that was pushed against the right wall. She took the small portrait of the beautiful, black haired woman and handed it to Claude who squinted at it.
“She was beautiful,” he said.
Duna nodded in agreement.
“We’d have to show it to my father, though.”
“Is your father in the village?” She asked nervously wringing her hands together.
“No. We’re all camped just outside the village.”
Duna blinked in confusion for a few moments. “A-all?”
“Yeah!” He grinned. “The entire clan is here!”