Impractical (Complete)

Chapter 6: Fairies and Memories

The Forest of Nasta was monotonous. Same trees, no direction, same plodding footsteps of the horses. Both Aiyana and Fox refused point-blank to camp for the night, instead stealing hours of sleep riding on the back of each other's horses.

She was so exhausted. Her head pounded constantly and her eyes begged to be shut, for one second of relaxation. Their bodies were tense, weary from concentrating and being vigilant at all times. Many times, Aiyana and Fox rode in silence, too tired to string words together and make conversation and too frightened to be loud.

They followed the compass Fox had brought, steadily heading south. Nights passed without incident. Aiyana was unsure of how many nights. They all seemed to merge into one.

When she felt like she was seeing everything through a haze, her eyes cemented open, she noticed the lights. Her first thought was to tell Fox, but... the lights. They shone through the trees, brightening up the darkness that encased them. Unable to count them, she turned her horse away, drawing closer. They twinkled like stars but seemed so alive.

Fairies.

Aiyana had not been told fairytales as a child. She had only read them when she was much older and she had never believed them until she met the Fieron. In the back of her mind, she recalled them not being creatures that helped travelers, but more vicious beasts that lured them to their deaths. Yet, they were so beautiful. They danced in the air, barely taller than a candle but burning all the more brightly. Their lithe, elegant bodies moved gracefully and their hair twisted around them as if dancing on its own.

And she could hear them. Aiyana's horse had not wanted to go near them but she was firm. As they drew nearer, the mare also relented, enticed by the music the Fairies were singing. The words seemed so familiar and Aiyana quickly realised it was a lullaby. The one her mother and brothers had always sung to her when they tucked her in.

Soon, she could see them. She remembered memories that she had long buried in the depths of her mind. Her fourth birthday. She had come home to a dark house to find her family in the kitchen, singing softly, barely illuminated by the candles glowing on the cake they had baked for her. That night, Aiyana had gone into her parent's caravan for water and through a window, she saw them dancing, holding each other so closely, that they seemed afraid to let go. Her mother had her arms around her father's neck, and into his ear, she was singing softly. Her mother had always had the most beautiful voice in the circus.

Her father, in turn, pushed her away gently, and while he held her hand, got her to spin so she stopped singing to laugh. Her parents had always been happy and they had showered their three children with so much love that it seemed impossible that anything could rip them apart. Seeing them together, Aiyana's birthday wish was to find someone who loved her so that they too, could dance in their home when their children had gone to sleep.

The scene changed and there he was. Arkin. His bright blue eyes shone like stars, brighter than the fairies. They teased her and she remembered the first time they had got away, on the hills. When they had eaten, she lay with her head on his chest and he told her about all the things he wanted to do when he was in a higher position in the King's court. He was already high, even referring to the King by his name, Logan.

When Aiyana had grown restless, they had climbed to their feet and he had chased her, like they were two children. Though he was no match for her fitness and strength, she had let him catch her, mostly because she liked being wrapped in his arms, the closest they had ever been.

The memory that she was witnessing wasn't the same though. Instead, she was chasing him. He was so close, his dark hair dancing within reach, begging her to run her fingers through it. Yet, he hadn't let her do that either. Arkin had always kept Aiyana at a distance. She could identify all that was wrong with what she was seeing, but she still wanted.

Then there was pain. It seared through her chest, making her gasp for oxygen as she gripped her reins. She wasn't sure if it was because she missed Arkin so much, that everything hurt or if it was something. It felt unreal, like she was in limbo.

The slap on her face ended the pain. She was suddenly in the Forest again, her horse being tugged into the opposite direction of the Fairies. They were behind her shoulder, their singing resembling wails as it faded from her hearing.

Dazed, she looked to see what had startled her horse and realised that it was Fox. Set at a grim line, his face gave away his anger. He gripped his own reins in one hand, and the bridle of Aiyana's horse with the other. The speed of the horses whipped her hair, waking her up from her reverie. The pain the Fairies had caused still lingered in her chest. Her face burned with embarrassment. How had she been led astray so easily? Panic was building up in her chest, tension settling in her muscles. Her heart felt giddy and she wanted to take huge gulps of fresh air. However, she couldn't let Fox know, or see her fingers shaking. Her throat felt like a lemon had been lodged there, and it burned with every swallow. She felt like she was breaking at the seams.

When they slowed, she felt unable to speak as tears welled up in her eyes. She still managed to whisper, "Thanks."

Fox shrugged and his face relaxed visibly. "You didn't seem the type to be caught by Fairies."

That kindled her curiosity. Why wasn't Fox attracted to them? She forced her brain to focus on something else, so that her body would not be taken in by anxiety. Anything to distract her.

"What did you see?" she asked, wondering if he would ever answer such a personal question.

"Memories. Like everyone else."

"So," she said, picking her words carefully as she encouraged her horse closer to his. "Why didn't you get... distracted like me?"

"Not that long ago, when I was a child, war tarnished all my memories, Aiyana. All good memories have been tainted by that and I never need to relive them."

She paused, unsure how to pursue the subject. Deciding to be blunt, Aiyana looked at him directly, noticing that he did not return the eye contact deliberately. "But you must have some good ones?"

"Of course. I had a great family. That makes it more painful. And why would I live in the past, thinking about something I can't have, when I can look to the future?"

"That's quite poetic. And... a little cliche."

"I am, aren't I?"

Though their conversation had taken a lighter turn, Aiyana recognised that Fox would refuse to continue the subject, so she gently asked him if she could go to sleep. He glanced at her with gentle eyes before stopping his horse so that she could transfer to his saddle. She tucked her face into his shoulder and slid her arms around his waist, allowing his rhythmic breathing to calm her into sleep.