Summer cooled into autumn, and I thought that would be the end of it. Then, when we made camp about a week after the equinox, I saw a crow.

That wasn’t so incredibly unusual all on its own– carrion birds followed us sometimes. It was bound to happen, considering that most of the pack were werewolves and werewolves liked to hunt. I’d seen several others earlier, but by now they were all swarming the leftovers from the deer Blythe and Fionnuala had brought back.

…The strange part was that this one seemed to be watching me. Not the wolves, not the deer, not the other birds. Me.

The other strange part was how drawn to it I felt. No matter what I was doing, I’d turn and it would be there, staring straight at me. I felt its eyes on me all of that day and the next. Even when we were in the wagon and had left all the other birds behind, I looked up and there it was, a single black dash in the sky.

I tried to ignore it, but it was unsettling.

The day after I'd first noticed the crow, I was on dish duty again, as I so often was. Tonight, we were camped near a stream running through the woods, so I gathered the dishes from dinner into a basket and took them downstream to wash. I couldn't see the crow anymore. I couldn't feel it watching me, either. I smiled, let out a sigh, and set the basket down. It'd only been my imagination, of course it wasn't really following me. Humming one of Seren's songs to myself, I took out soap and a washcloth and started in on the dishes.

I heard wingbeats and dropped the cloth. I reached for it, but it was already too far. Before I could get up to chase after it, dark talons snatched it from the water and dropped it back in my lap.

I looked down at my wet pants and then back up. On the other side of the stream, the crow cocked its head and made a clicking noise at me.

"Hi," I said.

The crow cawed, and in a scratchy imitation of my own voice, repeated, "Hi."

I yelped and scooted back. The crow, seemingly just as startled, flapped into the air— and then flew right at me. My hands flew up to protect my face as bits of forest flashed between black feathers. One wing hit my hand, a rush of sharply burning energy raced along my arm, and I felt more than saw the crow fall.

Cautiously, I lowered my hands. The crow lay on the ground just beside me.

Had I killed it?

Wild birds could carry diseases, right? I had a vague feeling that I'd learned something like that in school. And my mother would have said to leave it be.

I leaned over and touched the crow with a single finger. It looked so small now. My hand was nearly as long as its whole body. And its feathers were warm, and it was still breathing. Okay, that was good. It meant at least my magic hadn't killed it. I ran my hand down its body.

That hurt.

I jerked my hand back. What the—

The crow pushed itself up with its wings, wiggling its feet and hooking its claws into the ground until it was upright again. It looked at me, and if I hadn't known better I'd have sworn it was frowning in disapproval.

You hurt me, the strange, scratchy-soft voice said again. Why'd you do that?

I looked around. Nobody across the stream, nobody behind me, nobody anywhere within sight. None of the trees were really big enough to hide a person behind, so…?

Down here. Something pinched my knee.

I jerked back and looked down. The crow looked up at me, entirely unapologetic. "You talk?"

The crow made a huffy sort of noise. Why did you call me only to hurt me? It sounded annoyed.

"Me? You just showed up and now you've bitten me!" I scowled at the bird. "And I didn't call you, I didn't anything!"

Yes, you did, the crow said with certainty. I felt it. The wind pulled me to you.

"Aha." Pressing my left hand over half my face, I let out a laugh, and hiccuped on it. "I'm going crazy. I'm talking to a bird and it thinks I summoned it somehow."

…Did I? I didn't think my magic could do that. It never had before. But… there was a time it'd never done anything before.

Magic? What's that?

"Did I say that aloud?"

No. You didn't need to. I got a sense of laughter, though the crow remained silent. What, did you think I've been talking aloud?

"It's no more crazy than a talking crow," I said defensively. "Less, even, some birds can mimic voices. I mean. Well," My hand slid up to fist in my hair, "I mean, a bird talking to me in my mind? That's something out of a storybook."

