On Fallen Wings

by Jamie McHenry

  I squeezed Sean’s hand tight and stared into his eyes, pleading with mine for him to stay, at least for a while longer. I hadn’t expected him to leave so soon, and it shocked me. I couldn’t speak. It was my own demand that was taking Sean away. Sean’s face wavered in the tears that welled up in my eyes until they overflowed.

  Father broke the silence. His voice thundered in my head like a tree branch crashing to the ground. “Where do you plan on searching, Sean?” He gnawed casually on a carrot.

  Sean lifted my hands, supporting them in the air while he answered. “I’m traveling east. The signs call for a harsh winter, and I want to get over the mountains before the weather worsens.”

  “How long will you be gone?” asked Leila, leaning over the table. She was also crying. She wiped her eyes.

  “Probably all season,” Cael interjected as casually as if Sean was just traveling for the day.

  I flashed a glare at his indifference.

  “I’ll return as soon as possible,” said Sean, “to marry your sister.”

  I wiped my eyes and forced a smile that lied. This was the most awful day in my life, and I had chosen it. Sean was leaving because I was sending him away. For the first time, I regretted my choice of wedding requirement.

  “We all wish you good fortune, Sean,” said Mother. She stood from her chair and approached the bench where he and I sat. Then she leaned over and hugged him from over one shoulder. “And we will eagerly await your return.”

  With her other arm, she reached over him and squeezed my shoulder. I leaned into her arm, grateful for her support.

  “It’s all right, dear,” she whispered into my ear. “It will be okay.”

  “I’m sorry if I disrupted your day,” said Sean, looking at me with sympathy and honest eyes. “I want to spend the afternoon with you, and the evening with your family. I didn’t want to leave without a proper goodbye.”

  “Well, boy, you’ve done marvelous,” said Father. His reaction to the sudden bad news was vexing; I scowled inside. “The last time we had a messenger at the house was when—”

  I interrupted Father. “When I was called to the temple—when I was chosen to join the Fae.” Warm memories flooded my mind, erasing the pain of the moment a little. I absorbed them with a faint smile; at least something today felt comforting. “Thank you for sending a messenger,” I said, hugging Sean tight. “It was a wonderful gesture.”

  Sean rubbed my back and released me. “Well, let’s finish the meal. We have all afternoon to enjoy each other’s company.”

  “We can go for a ride,” yelled Leila. Her voice echoed from the rafters above the table.

  I smiled and grabbed a biscuit. “I think that’s a great idea.”

  ~ O ~

  Cleanup after a meal at my home had never finished as fast. I helped Mother wipe clean the last of the plates, while Leila, Ethan, and Cael went to the stable to prepare the horses. Father had escorted Sean out the front door.

  “What are they discussing?” I asked Mother, while stacking the plates in the cupboard.

  “I’m certain your father is simply giving Sean advice for his journey,” said Mother.

  “I hope he doesn’t threaten him with the short sword again.” I strained to see through the small kitchen window; outside, in the field, Leila was commanding both Cael and Ethan like a war captain.

  Mother laughed. “Don’t worry, dear. Your father likes Sean. He won’t do that again.” She folded the towel she had been using and placed it onto the stone counter. “There we go.” She patted my back. “Now, let’s go enjoy the afternoon.”

  We left through the back door at the same moment that Ethan snapped back at one of Leila’s commands, which had obviously upset him. Noticing us, he stopped talking and quickly attached the reins on Kiefer, a magnificent sorrel colt. Cael also turned suspiciously away and worked on a bridle for Avalon. A clever gelding, Avalon wasn’t happy with Cael’s methods and complained loudly.

  Shaking my head, I ducked under the fence rails and took the bridle from Cael. “Hush,” I said, stroking Avalon’s blaze with my fingers. “He’s all right.” I smiled at Cael and turned back to the horse to whisper. “This one is strange, but he’ll be kind to you.”

  “Thanks,” said Cael, approaching us. “Horses and I don’t seem to get along well.” He took the reins from my hands while I chuckled and stepped away.

