I woke and Raven was not in my chamber, panic grabbed me, until I heard the low hum of his voice in the hall. He entered the room dressed all in black again, his hair hung loose down his back. He bent and kissed me, then went to pour water into a basin. I rose and went to the basin to wash my face.

“There is something, I think we need to do before you leave” he said. I opened my mouth to protest. “Just give me this one day Avantia, please” he said. I nodded knowing he was serious when he called me that. “I’ve had horse readied for us and Mother has packed a luncheon. You can leave on the morrow. I will be waiting for you in the stables”. With that he walked out of the room while I dressed.

Had I known where we were going I do not think I would have went. He was right, it was something we needed to do, however it was not something I wanted to do. We rode for in silence, I should have known. But before I realized where  we were going, we were staring at Wolfric cottage. Raven dismounted and then helped me down from my horse. He took my hand and lead me to the door. He opened the door and my heart stopped. It was all as I left it, I couldn’t go inside.

“You must love, we must” he said. I looked into his eyes, so full of pain, of love and let him lead me inside. Once inside it seemed the air was too heavy, crushing me and I was fighting for breath. “Let it go, I have come here so many times, it gets easier. I have not gone to the back of the cottage, I could not, but today, WE will go, it is time” he said. I braced myself, for what I did not know. The horror that would soon be before my eyes was unthinkable!

He lead me to the rear of the cottage, to my bed chamber. The door was closed. The smell of roses wafted through the door. “They did this, Odin and your Mother” was all he said before turning to look at me. I know my eyes were wide with fear, did what, what was behind that door that was so horrible, it smelled lovely. He squeezed my hand, his palm was damp. “You have to open the door, they did that, only you can open the door, I hated them for that” he said. I went to pull my hand away to open the door but he wouldn’t let go, he was shaking. I opened the door with the other hand and fell to the floor…