Twelve Realms

Chapter 10

Aerid

A faint drizzle filters through the tree branches above me, making me wish, for about the fiftieth time today, that I had a house to go back to and warm up in. 

But you don't, I tell myself, and keep moving. I figure I lost the trail of the soldiers long enough ago that it would be safe for me to move on the ground, except the light but constant rain has left the ground thoroughly dampened, and transformed the dirt into highly impressionable mud, and I'd be kidding myself if I said the soldiers won't come through here again. It might not be for a while, but they'll come back. 

Besides, moving through the treetops is helpful. I stumbled across an unguarded bird's nest this morning and the three eggs it contained made a small but wonderful breakfast. And I'm nearly to my destination-- the southwest corner of the Realm where there's a patch of rocky cliff in which I hope to find a cave and make a permanent settlement. 

The rain has begun to intensify, from a misty fizz to fat, undeniable drops that splash onto my face and make it harder to concentrate. The water will make it harder to move, but it won't stop me completely.

I wonder how Mama Dulci is doing. I pray that all the soldiers ended up chasing after me, which gave her time to get to safety. I hope that's what happened. Even if it's not very likely. A rush of anger fills me. For the soldiers. For the nobility, but most of all for the king. What kind of a ruler is he? What kind of a man is he?

When your Realm is thrown into misfortune and famine, who blames the Trickster for causing bad luck? And who constantly raids and punishes the village he hasn't lived in for years? What kind of a king constantly shifts the blame and points fingers, instead of trying to do something, anything to help? 

Why does he deserve to be in power? Why does he deserve to be allowed in this Realm? 

The rain is getting steadily stronger, and winds are beginning to blow. Soldiers be damned, I have to at least move to a lower part of the tree or I'll be blown off and splatter on the forest floor. 

The rain is lashing at my face so intensely now that I can barely see. The branches are shaking from the wind and slippery. My hand reaches for a branch and closes on thin air. I tip forward and fall downwards. 

The ground comes rushing up to meet me faster than I expected, and it is a shock. The wind is knocked from my lungs and I feel like something in my chest is broken. Which is significant, because I can barely feel my chest at all. 

I lie there, waiting for the Templebringers to find me and take me to the border. But it's been too long. The Templebringers would not take this long. So I must not be damaged enough to be taken into the next Realm.

I push myself onto my hands and knees, and the effort of that makes my head spin. 

I begin to crawl. I have no idea where I'm going, it's growing dark, the rain is so thick I can barely see, but I need to get out of the open. If those soldiers find me, they won't take pity on me because I'm injured. 

I crawl for what seems like eternity. Suddenly, I hear footsteps, and see human legs in front of me. I should try and run, but at this point, I'm so exhausted that I'd rather just let them take the rest of my segment. I have eleven more. I'll be fine.

Instead, I hear a voice. A kind voice. A female voice.

"Are you alright?" the voice asks me. 

"No," I groan. It hurts to talk. 

"Here, let me help you."

Suddenly, I'm being dragged upwards, my arm is being thrown over a pair of shoulders, and I'm being moved.