Rise of the Sparrows (Relics of Ar'Zac #1)

by Sarina Langer

  A terrible feeling settled in her stomach, and it had nothing to do with their situation. She felt like she had seen those guards before, but she couldn't remember where. Everyone knew the White City and the White Guard serving the King—even Rachael had heard snippets of gossip about them—but as far as she could remember they had never visited Blackrock before. It was the face of the man commanding them which had her in cold sweat. His voice and his piercing eyes were all too familiar, but she was certain that she had never met him before. Her twisting insides told her to run, and she wasn't going to ignore it.

  “Rachael?” Cephy's tiny voice pulled her back out of her thoughts. This was no time to be daydreaming. “Are those people after us?”

  With a grim frown, she nodded.

  “What will they do to us if they find us?” Rachael had no answer to that. As far as she knew, they were planning to do any number of things.

  “I don't know. But we mustn't find out the hard way.”

  Cephy nodded, her eyes focused on the ground.

  “What do we do?” Rachael wasn't sure what to suggest. If the town's people had gone as far as to contact the White City they had no real options left. They had to leave, but what would they do once they had left the town? Where would they go? Rachael had no idea what lay behind Blackrock's gates. She only knew that there was a vast forest—at least she had always imagined it to be vast—and she knew that the hunters often brought freshly slaughtered animals from the woods. Big, dangerous looking animals with sharp teeth, who would rip her to shreds in seconds if given the chance.

  But where else could they go? Once they had reached the forest and were out of reach of the guards – if they managed to get that far – where would they go after that? How far away was the next town? The next village? Blackrock bordered Tramura, but she didn't know enough about it to go there. Only a small, dangerous path led through the mountains. Merchants rarely left without protection., and even then their safety wasn't guaranteed.

  The forest was most likely their best option. Were dangerous animals really that different to an entire town hunting them?

  There was no time to consider every option in detail. The forest had seemed like a good enough option before –she would trust her instincts and head for the gap in the wall.

  “We need to leave. There are cracks and small holes in the walls in several places. We can fit through at least three of them.” Even though she had never attempted it herself for fear of what might be lurking inside the woods, she had seen cats and dogs better fed than her sneak outside the town that way. If overweight, spoiled pets could fit through, then so could they. Four large men in heavy armour wouldn't be able to follow them through there, and that was all that mattered.

  Getting there without being seen was another issue. While the town was full of narrow passages like this one there were some parts which were in better shape. None of the holes were in those parts, but they would have to pass through at least one of those richer areas to get to the spot Rachael had in mind. It was the farthest away from where they were now. The people of Blackrock were on their way to the place they could no longer call home, and they would get there soon. Once they had realised that they weren't there, they would fan out and search a broader area.

  Suddenly Rachael was grateful for the heavy snow. The icy blanket would hide their tracks well. That coupled with her knowledge of the town put them at an undeniable advantage.

  “Follow me. Don't hesitate. We can't afford to be slow tonight.” The girl nodded, a determined gleam in her eyes.

  Rachael squeezed herself out of the narrow gap between the houses on to the open road, feeling Cephy close behind her. She crossed the road as fast as she could, praying to whatever deity wanted to listen that no one was looking outside their windows in that moment.

  They had just made their way into the next narrow passageway when the faint uproar of an angry, disappointed mob reached their ears.

  “We need to run.” The fear in Cephy's eyes was reassuring. It would keep her moving and save her life, if they were quick.

  Frustrated shouts from the other side of town told her that they'd have to pick up their pace even more if they wanted to live. They were nowhere near where they needed to be, and now the townspeople knew they were hiding somewhere.

  “Don't take your eyes off me! Follow me, don't look back!” Not waiting around to see whether Cephy was nodding or not, Rachael took off through the alley to their right. The patter of feet behind her told her all she needed to know, and she carried on without looking back.

  It was odd to think that the snow she had hated for so long might now well be the reason they were making it out of Blackrock alive.

