3. Chapter Two
Chapter Two
N ight fell quickly as my father and I gathered the women and children elves and fae who weren’t fighting.
My mother joined the healers. Being a water bender brought healing properties we could use to our advantage during these battles.
Before my father became the leader of our people, our ancestors believed women should only use their water bending for healing rather than fighting.
My father changed that. He believed anyone who had the abilities to protect themselves should.
And my mother believed that all knowledge about the element you bent was powerful against any opponent.
They were both right.
Now male and female fae of Esora could bend, fight, and heal with the gift that the Mother blessed us with. Healing wasn’t a scapegoat. If a wound didn’t get treated fast enough, either by our natural fae abilities or by our bending healing properties, death could still claim us.
Hallan landed next to my father, never missing a step as we strode together along the mountainside.
“Report?” my father asked. Hallan came to report any changes to my father every hour.
“Ember soldiers are patrolling Lintawa Bay, monitoring the skies around the mountains. They’ve completely shut down the dock markets, so there won’t be a way to jump a ship.
I snuck around asking questions. Apparently, the Ember soldiers have been there the last few days.
This was the Emperor’s plan all along, long before the Empress found out and warned us,” Hallan replied as we all marched forward.
“Damn the Mother,” my father hissed under his breath, holding up a fist to stop the small marching crowd. “What’s our next option?”
“We can’t fly out of here without being shot down, either by the soldiers on the docks or whatever warships are sailing this way in the waters of Draynua.
I say we hide the women and children. I found an abandoned cave on the other side of the mountains.
The path seems like it hasn’t been traveled for a time. We can hide them there for now.”
“What about food and water? Enough to last a few days?” My father peered around the crowd.
“My son is delivering food, water, and bedrolls to the cave with a few other elves.”
“Where is your wife?” Father asked, and Hallan huffed a laugh with a shake of his head.
“She’s in Heavensreach preparing our people. You know my Kali wouldn’t miss out on a fight, Ace either, just like your girl there,” he said, dipping his head to me with a wink.
My father ran a hand down his face. “Right…What does that say about us as fathers when our children enjoy the hunt?” he joked.
“It means we taught them to not be prey.” Hallan slapped a heavy hand down on my father’s shoulders. “I’d bet our kids take down more men than we do. We’re not as young as we used to be, brother,” Hallan poked fun.
“Maybe you're not. I’m still in my prime,” my father said with a defiant smirk as he waved his hand in front of us. “Lead the way.”
We walked for hours into the night, sweat beading down my back from the muggy heat.
The moon and stars blanketed the sky above the treetops.
I hadn’t slept or had dinner. My feet ached from the constant pace as we walked along the mountainside to get to the secluded cave.
I weaved a drop of water through my fingers, under and over each one before it skated back over my knuckles, to keep my mind off of the dull ache in my heels and in my stomach.
It worked because when I finally stopped, we had made it to the cave.
The mountain’s gaping hole was set deep into its side off of the overgrown path, like Hallan had said.
You would have to walk right up to it or you would miss it.
A cool breeze flowed out of the cave leading underground, causing a chill to creep over my skin.
The hairs on my neck stood as if eyes were piercing my back.
The ground shifted from soil to stone as we walked inside.
Now I knew why Hallan had said to bring bedrolls.
A few elves were unpacking while my father and Hallan were lost in a conversation.
“Hey stranger, you need any help?” I asked, and one elf cocked his head to the side to peer over at me.
His mirrored gaze met mine. His dark-brown hair was half pulled up, away from his strong, stubbled jawline, while a tight braid rested in front of one of his extended pointed ears.
Three gold cuffs accented the braid as three long feathers were woven into the hair that was tucked behind his ear.
Thicker, loose strands framed his face. He looked nothing short of beautiful as he stood from his crouch with smokey ebony wings draped behind him.
Elves never let their wings touch the ground unless they were sick or defeated.
And I couldn’t see this man being either of those things as he walked toward me.
His taut muscles flexed beneath his leathers.
He stood in front of me but never said a word.
