The Legend of Lost Aulta

21. White Horse, Red Blood

HALIMA

Halima could not remember many things. The hum of a laugh, the smile of her sisters, the song of the larks. The feeling of water, lapping against her skin, swaying her clothes as they bound around her.

She could remember him. A boy with freckles like constellations, dotting his face, and when she looked she swore she could see Orion's Belt across the bridge of his nose. She remembered the gap between his two front teeth, big enough to fit a penny in. She remembered his hair, short and in his eyes, which gazed trustingly towards her like he had known her for a very long time. Perhaps like he had known her better than she did.

"Halima? Is that really you?"

"Who are you?"

"You don't remember?"

Boys had come and gone, but none of them stayed the way Mikail did. He was gone, and yet he was always there, in every step the Vila took, in every breath, in every whistle of the wind. It was his life, suspended in a singular moment, his soul fleeting through the wind like a stray twig. There, and then gone.

Now was not the moment to remember. Now, it was the moment to learn.

Hearing the scream, Halima remembered a promise, a promise that she had made to herself not so long ago.

She would never let anyone die again. Not if she could help it.

"What was that?" Immediately, Ronnie was onto his feet, braced like he had been plunged into battle, "Tsarevich?"

There was a silence as the group scrambled to their feet, the evening sun melting behind them. Yulia pulled Feliks upward, securing his crutches under his arms.

"Tsarevich?" Yelled Ronnie, again, and when no answer came, he cursed, striding forward. And then, three figures crashed out of the darkness of the conclave.

Tsarevich Eadric stumbled, holding his hands out as his only defence- they had set their weapons down along with their packs. Behind him were two creatures, human in their stature, wrapped in black rough spun tunics, scarfs covering their necks, and for one of them, their head.

Their eyes were dark, the depths of a forgotten pool. And there was something in them that Halima recognised, something that she knew too well- hunger.

And then, they bared their teeth.

"It's not me you should be going after!" Shrieked Eadric, his tall frame stumbling backwards and almost crashing into her, "the humans are right there!"

"Eadric!" Cried Yulia, as the creatures veered closer.

Halima's senses kicked in. She was a Vila, and she knew demonic creatures such as these, the hunger in their eyes for something, something human. Their eyes dark, their hair silver and plastered to their faces, Halima knew what they were, as well as she knew hunger, as well as she knew the guilt she carried with her. She knew that, like all demons, they did not go for other creatures such as themselves. They wanted humans.

"Vampires," she cried, "Eadric, help me!"

In her fear, she felt herself turn. As Ronnie began to throw punches, angling himself between the vampires and the two elves, Halima felt herself growing, her presence wavering.

Once again, she was a white horse, her hooves sturdy against the rocks, her eyes blazing. Without thinking, she dove headlong into one of the creatures, knocking them to the ground. She hissed, "get away from them."