Chapter 7
CHAPTER SEVEN
T he next morning Fiach flew to my shoulder as I walked down the main street that led out of Bur?l, carrying a small satchel of food and a canteen of water that Mila had thrust into my hands as I snuck out her back door. “We’re even now,” she had whispered. I suppose we were.
I looked back over my shoulder at the village that had been my home. I had spent the better part of ten years here in Bur?l, and yet, if I were truly honest, I wasn’t as devastated to leave as I thought I would be.
It was simply time to move on. Start with a clean slate. I had some small skill with healing, add to that my magic and the crystal I had saved, and I thought I should be able to start a new life.
However, first thing’s first.
“We need to have a talk.” I shot the bird at my shoulder a glare. “As my familiar, I think it’s only fair that we set some ground rules.” Fiach ruffled his feathers, but I pressed on. “I’m okay with you leaving when you need to, you deserve your privacy as much as I do, but I need to know where you’re going, and I need to have a way to connect with you when I need you.”
I’d thought about this for a while before my body was able to relax enough to sleep last night. Each time I could have used his support he was nowhere to be found, and I had no way to call him to let him know.
“That is… acceptable.”
I stopped dead. I’d expected more resistance from the irascible raven. “Wait, really?”
“I am your familiar. You are my witch. So yes, I accept your terms. But I have some of my own.”
That sounded more like him. I arched a brow and continued walking. “And those conditions are…?”
“That you practice controlling your magic. I saw you in the Black Forest, Katharina, how you fed your magic on your emotions and it took over. I’m not sure you realize just how dangerous that is. As your familiar, it’s my duty to help you heal, but I can’t do that if your magic is holding the reins instead of you.”
“That is… acceptable,” I threw his words back at him.
“Preferably before you join more humans and put yourself and them at risk,” he pressed.
I threw my hands up. “Fine! I can practice here, then.”
“Not in the middle of the road, foolish one! Do you want to be thrown in the King’s prison for openly using magic?”
“I’m not going back to Bur?l, not even for you,” I warned.
He rolled his eyes. I swear, his eyes are going to get stuck in the back of his head one of these days. Was it bad that I half hoped they would? It would serve him right. “Practically no one enters the Black Forest. You can practice along the outskirts alongside the road for a bit, until the road curves towards Rennessen.”
Wordlessly, I turned towards the Black Forest, and I may have walked a little harder than absolutely necessary to jostle Fiach.
Maybe.
I could already tell this was going to be a long trip.
“No, no, no! Not like that!” Fiach clacked for what felt like the thousandth time.
“You do it then!”
It was nearing lunch time, and my stomach was viciously reminding me of that fact, which wasn’t helping my temper. Nor was the fact that my magic was currently acting unruly, which… was concerning. My magic shouldn’t be ‘acting’ at all.
Yet, that’s exactly how I would describe it. I would tell it to mend a broken twig, and instead it would sprout. I would ask my magic to make a flower bloom, and instead it would grow thorns. And each time my magic didn’t obey me, Fiach would admonish me and point out that I’m not doing it right.
I was about ready to throw a rock at the black hearted bird.
I had just bent down to pick up a pebble to do just that, when I noticed the entire forest had hushed. Slowly I stood up and looked around, noticing Fiach doing the same. My fingers clutched the rock tighter, my body tensing in readiness for whatever was about to happen.
The woods looked as they had all morning, yet the birds and insects had gone silent, and there was a feeling in the air that I couldn’t quite place.
Something - or someone - had entered the woods.
There, between two trees, stepped out two men. I stiffened, no - two Fae males . Their pointed ears stood tall and proud, drawing the eye and almost - almost - distracting from the sharp, angular beauty of their features that was so common to their kind. My hand squeezed around the pebble I had picked up, knowing it was more likely to enrage the pair than it was an effective weapon. But it helped center me. It helped calm my mind so that I could think rationally.
I eyed them up and down. They were dressed as warriors with leather armor and swords strapped at their waist. They weren’t as stately as the King’s soldiers, yet they were lithe, and I had no doubt they were just as deadly. I met their eyes, and they were staring at me just as intently.
With a flutter of feathers, Fiach flew to my shoulder and perched there, digging his toes in just enough to reassure me he was there, but not enough to hurt. As irritated as he can make me, when it came down to it, I knew I could trust him.
