Rise of the Sparrows

by Sarina Langer

  Ailis swallowed whatever she had wanted to say, and without further warning threw her arms around Rachael before falling to her knees.

  “We have waited so long to meet you, Sparrow. I am Ailis, and you are welcome in our home. I am honoured to be your teacher. If there is anything you need, please don't hesitate to tell me.”

  Rachael had never met anyone so overjoyed to meet her, let alone bow to her. She didn't know how to react, but before she could think of something Cale extended his hand to his sister.

  “No need to be so formal. Get up, Ailis. Rachael here is not used to people bowing to her.”

  Her face an obvious shade of red, she stood up and offered an embarrassed smile instead.

  “Forgive me. The Sparrows and I have been waiting for this day for a long time. I grew up hearing the prophecy naming you the 'Sparrow that sees ahead'. Actually meeting you, I... I didn't know what would be appropriate.”

  Rachael offered her a shy smile in return. It was nice to meet someone who seemed as lost with the situation as she was.

  “Be yourself. I don't think Rachael wants to be treated like royalty.”

  “I can do that.” Ailis smiled, looking more at ease if still a little sheepish. “But you must be hungry. Why don't you show them to their rooms while I cook us something to eat?”

  The mere mention of food made Rachael's stomach feel hollow, and by the look on Cephy's face, she guessed that Cephy felt the same way.

  “Thank you.” Her words had barely left her lips when Cale ushered them towards the stairs. His sister already busied herself in the kitchen, cutting vegetables into edible chunks when their feet first entered the narrow staircase.

  Sunlight flooded the attic, small strands of dust only visible in the harsh light danced in the air. It was a small corridor they found themselves in, with two doors opposite the stairs and a third at the end of the hall.

  Cale gestured towards the rooms. “Pick whichever one you like. We have no other guests at the moment so it doesn't matter. Ailis is a great cook. She'll let you know when dinner is ready. Until then, rest up.” Rachael nodded and was just about to open the first door, when Cale continued. “Oh, and... Thank you for doing this. You don't know how much this means to all of us.”

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Living with Cale and Ailis was so different from living with Aeron. Aeron had carried herself with a cold confidence. Cale was every bit as confident, but had welcomed them into his home and did his best to make sure they had everything they needed. Ailis was his opposite. She was shy, and visibly nervous around Rachael. After their introduction she had calmed down and hadn't bowed again, but Rachael thought that Ailis was more self-conscious around her. When Ailis was alone with Cale she sounded at ease, but always straightened when Rachael entered the room.

  Rachael didn't know what to make of it. No one had ever treated her the way Ailis did; like nothing they did or said was appropriate in her presence. Despite that, Cale's sister was a wonderful host, and even let Cephy help her prepare their meals. Helping Aeron make dinner hadn't been the same. Aeron had told them which spice to add and when, while Ailis was happy for Cephy to help in any way she could. They worked together, whereas Aeron had given orders.

  Ailis also clearly enjoyed feeding Rachael. There was a smile on her face every time she served Rachael a meal, and Rachael didn't think she had ever had this much food. No matter how much she ate, Ailis always gave her more.

  She was sitting over a plate of warm bread and cheese now, and marveled that she felt too full to continue. Her stomach had never complained that it had too much food before. It was a nice feeling.

  In a strange way, Cale and Ailis seemed like the perfect parents to her. Cale took Cephy along when he went hunting, and Ailis had the warm glow Rachael thought only a caring mother could possess.

  Ailis had healed them both, too. She had worried that Rachael's life on the streets had infected her with all sorts of diseases, and had healed her the first evening in the cabin. She had tended to Cephy as well, to make sure neither of them carried any infections in them. Rachael had been able to feel Ailis' magic work its way through her body. A warm, soothing wave had slowly spread through her legs, her arms, even her head, and had finally settled in her chest. Once Ailis was done she had sent Rachael upstairs to her room, telling her to sleep for as long as she liked.

