If he hadn’t been about to die, Jak might have blushed. As it was, she only sped up the boat as best she could. She couldn’t see anyone out around the river. Surely someone would be nearby to help her get Naem somewhere safe. She spotted one or two cottages surrounding the stronghold, but couldn’t see much else.
The tower for which Foothold was known rose several hundred feet into the air. In the past, it had been used as a major trade outpost, but now mostly served as a training ground for young Watcher officers. At least that’s what Naem had told her on their ride down. At its base ran a thick stone wall that circled around the entire stronghold. As they drew closer, Jak could see a giant door, portcullis, and a bridge crossing a large moat that circled the fortress.
The door and portcullis were shut.
Jak’s heart dropped to her stomach. Someone would be there to open the door, right? Surely.
Jak docked the boat along the side of the river and got out. They were several hundred feet away from the entrance to Foothold and would need to walk the rest of the way. But when Jak tried to lift Naem out of the boat, he simply could not put weight on his leg. He was too tired to do anything. Jak pulled for all she was worth and managed to get him out of the boat and splash into the river shallows. The shock of the cold was enough to make Naem gasp. But he still said nothing and only barely seemed aware of his surroundings.
“Come on, Naem. Stand up. You can do it.” But it was no use. Naem was not budging, and he was too heavy for Jak to carry. So she pulled him out of the water and left him to rest on the bank. “I’ll be right back.”
She ran as fast as her legs would carry her to the edge of the moat, facing the stronghold.
“HEY!” she yelled at the top of her lungs and waved her arms over her head. “I NEED HELP. MY FRIEND IS DYING!”
No answer. Where were all the people?
“HELLO, IS ANYONE THERE? PLEASE, I NEED YOUR HELP.”
She kept shouting for several minutes before she heard a voice call out.
“Be quiet,” it almost whispered. Jak had to lean in to hear.
“Oh hello? Please you have to help me.”
“Shhhh, you’ll bring them.”
“Bring who?”
“The demons.”
Jak felt her heart drop once again. She glanced back at Naem. His body still lay on the edge of the river, no demons in sight. “Please, if you could just open the gate just long enough for my friend to get across. He’s hurt and I don’t think he’ll live past the night if someone doesn’t help him. He’s one of the Watchers,” she added, hoping that would help. She knew there was a Watcher garrison here.
There was a long pause from the wall. Finally another person spoke, slightly louder. “We’ll lower the bridge for just a minute. Your friend is the one by the river?”
“Yes, I’ll need help to bring him here.”
“We’ll send someone to help. Just don’t make any loud noises or you’ll attract them.”
Jak nodded, “Okay,” she said in lower tones, “Thank you.”
A creak of wood against metal sounded as the bridge began to lower. Jak felt herself let out a breath she hadn’t known she was holding. All that work and they were finally here, away from Kuldain, somewhere where they could get medical help, food, and rest.
Then the shouting started.
The portcullis came to a grinding halt half-way up. More yells, and all Jak could make out were, “Close it, close it!” To her horror, the portcullis began to fall.
“No! What are you doing? Please...STOP!”
“I’m sorry girl. I’m sorry!” was the only response she got. Why were they changing their minds?
Whirling, Jak looked behind her, checking on Naem in the distance.
And froze.
Approaching her was a being who radiated light in all directions. It almost seemed to float as it approached. In the twilight, it looked eerie the way light seemed to flow from it. Its clothes also floated, like gravity had no hold on it.
It came closer to Jak, but an arrow loosed from the wall of the stronghold nearly reached its feet, and it stopped in its tracks. It looked at the arrow, then up at the wall, considering. Then its head turned to consider Naem lying not far away. And it began walking...or gliding towards him.
“Wait, no, don’t touch him!” Before Jak could think, she was running in the direction of the new creature, barely taking thought to what it might be. All she knew was that she couldn’t let it harm Naem.
