Inked

4

She was beautiful, which made him even more frightened for her life. She couldn't have been older than him, yet here she was on her deathbed. "I've done all I can. Now let us leave her alone and pray Death will deal with her kindly." Roxane's voice was void of hope but full of certainty, certainty that this was the end of the girl's life.

The tent emptied but Farid stayed. A White Woman approached tentatively, but Farid didn't even flinch. "I'm so sorry," he whispered. No tears came - he hadn't known her well enough - but he was upset with himself. Poor girl.

Hazy images flashed through his mind. He was running through the Wayless Wood, trying to snatch a fire-elf, wanting to keep it for himself, not as a pet - Jink was still a great companion - but just because. Yes, he was sixteen years old - or was it seventeen now? - but he was still fascinated by the magical aspects of this storybook world. What better prize was there for a fire-eater than a fire-elf?

He whispered into being fire-moths, hoping to entice the elf closer. His plan seemed to have worked. The fire-elf perched on a branch, reaching for the flaming insects, and Farid took aim. The knife soared perfectly at the elf's wing, ready to pin it to the bark behind it. Farid pulled the jar out of the knapsack he had borrowed from Meggie. Dustfinger will be so proud, he thought to himself. Maybe this will drag his attention away from Roxane, if only for a minute.

At the last possible second, the fire-elf noticed the blade hurtling at it. Farid expected it to duck or fly away, but the elf lunged at the knife, probably trying to keep the shiny object for itself, or else trade it to the blue fairies for something more valuable to his kind. Its tiny hands could not grasp the fast-moving knife, but it was knocked off its course. Farid cursed as he tried to follow its path through the darkening trees. He cursed again when he heard a pained gasp.

"Death?" he said quietly, not sure if this was a good idea or not. But he knew he couldn't live with himself if he didn't try something. Otherwise he would be forced to explain his stupid, immature venture leading to the death of someone innocent, all to please the man who had taught him how to play with fire.

"Please," he begged. "Give her back. Her story can't be over yet." He didn't say anything more. No amount of guilt would make him willing to trade his life for this girl as Dustfinger had done for him.

"Mnh." The girl's lips parted ever so briefly, uttering that one meaningless syllable. Next, her eyelids fluttered open. Farid knew he should call out to Roxane, to the Bluejay, to everyone, but he felt himself rooted to the spot, worried that if he looked away, it would all have been a hallucination.

"Um... Hello." Farid wasn't sure what else to say. He was just so glad it had worked. Or had it? Had she come back because of him? Oh well, it didn't matter right now, does it?

"What happened?" the girl asked, sitting up. "Where am I? Ow!" She looked down to see the bloody bandages wrapped around her stomach. She pressed a shaking hand to her side and winced. Her brown eyes met Farid's, and she leaned closer and asked, "Who are you?"

"Farid." He glanced towards the tent entrance nervously, worried that someone had heard her speaking. He still wasn't certain he wasn't imagining this.

Lowering herself back onto the thin mattress, the girl whispered, "Soleil," and closed her eyes.

Farid walked out calmly into the camp. Everyone was gathered around the fire, silently chewing some sort of meat. As long as it wasn't unicorn, no one bothered to ask. Roxane was sitting next to Dustfinger, who held his dinner in one hand and was stroking her black hair gently with the other. Farid put his hand on her shoulder so as to alert her of his presence, then he lowered his head next to hers and whispered so that no one else heard him, "She's back."

Roxane dropped the charred meat she was holding and stood up, wincing as her husband's fingers caught in her hair. Wrenching herself free, she strode across the camp to the olive green sick tent. She disappeared inside and by the time everyone settled down for the night, they had cheered up at the news that a girl's life had been saved.