Little Black Bird

I…I don’t know where…when I should even start. It’s been such a long journey. Everything has changed and I’m all alone. I guess the beginning will do…

The air was thick with moisture, and heavy panting. A fair haired girl spit as she pushed herself onto her knees. The taste of dirt and sweat mingled in her mouth. Vivid green eyes looked upon this sight with a slight smirk.

“Could you not look so smug about knocking a girl to the ground, Luca?” A huff escaped after her statement. The girl tried in vain to wipe the dark soil from her pale skin.

A naturally tan hand reached out to pull the girl to her feet. The contrast in their skin color was stark. “Maybe if this girl would pay attention to my lessons, I wouldn’t be able to knock her to the ground.” The words flowed slowly and deeply from the male’s mouth.

The blue eyed girl let herself be pulled up easily. Those bright eyes flickered to the lowering sun in the sky. “It’s going to be 5 soon, we should get cleaned up. They don’t like it when we train.” With a slight nod to her words the pair took up a jog towards the North.

After sneaking through the large structure that was ‘home’ and a long shower, the previously grime and sweat covered girl emerged into her bedroom. The walls were lined with various trinkets and a couple mirrors. The walls themselves were tree, smoothed but alive. All buildings in Albright were trees. It’s been a long time since anyone has had the power to make the trees bend to their will and form these houses, but there were plenty for those who lived in Albright.

The room had a light feeling to it and always smelled faintly like flowers. There was a large fluffy looking bed in one part and a wardrobe, made from the tree itself, which held the great amount of clothing she possessed. The girl stood in front of one of the mirrors in a towel wrapped around her lean body. Her eyes lingered on a mark that had found its way to her lower arm a number of years ago. A knock on the door and the click of it opening caused her to jump and pull her arm against her chest instinctively to hide the mark as if it wasn’t something everyone knew about.

The darker skinned male walked in slowly. She breathed a sigh of relief but put on a stern face, “I could have been naked you know. I am practically naked, actually!” Her feet took her over to the wardrobe, where she immediately dropped the towel and began to put on proper clothing. An almost audible eye-roll came from the boy as he naturally turned away.

Though at first it hadn’t been the most typical of friendships, the two had been friends since the day they met years ago. The boy was Luca, that’s all he could remember. He had no memories, just part of a name. No one was even sure what race he was. The girl was Skylark; eldest daughter of the noble house of Pomprey and royal blood of Faen. Simply put, Skylark Pomprey whose race is Faen.
The Faen are a crossbreed of sorts. They are the mix between the mighty Faeren (may they rest in peace) and the humans. Faen no longer mix with the humans, it’s looked down upon since the Hysteria. Faen are very alike to Faeren with little physical differences. Only the lack of any measurable power can really differentiate between the Faeren and the Faen. The Faeren were a powerful race. They were tall, quick, fair of skin and hair, and had incomprehensible power. Faeren were very connected to nature and that kept them in check. They ruled for centuries in Albright, fair and just they were. The forest thrived and the people were happy. The humans are more common folk. Their skin and hair tone can range, but was never as fair as the Faeren. They controlled no powers and felt nothing for nature. Humans had a prowess for creating things but that was about it. They lived alongside the Faeren peacefully.

“Were you staring at that mark again?” Luca asked lightly. The question lingered in the air for a bit. Only the sound of delicate fabric sliding across skin could be heard. He ran a hand through his dark brown hair. His hand fell out of his hair sooner than he remembered that Skylark had cut his hair to above his shoulders.

Skylark turned with her feathery dress now adorning her frame. It was a pale pink color and hung close to the slight curves of her body. A light brown mark made its way up her right arm starting at the palm of her hand and ending before her elbow. It resembled a narrow tree made up of closely drawn lines instead of a solid silhouette. “I…” She faded off before she even really started when her eyes fell on Luca. “You are never going to learn are you?” Her voice was exasperated. She gracefully made her way to him and quickly had her fingers in his wavy hair.

There was no fighting it, especially not today. Luca bent his knees so that he no longer had a good head and a half on the girl. Her nimble fingers were wrapping his hair into neat braids. “Can Brein come out after this mess is over?” He asked. Brein was Fenrir, a sort of mystical wolf and practically the size of a horse with twice the strength. Lots of magical creatures like the Fenrir began to get hunted after the Faeren no longer ruled and protected them. It had been some years ago when Brein found his way to Luca. Luca’s story was a jumble of blood, fighting and nonsense. Basically a hunter had struck the wolf in his side with an arrow. Luca was tracking a black bunny that Skylark insisted she needed. He instead ran into the hunter and Brein. In South Woods it’s illegal to hunt mystical creatures, so naturally he fought the man until he ran away. After nursing the Fenrir back to health, it just wouldn’t leave Luca’s side. They had some sort of deeper connection. “He misses you…and running…and” He was cut off.

“I know already, I feel bad that Brein is locked in your room. My brother is fighting for Crown Blood of Faen though. It can’t be helped. You know my family already gets strange looks for having you in our house.” Skylark quickly covered her mouth after the words flew out. It wasn’t how she meant it. There was just a proper way the royal blood of Faen were supposed to act and Skylarks’ behavior was strange enough, worse was considered her affection for Luca.

Luca had heard it all already. He was an outcast in the Faen community. He was taller than most Faen, had darker skin and took a familiar; Brein. Brein was a Fenrir, considered the alpha of wolves. The very stuck up community was bearable when he didn’t have to hear it from Skylark as well.

