I was still focused on fixing up the frog on its toast under the sunlight when I saw the familiar blackness sailing towards the house.
A smile pressed to my face and I felt my anxiety lift at the return of the crow.
Several others followed behind to scatter in the fields once more. The little one landed inside the fence line and checked on my visitor warily when it tapped across the verandah.
"Good to see you back!" I called out, clutching the canvas in excitement "I've got to show you wh...."
I barged out the front door, forgetting about the dead snake until its body was shoved aside.
Quickly retreating inside, I went to the kitchen window instead.
"It's the frog!" I breathed to it standing there "didn't it come up well?"
I was quite proud of it. Despite the first messed attempt, I had managed to hide most of the ugly brown behind the funny animal I pointed out to the crow.
"Food" it prodded the frog with a nail.
"Well, a picture of it, yeah" I shrugged in agreement.
It liked it. I burned with embarrassment at the appreciation.
Even strangers didn't linger on my work as long as this creature was. With them, it was out of politeness. With the crow, it was actual fascination.
It genuinely loved my work.
It tried to grab the frog, making me laugh.
"I've still got to finish it" I pulled it away, looking over the crow "what did you bring today?"
Please, no more snakes.
It held out a curled hand and dropped a note of money from it. It swirled on its descent to the sink where I looked in disbelief.
Ten dollers.
"Where....?" I picked it up to make sure it was real "....how...?"
There was no way.... actual money!
"This!" I waved the note to the crow with a whoop "this is a good gift!"
Now, what did I have to trade?
Looking around, nothing stood out until I looked down at the canvas I still clutched.
"Well...." I lingered on the frog and it's flaws "... I guess this makes you my first paying customer of the year."
I held out the canvas for the crow to take. It kept its arms outstretched as it studied the frog on the toast with a croon.
"Don't eat it" I warned it with a giggle.
"Don't eat it" it repeated, still frozen in the same stance.
Did it really love it that much?
I blushed and pocketed the money. The love for something I hadn't perfected just amazed me. The crow didn't care for the flaws I saw, it loved the art regardless.
"Look" I spoke up again to gain it's attention "if you get rid of the dead snake, I'll make you another one of those."
It looked to the snake then to the art it still held from its body.
"A gift" I insisted.
I still had the first one to finish of the flowers tangled in its feathers. No-one else would want to buy that anyway.
The crow fluffed up and promptly dropped the art so it could tap over to the door and clutch the dead snake in its feet. It then tossed it from the verandah so it could shoot out after it and speed into the sky to toss the lifeless body around, swerving and spiralling around with it until catching it in its beak where it returned to the window proudly.
"No, I'm good" I smiled nervously when it strutted with its catch, flaring.
It looked for approval, which I was too panicked to give it.
Shaking, I closed the window almost all the way so it couldn't try and offer it up as a gift again.
"Very nice" I trembled through the tiny gap when it stopped to stare at me "look a-at that."
I didn't know what else to do so I gently encouraged the crow with more whimpered words that it crooned at before starting to toss back the snake the same way it had the frog.
I closed my eyes and turned from it so I didn't need to see the gruesome act. I could hear the beak snapping on the bones of the snake and breaking it so it would slip down easier.
"G-good job" I gulped down my dry throat and peeked through my squinted eyes before opening them fully "wow, you actually did it."
A whole snake, just like that.
Was I deeply impressed or crawling with disgust? Maybe a bit of both.
I saw the younger one had inched its way towards the house during the daring display. It peered up from the stairs it hid behind, watching.
I smirked at it and turned back to the crow.
"I've got work to do, so you should find somewhere to put that painting, ok?" I flicked my finger for the crow to leave.
Where did a wild animal keep things like that? Did it have its own nest filled with other artworks and money that stretched over it like a bowerbird? Or was it going to try and eat the frog when it had taken it out of sight?
Either way, it had been paid for. I was still jittering at the fact a creature had been the first to pay me for a piece.
The crow snatched up the art in its feet so it could toss it in the same way it had the snake. I smirked at the large creature carrying away the frog sitting on the toast that flashed back at me with each powerful stroke of its wings.
"Gift?" a little voice piped up.
I hadn't even seen the younger one approach in my fixation on seeing the crow soar further away. 114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZId1MyN3KU
It kept checking the area before shuffling over to me and lifting its little claws to drop a plastic bracelet into it.
This had to be someone's possession for sure. The flowers across the bracelet were all made of lavender and yellow beads threaded with plastic that was knotted in place.
Where did these crows find these things?
"It's beautiful" I smiled to it "thank you."
The little one fluffed up at the praise and even rose from its hunched position to approach me at the window. Even still, its head barely reached over the sill.
"I've got a spoon" I giggled with a hand in the drawer to drop into its claws "don't know what you'll do with that."
It studied it, tilting it's head at the strange item it held.
"Oh!" I gasped as I remembered "here! You can use it to eat this!"
