The Last Crow

[W0NWILL]

A/N: This is a solo project, I did this without the help of my co-writer.

Prologue

The world was chaos. Choking black dust swirled all around the cavern that used to be Korvus Skur's. Now it was Death's.  Almost nothing was spared.  Almost.

Chapter One

Several seasons passed.  A family of little owls was hunting. Perhaps I shouldn't call it that.  A family of birds was hunting. Most of them were little owls, except for the crow, he was told that the mother owl had dug him out of a cave, so he chose his name, as was little owl custom, to be Cavernbeak, or Kavbey. He grew up as a little owl, he knew he didn't belong with the owls. But they were family.

The large oak where they live was dead and rotten, but it was home.  At least until They came. They came one day, it was sunny and clear, not the sort of day you would expect something life changing to happen, but happen it did. A gang of ravens and rooks came to the old tree were the happy family lived. "No, don't kill them! Kill me if you must, but don't kill the chicks or my wife!" The father owl was pleading with the leader.
"Rakak! This fool thinks we won't kill his wife or chicks! Chawha!" the other carrion laughed along obediently with their leader. Kavbey and the two owl chicks huddled near the back of the hollow, in the shadows. They huddled together while the awful slaughter took place, unable to watch.
"Look, there's the chicks, they'll make a good meal! Chawk!"
The leader buffeted him with his wing, "Wait! There's more than these two, it's a crow chick!" He thrust his face close to Kavbey's.  "How did a crow chick get here? Rak!"
Some unexplainable courage came over Kavbey, "I have a right to be with my family!"
The leader raven cackled harshly "Talks pretty, don't he?" The others laughed with him dutifully. "I don't like traitors, especially if they're traitors to their species, I also don't like smart mouths." He savagely ripped a clawful of feathers from Kavbey's wing. He kept inflicting horrible injuries on Kavbey. Kavbey wriggled away and ran for the entrance hole, and jumped.  His injured wing did nothing to slow his descent.

D'you like it? I wish I had a better title.

[redwallgurl]

Its reawlly good so far. The title is fine too fits in with the end of Doomwyte.

[W0NWILL]

Thanks! I actually lost my copy of Doomwyte but I'll do my best from memory.  Pity, it's a good book.

[redwallgurl]

yeah i dont have any of the books except for mossflower jsut try to remeber most of the time

[W0NWILL]

Chapter Two

He hit the ground and kept on running as fast as his short legs could carry him. Saying silent thanks that his hollow was close to the ground, for the the tree was propped between the fork of an ash. He ran, expecting cruel claws to grab his back at any moment. After he was a fair ways away from the tree, he stopped and hid in the roots of a rowan tree. His dark feathers were the perfect camouflage. After several moments he realized that he was breathing so loud, they would've heard him by now if they were anywhere near. He came out, looking around warily. It didn't seem like anybeast was around. At a harsh cry he dived back into his shelter. He stayed perfectly still, gazing at the legs of a rook that had landed right in front of him. After what seemed like an age the rook flew off. Kavbey started breathing again. After laying there for a few minutes more he worked up the courage to move out again. After tensing to dive into his shelter he waited. It seemed the birds had gone. He started flapping his wing experimentally. He couldn't fly, he needed a healer. He staggered back into his hole and scrapped out the decaying leaves. That done, he settled down to sleep until night.
The next morning Kavbey woke up, stretched and clicked his beak. Reality struck him like a thunderbolt. He shot out of his hole and ran in a random direction. That direction happened to be north, towards Redwall Abbey.


"C'daver! The scouts have not found the traitor. Rakah!"

The raven glared at the rook that had just reported to him. "From now on, you will address me as lord C'daver or lord. Now get out of my sight!"

The rook bowed hastily and backed out of the hollow that used to belong to the little owls and Kavbey. C'daver dug his talons into the flesh of one of the chicks. The crow wouldn't be a problem to his plan. If everything worked out he would be nesting in the redbrick house within a fortnight. He ran out of the hollow and with a few strong flaps he was airborne. His harsh cries echoed around the trees. Mean yellow eyes watched him circle around the trees. A stoat growled at a group hidden nearby, "Kill them!" A horde of stoats, weasels, and ferrets charged the birds. The slaughter began.

[MatthiasMan]

Yeah nice job! But a couple things: (I hope this don't offend you)

1: Try to add more detail to surroundings and make the chapters longer. Like, you could put chapter one and chapter two together.

2: In between places where the time changes, press enter, and maybe if you want add
* * *.

3: Try experimenting with vocabulary, like instead of using slaughter only, use massacre, or assassination, bloodbath, bloodshed, butchery, carnage, decimation, extermination, internecion, or murder. These words will keep the reader interested.

