Prompt 2 - Ravens

Rick wasn't a fan of ravens. They were loud, they always watched you, and they were too damn smart for their own good. Unlike seagulls who tried to walk right up and grab your food from your hands, ravens were crafty and would wait until you were distracted to grab what they wanted. Even worse - sometimes they teamed up on you and caused the distraction themselves.

"Easy Red," Rick said, patting the chestnut stallion's neck. "It's just some birds. Once we get out from under these trees, they'll leave us be." Red Wolf snorted in response. Clearly, he didn't believe a word his handler was saying.

Dawson followed close beside the man on his Drakehest, Saphira. The mare had a rare gene called Halogi that gave her faintly glowing markings. Currently, it was the only light source the group had and it was invaluable to them. Despite it being mid afternoon, the forest path they were transporting loaded baskets of fruit down had experienced an early nightfall from how dense the trees were.

"Dunno about that one," Dawson snorted. "In an area this barren? They might follow us. Starving animals do desperate things for food, especially fresh food like this fruit."

A loud chorus of cawing sounded from above them almost like the ravens were agreeing with the man.

"Let's pick up the pace," Rick said. He was nervous about this job before they took it, and that feeling had only grown with every step of the journey. It had seemed to easy, the money was too good and the ad had been up for too long. Transport four large baskets of fruit through the woods and deliver them to the buyer's cabin. Should have been simple, straight forward. The amount of eyes the group felt on them told them it was anything but, though.

Without prompting from Dawson or Rick, Saphira and Red Wolf broke out into brisk trots. The horses clearly wanted to move faster, but the fruit was too delicate and the path too dark to allow it.

All of the sudden, a flurry of motion exploded just ahead of the group. The horses, uncertain about what they were approaching, stopped dead and let out nervous snorts, pawing at the ground.

Before them stood what had to be the largest raven to ever exist, something that others would call a folktale if Rick and Dawson told them about it. Saphira pranced in place, eager to flee, but her loyalty to her rider kept her in place. Red Wolf, on the other hand, pinned his ears and struck out with his front leg, striking the air and leaving a deep gash in the earth when his hoof made contact with it.

"The money ain't worth this shit," Rick said, already backing Red Wolf up.

"Sure ain't," Dawson agreed.

"Let's get the hell out of here." Rick turned Red Wolf on his heels as he spoke, kicking the horse into a gallop as soon as they were facing the right direction. Dawson and Saphira were close behind them, only taking the lead so that Saphira's soft glow could guide them.

All around them the sound of beating wings and frenzied caws echoed in the trees. The birds and their leader, or whatever that thing had been, were clearly aware of the fear they'd caused.

"Drop the baskets!" Dawson called over his shoulder to Rick. He was already loosing the baskets from Saphira's saddle. They fell, one after the other, and smashed to the ground, sending loose apples and berries rolling across the path and into the trees. Red Wolf had to step carefully not to trip over them, but Rick quickly followed suit.

As soon as the final basket smashed to the ground, the birds descended to the feast like night descends from the sky.

Rick, Red Wolf, Dawson, and Saphira didn't bother to look back as sheer chaos errupted. They ran until they reached the edge of the forest and then for another mile just for good measure. They'd left so quickly that they didn't see the cackling woman remove her sculpted cloak. The four foot raven was just a myth after all - not that they would ever know it.

When Red Wolf and Saphira finally ran out of steam, Rick and Dawson eased them from their frenzied gallops into easy walks and, when the reached the nearest town, they stopped to rest properly. Not wanting to run the risk of encountering the mass of ravens again, they decided to stay the night and quickly found stalls for Red Wolf and Saphira and lodging for themselves.

"No one will ever believe us if we tell them," Rick said in a hushed tone as he removed Red Wolf's tack. In the next stall over, Dawson untacked Saphira as well.

"Rick," he said with a heavy sigh, "I'm not even sure I believe it and I was there to see it."

Silence fell between the men as they finished caring for their exhausted mounts. Once they were groomed, watered, and fed, the men retired to their rooms and silently agreed never to tell anyone about the four foot raven and the army of birds it seemed to command. They would certainly not be taking anymore jobs that seemed too good to be true - that much was for sure!