The Heirs of Dark and Light

Chapter 3

I woke for the second time on this damned cave floor. This time the fire was out and a cold breeze filled the space shaking me to my core. I sat up, my head pounding. I gritted my teeth and gingerly glanced at my shoulder. The blood made it hard to see what was intact skin and what was not. My gaze landed on my leg and I groaned. 2 large wounds dragging from the top of my calf to just above my ankle was still bleeding. I ripped my shirt and wrapped it round my leg as tight as possible. It would have to do for now. Everything would just have to do for now, I didn't have much choice. I needed to survive, so I would. Standing I surveyed the mess around me.

"Okay," I said aloud, the sound of my voice bounced off the cave walls, teasing me, taunting me. The feeling of failure threatened to take over me. I'd allowed this to happen to myself. I was weak and stupid and I- I stopped myself. This was fear taking, I would not let it consume me. I took a breath and remembered what my mom had taught me

"I am Evalin Ashryver Whitethorn Galathynius and I will not be afraid."  I repeated it and repeated it until I believed it. My heartbeat slowed down and I stopped shaking. I was fine.

And with that thought I started to walk, limping past the bodies of my attackers and to the caves opening. I knew I should've leaned in to inspect them more but if I'd thought they were ugly before they looked even worse dead. The breeze from outside the cave was too tempting as it was, a chance to smell something other than death called my name.

It was snowing, that was the first thing I noticed. It was summer in Terrasen. Mother above it was summer on the entire continent of Erilea. I looked further around it was dark but I could just make out mountains. Dark looming shadows that seemed to stare down at me in challenge.
I tried to reason with myself. I could be in the stag horn mountains if we are north, the Anascuals if we are west. The Rocky forms only seemed to laugh in response, as if they too could hear the scepticism of my own thoughts.

I started to walk forward but that was brought to an immediate stop as rocks crumbled beneath my feet. I jumped back and saw my mistake. That was the edge of a sheer drop down to my death. I huffed out a short breath, a great start to my journey.

A path to the left of me leading upwards was my only option, so I started to limp.

The path was covered in snow and ice. It was steep and narrow in places, treacherous. If only I could shift into a creature with wings like my dad, it would save me from this slow torture.  

The sound of wings flapping snapped my attention away from my thoughts.

Shit. Shit. Shit.

I flattened myself against the cliff face that followed the path upwards. A winged figure flew straight past me. It was dark so I could not see my new friend but it did not stop my blood from standing still. I didn't have the fight in me to find out whether they were friend or foe. All I knew was they were going upwards, and so was I.

I waited for a minute, making sure no one came back before I let myself continue. It didn't take me long to reach the end of the trail. The ground levelled out to a flat clearing covered in snow.

Light in the distance. I narrowed my eyes. A camp? I had to go towards it. Even if it was full with the scaled creatures that took me I could hopefully steal some supplies. I couldn't carry on without food or water. The more I thought about it the more my stomach growled. So I started to assess my target as stuck to the shadows and slowly walked closer.

I was crouching behind a cluster of discarded wooden slats as I observed the camps people. The winged creatures populating this camp didn't look like my scaled kidnappers.

They would've been human, rounded ears marked them as such. However, the males had large beautiful wings. It was like nothing I had ever seen before. They were beautiful and deadly all in one. And these males were huge in comparison to my more slender attackers. Some were nearly as big as uncle Lorcan. They were definitely not human, there was no way.

As I watched them closer I quickly noted two observations. They definitely were not the same species as the creatures who took me but they also weren't safe. I watched their women cower as they served them meals. One turned and my blood went cold. I had assumed that only the males had wings but I'd been wrong, the women did too, or they had. My gut feeling was telling me to run but I still had to grab supplies.

Quickly and quietly, I snuck in and out of tents becoming the shadows I was hidden in. As I went, I was grabbing everything I could see. Scraps of food, a skin of what I hoped was water, stray weapons. I was just about to leave, hidden in the shadows of some nearby trees when I was interrupted. I had been looking through the things I had stolen when the three winged males appeared. They must've followed the trail of blood I was no doubt leaving behind. I stood quickly, staring them all down. One held up a lantern, illuminating us all.

Now I looked closely they appeared young, not fully grown. But the cruel look in their eyes told me not to underestimate them.

"Look what we have here boys," the shortest of the three spoke. He sniffed the air and smiled.

"A high fae bitch and a thief," they all laughed

I wanted to kick their asses for speaking to me like that. Belittling me. But my wounded legs pulsing ache screamed at me to calm my temper.

"Look this is all a misunderstanding," I said putting on my best 'I'm innocent' face which seemed to go wholly ignored.

The shortest one spoke again.
"Shall we have our fun with her before we serve her up to Devlon?"  The others murmured in agreement

I had never felt more disgusted In my life.

Controlling my anger flew out the window.

The three males stepped closer to me and I stepped backwards. I unsheathed my sword and pointed it at them.

"Back up or I promise you will regret being born."

They laughed in my face

"Oh somehow I don't thi-" his smile dropped

A deep male voice sounded from behind me

"I've been looking for you."

I kept staring at the three males infront of me but I knew the voice was directed at me.

"You took long enough," I replied going along with whatever story the voice behind me was creating.

I felt his gaze leave my back and turn to the 3 males infront of me
"Leave now before I turn your minds to mush."
Their faces went even paler and one by one they flew away.

I quickly turned and stood to face him sword now pointing at his heart.

I gasped like an idiot.

Beautiful violet eyes met mine.