[W0NWILL]

It's fine, I love constructive criticism
But remember, these are the starting chapters, I make longer chapters as the story progresses, and I was typing from the Ipad, so I couldn't do word count, I usually set a goal to have chapters of at least 1500 words.

[Wisteria Wild Cat]

This is really good! Please continue it!   

[W0NWILL]

I plan to, but I have other fanfictions that are sucking up my free time, the next chapter is partially finished.

[W0NWILL]

Here you go:


Chapter Three

The breath caught in Kavbey's throat as he ran faster and faster. He was scared. Very scared. He thought of growing up with the little owls. Those thoughts gave him strength. Now he was running, but once he was healed, it would be a different story. He would kill them. Rage built in his feathery chest and escaped as hot tears. He WOULD kill those birds.

0o0o0o0o

Black feathers littered the ground like dead leaves in autumn. The awful murders were done and a large number of vermin, mainly stoats lay around nursing various hurts or looting the bodies of fallen comrades. A slight stoat lay near the largest fire, picking her teeth with a raven bone. Though she was half as tall a the other stoats, one could tell that she was the leader. She had dark grey eyes, sleek, shiny fur that was dark brown. Perhaps it was the quiet, evil confidence she radiated, or the simple clothes of a warrior she was wearing, one could tell that she would show absolutely no mercy to anybeast. A blowgun and satchel of poison darts lay at her side and a scimitar was belted around her waist. One of her officers stood near her holding a rope. Tied to the rope was C'daver, completely cowed. When she spoke, her voice was a whisper, the sort of whisper you will hear even if you are more than ten feet away. "If what the raven tells us is true.." She paused to chuckle quietly, "and he is telling the truth, he loves life too much. He knows of a sandstone fort not far from here, full of peaceful creatures."
C'daver cut in, babbling, "Yes, yes, I speak the truth, majesty!"

She turned around staring evenly at him, "I do not like interruptions. Any more and your life will end, and not quickly either." She turned back to the officer, a ferret. "We will march to this place, oh, and the bird has outlived his usefulness, you know what to do." C'daver screamed as he was dragged toward the fire. She chuckled dryly, "None reckon with me, the great Hermine Reine!"

0o0o0o0o

Kavbey arrived at Redwall out of breath and panting he scratched at a little door near the center of the wall. "Please let me in. Please help me." He was sobbing, exhausted. A black otter opened the door. Sighting Kavbey she pounced on him shouting Eeezaranaaa! A squirrel hurried across the lawns closely followed by a mouse.

"Zaran! What's going on?" the two creatures wrestled Zaran off Kavbey.

"Please! Why are you doing this to me?"

Abbess Perrit looked down at the young crow huddled on the ground, shivering. "Excuse Zaran, she's had some bad dealings with crows and the like. You may come in, do you need anything?"

In answer Kavbey collapsed.

Zaran grinned wickedly, "I'm going to enjoy taking this bird up to Bother Torilis."
0o0o0o0o
When Kavbey woke up, his wing was supported by a barrel, with a small block holding the appendage down. He seemed to be underground. A stern-looking squirrel was, by the pain, butchering his wing. He noticed that his patient was awake, finished mauling Kavbey's wing and put it in a splint. "Abbess Perrit wanted to see you when you awoke, follow me." As soon as Kavbey got up, he noticed that his legs were bound by a short hobble that barely allowed him to walk.
"Why do you restrain me?"
Torilis started slightly. He had expected the harsh cries of a carrion bird, but this crow spoke in an educated voice, similar to the creatures of the Abbey. "Because we know what crows are like."
"I know what they're like as well. They killed them."
They had arrived at a door that led to a study-like room. Brother Torilis knocked on the door saying, "Abbess Perrit, I have brought the bird."

A mild looking squirrel answered the door, "Thank you, Brother Torilis." She turned to Kavbey, "What's your story?"

Kavbey clicked his beak thoughtfully. "Err, it started when I was a chick, I was told that mum dug me out of a collapsed cave, err, I shouldn't say mum, she was my adopted mother, she was a little owl, see. So I grew up with mum and dad, and my brother and sister. Then, yesterday, at least I think it was yesterday, a group of ravens, crows like me, and rooks came to our hollow. They slew mum and dad, I think they ate my brother and sister..." Kavbey proceeded to tell Abbess Perrit his story, up to him reaching the abbey.

After the story, Perrit blinked a bit and then said, "Kavbey, I do not think you are evil like other crows. I think that you have a good heart, you may stay in this abbey for as long as you wish, but others have suffered at the hands of crows, you may not be welcomed by all. On that note, would you like some supper?"

[Wisteria Wild Cat]

Yay! I love this! 

[W0NWILL]

Thanks, but I won't update for awhile, I'm quite busy.

[winifred]

I think you are a great author and will go to great heights!!!!
I loved how Zaran relished the thought of taking Kavbey to Torilis!