I rushed for the fridge to grab a red jelly cup that I peeled the lid off of. Gaining courage now that the snake was gone, i rushed over to the door and inched outside gratefully towards the new nervous one still by the window.114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6YbOJ5VWQd
Holding my hand out that clutched the spoon, I speared it through the treat that the little one jumped at, scuttling over to give it a little prod with a long nail.
It was so cute. Because it was so much smaller, it was nowhere as intimidating as the first.
It had to be a baby, maybe even a young teen, in the group. It had deep blue eyes rather than the piercing white the taller one owned.
I was smitten already. The thing was so sweet the way it snatched away the cup and poked its tongue on the jelly to shiver at the taste.
Why couldn't something as small as this be the one who haunted me? I'd let it follow me any day being this adorable.
Smiling and gazing out over the field where the others were still shrouded by the long grass, my eyes pulled up to movement amongst the clouds.
"Oh, look!" I grinned and pointed to the sky "your friend is coming back already!"
The larger crow was speeding back in a way I had never seen it.
The wings flapped furiously and it arched its body to aim its claws at the little crow.
The little one looked to the sky but had no chance to react before the larger one snapped into it and started tearing into the smaller one.
I scurried backwards and held onto the side of my house, legs locked as my heart hammered in terror at the sight.
They both screamed and scrabbled against each other. Feathers were ripped out and blood sprinkled across the stone before the smaller one limped away, complaining loudly.
The larger one drew up to its full height and blocked the stairs right in front of me. Even though it was missing feathers and had blood dribbling near its beak, it growled after the littler one flying off to the others for comfort.
"That was terrible" I swallowed down the lump in my throat to scold it.
It only glared back and stomped over to search me. When it spotted the bracelet still in my hand, the claws tore it away to promptly toss it off the verandah.
Was it jealous? Of something so much smaller than it?
A bracelet wasn't going to make me go running after some crow creature barely reaching my own head. Still, i leaned over to try and see if the poor thing was alright after the ruthless attack.
The bigger one flared and growled as it paced. When it saw i wasn't paying attention to its little display, it paused and followed my gaze to the other preening in the grass, puffing up in anger. 114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9HTDk1DLUP
It was obviously possessive. This bigger one hated the fact I had even been approached by the younger one. It growled, turning at the stairs to fly over to the younger one and promptly start tearing into it again.
The others leapt out of the way, a few taking off, as they shredded more feathers from each other. The bigger one had so much more of an advantage over the other it kept buried in the grass as it mutilated it.
Crying out, the crow ignored me. Forcing my feet to move, i was rushing for the edge of the stone slab before I finally saw the little one stagger to its feet and dip into the sky. It swerved and dropped dangerously when it climbed higher to get further away.
The larger one celebrated its win by spreading its wings on either side of it and calling out while pacing in the grass.
It leapt around the area and growled when it marched its way back towards my stairs.
It looked so fierce with blood running over it and fresh gouges cut across its body.
The intimidation of this creature had me shrinking behind the front door and wondering what it would do next as it approached the gap i peeked from.
There was a part of me that wasn’t rattled from the viciousness that was in awe of this crow. It obviously could protect itself and show that it meant trouble.
And the way it fixed its eyes on me as it returned was obvious that it wasn't going to let any other creature near my door without a fight.
Its gifts were only mine. Mine were sacred to it.
What a strange creature....
"Right" I breathed as it loomed outside the door fiercely "the canvas. I should get to work on that."
Hurrying to the safety of my room, I lingered at the cupboard containing my tools.
I felt like I had just cheated death. My heart pounded in my chest from the fright of the fight, but my skin burned at the meaning behind it.
Nothing had ever acted that way with me before, not even my own parents. I was humbled that something like that crow was so determined on protecting me from everything else, even if they weren't threats.
Suddenly, I felt like a canvas wasn't enough payment. Even though I shouldn't be encouraging its behaviour towards an innocent act from the younger one, I truly had no idea what that meant amongst the creatures for the one outside my home to be so aggressive about it.
For all I knew, it could be justified. After all, I was barely keeping up with one crow, let alone two or a whole flock of them.
The vision of crows gathered outside my window bubbled in my brain. They were all demanding, clawing and cawing for me to empty my possessions into their greedy claws, tearing the clothes from me in demand for a trade as i sobbed over being robbed so violently....
No. One was enough. One was already straining my limits.
I poked my head around the corner to see it now guarding the window. It's back was to me now as it preened itself.
What was I going to do? I was already too deep to start rejecting the creature because I was too afraid of something that would never happen.
It was too much responsibility. Too much effort for a simple man who kept to himself and created unsellable art.
With this crow guarding my home, I wouldn't even be able to leave to find buyers.
I'd create the artwork for the exchange of removing the snake as I promised, then I'd make a final trade for it to leave me alone.
It was picking up the wrong signals. The creature needed to be with its own kind, not tearing them apart to favour me.