If you're going crazy, I am too. The crow hopped closer, and rested its beak against my leg. I didn't move. I'm talking to you. I know that I'm talking to you. I'm using language!

"That's new?"

I got that weird sense of silent humor again. Yes. The crow lifted its head and tapped its beak against my knee. What's magic?

How was I supposed to explain that? "It's… dangerous. Intoxicating. Powerful." I pulled my knees to my chest and looked down at the crow, who tipped its head, watching me. "I don't know much. You're only allowed to learn magic if you're nobility or Lightguard. I only know there's different kinds, and if anyone finds out I have it I'll…"

A face flashed through my mind. Panic. Horror. Fear.

Talons scratched against my leg, I could feel the pricking through my pants. A sort of shy reassurance nudged at my mind.

"Anyways," I whispered. "I can't tell anyone. Ever."

I wonder, the crow said thoughtfully, do you think it'll be the same with my flock? They wouldn't hurt me, we never would, but I don't think I can tell them I have language now. They wouldn't understand.

"I'm sorry."

The crow fluttered into my lap and looked up. Its talons dug into my leg not hard enough to hurt, but hard enough to be on the edge of it. I'm coming with you.

It wasn't a question. It wasn't even a demand. Simply a statement of fact. The sky was blue. The dishes needed cleaning. The crow was coming with me.

I couldn't even protest. Not after I'd done the same thing to Vida, once.

"Okay. But stay out of sight until I figure out how to explain you to the others. People don't just talk to crows, you know."

The crow bobbed its head. As long as you figure it out soon. It's strange, I don't want to leave you.

As soon as the crow said it, I could feel it too. The thought of it leaving sent a horrible, aching sense of loss running through me, sinking down my chest into my stomach. I reached out and petted its head, running my fingers down its back. "I'll figure something out soon, I promise. And…" I fell silent. I'm sorry for hurting you. It was an accident.

Apology accepted. But only if you keep petting me, it feels nice. Like preening, only softer.

"I've got to do the dishes, though."

Don't you have magic?

"Yeah, but—" I'd used it for dishes before, but every time was a risk.

So…

"I can't."

Okay. More petting after, then.

"I can do that." I ran my finger down the crow's back one last time and turned back to the stream. "Do you have a name?"

A name?

"Mine's Destiny." I felt a little shiver of the pleasure I'd felt the first time I'd introduced myself with my then-new name, and added, "And I'm a boy."

Boy, the crow said contemplatively. That's a people thing, I think.

"Crows don't have boys and girls?"

Nor names, either. We know each other, that's what matters. The crow paused, and I could feel it rolling something around in its mind. I'm more, now. I think I'd like a name to go with that.

"What name? I picked mine, you can pick yours too."

I want you to name me.

Me? I twisted to look at the crow, accidentally dripping water on my knees. "Why me?"

The crow tipped its head and blinked at me. I like you. And you know more names than me.

"Al… alright. But you have to tell me if whatever I come up with doesn't feel right, and I'll give you another one until we find the right one."

Okay, the crow agreed. Tell me what 'boy' means too?

I paused in scrubbing to pick at a stubborn bit of caked-on food. "It's a gender. People are born boys or girls, boys are called he and girls are she. And I…" I fell silent, unsure how to explain.

You switched, the crow realized. You were a girl, and now you are a boy.

"Yeah." I focused my gaze on the plates. Why was this so awkward to talk about? "So you can choose too."

What if I don't want to? 'Boy' and 'girl' seem silly, and I like being a crow.

My first reaction was a kneejerk no. Then I shook my head, pushing that away. "I guess you don't have to, but I don't want to keep calling you it like you're an ordinary bird. Do you like he or she better?"

Neither. And then I had the oddest sensation, like my mind was a book and the crow was flipping pages. How about they? You use that when you don't know if someone is a boy or a girl, right? And I can always change it if I want. You did.

