Adventure of Crow 1

The wagon rolls on with a steady creak, grain hushing under the tarp as the repaired wheel keeps true. Crow rides the ruts by sound and feel, while Carrot keeps close at his side, the barn and field giving way to the dusty road toward the village.

Ahead, heat shimmer breaks into two figures. One woman lifts a basket in greeting. Beside her stands a tall warrior with one pinned sleeve and a hard, familiar shape to her stance.

The wagon slows. Carrot turns toward the woman, hope rising before he checks it, as if he is counting faces and finding the one he wants most.

The name lands like a hand on an old scar. Raven, missing her left arm, stands square in the road, her voice calm but tight with remembered years. The village market waits behind her, but for the moment, nobody moves.

Crow dips his head toward Raven, the motion small but clear from the wagon bench. The road between them seems to hold its breath.

She steps closer to the wagon and lets out a slow breath, the hard set in her shoulders easing at last. Carrot watches her with open curiosity, then glances toward the village roofs as if measuring how much daylight they have left.

The words settle heavy over the dust. The woman with the basket lowers it a little, her face turning from welcome to quiet concern. Behind Raven, the market road lies open, and a lane of shade under the awnings looks ready for the wagon.