The Song of Blood and Bone

Chapter five

The worst had happened and yet the town began about their normal selves. The loyal customers of the tavern went to a different one down the street while the sea dragon stood on its last leg. Everyone seemed to have forgotten the events that took place three days ago. The fire that was purposely set to kill all inside. They hadn’t found who had done it, but no one seemed to care anymore. However Aliyah still visited the half burned down tavern, her heart aching with dread. Rowyn had been in there during the fire, but the towns people were too late. Everyone had tried to break the chains but after so long they decided to break the door. She had gotten there just in time to see the final flames extinguished.

Aliyah now stood there in the building reliving the moment her heart broke to a thousand pieces. With hesitation she put her hand on the table that had almost been completely burned, but doused with water just in time to save the carved initials A + R. Aliyah cursed herself because that night Rowyn wasn’t supposed to be at the tavern, but she had asked him to go. She asked him to go and it weighed on her mind since she got the heart wrenching news.

A low whistle pierced through Aliyah’s dreadful thoughts. Some women with their children were walking down the street whistling a soft tune. One of the older kids, about 11, stopped and looked at Aliyah. The little boy gave her a look of pity with a soft smile he was dressed for school with his nice button up shirt an slacks. Everything about the boy was neat except for his hair. It was unlike other’s, he medium length hair that was so curly it was practically untamable. Aliyah smiled back at the boy and he ran off to catch up with his mother.

Then as if on cue Hayden walked in, and gave Aliyah a shocked look. “What happened?” His brown hair was neatly combed compared to its normal mess and his golden eyes seemed to shine brighter today. Even his clothes were neat, his black slacks, white shirt and black cloak seemed so neatly placed that it enraged Aliyah. Though she did not know why she felt her blood boil and her heart pound harder in her chest. Slowly she started to walk towards him with her fists clenched.

“Do not pretend like you do not know.” She said softly her voice breaking. “Do not tell me you don’t know what happened. I.. I know you did something.” Aliyah began to sob. Aliyah began to hit Hayden in grief. “You killed him!” She sobbed and swung at his stomach. “You hurt him!” She swung again. “You.. you did it.” She sobbed harder with each punch until she fell to the ground. “I.. I did it.” Hayden looked at her with sadness as she confessed her secret. He didn’t know what to do so he sat next to her with a fresh black eye, a bruise on his cheekbone, and several scrapes. He brought her into his arms and began to hum a soft tune.

Eventually Aliyah calmed but even then she enjoyed the comfort and the ruse in her mind that Hayden was Rowyn. She imagined that he didn’t leave that night, that they stayed together. Like most facades hers faded and she was left with the harsh reality that he was indeed dead. Her heart ached.

“He’s gone, Rowyn is gone.”

“I know of the anger in your heart Aliyah, my wife,” Hayden began. “My wife was a beautiful woman and her heart was as pure as gold. Just her name could calm the storm that manifested over the years. Camil was my very reason for living and she still is. I’m not going to lie to you. It doesn’t go away, the anger, but it does get easier after awhile.”

They sat there in silence for awhile as Aliyah took in his words, she didn’t know if he spoke the truth, but she had a feeling he was. The way his voice was soft, soothed her and she would believe if he had told her he saw a donkey fly. “Tell me about her?” She didn’t know why she asked this, but she didn’t feel like she needed to explain so she just waited for his answer.

“I had met her when I was just a boy. My Mam watched her while her father was away at work, her Mam died during the birth. This made us as close as a leaf to a tree, but as nature has it we were separated for years. I was sent away to a school to be a soldier and she was sent to be a healer. As luck had it the war ended just as we completed our studies, I was free to go back to Visania-its no longer a village. When I returned we reconnected as if time wasn’t lost, she taught me to heal. I had suspected for awhile I had the gifts of a healer but I wasn’t certain. She helped me grow and develop my healing until I became well known for them. However during that time we began to blossom love and it grew until I asked her tor her hand. Fifty years later she passed away from old age. Though it wasn’t tragic it still felt like the end of the world, but eventually I learned how to breathe again. The anger never left and it still hasn’t, the anger and hate I had for myself faded into anger at the universe for making me immortal and her mortal.”

Aliyah looked up at Hayden and her eyes widened. After surveying his injuries she felt terrible. “I am so sorry.”

“Don’t be I’m a healer, Aliyah.”

She nodded than got up from the ground. Aliyah began to apologize but Hayden quickly stopped her.

“I’ll go with you, to save the Kingdom. I- I need to be trained first, but I will try to do it.”

Hayden c****d his head to the side. “Why now?”

“I cannot be here. I cannot be where he is, everything I have here is him and I don’t have the strength yet. And I could not save him so maybe I can atone by helping Volalela.”