I rose to my tiptoes, ready to run if needed, and attempted to keep the movement unnoticed.
The flicker of lefty’s eyes showed me I was unsuccessful, and I gritted my teeth. I reached for my magic, but it felt as volatile as it had all morning. I couldn’t trust it right now, and the feeling of bereavement was unexpected.
The moment stretched out awkwardly as both parties silently judged the other.
“That’s some long swords you got there, fellas. You know how to use them?”
Fiach side eyed me, but I ignored him. I didn’t have time for his attitude, I needed to focus.
Righty smirked. “Feisty female, I believe you are the one we’ve been hunting for.”
Well, verdak.
I turned and ran. Fiach kept pace above me as I dodged through the trees. I could hear them racing after me, but I didn’t slow down to look. If I could just make it to the road I hoped I’d be safe - they couldn’t risk being seen.
Of course, this far away from the larger cities, the chances of running across people on the road was significantly lower… But it was the best plan I could come up with. We were already a couple hours away from Bur?l.
Once I got to the road, I’d - Oof!
Dirt and leaves shoved up my nose as I crashed into the undergrowth, the heavy press of a Fae body keeping me down. I had a moment of panic as I tried - and failed - to move, but as soon as I began thrashing the weight lifted.
“Easy there, little bloom, we’re not here to hurt you.”
I pushed him farther away and he let me. I was very aware that, had he not intended to move, I couldn’t have made him, but I wasn’t in a very congenial mood.
I looked pointedly at the scrapes now adorning my arms, and he grinned, unrepentant.
“Yes, well, in my defense, you weren’t slowing down, and we needed to talk to you.”
I glanced at Lefty, but he seemed content to let Righty do the talking. I probably should figure out these gentlemen’s - gentlefae’s? - names. But then again, Lefty and Righty worked for me at the moment. I mentally shrugged.
“Okay, then talk. I have an appointment to keep.”
Lefty raised his eyebrow, but didn’t call out my obvious fib any farther. Which was fortunate, as I was feeling less than generous.
“We have been - verdak !“ Fiach decided at that moment to swoop down and nail Righty on the crown of his head, bringing forth a shower of vicious curses. Lefty wisely took cover under a nearby bush, and both Fae looked around wildly for the delightful raven.
I couldn’t resist a wide smile. He was so getting a nice, fat worm!
They spoke amongst one another too low for me to hear, still ducking underneath the bushes, and turned back towards me, decidedly less chummy.
“That is your familiar, no?” Lefty spoke up.
I stiffened, instantly worried about where this conversation was going. “My familiar? No, I’m not particularly familiar with most birds.” Deny and deflect.
Righty’s eyebrows twitched. “We’re not planning on turning you over to the king’s soldiers.” He motioned towards his pointed ears. “Wouldn’t do us much good, even if we did. We’ve been searching for the magic user that’s been in the woods the past few days. The echoes of their power reached us, and we were … curious.”
Echoes of my magic reached them where? How far did I, or my magic, travel? The questions bounced around in my head like a bee after his honey had been robbed. “Why curious?”
“Echoes rarely are able to travel far, unless the wielder is very powerful,” Lefty supplied, subtly peeking at the sky occasionally. “We came to offer the magic user sanctuary.”
Well that got my attention. “Sanctuary? From what?”
Righty looked straight at me, and I barely resisted a shiver in response to what I saw in his dark depth. This man - Fae - was more than meets the eye. “From the King. From death. From a life of hiding.”
Fiach landed on my shoulder, and the weight of him settled my spinning thoughts. Sanctuary . The word resounded in my head, and my entire being longed for it. For belonging. For home.
I looked over at the two Fae, and contemplated my choices. My fate.
“What are your names?” If I decided to go with them, I would need to know, I reasoned with myself. Plus, Righty was currently on the left, and Lefty was currently on the right, and I was getting very confused who was who. Or - was Righty still on the right…? I shook my head. I was making my brain hurt.
Righty spoke up, “I am Matteo, and this is Arend.”
“Katharina,” I intelligently pointed to myself. “How do I know this isn’t some trick?”
“How do we know you won’t turn on us?” Matteo countered with a shrug. “I’m willing to trust you if you’re willing to trust me.”
I turned to Fiach. “What do you think? Should we trust them?”
Caw! Caw!
I was going to murder my own familiar.