The Pariah Child- Sarafina's Return

by Natasha D Lane

  She glanced behind her. Jacob sent her a friendly smile, which she did not return.

  “I don’t trust the angel.” Skuntz looked between Jacob and Sarah. “His appearance is too convenient.”

  She hated to admit it but Skuntz was right. The angels had remained extremely neutral since the war began. They had offered no aid to the other Lyricans, simply allowing the war to play out while they watched.

  “I’ve been watching Sarah for a long time.”

  She huffed, tightening the straps on her shoulders.

  “We won’t know until we ask,” stated Klara. “Even if he’s lying to us, he may leave a slither of the truth.”

  “So?” Skuntz raised his brow.

  “So, we ask.” Klara reached behind her, before slamming her axe into the earth.

  The loud thunk caught Jacob’s attention. His walk became a stroll as Sarah and Skuntz took their posts at Klara’s side.

  Sarah crossed her arms. She wanted to be angry. His betrayal from their last trip to Lyrica was not forgotten. Yet she couldn’t summon the emotion like before in the heat of battle. Like his betrayal, after seeing him, the good memories sprung fresh in her mind.

  Them walking to school together, him holding her hand, talking about the holidays…and how he wished he had a real family. He had said his family delayed him but could anything Jacob said be true?

  The angel had stopped his stroll and now stood several feet apart from them. Like he was about to lecture a class, Jacob crossed his hands behind his back. He lifted his head, awaiting judgment.

  “You must tell us why you want to help.” Klara had spoken first.

  “Sarah was in trouble, so I—”

  “No.” Klara waved at his words. “Since returning to Lyrica, Sarah’s been in trouble on several occasions. Why now? Angels have remained very quiet throughout the humans’ conquest.”

  “I never agreed with that decision,” Jacob countered, his gaze sweeping over them. “I always believed we should offer aid. There was a vote and the decision was made.”

  “I didn’t know angels weren’t able to make their own decisions. The dwarves have stayed out of the war as well, but look who we have traveling with us.” Skuntz nodded toward Klara. “What’s your excuse?”

  A noticeable line formed between Jacob’s brows. He worked his jaw, then cleared his throat.

  “There isn’t any. I’m trying to correct my mistake now,” he replied. “And I owe Sarah a debt.”

  She shook her head. “Do not use me, Jacob.”

  “I’m not. I swear it. I was forced to lie to you before. I was going to steal the stone if you failed.” He closed his eyes briefly, then took in a hard breath. “This is to make up for that past mistake. I should have been honest with you.”

  Sarah reached within herself, trying to find any spark of hate or rage. Still, there was none. It was like grasping at air.

  “You got your wings, didn’t you?” Sarah replied. “What good is your helping me now?”

  Jacob moved to respond, then stopped and hung his head. He moved a hand over his face.

  “Just watch.”

  Staring straight at Sarah, Jacob flexed his shoulders and released two large wings from his back. They arched in the space above him, casting shadows over his face. But that was only one thing Sarah noticed.

  Her shoulders sagged and Sarah found herself moving toward her old friend.

  “You’re still fallen.”

  He lowered both the black and white wing.

  There was a bitter tone to his words. “The council…they don’t think I’ve done enough. I haven’t paid for what I did. Even though I wasn’t the one who commited the crime.”

  Sarah shook her head. “But, if you didn’t—”

  “Enough.” Skuntz stepped to her side. He held a carved blade in his right hand.

  Jacob’s eyes followed its length.

  “Here’s what I’ve gotten from your sad story. You’re a fallen angel. Your council won't give you your wings, unless you help us complete our mission. I’m sure you already know what it is.”

  “You’re wrong,” Jacob retorted. “I’m here of my own choosing. I don’t want to be with them, my people, any longer. You don’t know what it’s like to never be forgiven for something I didn’t do.”

  Skuntz held the knife out. Jacob didn’t flinch. Whatever fear he had felt for the elf appeared to have vanished.

  “Sarah seems to trust you, which makes me want to,” he said. “But I don’t. I know the games your people play. You’re in favor of whichever side wins. So, know this. If you in any way interfere with our mission, hurt Klara or Sarah, I’ll cut both your wings from your back.”

