When Angels Fall

Epilogue

Epilogue

The summer sun shone in through the tall trees behind her, while fresh water streams ran down through the woods after a long winter of frozen peaks. The lively buzz in the distance assured her that she was quite close to her destination. And indeed, a few steps later, a large clearing opened before her, bustling with life where the summer marketplace was held.

Tents and stalls filled the clearing, where the forest dwellers came from all over the woods, offering all kinds of products and services. Merchants, blacksmiths, hunters, healers, fortune tellers, even slave traders.

"Good morning Cassandra," the plump fruit merchant called out as she passed by his stall.

"Good morning Abel," she smiled. "How fresh are these blueberries?"

"Just picked them up this morning," Abel grinned, while Cassandra eyed the fruits in question suspiciously.

"A couple of mornings ago you mean," she shook her head in exasperation. But before the man could protest, loud cries came from across the marketplace, causing them both to look up in alarm.

"Oh those damned children again," Abel scowled, holding up a stick and spreading his wings as he flew in the direction of the sounds. Cassandra flew closely behind him, quite curious, until they reached a group of at least eight winged children, gathered around something at the edge of the woods. The boys were cheering and squealing with glee as they hurled stones at what appeared to be a weak creature cowering in the middle.

"Get away!" Abel snapped, shooing the children away with his stick. The bratty boys screamed and made faces at Abel before they quickly sprinted away, leaving the abused creature alone.

Cassandra's eyes widened as she saw the creature in question, an old man shivering and crouching over the ground, wrapping his withered and featherless wings around his frail and injured body.

"Those kids nowadays, they know nothing about respect," Abel complained as he helped the old man up. Cassandra noticed that the man was blind too, with several tattered straps of cloth wound around his eyes and tied up at the back of his head, entangled into his matted grey hair.

The man's legs shook badly, and he couldn't stand up even with Abel's help. Abel sighed and just let him sit back on the ground.

"I will bring you some blueberries," Abel smiled, even though the man couldn't see him.

"Who is he?" Cassandra asked as she walked with Abel back to his stall.

"No one knows," Abel shrugged, as he packed some blueberries into a small piece of cloth. "But he's been spotted around the woods several times during the winter. Some of the forest dwellers say he came from further up North."

"Oh, I'll take these to him," Cassandra smiled as Abel was done wrapping the blueberries.

"Don't tell me you will take him up to your cottage too," Abel's eyes widened and Cassandra laughed at his surprised expression.

"Of course I will! He seems to have received a few cuts from those stones earlier, and you know I would never miss a chance on practicing my healing skills," Cassandra winked before she turned around and hurried back to where they had left the old man.

Her heart fell for a moment as she thought he was gone, but looking further ahead, she saw him struggling to walk in the distance as he leaned unto a thin cane, his body bent forward, his legs shaking, and a few drops of blood trailing behind him. She hurried after him, and barely touched his featherless wings, before he flinched and gasped out in alarm, raising his cane before his face in defense.