by Wylie, Jen
"He found you," she exclaimed in a whisper.
"Near Demet's Pass. He and some of his men were out on a scouting patrol. I think. It was a surprise to me, to see people. It became a bit of a standoff, they had me cornered. Some of the men knew what I was from stories, I guess. They were arguing whether to run away or to fill me full of arrows then and there."
A gasp escaped her before she could stop it. "Why?"
"I guess you've not heard all the stories about us Fey," he answered, his voice subdued.
"Oh," she said quietly. She had in fact, heard a number of stories about the Fey. Everyone grew up on stories of them and Elves and other creatures of the east. The stories told of how they could fight. The wild slaughter they could cause. "You mean, they are true? Once you get into a fury you can't be stopped?"
"Yes."
"I see," she mumbled.
A small bitter laugh left him. "Yes, so. Your father stepped forward then. I don't remember what he did, or what he said. I just remember being so shocked that someone was being kind to me. He calmed me down. And then he took me back to Demet's Fort with him."
"When was this?" How had she never heard this story?
"A few weeks before he died. I don't remember a lot of those two weeks, either. Except for him being so kind and always there with me. I was so out of control, I know I must have hurt him, I can't see how I couldn't have. But he never said a word. He had such great patience."
"He's the father to all of us, of course he did," she muttered, but her thoughts began to wander, remembering…
"I suppose," Kei continued. "I remember him saying I reminded him of his children. I was your age I think, around fifteen.
"It was…a great pain to me…when they told me he had died. And then of course the pass was almost taken. They even let me out to fight. If the fifth hadn't come when they did, the pass would have fallen. The end of the story goes they absorbed me into the regiment with the rest of the survivors. I stayed up there, fighting, until it did fall and we were forced back to the city."
She stared at him, or at least at the darkness where he sat. She struggled to figure out what he meant when he said they'd even let him out to fight. Had he been locked up? What had this boy been through? "That is quite the story," she said finally, trying to keep her voice even.
He didn't answer.
Too many questions flew through her mind. She sat silently, trying to make some sense of them. Most of all, she was shocked at the overwhelming feeling of hope rushing through her. She never thought she'd find it in this horrible cell, yet here it was beside her. Could it be...was he the one? Maybe, if she was right everything wouldn't be so bad.
"You're quiet," he said. "I've upset you, talking of your father."
"No," she lied. She took a little breath and concentrated on the sound of the rain for a moment, trying to empty her head. "I'm just…remembering…things," she said lamely.
Finally she got her thoughts into some sort of order. "I think…" she said finally. "You are the one he wrote to me about. In the last letter I got from him." She paused, but he didn't speak, so she continued. "I didn't get the letter until after word had come he'd been killed, but he mentioned a boy he had found. I think he meant you." She turned her head toward him, the hope inside of her wavering, wishing to be true. "He didn't find anyone else while wandering out there did he?"
He let out a small laugh. "Not that I know of, no."
"Hmm. So it must have been you." She nodded to herself and a crazy grin split her face. She tried to keep calm, but it was hard. So hard. "I've wondered about you. I'd asked about a young boy back then. Father hadn't written how old you were, just that you were around my age. No one knew anything though, so I'd assumed you'd been killed when the fort was nearly taken, or had run off somewhere."
"I'm guessing he didn't mention I was a Fey," he said, amusement coloring his voice.
"No."
He didn't reply to that, and they sat quietly again. She wondered if she should say more or if she should just hold her knowledge of what he suddenly meant to her tight within her and hope it would be enough to make everything alright.
He shifted slightly. "I wanted to ask…that is…could I…" he floundered and stopped, a rough sound of irritation escaping.
She prodded gently, "What?"
He let out an exasperated sigh and she heard the chains clank as he moved. "Your father meant a lot to me, even if I didn't know him long. He saved my life. So…if you don't mind, I would very much like to take care of you now. Protect you for him. I know you don't have anyone, so I'd like to be there for you like he was for me."
