Raven the Cynic
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“Turn me back, please!” Zoe begged.
They were standing on the edge of the forest, looking out across a pasture at a distant village. A few puffy sheep meandered across the field like drifting clouds.
Philothea sighed. “I can try, Zoe, but–”
“I’ll do it,” Raven interrupted. “No use making Thea hungrier than she already is.”
“Really?” Zoe exclaimed, her voice was overwhelmed with disbelief. “You’re really going to turn me back?”
“Only because it will be one less talking bird to explain to people,” Raven grumbled. “But if you irritate me, you’ll be a bird again the second we leave. Got it?”
“I will do anything you ask,” Zoe replied.
A poof sounded through the woods, a cloud of smoke billowed out around Zoe, and when it cleared, she was back to her human self – sort of.
Her eyes were wide with relief, and the corners of her mouth were turned slightly upward in an expression of unprecedented joy. Philothea had never seen her look so happy or so… well, anything really.
“You got ugly,” Raven observed.
“I’ll take it,” Zoe stated. The emotion faded from her face, completing her transition back to her original self.
Philothea charged forward and threw her arms around her now human friend. Even though she’d never really gone anywhere, Philothea felt like her sister was back. Normally, Zoe didn’t like hugs, but she offered no resistance this time, and Philothea understood that to mean she actually appreciated the affection.
Pouli, noticing Zoe in human form, decided to land on her head.
“Really?” Zoe commented. “I have been a human less than a minute, and you’re already using me as a perch?”
In response, Pouli twirled his wings and sang:
Everyone should be a bird, they are the best to be!
And if you can not be a bird, then you will be a tree!
“Wow,” Zoe remarked. “I see how it is.”
Raven pulled her hood up. “Time to go,” she declared, and the little group proceeded forward.
As they walked through the pasture, toward the little village, Philothea caught sight of a temple on the hillside beyond. She grabbed Zoe’s arm and pointed to it.
“Zoe!” she said.
“It’s a temple,” Zoe stated dryly.
“The keepers there might help us,” Philothea insisted.
“Don’t even think about it,” Raven stated. “We aren’t talking to anyone longer than necessary. We are buying rations, finding out where this King Cyrus lives, and moving on.”
“But the Keepers will probably shelter us,” Philothea explained. “We used to shelter travelers at the Temple of Creation.”
“Sure,” Raven continued. “They’ll feed you and shelter you and turn you over to Zeno.”
Philothea experienced a jolt of indignation at Raven’s statement. She thought of Keeper Ruth and Keeper Eva, how they had risked their lives to protect her. The idea of a Keeper selling her out was as absurd as a green sky.
Raven, noticing Philothea’s expression, said, “You trust too easily, little one. The last thing I want is you learning the hard way that everyone acts in their own interest.”
“If that was true, Keeper Eva would have turned me in,” Philothea snapped. She was mortified when she felt a tear in her cheek. Of course, she had to go and get emotional. Anger was one of those emotions she dreaded because it always made her cry, and when she was crying, no one took her seriously, and she couldn’t defend herself.
“Alright, most people act in their own interest,” Raven corrected. “And if we are being honest, Keeper Eva probably protected you for the same reason I did. Because of the prophecy that this whole affair ends in your favor.”
“Did your boyfriend dump you or something?” Zoe asked.
That comment made Philothea break into a fit of giggles. Pouli, who was riding on Zoe’s shoulder, also giggled, and Raven scowled.
“What?” Zoe shrugged. “I’m just trying to figure out how you became such a cynical recluse.”
“Ho, ho, ho,” Fae laughed. “You are a cynical recluse.”
“You too, Fae?” Raven grumbled. “I can’t even trust my bird these days!”
She sighed and rubbed the bridge of her nose. “People made me a cynical recluse,” she continued. “And Keepers are people like everyone else.”
“By ‘people’, you mean a former boyfriend, right?” Zoe pressed.
Philothea exploded into another giggling fit.
“I am this close to turning you back into a bird,” Raven growled.
Zoe took this threat seriously, and they continued the rest of their walk to the village in silence. The entire time, Philothea was brooding about Raven’s attitude of distrust, especially toward the temple keepers.
These holy people dedicated their very lives to serving their Holy Creator. If she couldn’t trust them, who could she trust?
How could Raven live without trusting anyone? To Philothea, that was just sad. Especially because, despite all Raven’s talk about being self-interested, Philothea trusted her.
The Fables of Para Sympan 