Raiden and Donnell led the group looking every bit the General and former General they were. Voices quickly hushed as everyone tried getting a peak at Raven. Once they made it to the front where the King sat at a raised table did they stop.
They still hadn't let anyone get a peak at Raven and she was nearly shaking with nerves. "It's alright, just breathe." Trey whispered feeling her shake and grip him tighter.
Her grip loosened and she began trying to slow her breathing when the King began to speak.
"I know you have all heard the rumors and are curious of our guest. I will be the first to tell you that she is under our protection and should a single hair on her head be harmed the consequences will be utterly severe." His voice was deep, commanding and laced with the promise of suffering.
"I would like to introduce Raven to everyone. Yes she is an elf but she is an Arsha. She has been the black bird that has been helping our soldiers for years and many of you since you were still children and pups. This also means should anyone harm her the Gods themselves will see to the punishment you will suffer. She is here to help and live free from the chains of her previous tribe. With that being said I expect everyone to be on their best behavior and only if Raven is comfortable will she talk to you and answer any questions."
When he finished Raiden turned to her and held out his hand. She placed hers in his hesitantly and he led her to stand beside him and his father. Her eyes widened and her lips slightly parted at seeing the variety of people before her. They held similar looks seeing someone so unique as Raven.
The silence only lasted a few seconds before the crowd erupted into cheers. The sounds was deafening and made Raven jump and cling onto Raiden. Her face was buried in his chest that rumbled with laughter.
"They did not mean to scare you they are just very excited to have you in our camp. I am sure many wish to thank you for helping them or someone they know." He whispered into her ear over the noise.
She peaked out and saw everyone smiling and clapping. She gave them a small smile and a wave before the King had everyone calm down and sit for dinner. Raven was curious about the food as she had not seen some of it before. Everything was delicious however and before she knew it she was talking and laughing with the new faces at their table.
"Do you want to allow people to come up and speak with you and possibly ask questions?" Donnell asked after one of the elders came and whispered in his ear.
Raven nodded giving him a warm smile. "I am not royalty and they do not need my permission to talk with me. I just do not like being crowded especially since this is all so new to me."
He nodded before looking at the King and nodding. After he announced Raven was comfortable enough to talk and answer questions many people began lining up in pairs and sometimes even groups of up to four.
Most just wanted to introduce themselves but others wanted to thank her for saving them or their friend, family, or even lover. Raven even got the chance to thank the Hannah who had healed her wound for her. She had been feeling more and more comfortable the more she talked to people until the next person came up.
When she made eye contact with them her smile fell and she gripped Raiden's arm. She began squeezing his arm panicking while trying to remain calm on the outside.
"I was just hoping to introduce myself, I am Gareth." His smile seemed polite but Raven had seen that smile and knew it was anything but.
Raiden was instantly on alert with how much Raven was squeezing his arm repeatedly. When he held out his hand for Raven Raiden reacted. He grabbed the hand flipping Gareth and pinning him face down with his arm behind his back.
"I was wondering if the bitch told you," he groaned and Raiden furrowed his eyebrows before looking towards Raven who was surrounded by every one at their table.
"I-I stopped him several times f-from attacking women. Some were even v-vampires but h-he was going to..." The fear in her voice was enough to tell everyone where she was heading.
Raiden snarled as did several other wolves around them. The humans and mages looked at him with disgust as he chuckled and shook his head. "They wanted it, especially those leeches. You should've just let me have my fun with them before I killed them. A few less bloodsuckers wouldn't be a bad thing." He chuckled before groaning as Raiden tightened his grip.
"Gareth Vanc you are hereby stripped of your duties and rank and hereby sentenced to the courts for judgement. May the Gods have mercy on your soul for I sure have none." He looked up at the King who's eyes were blazing.
He walked down and stood before Gareth as Raiden picked him up and handed him to two guards. He reached Raven and pulled her into his chest. Just before he covered her ears he whispered, "think of something happy and do not look or listen."
He knew exactly what happened as there was some yelling before the sound of a fist entering a chest. After the pained scream stopped a wet plop followed as the King had ripped out his heart.
"Actions like this man are not tolerated and I do not care if they are a vampire or not. We only lay hands on another during war and sparring. You do what he did or even attempt to do what he did and you will suffer the same fate. If you come after Raven for stopping you from harming someone it will be even worse. Everyone is dismissed go back to your barracks and tents, we move out in the morning." He ordered and everyone began to leave.
