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Katsu was woken up by a loud squawk. He opened his eyes immidetly with a shock and looked around his room. After he calmed down he looked at Raven. He said, “Girl come on it’s too early to be awake and gathering herbs.” He went back to lay down when Raven squawked again. Katsu sat up again. “Fine well go now.”
After Katsu he got ready, Raven flew over to his shoulder. They both headed through the village to the forest.
“Well time to start gathering herbs.” Katsu commented.
He and Raven went into the forest and started looking for certain herbs. Katsu got out his black book and showed Raven a picture a small pointy plant. Raven took off and Katsu followed her; she landed and pointed with her beck. Katsu bent down to gather it when he noticed it. This was the same path that he had taken five years ago. Katsu looked at Raven and asked, “Did you bring me here purposely?” The raven just looked at him. “Hmmm, I have absolutely no idea what happened back then. Do you?” The raven still just stared at him. She then flew up to a branch about eye level with Katsu. She squawked once. Katsu just looked at her funny. She did it again and Katsu felt a little funny. After the third time, he felt a little dizzy. And after the fourth time, Katsu got extremely dizzy and fell over in a dream like state. Raven just flew to where Katsu fell and sat on his head. Raven closed her eyes and started to sing a birdie song while she waited for Katsu to return back to the world of the awake.
It was five years ago, the time when Katsu was still a mute after his grandfathers death. He walked along the forest path silently with head a downward angle. He sight and just kept walking. Maybe if he walked far enough the pain would go away. Just had to keep walking. Then out of the trees above a black flash shot down at Katsu. He quickly jumped back and looked at the black bird now flapping its wings and hovering in front of Katsu. The raven flew over to a branch and perched. Katsu as if by some force of spiritual power followed. Katsu look at the bird and the bird just stared back. The bird stared deep into Katsu’s eyes. Katsu look back at the bird and saw a glimpse of his grandfather. The bird squawked loud quickly took off. Katsu quickly ran after it on to be thwarted when the bird went high in to the trees. Katsu just held his head low and a single tear ran down his cheek. He did the only thing he could do; keep on walking to escape the pain. He eventually grew tired and need a break, so he sat down thinking about that strange bird. He sighed and help back his tears when the bird flew down and landed on Katsu’s knee. Katsu looked up and just stared back into the birds eyes. All he saw this time was pain. Pain, pain, pain, pain, pain. Katsu let out a hollering yell and the bird took off scared. Katsu fell over in pain and just let the tears fall one after another. It took him a full hour to get back control of himself; he then got back up and started walking again. The pain seemed to not notice he took off and it sat under the tree. Katsu made it only one hundred yards before he collapsed again. How would he ever live with this constant pain? The raven returned for a third time and sat on Katsu’s leg this time. Katsu sat up and look at the bird. He only saw regret this time. Regret for his grandfathers death, regret for not being about to save him, regret for not being able to say goodbye. Katsu swatted the bird away and stood back up. Just keep walking. It worked before it will work now. He lied to himself. He just kept pushing forward, until he came before a small stream with two rocks on each side of it. On the far side, the raven sat on a rock as if it was waiting for Katsu. He went over to the over to the other rock and sat down staring at the bird. Katsu look at the bird. This time he saw the final thing he didn’t know his was looking for, forgiveness. The bird started hopping away, but Katsu used all his will to say “Stop.” The first word he had said in over a year. The bird turned its head and looked back at Katsu. “Don’t leave….please.” The bird just squawked and took off, but it hovered in front of Katsu like it was trying to get him to follow. Katsu stood up and followed the bird as it flew forward leading Katsu somewhere. The bird flew forward with Katsu close behind for about an hour, till the bird flew toward the edge of the forest. It land end on a branch and pointed toward the city that now laid out in front of them. “You want me to go back and confront my pain? I already have. Thanks for that back in the forest. Well I’ll guess this is it. Thanks for helping me get over that. Goodbye, Raven.” Katsu actually smiled for the first time in five years. He chuckled as he thought about what he was going to tell his mother and father. He sight and kept up his smile when he heard a loud squawk behind him. He turned just in time to see the raven take off and land on his shoulder. “So I guess this means you’re coming with me?” The bird just squawked and remained on his should. “Well Raven, let’s get it over with.“ Katsu walked with Raven on his shoulder back toward the village.
Katsu stood up after that flashback. He chuckled and looked at Raven. “So that’s what happened. Four squawks for four squawks. Wow, I was pathetic back then.”
“Pathetic, pathetic,” Raven mimicked.
Katsu chuckled and got out his black book to write down what he just flashed back to. After he finished, he got back to the original purpose of this trip. He showed Raven a picture of an herb and gave her the “go find” hand movement. He smiled and went to look in a different place look for the herbs. He kept this smile on his face for a long time, finally able to remember how he and Raven met.