My Pet

Almost as if in response to her musings, Tarah noticed a familiar raven perched on a nearby tree. It was Cloy, the raven she had enchanted so that she and Aurelia could exchange messages with each other. 

Cora, following Tarah's gaze, instinctively reached for her arrow to shoot the raven.

"No!" Tarah intervened, stopping her.

"But it's suspicious," Cora argued with a frown, her bow still aimed at the raven. "What if it's a spy for Devon? I sense a spell on it." 

"That's my pet, Cloy," Tarah explained, and sure enough, the raven flew towards her, perching itself on her outstretched arm. "It's been a while. Do you have a message for me? Hmm, I suppose you do." 

Seeing the familiar compartment on the raven's foot, she retrieved the parchment within and quickly read it, her expression lighting up the more she read Aurelia's message. The parchment then quickly crumbled to dust after she was done reading it.