Fairy War

Chapter 5

"Where have you been?" Nikkela shouted furiously. "I've needed you all my life and you haven't given a damn about me! And you turn up now? Grandfather would be ashamed of you!"

"You think I wanted to leave you alone?" Desha'yi replied, her voice shaking. "I had no choice; your life would have been at risk if I'd stayed!"

"I know this reunion is not... ideal," Naarin said, stepping between the two of them as he sensed Nikkela's rage increasing, "but our kind has enough enemies already without us fighting each other. I'm sure your mother will explain everything to you soon, Nikkela, but just for now, can you please calm down?"

Nikkela sighed, nodding as she stepped back slightly.

"Tell your men to lower their weapons, Desha'yi – we are no threat to them."

"What on earth are you doing down here?" Desha'yi said as she nodded at her followers and they lowered their weapons. "I'd assumed these tunnels were long forgotten by those on the surface, so what is my daughter, a Prince, and the royal guard doing down here? Not to mention the humans!"

"You've been out of the Glade society for far too long," Naarin replied. "The Glade has fallen; we were fleeing for the Silver Haven when our paths crossed. As for the humans, they are among the Chosen; they would be dead already but for my orders to intervene before the enemy reached them."

"This is grave news indeed," Desha'yi said as the shock spread across her face. "What of my father? Has he..." She trailed off as she saw tears spring into Nikkela's eyes at the mention of Arcturus. "What happened to him?"

"He was attacked by a coward," Naarin replied, looking down at his feet. "It didn't kill him outright, but the last I saw of him he was fighting to take as many of our foes with him as he could." He paused for a moment to allow the news to sink in. "Desha'yi, we need every fairy's help we can get – come with us, I'm sure my sister would welcome you."

"I have no place in your family's court," Desha'yi replied. "Your mother made that abundantly clear to me long before my exile."

"That was my mother," Naarin replied, "she and my sister are not the same person. Besides, you owe your daughter an explanation."

"I'll take you along these tunnels and back to our sanctuary," Desha'yi said, putting a hand up to stop the protest her comment was threatening to unleash. "You all look like you could do with a rest, besides which, if I and my kin are to come with you there are some things we need to gather first."

"As you wish," Naarin replied, before Nikkela could say anything, "lead the way."

The tunnels got wider and more brightly lit as Desha'yi and the others led us onwards, and soon we arrived in a large cavern, which had been adapted into some form of underground camp. Hammocks and beds were littered around the cavern, female fairies and small children among those who greeted us cautiously. I watched Nightshade, Mickey, Crystal, and Nikkela go off to accept food from the cavern-dwellers, noticing the healer avoiding her mother as subtly as she could. Naarin, on the other hand, sat down on a low bunk bed on one side of the cavern, looking unfazed as I sat opposite him.

"Prince... Naarin, can I ask you a question?"

"Of course you can," he replied, giving me a weak smile. "I'm sorry, this must all be so hectic for you," he added, sighing. "You haven't had much chance to adjust to what living among fairies is like, have you?"

I shrugged. "What happened to Nikkela's father? I don't feel comfortable asking Nikkela herself, and I'm definitely not walking up to someone I've only just stopped being threatened by for information."