Where Does She Go

 

            One might also justifiably ask how she can hear Ralph’s summons no matter where she is. The two must be related. Is it a matter of distance or the nature of his call?

            Of course it is Maeve, the messenger spirit of our little forest kingdom, who is the subject of this tale, if tale it is.

            Another fair question, why does she love Ralph so much? Does she see him as a sort of Odin figure and she herself a stand-in for Huginn or Muninn, thought or spirit, or memory? I reckon that it would be a natural urge for a sentient Raven to go looking for the biggest hero in her neighborhood. Whether she relates more to thought/spirit or memory is another question. Personally I suspect that she sees herself as informational.

            The fact that Ralph has special skills would only add to the attraction surely.

A Day In The Life Of Maeve

            The life of a sentient and speaking Raven is bound to be a little special. No rookery of sticks and moss for her. When her lifelong mate was alive, together they build a house, under an overhanging rock way up high in the MtBSNF somewhere obscure on the mountain's face. Though she is alone now, she sleeps there among her memories. Maeve raised many children there. Some of her children were as she is, most were common ravens. This mysterious location is where she goes, when she leaves at night.

            Now that she is without him, her main entertainment is in flying. She is an expert at raven maneuvers. She flies overlooking the forest constantly. She knows the news. No story escapes her notice if it happens on the ground or in the air. Some would say she is snoopy. That may be a fair assessment, but her intentions are only benevolent. Now that she is old and sober her flights are more research than aerial trickeries.

            A Raven is still a raven in some regards. She will eat almost anything. She loves Ramona’s leftovers, those which don’t go to Berry and Bob. She even hunts. She will eat mice, fish, eggs, dead things that need to be cleaned up, just about anything, even picnic leftovers.

            Her desire is to be of use, with her special skills of observation and mobility. For her data to be the most effective, she feels that she must supply it to the most powerful figure in the forest.

So then, we return to the question of how does she know that Ralph is calling? It must be telepathic. Not even Ralph’s whistles can be heard up in the mountain top.

It’s fair to say that she is always listening for him. While soaring above the canopy her internal ear is cocked  toward the Home Clearing we know so well.

She loves Ralph because he is lovable and he is good, and because he listens to her voice. He acts on her information. This is very fulfilling for the sort of bird she is!

What it finally boils down to is that she will hear him or decide to just appear. She will glide down out of the treetops like a great black winged spirit. She will see him probably sitting by the fire, massive and broad with mighty shoulders. His size and presence are such that he has a kind of gravitational pull. His children and Ramona and even the cats will be in orbit at his location. If Thaga was there she would feel it too.

Maeve would land solidly on his left shoulder, handy to his ear, and the story would go on, as stories do.

Story going on....