The Heir of Archmond Pt. 1

Hey guys, I'm really excited to share this story with you. Just a few notes. First, unlike my main manuscript, this isn't heavily edited. It's been looked over a few times, but I'm certain there are bound to be editing mistakes, grammar, spacing, etc...  I hope you can just take this as a rough but enjoyable story. Feel free to leave your comments below if you're so moved and, most of all, enjoy!

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                                           The Heir of Archmond


                                                      Chapter 1



The moon cast ebbing shadows across the mill as clouds danced in the night sky. It was quiet, quiet even for the hidden mill on the outskirts of Archmond. Inside, a raven walked, pacing along the shelves filled with the strangest assortment of eclectic oddities. A jar filled with eyes turned, all following the raven's movement. A deer head, mounted on the wall, turned to watch as the corvid flapped its wings and hopped onto a desk. Papers were strewn about, forms of some sort, all half-finished. The bird ignored these, as had whoever began them seemed to. It moved toward a door in the back of the strange shop, planting itself several feet away.
    Near the handle of the door was a strange dial, divided into several sections with curious glyphs carved into each. The raven cocked its head expectantly. The dial began to move, first to a symbol resembling a tree, then to something like fire, then again to a crescent moon. Click, click, click, the dial turned and turned, finally stopping, the door now opening.
    "I don't really care! I'm not your nurse-maid!"
    The raven flapped its wings and moved back as a woman, looking somewhere in her twenties with long, blonde hair stepped out. She wore a dark dress and a wide-brimmed hat that came up into a curved point. Throwing her hands into the air, she moved past the raven, removing the hat and tossing it onto the desk. After a moment, a great white dog, ghostly in demeanor, appeared in the doorway. It paused to sniff the air. It had little time to gain its bearings before a strange, thin man in a long suit pushed past. His features were nearly indecipherable, save for white, chilling eyes and a glowing, greedy smile. The hound narrowed its eyes as the man drifted through the air, following behind the woman.
    "My dear, Lieselotte--" he began.
    "No! I am not your 'dear.' Ours is a relationship of convenience and nothing more," she warned, spinning around on her heels.
    "I've really got to you this time, haven't I? Well, it's hardly my concern one way or the other. I have business of my own."
    "Then attend to it!" she cried, turning once more and marching into the shop proper.
    The raven flapped its wings, flying a short distance to land up on the antlers of the mounted buck, gazing down at Lieselotte. She turned up, still frowning.
    "Well?" she asked impatiently. The raven merely crowed loudly. "If you want to tell me something, you'll have to speak properly."
    "Having trouble with your pets?" the Grinning Man asked coyly, drifting past her and toward the front door.
    "Some of them," she growled as he threw the door open.
    "Ooo... It's comforting to know you still think so dearly of me. Do try to stay out of trouble while I'm gone. I won't be around to save your pretty little face if something terrible should happen."
    "Terrible things will be happening shortly if you don't leave."
    The Grinning Man gave a mock bow and disappeared out the door. Lieselotte fumed, letting out a gasp of frustration before she felt something soft rub against her palm. She turned to see the white dog, pressing itself against her. Her scowl faded and she knelt beside the large beast, pulling her arms around it.
    "Xaran, I don't know what I'd do without you." The dog merely gave a quiet, wheezing whine as she peppered it with kisses and affection. Finally releasing him, Lieselotte stood, taking a deep, cleansing breath. Forcing a smile, she turned once more toward the raven. "Now, did we have any orders while I was gone?"
    The raven crowed and squawked loudly, Lieselotte's faux grin dissolving quickly. Eyes narrowing, she looked down at the deer the bird was perched on.
    "Did we have any orders?" she repeated.
    The disembodied buck's head cocked and turned, nodding toward her desk, the raven forced to flutter over to another mounted head. Lieselotte moved to her desk, taking up the papers there. She looked them over for several moments before dropping them back on the desk. Grabbing up her witch's hat, she moved toward the door, pausing as her hand grabbed the knob. "Keep an eye on things. I'm going out to harvest." She paused for a moment, weighing the value of her next words and ultimately deciding to share them. "Also, your handwriting is atrocious." Lieselotte stepped out and closed the door firmly behind her.
    Fluttering down from the head of a mounted bear, the raven hopped toward the door, cocking it's head curiously, waiting and watching for a moment. Convinced she was gone, it turned and flew up to a shelf lined with strange flowers and what appeared to be a human hand. It turned back to the door.
    "Brat."