The Brave One

Chapter 5

Chapter 5

The fire although wonderfully warm during the summer’s night, tickled Evera’s nose. Unseelie Fae, being of cool blood, needed heat to survive, but the smoke was blowing into her face, making it hard to breathe. She coughed and removed herself form under her blanket. William, asleep opposite her, was curled on his side, held deep in a dream. His breath quickened as shook his head from side to side. Evera stared at her companion in concern as his muscled tensed.

William was running again. The voices around him shouted cruelty and rage.

“Thief!”

“Blackguard!”

“Dirty soul!”

He was surrounded. The market was caving in on him. All the villagers were swiping their grimy hands at him, clawing at him like savage animals fighting for carcass scraps. An old woman came forth and withdrew a curved dagger from her cloak. Clearly the doyenne, her screaming people fell silent at her command.

“Scum does not belong here. The only way to be free is to rid ourselves of your filth!” Two men grabbed at William’s arms and held him down firm. People cheered beside her and pounded at the ground, giving way to their inner primitive beings. Drums were heard from behind him as he fought against his restraint. The torches and their black smoke burned his lungs. He glanced at one of the suppressors, finding him to be the inn keeper of the Pauper’s Castle, a place of which William was thrown from a number of times. The second man was one of the soldiers he had quarreled with over whether he had in fact stolen food or not. With the help of other unsettled arguments, William was powerless.

The old maid hoisted the dagger above her head. “Be gone from here forever!” The doyenne brought the blade down with a swift thud. William woke up and seized the woman in front of him. In his reaction, he grabbed his knife from his belt and held it sharp against her throat.

“I am not filth,” William growled out.

Evera, confused by the sudden lunge, fell back and cried out. Her training would finally become useful. With a grunt of determination, she grasped his shoulders and kicked him off of herself, sending him flying over her head. She scrambled to her feet and wrenched the knife from his palm. Bewildered, he apologized.

“I am sorry.” William’s eyes returned to focus and his breath evened to a steady rhythm. “Nightmares.” Evera tossed the blade aside and stood. William steadied himself on his elbows and stared apologetically at his companion.

“I am sorry. I did not wish to disturb you but you were shaking. I pray you, what upset your dreams?”

“The past.”

William sat up and stared into the flames, his face hard and cold. The young woman looked at the man in his dejected state. This person, whether he was her friend of old or not, was haunted beyond her help.

Evera, up at morning’s first light, stretched herself and gazed at the sky. The stars were only beginning to fade within the haze of the morning fog as she climbed the nearest tree to get a view of the rising sun. Dawn’s air chilled her lungs, even in the summer days. Evera rose higher and higher among the branches until the limbs of the tree could no longer hold her weight. She moved the leaves in front of her to reveal the edge of the yellow orange orb, rising slowly to remove the night’s dark. The scene was exquisite.

She sat on the branch for some time, letting the sky fade from the blue-grey of daybreak to the ironic ice blue of a summer day. She had never seen a sunrise until the recent days when she left Morag. Even before her days spent underground, she was either too busy with her parent’s commands or never outside long enough to watch.

Presently, William began to stir awake. Evera made her way back down to the crisp air on the forest floor before he knew she had left his side. The young man rubbed his eyes with his worn, over worked hands. His rough skin began hurt more than help, so he wiped his eyes with his calloused palms and cleared his throat.

“How long have you been awake?”

“Not long. I wanted to see if I could catch glimpse of the edge of the forest.” Evera glanced west, towards the village. “It seems to be an awfully large area of land to walk.”

“It only appears to be so,” the robust man stated. “Still we should get to our walking. We don’t want to sleep away the day.”

“Yes, I suppose we shall start.” The woman, downhearted, began to clear the area of their belongings.

Evera gathered her bow and arrow and strung them across her chest. She readjusted the ruffles on her dress and untied the long braid she always wore. She ran her fingers through the long strands of hair to comb out the elf knots which always made her smile. The wives’ tale of her people coming into homes at night to tousle Human hair was quite absurd, but it would forever cheer her heart.

William caught sight of the creature brushing through her hair with a mien of good spirits cast upon her heart shaped face. She looked radiant in the illuminating daylight. He had the feeling they have met before, but for the life of him, he could not remember. Scolding himself, he turned away, not letting his thoughts be swayed by the beauty of the cunning female.

“You should keep your hair down,” William voiced, back turned towards the girl. “We are close to town and townspeople don’t take kindly to noble strangers.” He began packing with the nightmares and hatred returning into his mind. All the discouraging words and threats were still fresh behind his eyes.

“But as you see, I have no look of prosperity.” William’s brow rose. Did she not think her clothing rich?

“Normal woman do not wear above their society status.”

“And what is it that I parade in which seems wealthy?” The coarse man turned around with such a force, Evera felt compelled to draw back with bewilderment.

“Your hair! Your clothing! The way in which you speak. Wherever you come from it is well off and these people can steal more than looks.” William’s tone became increasingly scornful. “You do not even realize how peculiar you are. You parade in bare feet but your soles appear unbelievingly smooth. You wear a dress with cloth and style which looks to be fashioned for a royal yet you wear in it in the wood hunting? You are only a woman and own a bow? There is no end to your unusualness.”

Astounded, Evera stared at the angry soul. The dark circles beneath his eyes revealed his drowsiness and his posture confirmed his worries. She could tell whatever bothered him was not on her account but it was troubling him to have her present.

“You do not wish to leave the forest.”

“I do not know but I -”

“It was not a question.” Evera readjusted her bow and arrows for the last time, anger at long last getting the better of her. “Stay, and be free, but I have a task, a duty to my people to finish my mission. Do not stand in my way and believe you are the only one with troubles to face!” Without another word, the brave one ran off to the forest edge, leaving the man to himself.