“Thobias—”
“No, please listen.” He ran a hand through his blond hair. His eyes found his friend. “I only knew Gharet a short time before we were taken. Our parents were part of a group that thought they could remain neutral if they moved north. Closer to the part where not much grows and no one lives.”
Pioneers. Sarah’s mind raced back to Lewis and Clark—two men from her history books who ventured across the western United States. She imagined their trepidation and excitement at the prospect of their journey. Except, Lewis and Clark weren’t running from a war like Thobias and Gharet.
Thobias’ thumb came to a halt, stopping the circular motions. He patted his friend’s hand, then placed it at his side.
Turning his full attention on Sarah, he said, “My mother was an angel. She left after I was born, returning to wherever angels call home. My father is human. He’s who raised me. Most people…most people treated me like I shouldn’t have been born. That was another reason my father decided we should move north. Once they found out the wandering woman who visited him gave birth to a half-breed, no one spoke to him anymore.”
“Don’t call yourself that!” Sarah hissed.
“What?”
“Half-breed. Don’t call yourself that.”
“But it’s what—”
“No!” Air spiraled inside the hut and blew at its walls. Sarah had clenched her teeth and was breathing sharply through her nose. Her blue eyes were deadlocked on Thobias.
His own were like saucers staring back at her.
“Where’d you learn that word?”
“Um, it’s what…everyone, I…besides my father. Everyone calls me half-breed.”
“And who are they?” Sarah snapped. “Who are they to tell you what you are?”
He stumbled. “I…I don’t know.”
Sarah knew her face was as red as a tomato but she didn’t care. In that moment, nothing else mattered except erasing that dirty word.
She crossed her arms. “You’re only what people make you out to be,” she said. “Back home, everyone calls me crazy. I’m only different though. No better, no worst. And you are, too, Thobias. All of you.”
He watched her, his eyes still round and wide, as if they were nets capturing her words. A small smile pulled at his lips.
“Thank you, Sarah.” He seemed to lighten. “You’re definitely our captain.”
Sarah’s face was even redder, this time for a different reason. She looked away, knowing the blush had crept all along her face. Thobias couldn’t have been much younger than Sarah. But she was speaking to him like he was nine.
She cleared her throat. “It’s fine. I’m sorry. I interrupted you, didn’t I? Uh, you were talking about your father.”
He bobbed his head. “I want to tell you this, so you’ll understand the things humans have done. And why you need to stop them.”
An image of Alexander flashed in her mind.
“I met Gharet with the others on our journey. We found land and we settled. There were a lot of half…people like me,” he corrected. “Both Gharet’s parents were there. His mom was a werewolf and his father an air nymph. We all became fast friends. But then…”
Thobias chewed on his thumbnail. He gazed off past Sarah while she fought the urge to swat his hand from his mouth.
“We were so isolated. We didn’t know the humans were coming. They took my father. I think only because he was human. Gharet…”
His eyes drifted to his sleeping friend.
Sarah held her breath, waiting for his next words.
“Sometimes, when I think of that day, it’s like I can only see the memories in red and white. Red against the snow and…they killed Gharet’s mother. She was trying to save us. The humans filled his father with arrows before he could turn into air. There was nothing we could do except run. Only, we didn’t run fast enough.”
He trembled.
Sarah reached for him. “You’re safe now.” Her magic pulsed inside her. “And no one is ever going to harm you or Gharet again. I promise.”
He gave a small nod.
Rising to her feet, Saran turned to leave.
“Wait, Sarah, where are you going?”
A fluorescent fire orange shown beneath her palms. She looked back at him.
“I’m going to end this war.”
Chapter 14
Sarah stood in the shadows, away from the village center where everyone had gathered. Like her first time with the elves, there was a raging fire, food, and lively dancing. Kwe and Bo led their shipmates around introducing them to their temporary neighbors.