I know how it feels when people love a story and preasure you to write more; take your time it's a great story.
P:S I'll be one of those people (Please write more!)

[W0NWILL]

To apologize for the late chapter, I'll let you have a sneak peek, and thank you all for reviewing.

“Lady Reine! We are approaching the Red Castle the bird told us about!”
HR opened her eyes and snapped, “I know that you fool! Why not shout a little bit louder and let all the creatures in the Red Castle know we’re here?”
“Yes Milady,” The unfortunate ferret muttered, then shouted, “LADY REINE! WE ARE APPROACHING THE RED CASTLE THE BIRD TOLD US ABOUT!”

[W0NWILL]

Chapter four

At supper, Kavbey got many odd glances, but he didn’t care, as long as they didn’t take the wonderful food away. A hare watched him with amusement, “Och, ye kin put the vittles away.”
Kavbey spoke with his beak full, “‘ly whe’ it’sh thish goo’.”
The hare chuckled, “Mah name’s Laird Bosie McScutta of Bowlaynee, but call me Bosie, everybeast does.”
“Th’name’s Kabey.”
“Ye want a vittling contest? Ah et ‘bout s’much as ye have.”
Kavbey finally swallowed, “Sure, but why are you being nice to me and not staring like everybody else?”
“‘Cause ye wuddn’t be ‘ere if ye were a bad sort, Abbess Perrit wouldn’t let ye vittle at our table if ye were.”
“Let’s eat!”
All around the great hall, creatures stopped eating to watch the two beasts eat, most were cheering for Bosie, and Torilis looked on with disapproval. But Abbess Perrit, and some who knew Kavbey’s story were cheering for him, including Bisky, Springo, and Dwink.
After a while, Torilis had gone to bed, as did most of the watchers, but Kavbey and Bosie kept on eating until they nodded off.

0o0o0o0o

“Lady Reine! We are approaching the Red Castle the bird told us about!”
HR opened her eyes and snapped, “I know that you fool! Why not shout a little bit louder and let all the creatures in the Red Castle know we’re here?”
“Yes Milady,” The unfortunate ferret muttered, “LADY REINE! WE ARE APPROACHING THE RED CASTLE THE BIRD TOLD US ABOUT!”
“You may go now.”
The relieved ferret turned his back to go. Hermine loaded a dart to her blowgun and aimed for the base of his skull. A sharp blast of air and the awful deed was done. Or, awful to us, to Hermine, it was part of her day.

0o0o0o0o

Kavbey was shaken awake by Bisky, Springo was doing the same to Bosie. Kavbey chuckled at the sight of Bosie, “Bosie, you look like a field of vegetables, with gravy!” For Bosie had slept, face first, in a deeper’n’ever turnip’n’beetroot pie.
“Och, an’ yew look lahke yer half ghost!” Kavbey’s pillow of choice had been a large cake that Bosie and he had been sharing, icing stuck to his face, turning his normally dark feathers white. They both laughed loudly.
Then Brother Torilis walked in. He clucked his tongue in disapproval, “Tut, tut, both of you will need a bath, and you’ll need help, I wouldn’t be surprised if you shrank back into an egg, bird. And you hare,” He turned sharply around, Bosie pulled in his tongue, “You are no more than a levert. Upstairs and in the bath, now.” He pointed a scarily straight finger to the bathrooms, upstairs.
As soon as he left, Bosie and Kavbey exploded into laughter. Leaning on each other, they went upstairs.

They came back down a little while later, freshly scrubbed to find a meeting being held in cavern hole. “Och, what’s wi’ all tha long faces?”
Abbess Perrit stood up, “The abbey may be in danger, Rorgus, tell your story.”
The Skipper stood up, “I was standing guard on the wall, when I heard shoutin’, I ducked ‘hind a battlement an’ peeked out, they were too far away to see, but they could see us, I knew that fer certain. The words shouted, I couldn’t make all them out, but it sounded like, umm, ah! We...approaching...Red Castle...bird told. Or something like that.” He turned to Kavbey, “Did you tell them of this place?”
Kavbey shook his head, “Nay, I never heard of this place before now.”
Zaran moved forward quickly, drawing her sword, “LIAR! ALL VERMIN ARE LIARS!”
Kavbey cowered on the ground, waiting for death.
Surprisingly, it was Brother Torilis that saved him, he held up a paw and said sternly “Zaran, do not get ahead of yourself, you act on impulse. Better creatures than yourself have killed or died because of that. I know you have a festering hatred for all carrion birds, I do not blame you for that, but get over your past!” He said the last four words firmly. “Abbess Perrit?”
Perrit nodded thanks to him, “We will station guards all along the walltops, every able beast will do his or her share, we will keep on our toes, any objections?”
A rousing cheer told her all she needed to know.