My Crow Management RPG

[Bêthberry]

Game Owner -- The Barrow-Wight

First post:

Akaaw woke suddenly from a deep slumber, shivering in the freezing autumn air. He was momentarily confused in the darkness that surrounded him, but the warm bodies of the flock calmed him and he soon realized where he was. Normally he did not rise before the sun tinged the sky, and he wondered why he was now awake. Perhaps he had heard something. He raised his head slowly and looked around, but the blackness continued to press in on him. The flock rustled quietly in the trees, but no other bird was awake. He returned his head beneath his wing and slowly started to drift off to sleep again.

Soon he was roused again, but this time he was sure he had heard something. Like before, the hundreds of crebain around him slept still, but there was something different in the air this time. A soft breeze carried a strangely familiar sound among the trees, like music being played on a pipe far away. The sound triggered a thought in his small, feathered head, and he suddenly realized what it was that had alerted him out of his sleep. It was a summons.

Without disturbing those around him, he pushed himself off from his nest and spread his long wings to catch the air beneath him. The ground rushed up quickly, but with one strong push of his wings he shot upwards toward the sky. Soon he was past the treetops and could finally see where he was going.

Beneath him, Akaaw could see the dark canopy of the forest that occupied the northern end of the ring of Isengard. The trees to the south were systematically being pulled down by Saruman?s orcs, but here they still stood thick and tall. Rising up in their midst was the great tower of Orthanc. Its lofty shape was darker than the night air around it, and it made an easy landmark to fly to. Again the summons came, but this time it was such a strong sensation that it seemed as if the wizard had actually spoken to him within his skull. Akaaw increased his speed.

Soon, features of the tower became apparent, and the great crow swooped down toward a high balcony near its summit. There, gleaming in the darkness as if by his own inner light, Saruman the White stood with arm outstretched. Akaaw declined the offered perch, and instead alighted on the iron railing upon which the wizard leaned. He croaked a greeting to his master.

"Akaaw, my beautiful servant," whispered Saruman to the bird, gently stroking its dark, downy crown. "You are oh so strong and ever faithful. Thank you for coming at such an early hour."

Akaaw did not speak the language, which the wizard now used, but he did recognize it as that used by the dark-haired men of the plains, and he understood many of its words. Saruman always spoke to him with words of praise and wonder, and the bird loved him for it and eagerly awaited the task that the wizard would surely give him.

"Akaaw, my strong one, as always, you are quick to answer my summons. Yes. I know that I have disturbed you from your rest, and yet you come."

Saruman reached into a small bowl near him and pulled a large slice of fresh meat from hit, handing it to the crow, who immediately gobbled it down. He fed him a few more pieces before speaking to the bird again.

"Faithful one, I have a chore for you and your company. I have a task that must be done." He stared directly into the bird's eyes. "Are you ready to aid me, my friend?"

The large crebain nodded his head as he had seen Men often do to each other and croaked an affirmative, to which the wizard answered with another morsel of flesh.

"You are to take your flock north, immediately, and report to me anyone that you find." He stopped to make sure the crow understood. "Particularly of interest would be any mixed group of travelers--one with Dwarves and Elves together, or Men and Hobbits, would be quite remarkable. Do you know what a Hobbit is?"

Akaaw did not, and he croaked a negative.

"A Hobbit is a small Man. Not a child, a Man. If you see such a creature anywhere, you are to return to me at once with a report of their exact location. Is this all clear to you, my good friend?"

The bird nodded his head and opened his beak for another treat, but it did not come. Reluctantly, knowing what was expected, he sprang onto the wizard's arm, causing it to sink under his heavy weight. The old man could not hold him for long, but he always insisted that Akaaw sit on his arm for at least a few moments. He devoured the offered treats quickly and croaked his thanks, then jumped back onto the rail and waited for Saruman's final words.

"Go now, beautiful creban, and find what I seek!"

With that, Akaaw launched himself from the balcony and shot like an arrow toward the trees far below. Dawn was glimmering in the eastern sky and his flock was sure to be stirring.

*****

Edit: icon, for consistency with discussion thread

[ December 29, 2002: Message edited by: Bethberry ]