I was flattered and honoured it had chosen me so fiercely, but I couldn't let this behaviour go on because I secretly appreciated it and encouraged it by keeping up the trading between us.
I peeked again, finding the crow missing.
Panic set in that I reigned back in. I pressed my back to the wall beside my bedroom door, feeling myself deflate.
This is what you want. You can't fret over a creature you are trying to distance from yourself.
But why did I feel so horrible when it wasn't here? Like I wanted to cry and wish for its return?
It lightened my life and gave it something to look forward to rather than my art that now didn't. That was all to survive now. Art had lost the excitement and exhilaration of the creation, until the crow inspired me once more.
It had to go. You have to be firm.
"Okay" I took a deep breath in to steady myself as i pushed through my door "you can d...."
My eyes locked with those of the crow crouching beside my wicker chair in front of the fireplace to pluck at the arms of it.
My eyes slid to the front door that was now wide open.
I groaned, realising I hadn't shut it all the way when the crow had scared me into darting for the safety of my room.
Of course it was here. Right when I was ready to let it go.
"You need to move over" I shooed it from the chair so I could place everything around it "and stop playing with everything!"
A nail retracted from the wall it was about to scrape.
"What are you even doing here?" I sighed as I fell into the chair and dragged the unfinished canvas onto my lap "you should be outside, doing.... crow.....things!"
Whatever that was.
It shuffled over to inspect the old jar I used for dipping my dirty brushes into.
"Don't you dare drink that" I warned it when I saw the claws sneak closer to it.
"Water" it poked it.
It was thirsty?
"OK, but only this once" I placed the canvas aside so I could go to the kitchen for a glass "you really should be looking for your own water outside like a normal creature."
Where even was the nearest source? I didn't remember seeing any around here.
Filling the glass, I turned to catch the crow chugging the jar of paint water. It froze when I spotted it, looking me up and down before continuing.
"WHAT ARE YOU...?!" I choked out and rushed for it to snatch the jar it tried to keep from me by turning away "give me that! That's paint, you moron!"
It looked so proud of itself. Tainted water dribbled from its beak that clicked when I gave it the glass I had gone to fetch.
"You'll kill yourself before i can even get rid of you" I muttered to it dumping the clean water into its opened beak. 114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDMUkmhsCrS
The crow still clutched the dirty glass, unsure of what to do with it now.
Diluted paint still ran from the side of its beak, and I could see it was more prominent at the edges, like it was leaking fresh paint itself.
I saw brown mixed with yellow and green dribbling down its dark feathers that it glanced at before quickly avoiding eye contact with it.
Glancing over, i saw none of my squashed and curled paint tubes were missing.
"Did you eat the frog?" I frowned.
The crow refused to look at me but stayed motionless.
"Not food" it replied sheepishly.
I saw the coated tongue when it spoke. The idiot had licked the paint from the canvas from the way it was smeared over the pointed thing.
I wouldn't have known if this incident just now didn’t happen.
I had to remain firm. I hid my smile behind my fist I raised to my mouth to try and keep myself from laughing.
"What am I going to do with you?" I shook my head at it, snorting.
It looked down at the paint glass it still held close before holding it out to me.
Well, that was a start.
I wouldn't be able to help it any other way. The crow was way too big to try and wrangle under a sink to flush its mouth properly. All i could do was swap out the glasses and give it clean water.
"Spicy" it complained when it guzzled the fresh water, holding the clean glass out towards me.
"Spicy?" I pondered before letting out a sharp laugh that startled it, filling it again "do you mean the paint?"
I knew it burned when I accidentally confused my paint jar for a cup while preoccupied. The paint costed my tongue and throat for days afterwards. I guess 'spicy' was the proper word for it.
I smiled at the creature dribbling the water over itself and the floor as it drank again.
"Where did you learn all your words?" I asked when I took my seat again to prepare the canvas once more.
The crow tapped past me to the sink to study it.
I motioned for it to flick the tap lever upwards, which it did, to make it leap back and make a noise of fascination.
"Not food" it spoke, forgetting the cup to shove its beak beneath the rushing stream instead "waghtegher."
"Look at you, learning" I daubed the flowers in the feathers of my painted crow while trying to avoid looking at the real thing.
"Spicy" i heard it gasp between breaths "spicy water."
I smiled to myself as I focused on the face of my painting.
I could hear the crow still drowning itself in my sink. I bit on the end of a brush to keep my laughter to myself.
"Do you even have a name?" i spoke up again and finally turned towards it as it rose from the sink, absolutely drenched "oh my.... what have you done to yourself?"
I laughed and it shook its head, trying to fluff up the smothered feathers on its head.
"Crow" it stated simply.114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwFaWL9N6Eh
"Surely, that's not it" i snorted back, pressing my own hand to my chest "My name is Finn. And you are?"
"Fih...iy...neh....neh" it sounded out, working around the name, before promptly dipping back into the rushing sink.
"Crow" I muttered and shook my head with a smile at the name as I focused back on the painting.
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