She stared into the darkness, shocked at his words. Unwanted tears came quickly then, even though she tried to stop them. Her chains made too much noise as she brushed tears from her eyes.
"I will do it whatever you say. Even if you don't want me to," he said firmly. "But if you don't mind, it'd make it a lot easier."
He had become so very serious a strangled laugh escaped her. She struggled against the sobs that clawed at her chest. To have someone, to not be alone in this horrible cell…
Not only that...this Fey...this strong wild creature, had meant something to her father. Father had trusted him, had taken him in and cared for him. He'd been with Father before he died.
"I don't mind," she finally managed to whisper.
She hadn't realized how tense he had been until she felt him relax next to her. "Good," he said. "I mean…"
She smiled slightly at his floundering. He truly wasn't that great with people. "I understand."
He let out a little growl of frustration and it made her smile. It was something she would think a Fey would do. A Fey. She still couldn't quite believe they truly were real, that she was sitting next to one.
"So you'll do what I tell you," he said finally. It wasn't a question.
Her eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Hold on…"
His hand rested on her arm again. "When it comes to protecting you," he amended. "If I tell you to run, you run. If I tell to hide then you hide."
"Oh. Yes, I suppose I can do that. But..."
"No but," he said firmly. "I need to know you'll listen. I'm a Fey, you mustn't forget that. I don't want you in the way when I fight."
Oh yes. The fury of the Fey. "I will do my best," she said quietly. It wouldn't be that hard, just like listening to her brothers. She blinked, her thoughts going off once more.
He let out an irritated breath, distracting her. "Fine. I hope you do. I'd feel really bad if I killed you."
"So would I."
They both laughed quietly and sat in easy silence for a while again.
She shivered and grimaced. She hated being wet…and cold. Fall quickly approached and though the days weren't too cold yet, the nights had started to get chilly. They'd been lucky so many people in the hold had kept it relatively warm, but the wet and chill of the rain wasn't helping.
Kei shifted closer to her until his side pressed right up against her. The sudden warmth shocked her. "How can you not be cold?"
"I'm Fey," he reminded her. "We're very warm-blooded."
She chuckled, resisting the urge to turn and try to snuggle into the warmth.
"May I ask you a question?"
She nodded, forgetting the darkness again. "Yes, of course."
He paused, "Did…did your father say anything else about me? In his letter?"
His voice was so quiet, so…shy. She smiled slightly, that her father's words might mean so much to him. "Yes. He wrote nearly a whole page." Her smile faded as she remembered the letter. It was lost now. Pain pulled at her chest again. How long would she be able to remember it?
He sat quietly beside her, waiting.
She was so dense sometimes. "Not a bad word in it," she assured him. She bit her lip and then made up her mind. "Would you like me to tell you all he said?"
He sucked in a sharp breath. "You remember?"
"Of course. I have it memorized," she said q
uietly. "It was the last words of my father. It goes," She closed her eyes, bringing the page to mind. "I bet you cannot guess what I found last week. Maybe I should make you guess, but you would just get cranky. I know you would never guess right either. I found a boy in the woods, close to your age, maybe a little older. He is quite wild, and feisty. Even more so than you, if you can believe that. I have him here at the fort and it is taking him a while to settle in, but I am confident a little time is all it will take. By fall I am sure he will be much quieter. I am certain you will like him. I have grown quite fond of him myself. He will certainly fit right in. I can already imagine the trouble you will all get into. I expect you to be on your best behavior when I come home then, understand?" She sucked in a breath and then coughed. "That's all he wrote about you."
She could feel him shaking against her. "Kei?" He didn't answer. "Hey, are you laughing or crying?"
A choked laugh answered her. "I'm not sure."
Embarrassed she waited in silence for him to get control of himself.
"He was going to take me home, to meet you all," he whispered finally.
