The Bluebird Of Adelion

Chapter 13- The True Witch

I opened my eyes again when the sun had risen and lighted the room up with a beautiful, yellow glow. The white bed covers were cold and thin but I didn't mind.

I sat up and realized I was alone when I looked around me. I wasn't tired anymore, the amount of sleep I had gotten in the last 24 hours was enough to cure anything. I was still wearing the white gown and I felt the forget-me-not still pressed to my chest.

The white gown reminded me of the unwanted kiss, there was nothing I liked about it anymore. I frowned and stood up, looking for anything else to wear. There was a small closet in one side my room which I hoped contained some clothes for me.

I made my way to it and opened it, greeted by a full closet of dresses, shirts and skirts. I quickly undressed and threw the previously worn gown on the floor with a contempt look. Then I picked out a white, long sleeved shirt and a grey wool skirt that reached the middle of my calves. Those colors seemed to be mandatory here, the servants wore grey and and I had always seen Sythel in a white or silver suit. That reminded of the clothes worn in my short time at Adelion; most people wore blue shades of colors. The three kingdoms probably all had their own colors. Mara the Crowned Serpent had worn a green dress at the Crowning so that was probably the color of Brynn.

The wool skirt fit my waist perfectly but the white shirt sleeves were way too long so I folded them up to my forearms. I took the blue flower from the gown on the floor and put it in a skirt pocket. It was still as fresh and beautiful as the day Cal picked it, it should have been dead by now. When I was putting on my old leather boots the doors were opened again, without a knock. 

Cal walked inside with a big food trey in his hands. He pushed the door open with his foot and gave me a friendly smile as he entered. I stood up straight and returned his smile. My eyes then traveled to the delicious food he was holding; bread, fruits and something that looked like porridge. 

"Hope you slept well, Avery. I went and got us breakfast," Cal said as he walked closer and sat the trey down on the side table next to my unmade bed. He didn't say it but he looked at me like a poor, hurt animal.

"Cal, I'm perfectly fine. You don't need to worry so much about me," I said with a reassuring smile as I walked up to the food trey and grabbed a red, sweet tasting fruit and a slice of dark, rough bread.

I heard him chuckling a bit more relaxed. "I am your Guardian, it's kind of my job to worry about you," Cal replied and joined me, sitting down on the bed and grabbing a slice of bread.  

We finished our food pretty quickly, wiping our mouths with our hands after. Then Cal asked me: "So what do you want to do today, miss Bluebird?"

"I'm not sure. But I don't want to stay inside this Castle all day. Let's go outside."

Cal gave me concerned look as he replied. "Are you sure? What if someone recognizes you?"

"I know but we're here under the protection of the Silverwolf, right? We have every right to walk around a bit," I said and threw my head back in frustration.

"Alright, I guess you're right. Let's go then, but only for a short while" Cal agreed, standing up and rubbing his hands together. I joined him with an exited smile. Who knew what Hearth had to offer?

We left the Castle without telling anybody, in case they wanted to keep us here. We were just going out for a harmless stroll.

The streets were filled with more life this time around than I had seen before, laughing children running around, women with product filled baskets coming from the market and men working on selling stands, building houses and leading around their horses. It was getting colder outside, I was a bit chilly in my rather thin shirt but I didn't let it bother me too much.

We walked through the torch lit street market, the air filled with the mixed smell of food and animals. The clamoring sound of dozens of people talking business and small talk in our ears. It was lovely. We walked past numerous different selling stands, offering food, clothing and jewellery. A big space was solely for horse selling, countless beautiful, tall stallions and mares waiting for new owners, their neighing filling the air.

One stand, the biggest on I had seen here, was the most surprising. It seemed to be selling drakes. On the stand table were big, colored eggs; white, red, blue and green though the green ones were the fewest, only five of them. Next to the eggs were two dozen small cages with baby drakes of the same colors as the eggs, they were as small as little cats.

I stopped in front of the drake stand, my eyes wide with surprise. The seller was a middle aged, grey haired man with a big, Santa Claus-y belly and a beard. He saw the look on my face and saw a selling opportunity.

"Are you looking for a drake, young lady? I have anything you can want, saddles, training bands, scale cleaning products, you name it."

"I'm just looking, thanks I.." the seller cut me off with more offers and I heard Cal chuckling beside me.

"I take you for the Emerald Drake type, the rarest ones." he said and pointed me to a small, green baby dragon in one of the cages.

"But I've got Rubies and Sapphires too," he continued, referring to the red and the blue drakes.

I was completely astonished by the beautiful little drakes, growling and scratching the floor of their cages. I would have bought one if I hadn't come to senses and realized I had no use for my own drake, no matter how much I wanted one. How cool would it be to have a pet dragon?

Cal put his hand on my shoulder as he said to the seller: "Thanks for the offer but we're not looking for a drake."

The man grunted and replied in a gravelly voice: "Suit yourself then," as he looked for his next victim in the crowd.

We went on through the lively market without buying anything, just taking in the busy atmosphere together. When we had almost reached out of the market an into the more calm part of town, closer to the Castle, the worst possible thing happened.

A rather old woman yelled out loud and pointed at us with a crooked finger. "That's her! That's the witch impostor! I saw her with my own eyes at the Crowning!"

The old woman collected the attention of at least twenty people, more and more as she shouted louder. "She's the witch who poisoned the Bluebird's crown!"

Panic filled me up as more and more eyes glared at us, closing in to bare the witch eyes. I didn't know what to do. I grabbed Cal's shirt sleeve as he put his hands before him in a protective position. "No, you're wrong. You're mistaking her for someone else," he said with a loud and steady voice.

But another man joined the accusation and pointed his own hand at me. "No, she's right. That is the witch!" 

I looked around at the people coming closer and an agreeing clatter broke out. They were all convinced I was the infamous impostor Bluebird.

The clatter broke out into a angry shouting contest, all competing to get the higher accusations. "She's dangerous!", "What is that witch doing in our city?", "She should be imprisoned!", "Kill the witch!"

There was no way out of this now. Cal tried to defend us with his own words but I doubted anyone heard or wanted to hear. Stones were beginning to get thrown at us, some of the hitting their mark on my body.

I tried to cover my face to protect it from the flying stones. That's why I didn't see it coming soon enough. The wooden arrow that flew at me with lightning speed, headed straight for my heart. Someone had taken the liberty to execute the witch himself.

I didn't see it in time to duck away. But I did open my eyes soon enough to see the arrow get swallowed up by a ball of flame, leaving it to fall to the ground in a form of ashes.

I looked behind me, amazed to still be alive. What I saw was eve more surprising than the arrow. 

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