Raven's Call
Originally published in Realms magazine.
The night thrummed with noise.
Rough voices shouted, horses screamed, steel clashed.
An orange glare blazed in through the cottage window, bathing the rough wooden table, a hunk of bread still on the cutting board, the benches, the shelves with powders and potions in an eerie glow.
The girl stumbled from the bed in the corner. 'Zimelda, what is going on outside?'
'Stay away from the window!' Orange light flickered across the old woman's face. 'The usurper king's men are here. You must flee, my child.'
The girl's eyes widened. 'Flee, like this?' She held out her arms, thin and clad in a white nightgown ballooning across her swollen stomach. 'I can't run, Zimelda. I can barely even walk.'
'You must, child. They can't find you here
