Thankfully no one had been seriously injured only shaken from the blasts. Those who where unharmed set about tending to the burns and washing cuts and grazes. Everyone else gathered what supplies we had left into a mound so that we could assess what we would need to make it across the sea to Tisandor.
Isha came and helped after she had rested; with the aid of her broomstick looking flushed but happy. She hovered, toes brushing the ground, next to us.
“From what we could piece together from the accounts of the clan members, the attackers where drawing their power from the red scarves around their necks. They had stunned each of them as they crossed a certain point in the trees,” Michael said, as we helped distribute water.
“One woman who had missed the main attacks doubled back to see where everyone was and witnessed a guard activating the scarf to become invisible. She fled to the tree tops where she could avoid the attacks and alerted all she could find who set about releasing those that they could and repelling the now invisible attackers, before they where over thrown and fled back to camp.”
Isha called for the woman to be brought before her where she received a gift from her leader. Witches do not have possessions, so when a witch is honoured she is given either a higher ranking within the clan or is bestowed with a magical gift. Cornelia, who was just a child by witch ages being only 20years old, was given the gift of foresight. On three occasions she would be able to draw upon this power and see what is to happen 1 hour into the future. The gift however left Isha even more tired and was forced to go back to rest until we left. She told me later that it was a small price to pay to honour the person that had saved her entire clan from being killed.
By morning we had arranged everyone so that there where 50 brooms carrying one witch each, they also carried the supplies. Than 15 brooms with two witches each who carried light packs of food and water in case they where separated from the group.
Isha flew at the front surrounded by her guards, next was Trina and the clans healers and others of higher rank. Michael and I where in the main group, we had the option of travelling with the Isha but Michael had refused saying that he would feel safer at the back of the group.
It was an incredible sight to see them all taking flight. The light fabric of their clothing blowing in the wind. You could tell by the grace and ease that they flew that this was what they where born to do. There was not a face that did not show pure joy at being in the air once again.
I slipped my leather sandals into my pack as I mounted the broom, they had kept slipping when I had worn them whilst flying the previous day.
Before we took off I was surprised to see that Isha had doubled back. She hovered beside us as the line of witches continued up into the sky.
“Lilly, I have you to thank for the safety of many of my clans lives as well as my own life and for that I thank you. I am also told that this is your first time flying and thought that you would like to use this until you are used to the sensation of the cold night air against your skin.”
She held out a black cloak of a fabric that I had never seem before. I took it and fastened it about my shoulders with the delicate silver clasp.
“It was woven from the finest spider silk and given to our late Leader Mardisa as a gift from a dryad she once helped. It is the only one of its kind so wear it well Lady Amaris.” She gave Michael a knowing smile before continuing, “As you have elfin blood you will of course not need to worry about illness from the cold but it can be difficult to break old habits and I hope that it provides you with some comfort during our journey.”
I thanked her as she took off to take her place in the sky. I wrapped my arms around Michaels shoulders as we took off after her. The rush of air against my skin was so fresh and cool that I forgot all of my fears about flying and relaxed for the first time in days.
“Are you ready?” Michael asked me.
“For what?”
He turned and looked at me, with a smile so full of joy that it lit his whole being.
“To go home.”
Chapter 15
We flew through the night, covering an incredible distance in just a few hours. Even though we had not seen any of the Ladies army we had decided not to stop, and continued out over the black ocean.
I wondered how they knew where we where going, as we had lost sight of land some time ago and where flying over mile after mile of dark shimmering water reflecting the starry sky in its depths. I was growing tired but did not want to seem weak as no one else seemed to need sleep. I remembered Trina telling me that Elves did not need as much sleep as humans, and wondered if witches where the same.
“Michael, when can we stop, I don’t know how much longer I can stay awake.”
“Your body does not need the sleep it is just your mind telling you to. You will grow used to it after a while. But for tonight at least I think you can be aloud to sleep.”
He flew down so that our toes brushed to tip of the waves below us.
“Swap around in front of me.”
I shuffled around until I was at the head of the broom. Michael placed his injured arm around my waist holding the broom with his stronger arm.
“Lean against me and sleep, I will hold you on so that you will not fall.”
I leant back and closed my eyes feeling us rise back up into formation. The cold night air and the warmth of Michael’s body made me forget my fears of falling and it wasn’t long before I allowed my body the rest that it so badly wanted.
When I awoke it was morning, there was no longer the endless water of the ocean beneath us but was now a dotted scene of water and small islands and patches of green sea weed floating on the top of the white capped waves.
“How long did I sleep?”
“Not long, its nearly midday though. You should be getting your first glimpse of Tisăndor within the next few hours.”
He dived down and let me climb back behind him. But instead of rising again he dived lower so that our feet where in the water.
