A piece by Gorrum's own Eliathan! I must say it is very well-written and provides some insight from our favorite queen of the crows!

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Eliathan looked out the window, three days… It's been three days since Allenore had reunited with Remere. Remere hasn't seemed as high strung as he had in the past. Almost as if a weight that had him suffering was lifted.

"I wonder if he missed her… "Eliathan began to wonder, she then pushed the childish thought out of her head.

Eliathan held her necklace, the Necklace which housed her soul. Tears rolled down her face. This peacefulness, it reminded Eliathan of her innocent childhood, following Cornelius around, climbing trees, and giggling. Eliathan could almost feel his thick, coarse fur through her fingertips, and smell his musky outdoors scent that rubbed off on her whenever the two shared a hug. The closest thing to a father was gone. Gone.

"What a terrible word." Eliathan thought "But how so appropriate. I just pray his sacrifice was not made in vain." More tears rolled down her cheeks, when a movement was heard.

"Yes?" Eliathan spun around to be greeted by two cat-sized crows who reverently bowed at the sight of their mourning queen.

The first one cawed, but Eliathan understood the Crow language as well as she knew the Human language. "Your brother would like to speak with you."

The second one chimed in with a raspy squawk: "Should we let him in?"

"Yes, let him in." Eliathan walked over to a table and opened a drawer. Pulled out a handkerchief and wiped her tears.

Clutch walked in. A strange look painted his face, he didn't seem himself.

"Sister, I see you've been crying." Clutch made himself comfortable on a stool next to the hankie-housing table.

"I-I" Eliathan let out a shuttery sigh, "Yeah… I miss Cornelius… I miss him so much…"

"Me too. He was always so good to us…"

Eliathan nodded, wiping her tears again. Clutch turned his head somberly, revealing the scar on his neck. The cut that bled so much. The cut that Cornelius watched miraculously heal up the first day they all had met. The cut that led to the explanation of what Clutch was capable of. Immortality.

"Listen sister, I've been thinking about the future…" Clutch started trying to figure out a good way to start the hardest conversation of his life.

Eliathan raised an eyebrow. "The future? That's something you think about when there is war. As you see," she pointed out the window, at some crows playing a friendly sport, "This is a time for peace and rest."

"Look, sister, we're twins, so I know you'll understand…" Clutch said in a stern unusual tone.

Eliathan gave her brother a confused look.

"Remere has to go." Clutch stood up and moved cautiously to the door.

"What?" Eliathan felt as if the wind had been knocked out of her. Clutch leaned against the door; his arms crossed blocking her route to escape.

"Sis, you're either with me or against me."

Eliathan looked down but tried to remain calm. "Please explain."

Clutch smirked "Good, you'll hear me out."

"Not that I have a choice!" Eliathan screamed in her mind.

"We're too good to take orders from the likes of him" Clutch started angrily. "Anyone with the power and intelligence of you should know that"

"Flattery gets you nowhere! We're twins! I know when you're lying, and I know when you're nervous. And you're both." Eliathan replied holding back rage, "What's the real reason?"

"Look, the Ascelians and Shadow Mages have been oppressing every living thing for at least a millennium"Clutch began to seem more relaxed, "Remere does not have the experience or the power to repair this damaged world!"

Eliathan backed up "Clutch, what are you saying?"

"Remere needs to be overthrown!" Clutch snapped "He's too merciful! The Ascelians lives would be spared! They would get away with all of this destruction!"

"Killing them is not the answer." Eliathan had a burst of courage "Remere is a wise man, who will restore everything, without murdering the Ascelians!"

"What you call murder, I call justice." Clutch replied darkly.

"You won't get far with your plan!" Eliathan dashed to the window and threw it open. Four large, crows flapped into the room.

"You'll see!" Clutch taunted as he swiftly ran towards his sister dodging each of the crows.

He grabbed his sister violently holding her with one arm, and in his other hand he clutched the necklace.

"You wouldn't dare!" Eliathan whispered as she tried to fight back.

"You know that, but they don't!" Clutch replied quietly as he watched the crows back down.

Clutch forced Eliathan from her chambers and to the deep, dank dungeons of the old, ruined castle. There he opened a rusted iron-barred door and threw Eliathan in like a ragdoll. Before she could stand up, Clutch closed the door, and placed three heavy steel locks on it. The keys were then attached to his belt for safe keeping.

"This way, you can't stop me. No crow can penetrate this. And even if they could, it will be too late!" Clutch exclaimed wildly as he spun around leaving his sister in the dungeon.

Eliathan pushed the bars. None were loose. There were no windows; none of the crows would hear her yelling through solid rock. No escape. She sat down and sobbed. She sobbed for her brother's confusion. She sobbed for her inability to warn Remere. She sobbed for Cornelius. He could help her. Or at least make her feel safe.

"Safe" Eliathan thought aloud "what a stupid word!" she shouted this time, shattering the silence of the dungeon.

Caw. Caw? Caw? CAW?

"Eliathan! Is that you!" A familiar caw filled her tiny cell like a flood of relief.

"Fred? Fred, is that you?" Eliathan ran to the bars looking up and down the chambers hoping to see her best friend with the keys in his beak.

Some feathers and a very large beak poked out of the cell next to hers. Eliathan reached out between the bars straining as far as she could just to stroke him. "How did you get here?"

"He knew just how close we are," Fred replied.

"He knew you'd be a threat." Eliathan put the pieces together as she drew her hand back, "he knew that if you even felt that he was going to turn, you'd let me know. He knew… he knew you'd do anything protect me. "

She heard Fred pacing in the cell. He did not appreciate the confinement, nor did he enjoy knowing his best friend was locked up too.

"It's okay," Eliathan forced the words out, "I believe in Remere, he'll be able stop the dark Mages. He'll stop the Ascelians. And he'll easily stop Clutch."

"How do you know?" Fred questioned tiredly.

"Because, he has Allenore. You and I have both seen what she and her friends can do. I believe that they will all come through." The pacing stopped.

"So, how do you suppose we are going to get out of this mess?" Fred's beak once again poked out of his cell.

"I don't know," Eliathan reached out to stroke Fred again. He was the only one left whom she could trust.