Though there had been plenty of tears upon arrival to the village and the children were still a ways from home, at least they were smiling. And laughing. Since Maria’s capture, it was Sarah’s first time seeing her beside her brother instead of wrapped around his neck.
Of course, they all stayed huddled together. They moved as one, just as they had practiced on the ship, just as they had done once they reached land. Still, some tension had eased from their shoulders. Sarah wished that could be her case, as well.
She turned up to the star-filled sky. The stars in Lyrica seemed brighter than those on Earth. She wondered if the two worlds shared the same sky or if they were completely separate, in their own little pockets of the universe.
Sarah closed her eyes and took in a long inhale. She gave herself a moment, then focused back on the children. She had no time for silly questions. There was a war to end.
She peered over the crowd around the fire. “Nineteen, twenty, twenty-one,” she counted. “They’re all still here. Aren’t they? Maybe I miscounted.”
“Self-doubt has brought down even the greatest warriors, my friend.”
Sarah jumped where she stood, reaching for her weapon, then immediately cursed herself. She had left it in the hut with Thobias and Gharet.
“Calm yourself, child. Have you forgotten me so easily?” The woman smiled and her layer of wrinkles became more pronounced.
“Gan!” Sarah nearly cried out in excitement, running forward to hug the small elf. A shiver ran through her. “Your heart still beats with the forest.” She pulled back from her old friend, tears brimming in both their eyes. “I could feel it as soon as I touched you.”
Gan placed her cane in one hand and took Sarah’s hand with her other. “Of course you could. You are still as much a part of Lyrica as Lyrica is of you. My child, there were days I doubted I’d see you again. Yet here you stand!”
The woman raised her arms up and out, gesturing toward Sarah. “And how you’ve grown. Tell me, what happened to the short, red-headed child who stumbled over every word, hm?”
Sarah chuckled. “I grew up some.”
“More than some,” Gan corrected. “I have to look up to you. How old are you now, child? How much time has passed on Earth?”
“Only two years, going on three. It’s been much longer here, hasn’t it?”
“Twelve years since you brought balance. Sadly, it feels much longer with the war.” She grasped her cane with both hands and glanced up at Sarah. “You received my message?”
“Yes! I tried to reach back out,” Sarah said. “When I did, I spoke with Skuntz instead. I need you to tell me everything about the war. Where’s Nettle? I need to join the battle as soon as possible.”
The elf’s grin shrank some. She patted Sarah’s back. “Walk with me, my friend. I will tell you all you need to know.”
The woman started off, and Sarah began to follow until her sights fell on the children.
“They will be fine,” Gan said, following her stare. “I promise it is safe here.”
Sarah sighed. She wrench herself away and followed after Gan. They walked along the edge of the camp, then farther into the village. The noise dwindled. The campfire’s light dimmed, leaving only the moon’s light to guide them.
“When I sent you my message, the human queen Leonna had advanced east and was pushing us farther into our village,” Gan said.
“We and many others were fighting beside the fairies. Their size and ability to move between Lyrica and their realm was our main advantage.”
“Nettle’s leading the fairies, isn’t she?” Sarah asked.
“Yes. Before moving north, she ordered a few of her kin to remain and help us. There will be history books written about her, I’m certain. Along with Nettle we managed to keep the humans at bay. Several had moved past us, crossing east over the river. We set up archers. A few traps, too. That came to a quick end. No one crosses the river unless we want them to.”
Gan’s shoulder straightened with the words. She held her chin just a bit higher.
Sarah beamed at her. “I like the sound of traps.”
“It’s how we managed to contain the humans until they moved north. By the time we heard word, it was too late. They had taken the vampire kingdom. And Alexander and Serwa, as well.”
She shook her head. A light breeze brushed across their faces.
“Nettle and I both feared the children had been killed in the attack. You have no idea how happy I am to see Bo and Kwe here. All of them!” Gan said. “I’ve already sent word to Nettle. When the northern attacks started, most of our force moved there to see what, if anything, we could do. It’s mostly been scouting. Still, our traps and the humans’ ignorance of our numbers have left us in peace for the last few months.”
