ust before Catrin burst through the portal, she found herself lying on familiar, yellow-flowered grass on the cliffs. Above her, the Raven's wings disappeared into a gray haze. A shiver of panic as sharp as needles prickled down her back.
Was this what my father meant about the magic being unpredictable?
With the landscape settling around her, she inhaled the briny air and felt her own world again. Still, a burning tingle lingered in her arm as questions barraged her mind.
Did Marrock do this to me? Did he somehow sense I was spying on him by using my raven's eyesight? Did he put me into another world? Is this the deadly magic my father warned me about—the double-edged blade that others who detect my raven-sight can do me harm?
A woman's shrill voice startled Catrin. She rolled on her back to find her sister, Mor, looking down at her, the reins of her bay horse in hand. Gusty wind swirled Mor's ebony tresses around her face, which was etched with concern.
"What happened?" asked Mor. "Your horse was loose. From a distance, I saw a raven on your shoulder as you collapsed."
"I slipped and fell," Catrin said, trying to wrap her mind around what had just happened. "Help me up." She grasped Mor's extended hand and pulled herself to her feet. Still light-headed, she teetered while brushing the chalk from the cliff stones off her leather chest armor.
"Did that raven do something to you?" Mor asked. "Before you collapsed, you appeared frozen; your arms twisted over each other like broken wings. It was as if you left this world and became something else. A wraith or a soulless corpse comes to mind."
Catrin glanced around, thinking it odd that Belinus was not with her sister. Assuming he was nearby, she looked beyond Mor, but there was no sign of him.
"Why don't you answer me?" Mor snapped. "This is the second time I've seen this happen to you this week. You know what Father said. You are not to do magic with that raven."
The image of Marrock with the foreign troops flashed in Catrin's mind, and she blurted, "I saw warships offshore. Marrock is leading them!"
Mor scanned the ocean channel, now thick with rolling fog. "I don't see anything."
Catrin pointed northward. "Look beyond the cliffs."
Mor shielded her eyes with a hand to search again. A moment later, she gave Catrin a dubious frown. "There is too much fog to see clearly. When did you see Marrock?"
"A bit ago—" Catrin suddenly realized it could have been quite some time since she had been in the Raven's mind.
Mor gripped Catrin's arm and pulled her closer. "Did your raven cast a spell on you, and you imagined this? People say your raven makes you mad!"
Catrin bristled. "That is utter nonsense! I only connect to the Raven when I need its help and have complete control over it."
When Mor's jaw dropped, Catrin realized she had let her secret slip out. She bit her lower lip, but it was too late to take the words back. Upon further consideration, she didn't know how to convince Mor of the threat posed by Marrock and the foreign army unless she disclosed her use of forbidden magic. She finally admitted, "Whenever I need help—like … like seeing something in the distance—I can enter the Raven's mind and see through its eyes."
"Explain exactly what happens when you see through its eyes," Mor said. "Do you shape-shift into a raven?"
"My human vision turns off when I switch to the Raven sight. I can see below me when it flies. The Raven also sends me dreams of the future. Last night, I dreamt the moon turned into a bleeding skull. I took this as an omen that our kingdom is in grave danger. When I saw Marrock with foreign soldiers, I confirmed this was true."
Mor paused, as if trying to absorb what Catrin had just said. "Merchant ships are always sailing near the coastline. How could you even tell they were warships from the distance?"
"Armed soldiers were disembarking from vessels moored on the beach beyond the cliffs—"
Mor interrupted. "Nobody can see that far, even through raven eyes."
"Let me finish!" Catrin snapped. Mor's lips clamped into a scowl as Catrin continued. "My raven flew over the bay, where I saw hundreds of soldiers setting up camp on shore. That is where I saw Marrock!"
"I find your tale truly hard to believe," Mor said, shaking her head.
"I'm not a liar," Catrin insisted. "We must heed the Raven's omen. Soldiers would not be with Marrock unless he plans to attack us. We need to warn our father."
