Blackbird

She'd paid cash for a cheap room, and moved in under cover of darkness. It hadn't taken her that long to get here, since she flew as a crow overland (stopping to snack on crackers and to pick up shiny stuff) and traveled light in any case. She'd stayed up when she'd arrived and scouted this place out, but it seemed like any other way station. People stayed and left, taking their problems and plans with them.

She'd disguised and made herself up as a tiny, frail old lady for the discount, and now she sat surrounded by her notes, books, and plans, scattered around her in a loose leaf circle. The mattress creaked as she wrote down what she'd already learned- the two truckers from Tampa were carrying frozen food and freight for Target, respectively, and a family here had snuck their dog into their room. A person on the third floor had a pound of white go-powder shrink-wrapped inside their suitcase. One of the pool-cleaners had spit in it when he was done skimming- that wasn't important, just gross and relevant.

The only real problem was that Florida sucked like a whirlpool. It reminded her of Poseidon's armpit- humid, moist, and smelly. It seemed to rain every day, and the food was somehow hot enough to burn but cold enough to be nasty at the same time. She'd have to invest in lighter clothing and more hats... And some more crackers.

She put down a rough pen sketch of a tall girl and a taller sword, covering the map of the state she'd drawn a giant mantis on before having crossed it out in frustration. There just wasn't time, she was working against a constantly clicking clock. Getting to the Islands in time for to start laying blinds and finding out secrets before the Kobbers began to show up was important. Moving in the open would be harder, even if her intentions were mostly good, but to set up shadows and holes she could fall in ready-made would take work.

Eva knew two things for sure, two things that had pulled her here like the dark before a storm; She belonged in the Kobber's blind sides, and something big was going to happen out there in the surf and sand. Well, that went without saying, but something in particular.

The Unholy Grail was out there, somewhere, and she wouldn't rest until it was hers. She glanced down at some of her books, one of them the legend of the object. It granted wishes... No strings attached. That was it. And when she had it in her clutches, not a one of the other Crows would be able to mutter about her and snicker anymore-

Her room phone rang.

She jerked away from it, before steeling herself and picking it up.

"Yyyes?" She warbled.

"It's a Ethanstang callin' for ya."

She hung up, her eyes widening before she hurriedly began gathering all her materials to pack away as quick as she could- but there was a rapping on her window already. Without looking, she held out her hand and made an upward gesture, continuing to jealousy horde her treasure as the Raven hopped into her room and croaked up at her.

"No, I don't wish to talk to him-"

"Oh? Well, I'd like to talk to you." The Crow said to her back. She closed her eyes and pursed her mouth before slowly turning around and blinking in confusion at the three foot tall white crow staring at her calmly.

"....Ethelstane, where-er, is the rest of you?"

"The rubberized lines of power, likely. Palm trees were not kind to our feet." Said the white crow. For his species, Ethelstane's voice was windy, sometimes lingering on vowels, sometimes trilling consonants.

"Speaking to only your head turns mine funny. I am taken aback to you here and now- why are you earthbound?"

"You can't guess? Eva, why are you here? There's no reason for you to be on Earth, much less somewhere like this. I preferred Georgia. The peaches were a welcome gift."

"I've my reasons, Uncle. My own reasons, as it were. I know what I'm doing, and I'll thank you to leave it at my wayside, not yours." She said seriously, crossing her arms and staring back at him before dumping the last of her notes into her satchel.

"Eva..." He said reproachfully. Ethelstane hopped closer before flapping his way up onto her bed. She sighed and looked over at him, her hands folded. She looked tired and guilty.

"I'm sorry, Uncle. I only... Do you remember Iskander?"

"Ah, yes. That wasn't a good day at all."

"They all laughed at me." She muttered, her shoulders slumping. I was always the last and the weakest. It was awful. Some of the children were greater at Magic than I, and The Other One started joking that they'd have to have the hatchlings protect me. Then I tumbled over tha chair, and they made me walk behind everyone else... And when it was over, I didn't get any of the treasure. None at all. It went to the mistake fund."

"They made sport of me, to my face. How was I supposed to keep up with spirits? I can't call thunderstorms from nowhere, or kill a dozen men with one blow. I'm only sneaky, and even then...  It was a humiliation in slow motion." She said sadly. "I had to leave... Besides, I've graduated school and all that. Surely it was time I went out and saw the great wide beyond?"

"You're still my favorite, Eva... We still must talk. First-"

"HEY! Shut up over there!" Someone yelled, pounding on the thin walls, Eva looked back over to Ethalstane, who'd closed his beak and began to whisper directly to her. She wasn't surprised most of it was family gossip.