Rise of the Sparrows

by Sarina Langer

  “One summer some men came. I remember their approach to our farm. They came on black horses, in black armour, waving a flag as red as blood behind them as they rode up to our house, burning my parents' crops as they went. They were the most terrifying thing I had ever seen. I thought death had come for us. Was right, too. Our mother told me to take my sister and run. Dad held the back door open so we could slip out undetected. I'd never run so hard in my life, but I have done many times since then.”

  “Who were they?”

  “They were from Tramura, to the North. My mother wasn't from here, she was born past the Boneanvil Mountains. I hear it's a small place, but a little bigger than Rifarne. I've never been. Magic is outlawed there, always has been. Apparently her grandfather was murdered for it there, but she had managed to escape in a similar way to how we managed to escape when the same men came for her.”

  “But I thought your parents were farmers. Did anyone here know they had magic?”

  A sad smile spread across his face. Rachael thought she saw a tear glistening in his right eye, but maybe it was just the sun playing a trick on her. “No. To keep us safe, they stuck to farming and didn't tell anyone about their gift or her heritage. But she was related by blood to her grandfather, and that was enough. Everyone with magic has to die under their rule, even if there's only a slim chance of it being passed on again. My parents were farmers, and never hurt anyone. But they came for them anyway. They fear magic that much that they didn't want to take the chance. I hid in the forest, trying to keep Ailis from crying. I knew the general direction Arlo usually came from and thought it best to wait for him. By the time he visited us again our parents had been dead for weeks, and we were weak. We weren't sure which berries were safe to eat, and only drank the water from puddles when it rained. We were sick for a while but Arlo took us in and helped us. We moved out once I was old enough to swing a sword and build a small house outside the White City.”

  Rachael felt speechless. Here she was, feeling sorry for her miserable life, when Cale had lived through all that. “I'm sorry.”

  He nodded. “What's done is done, but I appreciate it. King Aeric is not influenced by the ruler of Tramura, whoever that is these days, but his leadership is slowly taking us in the same direction. It won't be long before magic is officially outlawed here, too, as it is over there. I can't let that happen, Rachael. With or without your help, the Sparrows will stand against him.”

  This was too much. It was too heavy a weight for her to carry. How could she possibly stop all of Rifarne from plunging into such dark times? The citizens already feared magic the same way they feared it in Tramura, if Cale was to be believed. All King Aeric had to do was declare war. Cale said he would stand against him, no matter what. He said he couldn't let it happen, and she knew he would rather die than live in a world like the one his mother had escaped from. The question was, could she? If things had been bad before, they were nothing compared to what his parents and their parents must have lived through. And in the end they were slaughtered in their own home anyway. They had prolonged the inevitable and nothing more.

  “Why are you telling me all this?” He couldn't have been much older than her, but already he had lived through so much more. Her parents had abandoned her with nothing but a blanket to her name. He had to leave his to be murdered. She didn't even know for sure what had happened to her parents. What if they had been hunted down like his? She had magic. It was not unreasonable to think that they had it, too. Was this why they had left? Had they been taken? Had they hoped she would have a better life without them?

  An anger she'd never felt before rose in her chest, burning deeply.

  “I am telling you about me because you don't think you can trust me. I understand why you're suspicious, it's healthy not to be too trusting, but we're on your side. I thought if I told you more about who I am, well... Maybe it would help you. You can trust us, but I understand not wanting to trust a stranger.”

  He got up, shook some loose grass off his trousers, and turned around.

  “Where are you going?”

  “I said you don't need to decide right away, and I meant it. It's true that the Sparrows are running out of time, but you have a big decision to make. Those shouldn't be rushed.”

  She watched as he walked back to the hut and closed the door behind him. There was a lump in her throat and she wasn't sure how to swallow past it. If what he said was true- what if he was lying?

  There was at least some truth to what he had told her. She had never had a reason to travel beyond the mountains before, but the mentality of the people here was clear enough to her. They feared people like her and Cephy. King Aeric was desperate enough to send his men after her, armoured and on horses. What was his next move, now that they had escaped his commander? Would he send more men after them? Would he declare them dead, believing that they would die a slow death in the woods? She couldn't get herself to believe that. King Aeric would send more men after her, more dangerous than the last ones. He still wanted her dead, she was sure of it. All that only because her dreams sometimes showed her the future.

  It was not right. With her heart racing in her chest, Rachael got up and walked back towards the hut. When King Aeric send his next force of men for her, she would be ready.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  “Rachael!” Cephy was sitting on Arlo's legs who was busy putting new bandages around her hands. Instead of looking pained she had a wide smile on her face, grinning when Rachael stepped into the cramped kitchen-space.

  “Hold still, lass, or these won't sit right!” Arlo's low grunt made Cephy go as rigid as any of the large trees outside the walls, but it didn't diminish her smile.

  “Arlo says my hands look better already. He told me a story about a bunny who lives down by the river who had its paw injured once and he fixed it!” Despite her excitement Cephy managed to sit still. Rachael couldn't help but smile at seeing her so much happier than she had been only a few days ago, under Aeron's watchful eye. She didn't like how quickly Cephy had come to trust these two strangers, but she was glad to see her frown gone.

