Beast's cloak kept her safe from the gale.

The rain had stopped moments ago but the soil was muddied and Milah found it difficult to keep her steps steady.

Raven flew above her and kept pestering her how much an earth child was bothering her.

Milah had only one thing in her mind. She must had a lengthy dialogue with The Ancient One. She must learn what happened to her family. She must learn what happened to Beast. She must know what part she plays in the castle cursed for millennia. Surely she had heard wrong and misinterpreted the situation but if her family's gone what can she live for? She desperately clung to hope of her family is alive and well.

"Cursed be that Half-human! He made me fly in this godforsaken weather." Her guide, the raven, spoke coldly. Milah came out of her mind's dark valleys.

"May offer you the underside of the cloak? You do appear soaked, and cold." She lifted a side of Beast's enormous cloak for the bird.

"I will not get under that vile creature's covering!" Raven almost cried out. Milah felt disappointed. The cloak sure was warm and comfortable.

"You speak common!" Milah was quite surprised.

"Hmph! Mortals! We can speak! We choose not to." Raven's tone was harsh. "I don like mortals. They are unreasonable and silly. They unbalance nature and then pay the price. They disrupt the energy that binds us all together."

"You are not wrong," Milah said. After all, she had heard a few moments ago that her family is not among the living anymore.

"Listen to me Daughter of Eve! I don't like you. I am here because Sorbus wants me to watch over the Half-human." Raven's voice shivered.

"Is Sorbus Ancient Ones' name?" She was curious despite the grief.

"See? Sorbus doesn't even trust you humans with his name!"

Milah remained quiet for the rest of their journey.

Her pace slowed down as she saw what appears to be a human standing at the edge of the woods.

"Ah, pretty creature!" The man spoke strangely. "My poor poor pretty creature all lost in the rain, cold and drenched! This spirit was worried about you!"

Milah watched the man with distrust. She recalled that no human can get in the terrain.

"Sorbus!" Raven called the man. "I am drenched!"

Man's unnatural big eyes left her and they stayed on the bird perched on her shoulder.

"My feathery child! You have done well! Oh, so well!" He extended his arm for Raven to perch on. Soon raven was cozily wrapped in man's arms as he pets her silken feathers.

"That castle dweller scared me with his urgency. But now looking at you, my sweet sweet creature, I am beyond joy. You are safe, dry, and seem like you... Cried?" The long fingers extended towards her cheek. "Who hurts you?" His voice became dangerously low and chilling.

Milah was taken back. It was The Ancient One but in human form. Still majestic with his calm aura and familiar woodland scent. His skin was dark like a bark but his hair was most vibrant blonde. Larger than Beast, he stood tall draped in darker robes. Despite the shift in appearance, he was the same. Her friend.

She slowly leaned into his touch, allowing him to stroke the swollen eyes. His cool touch made her cry once more.

"My beloved creature, you are safe here. You are safe with this old tree spirit, small pretty creature." He patted her head. "You are safer than your mother's womb in my domain. None will bully you, belittle you, strain your heart, stain your soul. Not my human, not my pretty creature."

His words as of her mother. She cried as he cooed, shushed, and patted her head with his bony fingers and comforting words. She calmed down gradually.

"Duval says he killed my family. I cannot go back to my family, my town. What is there to go back? I have none remain." She told him as her chest heaved with sobs.

"No, no, no, my pretty creature." Ancient One patted her head softly. "Freed is an obnoxious brat but not a murderer. His soul is not tainted by darkness. A foul mouth, yes but not a murderer." He told her he eased her on the ground.

"I don't want to return to that household," Milah said as she gazed into Ancient One's eyes. They were wide and specks of sunshine and brown made him look wise yet gentle. They were filled with pity for her. "I will not go back among the liars and cheats."

Ancient One adorned Milah with repeats of "my pretty human", " sweet creature" and words as such as she explained to him what happened.
She watched him smile widely when she told him about Beast putting a cloak on her in the rain.

"Sorbus, you indulge this human child far more than it's appropriate." Raven snidely said.

"Do not get jealous of humans, my lovely raven."  Ancient One didn't even look at raven which made her madder.

"You distorted the meanings of their words, pretty creature." Ancient One told as he gave her some fruit. "I have watched over them for ages, I know what goes in these lands, I know who does what, when and where. I can see people changing, deviating from the true path. Learn and learn well pretty creature... He gazed hard into Milah's soul. "Sorbus would never send you to mortals who will harm you because he watches over you. Always."

Milah swished her head side to side. She started crying once more.

"My family..." Milah's voice broke with grief. "Even if they are not killed by Duval, they are dead."

Sorbus, the Ancient spirit don't know what to say. He had seen many die among the mortals. Death was not new to him. But a forest sealed from human touch, a land dwelled by an immortal being for more than 800 years, he was a tad untouched from the grief that comes with losing a loved one.

He just stayed there patting her head and letting her cry before having a notion that this sweet child was bought in this land for a purpose. He hadn't confided her with the curse that had befallen here.

Sorbus signaled Raven to go and fetch the members of the castle. He believed that Half-human would like to be present if he wants to unravel his life story.

He patiently waited for both men to come. He had questions to ask and a long long tale to tell.

A.N;
My deepest apology for posting so late. I had writer's block and I couldn't write a single word. It may not have been best but I tried to put something out. I hope you enjoy it. Suggestions and constructive criticism is always welcome.