  “Where’s your father’s horse?” Mother leaned over the wide white rail of the fence and stared into the field. “Your father will be upset if Garrett’s not ready.”

  “We couldn’t find him,” answered Leila, moaning her complaint.

  “You couldn’t find him,” said Ethan, cutting in with emphasis to blame her. “Mother, she was bossing us around. You should have heard her. I wanted to find Garrett for Father, but she wouldn’t let me.”

  “I know what you wanted to do,” said Mother, smacking Ethan on the back of his head. “And it didn’t include listening to your sister.”

  Suddenly a sharp whistle split the air, startling a flock of gray and white starlings from the western grove. I turned and stared while Father and Sean walked jauntily from the barn. They were laughing and smiling like old friends.

  “Where’s Garrett?” shouted Father. He added a couple curses. “I don’t see him.”

  “We couldn’t find him,” said Leila, waving her arms helplessly. “We called for him, but he never came. I’m sorry.”

  “He’ll come to me.” Father whistled again, causing Ethan to cover his ears. To me, it sounded like he was showing off for Sean.

  A cloud of dust erupted from behind a low hill. The ground shook as a two dozen horses thundered toward us, each following a large chestnut gelding. Garrett. Father grinned. He disappeared into the stable and returned with his saddle balanced on one large arm.

  I turned to Sean and whispered. “Where did you two go?”

  Sean smiled and shook his head. “To the barn,” he said. “And don’t ask. I won’t answer.”

  “Ask what?” I used my best innocent tone.

  “You’re not allowed to ask,” said Sean with a grin. “It’s a rule.”

  “That’s only for faerie business.” I frowned and traced a finger down his arm. “There’s no law binding what you and my father discussed, unless you gave your word.”

  “That’s right,” said Sean. “I didn’t give my word.” He turned and waved in the direction of my father, who fastened his saddle on his enormous horse. “But your father is a strong man.”

  I gasped. “Did he threaten you? Mother!”

  Sean grabbed my arm and pulled me close. “Be quiet.” He covered my mouth with his hand. “No, he didn’t threaten me. I can’t tell you. It’s a secret among men.” He removed his hand. “Besides, I’m certain there are plenty of things about the Fae that you don’t tell anyone.”

  I shook my head. “That’s different, Sean Bauer, and you know it. Our secrets are sacred.”

  “All of them?”

  I could feel the heated blood rise to my cheeks. “No. Sean, don’t tease me. What did you discuss with my father?”

  “You’re beautiful when you’re jealous.” He kissed my forehead and wandered to the fence. “Which horse do I get to ride?”

  “I’m not jealous,” I said, stomping after him.

  “Is everything all right?” asked Mother. She was staring at me.

  While I stammered a response, Sean stood behind her and made a mocking face back at me. “N—No, I mean yes—Sean. Stop it.” I couldn’t help it; his face was ridiculous. I started to giggle.

  Mother turned to look, but Sean had resumed a casual stance next to the fence.

  “All set.” said Father, louder than he needed to. He leapt onto Garrett. “Who wants to race me to the lake?”

  I couldn’t stay angry.

  The challenge had been offered; chaos erupted as we yelled our acceptance. Everyone, Sean and his younger brother included, scrambled for a horse and for position. I rushed
to the fence, ducked underneath the rail, and chose Ophelie, a painted mare, as my ride. With less grace than precision, I mounted and readied my arms for the advancing call. This was my chance. In all of my years in memory, no one had beaten Father in a race to the lake. His command of a horse, especially Garrett, was exceptional.

  I paused, waiting and ready.

  “Wait. Wait and hold a moment.” Father broke the anticipation and shook his head. “Will someone help Cael?”

  Cael had one leg tangled in Avalon’s bridle, and the other stuck up like an errant tree branch. “I’m sorry,” he said, flailing his arms. “Horses and I don’t seem to get along well.”

  “It’s all right,” said Mother, concealing a grin with her hand. “I’ll help you.”

  She trotted over to Cael. When reaching him, she leaned close and scooped him with one hand. Her balance was amazing. In a flurry of motion, she untangled the reins, leaving Cael—wide eyes and rigid—clinging to the neck of Avalon. Mother whispered a command into the gelding’s ear. He immediately turned north, toward the lake.

