Nydewin

Chapter 6

Chapter 6

I woke the next morning groggily to the sound of birds singing. I rolled over on to my back, and smiled up at the sky, thinking how beautiful it was to wake up to birds. I watched as the sky turned from black to dark blue, to a light blue, signalling the beginning of a new day.

Just then a feeling a dread and disappear washed over me, as I remembered where I was, I sat up to look around, only to have a gust of wind push me back down. My breath was pushed out of me as I hit the ground. I turned my head to find the others were still sleeping soundly. I tried again to sit up, only to be pushed back down again by the same invisible force. when I tried to call out for help, I found that I had no voice. I closed my eyes, took a deep breath and tried not to panic.

When I finally open them again, I found prince Thiajar, stranding over me. I tried to scream again, but nothing came out.

“They are coming! Move” his voice sounded urgent

Then just like that he disappeared like smoke in the wind. I laid there still looking into the empty space where the prince just stood.

“Now!” he screamed at me.

Everyone was startled awake by him this time. I sat up trying to catch my breath.

“What was that?” Sachi asked, looking around worried

“Prince Thiajar.” The name came out raspy

Sachi came over and knelt in front of me “What did he say to you?” she asked one of her hands resting on my shoulder.

I looked up into Sachi’s eyes that I had just now noticed where a brilliant blue colour that complemented her pale skin and blonde hair. How I ever thought she was ordinary looking, escaped me. She was quite beautiful. When I didn’t answer, her face softened slightly.

“Deep breaths like me.” She said. I followed as she took a deep breath in then let it out again. “good, good.” she smiled at me “First time seeing a ghost?” she asked

I shook my head “no, he and my grandmother were there when I came through the portal.” I answered. Surprised by how better my voice sounded

“It gets easier, I promise.” She said still smiling “but I need you to tell me what he said.”

“He just said ‘they are coming,’ and that we needed to move.”

Sachi nodded. She stood and turned to the others.

“They are closer than we thought, we need to get moving.”

I looked up at the woman, wondering what had happened for her to change from angry and stuck up to sweet and humble overnight. I got to my feet shakily and started packing my stuff, while the others, argued about where to go. I noticed a small movement on the edge of the forest. And watched as the wolf walked out of the forest, he walked straight to me and started rubbing up against me. I reached out and patted the wolf roughly on his shoulder. Then I felt the wolfs mind,  probing my mind shield asking entrance.

“morning.” I thought to the wolf

“would you relay a message to the others for me?” he asked

I nodded to the wolf

“Tell them, they need to get to the Black Crows Clan.”

I turned towards the others “Hey Benita.” They all looked at the wolf surprisingly “The wolf says we need to get to the Black Crows Clan.”

Benita frowned, before saying “Of course Alpha Daeveth!” then looked down at the wolf, “I don’t know what you didn’t just tell us yourself.”

The wolf turned and walked back the way he had come from. I looked at Benita, waiting for an explanation, but none came. What had she meant by that?

“Seems we go north.” Benita spoke more to the others then me

I heard Taril grumble something about dishonest shifters. In no time at all the camp was packed up and we were off.

We walked at a steady pace, quietly, until the sun was in the middle of the sky, indicating midday. I had felt the sun bashing down on my head for the last hour, my mouth had become dry and my head was starting to ache. So, I was more than pleased when we all sat down under a large oak tree to rest. By now, all I could think about was food, and water. I hadn’t eaten since the night before and the walk had taken most of my energy. Scared to ask about food I tried to think about something else. That was until my stomach growled loudly.

Taril looked at me and laughed. “here” he said handing me what looked like a piece of jerky.

“What is it?” I asked looking at it suspiciously.

 I looked up a Taril to see him laughing silently at me. Benita slapped him on the arm

“It’s the root from a special plant, only grown on fairy grounds.” Benita said, taking a bite of her own piece as if to prove the point.

I took a small bite of my own piece, worried how it might taste. After chewing on the small bite for a while, I took another slightly larger bite, and concluded that the root, had little flavour. I finished the small piece of root, happy with the way it had filled my empty stomach. And left me feeling hydrated. All too soon after eating, we were up and walking again.

Benita and Sachi walked side by side, deciding the pace. I followed only a few steps behind Taril. everyone was quite again. Breaking the silence, I did a quick step to catch up to Taril “thanks for lunch.” I said smiling up at him.

“your welcome.” He said, smiling back at me. Just then I noticed that his teeth were all slightly longer and sharper than a human reminding me a little of vampires. His eyes where a slivery blue, that sent a shiver up my spine. Even his pale skin seemed to shimmer in the day light.

“where is it grown?” I asked trying to make convocation.

Taril’s eyes lit up “They are harvested from a special plant that can only been grown by fairies in a fairy grove.” Taril handed me another small piece “each small piece of root, will trick your stomach into thinking it is full, but at the same time, replenish all your nutritionist needs.”

