I don't know how much time I've spent up on a tree, far away from the village. I thought I heard the rumble of a thunderstorm in the distance a few times, but didn't care. Only when the first droplets whispered on the leaves, I rose my head to look at the sky.
I glanced to the east briefly, but then turned towards the west, deciding to go back to Kaan's mansion. Where else would I go...? The weather seemed to be worsening quite quickly, so I ascended above the tree tops and hurried back where I came from.
I tried to stay low and dash above the restlessly swaying trees as fast as I could, but even despite my haste I was drenched to the skin after just half the distance I needed to go. The fact that the thunder made me think of a dragon's roar might have been funny, if it weren't for the seriousness of the situation...
Finally, to my relief, I spotted the outline of the residence in the distance. But it wasn't standing right in front of me. The wind must have brought me off course quite a bit... I needed to remember that for the next time. If there ever would be one... I went into a curve and dashed just above the water's surface. It was then that I learned, that problems had a strange custom - they seemed to like traveling in packs.
The rain suddenly changed into fine hail, starting to lash my wings and making me painfully aware of how much more sensitive than the rest of my body they were. I didn't quite manage to revive from the shock yet, when another happened. A close lightning strike brightened the area for a second and suddenly I saw something sky-blue flying towards me from above. Unfortunately fear was quicker than reason and my body reacted before my mind managed to tell it, that there was nothing to be afraid of. I performed a swift move that would have been brilliant for someone standing firmly on the ground, but was the stupidest thing possible for someone flying hastily right above the surface of water - I turned towards the "danger".
One of my wings dipped into the surface of the lake, which literally cut my glide short in the split of a second. My terrified scream got drowned out by the thunder and I found myself in the water before I could even start to analyze what was happening.
The remnants of my strength left me, I was enveloped by a deep darkness and my mind refused to obey me any further...
~
"Please tell me he will be alright..."
That voice reached me as if through a thick curtain. I opted to let the sound pass by, not caring much about its meaning. It was easier that way...
"I think he will be, looks like the encounter with the water was just a little too sudden for his lungs..."
That voice was different, more delicate, and the little nervous but joking tone seemed to ease the tense atmosphere and made the first voice sigh in relief. Then the second voice spoke again: "That was a beautiful catch... I have to admit though, I think my heart stopped there for a second..."
"I thought it would be harder too... but he's lighter than he looks."
I summoned some of my very slowly returning strength and opened my eyes. I tried to move, but immediately felt a delicate hand press softly against my chest.
"Don't get up, just rest..." I heard Yanka's gentle advice.
I blinked a few times to get rid of the fog before my eyes and I finally saw her. She was kneeling on the muddy ground close to me, watching me with concern in her beautiful features. I also noticed an azure fragment of Sril's wing, stretched above all three of us, shielding us from the rain.
"We should get inside and lay him down to check for fractures... can you help me?" I felt my arms being circled around two pairs of shoulders, that lifted me carefully from both sides and we headed to the mansion.
When I tried to remember what happened afterwards later, there was hardly anything remaining in my mind...
~
The next evening was free from rain, but the sky remained covered by gray clouds. After spending the whole day in bed I managed to go over to the window and observe it for a bit.
I glanced down upon hearing a faint rustle by the shore. I spotted Sril, standing on the grassy surface between the east side of the main mansion and the forest. He had his wings out, sword in hand.
He then lifted it sword to just a little below shoulder level and thrusted forward. He twisted his wrist slightly, rose the blade a tiny bit on a slant and went over to a downward slash from the upper right. I frowned a little. His movements were perfectly balanced and showed years of practice with the sword. But for some reason he was performing them painfully slowly, which seemed totally unnecessary with this level of skill.
It became clear to me what he was doing after another few careful but precise moves. He was testing how much of a hindrance his wings would be in battle. It was logical that he didn't want to cut one of them off during the first training session...
It was then that he stopped for a moment and, as if sensing my stare, looked up to his left. He smiled and lowered his sword. "Are you feeling better?" he asked, raising his voice slightly so it would reach me.
"Yeah, I'll live," I said, propping my elbows on the windowsill. "How long have you been practicing swordplay? I thought I was good after my two years at the castle, but you're at a completely different level."
"Well... I think I was around seven when I started..."
"Are you from some knight lineage?"
"Not really..." he cast his eyes down, which was enough of a sign for me to stop pressing. Instead I climbed on top of the windowsill. "You shouldn't..." I heard him say right before I jumped. I landed next to him with a few beats of my wings and he sighed quietly, either with relief or exasperation. "You really should be more careful..."