  “I second that,” Klara replied, leaning on her axe. “Skuntz, you won’t have to use your knife. Two swipes of my axe will have them off.”

  The words were filling Sarah but she swallowed them down. She couldn’t protect Jacob. She shouldn’t.

  Skuntz and Klara’s suspensions were justified. Still, she could feel the heat boiling on her cheeks, her hands turning to fists.

  Jacob’s gaze didn’t falter. “It’s a risk I’m willing to take. I’m here to help, to leave the angels behind, and to start over. Fresh.”

  Skuntz held the blade steady, while Sarah leaned on her toes, her eyes darting from the knife to Jacob.

  “Fine.” The elf sighed. “Let’s see how useful you can be.” He cast a sideways glance at Sarah, then turned and marched forward. Klara trailed after him, while Sarah was left at Jacob’s side.

  He turned to her. “Thank you.”

  “For what?”

  “Defending me.”

  “I didn’t.”

  Jacob smiled. “You did…in a way.”

  Sarah started after Klara and Skuntz, with Jacob behind her.

  “Think what you want,” she said over her shoulder, “but our threat still stands.”

  Yet, her voice held none of the conviction that Skuntz’s had.

  The northern cold quickly set in. It wasn’t a winter cold where snow was certainly on its way. Instead, it was the type of chill created from lack of sun, casting everything in a dull grey. The low temperature was both tolerable and noticeable.

  Klara pulled on her cloak. They had all added a few extra layers as they traveled, agreeing Jacob was allowed a hood at least. Considering he was now carrying Sarah’s share of supplies, she thought it was deserved.

  As they traveled, leafy-green trees became more of a rarity. Instead, they were replaced with thinner, leafless versions of themselves.

  Sarah stared at the jagged mountain peaks to the east. She had never forgotten her time in Lyrica, but the jagged tips of those mountains were always crisp in her mind. They were where she had met the former Queen Isabella and King William. The mountains were also where she’d helped kill them.

  Her first purposeful kill.

  Sarah gripped her sword. Isabella and William thought they would break her in that prison cell. They had been very wrong.

  A breeze moved across Sarah’s face. She winced and pulled her hood up.

  “You need more salve on your bruises or the swelling won’t stop,” Skuntz said, keeping his eyes forward and twirling a knife in his hands. “We can stop if you need to, Sarah.”

  The hold on her sword tightened. They weren’t even halfway through their journey. Their breaks needed to be few and far between.

  “I’ll be fine,” she whispered while touching a hand to her throat. The human’s handprints decorated her neck.

  “Your skin is sensitive after the battle,” he replied. “It’s because it’s healing. The salve and rest can help. How are your shoulders?”

  Sarah’s natural response was to glare at Skuntz. Now it felt odd. How could she meet someone’s eyes when her face was blue and swollen?

  In the end, she had defeated the human. However, he had not left her without scars. And…he had frightened her.

  In a way he had bested Sarah, though admitting the fac
t caused a flurry of anger in her chest. She took in a long breath through her nose, hoping to quench the fire.

  Sarah didn’t have time for anger. She needed to remain focused.

  “Oh!” Klara’s shoulders sagged and she bent over, placing a hand on each knee.

  “What’s wrong?” Jacob asked.

  She ignored him.

  Skuntz placed a hand on her back. “Not feeling well, Klara?”

  “Hm. I think I’m just a little tired. Do you think we could rest for a while?” She gave him a quick glance.

  He patted her shoulder. “Agreed.”

  Turning away from Sarah, the two marched toward a large rock where Klara plopped down.

  Sarah bit her tongue.

  I don’t have a choice anymore, do I?

  She placed herself opposite Klara and crossed her legs. Her eyes looked over the rock, watching as the dwarf sighed and rested against it. She looked comfortable.

  Straightening her back, Sarah tore her gaze away. She didn’t need to rest.

  Jacob took a seat right beside her. Sarah sighed again.

  “Well, do you think they’re going to let me sit with them?”

