Feather

It was weeks before the necessary preparations could be carried out. The advisor was very persuasive and finally managed to convince the entire council that they needed more help. After that it would take a couple of days for word to get to the Queen for reinforcements and a positive reply to come back. In the meantime, all they could do was wait.

Kian’s friends were worried about him. That was what it looked like to others pityingly shaking their heads over the loss of such an intelligent and pretty girl who had long thought the two would soon be betrothed.

But inside Kian’s friends were more than worried. That was an understatement; Braam and Yosk were deeply stressed.
Because Kian had gone missing just after they had dropped him off with his parents and made sure he was fast asleep. Just after he had silently returned from his screaming and calmly taken the punch Yosk had thrown him splitting his lip. His behaviour was uncanny, and this made them nervous for Kian had always been predictable… up until he had seen Laviette lying on the cold earth stained by death. Of course in the commotion going around when they took him home they never had a chance to question him about his mental state never mind his silence.

After a hurried interview with Kian’s father Braam sank onto the grass and closed his eyes for a few seconds. A pair of boots appeared in his view and looking up he was offered a hand. He grunted his thanks and pulled himself to his feet. He and Yosk took a relatively quiet pathway to the Hall each waiting for the other to speak first.
Yosk took the plunge.
“He’s gone to that blasted forest; I turned his room inside out searching and I couldn’t find a trace of his bow and only a couple of arrows were left behind as their shafts were broken. What makes me more certain about where he went and why is because I overheard one of the guards complaining about losing his chainmail vest.”

Braam lifted his head slightly at this. “Apparently he’s not on a quest to get himself killed in some heroic standoff with the enemy. Protective gear means he’s at least aware of some form of safety.”

“His father woke up this morning to find him gone. They had never heard him leave.”

“They must be in a state,” Yosk said shaking his head. “They’ve lost one son and now they might lose another.”

“The first was lost in a stupid attempt to look brave and so might the second lose his life.”

Braam ran his fingers through his hair and stopped at his betrothed’s house. Yosk gave them a moment of peace as they embraced. He heard her cries of joy for she hadn’t known till now what had become of Braam only having heard he was alive.

When Braam joined him and they continued their slow yet anguished pace, he said softly patting his friend on the back, “She’ll make a fine wife. Worries about you terribly even though she knew you weren’t even going out on the search.”

Braam smiled sadly. “I hate to see her like that. I’d be washed over by a tide of her tears if I so much as came back with a scratch.”

They were in front of the Hall’s open doors. Messengers, usually youths in their mid teens who had speed and stamina, flew in and out of the doors. Some came bearing replies from villages too far or hidden in too obscure areas to have been able to know what was happening. Yosk and Braam looked on in wonder. There were two boys gasping out their messages who were of the Wahl clan, dark elves why dyed their hair white and tattooed themselves with blue intricate patterns of their House. Then there were wood elves, so scarce and rare their numbers were below that even of the Court elves. The wood elf girl they were looking at had chestnut skin, hair a darker and richer brown and her clothes were made of the strangest fabric that shifted lazily from one shade of green to another. Her message was already delivered for she was calmly sipping at a glass of cooled water that one of the village boys had brought her. She saw Yosk and Braam watching her and in a birdsong voice she asked them, “Have you found him yet?”

“Who?” they both asked simultaneously.

“Why him of course.” She frowned slightly.

“The sorcerer?” Yosk was truly puzzled. Didn’t she know that all the hubbub was about not being able to find him?

The girl stood up and sighed. Braam noticed that there was no sign of her ever having sat there. The grass wasn’t bent at all. But before he could question her about it she said as she began to walk away, “He passed me on the road here, didn’t even greet me or anything. So rude. But I didn’t wish to trouble someone who clearly has enough troubling him already.”

“Wait! Which road!?” Yosk ran to catch up with her.

“Why, the south west road of course.” She laughed and twirled away from his outreached fingers, his eyes willing her to pause for just a moment. “Hurry now, before it’s too late!” She laughed.

Yosk blinked and she was gone. He spun around wildly and Braam came hurrying up to him.

“They’re notorious shape shifters,” Braam muttered staring at the trees as if they’d spit her back or reveal the imposter amongst them.

“What? Wood elves?!” Yosk wiped a hand over his eyes.

“No. That was just a form she took. That was a dryad, one of the spirits of old. I didn’t know they existed this far from the sanctuary.”

“Maybe she came out so far because that place is no longer a sanctuary,” Yosk collapsed onto the floor. “Must be a prison to those who don’t like the vibe there.”

A ghost of a smile appeared on Braam’s face. “They’re also famous for always telling the truth. C’mon. She went to all that beating around the bush to tell us where Kian was heading so we can’t exactly sit here and moan about not asking her more questions when we had the chance.”

Yosk jumped to his feet. “You’re right. But I’m kicking myself for not having asked her what and who this sorcerer persona is.”

“We should inform the council and the advisor about this.Wait…” Braam stopped seeing the look his friend was giving him. “You’re right, they won’t believe it. They’d say it was the stress getting to us. Let’s just tell them we have a lead on where Kian is.”

“Those monsters in the sanctuary better not have killed Kian because I want to do it myself when I find him,” Yosk said stomping off to the Hall.

“Then let’s find him before they do." Braam couldn’t help grinning.