In the Land of Fae 2: Return to Ice ♔ (gxg)

6. banished

Alastair had felt in the mood for a flight.

Standing at the balcony of the castle, she hoisted herself onto the edge and looked down at the ground so many meters below. She spread her wings, closed her eyes, and inhaled the cold air that hurt her lungs before she leaned her head back and fell forward.

A thought crossed her mind that maybe she shouldn't fly up before hitting the ground this time. Maybe she should let herself hit the stone ground below, letting her insides splatter all over the ground so she would finally see what she was made of that made her feel so much anguish. She wanted desperately to know from what cloth she was cut.

But she didn't. She flapped her wings moments before touching the ground, lifting herself back up into the sky. She soared over the treetops dangerously close, feeling a few leaves tickle the ends of the toes. The sunset was right in front of her, and she flew towards it. Going up higher, she immersed herself into the golden clouds, feeling the moist air caress her face. She went higher and higher up, further and further towards the sun, disappearing into the sky. She could feel the air getting warmer, the sun's light touching her skin and melting away the cold of autumn. She closed her eyes and hung herself in the air for a moment, pretending it was summer again.

She thought healing was linear. She thought that as time went on, she would feel better and better by the day. Back in July, she would have never thought she would ever feel the way she did at the camp again, but now it was autumn and she was feeling worse than she ever had. It wasn't just the change of season. There was something hanging in the air around her at all times, something gnawing at her back. But no matter how many times she chased herself in circles to see what was digging into the feathers of her wings, she found nothing and only made herself dizzy.

Alastair let herself fall from the sky until she was out of the clouds and could see the trees again. She was far from the castle now, almost to the human village. Dipping in a circle, she made a slow retreat back towards the castle, hanging just below the clouds and leaving the ground far, far below.

It was when she saw a figure flying right over the trees just ahead of her that she suddenly felt cold again. It was an ice fae, a woman, with blue robes and white wings and white hair pulled up into a braid.

What would an ice fae be doing this far from the village?

Her instincts began to goad her, and she felt that familiar ache in her head. Her nightmares had followed her into the day—it was all flashing behind her eyes now even as they were open. She saw Eira, felt the hands on her neck, heard the screams. She could feel herself suffocating, gasping for air.

Suddenly, her hands were on the ice fae's ankles, burning their skin as they screamed loudly. A large wave of fire erupted from Alastair's hands, but the ice fae had sent a large bundle of snow right towards Alastair's face. Al yelped and let go of the ice fae who was now falling to the ground, and she was falling right above them. She turned and twisted in the sky, trying to wipe the snow from her face, but before she could open her eyes and catch herself in the air, she landed on the hard ground right next to the ice fae.

Still clawing at her face, Alastair didn't even notice Caspian, Abitha, and Ilmari all landing on their feet around her and the ice fae.

Caspian's eyes widened at the sight. There was Alastair, clawing at some snow sticking to her face, and there was the ice fae, laying face down and motionless. His eyes traveled to her ankles which were burned and bloodied. The ends of her robes were in flames, and he quickly sent a wave of water over them, extinguishing the flames all at once.

Gwyneira came next, landing beside Ilmari. She gasped at the ice fae, recognizing the girl immediately. She ran over to the fae, landing at her knees beside her and gently turning her over. "She's alive." She held the fae's face gently, feeling how warm it still was from the heat Alastair had sent her way. "This is Wintry. She goes out flying every evening."