  They had arrived a week ago, but the small, cosy cabin in the forest already felt like what Rachael thought home should feel like.

  Despite the comforts she was more careful than ever. As far as she knew Cale and Ailis were waiting for the right moment, and she didn't want to let her guard down so soon.

  Although, the more time she spent with them the harder it was to believe that they had any dark intentions. Ailis had healed them, and fed them everyday. If Ailis wanted to she could have killed Rachael and Cephy easily, either by poisoning them or by using her magic. Rachael had not been alone with Cale often, but Cephy had accompanied him into the forest a couple of times and trusted him. He could have run her through with his sword, if he wanted to kill her.

  “How is your breakfast?” asked Ailis, placing another slice of bread in front of her.

  Rachael didn't want to seem ungrateful, but pushed her plate with the fresh slice away from her. “I'm done, thank you.”

  Smiling, Ailis picked up the plate and carried it over to the counter.

  Their kitchen was small but as cosy and homely as the rest of the house. The furniture had been carved from a light wood, which caught the sun on its surface and seemed to absorb the light and radiate warmth back into the room. Hand-picked flowers sat in the middle of the table and adorned the windowsill. A red table cloth had been spread over the smooth table, and added to the warmth of the small space. The window often stood open, letting in a fresh breeze. Ailis had offered to close it if Rachael or Cephy were too cold, but she didn't mind the chill. In Blackrock she had hated the cold, but it had always kept her senses sharp and alert. Too much warmth made her sleepy. The cold was exhilarating in comparison.

  “I'd like to discuss your gift with you, if you're done eating.”

  Rachael nodded. She had wondered when Ailis would start her training.

  Just then Cephy ran down the stairs, and sat down next to Rachael.

  “Can I stay?” she asked, beaming up at Ailis.

  “I thought you promised Cale to help him hunt?” said Ailis. Rachael thought she could see the woman twitch at the question.

  “I did, but he said I could learn magic. Can I stay? Please?”

  “Cephy?” Cale said as he stepped inside, leaning against the door frame with a bow in his hand and a quiver over his shoulder. His eyes met Rachael's. There was something strange in his gaze, something she had never seen before. She was grateful when he turned his attention back to Cephy, even though his eyes had only lingered on her for a few short seconds.“Are you ready?”

  Cephy pouted. “But-”

  “We'll do it another day. Our dinner is important, too, hm?” Ailis sounded encouraging, but Rachael didn't miss the glance she exchanged with Cale.

  “You promise?” Cephy got up and walked over to Cale, her eyes fixed on Ailis.

  Instead of nodding, or promising Cephy what she wanted to hear, she smiled. “Go on. Cale is going to show you how to track animals today.”

  Cale nodded. “It's quite difficult. Are you sure you're ready?”

  A new fire flashed in Cephy's eyes. “Yes!”

  He smiled, motioning for her to follow him outside and closed the door behind him once she had left.

  Ailis sighed, sitting down with Rachael. “I'd like to start your lessons today, if you're rested enough.”

  Rachael wanted to ask what had happened between her and Cale, but decided to wait. Cale and Cephy had left now, and Ailis wasn't someone to talk behind her brother's back.

  “I am. What will you teach me?”

  “I've never tau
ght a prophet before, but I will do what I can. The most important part is that you can sense the source of your gift inside yourself. Once you can locate that source at will, you can access it at will, too, but it will take some practice.”

  Rachael nodded. She didn't know how much time she had to learn what she needed to know, but she had to try.

  “Try to focus,” said Ailis, who sat opposite of Rachael on the floor in Rachael's room.

  “I am!” Rachael didn't want to sound harsh, but the sun had still stood high in the sky when they had begun their session. Now only a few rays of light fell through the window into the room, and she was tired. All they had done was sit together like this, trying to focus on some form of energy within Rachael which she had never felt before, and which she didn't believe existed. “I don't know where my dreams come from, they just happen to me. I can't control it.”