"Warn him of what?"
"Marrock is back with a foreign army!" Catrin declared. "Remember, sister, Marrock swore to slay everyone in our family when Father banished him seven summers ago."
"You've made a bold claim without proof." Mor exclaimed. "I never saw Marrock with my own eyes and, for that matter, I never saw any warships. What if you're wrong? You don't have any evidence that he is plotting to attack our kingdom. Father will be furious when he discovers you used your raven's magic. Besides, I want to stay here and finish training with Belinus."
Catrin could feel her face flush with anger. Train with what—his sword? She pointed to herself. "I'll accept.
the blame if I'm wrong, which I'm not. We must go back now!"
Mor put her hands on her hips. "I'm not leaving until I see these phantom soldiers and ships with my own eyes."
Catrin, noticing her sister suddenly glance up, turned and spotted Belinus waving from the adjacent hilltop to signal weapons had been set up for practice. The last thing she wanted was for Mor to persuade him to stay so they could finish their tryst before slinking back home. Mor had lost all sense of propriety with a common warrior.
Of all days to practice, I should be warning Father!
When Mor pulled the reins of the bay and began walking away, Catrin yanked her by the arm to halt her. "What are you doing?"
Mor spun toward Catrin. "Belinus is set to go. I am getting your horse ready, so you can practice spear throwing."
Catrin wagged her head in disbelief. "Didn't you hear what I just said? We must go now and tell Father what we have seen."
Mor glared. "I don't take orders from someone who practices black magic with a raven. You see things nobody else can."
Catrin ripped the reins from her sister's fingers. "I don't care what you think. I'm going. If Father asks me why you are not with me, I will tell him about your little meeting with Belinus."
"And what do you mean by that?"
Wordlessly, Catrin mounted her bay and stared at her red-faced sister.
"Answer me!" Mor shouted.
Catrin pointed to the spear on the grass. "Hand me that lance. I'll tell Belinus about what I saw. You can load up your weapons and join us."
Mor flung the spear up to Catrin.
Catrin adjusted the weapon and kicked her horse into a gallop. Gale breezes from the channel stung Catrin's eyes as she drove her horse near the cliff's edge and up the ridge to where Belinus was waiting. With thoughts running wild about a possible attack by Marrock, she ignored the perils of the precipice and the rocks below. With spear in hand, she clamped her legs against the horse and threw it.
The metal tip pierced the raven's image on a shield that Belinus was holding. Clad in leather breeches and chain mail, he yelled, "Why did you do that? I wasn't ready."
Catrin halted in front of him. "We need to get back! Warships have landed; Marrock is leading them!"
Belinus gave a shocked look. "Marrock? Warships? Where?"
Catrin pointed northward. "In the nearby bay."
Hearing horses approaching, Catrin turned and found her sister riding the black stallion and leading a pack horse.
Mor huffed. "Why didn't you wait for me? You're lucky I don't have to scrape your smashed bones and flesh off the rocks."
"No time to argue!" Catrin snapped. She ordered Belinus, "See to the weapons. I'll explain everything to you on our way back to the village."
Mor blazed at Catrin as Belinus packed the weapons. After he mounted his horse, he told Catrin, "With the coming fog, it may be difficult to see the ships on our way home. Ride with me and tell me more about what you saw."
Catrin rode with Belinus on the pathway while Mor followed them. As they descended the grassy hilltop, Catrin told Belinus about the warships and Marrock's return. Belinus appeared alarmed, glancing all around. He asked Catrin more questions and suggested they take a closer look at the seashore.
They directed their horses into a darkening forest in the valley. When they rode out of the woods and approached the beach, thick fog was swallowing the ships in the bay and marching out of the haze were soldiers heading their way.
Catrin glanced back at Mor. "See … there is the danger."
Mor's shoulders stiffened. "Keep riding."
Belinus rode ahead and kept his hand on his sword's pommel. "Follow me. Don't look scared. These are Romans!"