  “No, but there’s plenty of open space, Jacob.” She waved her hands at their surroundings. “You see? Hm?”

  Not even a blink.

  “Have your shoulder wounds opened up again?” he asked.

  “What does that have to do with our conversation?”

  He shrugged. “Nothing. I’m simply asking as a friend.”

  Sarah’s eyes rounded. She shook her head at him. “Do you really think it’s that easy?”

  “Wait. I didn’t—”

  She leaned close to him, having to tilt her chin just a bit to meet his eyes. She clenched her teeth, letting the rage burn in her chest, and praying he could see it in her stare. A line of tension moved across his shoulders. Sarah’s skin was hot.

  “I haven’t forgotten what happened between us Jacob,” she hissed. “I do not trust you. We are not friends. The only reason you’re even alive at this moment is because you helped me. That doesn’t mean I still don’t believe you have your own interests. I am not the same naive child you fooled. Understand?”

  His eyes roamed her face.

  “I understand, Sarah.”

  “Good.” She moved away, creating the distance between them once more.

  He moved his hands along his knee. “What if I tell you how I became fallen?”

  She stilled. The mountains’ shading would have hidden her reaction if they weren’t so close. But Sarah was certain he had seen it—the flash of curiosity.

  “I’ll tell you, Sarah. You can ask anything you like.”

  She drummed her fingers by her side, looking at one of the few trees surrounding them.

  “I promise,” he said. “I’ll tell you anything.”

  She could know. Sarah could finally know what was so terrible to make her best friend lie to her.

  She sighed. “No. I don’t want to know and I don’t care.”

  Talons scraped against stone.

  “Skuntz!” Sarah leapt up and ran to his right side. Klara had him covered on the left.

  “It’s in the air,” he said, withdrawing an arrow. “What do you think it its?”

  “Harpee?” Klara suggested.

  Sarah shook her head. “They don’t usually travel alone, do they?”

  Removing Sarah’s items from his back, Jacob walked past them.

  She stared at him. “What are you doing?”

  “Figuring out what it is.” Without another word, he shook out his arms. His wings quickly followed and he shot into the air.

  Clouds coated the sky as well, creating the perfect curtain for Jacob to disappear. They all had their necks bent back, hoping to catch a glimpse of whatever was flying above them. Misshapen shadows appeared here and there, but Sarah couldn’t tell which belonged to Jacob or their surprise guest.

  There was a hissing sound from the air.

  Jacob spiraled downward with his wings encasing him. When he was only a few feet from the ground, he flared his wings and moved into a horizontal position, darting past Sarah.

  “Where’s he going?” Skuntz asked.

  The air sounded above them once more, drawing their attention.

  Sarah’s eyes bulged.

  “Yahooooo!”

  A young woman perched on a large bird’s back barreled toward the earth. Like Jacob, at the last minute, she pulled on the bird’s reins and redirected. Jacob had already shot back into the sky but the woman was in hot pursuit.

  Staring skyward, Sarah narrowed her eyes. The pursued and pursuer moved up and down through the clouds. The young woman’s chuckles persisted.

  Sarah raised her brow.

  Skuntz groaned.

  “Is…is this a game?” Klara asked, speaking Sarah’s thoughts for her.

  He shook his head, a scowl pulling at his features. “Yes. She’s a sky elf.”

  “A sky elf?” A grin broke across Klara’s face. She gazed into the sky. “I’ve never seen one. Da had during the Great War with Sarah.”

  Sarah remembered fighting alongside a few sky elves at the mountain. But the memories were vague. Another bout of laughter drew her focus to the acrobatics once more.

  “They’re isolated on their mountain peaks and few ever travel down,” he said. “Only a handful have ever visited us in the forest.”

  “Enough!” Jacob bellowed, his voice permeating the atmosphere.

  Just as he had done previously, Jacob spiraled to the ground. He pulled earlier than before and stumbled onto his feet.

  The sky elf followed him. The giant bird who resembled a sparrow landed gracefully.

  “She’s insane,” Jacob shouted, pointing at the young woman.

  He had spun around to face his pursuer. They began a toe-to-toe as he sought his escape.

