The Raven and The Fire

In the middle of an unknown ocean there lived a little girl with hair the color of gold. She was the daughter of a baker and loved to explore.

Every morning the baker would go out for a very long walk at dawn and would only return to his home once the sun had completely risen. But as time moved on and the baker passed the little girl was left all alone.

She became filled with grief for she knew no one else but the baker. She took to her passion of exploring and soon found a wise old willow tree. The tree seemed as if it was weeping for a lost child. The little girl approached the tree and was brought with great horror.

She closed her eyes and heard the tree call out to her.

"O, little girl with locks of gold, would you allow me to share my story with you. My time is coming to an end and so is my kind. I will not be able to tell it myself so would you do me the honor of telling your kind?" the tree asked.

"Of course dear great tree! I gladly will, so if you may, please share your story with me." she answered, her voice filled with hope and determination

As the little girl sat and watched the memories, she saw what pain and happiness her kind had caused. She saw a young man with raven hair and deep blue eyes approached a young tree.

"Oh my dear willow tree!" he called out. "I made sure not to leave you for long, for the lumberjacks might try to cut you down, your wood is mighty strong, you know."

The little girl felt the young tree laugh, and how it was ever so glad to see the young man. The memory blurred into another, one of a woman who wore a red cloak

The woman of the red cloak approached the now slightly older tree. "Hello again my dear tree." The woman's voice was soft and calm. "I've seen a young man come here, do you know who he may be?" The little girl felt the tree's mischievous invisible smirk. "You do! And you don't tell me?! You rascal." the woman in the red cloak said playfully.

The tree and the woman talked about all that was going on in the woman's town. The gossip, the work, the politics, and that the Duke's family was going to visit very soon! But, sadly, the woman had to leave for her work for she was a brave warrior!

The memory faded into white, and white faded into another memory of the raven haired young man.

“My tree! My great tree! I bear great news!” The young man cheered, “I have gotten an apprenticeship at a bakery!” The tree was filled with joy for the young man, “But don’t you worry, I’ll still visit every week or whenever I can!” The raven haired man was ecstatic.

The tree looked over to a cluster of bushes on her right, a small bit of red peaked out from above the bushes. The tree laughed at the sight. 

“Hey! I know it’s slightly eccentric but it is nothing to laugh about.” The young man said, somewhat disheartened

“Yes, yes. It is no laughing matter. I was not laughing at you but something else” the tree chuckled at the irony.

The memory dwindled into the woman in the red cloak. “Oh, great willow tree!” She called out, waving an arm in the air. “Oh, great willow tree. You see I have gotten a commission to gather our leaders for a meeting! Just think! I’ll get to meet the men and women who run the entire operation!” She was ever so happy, for this might mean she could get more respect among her fellow warriors.

She twirled around, her red cloak covering the rest of the memory, until at last it went back to the blue eyed man.

“Oh, noble tree! Oh, noble willow tree! I come bearing terrible news!” The man bellowed. “Oh great tree!” He fell to his knees at the foot of the tree, warm salty tears streaming down his face. “They-They’re going to burn it! They’re going to burn down the forest to smithereens!” He’s face shot up and he griped his pants.

“What! They’re going to do what!” The red cloaked woman sprang up from behind the cluster of bushes, startling the raven haired man.

“Who-who are you?” The man said with blue eyes said, his voice traced with malice and worry. He approached the woman in the red cloak, quickly wiping away his tears.

“She’s a friend.” the tree said hurriedly

“I’m here to help, I’m on your side.” the woman declared “This forest is my safe haven, I would feel devastated if it were to fall. Would-” She took in a deep breath, letting her pride sink just a bit. “Would you allow me to assist you.” She said, looking him straight into his oceanic eyes.

The man looked at the tree with a troubled look, he was unsure of what to make of the situation.

“Let her,” The tree told him.

“But she could be dangerous!” The man said he was worried that the woman would cause more harm than good. The man looked back at the woman then back at the tree. The willow gave him a reassuring look and a soft smile.

“Alright. But only because my great tree said so!” The man said

The memories of the two adults continued to fade together, showcasing them working together to accomplish their one desire. Stop the Duke.

The blue eyed man slowly began to warm up to the woman and they began to spend time together for reasons other than the plan. Slowly but surely the man began to fall for the woman, and he asked her to marry him at the tree.

A few months later they decided they would adopt a child, for as the man said, “There are too many unloved children for us to have one. We must do our part and love the unloved.”

The child was six years of age, a little girl as little as could be. As soon as they adopted her they took her to the willow tree to meet it.

That memory, like all the others faded away into another and another until at last the battle began

The red cloaked woman and raven haired man left their newly adopted child with the tree and when off to fight.

Although the Duke was bigger in numbers and mages, this was the Scarlet Warriors’ turf. The Scarlet Warriors were the red cloaked woman’s rebellion group’s name. Their mages, unlike those of the Duke, were mainly specialized in water, rock, and earth, allowing them to manipulate their surroundings into every which way and form.

The raven haired man looked across the battlefield to see an archer begging to aim straight for his wife’s heart.

No! I can let this happen. He thought

He raced over to her, once he was in a range where she could hear his voice he looked over the archer. Right before he could pull the string he cried out to his lover, “Duck!” 

She looked over at him and as fast as the arrow raced she crouched. But that action was of no use for an enemy came straight for her, and in a blink of an eye a long sheet of metal went through her heart and back out, blooding the blade. 

The man ran as fast as his legs would go towards her. Sliding onto his knees he stopped at her body, still warm but her soul was no longer there. He cried as the sound of the battle faded into nothingness and loneliness began seeping in.

But the man knew that this was the opposite of what the woman would have wanted. So he stood up and continued fighting, to avenge her.

The memory ended and as soon as it did the girl knew exactly who the raven haired and blue eyed man and the red cloaked woman were.

She opened her eyes to see the willow tree breaking into shards of glass and cracking.

“Share my story and it’s meaning for me, okay?” asked the willow tree.

“Yes. Yes I will. Thank you for trusting me with it.” The blonde little girl said.

The willow tree disappeared and the little girl visited her fathers grave and said, “Hello father, are you doing well? I just met the greatest willow tree. It shared it’s story with me and…” She told him the story, start to finish as he listened quietly as he slept.