“They haven’t attacked?” Sarah raised her brows. “Not even a threat?”
“Oh, there have been small skirmishes. But I believe their numbers are as divided as ours. We didn’t exactly take their war lying down. Serwa and Alexander dispatched soldiers to help us. They’ve returned north with Nettle for the time being.”
“And…” Sarah held her hands behind her back. “Alexander and Serwa. Have you heard anything?”
“I have no clue where either of them are. I am sorry, my friend.”
Sarah nodded. She placed her fists by her side and kept her eyes forward. “It doesn’t matter. I’m going to find them.”
“We will find them,” Gan agreed with a nod of her head.
The two walked in the thick of the forest. The village was left behind, placing them in an open clearing with a large tree. A tree Sarah knew had roots that were old and deep.
“The Great Spirit.”
Gan chuckled. “You remembered? I’m glad to hear you did not forget your other home.”
“I couldn’t even if I wanted to.” Sarah placed a hand on the old tree, tracing its carved face which still resembled an elderly woman.
“Sit with me, child.”
Together Gan and Sarah sat in the small nooks of the tree’s roots. The moon cast strings of light against the trunk. Sarah stared up through the leaves. She sighed.
In all this peace, how could there be a war?
“I have thought of using the Great Spirit to search for Serwa and Alexander,” Gan said. “But the risk has been too great. A few witches are working with the humans. I’m not certain how skilled they are, but I’m afraid one might sense me while I look. If they were good enough, I could lead them right to the Great Spirit. They’d alert the humans I was looking and…I don’t want to think about what actions would follow that.”
The old elf shook her head grimly. Like Sarah, she leaned back against the tree, placing her cane over her soft middle. She closed her eyes.
Sarah could feel her own magic shifting inside her, pushing against her skin in hopes to move along the tree. Her lids grew heavy.
“I must move north.” Sarah yawned. “Once I join Nettle, we’ll figure out how to end this war. I can’t take the children with me though. I wanted to ask—”
“Of course, they can remain here. We will find host families for them. Did you really think I would turn them away?” The elf’s eyes were still closed, though a smirk played on her lips.
Sarah smiled. “No, but I thought I’d still ask. It’s always good to put manners to use.”
“That is true. I wish Skuntz had those manners.”
“What?”
Leaves rustled above them. Sarah stood up, looking into the branches when Skuntz suddenly slid down the tree’s trunk. He stopped right beside Gan and frowned with disappointment.
“How long did you know I was following?”
Sarah gawked. She hadn’t sensed him at all. Was she that tired or was she that out of practice?
Gan opened her eyes and sat up. “Since we left the center. You’re getting better each time, grandson. Be happy.”
“I won’t be happy until you can’t sense me at all.”
Gan barked out a laugh. “You have a few decades until then.”
“Another five years I think,” he retorted.
Sarah still stared. His eyes finally found her and he gave a once-over.
“Are you well? You look like you’ve seen a three-headed dragon.”
Sarah narrowed her gaze. “Why couldn’t I sense you?”
“Don’t feel bad, Sarah. Skuntz blends in with the forest better than any in the village,” Gan replied, turning to her. “Like you, he is no longer the child from all those years ago. Would you like to sit with us, Skuntz?”
He answered by plopping between the two of them.
Sarah rolled her eyes and returned to her spot.
“We were talking about you following Nettle to the north, Sarah?” Gan asked.
She nodded.
“That’s a horrible idea,” Skuntz chimed in.
“And why is it?” Sarah retorted. “The children including Bo and Kwe are safe with you all. I should be on the battlefield. Unless you need me here. Are you worried about an attack? Gan, if you need me to defend the village against humans, I’ll stay.”
“No, my friend,” the old elf said. “Everything here is fine.”
