Air: Merlin's Chalice (The Children of Avalon Book 1) Read Online Free PDF Page A

last row of barley into the yawning, empty space between Dafydd’s farm and the forest, I stopped short. There, standing in the bright morning sunlight, were three large ravens—their sharp black eyes were staring right at me.
    One of them hopped forward to get a better look, cocking its head. I didn’t breathe. I couldn’t. I knew the meaning of this. Ravens were drawn to magic like a moth to a flame.
    They were there for me.
    They must have sensed my fear. One jumped into the air flying straight for me. I backed up as quickly as I could without taking my eyes off the huge bird.
    With a beautiful, terrifying call, a white hawk appeared from nowhere, plucking at the raven with its sharp talons. The black bird was knocked off course, landing hard on the ground not ten feet from me.
    Within moments the other two ravens attacked the hawk.
    “No!” I almost screamed. I didn’t know why the hawk had saved me, but I couldn’t stand for the poor thing to be hurt on my account. I stood there, watching the birds fight—two, and then three on one.
    It was a flurry of black and white feathers, sharp beaks jabbing at each other and the hawk’s razor–like talons slashing viciously at the ravens. Never had I seen such a fight. I started to step forward, trying to figure out if there was any way to help the hawk, but I had nothing to use as a weapon, and even if I did, the four birds were too close to each other. I wouldn’t want to risk hurting the hawk. I could do nothing but watch.
    Even three against one, the fight was over much faster than I expected. All three ravens, as if on cue, took off into the air, beating a hasty retreat from the superior strength of the hawk. That left me and the hawk both looking up, watching the black birds disappear into the clear, morning sky.
    I felt the hawk’s eyes on me before I lowered my own to it. It just stood there, staring at me. Briefly, I wondered if it was contemplating attacking me, but there was no malevolence coming from it.
    One small movement from the bird confirmed my suspicions. The hawk bowed its head, acknowledging me. A whoosh of relief escaped from my lips, and I almost laughed with relief.
    The bird took a few steps backward then turned toward the forest, as if beckoning me on. I complied, walking across the green. As I took my first few hesitant steps into the dusk of the dense wood, the hawk came up from behind me, gracefully flying around a tree, only to come back and circle around me. It soared up and back to circle me once again, as if encouraging me forward, before spiraling up into the treetops to disappear completely.
    I laughed at the bird’s antics then watched with a hollow heart as it disappeared from view. Still, I was left with a warm feeling of welcome. And, oddly enough, a feeling that I had a friend somewhere close by. I wasn’t entirely alone.
    With a brighter step, I headed in the direction the hawk had flown, even though the path had changed to one that was hardly worn at all.
    Trees and bushes encroached upon the road, trying to take it over. The farther I walked, the closer the trees became. It felt as if the branches were reaching out for me. As the forest became even denser, the sky was blotted out by the leaves of the trees. Only here and there was a ray of sun able to slip through from between the leaves.
    I grew cold in the dark of the forest. My footsteps slowed, and I felt as if I were shrinking under the oppressive, towering trees. A heaviness weighed down on me until I could barely keep placing one foot in front of the other.
    And then I stopped. Listening.
    Silence surrounded me like a stifling blanket of cool air. A sudden rustle of leaves made me jump, and a small fox ran across my path. Once again the silence descended on me. All I could do was to look up at the trees that hung over me and try to get a glimpse of the sky where the hawk had flown.
    I took a deep breath and began to walk forward once more. I would see them again. I