  “Uh-uh, not there. Oh, almost! Not that way.” The sky elf roared with chuckles while Jacob’s eyes grew wild.

  Sarah’s red hair flailed around her because she was giggling so much.

  Then, she heard Skuntz and Klara join in. Their giggles mingled together, bringing happy tears to Sarah’s eyes though her sides had begun to ache from it all.

  “This is not funny,” Jacob said.

  “Hm. I think your friends would disagree,” the sky elf retorted. “Easy, Beaker. We’ll leave him for now.”

  The giant bird stilled and the elf jumped down. Her skin wasn’t exactly pale. No, it was more like an opaque white as if a storm was just brewing under the surface. Her build was much more lanky compared to the forest elves and her hair was a tangled starch white. The only color on her was her light, blue eyes and layered, grey clothing.

  She grinned. “Hello! I’m Ree.”

  Sarah took her all in, from her head to her toes. She knew she was staring but Ree didn’t seem to mind.

  Ree’s gaze found Skuntz. She blinked. “You’re a…you’re a—”

  Before she could finish her sentence, Ree had grabbed Skuntz by the shoulders and moved their faces within inches of one another.

  “Forest elf.” The word came out like a breath. Her eyes examined his face and a tightness built in her shoulders. Her grin widened.

  “Amazing! I’ve never seen one before,” she said, turning to Sarah. “A forest elf.” She looked at Skuntz again, assessing him. “You’re so colorful.”

  Klara dropped her ax when the laughter became too much. Both she and Sarah covered their mouths in an attempt to hide it, but their shaking shoulders were a dead giveaway.

  Skuntz ignored them. “Nice to meet you as well, cousin.”

  Ree beamed. “You even use our formal greeting. Oh, I knew there was a reason I felt like flying low today. If I hadn’t, look what I would have missed out on?”

  She tossed her arms wide like she was prepared to engulf them in a giant hug.

  “A dwarf!”

  She pointed at Klara.

  “A forest elf. And
a human. A good one, too!”

  Sarah slanted her brows. “A good one?”

  “Why are you so certain she’s a good human?” Klara asked.

  Ree shrugged. “Would she be traveling freely with you all if she wasn’t?”

  Point taken.

  “Though it’s nice to see you, cousin, we have to go.” Skuntz kneeled down, then slipped on his rucksack. “Tell your elders Skuntz from the Southern Wood Elves greets them.”

  “Wait. I don’t think you should go.”

  “Why?” Klara had already slipped on her supplies, too.

  “Because—” Ree pointed at Sarah. “The human is bleeding.”

  Sarah looked down at herself. On both her shoulder blades, small spots of blood had begun to appear on her clothing.

  “Sarah—”

  “Skuntz—”

  He sighed. “You were laughing too hard. You opened your wounds.”

  “You can just use the salve again.”

  “It won’t work if they keep opening.”

  Jacob gave a low cough, staring off here and there. “You know, I’m not a healer but I can—”

  “No, Jacob.” Klara finished his thought.

  Ree shot a hand into the air. “You can fly with me and Beaker. There are plenty of healers in my village. They’d be happy to meet Sarah.”

  “Fine. It’s our best option,” Skuntz said.

  Sarah crossed her arms. “Don’t you think it’s stupid for me to walk off with a stranger, Skuntz? And I do have a say, though you didn’t bother asking.”

  “I’m not a stranger,” Ree replied, shaking her head. “Skuntz is my cousin. I’ll treat you as the same.”

  Trickles of blood ran down Sarah’s shoulders. She took in a sharp breath as a shudder settled on her spine.

  “Foolish, stubborn child,” was what Serwa would have told her.

  Sarah gritted her teeth. She needed to be smart.

  Pinching her eyes closed, Sarah ran a hand through her hair. She turned her face skyward before opening her eyes.

  “I don’t have much of a choice.” She sighed and turned back to look at everyone. “I’ll go with Ree.”

  Skuntz shoulders eased. “Good. The rest of us will walk. Ree, can you describe how to get to your village?”

  “Of course! It’ll take you a week walking though.”

  He balked. “A week?”