The Master of Tides

“Where’s the wind?” Eroan asked as he stood.

“Eat this,” I said, pressing some slightly frozen food into his hand.

“I’m not-”

“Don’t make me shove it down your throat like Folen said,” I snapped and he sighed.

He had to let it soften in his mouth before he could chew on it. While he ate, I tried to make more vines. My shoulders fell.

“I’m sorry, Eroan,” I whispered. “I must be too tired!”

“It’s okay,” he said quickly. “It’s not nearly as cold up here.” I frowned. It was, though. He stumbled over to the field of flowers. “I thought there would be only one.”

I shook my head, following him carefully. “Grab one and let’s go.”

“We have time,” he argued. “I’m nice and warm, remember?”

I swore under my breath. I hurried and grabbed a flower, stuffing it into the bag. I grabbed his arm but he threw me off, gathering more.

“I’ll bring some home to decorate the castle,” he said with a delirious laugh.

“Come on, Eroan,” I said desperately. I put the other flowers in the bag. “We don’t have time. We have to get you warm.”

“I’m already warm!” he yelled. “Haven’t you been listening?”

I ignored him and looked down the peak. I couldn’t see the ground; it was obstructed by low hanging clouds. Suddenly, Eroan hugged me from behind.

“You’re very pretty,” he said in my ear and I closed my eyes. “Very, very pretty.”

“I don’t want to do this,” I whispered and looked to the sky. “Please give me strength.”

“Who’re you talking to?” he asked, putting his head on my shoulder. “Let’s stay up here a little while longer. You smell nice and I don’t want to be cold again.”

I shouldered the bag and turned in his arms.

“Do you trust me, Eroan?” I asked, looking into his eyes.

They were unfocused. “Sure. Why not? You got me here safely. Why do I need to trust you, though?”

“Don’t let me go,” I said and he smiled.

“I’ll never let you go.”

“I’m serious,” I said making him look me in the face. He had taken the balaclava off and he smirked. I slapped him and he blinked a few times. “Do not let go!”

He shrugged. “’Kay.”

I bit my lower lip and wrapped my arms around him under the chest. He let out a long sigh.

“I like this.”

“You won’t in a minute,” I muttered.

With a deep breath, I took a step back and we started falling off the mountain. I heard him yelling in my ear but I couldn’t understand what he was saying. When we passed through the clouds, I could see the ground. I spun us so we were straight up and flapped my wings desperately. He was still shouting and I screwed my face up in pain. We slowed down but we were still falling fast.

There was shouting below. I couldn’t understand it.

“To the left!” my brother’s voice echoed in my head. “To the left, Alvie!”

I did as he said and soon we were in the arms of the elves. I was weak but I scrambled out of their hands.

“Keep him warm,” I ordered, “and follow me as fast as you can!”

“I’m already warm,” Eroan snapped. “Stop saying that.”

“Do not let him fall asleep,” I added.

We began to run. The elves were able to keep up even though they were carrying him. I was leading them to the forest. Sindri reached their first and started collecting branches for a large fire.

“He got too cold,” I said in his head, clearing out some space on the forest floor. “Oh, Sindri! I forgot I can’t use my powers on the peak!”

“It’s okay,” he said in my head as the elves put him on the floor. “Are you going to do it?”

“I have to,” I said audibly and they looked at me.

I sat at his head. His eyes were glazed over and he was struggling to speak.

“The pretty fairy,” he giggled and I gulped. “You were supposed to kiss me on the peak, ya know. That’s the rules.” I closed my eyes and put my fingers on his temples. He squirmed. “Hey. Stop. That hurts!”

“She’s hurting him!” Kilyn cried but Sindri held her back.

“She has to do this. Just watch.”

I took a deep breath and felt the magic flow through my fingertips.

—Kilyn—

I watched in fear as her body began to glow. Her hair moved around in the wind; she was getting pale. The glow got stronger in her arms and then went down through Eroan’s head. He screamed and I struggled in Sindri’s arms. The glow surrounded his body, though, and his screams stopped. I was shaking but, to my surprise, Eroan had stopped.

As soon as we caught him he had been shaking like a leaf, despite his yells that he was fine. His skin had turned dark blue.

Now, though, it was returning to its normal pale color. His eyes were no longer glazed over.

“Kilyn,” he said weakly.

“Just wait,” Sindri said. “She’s almost done.”

I turned my eyes back to Alvina. Her whole body was shaking as if she were the cold one. Then the glow disappeared. Eroan held his hand out for me but fainted. Behind him, Alvina was swaying dangerously before she, too, fainted, her head falling on Eroan’s shoulder.

Sindri sighed heavily and put his head in his hands.

“Oh, Alvie,” he groaned.

“What just happened?” Syl whispered, staring at the two bodies in fear.

With shaking hands, Sindri took the two blankets. He draped one over Eroan’s body. He straightened his sister’s legs out and then put the other blanket around her.

“Don’t move them,” he snapped at Syl when she tried to do so. “They’re healing each other.”

“What just happened?” she repeated as Galan held her. She was crying.

Rina put her arms around me. My wet face told me I had cried, too.

“Your brother got too cold,” Sindri answered, looking at them sadly. “He was about to die. If he had fallen asleep while still saying he was warm, he would have died.” I gasped, covering my mouth and sobbing more. “Alvina… she gave him her protection. He’ll be fine but Alvina….”

“What?” I asked.

He pointed to her hair. There was a stripe of white.

“It took a lot of her power,” he explained. “The more white hair, the less power.”

“Why would she do that for him?” I breathed. “She hates him!”

“No, she doesn’t,” Syl said suddenly and I looked at her. She looked to Sindri. “Do you think they’re in love yet?”

He shook his head. “But they’re on their way.”

We watched the two sleep sadly.