The Dust Crown

Chapter 2

Clarion was finishing her evening scavenging round again when she thought she heard a cry of fear to her left. She stopped and hovered above the stream she had been flying across, straining to hear the voice again.

It was only a few seconds before the cry broke the silence once more. She took off following the sound through the trees of Fall. A leaf fell directly in her path and she had to swerve quickly to avoid being taken down with it.

She knew she was getting closer as the sound of gruff, authoritative voices began to reach her ears.

Clarion knew those voices. They were the voices of some of the Queen's Soldiers tormenting an innocent fairy once again.

Finally, she landed on the branch of a tree directly above a splash of light made by one of the soldiers' torches. She could see the unfortunate fairy below her, surrounded by three soldiers.

"Give it to us!" one of the soldiers said, holding his hand out.

"Please," the fairy said. "It's all I have to feed my family with tonight. Does not the Queen have enough in her stores?"

"Who are you to decide when the Queen has enough in her stores?" the soldier asked. "Now hand it over!"

Clarion's blood was boiling. The Queen kept all the best crop to herself and those closest to her. Clarion knew for a fact that the majority of the crop spoiled where it sat in the Queen's coffers and yet nearly all the fairies in Pixie Hollow we're mal-nourished.

She knew it was a method the Queen used to keep her subjects weak and passive. The Tree had explained that once. The Tree had also told Clarion that it was better to not get involved. It was constantly reminding her that it was more important to stay hidden and on task with her studies than to fight small battles and risk being found.

Clarion typically respected the Tree's advice, but there were times she chose to conveniently forget what it had said. Now was about to be one of those times.

She pulled out the sharpened thorn she kept at her waist and prepared herself.

Down and out. Rescue the fairy. Make sure they are safe. Then leave.

Then she dove from the branch.

She landed behind the soldiers, silently. The fairy saw her though and watched her wide-eyed. One of the soldiers noticed the fairy looking and glanced over his shoulder.

His face morphed into surprise as he saw Clarion standing there.

"You're..." he said.

"That's right," she said. "Come and get me!"

Clarion knew she was more valuable to the soldiers than the poor fairy's food. They would not pass up an opportunity to please their Queen be bringing in the Rogue.

As she had expected, all three soldiers jumped towards her, hands out stretched and ready to grab her, but she was faster.

She took off flying in the opposite direction. Looking over her shoulder, she saw the three soldier fairies following close behind.

Good. They'll forget all about that poor fairy for tonight.

She dived quickly through the branches of nearby trees, attempting to shake the soldiers off her tail. Clarion knew the Hollow like the back of her hand. Most of her exploring had been done in the dark and she knew for certain she had the upper hand when it came to navigating through the Hollow at night.

It only took a few more sudden dives and direction changes before she could no longer see the soldiers flying behind her.

She landed beneath a sunflower and waited to see if they came past her.

After several minutes went by and no one came, she decided they had given up or were looking in the wrong place.

She kept the thorn in her right hand just in case and then headed back towards home.