  “I'm sorry I ran out.” Despite her suspicions Arlo had been nothing but nice to them. Running out like she had done had been rude, and she felt better having apologised for it. It helped to soothe the burning feeling in her chest.

  “Don't mention it, lass. Can't say I blame you, given what we told you.”

  She nodded, taking a seat opposite Cephy but got up again when the restless tugging in her chest wouldn't allow her to sit still. Her own heart raced as much as Cephy's speech. Sitting down only made the sensation worse.

  “I've thought about what you said.” She threw a brief glance at Cale, who was busying himself with something she couldn't see at the hob. She had a feeling he had been watching her just as carefully as she was eyeing him now, if only for a brief moment. The worry that everything he had told her had been a lie spun to rope her into their plan was still there, but even if it was her mind was made up.

  They had suffered enough. It didn't matter if he had made up his story. She had lived it, if to a smaller extend, and didn't doubt that someone else in Rifarne was still suffering the same life.

  Arlo looked up from his handiwork, not stopping work on Cephy's bandages for a second.

  “And what did you decide, lass?”

  She tried once more to swallow past the lump in her throat, but the more she tried the worse it got.

  “I want to help you. But I don't know where to start.”

  A throaty, thunderous laugh filled the hut, threatening to tear the walls down at their foundations. “That's fantastic news, lass!” Arlo had a laugh to match his stature, it seemed, and something about it put Rachael at ease. From across the table Cephy beamed at her, and Cale gave her a reassuring smile over his shoulder.

  Their confidence in her was maddening.

  “But I don't know what to do! Killing King Aeric, this prophecy... I don't
see how I fit in.”

  Cale looked ready to explain the prophecy's meaning once more when Arlo raised a hand, keeping him quiet.

  “Don't worry about that, lass! That's where Cale and his Sparrows come in.”

  “You're not so unimportant yourself, old man,” Cale said from his place at the hob, carefully pouring some tea into mugs with shaking hands.

  “Aye, I don't do much. I just sit here waiting to take more of you in.”

  “You're placing too much hope in me. I don't know how to control my visions, and if I did they wouldn't help!” She was beginning to feel frustrated. How could they place so much faith into something she couldn't control? Relying on luck was something she had given up on many years ago. To survive she needed skill, not blind faith, and she didn't have the skill needed to accomplish this.

  “That's why my sister is willing to help you. As I said, she's used to teaching people like you. People who don't know how to control their gift. She may have no experience in helping prophets but she'll still be able to aid you a little.”

  “Can she teach me?” Cephy looked excited at the mere prospect, still sitting on Arlo's lap with her feet dangling in the air. She looked like she could easily be his granddaughter, and he a proud grandfather.

  Cale offered her a sincere smile in return. “If you ask her nicely?”

  “Now, now, let's not get ahead of ourselves. Before Ailis can teach you anything you'll have to get there first. It's not a dangerous journey under normal circumstances, but the White Guard will be looking for you lasses. You need to plan your steps or all this celebrating will be for nothing.”

  “I know. I have a plan, but we shouldn't ride until Cephy's hands have healed completely. Just in case.”

  “Aye, that's fine with me. You can stay here as long as you need, but you should let her know you're coming. She'll want to prepare.”

  Cale laughed. “She's been prepared for months. She is just as excited to meet our Sparrow as you were.”

  Arlo sighed, giving Cale a look like a father gave a son who'd made the same mistake twice. “There are other people to inform, too, lad. The Sparrows should know.”

  “I know.” Cale said. “No need to tell me. I know it'll be good for their morale. But for now, we celebrate!” Arlo grunted at his request, but his smile betrayed him.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  A week passed before Cale was happy that Cephy's hands had healed enough, and they decided to ride out. Rachael still found it hard to adjust to everything they had told her, everything they believed she could do, but she had to admit that it felt nice to be important for once. Before long Cale and Arlo would leave her and move on to some other saviour, but for now Rachael was happy to play the part. She knew she couldn't learn magic, like other people learned to read or to walk. Once they realised that she had told the truth they would drop her. Maybe then, finally, she could live in peace somewhere with Cephy. They would find someone more suited than her, end the war and have what they were after without her.

  Everyone would get what they wanted in the end. Them realising that she couldn't help would be for the best.

  The ride to Cale's sister was long and exhausting, and would take them close to the White City. Rachael had never sat on a horse for this long before and wasn't convinced that she would do it again if she didn't have to. After three days of riding in disguise her entire body was stiff and aching from the journey, and her hands refused to hold on to the reigns for another minute. It was by sheer willpower alone that she was still sitting on the horse Cale had brought for her at all. Kaori at least didn't seem to mind, and she didn't complain, either.

  Arlo's disguises were simple but effective. Both her and Cephy were wrapped up in long linen and cloths, and Cale treated them like any other victim of the fever which had fallen over this part of Rifarne. People were coughing and covering their mouths everywhere she looked, while others tried to stay clear hoping they wouldn't catch the same cold.