She blinked rapidly, as she understood his reaction. She reached a hand out to touch him. He didn't understand, not like she now did. "Not just to meet us, Kei. To live with us. To join our family." She sat back as he froze.
"Are you sure?" His whispered voice broke slightly.
"Very," she said firmly. "Father was like that. He liked helping others. I have a few foster brothers."
His words came out in a rush again, "So you'd have been like my sister?"
It became her turn to freeze. "Does everyone know?" She ground her teeth in frustration.
"That you're a girl?" He chuckled. "I've always known. You smell like a girl."
"Huh." She grunted, leaning back and crossing her arms, her chains rattling. Smelled like a girl? What did that mean?
"Who else knows?"
"Kendric. He's a family friend. And the prince. He heard about me at court."
A quiet growl came from beside her. "You should stay away from him."
She raised her eyebrows. "Do you know him?"
"I know his kind," he replied curtly.
Apparently he didn't like nobility either. "He's not so bad," she said quietly. "Let's not fight about it. We need him to escape all of this."
"Fine."
She sighed and again they sat in silence. She thought of her father and her brothers. Kei was one of her brothers. Or would have been, if Father hadn't died. She couldn't keep the small smile from crossing her lips. Taking ahold of the thought, she refused to let it go. Kei was family. She wasn't alone. They weren't all lost to her. Not only that, he wanted to take care of her, to protect her. The horrible fear that had been crushing her lessoned a little. She'd make it through all of this, she would.
"Do you believe in magic, Aro?"
"What?" His sudden question startled her. "Well, I guess." She paused, thinking. "They say the eastern lands are full of all manner of beings that aren't human. Some are...something more. Like you. Is what you do magic?"
"Sort of. You could say part of me is magic. The Were use it more, changing forms. The Elves have their powers."
She interrupted him warily, "Are you going to do something strange again?"
He was silent for a very long time. "We Fey have a special magic. A magic of the heart and soul. A magic of…binding…of promise and intent. Do you understand?"
"No idea at all," she admitted.
"I want you to know how serious I am about protecting you, and I want you to know it's not just because of your father. I like you, Aro. I want us to be friends."
"I sort of thought we were heading that way already."
"But I can make it binding. Forever. Forever friends. No matter what."
She considered about what he said, who'd he suddenly become to her. He was her brother, her father had believed in him, but still...she hesitated. "Would it hurt?"
"Of course not," he said incredulously. "It's words and a little magic. That's all."
"Sure," she said impulsively. "What are the words?"
Her answer seemed to have surprised him. He took a moment before answering. "In friendship I shall bind my heart and soul to yours. Forever beside you I shall stand. Together or apart always will I be with you. Eternal friends we shall ever be."
Her throat tightened as tears came to her eyes at his words. "That's beautiful," she finally managed to whisper.
His warm hand closed around hers. "I don't know really, if it would work, you being human. I don't think it's ever been done with one before. But, if you would like to, for you I would say these words and even if there was no binding, I would still mean every word."
To have a friend forever. No matter what. To not be alone through all of this...She nodded her head frantically as tears splashed down her face. "Yes."
"Yes?" He seemed startled she had accepted. "Are you sure? It's not something to be taken lightly, Aro."
She squeezed his hands. "I want to. Tell me what to do."
"Very well." He sounded immensely pleased. Again, she could almost see him grinning. He shifted himself until he sat in front of her and took her hands and placed them palm to palm to his, raised between them. "I'm doing the eye thing again," he warned her, and suddenly she could see them, glowing faintly.
A little gasp escaped her as she actually looked at them. "They're beautiful," she murmured.
He chuckled, and ducked his head for a moment, clearly embarrassed. "Thank you," he said shyly. "Now look into my eyes and repeat after me." He said the words again, and she repeated them after him. Not once did she make a mistake. It surprised even her.