  “We’re ready,” she told us.

  Father didn’t waste the moment. He held his arm high. “Is everyone watching?”

  We nodded.

  “Go!”

  I kicked the ribs of Ophelie and yelled into her ears. Everything faded into a blurry image of grass and distant trees.

  “You can run faster,” I encouraged my mare. “One chance—this is it.”

  I didn’t look back. There was no need. No horse galloped in front of us. Prodding Ophelie with all my skill, I leaned into her mane, ignoring the stinging as it whipped against my cheek, and allowed the wind to rush behind me and dim the yells of my family.

  “We’ll catch you, Rhiannon.” Leila’s voice wasn’t far behind.

  “Wait for me, I’ll tell you a secret.” Sean’s voice called.

  I yelled back without turning. “Too late. You’ll need to catch me.”

  Excitement traveled to my toes and fingers with tingling delight, carrying with it the pounding beat of my heart. It matched the rhythm of Ophelie’s steps.

  I knew she couldn’t keep this pace forever. “Forward. Faster,” I urged her. “You’re almost there.”

  As we galloped, horses around the field joined in the chase, but none of them caught us. We were winning. I wanted to look back, to see how close Father was, but resisted. I focused only on the goal. The lake shimmered through the trees. We were almost there.

  Behind me, I could hear hoof beats like the thunder of a coming storm. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Father as he passed me on Garret. His curly blonde beard pressed against his neck and his hair whipped back like the feathers of a diving eagle. A fierce grin was on his face. Aside from Mother and us children, my father loved the chase more than anything—the wild freedom of rushing through the world, becoming one with the powerful beast beneath him. He often said it was as close to flying as the living could ever know. I understood his passion.

  “Go—go!” I prodded Ophelie more, but had the sensation I was riding backwards as Garrett passed us with ease. Ahead, I saw the crystal reflections of the lake surface and the trees of Morgan in the distance. Accepting my loss, I released my grip on the reins and looked back to verify my position; the others were barely visible.

  Knowing I would be forced to listen to their gloating all season if I lost to anyone else, I nudged Ophelie again and resumed the chase after Father. We caught up to him shortly. He sat regally on Garrett at the water’s edge while his champion drank victory from the lake.

  “That was good,” he said, grinning. “You’re getting faster.”

  “Excellent ride, Father,” I acknowledged. I bowed slightly. “You’re still unbeaten.”

  “Barely. You’re the closest one, yet.” He tousled his hair with his fingers, pulling and tugging it in every direction. When he finished, it looked like Ethan’s hair.

  “Ever?”

  He nodded. “One day, I’ll lose to you.”

  I smiled as screams and whoops drowned the conversation. Mother arrived first, followed by Leila and Sean. Far behind them, Cael and Ethan eventually arrived at the gravel shoreline. Cael was red faced and looked like he had carried Avalon. Ethan looked happy to finish.

  I guided Ophelie toward Sean and directed her to saunter in front of him. “I’m pleased that you could join us.” I gave him a mocking grin.

  “That was a good ride,” said Sean, offering a polite smile. “I don’t think that I’ll ever catch you.”

  “Bring me back my horse, and I’ll teach you everything I know.” I leaned close and patted Sean on the hand. “Still, you did okay. You almost caught Leila.”

  “I didn’t want him to get lost,” said Leila defiantly. She led her horse to the water and allowed him to drink. She turned to Sean. “I would have let you win—as a tribute to your noble efforts in the morning.”

  Sean bowed. “Then, thank you.”

  “What about me?” complained Ethan. “I had to go back for Cael. He fell off Avalon twice.”

  I glanced at Cael, who remained on his horse, panting as much as the gelding. “Are you all right, Cael? Would you like some water?” With a nod back toward Sean, I rode over to his younger brother. “Is there anything you need?”

  Cael spoke between strong gasps. “No…thank you…I’ll be okay.”

  Mother steered her horse next to Father and leaned next to him. “Was it crucial to win, dear?” she asked, matting his hair down with one hand. “I thought you would have shown courtesy to our guests.” She motioned toward Sean. “To our future son-in-law.”

