A Court of Light and Melody

Chapter 19 - Be the One

"No one saves us but ourselves. No one can and no one may. We ourselves must walk the path."

- Gautama Buddha

Song: I Wish I Was the Moon - Ewan J Phillips

"Gwyn!"

That sounded familiar. And very far away.

"Gwyneth!"

"Gwyn!"

There were so many people calling her name. Something deep inside this cold shell of a body screamed at her to speak. To try harder to get their attention. But when she attempted to draw in the breath to cry out, her lungs squeezed. They ached. Maybe she could sit up?

"Berdara!"

When Gwyn tried to raise up onto her elbows, her arms went numb and failed her. She fell back and heard a soft crunch beneath her head. She stared up at the pink sky above her. Dawn.

Then Gwyn remembered what had happened.

The crashing, the falling, and the nerve shattering pain as she hit the forest floor, a male taking the brunt of the landing. Gwyn turned her head to the left. Beside her was Grisham. His wings were bent at an odd angle, and dried blood was oozing from his hairline. But she could see his chest rising and falling with shuddering breaths. He was alive.

And so are you, little sister...

Gwyn smiled (or at least she imagined she did). Hello, Catrin.

I know that you're in pain. I know that everything hurts. But you have to make some noise. They're looking for you.

Catrin was right. Gwyn opened her mouth to answer the calls but again when she tried to draw breath, her lungs protested and her vision spotted. She grunted and gave up again.

Gwyn, help them find you.

Maybe they'll find me on their own.

They won't, sister. You know how big this forest is. They won't reach you until it's too late, and you don't have much time.

Gwyn tried to raise up onto her elbows again, but she saw stars in the bright blue sky above and a blazing heat went up her spine before she collapsed again.

Help him find you...

" GWYN! " someone nearly roared.

Azriel. That was Azriel. He sounded painfully nearby.

"Let's try west, Az."

Cassian.

No they couldn't go west. They'd never find her.

With all the strength she could muster, Gwyn forced her eyes open and turned her head away from Grisham, hoping to see Azriel or Cassian close by. But there was nothing but forest.

To her right was a stick, one they'd likely knocked loose during the fall. And just beside that stick was a tree. It was a long shot, but maybe it would work. Maybe they were close enough to hear.

"Cassian, this is where her scent leads. It gets weaker anywhere else," Azriel said from somewhere out of sight. His voice was hoarse. Likely from shouting her name. "She isn't west."

"Azriel," Cassian's voice was soft. "She's not north or south or east... West is all we have left."

NoNoNo, I'm right here!

Her knuckles were bloody and bruised, they throbbed as she wrapped her fingers around the stick. Gwyn's wrist quivered as she raised it off the ground. Her vision was turning white again, but she managed to tap the stick to the tree, making the faintest of noises.