“Okay,” Hayden nodded not daring to press of fight with her harder.

Aliyah closed her eyes for a moment before parting was with him so that she can get her bags packed. She would leave with Hayden in the morning but as of tonight it would be the last night with her siblings.

………………

Leslie yawned and Aliyah threw a grape at her. “Score!” Piper yelled as it fell perfectly into Leslies mouth. Bradley and their parents had already gone to bed and something told Aliyah that Leslie was next so she quickly ushered Piper to bed.

Once the door was safely closed behind them the two crawled into bed. Though Aliyah didn’t have the intention of sleeping. She silently waited for Leslie to go to bed as she listened to the owls outside. Listening to owls didn’t drown out Aliyah’s thoughts for long.

The heart warming laugh pierced the air and Aliyah began to laugh too. After the two calmed down from their laughing fit they looked back at each other. Rowyn smiled at her softly.

“I haven’t laughed that hard in awhile,” Aliyah confessed. It was true times have been hard on her family, with the harvest not growing.

Rowyn nodded at her. “Nor have I. But every now and then its good to let it out. To laugh so hard tears come to your eyes. So smile so hard that your cheeks hurt.” Rowyn cackled and Aliyah shook her head with a little laugh.

“You’re insane,” Aliyah proclaimed but she had to admit that he was right. Aliyah laid back into the tall grass and looked towards the clouds. Silently she began to look for clouds in funny shapes. Until she spotted the one that reminded her of dancing. Immediately she thought of Rowyn, there was no one shed rather dance with other than Rowyn.

She rolled until her body collided with Rowyn’s, she got up on her elbow and kissed him. When she pulled back Rowyn’s face was bright red.

“I.. I’m so sorry.” Rowyn broke her off with another kiss, it was deep and hungry. Eventually they lay back entangled in each other, happy.

Aliyah broke herself off of the memory and quietly got up. If she could go back she would, but deep down she knew that it could never happen. From the closet she grabbed two bags she threw a few of her dresses in it until she realized, she would need men’s clothes. With the silence of a mouse Aliyah snuck into Bradleys room and took some clothes and a belt. Aliyah snuck back out and filled the bag with the coins she hid behind the cabinet. Then without looking back she left. Instead of walking towards the town she walked west of it.

After a little while of walking Aliyah found a big oak tree. It looked ancient, like it had some stories to tell. With a little huff Aliyah sat down and put her hand on the rough bark. Rowyn had always loved the trees he always said ‘Each tree has its own story.’ Most of the time Aliyah thought that he was just insane but looking at this tree she felt differently.

Aliyah looked at the sun that barely peeked out of the trees. But she knew she should get going. With a last thought towards the tree she finished the last bit of her trail towards the abandoned house. There stood Hayden in his normal wear and a man with bright red hair.

“Aliyah, are you okay?” Hayden asked.

“As okay as I’ll ever be.” She smiled at the two men.

“This is Avyil. He’s an old friend of mine, should we get it on our way?” Aliyah nodded. She took her place behind Hayden.

“There is still one matter to be handled. How will I train? If I am heading into a war I need to know how to fight.” Hayden and Avyil stopped, looked at each other and turned.

“Avyil is better at hand to hand, once he believes you’re ready to move on to more I can teach you the rest. We have to get on a boat to reach Havana.”

“I thought we were going to Volalela.” They began to walk again.

“We will be but we cannot succeed without an army or support. We will go to Havana to meet a few old friends of ours. Anyway, in the morning you will train, through out the day you’ll train and at night you will spar, to test what you’ve learned.”

“Okay, how far till we reach the shore?”

“Its about a four day walk from here. We will have to go through Volalela, in which we will set a ruse. Hayden and I are allies of Lynce, we will pretend to be gathering Allies in favor of him.” Avyil said.

“So who will I be?”

“You’ll be Lillian, an assassin.”

Aliyah nodded and continued walking. “So Avyil, what do I need to do first?”

“We’ll start by running, you need to tap into your Fae abilities. Typically they’re unlocked when the Fae is young, but since your family hid the secret it hasn’t shown itself. We need to know what ability you have. Or abilities in some cases.” Avyil said. He seemed to know quite a bit about the Fae.

“Wouldn’t I have the same abilities as my parents? And why would running help?” Aliyah asked.

“Sometimes its unlocked through exhaustion, tragedy, emotional exhaustion, anger, or even pain. In the dark days most unlocked their abilities when their mate was slaughtered,” Hayden said.

“Is that how you unlocked yours?”

Hayden grew quiet and Avyil put his hand on Hayden’s shoulder. “She wasn’t my mate. I unlocked my abilities when I met her. Healing. I heal people.”

Aliyah nodded and then Hayden and Avyil began to run. She groaned but ran after them.