Ravenwood Fair – Fall

Drake had never been to the Ravenwood fair before.

He’d seen it from the castle tower every year — the lanterns glowing in the trees, the music drifting through the night air, the laughter rising all the way up the hill.

But tonight, he wasn’t watching from the castle.

Tonight, he was going! Today was his birthday and he was not going to miss the fair this year. He moved like a ninja, stealthily slipping down the stairs, and over the side wall, and ran across the square before anyone noticed he was gone.

The fair was louder than he expected.

Music, shouting vendors, children laughing, the smell of sweet pastries and fried dough filling the air. Lanterns hung everywhere, glowing like tiny stars between the trees.

Drake grinned to himself.

Freedom.

For one night at least.

The grin didn’t last long.

He decided to make a mess right there in front of the gates.

“Lala, dada, do de do.” Drake sang. As he dumped powdered sugar and ketchup on the ground.

“…Well,” a voice said giving him a fright.

Drake snapped his head up.

A teenager stood there, arms crossed, staring down at the disaster with mild amusement.

Drake blinked up at him.

“I can explain.”

The boy raised an eyebrow.

“I’m sure you can.”

“It attacked me,” Drake said, gesturing toward the ruined pastry.

The older boy snorted.

“That ketchup attacked you.”

“Vicious stuff.” Drake replied. “My mom puts bacon or sugar on everything she eats.”

“Really?” Nyon sounded surprised. The only person he knew in the kingdom who did that was the Queen.

But that couldn’t be, the queen did not have any children, Nyon thought to himself.

The boys sat and talked for a while. The weather, favorite books, music. “I really like spooky music.” Drake said then without taking a breath.

“Do you like spooky music or do you like metal with your mohawk and all?”

“Come on,” the older boy said nodding toward the Ferris wheel.

“If you’re going to destroy half the fair, you might as well see the rest of it.”

“Nyon, by the way” the older boy said.

“Huh, that’s a funny name. I’m Drake”

As the boys waited in line for the their turn, Nyon looked down at Drake.

Drake could feel his stare. Drake looked back.

“What am I bleeding or something?”

Nyon shook his head, “No, I just noticed your birthmark.”

“Mom, says it comes from my dad’s side of the family.” Drake stated as he looked over the side of the gondola. The ride jolted to a stop for the next riders to get on.

As the wheel began to move again, Nyon said more gravely than he meant to, “Well if that’s true, then we have the same dad.”

“Um, what do you mean by that?” Drake snapped.

Nyon tilted his head revealing the same scythe shaped birthmark, just behind his left ear.

“NO! FREAKING! WAY!” Drake screamed.

“SHHHH!” Nyon covered Drake’s mouth as fast as he could.

“We don’t need the whole fair to freak out.”

Drake sat in silence as he looked down on the fair.

Nyon tried to continue the conversation further, “Who is your mom?”

Drake did not answer.

“Where do you live?”

Still silence.

The ride ended and the boys slowly got off the Farris wheel.

“It’s getting late. How about I walk you home?” Nyon offered.

“Where did you say you lived?”

“I didn’t. But I can get home on my own.” Drake spoke. He wanted to talk to his mom about Nyon, but then she would know he snuck out.

The boys parted ways.

Nyon reached up to his neck. “I wonder if my mom knows?”

Drake was able to sneak back into the castle the same way he had left.

As he made his way up the stairs, he could hear voices coming from his mother’s room.

“Eight, eight years….” His mother’s voice cracked.

Just before he made it to his bedroom door, every hair on his neck raised, “Tomorrow!”

A voice more like a haunting echo. The glass in the window shook with that one word.

Drake knew something bad was going to happen.

Climbing into bed, Drake said a little prayer for whoever his mother was talking about.

Piper headed up to the tower to send a message via crow. “To the Devil’s Tempest, Nevermore.” She commanded the crow. “Send word I have a son of Grim for trade or sale.”