I couldn't help a smile, though a feeling I couldn't name coiled in my stomach. "Alright. It's a bit weird to think about, but I'll get used to it." Just like the pack got used to calling me 'he'. "What do you think about Blacky for a name?"

The crow laughed silently. Because of my feathers?

"Um… Yes."

No, thank you.

"Ebony."

Feathers again.

"Talon."

That's a little like calling you Hand, isn't it?

I giggled. "I guess. How about, uh…" I looked around. "River?"

I'm not a duck! Can I have something that's more you? I want to be part of your flock.

"I'll think about it." I rinsed the last pan in the stream and set it back in the basket of newly cleaned dishes. "I've got to go now, okay?"

I'll follow you, the crow promised. Maybe we all will, if there'll be more deer later.

"I'm sure there will be."

I stared at the page in front of me, not really seeing the words. What about Nayan? It's an old name from where my parents' families used to live, it's even older than the Emperor's reign. I flipped the page and added, It's for boys and girls both. My parents almost named me it, except it didn't fit with the other names of the village.

It's pretty. The crow rolled it around, feeling it out like they'd only done for a handful of names so far. It feels like a breeze in my feathers. I like it.

It means 'eyes'.

Oooo.

This one, then?

I felt the crow's approval. Yes. I am Nayan now. They rolled it through their mind again. It goes down and up again, like flying. Naaayaaaan. Pretty.

I smiled. I'm glad you like it.

A hand touched my shoulder. "What's so amusing, love? I didn't think the, ah." Vida peeked over my shoulder. "The 'Compleat Book of Edible Plants' had any funny parts."

I looked back down at the page, which had an illustration of a deep blue star-shaped fruit splashed over it. "Nothing really, I was just thinking."

"About…?"

I spread my hand over the pages. "Vida… You were upper class, weren't you? You got to learn magic?"

"Ye-es." She stretched the word out. "Why?"

"If I wanted to learn…"

A laugh colored her words. "Without a license? You rebel. If you want to learn, talk to Blythe, see if she can recommend anything. I only know faerie magic, glamour and thralling; you'd need to learn witchcraft, healing, or selkie-shifting."

So she wasn't against the idea, even if she was a bit wrong about the actual situation. I exhaled, my worries easing. "Maybe I will. Thanks, V."

Vida settled on the wooden boards beside me. "Why do you ask? Are you meaning to learn?"

I fidgeted with the book. Tell her, or don't tell her? "…What kind of magic lets you talk to animals? Like, talk to them and hear them respond?"

The laugh faded from her lips. "You're serious… I've never heard of that, but maybe it's some kind of whispering? Like I said, you should talk to Blythe. See if she knows what it could be."

"Okay…" Whispering: one of the magical abilities unique to humans. Like every kind of magic, it was supposed to be regulated, but because of how varied it was that was practically impossible. Whisperers could understand animals innately. Some, like Cilla— whose parents said she wasn't a whisperer, just talented— just had a knack for getting dogs to listen and understand what they wanted. Others were stronger.

Still, I'd never heard of a whisperer speaking to an animal in words. Or the animal being person-smart and insightful like Nayan.

Touching my hand, Vida added, "I promise she doesn't bite, love."

"That's not it." I cupped my hand around my mouth and whispered into her ear, "There's a crow. I can talk to them with my mind, using words. It's… I don't know." That feeling was back, a twisting ribbon of— uncertainty? Frustration? Anger?

"Words," Vida said thoughtfully.

"Their name is Nayan. We picked it out together. And… they said that boy and girl are human concepts, they're just a crow."

Vida nodded. "Noted. Anything else I should know?"

My tongue seemed stuck to the roof of my mouth. I shook my head.

"Okay." She sat back on her hands. "Almost forgot. I came over to tell you we're going to be in Khorran for the equinox. It's a big city, a human capital, so there'll be nobility there. Seren wants everyone on their best behavior. Alright?"

I leaned back and grinned at her. "If I get a kiss out of it I can behave as long as you want."