Rise

20

*Farrah's POV*

Mom and Dad decided to lay down for a while after the commotion, but I couldn't blame them, it was a long day for all of us. But, mostly for Eli, I think the excitement drained her, so I put her to bed as soon as I detected a hint of pain in her navy eyes.

That night, I stopped by Eli's room to make sure everything was alright before I turned in myself. Just as I moved to open the door, Caden breezed out of the room, and put his hand on my shoulder to stop me.

"Three days, anything more and I'm taking Elora and moving off this continent." I told him. He nodded once, before heading downstairs. I stepped inside her room, and sat on Eli's bed next to her. "Everything alright Eli?" I asked, stroking her red hair.

"Y-yeah."

"Still hurts a bit?" She nodded her head, "I can brew some tea if you'd like. Do you need anything more?"

"The tea is fine, thank you Farrah." I nodded before making my way down to the kitchen.

"Oh, hello Farrah." Rosie said, startling me.

"Rosie? I thought you had already gone to bed." I said, pulling dried lavender, fennel, lemongrass, and jasmine from our herb cabinet and filling our tea kettle with water and placing it next to our hearthfire.

"I couldn't sleep."

"I'll be there in a bit, so go back to bed, love." I told her, taking the kettle from the fire. She sighed and brushed past me as I placed the herbs in a cup and poured the warm water over it. I took it upstairs to Elora, who accepts it with a wane smile. I left her, and headed down the hall towards my room. I slipped off my clothes and put on a soft nightgown and climb in behind Rosie.

"Hey there." I said, nuzzling her bare shoulder.

"Your parents seem really nice."

"They're not my parents. Mine were killed when I was a child and they took me in." She cuddled closer to me.

"I'm sorry." She whispered.

"Don't be, Rose. How about I take you into town tomorrow and I can show you where I work."

"Sounds go- Wait is it safe for you to go out?"

"We'll go in the morning, I know all of the guards who patrol the dawn shift and the problem with yesterday was that there were a lot of merchants, and guards and such from out of town. I know everyone here, and they would never turn against me."

"Alright..." She mumbled as she drifted off. I smiled and closed my eyes, submitting to the lull of sleep.

The next morning, Rosie and I arose before the sun fully reached the horizon. We stopped by Liam's shop, and he pulled me into a tight hug.

"You are a very brave girl, Farrah." He said, clasping my forearm.

"I haven't done anything Liam." I laughed.

"Here, let me clean and polish those daggers of yours." I handed them over to him and he goes to the back of the shop. I looked around at his newer creations, and my eyes catch on a beautiful broadsword which looked like a more beautiful twin of my own. Liam walks back from the back, and sees me drooling over the blade.

"Take it, kiddo." He insisted, handing over my daggers. I looked up at him with a mixture of surprise and utter joy. "How much is it?" I asked, reaching into my cloak for my coin purse.

He paused for a moment, thinking. "One copper." He finally answered, and I almost stumble back. The sword was worth at least sevral gold coins, he smiled at my expression and nodded. I handed over a single copper coin, and he handed me a beautifully crafted leather sheath along with the blade.

"And it's name?" I asked, bucking the sheith onto my belt, on the opposite hip as the other.

"Briar." He answered, "To match your Thorn." I smiled and nodded. As Rosie and I walked out he calls out to us. "May the gods walk with you."

"The townspeople here are quite odd... Whatever did you do to earn such adoration from that man?"

"It's a long story." I shrugged.

She looked like she was about to say something as we neared the back entrance of the church, when the door flew open and a blur of blonde jumped into my arms.

"MITH FARRAH!!" I laughed and held Patty closer to me.

"Why hello Patty! How are you?" I asked, stroking her blonde curls.

"I've mithed you! Look! I lothed a tooth!" She pulled back and smiled wide. There was a large gap where her two front teeth used to be.

"That's wonderful Miss Patty! Now, I want to introduce someone very special to you." I said, tweaking her nose. I set her down, and she grabbed onto the hem of my tunic.

"Patty, this is Rosie, she's very important to me, and I wanted her to meet you. Rosie, this is Patty. She's one of the orphans here, I've known her ever since she was dropped here when she was a week old." Rosie crouched down to Patty's small height and smiled. Patty came out from behind me and hugged Rosie.

"If Farrah thays you're thpethal, then you are thpethal" Rosie looked like she was about to cry, and honestly, this four year old tiny ball of joy was making me misty. I affectionately mess with her hair and send her back inside.

"It's getting bright, we should head home." I told her, stretching my hand out to help her up, she took it and I pulled her up and we walk back home hand-in-hand. We spent the rest of the day curled up on my bed, reading novels. Eli was still asleep, but that didn't worry me much, the one thing she liked more than causing premature white hairs in my auburn locks was sleeping. Well that, and eating.

The next morning I woke up to the sound of pained screams, I hurled out of bed, grabbing my swords and ran down the hall to Eli's room. I kicked open the door, brandishing my weapons at any would-be attacker. The room was empty, except a writhing Eli, entangled in her quilts. My weapons clatter to the floor as I rushed to her side.

"Eli! Eli! Wake up damn it!" I sobbed, shaking her. Rosie rushed in, and upon seeing what was happening, she placed her hands on Eli's shoulders. A warm light glowed out from her palms, Eli calmed down, and returned to her peaceful sleep.

"That should ease the pain for now, but we need to get Caden back as soon as possible. I believe we are near the limit of their magical separation." Rosie said, as she tucked Eli back into her quilts.

"How can we get Caden back here? He still has a day left until he should return... I don't think she can last too much longer without his energy." I tried to wipe the tears from my eyes, but they continued to fall.

"I think I know how to get ahold of him... It's in the same family of spells as the possession charm Amara used on Caden."

"Do it." She nodded, and screwed her eyes shut. She muttered an incantation, and much like the location charm, an image of Caden appeared in front of us.

"Farrah?" He asked, shocked.

"No, its Iara." I replied dryly.

"What's wrong? I still have a day left."

"You need to get your ass over here right now. Eli is dying and it's your damn spell's fault."

"Alright, but I still need to convince Vivi-"

"I swear to Iara you better bring her too or else Amara won't be your biggest threat. Got that?"

"Yes ma'am" He looked almost... terrified of me. Good, he knows I'm not fucking around.

"Be here by sundown." He nodded, and Rosie waved her hand through the image and it disappeared. She turned to me and rested her head on my chest.

"I'll go make dinner."