Raven Saga 01 - Raven

Ben, go ahead. I'll take over for now,” he said.
    As Ben nodded, he picked up his coat, leaned over and kissed my forehead. “You had me scared for a while there, Lilly. I'm glad you're okay. You call me if you need anything, okay?”
    I nodded as best as I could without my head throbbing and smiled back.
    “Thank you, Ben.”
    The moment he left, Gabriel closed the door behind him.
    “Oh Lilly... what on earth happened? Did you go into the forest?” Gabriel asked.
    I explained everything that I could remember, which wasn't much. Just that I had gone to find the land that belonged to my father. I remembered finding it but I couldn't recall much more than that.
    “But how did you get to Ben's?”
    “I really don't know, Gabriel. But I wish I did.”
    I was uncomfortable lying flat on my back, so I asked him if he would help me sit up a little and as I did so, I noticed I was clenching something in my hand. I opened it and found a single black feather. Strange, I thought, I don't recall picking up a feather and why would I still have it in my hand?
    Gabriel saw the look on my face and followed my gaze.
    “I must have found it there and picked it up, for some reason,” I said innocently as Rose opened the door with a cup of coffee that she handed to Gabriel.
    “Hello dear. Are you feeling all right? I've been worried out of my mind,” she said as she tiptoed over to me and leaned over to peck me on my cheek. She hovered for a moment and I could have sworn she sniffed at me a couple of times. As she straightened up she turned to Gabriel and they shared a quizzical look.
    She walked over to my coat and picked it up. As she did so, another black feather, a much larger one, fell to the ground.
    This time it was my turn to gasp as she crouched down to pick it up.
    Gabriel took it from her and held it up to the light.
    “This is the feather of a raven,” he whispered.
    “But it is too large, Gabriel,” Rose whispered in reply.
    He nodded and they both turned to look at me.
    “Lilly, it's very important that you recall what happened to you this afternoon. Is there anything, anything at all that you remember? The slightest thing could make all the difference,” Gabriel said hopefully.
    I closed my eyes and thought back to when I left Crystal's, looking up at the sign and smiling, then I'd walked through town and had spoken to a few people and then I'd followed Rose's map to find the land belonging to my father. I remember the dirt track that had started off winding and then had straightened out, giving that funnel effect.
    As I walked in my mind, I walked into the clearing where the concrete base was situated. I remember feeling sad. My eyes settled on the logs where I had gently caressed the wood that would have made a house for my family and me. As I explained all of this, Gabriel nodded, waiting to hear more.
    “My coat got caught on something and then the log fell on my leg... I remember being trapped and there was so much pain,” I said, flinching at the memory.
    “That's obviously how your leg was broken, my dear. It has broken in two places. But if you were trapped, how did you get out? And how on earth did you get to Ben's?” asked Rose.
    I tried hard to remember again but there was nothing. I had no memory after that. I was so frustrated. But then as I looked at that huge feather, something was triggered in my subconscious.
    “There was a man's voice,” I gasped, “'don't worry, Lilly. You're going to be all right. I'll make sure of that'. That's what he said but I don't know what happened after that.”
    “Well, whoever he was, he must have been the one that took you to Ben's practice. We just have to try and find out who he was. We'll ask around and see if anybody saw anything strange this afternoon. There's a lot more to this. I can feel it,” said Gabriel as he drank the last of his coffee and threw the polystyrene cup into the rubbish bin.
    “Whoever he was, I'm eternally grateful to him, that's for sure. I don't even care to imagine what might have happened had he not been there,” said Rose as Gabriel nodded in agreement.
    “Can I come home with you, Gabriel?” I asked hopefully. I didn't want to stay there in that hospital bed. I was reminded of how my mother had died and I felt physically sick to the stomach at the thought of having to remain there.
    Gabriel checked with the doctor who said it shouldn't be a problem for me to go home, as long as I stayed horizontal and was well