Sarah watched her carefully.
“And no, I am not lying.”
“If you need me to stay, I will. I will save—”
“We haven’t exactly been twiddling our thumbs, you know?” Skuntz laughed. “We’ve taken care of ourselves quite well since you left. You don’t see any human hordes, do you?”
Deep breath, deep breath.
“Skuntz.” Gan’s tone held a warning.
Sarah exhaled. “I didn’t mean it that way. If everything’s fine here, why can’t I join Nettle?”
“Many reasons. The most important being there is another mission.” Gan grabbed her cane and rose slowly to her feet. The old elf looked down at Sarah and Skuntz.
“In both the north and south the humans are at bay. But if Serwa and Alexander’s thrones remain empty, their people will remain dispersed. We’ll need them to retake their thrones.”
Skuntz nodded. He turned to Sarah. “To gather more troops and, if I’m being honest, to boost morale, we need Alexander and Serwa. We must find them and take back their home together. The other battles can wait.”
Sarah glanced between them. “You’re saying my mission is to find Serwa and Alex first?”
“Exactly.”
“Fine. I want to find them, too, except I don’t even know how to start. And we can’t search with the Great Spirit.”
“No, but there is another way,” Skuntz said. “Ellen and Emma are the only other witches for certain we can trust. They’d never betray Serwa, and she trained them herself so they should be able to track her. There’s a bond, too. It’s less risky than using the Great Spirit.”
“Where are Ellen and Emma, then?”
“Kwe and Bo haven’t mentioned them?” Gan asked.
“No, not at all.”
Skuntz got up and stood beside Gan, leaning on her shoulder. “Well, now you have somewhere to start, don’t you, Chosen One?” He winked.
Sarah was certain her mouth had mashed into a thin line. She looked away from him.
Gan chuckled. “You two are going to work so well together.”
Sarah snapped to attention, her eyes darting from Gan to Skuntz.
A sneaky grin decorated Skuntz’s face. “Ready
to leave when you are.”
“No. Gan, I—”
“There is strength in numbers, Sarah.” The old elf gave her a pointed look. Sarah chewed on her bottom lip.
Gan was right. She just didn’t want her to be.
Not only was Skuntz a talented warrior but he was experienced. He was more familiar with battling the humans than she and—though she hated admitting it—he could naviagte Lyrica better than her, as well.
Skuntz’s grin widened.
Sarah swallowed her pride. “Fine, but I have two tasks before we leave.”
He held up a single finger, waving it in the air. “First, speak with the twins. We’ve already established that. What else?”
Sarah spun on her heels, then shot a glare over her shoulders. “That is none of your business. Good night, Gan. Skuntz.”
She marched away from the two elves, trying her hardest not to stomp as she did so.
His hearty chuckles followed her departure, along with a final statement from Gan.
“You two are going to work so well together.”
The next morning, Thobias held Gharet’s hand while they stood underneath the Great Spirit with Sarah. The late afternoon sun poured down through the trees. Yet their rays seemed nonexistent to Gharet.
He shivered and looked between his two companions.
“Are you sure?” he asked. “You think it’ll be okay?”
Sarah sent him a wide smile. “Definitely.”
Thobias patted his hand. “And Sarah’s here. If you get lost, she’ll will be able to bring you back.”
Sarah stretched her grin. She wasn’t so sure about that part…
“Fine.” Gharet took in a quivering breath, his shoulders rising to his ears. He snatched his hand from Thobias’. “I’m going to do it. I can do this.”
He turned to them both for a final affirmation.
Sarah and Thobias each gave him a hard nod.
Gharet took a step back. He shook out his arms before holding them out to his sides. After taking several deep breaths, he closed his eyes.
Sarah’s heart raced in her chest. She fiddled with her fingers and bounced on her toes as she watched her friend. An unsettled energy was zipping through her.
Gharet had to do this…he would.
The Pariah Child- Sarafina's Return Page 12