“This may be the last chance we get to swim for a while.” He said hinting. He turned and gave me a mischievous grin. I looked above us at the cloud of witches flying over. A few where looking down at us to see what we where doing.
“Lets go,” I said.
We dove down into the sea; I only just managed to get a good grip before we plunged beneath the waves. We spiralled back up and out into the air, showering droplets of water back down into the clear water.
“I didn’t realise you could go underwater with this,” I said as we did a loop the loop before diving back down into the water.
“Yeh, I us to do it all the time when I was younger. You just have to swap the direction that your pushing your magic.”
We where gliding along waist deep in the water dodging the seaweed clumps making shore that we kept the witches in sight so that we could catch up later. As a result we where creating a jet stream of water behind us.
I could feel fish brush past my legs whenever we slowed down as well as the odd clump of seaweed, which I didn’t enjoy quite as much.
“Oh, what beautiful singing. Is that the witches?” I asked.
“I cant hear it, it must be the wind.”
“No its defiantly voices, oh its beautiful. It sounds as though the ocean is singing.”
“Uh... Can you take over flying until we get past this island? Thanks.”
Before I could reply he released his magic from the broom causing us to sink down beneath the surface.
“Ark, pfft. A little more warning next time please, you almost drowned me. What are you doing?”
He had taken both hands off the broom -now only holding on with his legs- and was covering both his ears with his hands. As if this wasn’t enough he was also humming very loudly with his eyes closed so tight that his whole face was screwed up.
I struggled to keep the broom steady because I was laughing so much. The closer we got to the island the louder the singing became. I was struggling to see who it was but g
ot a sharp prod in the stomach when I slowed down to see. When we where a sizeable distance away, I dove under the water to let Michael know we had passed it.
He opened his eyes first than slowly took his hands away from his ears.
“Can you still hear it?” He asked.
“Only a little. What was all that about?” I could feel him take over control of the broom and released my magic.
“Sirens. I forgot they live up here. We had better get back up with the others.”
We flew so fast to catch up that I was soon blown dry.
“Aren’t sirens mermaids?” I asked as we resumed our place with the witches.
“Sort of, there quite nice women when they aren’t trying to kill you.” He laughed at my obvious shock.
“Their song draws un knowing sailors to them. Once they set eyes on the sirens they fall so in love with them that they forget to sail their ships and are smashed up on the rocks. “
“Why wasn’t I affected than?”
“It only affects men. To women, it is just a beautiful song. Oh and since you seem to hear them before me, can you give me a heads up. I don’t really want to be going into a death dive and looking like a complete fool.” I smiled and agreed.
I wondered if they could be heard from this far up, than noticed that the few men that where flying with us where looking flushed and the few that where flying alone where being circled by giggling groups of women.
It was maybe 10 minutes later when I heard them again. It was just a faint whisper but I wanted to have more notice to take control this time.
“Michael, I think I hear them again.”
“SIRENS,” Michael yelled before resuming his scrunched face pose.
Everyone immediately took action; it was quite an organised event. Those men that where flying with a companion let them take over as I was doing for Michael and those who where alone where rushed upon by the women on either side who all took hold of his broomstick with one hand each, guiding it for him.
The other women could hear the singing now and where as entranced by it as I was. As the song died away the men were poked or kicked to let them know it was safe. There was still a faint melody on the breeze, which made the men smile and sway to the haunting tune but it was to distant to cause them any danger.
Mixed with the fading song was another voice that was very soft yet more human. It was only faint at first but than grew more and more frequent.
“What’s wrong Lill’, you cant hear them again can you?” Michael asked getting ready to clamp his hands over his ears.
“No, I can hear a voice.”
“Well as long as it isn’t sirens, its rare to meet more than one on a journey. We have been unfortunate today.”
“Hmmm,” I mumbled in reply.
“What does it sound like?” he asked seeing that I was still distracted.
“Like someone is calling out to us, but no one would live on those islands with sirens around would they?”
“No, no one has ever lived there as far as I know, unless.”
He dipped the broom lower and swerved towards one of the smaller islands.
“Uh ha, I didn’t realise we where this close already. Would you like to meet a friend of mine?”
I was curious to meet a real elf – I still thought of Trina and Michael as humans – so we landed on a rocky beach in an alcove of the island. One of the witches dove down after us, seeing that we had landed un-accompanied.
“Yes, tell Isha that we will meet you all at the edge of Tisăndor’s main boarders. Tell her that I am meeting an old friend, she will know who I mean.”
The woman took off again as we dismounted and proceeded down to the water. Michael cupped his hands over his mouth and blew making a deep echoing sound, much like a foghorn, out over the water.
We stood in silence on the rocky shore just staring out over the waves. For a moment I thought I saw a dolphin leap out of a wave but it was gone before I could get a good look. After a minute Michael blew again, louder this time and for longer. He grinned as he took his hands away, and pointed out towards the reef. There, just metres off shore, where three women, riding the waves in to the shore.
