Caedmon opened his eyes as the haze of magic left him. It was dusk now. “Bastard.” He said to himself as he stood up, grabbing up his bow and quiver. He had a lot of ground to make up now, be he knew which way they were heading. He shot up into the sky, he could see the edge of the forest, he began flying that way.
He reached a town before dropping to the ground, his wings folding roughly inside his cloak. He groaned at the pressure his cloak put on his wings, their roughed edges catching on the cloth. He ducked in and out of alleyways, listening for the pattering of the girl’s heartbeat, but he couldn’t hear it. He continued walking as dusk began to turn to night. A couple raindrops caught on his cloak and he looked up towards the sky. The rain was coming, this would dull his senses to the girl, but it would dull Arlo’s senses to him, so he would take it.
It had been hours of searching before he finally picked up on the girl’s heartbeat again. He looked out towards the wood in front of them. They weren’t moving anymore, he could tell by the girl’s heart rate. Arlo would be expecting him to show up again. Caed had to be more vigilant this time around. He couldn’t believe that Arlo had been able to crack him so easily. He felt the heat rush to his face, he hated the mage’s persuasion abilities. They always had a way of soothing the poor bastard getting persuaded while being at the mercy of the mage. He especially hated that Arlo was so good at it. He had gotten complacent. He had forgotten just how powerful Arlo was.
The girl’s heartbeat was slowed, she was in a natural state of sleep, not one of the forced ones that Arlo had put Caed into. He fluttered high above the trees once again, waiting until he could see them. Arlo was seated on the forest floor, the girl curled up next to him. He wasn’t running, which made Caedmon wonder just what Arlo was planning.
He dropped down to the ground, the crunching of leaves beneath his feet. Arlo looked up and they met eyes again.
“That was a dirty trick,” Caed said coming closer.
“I had to.” Arlo said. He stared at a small pile of leaves and twigs for a long moment until flames erupted from them. He glanced to Caedmon, offering a seat next to the small fire.
Caed removed his bow and sat down next to the mage. He reached into his pack pulling out a wineskin and took a long swig of it and offered it over to Arlo.
Arlo eyed the drink for a long moment. “I haven’t had a drink in four centuries. I don’t think it will suit me well anymore.” He eyed it for another moment before taking the wineskin and having a long drink himself.
“Why’d you stop running? Giving up already?” Caedmon asked.
Arlo shook his head. “The girl couldn’t stay up any longer and my wings can’t hold her weight anymore.”
“You mage are weak.” Caed said with a small snort. He hesitated, picking at the sleeve of his hood. “It was a mistake to stop, Arlo.”
“What are you tasked to do? Kill the girl? Kill me? Kill us both and bring us back?”
“Just the girl. They want you alive.” Caed said staring at the small fire.
“You could help me, Caedmon. You could help me get the girl to safety.”
“I can’t do that,” Caed took another swig from his wineskin. He handed it over to Arlo, who took it again.
“You can!” Arlo said. “You can help her escape and then we can just tell the high council she’s dead.”
“Can you really be this selfish to allow me to find you only to try and talk me into joining this insane quest you started.” Caedmon yelled.
“Selfish? I’m trying to save this girl’s life. She doesn’t deserve to die, Caed.”
“That may be so. But did you ever stop to think of what will happen to me if I don’t succeed. If I lie to the high council? For you, they may give you solitude for a couple of centuries, if they’re feeling really angry maybe you’ll get your wings clipped to be made an example of. I will be hung and ripped to shreds by the mage magic. By your magic if I save that girls life. My task is to kill her. To complete the execution that the high council demanded.”
“They don’t have to know that she’s still alive, Caed. We can lie to them.”
“I can’t lie to them, Arlo. I am not strong minded enough to lie to the high council. They are too wise and too many.” Caed said standing up.
Arlo was silent for a long moment, he stared down at the girl then back up to Caedmon.
“Do you know why humans have magic?” Arlo asked.
Caed said nothing.
“It’s because of faeries. Because faeries used to leave the realm to impregnate humans with half-breeds.”
Caed met Arlo’s eyes only for a moment before staring back down at the fire. “That’s not true, if that were true we’d see many more humans with magic.”
“It hasn’t occurred in thousands of thousands of years. Since Oberon was crowned. But once a faery blood-line has been created it can’t be broken. So every thousand years or so a half-breed faery and human appears.” Arlo said. “It’s our fault that she is magic.”
“If that’s true then why do they want her dead?” Caed asked.
“Because it’s shameful. Half-breeds can’t be roaming about. They’ve been killing every half-breed they can find over the last ten thousand years, Caed. They have all of the faeries brain-washed into believing that humans are dangerous normally but even more so with magic. But the truth is half-breed magic is weak at best. It’s all because it looks bad on the realm.”
Caedmon’s head was swirled with all of this new information. He took another drink from his wineskin. “Where did you learn all of this?”
“An ancient tome in the library. I’ve been teaching myself ancient faelic for the past hundred years or so.”
Caed couldn’t help but snicker at that. “You really are the most obnoxious faery now, aren’t you?”
They both let out a low, melancholic laugh.
“It doesn’t matter.” Caedmon finally said. “She’s seen the realm. She can’t be permitted to live.”
“And whose fault is it that she’s seen the realm?” Arlo retorted. “Caed, I have a plan. I’m taking her to the elves.”
Caed’s head shot up. “You can’t... you can’t do that... they’ll kill you.”
“They won’t. If what I’ve read of them is true, they are far kinder than any other ancient creature. They will raise and care for the child.”
“Arlo... you can’t trust everything you learn in books. The elves hate the faeries.”
“They can be reasoned with, Caed. I’m sure of it.” Arlo said.
“You’ve actually gone insane, haven’t you? You cannot venture across the entire world to take a half-breed to the elves alone.”
Arlo stood up and eyed Caed. “I’m hoping I won’t be alone. Together I know we can do it.”
“Together? You really think I’m going to risk my life for this human child? You really think I’m going to risk getting killed by elves for this girl. Her life is already almost over as is.”
“Her life is just as important even if it’s a blink in our eyes!” Arlo yelled, causing the girl to stir. They both stared down at her as her breaths became heavy once again.
“I won’t do this. I won’t risk my life for her.” Caed whispered.
Arlo took a long deep breath. “Will you do it for me then?”
Caedmon scoffed and rolled his eyes.
“Please Caed, I can’t do this alone. I need you. I need your help.” Arlo said.
“And what about the high council?” Caed whispered, terrified of waking the child for some reason.
“I will take care of them. Please Caedmon... trust me... like you once did.”
Caed let a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding out. “That’s unfair. Using a history that is long past against me.”
“I know... but I’m desperate.” Arlo said catching Cade’s eyes.
Arlo was silent as Caed weighed his options. Caed finally met the dark purple eyes in front of him. “I’ll help you.”
Arlo breathed a sigh of relief.
“But know this, Arlo.” Caed stared into Arlo’s eyes. “If it comes to my life or hers my decision has already been made.”
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