Falling Feathers Book 1 ~ UNEDITED~

Chapter V

>>> Soren Hawethorne <<<
I sat in the tavern, drinking. Peter slid another drink my way. I grabbed the mug, and downed the beer. I slid it back to Peter. He rinsed it out and walked my way. He shook his head.
"Soren, you gotta stop. This is your sixth drink." Peter commented. I shook my head lazily. My left hand on the table, my right hand in my pocket.
"I know. I'm fine Peter. You know me. I don't get drunk!" I crowed. I knew very well I was drunk. I wasn't thinking right. I couldn't handle it, not at all. I was a panicking wreck. I was normal! The woods were nothing. They didn't mean anything, nothing at all! My right hand was stroking the dragon along it's back.
"Soren ya won't even tell me what's wrong. You can't drink no more." Peter cut me off from any more drinks. I shook my head. I couldn't tell him. Sure, he might not tell anyone but I couldn't risk it. I threw another two shillings to him.
"Another drink." I demanded. Peter crossed his arms.
"I won't give you no more Soren. You've had enough as is. I ain't gonna let you get any drunker then you already is." Peter walked away. I threw another shilling onto the small pile.
"Peter!" I yelled. He turned around, and looked at the shillings.
"I won't do it Soren. Get over your problem on your own." He replied, eying the pile of shillings. I threw another one on. I'm paying double the price. I don't care. I need this drink. Peter looked to the money then me. He took the money, and walked off. "This is your last one," he hollered as he walked. I smiled, looking lazily at the ground. The woods were nothing. I was just too stressed about that girl... what's her name? Autumn? Scarlet? Whatever her name was. She was just getting to me. I need to worry less about her. She can handle herself. She isn't my concern anymore. She's here now and she's got a job and she can handle herself. I looked around for Peter. I'd never felt so alive and well. He slid the drink down by me and waved a finger at me. "This is your last one, Soren Hawethorne. I ain't giving you no more drinks, you hear?" I nodded, and downed the drink swiftly. I stumbled out the tavern, and looked out into the darkening spring sky. The sunset was beautiful, the pink and orange stripes across the sky. Like someone painted them. I went across the way to my inn slowly. I stopped half way, and looked up at the sky.
I'd only heard rumors, I never knew they were true. From the sky, I saw falling feathers. They were black, and they fell slowly. They were small. But the rumors said when the feathers fell, the town would go down in flames. It was a warning, before they attacked. But the feathers only fell when it was both of them. This was bad. This was very bad. I didn't know what to do - flee or fight. The tavern fell silent. The town fell silent. I snatched one of the feathers out the sky. It was a dark brown. I looked around, and saw others coming out of their homes, the tavern, my inn, all looking up at the sky. They were coming, and we all knew it.

>>> Autumn Rose <<<
I saw everyone in the inn standing up, and walking out into the street. I saw others already in it, amongst them was Soren. Feathers were falling from the sky, Soren holding one, looking up. I was puzzled. What was so special about the feathers? I walked out the inn and to Soren. He didn't look at me.
"Soren, why is everyone looking at the feathers?" I asked. They were all falling from the sky. Feathers that were small, and brown and black. I grabbed one. It was soft in my hand. Soren didn't look away. He answered blankly,
"S-something's wrong. Autumn you need to get out of town." I shook my head. I was confused.
"What?" I laughed. Soren turned to me, a solemn expression on his face. I frowned. "Soren, what's the matter?"
"Remember your town, the one you came from, that was burned to the ground?" Soren asked. I nodded, feeling my stomach turn over. I remembered it well. I would never forget.
"Imagine that all over again, here, but two times worse. With people fighting each other and anyone in their way." Soren whispered. I shook my head. It wasn't possible.
"No. That isn't possible!!"
"The guilds are real, Autumn. The feathers. They were a rumor, a myth. They were never confirmed. But now they are. There are guilds. And the only reason I know is the myth - the feathers only fall when both guilds are fighting. And here we are, and here are the feathers. Shepherd's Rest is going to go down in flames." Soren explained. I shook my head. This couldn't be happening! It wasn't possible. "You need to leave, now." Soren grabbed my arm and started walking me to the gate. I looked at him, my mind racing.
"Why aren't you leaving? Come with me!" I exclaimed.
"I can't leave."
"Why not?"
"This is my home, Miss Rose. I can't leave it now. I gotta stand and fight for it." Soren answered feebly. He pushed me to the gate, and watched me.
"Soren, I don't even know where I'm going? What am I doing? Don't leave me here alone, I won't loose another!" I called after him, as he turned to walk away. Soren stopped walking, and turned to face me.
"If you walk forward and follow the little dirt path, you'll find Angel's Peak, a popular trading town. It's big and wealthy and a great place to make a fresh start. Go there. Tell them Shepherd's Rest had the feathers. They'll understand." Soren smiled grimly. I shook my head, and realized I was fighting back tears.
"Soren, please. Come with me!" I pleaded. Soren took my hand in his, and looked to the rest of the villagers. Some were armed now, with just about anything and everything they could get. Everything from sticks, stones, and empty glass bottles to swords, rifles, and shotguns. The rest of the villagers were standing around, looking at the feathers hopelessly. Soren looked back to me, and said.
"Come back when it's dark. If the town wasn't burned to the ground, I'll be standing, right here waiting for you. If Shepherd's Rest was reduced to ash, walk to Angel's Peak and start again. You hear?" He looked me in the eyes. I nodded. All I could think about was the way I walked away from my old town, everything in flames. I didn't want to see that happening here too. I wanted to stay, and fight with the rest. But I knew it was no good. But if Soren can stay and fight, why can't I? I figured. Soren had made his intent on my position clear, he wanted me waiting safely. But I wouldn't. There were other ways into Shepherd's Rest. I'd take one and grab something. I'd fight, like the rest! But I couldn't go now. Now was when I had to go into the woods, so Soren thought I was safe.
"Yeah, I hear." I lied. I turned around, and took a step. Soren called my name.
"Miss Rose!" He yelled. I turned around. Soren came close to me, and took me in an embrace. I hugged him tightly.
"I will see you again. I promise." He whispered in my ear. I felt a tear streak down my face. We both knew that this was it. We would never see each other again. I turned and ran into the woods, and watched Soren walk back with the rest of the waiting villagers. Then, I ran around the tall, musty wooden wall that protected the town. As I ran, I heard a Raven. I stopped for a moment, and turned around. In a small ash tree, a Raven sat, holding a rose. It called out to the darkening sky again, and flew over me, into the town. As it flew, it dropped the Rose at my feet. I bent down and picked it up. The Rose was black, unlike any other I'd seen. But it was a Rose none the less. I shivered, a chill running down my spine. This is not a coincidence, that the Raven dropped a Rose. I'm Autumn Rose, and here I am, holding a Rose in my hand. And it fell, just like the feathers in town.
"It's an omen." I whispered to myself. Falling feathers, Fallen Rose. I sprinted around the wall of the town, and found the other gate. I ran in, and came out right by the blacksmith. Perfect! I ran in and grabbed the first sword I saw.
I wasn't a perfect swordsman. I wasn't even really good. But in my village, when the boys would spar, I would watch them. When they finished, when it was dark, I would take the swords and try myself. I didn't always get all the moves, but I knew this: if I died tonight, I died fighting.