Not just mortal and Fae book I (Azriel x Suree)

CHAPTER 2

Since I had gotten the letter from the other side of the wall, from the camp my brother had been stationed at, I couldn't eat or sleep, not even alcohol could strain my mind from thinking about all the horrible thing's those bastards were doing to him. They took him, I thought, they must have, what other possibility could there be? I had never felt so helpless, so weak, I wanted to do something, anything, but what? I re-read the letter over and over again, my blood boiling as one of the lines in the paragraph had stood out to me the most; I apologise profoundly, and give my condolences. That was just a nicer way of saying, they'd given up and my brother was already dead. But I refused to believe it, refused. A week later I still hadn't written back because I knew if I did I would be giving up the small bit of I hope I clung onto.

The next morning I found myself once again, leering down at the letter, reading it, over and over again. I was about to go through it once more, when Philip jumped on the table, clucking loudly. I sighed and glared at him.

"What do you want, you undergrown turkey?"

He didn't move just cocked his head to the side.

"Go away, Philip."

Instead of leaving he edged closer. I rolled my eyes and begun to read, when he pecked my hand.

"Ow, stupid chicken wing!"

Before I could process what he was doing, he had already grabbed the letter from my hands and was making a run for it.

"Hey!"

He was out the door as I fumbled for my coat and ran after him.

"Come back here, you little shit!"

I probably looked ridiculous, running around the village, chasing after a feral chicken. Soon I arrived at the docks, bustling with people and I cussed. If that demented rooster fell into the water, I was not going to help him out. I wandered around the street aimlessly calling out, when I realized it was my first time back at the dock since I had bid my brother farewell the day he left for the wall. I shook the thought from my head and continued my search when I heard a voice rise above the chatter of people.

"Um, has anyone lost a chicken!?"

My head snapped to the direction of the voice and I begun heading toward it, when I found a young sailor holding a thrashing Philip, in his arms.

"Miss, is this your rooster?"

I sighed and nodded before taking the feral creature from his arms.

"Thank you, I'm sorry, I wasn't paying attention and he made a run for it."

He smiled warmly at me and waved off my apology.

"No problem, ma'am, is this also yours?"

He held out the letter and I took while glaring at Philip.

"Would you tell anyone, if I just dropped him off into the ocean?"

The young sailor laughed, shaking his head.

"I'm afraid I would have to, miss, but I'm just about to board ship and make my way across to the other island, so when I'm gone feel free to do whatever you please."

My breathing suddenly stopped and my body went still as I processed what he just said.

"Did you just say the other island, as in the island across from here?"

He nodded, "that's right, for the next two weeks we'll be giving people access to the island, so they can see loved ones and help clean up after the war with the King of Hybern."

"But I thought only mail was aloud through because people where afraid some of King Hybern's men had lived and were capturing humans."

There had been a rumour a year ago that, after the battle a few of the late King's men had survived and made it out and where now kidnapping and mortals and using them to rebuild their houses and castle.

The sailor just rolled his eye's shaking his head.

"That was just gossip a couple of merchants had stirred up to get money, anyway that hasn't happened since we started transporting mail for the war veterans and any ship that does go missing can easily be explained by bad weather, or loss of direction."

I could hardly believe it, it was as if the Mother of the cauldron had answered my prayers and wishes. This was it, a way for me to find my brother and get him back. I looked down at Philip and kissed him on the beak.

"Thank you, you fantastic flightless, turkey!"

The sailor gave me a strange look, but I didn't care as I threw my arm around to hug him.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

"Uh, no worries, ma'am, um, would you mind letting me go, your kind of crushing me?"

I released him smiling sheepishly.

"Sorry, when does the ship leave tomorrow?"

"At two o'clock in the afternoon, bu-"

"Thank you!"

I was off before he could say anything else, making my way to the bar to tell Pama the good news.

                                                             ***

"Are you crazy!?" Pama's voice rang out through the bar, catching the attention of most of the residents. She gave them an apologetic smile before returning her attention to me. "Are you crazy?" she asked, in a harsh whisper. "No Pama, I want to go and help my brother from being brutally murdered by Faerie's, do I sound crazy?" I whispered back, furiously. She shook her, head disapprovingly.

"This is a terrible idea, Su, you don't even know where Zander is or will be, never mind getting through the wall, and even if you do the Fae will be able to sense you a mile away, you might as well wear a target on your back. And if you get taken," she paused a moment, not able to meet my gaze, "you know what Fae do to women, Suree, human women may I add." A shiver went up my spine, I knew full well what Fae did to females, we were told about it at the orphanage, told how Fae men, forced women into their beds and used them at they wished.

"I know Pam, but I'm strong, I can fight, I can protect myself, I've done it before." She stared at the ground avoiding my eyes. "Not Fae, Su." A heavy silence washed over us. Maybe she was right, I was being crazy. What was I thinking, that I could fight them, that I would find my brother and make it back alive? I knew the answer and I knew I would never find Zander, and the truth is a part of me knew he was dead, but another part of me said that I couldn't give up on him not yet.

"I have to try Pama, he would do the same for me, even if I don't make it, I don't want to die thinking I didn't at least try to find him."

I let silence settle over us as I spoke my next words carefully, but when I said them they did not sound like my own, "I'm going through the wall."