“Ah, I see you found Ace,” Hallan spoke up from behind me, walking into the cave with my father by his side. Hallan and his son signed back and forth, but the slight movements were so quick, I couldn’t catch anything significant.
“Ace—” Hallan gestured toward his son. “—still speaks in our mother tongue.”
“I remember from when we were younger,” I said curiously. It had been a while. “I’ll get him to speak one day,” I teased, and Ace rolled his eyes at me.
“Our people consider it an honor to use our mother tongue. It takes a strong will to live by it. I did until I met your mouthy father, who was too stubborn to learn to be fluent.”
“Hey, I heard that,” my father retorted.
“As you should have.” Hallan pointed a finger and my father smiled as Ace chuckled under his breath.
I wanted to ask again, but this time in his mother tongue, so I did.
I tried. Turning toward him, I mustered the signs my mother had tried to teach me into the forefront of my mind as I asked if he wanted my help.
He cocked his head like a bird and pinched his eyebrows in question before he arched one with a confident grin.
He lifted his hand, readying a response, but a gust of wind pulsed from his palm and he knocked me on my ass. I leapt back to my feet.
“Mother Moon, what was that for!?” I cursed, glaring daggers at him. He shook his head and with a wave of his hand sent a wisp of wind tapping on Hallan’s shoulder to get his attention, who was currently bent at the waist with my father, laughing at me.
“What?” I questioned, growing impatient.
“You challenged him,” Hallan spoke up. “That sign was you asking for a duel.” He wiped a tear from his eye as he composed himself.
“No, I think he just wanted a reason to knock me down,” I said, dusting off.
Ace gave me a knowing grin. We had always been competitive growing up.
Challenging each other wasn’t uncommon. Hallan walked over to me, corrected me, and showed me the signs slower.
The sign with both hands meant duel, and the sign with one hand meant help.
“Now try again,” Hallan encouraged as he gestured to his son, watching us with a smug smile, and I did. This time, Ace answered with a nod and a silent clap of his hands in praise as he gestured me toward the bedrolls. He tugged me into a quick hug before pulling away.
“Old friend.” Ace signed more than that, but that was all I picked up on.
“Yeah, I missed you too, you big lug,” I said, and he huffed a breath and smiled.
I remembered a time when we were inseparable as kids, but I guessed gaining responsibilities and growing distant was a part of growing up. He laid out beds for the women and children. I helped him and together, we gave each woman and child their own space as Hallan and my father started a fire.
The Sky Elves had a tolerance to the cold.
Winters in the mountains were devastatingly frigid.
Personally, I preferred the warmth as we gathered around the fire to fill our bellies with supper.
I peered over at my father, who was sharpening a dagger.
I glanced around the fire, searching for something to eat, but I found nothing.
“Pada,” I called to him.
“Hmmm?” His tone was low in question as I continued, never looking up from his blade.
“Where is supper?” He peered over at me and smiled.
“A lesson,” he said, and I sighed, letting my chin fall to my chest and shoulders sag.
Hallan chuckled at my response. Anytime my father was about to school me on the ways of survival, he always started his statement with this.
He never missed an opportunity to enlighten me.
I didn’t want to hear it tonight though.
The sun would rise soon, and I was hungry and tired.
“Aw, come on, Eme, you’ve always been my good sport.
” He winked at me, but I rolled my eyes at him and he snickered under his breath before growing more serious.
“Catch your food. In the middle of a war-torn world, nobody will feed you but yourself,” he said as tiny skittering feet passed by my back.
My father threw his dagger, killing the plump rat in its tracks.
“See, there’s my dinner,” he said as he stood, walking over to it. He picked up his blade, gutting and skinning the animal quickly before shoving a stick through it and roasting it over the open fire.
“Do you ever eat anything appetizing?” I asked, scrunching my nose as he ripped his first bite out of the side of his roasted rodent.
“What would you suggest, darling daughter?” he said in between bites. I knew my mother would reprimand him if she were here for talking with a full mouth.
“A hare, maybe? Or some venison? Anything is better than a rat.”
“Alright, then go out there and catch what you want, but let’s make it more fun since you want to be picky. No bending and take Ace with you.” It wasn’t a request.