  With confidence Rachael dashed through one narrow alley only to disappear inside another, hidden from the hateful eyes of the people. The numb thuds in the snow behind her told her that Cephy was keeping up.

  “Why are we stopping?” Cephy whispered, pressing herself against Rachael when she stopped, eyes glued to the scene ahead of her.

  “We're close now” Rachael said, her lungs burning. The shouting of their pursuers had grown quieter as they had flown through Blackrock, but she knew that they weren't quite there yet. Anything could happen between now and coming out on the other side of the walls.

  “So let's keep going!” Only one large square separated them from the final two passageways which were between them and the wall.

  One large square which was filled with at least fifteen residents, and two armed guards.

  “We can't go this way. We need to turn around.”

  “Why, what's there?”

  “People. Guards. They might not know what's happening on the other side of town, but it's more likely that they've been told to watch out for us. There's no other reason for them to be here at this time of night.”

  “Which way do we go?” Rachael didn't take her eyes off the people for one moment, scared that she might miss something if she did.

  “We can go around, but it'll take longer.” Rachael didn't want to go back the way they had come, even if it was only for a short amount of time.

  “Can't we distract them?”

  “Distract them how? We don't have anything we could throw, and even then it wouldn't distract them for long enough for us to slip through.”

  “I could set a fire,” Cephy said matter-of-factly, like it was the only logical thing to do. Rachael supposed that for Cephy, it was.

  “Can you do that from here?”

  Cephy shook her head. “No, but I can get closer and set fire to that cart over there.” Rachael knew which cart she meant. The large one full of goods from the local shops.

  It was on the other end of the square, but if Cephy could pull it off it would create the distraction they needed.

  “It's too far away. They'll catch you if you do that.”

  “They won't fit in here, they're not small enough.” Rachael couldn't argue with that. “It'll burn for a while, and they won't search all the way back here. I bet this alley there leads right to it.”

  Rachael nodded. “Be quick. I'll be right behind you.”

  Behind them, the shouting grew louder. The rest of the town was rapidly catching up with them. Time was running out and they weren't strong enough to free themselves if they were caught.

  Cephy nodded slowly, and together they hurried down the path to their left, towards the cart. It wasn't a long stretch, but they still had to get back and run the rest of the way once the cart was on fire. It wasn't far to go, but when you had the whole town thirsting for your blood reality could become weirdly stretched. Roads were suddenly longer than they had been before, you were slower than you normally were, and all sounds around you were more high-pitched and louder.

  Hidden away inside the gap between buildings no one suspected them to be there, but Rachael and Cephy had a good view of everyone. They were on edge, pacing.

  “When you're ready and there's no one in the way you can-” In front of her, th
e cart burst into flames. The fire was so close that Rachael could feel the sudden heat on her skin. Tearing through the snow it felt like it was singeing her face.

  Shocked that Cephy had acted so quickly and terrified of being found, Rachael grabbed the girl's wrist and pulled her away back down the alley they had come from.

  She didn't turn around until they were back in their previous spot.

  Cephy's trick had worked a miracle. Everyone who had paced nervously through the street just moments ago was now running towards the fire, screaming in terror at the sudden change of events.

  “We need to be quick now. And no running directly across! If we press ourselves against the walls they won't see us. The snow and the bright light from the fire will make it too difficult to see what's happening back here.” Cephy nodded, a gesture Rachael had grown used to since Cephy had begun to stay with her. The girl didn't talk much, and often showed her opinion in different ways, usually by nodding or shaking her head.

  Without ever taking her eyes off the crowd which had gathered around the burning cart, they squeezed themselves out of the tight alley and into the road.

  Rachael felt like her heart was about to explode. She didn't remember the last time it had beaten so hard in her chest, but she was sure that she would remember this for as long as she lived.