“trick?” I asked confused

“well of course,” he smiled widely at me, showing of his pointed teeth “you didn’t think that you could truly get full on such a small piece?”

“I didn’t actually think about it.” I confessed

“It’s okay, when we stop for dinner, I will prepare a proper meal for us.”

And just like that we were walking in silence again. Taril continued to walk beside me. I could tell by his strange gate that, he had to slow himself, to do so though. Benita and Sachi walked a few meters in front, bickering and laughing at something. I rolled my eyes at them and smiled.

“cute couple.” I said out loud

Taril looked at me confused

“Benita and Sachi.” I said pointing at the two

Taril laughed “they aren’t a couple, they are just good friends, have been for years now.”

I raised an eyebrow at Taril “They are in love,”

Taril looked from me to the girls and back wide eyed. “They haven’t told me any of this.” He sounded a little sad.

“I don’t even think they know.” I said watching them

“Well how do they not know.” Taril sounded annoyed now

“They will figure it out on their own,” I said smiling at Taril “if not we will have to tell them.”

I had started to feel more comfortable with my new friends, there was something about them that felt familiar, which was defiantly making it easier to get along with them. We were quite for a little while longer before Taril turned and looked at me frowning

“What?” I asked

“How much do you know?” the question was vague

“about what?”

“About Nydewin?” he asked

I moved my gaze from Taril and started kicking a rock “I honestly don’t know what I know, I only remember certain things as I need the knowledge.” I answered

I looked up at a very silent Taril, who was frowning thoughtfully at his feet.

“For example, just by talking to you, I know fairies despite their sharp teeth don’t eat meat, that their teeth are designed for fighting.” Taril gave me a crocked half smile “I also know that your pale skin is a glamour.”

Taril froze, looking at me wide eyed at me “How?” his voice was a slight whisper that I had to struggle to hear.

“I notice that when the sun hits your skin at certain angles, it stops shimmering enough for my eyes to see through the magic, and I see your pale green tinned skin.”

Taril looked over at the others, looking slightly frightened, and dangerous.

He lent in very close to whisper in my eye “Please don’t tell anyone, if they were to know, they would treat me differently.” He straightened himself to look down at me searching my eyes for understanding.

I smiled up at the fairy and nodded.

Satisfied with my answer we started off again at a steady pace. It wasn’t too much longer before I wanted to ask Taril a question but couldn’t quite figure out how to say it.

“What is it?” He laughed looking at me “What has you making that face?”

I looked startled at the fairy, “I’m not making a face!”

“You are,” he winked “Now what question do you have that needs answering?”

It took me a moment to gain the courage before I could say anything, and after wards I hopped that I would not offend the fairy or say something I shouldn’t have “I didn’t think fairies were meant to be so tall.”

Taril smile widened but it wasn’t he who answered

“Fairies can change their appearances, to make themselves look more appealing.” Sachi said winking at Taril playfully.

Just then, there was a loud screech from a raven flying above us.

“What do you want now?” Benita asked sounding annoyed

I looked at her, wondering if she had started to lose her mind.

When I looked at Taril for answers, he pointed to the Raven, “Cormac”

The name hit me like a brick to the chest. Then a flash back of one of my dreams, started running through my head. I started thinking about the fox and his blue eyes, that I had left behind at home. Then the red wolf and his matching blue eyes, my mind was trying to tell me something but I couldn’t put all the pieces together, there were too many missing.

“I called the blue-eyed fox that lead me to the portal, Cormac.” I said looking up at the raven. “after having a dream about being a raven.” I looked back at the others who were all looking at me open mouthed “Well kind of, I was a shifter.”

Taril was pulling a face, that showed all too well that he wasn’t happy “He didn’t tell you?” he asked

“Tell me what?” I asked, feeling confused and uncomfortable.

“Cormac come down here now and tell her the truth. Or I will.” Taril yelled up at the raven.

Now I was really confused. Everyone had seemed to have lost their minds.

But even as I watched the raven, making its way down to us and it hovered in front of me a moment, realisation hit me. I felt my breath shallowing, my head was starting to spin.

“please don’t be angry.” That voice again.

The raven then shifted into the wolf that had shown me how to shift, then continued to shift into the blue-eyed fox that I had grown attached to over the last week. Before finally shifting into a very tall, very handsome, dark haired man. I felt my breath catch in my chest, I felt the blood drain from my face, before I felt myself staring to fall. I felt my eyes close as I waited to hit the ground. Instead I felt strong warm arms wrap around me. When I finally took a breath, I noticed that the air was filled with the scent of pine needles and cherry blossoms. The warmth radiating from the body holding me was starting to become unbearable.

I finally opened my eyes slowly, hopping it was all just another crazy dream. But it wasn’t. I was now looking up into beautiful bright blue sapphire eyes, framed by lightly tanned skin and pitch-black hair.

“Cormac?” My voice was not much more than a whisper.