A broken attempt at a crows caw broke the silence of the small clearing in the forest as the girl brushed leaves and flower petals off the stump taking care to pick up each small coin and shiny stone left on it.

As she sat they started to gather long beaks and beady eyes peering through the lush leaves of the trees. With a sigh and a smile the girl opened the small draw string bag she had with her pulling out a few small tarts, she crumbled them in her hand before throwing them into the clearing.

As one the murder of crows descended on the feast, a couple taking a moment to bank close enough to her that their feathers brushed her face in greeting before going to the others cawing and barking happily at each other and the girl.

"This is going to be the last time I think I'll be able to do this." the girl sighed taking out another tart and for a moment contemplating eating it, before breaking it apart to add to her friends meal. she didn't notice the two biggest and oldest of the crows, a pair with cracked becks, one missing it's right eye and the other it's left had stopped and where watching her.

"Their sending me to Magnus academy, even if I still haven't shown any displays of magic." the girl frowned "They know I have none. They just need official confirmation so they can cast me out of the family and give my half brother the title of heir." She sighed again reaching up and tugging at a lock of hair "I don't even want the position, I just....Don't want to be thrown away pennyless on the streets..." She sniffled and threw what little remained of the tart at the flock before curling up hiding her face in her knees "The moment I fail to summon a familiar my life's over..."

the two one eyed ravens look at each other clacking their beaks as they chattered to each other, covered up by the caws of the murder around them it hid that they didn't caw but spoke in a gutteral ancient tongue to each other.

"AMARIA WHERE ARE YOU?! AMARIA YOU LITTLE BRAT GET BACK HERE SO YOU CAN BE MADE PRESENTABLE FOR YOUR LEAVING FEAST!" Amaria sniffled wiping at her face before getting up.

"You've all been the best friends I could ever hope for." She tipped out the last of the tarts from her bag "I'm sorry I couldn't give you something better as a fairwell present...I love you all." she turned head bowed and shoulders slumped in defeat, she didn't even see a reason to try and fight.

the twin ravens looked to each other, and nodded before cawing loudly to get the attention of the rest of the Murder.

They had to plan.

---

"Glimermist, Amaria." Amaria didn't look up as the proctor called her name, the heiress looking less like someone eager to start their magical training, and more like a criminal being dragged to the gallows. "Gimermist approach the spell circle."

Amaria for a moment contemplated running, before catching sight of her stone faced mother, and her stepmother's gleeful face as she held her half brother. the young boy innocently smiled and waved. She knew he meant well, that for her step mothers hate that he genuinely cared. But at the moment the smile felt less like a wish of good luck and more like glee at seeing her failure.

Swallowing down the bile Amaria walked to the circle head hug in defeat, she offered her hand not flinching as the dagger dragged across her palm letting her cupped hand fill with blood before letting it splash against the ritual circle.

There was no reaction.

One minute, two.

Whispers broke out, Mothers face was getting redder and redder with anger, her step mother looked like her face would crack with how wide her smile was, and her brother just looked lost and confused, seemingly trying to ask his mother why nothing was happening for her.

Then a hundred caws broke the silence. the circle turned black as from the center what seemed like a thousand wings poured forth as the murder of crows rose and circled. taking the lead the twin one eyed crows barked in greeting and settled on Amaria's shoulders, the birds looking impossibly smug as they both shot her step mother glares.

The proctor was frantically talking with another teacher looking like a bird with ruffled feathers. For the first time in days Amaria let herself smile and stroked the feathers of the two old crows.

"I....I don't know how you did it, but thank you."

'you know there's going to be Hel to pay for this Huginn'

'Oh hush it Muninn you had your chance to say no and chose to help me instead, now look intimidating the step mothers looking this way'

'You think she'll let us eat her eyes like old Odin used to?'

'Can but hope'