Faye's legs were stiff from sitting for too long, but she stood up anyway. She moved Spite, letting the hawk perch on her shoulder where a leather pad would stop the talons cutting her flesh any further. As it was, the hawk had made several cuts in her arm and blood was smudged all along her arm and on the feathers on the tips of Spite's wings. She reached up to her hair and touched the hair-pin that they had given her.
She let her hair down and shook it out. She held the pin in her palm and examined it, turning it in the light. Before the test, the crescent moon was silver and the three circles inside of it were bronze. Somehow, the metals and colours had inverted so that Faye was holding a very different pin. She stared for a few moments and then glanced up at the Aed waiting for her.
They watched her in silence, and didn't react to the ducks that swam close to them. Faye picked up her fallen pack and strapped it back on. Faye went to them and stood in front of the two creatures, who did nothing but watch her. She held out the pin with her bleeding hand.
Faster than she could see, the Aed of the river grabbed her wrist. Faye stared at the hand, but didn't attempt to pull away. The creature brought forward and ran its fingers over its wounds. They healed in an instant until its touch. Then it released her without a word. Faye kept her arm out-stretched.
"Your pin," she said.
It laughed, and the other creature ran a finger along Faye's shoulder.
"You keep it," said the Aed of the forest.
"It will be interesting to see what you do with it," said the other.
"So I passed your test?" asked Faye.
"No," said the water creature.
YOU ARE READING
Scout Stories: Caged Curses
FantasyKeefe must run. The creature chasing him doesn't tire and doesn't stop. It's not only his own life on the line. He must get somewhere it cannot follow him. He must run. Nola has heard stories about the Roamers all of her life. They're thieves and ch...
