Writetober Day 5 (Raven)

Raven

Day 5

Elryr wiped the blood from the axe in his hand, anger consumed his eyes as he stared at the bodies that littered the red snow around him.

They didn’t have to die.  The warrior slid the axe into its leather home on his hip.  “May the Valkyries guide you to Odin’s great hall.”  Elryr produced a black raven’s feather from his pack, a purple sheen danced across the feather as the sun above illuminated the world below.  He let the feather fall freely where he stood.  “Raven lord, please let me finish this.”

There was no answer, Elryr didn’t expect one, but he hoped…it’s all he had left in him.  He pressed on, deeper into the forest and away from the battle that didn’t take his life.  

“Elryr!  Supper is ready!”  The woman’s voice danced in his mind.

Elryr let his mind wander as he traveled in the cold loneliness.

“Coming Ma!”  The young Elryr had been busy trying to catch field mice.

“Clean yourself before you eat.”  His mother’s smile radiated brighter than the sun ever could.  The memory brought joy to the grizzled warrior.

“When will Da be home?”  Young Elryr attacked the food that sat before him.

“He had to go into the village to meet the Jarl, I shouldn’t expect him to be much longer.”

Elryr forced himself to pull away from the memory, it did nothing for him in that moment.  He came to a stop as he took in the forest around him.  It seemed to go on forever, with almost no change in appearance wherever he looked.

But he was not alone, his eyes were not the ones that he followed.  High above, a black blur circled and darted in between the snow covered pines that made up the dense forest.  Elryr looked high to see where the Raven flew, without hesitation his feet followed.

“I see Da!”  

The memory forced itself back as Elryr’s mind relaxed.  

“There are men with him!”  Young Elryr headed toward the front door of his small home.

“Elryr, wait.”  His mother’s voice was stern, possibly scared.

“They look like warrior’s!  Is Da going raiding?”  The young boy’s eyes were wide with wonder.

“Elryr, I need you to go to our room.  Find that great hiding spot of yours and don’t leave until I come back.”  Her voice was directed at Elryr, but her focus was outside.

“What is going on?”  Young Elryr felt fear grip at his spine.

“Do as I say, now.”  His mother picked up a sword and shield and ushered the young boy into their bedroom.  “Hide…do not come out.”

“I am scared, what is Da doing?”

“Hide.”  She left him alone in the room.

Elryr found himself gripping his axe as his attention returned from the memory.  I will get him…for you mother.

“Where is he, Raven!”  Elryr shouted into the sky above as the obsidian hunter flew through the trees.

There was no answer…there never was.  Elryr continued his lonely march, his legs followed the Raven that took him to his next battle.  

“Please Ma, please wake up.” 

The blood soaked memory erased the forest that surrounded Elryr.

The young boy was kneeled next to his dead mother, her necklace in his hands.  Her body was barely recognizable from the stabs and hacks.

“What did you do Da!”  Young Elryr looked at his father, but did not recognize the man.

“Don’t call me that, you’re not mine.  You’re whore mother disgraced my name.”  The blood stained man walked toward the young boy that wept over his mother.  “It will be quick boy.”

“No…no!”  Elryr ran from his mother, but was stopped by the men that surrounded the scene.

“You are a stain to my name, you are not my blood.”  The man he knew as his father gripped the sword in his hand with vicious intent.

The world froze around Elryr as he watched a raven circle high above him.  He had never seen one before, he’d only known what they represented.  Odin.  Help me.

The raven dove sharply toward the earth, its beak gleamed in the setting sun’s light as the young Elryr starred with tears on his face.

The man he called Da saw the raven too late.  It’s beak tore at the man’s eye as a horrendous scream ripped from the killer’s mouth.

“Grab the sword.”  The voice came from nowhere.

Elryr did it, he didn’t question what he saw, his hand gripped the sword and ran.  The Raven followed, no, the raven led him toward safety.

“Get that bastard!”  The one eyed mother slayer roared into the air.

Elryr ended the memory as he came to a stop in the forest.  Up ahead he saw a group of men traveling.  Their faces were twisted and dirty, their weapons were stained with new blood.  He couldn’t recognize any of the men.  They have all their eyes.  It didn’t matter, the raven circled high above them.  

“For you mother.”  Elryr removed the axe from his hip as he focused on the death that was about to occur.