  Sneaking along the house walls as fast as they dared, they made their way across the street. The heavy snowfall helped conceal them, and they were only moments away from the next gap. From there it would be difficult for anyone to follow them. All they needed to do was squeeze through and they'd be free.

  “MUM!” Their heads shot up at the voice right above them. A little boy was sticking his head out of a window, pointing down right to them. “MUM, THE WITCHES ARE GETTING AWAY!”

  It only took one quick glance towards the fire to know that everyone had their eyes focused on their general direction. Rachael and Cephy sprinted towards the gap at the same time as the crowd started running towards the screaming child.

  They were slower than the group of people, but they were closer to the alley. Seconds before a bulky man would have grabbed Cephy's arm, they jumped between the buildings and ran faster than they had ever done to the sounds of angry screaming and cursing of their souls right behind them.

  Knowing that there was no way the grown-up, well-fed people would catch up with them now didn't help. They both ran as fast as their tired legs could carry them and reached the hole in the walls just as some dogs started barking.

  “Quickly! Get through!” Rachael shoved Cephy through first, grateful for the brief moment to catch her breath. Cephy fit through without a problem, and while it took Rachael a little longer they managed to get out quickly.

  The barking behind them grew louder. Both girls shared only a brief look before they took off, running into a forest they knew nothing about.

  Chapter Ten

  “Where did they go?” Commander Videl's voice was calm, not betraying the disgust he felt on the inside. The witches must have had an accomplice in this filthy excuse for a city, otherwise he and his men would have caught them without problems. Behind him the burnt out ruins of a house forced a grim reminder of what the witches were capable of on the people of Blackrock. His men had informed him that it had been the baker's home. His own daughter, one of the very witches he had come here to kill, had burnt him and his family to ashes. Many of the townspeople had witnessed the foul magic at work, yet they all stood rigid before him now, too terrified to speak.

  His grip on his sword tightened and the creases on his forehead deepened as he waited for one of the townspeople to answer him. “I said, where the fuck did those bitches go?” The crowd before him looked sheepish, and terrified, and he hated both cowardice and fear. He was a calm and collected man, but the people of Blackrock were testing his patience.

  Finally, a man raised his hand, eyes on his black leather shoes.

  “Speak up!”

  “We don't know, good sir.”

  Before the commander of the White Guard could stop himself, his hand had hit the side of the man’s face, the heavy gauntlet drawing thick streaks of blood as the material cut into his skin.

  “You don't know? You don't know! Men!” Behind him, his three subordinates straightened and saluted. “Find them! They are only two young girls, damn it! I won't be outwitted by two children, you hear me?” The guardsmen nodded, saluted once more and spread out in all directions.

  “Now, you lot need to be taught a lesson! You call us to your town, asking us to rid you of the Dark One's own spawn, and then you have the nerve to lose them?” He spat every word. Every letter may as well have dripped venom.

  “We're awfully sorry, good sir. We don't know where they might have-” The commander's gauntlet drew across his face, too, leaving a deep red smear on its otherwise flawless surface.

  “Show us every crack in the wall around this blasted town! I want to know every last rabbit hole, you hear me!”

  “But good sir, this town's walls are old. They have held for centuries, they have! Not a crack in any of them, we assure you!”

  Commander Videl's patience was running low. The nerve! The insolence! How stupid did they think he was? How incapable did they think him and his men?

  “Are you saying, then, that they are still in Blackrock? They have simply outwitted my men and I, have they?”

  “Aye, good sir, they must-” His words were cut off by the raspy gurgling of blood filling his lungs and mouth. The crowd gasped, a nearby woman screamed and ran to the man's side.

  Commander Videl had pledged his life to the execution of the Dark One's spawn. He had no time for ungrateful rabble like these people, who wasted his time and insulted his skills.

  “Adam!” The woman broke down in front of this man, Adam, holding his blood-soaked hands and pleading to the Maker to save him.