Staring into his golden eyes as she spoke, his hands warm against hers, sent her heart pounding. She wasn't alone anymore. As the last word fell from her lips she smiled slightly. It hadn't been too bad…
She gasped suddenly, as his hands suddenly became warmer. Much warmer.
"Don't look away," he murmured, as she was just about to do so.
She stared into his eyes as the warmth spread from his hands into hers, and then rushed through her entire body. It didn't hurt; it didn't feel bad at all.
He was smiling softly and her eyes widened as she noticed this. She could see. Little lights danced around them both, like tiny fireflies. A few moments passed before the lights settled onto them both like little motes of dust and the faint light faded away.
She blinked in the darkness. His eyes had gone out, too. She took in a shaky breath. "That was so strange."
His fingers gently entwined through hers. "It didn't hurt did it?"
"No. I feel…wonderful. Warm." She paused a moment. "Does that mean it worked?"
"I would think so," he replied in amusement. "I've never done it before, but something certainly happened."
"Indeed," she agreed.
"Aro, don't tell anyone about this. Not about us being friends," he added quickly, "About what we just did, I mean."
She paused and bit her lip. Maybe she shouldn't have agreed so quickly and should have asked more questions. "Why?"
A little growl of frustration escaped his lips. "Humans wouldn't understand it. They would be afraid I did something bad to you. And people like me, well… I don't know if it's really allowed. So..."
"I understand," she said quickly, before he started his quick talking again. She grinned. "We've our first secret?"
"Aye," he said with a chuckle. He pulled her in close to him as he shifted to lean again against the hull. "Now go to sleep, little Aro. I will watch over you."
She did easily, because she suddenly felt safe. She wasn't alone anymore. He wouldn't leave her. He'd promised.
Chapter 6
Mother of All Storms
Faint light shone down into the cell again as she woke, nestled against Kei's side. She blinked and shifted away quickly, her cheeks coloring. Not only was Kei not one of her brothers, she was also supposed to be a boy. What would everyone think? The
men of course, were all up.
Everyone stood about the hold, even Prince. Looking down, the reason became quickly apparent. The straw covering the cell floor had become a soggy mess overnight.
"Morning, Aro," Kei said quietly as he stood.
She scrambled to her feet, keeping her head down. "Morning."
She peeked up at him, catching his small smile. This was the first time she'd seen him so close, even if the light was poor. Surprisingly, he looked almost exactly as she'd imagined. He was boyishly handsome, his face round with high, defined cheekbones, and his chin slightly pointed. His skin had been tanned gold and perfect, his eyes a yellow gold and not human at all. Slightly pointed ears showed through his light brown, spiky hair. He certainly looked like she imagined a Fey should.
Kendric walked over, the straw squishing under his boots, and held out his hand. "Hey, Aro. Here. They fed us today."
She stared at his hand and the dark lump in it. Her nose wrinkled. "That's food?" She peered up at him through her hair as she took it. "What is it?"
He made a face. "Bread. A bit dirty, but no bugs at least."
She stared at it. Even as starving as she was, she didn't want to put it in her mouth.
"Eat it," he said firmly. "We all ate ours."
She looked at Kei and he nodded. She noticed how Kendric saw the exchange and raised his eyebrows, yet he didn't do anything but smile slightly. That was odd. He had seemed so protective of her before. Maybe he and Kei had already spoken before she woke up. Either way, she somehow managed to choke the hard, dry stuff down.
The day went by slowly. Kei introduced her to Avery. He was, Kei told her, a good friend of his. They had served together in the fifth since he had joined with them. She liked him and they got along well, even though they said little to each other. It came as no surprise. None of the passengers were chatty. Chains tended to have that effect on people. He didn't seem to mind how she hovered by Kei, or the Fey hovered around her. In fact, she caught Avery grinning at them both a few times as if immensely pleased. Perhaps it was because Kei had obviously found a new friend. She wasn't exactly sure, but didn't really care. As long he remained close she felt safe. He helped to keep the panic and loneliness away.