"I feel fine by now, don't worry. Which reminds me... I wouldn't be if it weren't for you. Thank you... you saved my life."
"It's not me you should be thanking. It was Yanka who started to worry about you because of the weather, and if she didn't come to tell me, that you flew to your village, I would have been sleeping soundly at the time."
"But..."
"Besides, there is no need to thank for something so obvious. We should take care of each other, if even one of us dies or gets seriously injured, we will stand no chance against Shaeth. It was my duty."
I suddenly felt like all the hope, that steadily built up over the past days shattered in the split of a second, like a dropped crystal goblet. "So that's what I am to you... Just someone who can be useful in the battle with Shaeth..."
He looked me in the eyes shortly and sighed. "It's not like that... please understand... I told you, we can't be friends..."
"But we already are friends!"
Sril paled and stared at me in what might have been terror, but he looked more like he had just been slapped in the face. The atmosphere suddenly became as fragile as glass.
"You think so...?" his whisper broke the silence after a few moments. "I don't..."
It was like an icicle stabbed right into my already bleeding heart. A scream would have been better than the calm tone in which he gave me those words.
"Right..." I said quietly, hanging my head and trying to keep my voice from breaking. "Sorry to have bothered you then..." I turned away, spread my wings and leaped up again, heading for the window of my room without waiting for an answer.
Once on the windowsill, I squeezed through it hastily, scraping the outer edge of my left wing in the process. I flopped onto the bed and pressed my right cheek to a pillow.
Was there even a reason to still stay here...? The people I was going to fight for in this crazy new realm were turning their backs on me one after the other. At this rate there wouldn't even be a source for the fire within my soul.
Before I could finish these thoughts, I heard a delicate knock on the door. I looked at it and remained silent for a moment. Then I wiped the tears away with my sleeve and spoke a word of admittance.
Sril entered the room soundlessly. There was nothing about him, that gave away any annoyance, sadness or any other form of concern. I sat up, trying my best to not give him any accusing looks.
"I'm sorry..." he finally said. "The last thing I wanted was to get you too involved in my own pain... I'm really not suited to be a friend, you should look for someone else..."
"Look for someone else? You think this is like searching for a servant in the slave market? We all are friends here, Yanka, Kaan, me... it's just you who doesn't understand, that we want to help you, that we want you to be a part of it..."
"But I can't... the ability to do that was taken away from me together with Trel..."
"Well then I guess his murderer already beat you..." I muttered.
"Sorry?"
I've had enough. "What are you even fighting for then?! The most beautiful thing in life was taken away from you, so what are you even still going on for?! Are you trying to save Edron so you can suffer even longer?! Wouldn't it be easier to just let Shaeth burn it to the ground and bury us underneath the ruins?!"
"Sian..." he seemed a little shocked by this outburst. But I couldn't stop it anymore.
"So what if Yanka is trying her best, so what if I would gladly give all I have to help you... apparently you don't care at all or we are just failures..."
"Why...? Why do you care so much about me...?"
"Because it hurts me to see you like this you idiot! You don't deserve to suffer like this, a heart so kind and understanding is like a jewel in this world... it has the power to change people... it... it started to change me..."
My voice got caught in my throat and didn't want to go any further. I pulled one of my knees up to my chest and leaned my forehead against it, hiding my eyes underneath my messy bangs. There was a long silence that spread in the room, and after a few moments I started to think, that Sril left again, not wanting to continue this conversation. To my surprise, I suddenly felt the mattress sink a little and the rustle of fabric reached my ears. I opened my eyes, lifting my head slightly.
Sril wasn't sitting on the bed like I thought he would be. He sat on the floor next to it, his face buried in the forest-green sheets. A chill ran down my spine. I immediately slid down to the floor as well, sitting beside him. "Are you alright? What..."
One of his hands squeezed the fabric tighter and I heard something... I instinctively knew what it was, but didn't want to believe at first. But when his shoulders shook a bit, and another stifled, desperate sob broke the silence it almost froze me in place.
What did I just do...? How did I manage to make someone as unshakeable as Sril cry like this...? I wanted to say something, help him, but how...?
I just placed one hand on his back softly and leaned my forehead against his shoulder. "I'm sorry..." I whispered. "I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..."
I just kept repeating those words, praying that I didn't cause some damage that couldn't be repaired anymore.
But at the same time there was another voice whispering a shy prayer from the bottom of my heart: "Please let this be a sign, that the ice has melted at last..."