Raven Wings

10 Years Later

Audrey was bored, plain and simple. Her sullen gaze could be found wandering throughout the room as she sat, wondering why in the world she had to go through this.

Every day, she had to spend pain-filled hours wondering if it was maybe all a dream. The constant tugs at the base of her scalp simply reminded her that this was indeed reality, and she had to remain still during this torture.

“Hold on a moment, Miss.” The source of the tugging spoke kindly, though her voice was strained from the effort she had to put into her work. Audrey winced as a rather rough tug nearly tore her hair out at its roots, and her gaze stopped moving.

She instead resulted to glaring at a single spot on the edge of the mirror, her gaze hardening when her locks were wrenched again with renewed vigor.

The maid tugging her naturally unruly hair into an adequate bun spun the chair she was sitting in around with flourish. At this Audrey couldn’t help but wince, for the chair was not meant to do such a thing and gave off a rather loud scraping sound that resembled nails on a chalkboard.

The maid however, didn’t seem to notice at all, for she was positively beaming at Audrey’s reflection in the mirror. All of her grueling work for the past hour had finally paid off, for as Audrey brought her gaze up to meet her own steel blue eyes, she couldn’t help but think that she might be considered pretty.

That was, until one of her brown curls fell from its hold.

Her gaze then followed the maid as she proceeded to fret over the rebellious curl that came out of place, once again attacking Audrey’s head with water and a hairbrush. For it seemed that for every curl she attempted to fix, two more would fall out of place. “You look beautiful, Miss. Though I have to say that your hair is quite the, uh, enticer.”

At this Audrey couldn’t help but laugh, turning her gaze away from the mirror and out onto the lovely view from her window. From this point she could see over the small town she lived in, and was given a rather beautiful view of the ocean and the port.

Her eyes glazed over as she gazed out of the window, picturing the beautiful oceanic breeze and the wonderful smell of the sea. The light rays of the sun fell onto the ocean; reflecting off the clear water and making everything appear serene. Her laugher quieted as she looked, before a tap on her shoulder brought her back from her musings.

Turning her head to face the blonde woman behind her, she couldn’t help but grin at the warm smile on the maid’s face. “I’m almost done now, Miss. I just have to put on your face powder.”

It was at this that Audrey pursed her lips, never having been very fond of cosmetics. The maid, used to this behavior, simply ignored this response. Instead taking the powder and such and beginning to apply it to Audrey’s face.

The powder on the brush came out in a great puff, swelling around her head like a cloud, and Audrey found herself closing her eyes so as not to get any of the residues in them.

“Would you like to hear another story, Miss? I’ve heard plenty on my trip to the market.” The maid said, her voice holding nothing but kindness. Audrey smiled in response, succeeding only in ruining the makeup on her lips, as Lydia sighed.

Audrey could feel a wet washcloth on her mouth, wiping away all mistakes as she waited patiently for the story to begin. She absolutely adored the stories from the market, for they were always about legends or adventures, far off battles, or even the recent gossip about the farmer’s wife. They quelled her curiosity so, and she couldn’t help but feel like a small child awaiting a present on Christmas Day as she sat in her seat.

The familiar cold and wet feeling of the rouge lip color was once again over her lips, and it took a great amount of effort not to flinch away from the sudden substance. Her discomfort was short-lived, for she found herself enraptured with thoughts the second Lydia’s unmistakable voice filled the room.

“Well, I was out buying some fish for Bertha, the head cook, when I noticed that the usual vendor wasn’t out. In fact, no merchants were out.” Lydia’s voice was enticing as she weaved her story along, telling Audrey of all she had learned on her trip.

It was a wondrous story, filled with tales of the increase in naval men at the docks and fights on the streets. There were tales of pirates coming close to town and of the poor fisherman who was caught out in the storm. And of course, there was the little tidbit of how the blacksmith’s daughter was caught with the butcher’s son. But it was the next little tidbit that she said, that caught Audrey off guard.

“… And I was told by the baker’s wife that the Navy was said to have been tipped off on the Raven coming. Quite a story, no?” At the name, Audrey visibly shuddered. Any self-respecting girl in a harbor town had heard all of the stories about the Raven and his callous ways.

Raven was the captain of one of the most feared ships on these ends of the waters. The pirate had scaled the seas for decades, pillaging and plundering with no remorse and no mercy. The fact that he had been around so long and remained strong had sprouted the idea many carried that the man was immortal.

Lydia sighed, and Audrey faintly heard the small sound of the powder brush being placed back on the table. Taking that as a sign that her daily torment was over, she opened her blue eyes. As she looked into the mirror before her she could see the small maid scurrying around the room to tidy it up.

“Don’t worry though, Miss.” Lydia reassured as she haphazardly threw a corset on the floor behind the dressing screen. “That’s all they are, just stories.” The words seemed to echo faintly in Audrey’s mind as her gaze flickered over to the window beside her.

She could plainly see that people were bustling around as usual, preparing for another hectic day. The small heads of people walking down the street bobbed in and out of view, and the merchants waved their products in the air. The village of Angsley was quaint, with small vendors and a tight-knit network of people.

Her gaze shifted over the small streets and towards the port, where the fishermen had their boats all tied and their stands set up. She could plainly see the light gray of the Navy officers’ uniforms among the masses of people that surrounded the area, and faintly wondered if the rumors could be true.

It astounded her even, on why someone as notorious as the Raven would be coming to Angsley. The only reason she could come up with was the challenge of the excess Navy and her father, but that was practically a suicide mission.

As she gazed out at the horizon line, where the blues of the sea blended with the sky, she dismissed the thought. Audrey decided it best to agree with Lydia on this one, they were stories – nothing more.

With that thought in mind Audrey stood from her seat and made her way out into the hallway, letting Lydia worry over the mess in the room – for she would never accept Audrey’s help. She decided that maybe she’d go and take a walk through the gardens to calm her wandering mind, or maybe even go and see what her mother had planned for her.

All of these thoughts swam through Audrey’s mind as she made her way down the hallway, her goal set.

Maybe if she had stayed in her room just a little while longer, she would have seen the small ship on the horizon. From a distant glance it appeared as a black dot, ominous against the skyline.

Maybe if she had seen that ship, she would have had a chance to warn her father, and have avoided the intricate web she was weaved into.

For a black dot on the horizon can only mean one thing.

Pirates.