Half-Faye

Chapter 14

A sharp pain in my back woke me from my stupor. It soon combined with many aches around my arms and torso and it felt like there was a massive lump on the back of my head. My eyes still remained shut as my mind returned to my body and after a few seconds a blinked them open. It took another few seconds for the scene in front of me to shift into focus.

All I could see was a cleaning occupied by some tents which were made of enchanted canvas that glimmered in the light. I had the feeling that they were invisible from above as I could clearly see the sky above and they would be easy targets for patrols. Despite the fact that it was a well equipped campsite I failed to find a single faery, and it troubled me.

I could barely remember what happened. An arrow almost killed me and then I was knocked out. I shifted uncomfortably, the pain in my back was getting worse, only to discover that I could barely move. I looked down to find my hands bound tightly by my sides and tree roots beneath my feet. The reason for the pain on my back dawned on me: I was tied to a bloody tree, I winced, and my wings were crushed behind me. The thought of the delicate membrane twisted and destroyed made my heart fall; I had only just gotten my wings, they were the reason I had been exiled to Avalon and now they had just been made useless to me.

I looked up again to see if I could find Ridel. I was scared to whisper his name. There was a chance that they faye who captured us were still around somewhere. I looked as far right around the trunk as I could manage and then to the left. Upon seeing nothing I chanced a whisper.

“Ridel?” I breathed, shocked to hear my own voice sound so dry and rough.

I strained my ears for a response.

“Florence? Are you okay?” He sounded worse than me, as if he was speaking through a mouthful of blood.

My spine tingled at the extent of which his injuries could have been. I assumed he was tied to the opposite side of the tree as me.

“I’m fine,” I replied in a whisper, “My wings are a little crushed but I’m fine.”

It was stretching the truth but I knew he was in a worse condition. When he didn’t answer I continued.

“What about you?” I askedin an undertone.

“Don’t worry about me,” I scowled, “We need to get out of here. I think these are the faye who have been causing so much trouble lately.”

“Why would you think that?” I asked alarmed. I thought I could remember him talking about unrest before I entered Avalon.

“They’ve captured you.”

I had no answer for his response and I looked down at my feet. How could I forget? I was somebody now, of royal blood even. I was worth capturing. I may be an illegal child but my mother would still endeavour to get me back. After spending so much time with her in the last few days, of that I was certain.

After a minute or so of silence I spoke, “What do we do now?”

I could tell that he was thinking hard and was perhaps waiting for me talk first.

“If you knew any magic you should be able to get out of here,” he paused, “seeing as you don’t the only thing I can think of is to wait and see what they want.”

I sighed, he was right. And there was the chance, however slim, that they might let us go on our way. I doubted it, but I needed some hope to cling to.

We waited in equal silence. I could just catch his heavy breathing amongst the forest sounds which seemed to have magnified in the silence. I let my thought wander back to earlier that morning. I hadn’t realised that was what I had felt, had been feeling for the past week. The memory of our bodies so close together made a blush rise in my cheeks.

I was not the same girl I had left in the human world, but, I could no longer detest my fate.

After what seemed like an eternity later I heard footsteps approaching, accompanied, to my horror, raised voices.

“How do you know it’s her?” One of the voices rang though into the clearing.

I thought I heard Ridel take a sharp intake of breath.

“Yeah, she could be any mongrel off the streets sneaking away with one of the guards,” said another voice.

A mixture of embarrassment and anger swelled upinside me. Any mongrel? It may have been offensive but it hurt my pride the most. I didn’t look like royalty; I had not received my mother’s beauty.

“No,” Came a third voice which cut through the others like a blade, “She’s the one.”

“If you say so,” said the second voice, “You there,” he commanded, “bring us the boy.”

The was a grunt which could have been a yes and then I heard Ridel moan. They were going to do something awful to him, I could feel it in my bones. There was I heavy thud and I winced. A sound of dragging commenced as I assumed they were talking him away.

Despite all of my injuries I couldn’t help but let a tear roll down my cheek as I pictured his unconscious body being dragged away.

“Ridel,” I said under my breath.

XXX

So sorry that I took so long to get here. I'm trying to get this story finished and out of the way so that I can work and One way Train and other exciting projects! (Plus I have to work on my novel) I shall work hard and If required I will uploaded just half a part just to get something up every day. Sorry again. :(

Pranxtor ^.^