Nevermore flapped his wings and with a squawk flew off.

Piper sat on the bench and began to cry.

“The deal we made a decade ago, you knew what you were giving up when you made your choice.” Grim’s voice struck Piper to the soul. But that is what Grim does. He commands your soul to go with him.

“Eight, eight years you have been gone, no word, no calls.” Piper began to cry. Grim had been here for hours now telling her to remove their son from the world.

“I won’t end his life!” Piper could feel the venom in her mouth as the word got stuck in her teeth.

“Tomorrow!” Grim said as he stood and disappeared with the slam of his scythe.

The next morning Drake woke up, excited to tell his mother about his first loose tooth.

“Drake? Are you up?” Piper called from the ballroom downstairs.

Drake jumped from the bed and darted down the stairs. Grabbing the railing for stability as he almost lost his balance in the excitement, “Coming Mother.”

As he reached the bottom of the stairs he knew by the look on Piper’s face the conversation last night was about him.

Piper looked like she had been crying all night. Drake knew his mother, she never cried. She was the Fearless, Immortal Queen of Ravenwood.

“Honey,” Piper held back the tears in her eyes as best she could. “I need you to pack some things for a trip.”

Drake shook his head, “A trip? Where?”

“It doesn’t matter, just go pack.” She said as she ruffled his hair.

Drake was to the top of the stairs when he stopped, “What do I pack?”

“Only what you can’t live without.”

“I can’t pack you momma,” Drake said, “You are the one thing I can’t live without.”

Piper knew as she wrapped her arms around her son, this would be the last time she would hug him again.

Piper and Drake loaded the carriage and headed for the docks. Half a day’s travel and Piper did not say a word to Drake.

When they came to a stop, Drake could smell the fish from the market, the salt from the water, but he couldn’t see anyone.

“Where am I going?” Drake asked as the sand shifted under his shoes. He reached for his mother’s hand as he began to lose balance. Piper quickly pulled her hand from his reach.

Drake looked in her direction, her face was unreadable. That was the first time Drake had seen his mother like this.

“The Devil’s Tempest.” She said without emotion. “The men on that ship will provide for you.”

As they came closer the water Drake could hear the waves gently patting the hull of the ship.

“Provide? What do you mean?” Drake knew what the word meant, just not what his mother meant by it.

Piper stopped quick and looked at Drake, “Do not say a word. I will talk and you will listen.”

Her face was as firm as stone as she looked Drake in the eyes. The fear inside him began to rise in his heart.

Drake nodded.

“Good day sirs, this is the lad I sent word of.” Piper spoke when the two men who walked up.

The man with a long black beard eyeballed Drake, elbowed the other man and snickered.

“What are you trying to sell, girl?” His voice smelt old sea water splashing on rotting wood.

“A shark could swallow him whole!” Another wave of the mans rotting breath hit Drake.

“Look. Behind his ear. You cannot fake the birthmark.” Piper spun Drake so the men could see the birthmark behind his ear.

The other man squeaked, “He can roll ropes and swab the deck until he’s bigger.”

“We could use another hand around the Tempest.”

The first man spoke again, “Names’ Captain Long John Buttercups.” He said as he slapped himself on the chest.

Motioning to the other man, “This here is Rodrigo.”

Rodrigo nodded then looked at the Tempest. “Come on, let’s get your bunk.”

As they headed for The Devil’s Tempest, Drake could hear the captain say to Piper, “Here, the payment you asked for.”

Piper mumbled something Drake couldn’t hear.

Drake followed Rodrigo, he paused for a moment to look back.

The waves had washed his mother’s voice from his ears. The beach was empty. Empty except the pirates laundry on the line drying.

The seagulls overhead began to cry, and Drake held back his tears.

His mother was gone. The beach was empty. He knew she wasn’t coming back.

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Chapter 4 Sons of Grim

Ravenwood Fair – Fall

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