|[ THE FAERI'S KEEPER ]|

Chapter 1: Armour - Part II

“Show yourself!” Renila demanded, sounding slightly unnerved. She turned on the spot, trying to find me in the darkness. I wondered if my eyes reflected the light but her gaze passed me without notice. Her neck was briefly protected again. I held the arrow in place, waiting for her to turn. I only had one shot. If I missed she would know where I was and I would have to flee. She looked my way once more as I took a step closer and my eyes met hers, a clash of blue and green. I breathed out as I released the arrow.

Renila of the Faeri Guard dropped like a stone sinking in water, hitting the ground with a clank as her armour bunched together underneath her. I sorely hoped no other Faeri Guards were about or had heard her voice and come searching. It wasn’t that I couldn’t outrun them, or fight free, but I wanted the armour, and I wouldn’t be able to obtain it in the midst of a fight. I ran to her and the dimming light of her staff. She was breathing very slightly but she wasn’t going to be alive for much longer. As I moved to take her staff her hand whipped out and clamped down like a vice. A choking sound came from her throat as he eyes pierced me like a shard of ice. A moment later the hand slipped loose and her body fell limp. Slightly unnerved I grabbed the staff and raised it above her the light shone out brighter and I examined her armour closely.

A steel corset-like bodice covered her chest and stomach with a leather under-lining. There were rough, sturdy leather bracers on her forearms while steel plates covered her biceps. A chainmail skirt fell halfway down her thighs over tough green pants and strong leather boots rose up to underneath her knees. There were black fingerless gloves on her hands and a flowing green-blue cape on her shoulders. It was the perfect armour for me. I checked for weapons but she only had her staff and a short hunting knife. I quickly slipped the knife into a pocket.

I began pulling the boots from her feet when there was the sound of dogs barking, drawing my attention. I glanced up from the Faeri and looked away into the darkness. A few lights flashed and disappeared as people hurried through the trees, their trunks looking like grim soldiers walking to war.

“Shit.” I said under my breath. I had to move fast. I was a quick runner, but their dogs were quicker. And they were vicious.it wouldn’t take much to kill them, but they would no doubt cause far more trouble than it was worth.  I kicked my too-small boots off and laced hers on. It was a relief to wear shoes that didn’t pinch my feet. I also stole her bodice, bracers, greaves and cloak. I grabbed her helm as a last thought and shoved it on my head. Long pointed ears were revealed, emerging from her silvery hair.

I quickly swept everything into my arms and started running, leaving the staff and its dimming light beside her. The trees passed like shadows, only their outlines visible. I reached my tree and felt around behind the bark to find the knob. My fingers scrabbled at smooth bark. Shit, wrong tree. I cursed myself. If only I had left the stairs down. Over my shoulder I saw the figures of my pursuers and their hounds moving in and out of the spots of light. There was the clink of chains and I knew the hounds hadn’t been given free reign yet. I still had a chance to out run them. A bracer fell out of my grip and dropped to the ground with a soft thud. The dogs bayed and I could hear them running towards me, their chains straining and creaking. I hastily took off my bow and quiver and began pulling the bodice over the top of my clothes. If I had to fight I wanted to have protection.

When I had tightened the bracers around my wrists and placed the steel platelets over my shoulder I fastened the cloak at my throat and returned the quiver to my back and nocked an arrow. The bodice was slightly too big, built for something one with a bigger bust and broader shoulders, but I didn’t care. It would do. I started running, searching for my tree.   I had a trail of marks on the trunks leading me to it, small gashes irregularly placed on the wood.

As the Faeris came closer flashes of light glanced off the trunk and I could see the three scratches I had made.

I was only a few trees away. I turned to the left and ran to the next tree. A similar mark was visible at the bottom of the tree. I continued on in such a fashion until I reached my tree.

The feeling of pushing the button that called down the stairs filled me with relief and I hurtled up the stairs, two at a time. There was a sudden anguished shout.

“Monsters!” a male voice yelled, “They’ve killed Renila!” other angered shouts, varied throughout the trees. More staffs lit up, flooding the earth between the trees with cold pure light. There were lots of them… everywhere. The relief was replaced by a racing heart-beat and worry. If they found my tree… if they found me… I was a good archer, but I was not so good when it came to close combat, and nor did I have a sword. I had to hope they wouldn’t find me.

“Oh Felinir, let me live to the end of this hunt.” I whispered, looking up at the roof the hut, “Please.Mīla, don’t let them find me.”

There was the sound of chains being unhooked and the footfalls of dogs as they bounded towards me. They had my scent, I knew. They would lead the Faeris straight to me. I glanced down through a small gap in the wall through the branches and saw three of the dogs snuffling at the base of the tree, growling. I cursed them, stupid beasts, and tried to think of what to do. I could shoot them all now and that would shut them up, but I would lose three arrows and then the Faeris would know for sure I was here. A few moments later the Faeris themselves appeared

“What have you found?” a male Faeri with black hair asked. He had similar armour to Renila’s, just built for a man. He also had the same, faint accent that she had possessed. He kneeled down beside the tree and examined its base closely. The staffs were lighting up the area like a beacon and I knew it was only a matter of time.

Shit, shit, shit. What if he found the button? I lifted my bow to aim out the window and released the arrow far into the night. The sound of it slicing through a branch of leaves and hitting the ground caught the dogs’ attention and set them off, howling after it. Their sleek black coats made them almost invisible in the night.

The Faeris followed after them in haste and I was eventually left in silence. I slid to the ground and sat there, staring at the opposite wall, too relieved to move. My muscles had turned to jelly, my bones to sludge and I could do nothing but sit and be thankful that the Faeris hounds were more brawn than brain.

That had been far too close. I wiped away the sweat that had beaded on my forehead and waited for my heart-rate to slow. Even ten minutes later it was thudding too fast in my throat, pressing against my windpipe. I struggled in short quick breaths as the adrenaline drained from my system.

Slowly I took off my new armour and examined every inch of it. I saw that what I had thought was just steel was actually layers of leather and steel, tightly packed. It was very strong and light and I knew I would no longer be injured by foolish farmers who mistook me for a common thief. I had taken one more thing from the Faeri Empire, and even though only one Faeri had died I felt triumphant. I had protection.

“Thank you, Mīla,” I whispered, looking at the polished steel, “Felinir.”

I had armour.