The Prince's Thief

16. Seedling

I was permitted only a few moments, under the careful watch of no less than four guards, to gather my things from my room, bid my bewildered and distraught father goodbye, and be escorted to the edge of Calber.
Once I was far from view of the guards and any other human eyes, I collapsed onto the earth, and allowed the tears to fall freely down my face. In a fit of anger and frustration, I let out a scream, and threw the nearest rock against a tree, and let my head fall back into my hands once more.

"What am I supposed to do now?" I whispered to the empty forest.
I sat on the forest floor, numb and yet on fire, letting my overwhelming emotions settle and waiting for the shock to wear off. It took me only a moment afterwards to decide on what to do next.

~~~~~~~~~~
I arrived in the village of Lurne at sunset, wandering around trying to recall which home Damian has said belonged to his family. As it turned out, I didn't need to remember after all, for Damian stood at the village well, fetching water. He nearly dropped his water pail at my sight.

"Faye! It's good to see you-I was wondering when you might visit," Damian exclaimed, giving me a friendly smile, "Are any of the others with you?"

"No. I've come alone, I...I didn't know where to go. The King, he... I've been banished, Damian," I replied, the words taking all of my energy. Damian's smile faltered.

"Faye, I'm sorry. Come, you are welcome in my families home. My mother and sister have longed to meet you," Damian replied, and I smiled gratefully. I followed Damian into a modest home, simple but pleasant. A beautiful girl with the same dark hair and light eyes as Damian was tending a fire, and she turned to greet him.

"Damian, who is this?" She asked, looking at me warily.

"This is Faye, the knight who helped bring me home. Faye, this is my sister, Ashen." Ashen's expression changed immediately, and she leap forward, throwing her arms around me.

"You brought my brother back to us! We cannot possibly repay that," Ashen declared, "Come, sit, you must be tired. Supper will be ready soon, and mother will be home to meet you. Will you stay with us a while?"

"She will stay," Damian replied before I had the chance, "I owe her my life. She will be welcome as long as she wishes." Ashen merely nodded, placing a bowl of stew in front of me, and another in front of Damian.

"Ma is out with the cattle, the calf looked unwell," Ashen told Damian.

"You have cattle?" I asked in surprise. Ashen glanced at Damian before responding.

"Yes, three including the calf. The lord of this village does not meddle much with our lives. We pay our rent for the farm, and what we grow or raise here, he does not care. My father bought my mother a calf some years ago after a good harvest. When we have a spare calf we sell it to the lord, or a wealthy farmer. We always have fresh milk," Ashen replied.

"Your father was wise to do so," I replied quietly. Ashen smiled weakly, nodding.

"He always was," She replied softly, setting a bowl down before me as well, "Go on, eat while it's hot. You must be chilled from your journey." I began to eat gratefully, not having realized how hungry I was until the food passed my lips. Damian ate too, and Ashen sat with us a while, all of us silent.

"You're a witch, aren't you?" Ashen asked suddenly, and I looked up at her, terrified. Damian placed a hand on my arm, as I looked at him, wondering if he had betrayed my secret. Damian was looking at Ashen, his face giving nothing away. Ashen was watching me, but I saw no hatred in her eyes, not even any fear, only a calm curiosity.

"Yes," I admitted, knowing it was no longer any secret now that'd I'd be banished for precisely that. I disliked the word witch. There were so many other more pleasant terms for what I was-what I had been born with. Though, to be fair, I expect any term that was often used with such hatred and disgust would not have found favour with me.

"I thought so. You have the same wariness our father had. Besides, if you saved Damians life from...from that...you and your magic couldn't have been anything less than extraordinary."

I felt relief wash over me, and smiled before I realized I was doing it. Ashen gently reached her hand out to hold mine in comfort, and I hastily accepted the kind gesture. After all, her words had warmed me.

It was the only kind thing I'd ever heard somebody other than my mother say about magic.