  Ailis closed her eyes. “Finding the source of your magic is often difficult. Most people are like Cephy – their magic just leaks out of them at times but they can feel something. Are you sure you can't feel anything?”

  Cale's sister had been a patient teacher. Since they'd arrived a month ago, they'd sat like this on most days, trying to tap into Rachael's inner resources until they were both too tired to continue. Rachael had struggled to concentrate knowing she couldn't do it. She knew Ailis meant well, and Rachael was trying, but there was simply nothing there. However, for reasons beyond Rachael's understanding, Ailis refused to give up.

  Rachael shrugged. “It leaks out of me, too, but always when I'm sleeping. I don't even know what magic is supposed to feel like. Usually it scares me.” She blushed at the confession, but Ailis either didn't notice or didn't mind. There was something about the young woman that put Rachael at ease. She was a kind person, and they always did Rachael's teaching in private without Cale or Cephy interfering. Rachael could relax around her. Ailis was the most gentle and generous person she had ever met. Rachael could not imagine Ailis suddenly jumping up and attacking her. Ailis' stature was too frail for her to even swing a sword, let alone take Rachael down.

  Sometimes, when Ailis got flustered or blushed, Rachael thought she looked even younger than Cephy despite being twenty-three years old.

  “Have you had any visions recently? Maybe if I observed you while it happened I could learn how to teach you.”

  “No, not since...” Rachael hesitated. The last time she had had a vision was before they had met Aeron. The Mist Woman had given her something to suppress her visions, and at the time Rachael had been relieved that her dreams were over. “Aeron made me a tea to make the dreams go away.”

  Even in the low afternoon glow, Rachael saw Ailis' face pale. Every mention of the Mist Woman had the same effect on her, despite never having met her herself. Ailis was a timid person by nature, but Aeron drove a whole different fear into her.

  She had an uneasy feeling Aeron had stopped her dreams for her own selfish reasons, but there was nothing she could do about it now. Whatever Aeron was planning, Rachael was no longer within her reach.

  “Do you know what was in the tea?”

  Rachael shook her head. “She didn't tell me.”

  “Do you think you'd be able to identify it by smell?”

  “Maybe” Rachael shrugged. “It had a strong, distinctive smell to me at the time, but I don't know if I could still recognise it now.” She was no cook. While common flavours like deer or chicken were obvious enough even to her, she hadn't recognised most of the herbs Aeron had used. She doubted she'd know them by smell alone.

  “We'll try it. Without your visions...” Ailis bit her lip. “I'm sorry, I shouldn't.”

  Confused, Rachael stared at her. “Shouldn’t what?”

  She hadn't realised it before but Ailis looked exhausted. “I leave most Sparrow business to my brother. He is their leader and founder, after all. They are the ones on the front lines, doing the fighting. I just help new recruits like you, and I heal their injuries.”

  “So you don't know anything about what's going on?” She was disappointed. Cale hadn't said much to her about the Sparrows since they had arrived, but she had grown curious.

  “Oh no, I do! Cale keeps me well informed. They are our family. Doesn't he speak to you?”

  “Not much. He said he'll take me to them when the time is right but I don't know when that will be.”

  “Of course. He's too cautious lately.” Ailis smiled with an expression speaking volumes of her love for her brother. “I'm sorry, Rachael. He told me you don't trust strangers easily, and from what little I know of your life I can't blame you. We're on your side, and I want to be your friend. Cale does, too. You can trust us. In his head he's always planning five steps ahead in this war. It's hard on him when Sparrows fall. He takes every loss personally. If he hasn't told you when he'll take you to them it's only because he wants to make sure that it's safe for you to go.”

  Rachael felt uncomfortable. She'd known that people died in this war, but until now she hadn't thought about it. Hearing Ailis state the obvious with such pain in her voice made Rachael feel guilty for not having asked sooner. “How many...?”

