Morrigan Alanegra

Nobody knows how many winters Morrigan has seen. She does not say either. When someone asks, she tilts her head the way crows do and changes the subject.

She is half woman, half crow. Few of her kind remain, but they did not die out. They learned something much harder: not to be seen.

She was already flying over Bloodveil when Mara Ashwing had not yet been born. She has seen kings, cities and whole generations of birds fall, all of them sure the sky was theirs.

She no longer flies out of curiosity. She flies because someone has to watch from above.

When Mara gathered the Flock, Morrigan landed beside her and never left again. She swore nothing. There was no need. Since then she has been her lieutenant, even though the Flock has no ranks and she claims she does not care.

Where Mara watches in silence, Morrigan caws. And when she caws, the whole Flock changes course without asking why.

She has a terrible temper. Everyone knows it. Ilya Cuervanegra knows it best, ever since the night she found a small black bird at her window that would not stop complaining that Mara was taking all the glory.

That same night, Ilya took her bow and went south. Morrigan has never admitted she went looking for her on purpose.

They say she is the oldest of all the winged ones still flying. She prefers to say she is the only one who has learned when not to fly.

And when the Flock loses its way, there is always a caw that brings it home.