  It was only when they had found somewhere to hide for the night that they were allowed to take the heavy clothes off, and each time it felt incredible to breathe in fresh air. Despite the biting cold the thick disguises kept them warm, and Rachael was desperate to shake them off as soon as Cale allowed it.

  After three days, the capital appeared in the distance. Blackrock had always seemed large to her, and then the forests had seemed impossibly vast, but they were nothing compared to the White City. Its white buildings stretched as far as they could see, the imposing palace of the king adorning the very end of their view. The city itself seemed to stretch on for many miles, but the seat of King Aeric towered over everything. Rachael couldn't imagine how its citizen dared sleep at night, with the king watching over them like this. She wasn't sure how she would be able to sleep herself, once they had reached Cale's home. The palace aside, however, she had to admit that the home of all this slaughter and bloodshed was a beautiful place. The white buildings looked proud but exotic to her. In Blackrock everything had been covered in soot and dust from the long dead coal mines, but even from a distance she could tell that the White City was kept clean and pristine. The port housed several large ships, the sea licking at its beaches which stretched far away from the city in both directions.

  She had never seen anything like it, and she highly doubted that she ever would again. If it wasn't for what she knew about the king and his laws she would never have guessed at the cruelty coming out of this place.

  She was grateful that they wouldn't be staying inside the city walls. Cale had mentioned that he and his sister lived in the forest, away from the city itself, and she was glad that she wouldn't have to set foot beyond the gates. She wanted to see more of this city, which was part of Rifarne and yet looked so exotic to her, but the king was inside the city, too. If she could stay far away from the man who had ordered her death then she would keep her distance.

  Many soldiers had passed them, but thanks to their disguises they gave them a wide berth. Nobody wanted to get close to them for fear of getting infected, but that didn't stop Rachael's stomach from twisting every time their white polished armour came into view. Cale had assured her that the White Guard would not be looking for them this close to the capital. They were expected to be hiding far away, possibly past the Boneanvil Mountains or across the Far Sea, even, but no one suspected they would come so close to the king's front door.

  An hour before reaching the city gates, Cale led them off the road into the forest. Rachael was sad to see the ocean disappearing from view but knew better than to protest. Maybe when all this was over, if she was still alive then, she could go back and enjoy herself – silly as the idea sounded in her head. She had never truly enjoyed herself, but maybe if they could achieve everything the Sparrows were fighting for there was a chance. It wouldn't be necessary to hide herself any more, then. She could barely imagine such a thing, but Cale assured her that soon she wouldn't need to imagine it. She would simply live it. As much as she wanted to believe him, she could not.

  “We can walk the rest of the way from here.” Cale brought his own horse to a halt and jumped off.

  When they had first set out four days ago Rachael had hated jumping off the tall animal, but now she was used to it. Her movements were not as skilful as Cale's, but she no longer tripped and knew how to land without hurting her feet from the impact.

  She was grateful for the chance to stretch her legs, too.

  “Is it far?” Cephy asked, moving closer to Rachael as they led their horses through the trees.

  Cale shook his head. “It's a twenty minute walk into the woods. We could have continued on horseback but I figured you'd want to use your feet for a change.”

  Rachael gently petted Kaori's side as she led her through the trees. While she didn't enjoy riding she had taken a liking to the animal itself. She had heard it said many times that horses were smart animals, and she was beginning to see why. Kaori had warmed to her, and whinnied every ti
me she spotted Rachael.

  Every tree looked like the last to Rachael and she struggled to understand how Cale knew his way so well. There was no path to walk on, no signs to follow and no clues anywhere.

  Finally, a small cabin came into view. It was larger than Arlo's home had been, with the soothing sounds of flowing water nearby and a small second floor hardly big enough to be an attic. It looked cosy with smoke from the hearth coming from the small chimney, and a small vegetable garden peeking out from behind the corner. It wasn't at all like what Rachael had expected. Cale acted nice enough but he was rough around the edges, and she had assumed the house would reflect that. Instead it looked inviting, the smoke from the chimney promising a warm interior. How much of its appearance was his sister's doing?

  “You can tie Kaori and Shelbie up over there. There's a small lake nearby, they can drink and rest there.”

  Rachael nodded, taking her time and allowing Kaori to nuzzle her before following Cale to the house. The faint sound of someone singing drifted through the air, and the smell of freshly baked bread wafted outside from an open window.

  “Ailis?” Cale opened the door and stepped inside, motioning for them to follow. “Ailis, we're here! I've brought the Sparrow!” Brief moments later the sound of footsteps rushing downstairs filled the house, and a young woman entered the room, her eyes wide. There was no denying that she was Cale's sister. Save the scar which marked his face they were near identical. The same brown hair fell over her shoulders, and the same youthful spark lit up her features. The only difference were her eyes, which were a bright blue rather than grey. She couldn't have been many years younger than Cale.

  “Cale! You- This is- Are you sure?” Too stunned to speak, her eyes flashed between Cale and her before finally settling on Rachael.

  Cale responded by hugging his sister. “This is her. Rachael, this is my sister. Ailis, this is Cephy. She's a friend of Rachael's. A fire user.”