There was no time for a retort because the door burst open and in ran an older, but still very youthful looking woman and a young girl. Adara was Skylarks’ mother and Aine was her little sister. They were followed by another timid looking woman. Her name was Bast, she was Adara’s hand. It was tradition in royal blood to take a hand when coming of age. “Skylark,” Her shrill voice ran through the room and killed the light air the room usually held. “This is for your brother. Remember that. Customs and appearances are everything. I overlook your mud frolicking and so you will remember, this boy is your hand as you so begged of me and you will treat him as such.” With that she turned on her heel and exited with Aine in tow. Bast gave a sorry look before she followed as well.

Luca looked down on the girl who now held such sadness in her eyes. “My lady, I believe we should be heading downstairs for the presentation of the combatants.” The only way Luca was allowed to stay with them was as Skylark’s hand. She begged, as a girl that had just come of age and rejected the idea of a hand, for Luca. He had no one and he was her only true friend. It was a punishment and a gift for him to be her hand.

The two walked until they came upon the great steps which led to the packed ballroom. At the top, her name was announced and Luca led her down the steps holding her hand lightly. When they reached the bottom he bowed and stepped away to where the other hands were waiting patiently for their owners beckoning. Skylark hated when Luca had to act as a hand. He looked so out of place with all those meek sheep. Luca was strong and opinionated and stubborn and… Her thoughts were cut off as a painted face popped into her view.

“Oh Skyyy! You haven’t joined us for our bi-weekly teas in foreeever!” Kana, she was from a wealthy house. Well more like power hungry, but that’s neither here nor there. Kana had been tugging on Skylarks coattail since they could walk. Of course she didn’t travel alone. There was Nida and Otila as well. Those two weren’t as upfront obnoxious, but they followed Kana like stink to a dead animal and that’s what bothered Skylark.

“I’ve been quite busy with my brother preparing for Crown Blood and all.” Skylark shot back trying to sound as sickly sweet as possible.

Kana let out a deafening giggle. “Really? Cause I heard that you’ve been spending a lot of time in the woods with that tall, dark hand of yours.” She turned to her groupies to share a collective ‘victory ha’. “I mean I don’t blame you. He looks like a fun ride. Obviously not something you’re going to be tied down to and that must be the fun…” She continued on but Skylark slowly lost the ability to hear her words through the blood boiling in her ears.

The audacity of this society never stopped surprising her. Hands were people too. They didn’t hold status and being a Hand provided for your family. It was a respectable job. Looking down on them hit a cord with Skylark. Anyone talking about Luca set her off though. They knew nothing about him and everyone always saw him as an object that Skylark possessed.

“What do you say Sky?” God, she hated it when people called her Sky. “Hello? Yoid to Sky? What do you say?” Kana waved her hand frantically in front of Skylarks face.

“What do I say about what?” She seethed knowing she wasn’t going to like the question.
“About trading Hands for a day or two. I want to try Luca out.” Kana pulled out a fan simply for the effect of fanning herself with it as she said those vile words.

This was all just about as much as Skylark could take of this flittering idiot. That last sentence just snapped in her ears though. The streaming sound in her ears was getting louder and her vision was getting darker. The other girls’ final snicker was just too much. A scream erupted from Skylark, “Luca is not an object!” All she meant to do was push Kana, but something much stronger hit the girl.

Shouting and screams of fear started all around the ballroom. Kana was hysterical. Nida and Otila were on their knees around the bleeding and crying girl. Eyes were set on Skylark and she could see them all as well. Suddenly strong arms grabbed her around her waist and whisked her away from it all. A whistle rang in her ears. Everything was moving so fast now. The darkness had left as quickly as it had come, but now it was creeping in slowly until it was all gone.

Three figures moved about in the stillness of the forest around the paler than usual Skylark. One was the enormous wolf, Brein, her body was resting on. Another was Adara’s Hand, Bast. The woman crouched nearby, watching the girl rest. The last was Luca, pacing between trees and running his hands through his hair until the tidy braids were all loosed. “What was that? The lights went out and then Kana was scratched up and Skylark was in a daze. Her eyes were glowing for a second, I swear.” Luca rambled on worried for his friend.

“The lights didn’t go out Luca. The shadows came in.” Bast replied as if it wasn’t in the slightest an odd occurrence. “That girl always did get on Skylarks nerves.” She mused to herself more than anything.

Luca stopped his pacing to look at Bast. There was a look of disbelief written on his face. “Skylark did not do that!” He defended. “She does not have that power and she has not been messing around with any Voulg. She wouldn’t!” His voice was rising, tinged with a hint of fear that maybe he was wrong.

Voulg were dark, evil creatures. They resided in dark, evil places, but they emerged when they sensed prey. Voulg have little power to use themselves, but can give others indescribable power. It warps a person though and turns them into someone…something else. The Voulg came about after the Hysteria and since the Hysteria it has been looked down upon to have any great power.

Bast was about to reply when Skylark began to stir. Her long blonde hair fell all around her and Brein. Skylark tried to push herself up but resigned to laying on Brein. The wolf was warm and the forest had a calm smell to it that made her want to rest longer. The tall male rushed to her side, being uncharacteristically delicate with her brushed her hair from her face. “Lark are you, okay? What happened?”

A faint smile grew on her face. Luca was the only one she allowed to call her by a nickname. “I’m a little tired, but I’m okay. I don’t know what happened…but she deserved whatever that was.” Skylark stated with a little pride that maybe she did sock one to Kana. She looked around more closely and saw that they were in the Southern woods. This was where she met Luca. In the forest where the trees have faces. It was generally known not to go into the face woods. The trees were mostly dying and the faces were eerie. It was thought of as a haunted place.