Till the End of Time

Chapter 5 - Following the Crows' Song

It must have been days as we bobbed along the glistening waves. A slightly cloudy breath dissipated into the air. The grey tinted light flooded the deck as the crew gradually emerged from their well dragged-out slumber. The deck had barely been littered with the crew since the dark of the night. It was well past dawn now, but no one could dare argue about the late rising because of what had happened.

While Alina had not disappointed with the display of her power, she certainly had painted a target on our backs after that. She had lit up the obsidian sky with a show of the rising sun, stark white scaring away the demons that hid within it. Yet it only breathed another spark that could catch for the enemy and a devastating fire storm for us.

"What do you think Alina would do now?" I whispered slowly, once again feeling Leila's fingers tightening around mine. Her breath gently tickled the back of my neck as she stood there. Her amber eyes fixated on the isles of ice ahead. The distant white shapes bobbed along the path with the occasional sea creature or bird bursting from the waves to commemorate their catch.

"She's got to go somewhere, if we have to, we can take her home with us. Even with the war, he'll never find her, not even with the help of the villagers," Leila muttered, "But she's got a palace to return to and the broken ranks of the second army, she would have all they need there." I gripped the rails with enough force to turn my pale hands whiter as I blinked back tears.

"There's so much to do and Alina isn't all that willing to help us now," I mumbled, "Not without sacrificing all that we've made. We still can't leave, I told you, I have to. Please just don't ever leave me, will you?" I leaned in closer to her, the memories of the days beforehand still stung as a silent tear slipped down my cheek. A heavy breath escaped my lungs as I drew my arms in tight.

"Never," she breathed, her head pushed itself into a gap between my head and shoulder as she didn't let go of me. I blinked harder at the passing memory as Leila simply stood there. Listening to the piercing wails that echoed throughout the night. I choked back another sob as she held my hand much tighter.

"Are you sure you're okay with this," Leila whispered back, "It's fine, we can tell them to leave us at the docks. We can go back home, without her, without... without having to face the darkness again." Yet while my mind screamed for the soft sheets and bright glow of candles. For the warmth of familiarity. I had said it once, once only and then only.

"I have to Leila; everyone is going to suffer the same consequence. Alina will die without any help, Ravka will fall and then where will we be?" I shot back, "Right back at the start, only with a man who thinks he's doing the right thing and tricked thousands into thinking the same. Yet he doesn't know his thoughts hungered for power."

"We can work something out! You know there's more to Stormhond, you know what the rumours are. There has to be some credibility to them," Leila begged, "Don't destroy yourself because no one else is willing to." Leila was right, she always was. The girl's tears pooled in my palms as I watched her. Always there for me yet was she ever there for herself? Did she lose herself and make me her?

"That's exactly why we should! She's my sister, I won't let her just go off and die," I muttered, "I can't let her do that. She's related to me! This is an obligation made of blood, this is what I signed up for when I made her leave the fold all the years ago. When I met you." With that Leila dropped her arms from me, she took a step back. She looked at my sorrowful face, tears that streamed like waterfalls and choked gasps of what sounded like a dying beast. Then time slipped from me as the hours rushed away just like those painful howls etched into her face.

When I returned from the slumbering peace of time, I was thrown into the dark expanse of the night. Similar but yet so different from what we were so used to. Instead of a simple backdrop with a splash of stars, I only saw a murky and disorienting darkness. Shrieks once again echoed further as the wood beneath me rocked. Billows of wind struck our flapping sail, demons still took flight as their claws scratched the sides and when light flashed around us in its blazing brilliance, it faltered, and the darkness rushed back in.