  “We started with two hundred Sparrows. Out of those— ”

  “Two hundred!” Rachael hated herself for interrupting but she couldn't help herself. Two hundred was a tiny number compared to the army King Aeric commanded. They couldn't hope to win this war with such a small amount. No knowledge of warfare was necessary to know that.

  With a sad look in her eyes, Ailis nodded. “Yes, no more. It's difficult to find people like you and Cephy. The vast majority we tracked down are too terrified to stand in this war, openly admitting that they have magic or support those who do. They would rather be on the first ship to Midoka or Krymistis than stay here. If they stayed and the White Guard caught as much as their names or a hint about their location they would be hunted down mercilessly. They are good people, Rachael. They have never hurt anyone in their lives.”

  “Why are Midoka and Krymistis so different?” She had never even heard of those places. They sounded more exotic than any place here, and she guessed that they were on the other side of the Far Sea, far away from Rifarne.

  “Magic isn't hated everywhere. The people we help, the ones who don't want to fight, know that they'll find refuge and protection there. It's the safest place for them. Over there they don't have to worry about being hunted. They are accepted, just as it should be.” It sounded too good to be true, but Rachael had no reason to doubt her words. If a place like that really existed she couldn't blame people for rather going there than staying in Rifarne, with the White Guard looking for them at all times.

  Rachael reached out to Ailis, and took her shaking hands into hers. She understood the desire to be away from here and live in peace, but there was something more in Ailis' past, a more personal reason to fight. She remembered the story Cale had told her about his family. How much did Ailis remember about that day? “I'm sorry.”

  Ailis nodded with a distant look in her eyes, and gave her hands a thankful squeeze. “To answer your question, we started with two hundred Sparrows. We are now down to one hundred and twelve. Five of our healers died in the last raid.”

  “Raid?”

  Ailis' face paled. “There is a prison, high up in the White City. If the White Guard had taken you after all they would have brought you there, leaving you to rot and be tortured until your execution. We watch the roads so we know when more people are brought in. Cale always goes with them, and they always take at least ten people into the walls but last time only Cale and two others came back. He still can't sleep. He believes they died because he failed.”

  Rachael took a deep, rattling breath. How could they place so much responsibility on her? If she and Cephy had not evaded the commander's forces, they would have ended up in the same prison. Rachael had dreamed about it. The thought that others were in there right now, being tortured with no hope of freedom hurt her deeper than a
nything else had ever cut. And Cale regularly went in to help some of them escape. Would he have found her within the walls? Would it have made a difference, or would she have died trying to run?

  She felt overcome by the strong need to hug Cephy and never let her go again. If it had not been for her, the commander would have taken her easily.

  “I've seen the place. I dreamed about it, before we left Blackrock.” Most of her dream had faded, but a few details were still all too vivid.

  “Then you understand.”

  “I do.” She wasn't sure she really wanted to know, but she had to ask. “What do those demons do to the prisoners, exactly?”

  “Demons?”

  Rachael frowned. “Yes. I saw them, in my dream. They came to kill me, I think, but I can't remember the details clearly.”

  “You must mean the guards. Or that horrible man, Commander Videl. I often thought he was a demon from beyond the Dark Mists themselves.” Ailis shuddered, and Rachael's breath caught in her throat hearing the name. He had seemed like a demon to her, too, but he wasn't who she had seen.

  Ailis looked haunted just thinking about it, so she decided to drop it for now.

  “But why? Why do all this?”

  Ailis took a deep breath. “Because a terrible injustice is being done to innocent people. Cale knows he can't save all of them. Every last Sparrow is prepared to die if it means saving two captives from that awful place. If we can end this war the prison will be the first thing of the old world to be torn down. There are many people in this country who would gladly offer a hand.”

  The weight of what they expected her to do had never felt more oppressive. This had been about her and Cephy, living in peace, about Cale's parents finding peace. Now it was about all those other people whose names she didn't know, who she would likely never meet herself, who desperately needed her to go through with this insane plan—who would die if she didn't.

  “Let's try again,” said Rachael.