Lonely One

Chapter 2 - Flying High

××Stormy××

Dew was standing directly in my path, watching me intently with her deep purple eyes. Her stance was unthreatening, as usual, but she was still blocking my way out.

"How'd you know I was leaving?" I asked, setting a glare on my face. How did I not notice her leaving her room after me?

"I didn't until I watched you walk out the door. I was in the sitting room," She explained, taking a few steps towards me.

"How did I not notice you?" I asked, directing the question more to myself than to Dew. She shrugged but answered anyways.

"You looked like you were in a rush."

"Get out of my way," I said, pulling Fallow forward again, planning on just walking around her.

"I'm not going to tell anyone you left. I'll let someone else discover you're gone but I didn't want you to leave without something more than fruit to eat," She explained, holding up a package. I pursed my lips but approached her, taking the offering from her hands.

"Thanks," I mumbled. She nodded and stepped out of the way, letting Fallow and I pass.

"Be careful," She called as I passed through the opening in the fence. Her voice wise beyond her years. I paused but didn't look back. I took that moment to climb onto Fallow's back.

He trotted forward, making his way towards the dense treeline as he increased in speed. Before we even got close, his run turned into a jump and he lifted off the ground. His magic took hold and flew us high into the sky where I directed us towards the closest city, deciding it was a decent place to start. It would get us far enough away from home for me to be able to safely think and plan.

To get there we had to go over the narrow sea that separated us and the rest of Vespear, labeled the Severance Sea by the people living on the other side. It wasn't the easiest task due to the high density of magic protecting Fae Isle but it was made possible by the fairy blood in my veins. Thankfully it was dark and there wouldn't be any one crossing the sea at this hour. There were plenty of nocturnal creatures living on the banks of the sea but none that would bother me. There were only a few who knew of my existance at all since I wasn't very keen on socializing.

As I passed over the sea, I couldn't help but notice the main dock looked lively and warm for once. A ship must have just arrived with goods to trade, meaning wine and meat. The lamps were lit and I could almost make out a small crowd of people. None would ever notice me in the sky above them as drunk as they were.

It looked warm bellow, but sadly the same could not be said for the altitude Fallow and I were flying at. Just in case anyone was outside, we were flying high. That meant the air was quickly growing cold, too cold for my liking. Fallow wasn't having any problems, he had thick fur made for the cold, but I wasn't used to it and wouldn't be able to endure it for much longer.

It felt like it took hours to get across the sea, my want to leave causing it to feel longer than it truly was. The water blended with the land as we flew across the threshold. It didn't feel like we were racing though. Finally, the forest near the city I was aiming for began coming into view.

The trees quickly began growing dense, signalling that we should begin our descent. I clicked my tongue twice and Fallow started heading down. He picked an open area to land and set us on the ground gently.

I glanced around, not exactly sure where we were located in reference to any small villages or houses other than Minril Village. I also wasn't exaclty sure what my plan was for finding a mentor.

I knew of family friends but they'd all snitch on me to Mom and Dad. Mom and Dad would then show up and force me back home. It's what has happened every other time I've left home without telling anyone.

My best bet was probably the orc outpost on the far edge of Vespear. It would be a long travel but a lot closer than some other options. With that decision stored in my brain, I started my search for a place to sleep for tonight. We weren't close enough to the mountains to find a cave so we were stuck on the ground and out in the open.

We trekked a little further in before I chose a large willow tree. They weren't rare in the area but this one was old. It's long, drooping branches allowed the whispy leaves to brush the ground. It made a very natural hideout in case someone did come by this area. I pulled back a group of branches and Fallow filed in, glancing around the hidden area. Moonlight danced across the ground from slats in the leaves above. I gestured to the grassy area, signalling for Fallow to get settled against the large treetrunk. I gave him a moment before sliding my bag off my shoulders and dropping down next to him. I preemptively cringed, knowing we'd be sitting in soaking wet, dew-covered grass by morning.

I slouched back against Fallows warm body, letting him set his head on my lap. I leaned my head back and watched the stars overhead through the small open spaces. The two moons were blocked out by dark clouds but the stars still managed to make an appearance.

Fallow grunted and nudged my head with his wet nose, causing me to smile. I lifted my hand and began scratching behind his ears, knowing that was his sweet spot.

My thoughts drifted back to my family. Mom would come to wake me up when I didn't wake up myself. She would be the one to realize I was gone first. She'd go to Dad and he'd come looking for me.

This time I would make sure they wouldn't find me, not until I was ready.

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Took me like over an hour to get this to 1000 words with fluff. There just wasnt enough content and it was all filled to set the scene