Hello Friends!
It’s time for another Beginnings short story. This month I bring you Raven, which has an extra special cover illustration as it was drawn by my brother Iain (thanks Iain)! As usual, read to the end for the Story Behind the Story and if you like this mini Quest please like, comment, and share!
Raven also marks the last of my pre-planned Beginnings short stories, which means I will be writing new stories soon! So now is an excellent opportunity if you want to request a short story based around a specific title, theme or event. Or maybe you want a sequel to one of the previous Beginnings stories? Reply to this email if you have an idea or request and I look forward to writing something new.
Happy adventuring
Lindsey
RAVEN
After the crash, Fithea woke in the dark. Her body was twisted in a strange position, but as she rolled over, she was relieved to feel no serious pain. She cricked her neck one way, then the other, trying to rid herself of stiffness. She crawled a few paces forward, feeling the way with her hands until she found a clear patch of floor. Or was it the ceiling? The ship had been spiralling so quickly when they fell.
A groan sounded in the dark, and a second later, someone cracked a light-stick, sending a pale yellow glow across the cabin. “Is everyone alright?” said Sionnach. A few more groans and mumbled responses came back. Fithea counted the voices. Dovran. Feorag. Grainea. Brock. Faolan. Luch. Somehow, they had all survived.
In the faint light, Fithea surveyed their surroundings. The cabin was remarkably intact but upside down, with the glass of the windows crushed below them. Plants and earth pushed through the shattered frames. Well, it explained the darkness. She crawled over to the wall and found the bent remains of the door. They must have hit something hard on that side.
“Does it open?” Grainea called.
Sionnach and Dovran came to Fithea’s side, and together they unbolted the locks and heaved. There was a screech of metal.
“Please tell me it opens,” Luch whispered. “I don’t want to die in here.”
“No one’s dying,” said Faolan, adding his weight to the door.
The metal gave an angry groan, then folded open. Sunlight streamed into the cabin, making Fithea and the others pull back, blinking. After a moment, their eyes adjusted and they looked out for the first time on the new world.
“It is so like and yet unlike home,” said Brock.
“Do you think we’ll ever get home?” Luch said, her voice choking.
“Why on earth did you ever volunteer to be an explorer?” said Feorag, shaking her head.
The team made their way out of the broken ship and took their first steps on the new world. Is it truly new? Fithea wondered. Or is it a part of our world we have simply forgotten? Certainly, the terrain was not so different from what they were used to. There were still trees and mountains and a river winding its way in the distance. Yet, the flower at her feet was like none she had ever seen before.
“Let’s gather what we can from the wreckage,” said Sionnach, ever the practical one. “Then it’s time to see if any other people live here.”
It took a few hours to sift through what remained of their ship. Luckily, their equipment locker was built from sturdy stuff and had held together, enclosing most of their gear in a protective shell. The rover bike, sadly, was beyond repair, but they managed to build a sled of sorts to take the heavy objects. The rest, they stuffed in packs and hoisted them onto their shoulders.
“I think we’re ready,” said Grainea. “What now?”
They all looked around the circle, glancing away from each other’s gazes. No one wanted to make the decision. It was too momentous.
Fithea looked up, seeking wisdom from the sky. And there she saw it: a raven soaring overhead. It was her namesake, and the sight filled her with an unexpected peace.
“We follow the raven,” she said.
Behind the Story
This story was inspired by the single word Raven. You might have read it and thought the Raven link was a bit tenuous, but for any Gaelic speakers out there, you may have also noticed a hidden theme running through the character names! Yes, Fithea is a derivative of the Gaelic word for raven: Fitheach. In fact, all of the crew on the ship are named based on the Gaelic words for different animals.
I learnt Gaelic during my high school years and I love any opportunity to sneak it into a story, usually in the form of character or place names. I think it’s a wonderful language, though the spelling and pronunciation can be tricky! I’m very out of practice these days.
Here is the full crew list and their Gaelic namesakes:
Fithea - Raven (fitheach)
Sionnach - Fox (sionnach/seannach)
Dovran - Otter (dobhran)
Feorag - Squirrel (feorag)
Grainea - Hedgehog (graineag)
Brock - Badger (broc) (which is also the name of our family dog)
Faolan - Wolf (faol)
Luch - Mouse (luch)