Raven Saga 01 - Raven

fires... he taught me all of this and more, at the same time helping me to develop my own fitness and strength too.
    Whilst there, deep in the forest with him, usually during the hours of darkness, I spent much of my time as a mountain lion, running stealthily through the trees below with Sammy flying just above the tree tops. We would spend hours racing against each other and having fun.
    It hadn't really occurred to me until then, but it was like Sammy was regaining those years of his youth, the ones he had lost. The ones that had been so cruelly taken from him.
    As spring turned to summer, my thoughts of Oliver and our times together gradually dwindled and I began to concentrate on other things and to look to the future.
    I hadn't forgotten Gabriel's promise to me, the one he had made earlier in the winter shortly after I broke my leg. I recalled him saying that he would take me on a trip to visit the Elders and he'd said that we would go when the weather had improved... in spring. Yet spring was now nearly over.
    He hadn't forgotten. In fact he was well prepared for my questions and had already begun preparations for our journey together.
    With a smile, Gabriel nodded. “There's no need to worry, my dear Lilly. I have been planning our trip for a while, I've just been waiting for the right time and I believe that time has come.”
    The thought excited me. Not just the fact that we were leaving Powell River for an unusual journey, but that I was to spend some quality time with my grand-father, something I hadn't really done.
    When Gabriel had first mentioned that we should go to the Elders together, it was primarily to help unravel the mystery of who had rescued me after my accident, however, with the truth now fully known, we decided the journey was still an important one.
    It was a rite of passage for me. At the same time, he told me, it was important for me to meet the Elders. “You never know when you might need their assistance or advice, Lilly,” he had said, almost in warning.
    Of course, there was also the matter of my missing father and the Elders might be able to offer some insight as to what had happened to him and where he might be.
    Gabriel explained that it would likely be a difficult trip to take and that it involved a lot of hiking through the mountains and forest trails. But, like him, it had to be taken in human form. I couldn't change into a mountain lion for ease of passage, he had warned me.
    “In order for you to grow, truly grow as a young woman, you need to complete the journey as one,” he had added.
    I knew I was ready, physically and mentally. I was also ready to learn more about the Elders and he told me he would enlighten me during our journey.
    Gabriel had gained approval from the school to take me away for a while, with the simple agreement that I would take some extra classes during the summer holidays.
    When I asked Ben if it was okay for me to take some time off work to go away with Gabriel, he had agreed that I could use a break.
    We had packed as if for a camping trip. Our backpacks filled with all the gear that we would need on our journey. The first part of our trip would take place by boat. It was a very small boat too – with just sufficient space for the two of us and all of our gear. Having no idea where we were going, this little boat surprised me. It frightened me too. The only other boat I had ever been on was the ferry with Ben when he had collected me from the airport. This was seriously tiny in comparison and I certainly didn't feel safe. But Gabriel's soft voice and his kind words helped me feel at ease after a few hours on the water. At least it had a small motor so we didn't have to row.
    It wasn't until we were gliding quietly through the water that Gabriel began telling me about the Elders. And from what he explained, they were not quite what I was expecting.
    “The Elders live high in the Coastal Mountains, hidden from all eyes other than those they want to see. They are not all human, Lilly. Many of them are changelings, like you. Some are vampires, some are white witches. There are some creatures there that might even frighten you. But you must not be fearful. All of them are good and honest. They are very wise and they help people like you and me who know the truth about their world. You could say that they are authority figures for our kind. Somewhere we can go for help should we really need it,” he said and I nodded a little nervously.
    I took a