𝙳𝚊𝚛𝚔 𝙿𝚊𝚛𝚊𝚍𝚒𝚜𝚎(𝙰𝙲𝙾𝚃𝙰𝚁)

𝖈𝖍𝖆𝖕𝖙𝖊𝖗 𝖋𝖔𝖗𝖙𝖞-𝖙𝖍𝖗𝖊𝖊

  Rhys and Cassian had spent a very long time convincing Devlon to allow the girls to train instead of their chores.

Cassian had brought me with him. It felt like a peace offering. A way to get me out of the house and around others. He said I could train the girls. I hadn't trained them in such a long time. Since before the Spring Court.

    I watched the girls sparring, studying their techniques. I was disappointed in the obvious lack of training.

    Half of them were clipped, and half of the clippings were botched. Which meant most of them had trouble with agility.

     My own wings still ached most days, the wounds having never properly healed.

     I thought I was ready to come back here. Unfortunately, I was wrong. Every time a male even passed by, my heart rate went up and I had to stop myself from bolting the other direction.

       Something moved in the corner of my eye. I turned, noticing a small figure moving behind the trees. A little pair of wings. I looked over at the girls once more before stepping into the trees.

      I approached a small shivering figure. A tiny, female Illyrian, likely no more than nine years old.

      She had long blonde hair that was wrapped around her shoulders. Her deep blue eyes were filled with so much pain. Her pale skin was covered in dark bruises.

"Are you alright, chiquita?" I asked in the Illyrian tongue, kneeling at her side.

     She stared up at me, tears streaming down her face. I went to wipe the tears from her eyes, but she flinched away.

"What camp are you from?" I wondered. Her eyes widened at the remark, and she shook her head.

"I can't go back," she whispered, her Illyrian accent strong as she spoke the language. "He said he'd clip my wings if I ran away again."

         I felt a stab of agony in my heart. I stared at the little girl for another second. She reminded me so much of myself at her age.

         I couldn't just leave her in the snow to die. And I was not going to send her back to someone who would just clip her wings.

"Come with me," I decided. She seemed wary of me. I didn't blame her. I hadn't trusted Iridessa at first. "I won't make you go back there, okay?"

      She looked into my eyes before finally nodding. I scooped her up and held her in my arms, wrapping my useless wings around us to keep her warm. She was still shivering in my arms.

"Training is done for the day," I announced to the girls.

     They all disbanded to set up for the solstice. The little girl had her face hidden in my shoulder.

"Hold on tight," I cautioned, holding onto her as I winnowed away.

      I appeared in the front of the lodge and opened the door. I stepped in the door and snapped my fingers so the snow on us disappeared.

      I placed the little girl on the ground and she stared up at me in confusion. She was still shivering.

"I'm going to run you a hot bath," I decided. "There should be some clothes in the attic that will fit you. Are you hungry?"

She shook her head. She was horribly underweight, even for her age. "When was the last time you ate, dulzura?"

"A week ago," she admitted. 

      I put a can of soup on the stove for her. She was staring at the ground now. I knelt by her side and brushed her hair away from her face.

"You won't go hungry while you're with me, okay?" I said to her.