  “That’s all right, Keelia,” said Sean to my mother. “It was a fantastic ride. Did you see all the birds fly over us?”

  Father and I shook our heads.

  “No, I missed them,” I answered. “I was focused on the lake.”

  Sean’s horse stepped away from the gravel and back onto the grass. “I definitely lost the race,” said Sean. He nodded to Father. “That was an excellent ride, sir. Congratulations.” He turned to me. “For me, the thrill was chasing you. I don’t know.” Sean shook his head. “Maybe it’s the incredible moment that I seek and savor, not necessarily the victory.”

  “Oh, but there’s a prize to win with victory.” I spun Ophelie around to taunt him and then leaned closer against his chest.

  “Tell us, Sean,” said Father. “Where do you plan to live, once you two marry?”

  I could feel the rhythm and warmth of Sean’s heart. Our horses walked slowly east, along the grass and close to the shore. When he spoke, I could hear his words through his tunic.

  “My family owns some forest land.” Sean pointed at Taylor’s Ridge. “On the northern side. It’s no use for farming, but that’s where we’ll build a home.”

  “Next to Owen Dorsey’s land?” asked Father.

  “Yes,” answered Sean. “That’s the place.”

  I watched my parents. Although I had known what Sean would answer, I was curious about their response. We had never told them where we intended to live after the wedding.

  “That’s a wonderful idea,” said Mother, to my delight. I had worried about how she would feel with her oldest child leaving the nest.

  “Hey. How will we visit you?” asked Ethan, leading his horse close to us. He pointed back toward the house. “I think you should build a home next to ours. That way, we can visit you every day, and you can still help us with the field work.”

  “That’s the idea,” I said, wincing at the thought of helping Ethan with his chores forever; he was a slower worker than Leila was. “We want to live close enough to help with the herd, but far enough away to make our own life.” I pointed east. “If you follow the shore and keep riding past the fence, Sean’s land is on the other side of the stream. It isn’t far.” I turned to Leila. “You can visit us whenever Father will allow. And I’m certain we’ll spend many days with the herd.”

  “What are you going to do, Cael?” asked Mothe
r. “Once Sean has left, will you take his place helping your father?”

  Cael shook his head and smirked. “I’ve never been a good farmer,” he told us. “I’ve been working with Owen, learning to trade.”

  I could sense an argument brewing. Nia’s father traded goods with everyone, including Morgan. His trading company offered a mystique and a fantastic change for many of the men in Aisling. The young men found it an escape from working in the fields or trades of the forest, while many of the older men had discovered trading for Owen Dorsey brought a satisfying income to their families. No doubt, Owen was wealthy, and Nia never lacked for anything—except a mother. Nevertheless, Father had always despised the village across the lake and was annoyed with anyone who dealt with them, including Owen.

  I decided to change the subject. “Thank you both for visiting,” I said. “This has been a lovely afternoon. I wish it didn’t have to end.” I turned back to Sean. “And I wish you didn’t have to leave, although I understand your urgency.”

  “There’s something else,” said Sean. “There’s another reason for my visit.”

  “What, Sean?” Mother looked worried.

  Sean continued. “I’ve asked my brother to come with me for two reasons. The first is to accompany me home, tonight; I don’t want to break the rules. I hope that you didn’t mind him coming.”

  We all acknowledged that Cael was welcome. I turned and looked back at the western trees. The sun hadn’t dropped behind them.

  “The second,” said Sean. “I’ve asked him to look after you.” He turned to me. “To keep you safe in my absence.”

  I missed a breath and glared back into Sean’s eyes, hoping that he understood my meaning. Annoying and proud, his brother bothered me. Cael was like a buzzing insect that wouldn’t leave.

  “Will you accept my gift of protection?” asked Sean, ignoring my silent message. “With a bandit loose in the village, I’m afraid for you and your family. I want to keep you safe for my return, and our eventual marriage.”

  A dozen prying eyes focused on my response.

  “Yes,” I answered, choking on the word. “I accept.”