Raiden released Raven who looked up at him with wide eyes. She tried to peak around him but he stopped her. "Do not look, trust me. Let us get some rest it has been a long day and we are moving camp tomorrow."
She nodded and followed beside him as he led her away from the scene and back to their tent. Guards were now placed round the clock outside his tent and only the most trusted and loyal would serve that position.
Raven laid in the bed they brought into Raiden's tent staring at the ceiling. Her thoughts were running a million miles per hour. "Raiden?" She whispered into the darkness of the tent.
"Everything alright Raven?" He asked as she heard shuffling.
"Uh, yes...no... I am not sure." She sighed and sat up. "I know that man was not a good man but did he have to die?"
Raiden sighed and soon lit a candle and walked over to her bed. He sat on the edge of her bed. "People like him do not deserve to walk this planet nor breathe the same air as everyone else. Today his victims got justice and his future victims will not become victims. I am not sure about elves but for us we believe the body to be sacred. It is something that only gets touched when deserved. We admire virtue and battle scars and despise abuse and those who take what is not theirs. Soldiers are tattooed for their honor and achievements and those who do harm have no place in our world. It is why I get so angry when I think about what your people did to you. Branding is something we only do to criminals who steal, lie, and cheat. You are certainly neither and we never punish children in that type or manner."
He ran a hand through his hair. "Your body belongs to no one but yourself. If you do not wish for someone to touch you they have no reason to do so. For someone to break such a sacred law it is despicable especially since he had done so more than once and never suffered the consequences."
Raven nodded slowly. "I think I understand what you are saying. For elves we do not get a choice in who we are paired with. Either our parents, tribe leader, or elders choose for us. Unless you are of poor standing than unless someone higher up wants to be paired with you you get a choice. My mother and father were poor so they choose each other. My father died in a mining accident a year before my gift appeared. He would not have been happy with my pairing. He always believed in the freedom of choice and I am glad to have that now."
She looked at Raiden who gave her a small smile. "You can choose whatever you wish Raven. You deserve all the freedom and happiness especially after going through everything you have. Just please let myself, Trey, or Jax know if there are anymore criminals among our soldiers. We don't want to see an innocent suffer at the hands of one of our own."
She agreed with him and they talked for a bit longer before her eyes grew heavy. Raiden went to get up and go to his bed but she grabbed his wrist. "Raiden?" She asked and he turned to face her. "Thank you, for everything."
He smiled down at her and gently squeezed her hand. "It is the least I could do, now get some sleep we have a long day ahead of us tomorrow."
She mumbled something sleepily before drifting off to sleep. Raiden went and laid in his bed staring at the ceiling of the tent. Him like many others tonight couldn't help but start to fall for the grey eyed beauty. Raven had captured his heart since he was twelve years old and she saved his life. It still felt like a dream that his Raven as he used to cal her was truly a person. His eyes grew heavy and he drifted off dreaming about a life filled with grey eyed children.
Raven woke up with a start from a nightmare about her past. She sat gasping and trying to calm her racing heart. The memories lingered making the pain seem as if it was still there. It took her several minutes to calm down and she was glad she hadn't woken Raiden up. Just as she was about to lay down and go to sleep the familiar hum of a calling began.
Not thinking much she climbed out of bed and gently shook Raiden awake. He woke up almost instantly and sat up panicked. "Are you alright? Is everything okay?"
"Yes, I am receiving a calling though and just wanted to let you know. I may not make it back before you move camp however but I will meet up with you as soon as I can." Her words did nothing to reassure Raiden instead he became more worried.
"How long will you be gone? Do you want me to come help?" He began to get up completely but she stopped him with a hand on his shoulder.
"I shouldn't be gone more than a day or two at most. It will probably be a few hours. I will be fine, besides I have been doing this for fifteen years now. Get some more sleep you have a long day tomorrow. I will be back I promise," she told him holding out her pinky.
It was something Jax had taught her and she truly believed pinky promises were real and that they couldn't be broken. Raiden swallowed the lump in his throat and nodded. "Alright, please be careful and come back safely." He said softly and she smiled at him.
"I will, see you soon." With that she shifted and flew out of the tent off into the night.
Raiden couldn't fall back asleep worrying for Raven. Raven, however flew for a few hours and the sun was only an hour shy of rising when she reached her destination. When she arrived she was shocked at what she found and even more so at who the calling was for.