  The Commander of The White Guard kicked her with his steel boot. “Excuses! You people have allowed two dangerous criminals to flee your city, and you would blame us! This man, this Adam, has conspired with evil to fool us and buy them time! He had to die for his sins! Would you allow one such as him to live among you?”

  The faint mumbling of apologies shuddered through the shaking crowd.

  “Let me ask again.” Commander Videl tried hard to control his breathing and be professional, but these people were driving him mad. “Show us every last crack, hole, and gap in these walls. Now.”

  The people looked down, too scared to meet his demanding gaze. Mothers turned their children away from him and held them close. No one was brave enough to do the right thing.

  Sweat glistened on many foreheads, and the commander felt his newly gained patience dwindle once more. He drew his sword, grabbed the woman of the dead man, and pressed the blade into her neck, drawing the thinnest sliver of blood.

  “If you do not cooperate I will have to assume that all of you think as this man did. If your town is as rotten as I fear, me and my men will have to purge every last one of you.” Around him the people looked mortified, shivering from fear rather than the cold.

  No one spoke a word. No one remembered how to. The fear had disintegrated all rational thought.

  “Very well. My men will be back soon, but I can start the purging of this shithole without them.” The promise of his sword as it left its scabbard cut through the chilled air.

  “Stop! Wait!” A panicked voice rang through the air, parting the shaking crowd. An overweight woman dragged a small child through the snow behind her, running as fast as her short fat legs allowed her. Her face was flushed from running, and there was a spark in her eyes he had seen before. This was going to be good.

  “Explain yourself!”

  “My boy, here, my Peter, he saw 'em! He saw 'em escape! Through a gap in the wall they squeezed, he saw it himself! Isn't that right, Peter!”

  “Yes, sir. It's as I've seen it.”

  “Where.” His anger was replaced by excitement. It would be another v
ictory for the White City, and he was proud to have made it possible.

  “That way, good sir! The other end of town!”

  “How long ago.”

  “I dunno, maybe-” The crowd gasped, a few screamed, as the Commander of the White Guard pressed his blade into the child's neck.

  “I asked you, how long ago?”

  Careful not to draw blood himself, the boy nodded as quickly as the situation allowed him. “It was not a half hour ago, sir!”

  “Did they have horses waiting for them?”

  “No, sir! I saw them run into the forest, I swear I did!”

  Commander Videl smiled. No horses? The stupid wenches stood no chance against him now!

  “You've done well, Peter. You'd make a damn good soldier of the White Guard yourself one day!” The boy beamed with pride, looking at his mother for confirmation who nodded, the same proud grin on her face.

  He cleared his throat, recapturing the people's attention in an instant. “People of Blackrock! Today you were saved by this young lad! Remember the mercy of the White City, for we have rid you of evil and have given you a second chance!”

  He could still hear their cheering as he rode out of the city, promising himself to never set foot in this flea-ridden shithole again.

  Chapter Eleven

  Rachael stopped to catch her breath once she couldn’t hear the eager barking of the Guard's hounds any more. Leaning against a tree, exhausted from their narrow escape, she struggled to calm down. Cephy wasn't far behind and was watching her. Everything was covered in undisturbed snow, even the smallest branches on the many trees surrounding them. She didn't know just how far into the forest they had run, but she no longer heard the dogs chasing after them so distance didn't matter. As long as they were far away from Blackrock and the White Guard they would be fine.

  Rachael looked around, trying to find something they could eat. Survival had been hard before but at least there had been some food here and there. Now, out in the wilds, she didn't know what to do. She was too small to hunt down a deer or a boar, even, and too inexperienced to make a bow or take any animal at home in these forests by surprise. Their only chance was to reach the next town, but she didn't know how to get there or how far away it was. Even if she did, it was a risk. She knew from gossip she had overheard that people like them weren't wanted anywhere. These woods were a complete mystery to her. What if they were miles away, walking in the wrong direction? They would starve long before they came across another town.