“Michael!” one called, her voice as soft and free as the wind.
“Michael, Michael come and play,” The others echoed as they splashed and spun in the water, glistening light reflecting from their skin.
Michael took my hand and led me into the water. A wave knocked me off my feet and I felt Michaels hand slip as I was pushed under the water. I opened my eyes; so that I could see the sky and swim back up. As soon as I did I no longer felt the need leave the water. Before me was one of the women, she looked no older than me but when I met her gaze she suddenly seemed as old as the ocean itself. She smiled as a school of bright blue fish swum around her. She spun and twirled with them until I was unable to tell her from the mass of silver and blue flashing around her. My lungs where starting to burn so I tore my gaze away and started kicking towards the light above me.
“No, stay and play with me,” she whispered in my ear.
She took hold of my arm and my chest felt cold and wet as I gulped in the salty water. The water rushed into my lungs than back out just like I was breathing air. I felt another, stronger arm reach over and pull me up to the surface.
“Michael I can breathe under water,” I gasped as I reached the surface. The other women where floating just above the waves behind him, giggling.
“Yes, it is because Narisca here was touching you, and may I also introduce Undine and Undine.”
Narisca bobbed up above the surface where she kissed Michael and went to join the others.
“Are they mermaids?” I asked looking at the women now swimming in circles around us.
“No, Undine and Undine are Undines,” they both giggled at this, “and Narisca is an Oceanid.”
I looked at the three of them as they swum past and saw that one did look different to the others. Her skin was mottled brown, green and blue; her hair was like a mass of green seaweed woven with small shells, her eyes were a swirling dark pool of black and blue mist and I noticed that she was naked but for the nearly constant sea life that swum around her.
The other two, Undine and Undine looked like they where made from the ocean it self, but strangely human at the same time. They wore loose fitting garments that where not fastened in any way but seemed to grow out of their, I guess you would call it skin although it was patterned like scales. Their faces looked human with pale skin and pale blue and green eyes and had I seen them from afar I would probably have mistaken them for humans nearing the teenage years. The Undines were as fascinated by me as I was by them and as the tide drew us deeper into the ocean, the Undines took Michael and my arms and guided us beneath the waves. As soon as their hands touched my skin I felt a lightness like all of my worries seemed to float away and all I could think about was the sandy ocean floor, the coral and the fish darting in and out of the weed floating by. We didn’t have to swim because the current was flowing strongly and the Undines where guiding us. We floated back to the surface after what seemed like only minutes and found that it was now well after midday.
I floated on my back, letting the sun warm my face as the Undines braided seashells through my hair. Michael and Narisca where a little way away talking. I could hear Michael’s strong voice but could not make out a word of Narisca’s soft tones.
I felt the change before I heard it. The water rippled with fear. I sat up as best I could in the water and looked back behind us. The Undines and Narisca had all become deadly serious and where looking back to the islands on the horizon. The only person that appeared to not have felt it was Michael but he was smart enough to know that something was going on.
“What’s making it feel so wrong?” I asked Undine.
“The sirens are sending a warning, it is no longer safe for you to swim with us little one,” said Narisca. “Undine take them home than come as fast as you can back. I will tip the
current in your favour, be swift,” she directed.
Undine grasped our hands again and we where back beneath the waves. I could feel the current shift as Narisca kept her word. We where propelled along so fast that I could not make out the great shadows either side of me. I grew scared despite undines soothing presence. I groped out beside me to find Michaels hand and clung to it.
“Do not be afraid little one,” Undine whispered in my ear, “Narisca will find the problem and soothe the seas again. All will be well.”
Her soft voice was comforting but I clung to Michael all the same, and was relieved when he clung back.
By the time we arrived on shore I was very thirsty and the sun had begun to fade.
Michael kissed Undine goodbye before she disappeared beneath the surface. I looked back out over the ocean and saw dark storm clouds and sheets of rain creeping over the sky.
“What happened?” I asked Michael.
“Something must have spooked the sirens, they are very in tune with the elements especially air and wind and can sense danger before most other spirits. What ever it was it must have scared them badly from them to contact others, they are very stubborn and vain and do not accept help with ease.”
We walked up the sandy bank and followed the river into the trees. We walked in silence until we could hear voices and see the unmistakeable signs of a fire up ahead.
“Oh Lilly, there you are, we where getting worried, why are you wet?” Trina sat by the fire with the witches. I sat beside her and told her all that had happened with the Undines.
“There was such fear though, what could have done it.” I finished.
“I don’t know, but it sounds like you two have had quite a trip. About the most exciting thing that has happened to me is that I ran into a bird as we where passing over the sirens island.
I laughed, it was a relief to be sitting with Trina talking like we where still back in our room at school.
“But enough of this, up we get, were goin’ in.”
Bladed Wings Page 13