18
Jak cleared the distance within seconds. She was hungry, exhausted, and at her wit’s end, but she still found the strength she needed. Whatever that thing was, she was not going to let it hurt Naem. She didn’t pause to consider what she would do to prevent anything from happening. She had no weapon and limited magical ability. But she ran anyway.
“Please don’t you hurt him!” she called out. It might have been a futile gesture, but it was all she could say.
The glowing....person, or whatever it was, turned to face her as she approached. But it made no aggressive moves towards her or Naem. That was a good sign, she hoped. But if the creature was harmless, why was everyone in Foothold afraid of it?
Jak was finally by Naem’s side, placing herself squarely between him and the glowing newcomer. They stood that way for several heartbeats while the creature seemed to contemplate the two of them.
“I am not here to hurt him,” it said eventually. “I was merely curious.” Its voice reverberated and seemed to flow around them. It was...soothing.
“Curious about what?” Jak asked. As her mind caught up with her emotions, she was beginning to guess what this glowing person was.
“You two are outside the wall, not like the others. I came to see why?”
“We traveled down the river, we didn’t know there was any kind of problem here.”
“I can see that now. But you do not seem quite as scared as the others, except for your friend’s life. Does my appearance not frighten you?”
“I...eh, I think I know who...ur, what you are. But my friend is hurt, can you help him?”
The newcomer considered for a moment. “I don’t know if we can cure him, but there might be something we can do.”
We? So there were more of them.
“Yes, please, anything you can do. At least help me find a dry place for him to sleep.”
“Very well.” The being of light walked past Jak and bent forward to pick Naem up. He had surprising strength, as he managed to pick up Naem with no difficulty. Turning, he began walking from the direction he came, towards, Jak realized, one of the farms surrounding Foothold.
“I am Yewin,” he said as they walked. “You say you know who we are? I’m curious to know where you heard of us, and why you’re showing more trust than your friends behind the wall.”
Well for one, I don’t have much choice, Jak thought, but she didn’t say that aloud. “I heard of you from a Watcher who survived a battle with you. His story was...biased, and I have reason not to trust him. He seems to think that all Fae are evil.”
“Ah yes, that is the name people call us. The Fae, the Bright Ones. I suppose that is better than being called demons.”
“People think that about you too,” Jak cut in. “They think you used forbidden magics to make yourselves the way you appear.”
The Fae looked ahead and seemed to be staring a great way off. “I wish we knew how we came to be. It is one truth that eludes us.”
“Wait, so it wasn’t a Holy Relic, like the Annals of Adam?”
“The Annals of Adam? No, why would you ask?”
“Because the others…”
“You have met others of our kind?” The Fae actually stopped walking and turned to face Jak.
“Well yes,” said Jak taken aback. “There are Fae in the mountains, or at least there were. But they’re different. They’re Shadow Fae, and you’re….Bright.”
The Fae nodded and began walking back in the direction of the farm. “We have h
eard of these Shadow Fae. They are the reason we came here, to try and find our rumored cousins. We sought the truth. But the moment we arrived, the people of this fortress and the lands surrounding it fled from our face. Not one wanted to talk, as you do.”
“I’m sorry.” And Jak meant it. “It can’t be easy to be a Fae, especially when demons roam the lands, causing everyone to fear strange things that they do not understand.”
“We know. And we blame no one. Though the people of this fortress appeared to have a greater fear than most. Perhaps they had heard rumors.”
“That could be. The Watcher I knew, his name was Kuldain, he told us about his encounter with Fae like you, though he described you as sickly and said you get inside the heads of men to turn them mad.”
“This Kuldain of yours. Was he a tall man, with raven hair, and the brand of a Blood-burner?”
“Yes, do you know him?”
“We know him. He is the reason why we are so few. He slaughtered all but a dozen of our number.” The Bright Fae’s voice never shook, but Jak could see fury in its eyes.
