Memoir of Xayah - The lost sparrow and the lonley fox

[26.2]

The cave appeared again around her, and she realized that she had held her breathe for all the time.
She took some deep breaths, still confused and shocked. She did not understand the reasons for that long and mind-numbing illusion.
« You have to go; the priests will be here soon, » the witch said.
Against every expectation, she felt angry and let it out, in front of that dark creature.
« Are you kidding? I need an explanation, not some stupid images! » she complained.
« I have shown you the path to your tribe. Unfortunately, your mind has not elaborated all the information yet, too weak to immediately embrace all my power. Now make it fast, or you will not see your tribe again. »
She would havestayed there, ready even to shout to understand what she had to do. But the sound of a gong reached the cave, echoing in the walls. She realized her words were real. She had not much time left to go away and have to obey against her will.

She bit a lip for rage and ran toward the platform before she jumped on it. Under her weight, it started to lift. She prepared herself for an attack, so she took two feathers from her wing.
« One last advice... do not get too attached to that Vastaya. »
She turned to the witch, surprised; she could not believe she knew about Ahri. But she was not able to see her for the last time. The cave disappeared from her sight, and the altar replaced it, surrounded by the flavor of the censers. She runs toward the exit. She reached the courtyard, but the sound of an arrow made her dodge. She turned and threw a feather to the archer appeared under the entrance of the temple.
She hit her arm, but she did not seem to feel any pain or to notice the blood that was staining her pale skin.
She was able to throw her second feather and broke her wooden bow before she nocked again.
Neither that action moved her; her face remained inexpressive.
She cursed that place and its priests. She turned to the entrance arch, but she had to stop. Three men were blocking her way, armed with guandao. And she had not heard them.
They had appeared as shadows, taking her by surprise.
She glanced at the walls and considered she could climb over it. She turned right, and the three men follower her. They were trying to stop her escape, caged her between them and the wooden wall.
She quickly tore three feathers and threw them on the ground, in front of them, hoping they would have stopped for a second. Nothing of that happened, they stepped on them as soon they reached the ground.
And she did not have enough time to jump.
If her right arm had all of its strength, she would have made pressure with her hand and quickly climb to the top. At that moment, she had to hope to reach the border. And then she had just to push with her legs and would have been on the other side.
The wall was not so high; she just needed a short run-up and a strong push to lose her chasers. But another arrow flew near her face, blocking her runaway. It was one moment, but it was enough for letting the priests trapping her.
She turned with her heart beating fast. She did not have enough possibilities in that face-off, not with another enemy in the shadows.
She grabbed two feathers, shaking. It was the final attempt before their guandao would have pounced on her body. She saw them lifting in the air and charge the blow that would have killed her. But it never reached her. Their cold blade did not touch her skin; they fell on the ground with a thud.
Three blue flames were floating over the unconscious bodies of the priests. They were full of magical energy that she had already sensed once. They moved away from their victims, headed to the one that had created them.
Ahri was not far from her with an expression hard to read. She could be angry, or she could be worried, but she did not care. The Vastaya was there and had probably saved her life.
She would have run into her arms as a child looking for solace, but she remembered the menace in the shadows.
She moved toward her so she could advise her of the danger, but Ahri's voice echoed in the courtyard.
« Xayah, watch out! »
She understood and turned, scared. She had miscalculated again; she had not thought that her enemy was on the right. The arrow had come from there. She was worried only about the priests with the guandao, and it was her ruin.
She threw her feathers without aiming and was lucky; she hit her opponent eye, making her miss her shoot.
She reached Ahri when the woman threw a magical ball to the archer. The priest fell on the ground, like her fellows, while the Vastaya recalled her energy.
« Go! » Ahri shouted to her, pushing her outside the area of the temple.
She glanced at the courtyard and noticed eight armed men. She could not abandon her.
« They are too much. You can not...»
She did not finish the sentence. Ahri grabbed her arm and dragged her into the forest. She was so quick that she hardly followed her steps.
The woman had no intentions to attack them. Her plan had always been the escape, and she was so stupid to not realized it.
She looked back, worried, but she discovered the priests stopped on the doorway of the Temple of Whispers. They did not dare to go outside. The branches soon covered them, disappearing from her sight.
They went on running inside the forest, down the hillside and through the less traveled trails. She let Ahri guide her. She just wanted to distance that cursed place where she had risked twice her life.
She would have never entered it. She swore it. She gained what she wanted and had no reason to see the witch and the priests again.
Ahri finally stopped and let her go before she took a deep breath. She did the same and relaxed her limbs. The danger was over, but the memories were too fresh from suppressing the fear.
« Have you gone insane? » shouted the Vastaya.
She looked at her without saying a word. She was too confused from the events to give her an answer.
« What the heck were you doing there? Breaking an arm was not enough? »
She was mad. Neither her soft voice could sweeten the rage inside her words.
« I do not... I... »
Her voice died in her throat, sunken by all the thought in her mind. She had just realized how much her actions were dangerous. She was happy to have finally obtained a lead to her tribe. She was also asking herself how Ahri had found her. And she was also conscious that the Vastaya had been worried for her.
Fear caused that outburst, fear that something terrible would have happened to her. It was the same as when her father scolded her for her stupid actions.
She could not hold the sobs and the tears. They were not for her sense of guilt and not for naivety. They started because she knew that nobody would have behaved in such a way, nobody but a person that cared for her.
The same person she would have abandoned for following her mission.
Rage went away from Ahri's eyes, and she came near, reaching out to her.
She moved back, trying to dry her tears. She could not let her comfort her. She did not want to be trapped inside feelings that would have made her suffer.
« Can... can we go back to the cave? Please... »
Ahri nodded, but she noticed the sadness in her eyes.