|[ THE FAERI'S KEEPER ]|

Chapter 8: Leaving

The circular room was made of stone walls, with green lichen webbing out across the stones. Water dripped slowly from an unknown source, a constant drumming. It could have been a  large room, but the shadows lurking in the edges left only a small section of the room visible. A single chair stood in the centre, also made of stone. Moss cushioned it and more lichen spiralled across the floor from it, spreading out in green rivers between cracks in the flagstones. A man sat upon it, his head bowed, face shrouded by darkness. But even in the blackness there was a dark glint where his eyes were.

“Find them.” The man whispered softly, his voice charming and smooth, “Find the Archer and the Trinstone Prince.” A raven cawed loudly and fluttered out from the somewhere in the shadows and out through the single window. It was like a heavy wind had blasted through the wind as the shadows seemed to waver and more ravens appeared from the darkness and disappeared out the window. “Bring them to me.”

***

I sighed as Cedric once again tugged on my sleeve, his grip on my arm becoming all too familiar.

“What?” I snarled, turning to face him. I wanted to slap him so badly.

“We’re meant to be going to Thalandor!” he protested, trying to pull me in the right direction. I jerked my arm out of his grip and resumed my steady path east. “At least tell me where it is you’re taking me.” Cedric cried, jogging behind me.

“You don’t need to know.” I said loudly, “I am being paid to keep you safe. I am doing that job.”

“But…”

“Be thankful I haven’t already turned on you and slit your throat!” I exploded, “We are not going to Thalandor! You will be recognised and captured, and that means I will be too. I do not want to spend the rest of my life stuck in a dungeon cell with you. I will not be captured because I went soft and started helping the enemy.”

“We aren’t your enemy,” Cedric said softly, his eyes still slightly wide and shocked, “You’re a Faeri too.”

“Halfling,” I corrected sharply, “Not a full Faeri. And that’s even if your father’s story is true.”

“It is true.” Cedric persisted, “You even look like him.”

“Like who?” I snorted, “Your father? I don’t think so.”

“No, the king of Thalandor. Your uncle. He’s a Faeri. He’s your family.”

“I will never accept him as my family.” I growled, “It was him who got my mother and father killed, along with your father, and even if he hadn’t intended to he still could have stepped in and taken care of me, stopped me from living in fear for 12 years. Do you know what it’s like to be 12 and to have lost your parents? To have to go hide away in the forest every night through the freezing cold until I found that lookout?”

“You’re not the only one who has lost a loved one.” Cedric said coldly, “I too lost a parent.”