“That’s not what he said. He said your people killed most of his squad. He was demoted for it when he returned to Skyecliff. Perhaps that is why everyone at Foothold was afraid of you. There’s a Watcher garrison there, maybe they heard about the attack.”
The Bright Fae nodded, “Perhaps, but that is not what happened. I don’t know how his comrades died, but it wasn’t by our hand. I would keep a wary eye on that Kuldain, there is more that he is not telling.”
Jak realized that the Fae could have been lying about the whole thing, but she found herself trusting him. Kuldain had given her no reason to trust his word, and the Shadow Fae had proven trustworthy. She could give this Bright Fae the benefit of the doubt.
By now, they had arrived at the farm. It wasn’t much bigger than the farmhouse Jak grew up in, though she couldn’t make out a stable or pen. Yet there were broad, golden fields behind it, so these were probably wheat farmers.
As they drew closer to the farmhouse, a door opened and another of these Bright Fae appeared. It too shone with a bright light, looking almost like a spirit, which would have frightened Jak if she didn’t already know something about them. What happened to the farmers? Yewin had said that all the locals fled into the fortress when they arrived. Had they simply abandoned their farms?
“Hail, Yewin. Why have you brought others here?”
“This one is hurt,” he said, indicating the unconscious Naem. “And we do not turn away those in need.”
“And the other?”
“It’s okay, I’m not afraid of you.” Jak said, “In fact, I think I can help you?”
The other studied her for a moment. This one was female, Jak realized. She almost couldn’t tell before.
“Very well, if Yewin vouches for you, you may enter. But we are watching.”
“I understand.”
Together with the first Bright Fae, Yewin as he was called, Jak entered the small cottage and took in her surroundings. It was a quaint cottage, with the parlor and kitchen all in one room. Dried herbs hung over a fireplace and there looked to be plenty of food exposed on a large table in the center of the room. Whoever had lived here had left in a hurry. But that wasn’t what made Jak swallow as she entered.
The parlor in front of her was full of Bright Fae. She quickly counted a dozen including Yewin. These must represent all of the survivors Yewin spoke of.
“Clear the table.” Yewin commanded. The others obeyed, removing everything from atop a small wooden table in the room, though not without several furtive glances in Jak’s direction. Jak had never felt like such a stranger before, even while a prisoner of the Shadow Fae.
Yewin slowly set Naem on the table. The Watcher was still breathing, Jak realized with relief, but his breathing was shallow and his face pale.
“Henel,” Yewin addressed one of the others, “you know more about healing herbs than anyone else here, see if you can find some.” The Fae nodded and moved to start searching. Yewin addressed the others. “And the rest of you, see if you can find any strong drink. That might help us contain the infection.” The others obeyed, albeit reluctantly. They were still waiting for an explanation about why there were two normal humans here. Many were staring at her specifically. She did not like what she saw in their eyes.
Yewin set to work stripping the fabric from Naem’s leg and washing the wound with water. After some moments of examination, he looked at Jak, and she did not like what she saw there.
“You can help him, right?” she asked.
“We will do what we can, but it doesn’t look good right now. The infection has spread throughout his body. I’m not sure even a trained healer could help him now. A Branded healer maybe, but we have none of them.”
“And you don’t have any kind of...healing abilities?”
Yewin shook his head. “I’m afraid not. We may look like beings of magic, but our abilities are limited. Henel held a Healer brand, but lost the ability after we changed.”
“I know, brands don’t work on Fae,” Jak said, remembering what her mother had said.
Yewin looked at her with curiosity. “You truly know more about us than any other human we have ever met.”
“Isn’t there anything we can do?” Turning the conversation back to Naem, Jak could feel her panic boiling beneath the surface. She couldn’t afford to let it loose now.
Yewin glanced at the others. The woman who had let them in shook her head.
“What?” Jak asked, “You know something, please tell me! If it’s something I can do, I’ll do it. I’ll do anything!”
“It’s...not something we have ever shared with a human before.” Yewin said hesitantly. “It might not even work. It could be dangerous for you.”
“I’ll try it, anything.”
One of the Bright Fae caught Yewin’s arm. “Are you sure?” he asked his comrade. “We don’t fully understand our abilities yet.”
Yewin nodded, “I agree it’s hardly the scientific approach, but we’ll never learn if we don’t try.”
“What are you talking about?” Jak asked. She wished on her life that she had her journal with her. There was so much she was learning.
Yewin turned to face her, looking like he was trying to figure out how to explain something very complicated. “You have met our cousins in the mountains, they are creatures of Shadow. And since you have met them, may I assume they possessed some abilities related to Shadow?”
Jak nodded. “They could blend in with their surroundings and create darkness around them. I don’t know if they have any other abilities.”
Yewin nodded and continued. “We are the opposite. We are beings of light. Apart from being able to create light around us, we also have the ability to reveal truth.”
“I’m not sure I understand.”
“Truth is a close relative of light, you might even say that they are one and the same. Without light, we stumble in the unknown. With light, we can see, learn, and interact with the world around us. Light illuminates truth.”
Jak was interested, but she still didn’t understand what this had to do with her or Naem. She said as much and Yewin paused a second time as he searched for the right words.
“We are able to perceive truth around us. For example, everyone here has seen that you are no ordinary human. We don’t know exactly what that means, but I know you will be important in the coming years.”
Jak bowed her head. So that would explain why all of them kept staring at her strangely. But what, exactly, was so special about her?
Yewin continued. “We still do not understand all of our abilities yet, but we feel them almost like instinct.”
Jak nodded, “My...the Shadow Fae said the same thing. It came to them naturally.”
That seemed to interest some of the Bright Fae, who turned and began whispering to each other. Yewin only nodded and said, “Indeed, well that is how I know that I can somehow impart our ability to perc
eive truth to you, at least temporarily. We can connect and you will be able to see your path ahead of you. And if there is a way for you to save your friend, you will know it.”
“And why can’t you see those truths yourselves? Why do you need to help me see them?”
“We can only see our path clearly, not that of another. All else is vague. But from the moment I saw you, I knew I needed to help you. The others saw it too, even those who remain distrustful of others.” He glanced at a few of the other Bright Fae, before turning back to Jak. “I know now that this is the only way to save the life of your friend. That much is clear. But I must warn you. I am acting on instinct. I have never done this before, and I do not know the risks. I simply know it can be done. The choice is yours.”
Well, it was a strange request, but if it would help Naem, if it even had a chance of doing so, then Jak didn’t need to think about it. “I’ll do it,” she said.
“Very well. Stand here, by the table.”
Jak did as instructed, moving beside the table Naem lay on. She could only barely make out the rise and fall of his chest. Sweat beaded on his pale face.
“I will stand behind you and try to initiate the connection.” Yewin said. Jak could see her own shadow as the Bright Fae stood behind her. Then she felt hands rest on her shoulders. The hands were warm, like sunlight on a summer’s day.
Jak braced herself for...whatever was about to happen. Several heartbeats passed, and she felt nothing. She was about to say something when…
The world exploded around her. Suddenly, she could see...everything! It was like she stood in a far away place, standing in front of an ocean of knowledge. She could see light and stars, she could see the blue and green sphere upon which they lived. Funny, she had never really thought of her home as a ball suspended in nothingness. She could see far and near simultaneously. While conscious of the massive orb she stood on, she was also conscious of the people that surrounded her. Fae. Elves. A new natural order. She knew now, without any doubt, that the Fae were not demons. All doubts seeded by Kuldain disappeared instantly. The Fae were as native to the planet as she was. Predicted to come forth in their natural order. She saw their magnificence, their splendor. It was beautiful!
Out of Shadow: An Epic YA Fantasy Adventure (Roots of Creation Book 1) Page 15