The Fall - Chapter 10

(10)

-Sange-

 Atop the valley’s high cliff faces, we set camp in an uneasy silence, broken only by Tommy’s occasional questions. Icarus and I had not prepared for an overnight trip, but the cold holds back, wary of the warmth of the smoldering fire and neither Icarus nor I was a stranger to sleeping on the ground.

 On my back, I lie next to the growing flames, counting the stars as they begin to peek through the sunset. Slowly, the sky bleeds from fiery orange to a deep indigo, and soon, it’s draped in a field of silver. Like dandelions in a grassy meadow, stars are peppered across the sky. And in the quiet stillness, I can make out the distant hooting of an owl. Yet, even with the warmth seeping through my body, something pulls at my gut, a faint but insistent tug that won’t let go.

Ignoring the persistent drowsiness, I drag myself from the pine bedding, slipping away from the fire until I am swallowed by the dark embrace of the trees. Moonlight swirls through branches as they clatter gently in the breeze. Limbs tangle and rattle, catching on one another, clinging to their neighbors as though they fear being dragged away by the wind.

Wrong

Not right

Someone is here

I stand frozen amidst the attenuate shrubbery, daring not to disturb the stillness with even a single breath. Every nerve twitches in preparation, screaming at me to act against the unseen threat. An echoing chorus of warning. 

The silence splits open with a sudden crash—a shadow lunges at my throat. I brace to deflect, but another force slams into me from the side, sending me tumbling to the ground. The weight presses me down, pinning me in place.

The hushed whisper of a blade as it leaves its sheath, followed by the cold kiss of steel at my throat. I go still, my hands slowly rising, palms out, a wordless submission to my attacker

COWARD

KILL

FIGHT

The voices claw at the back of my mind, urging me to strike. Eyeing my hidden attacker I force the violent tremblings to leave my hands. The moon slips from behind the clouds, and I catch a glimpse of my aggressor as she yanks me to my feet. Silver hair cropped to her chin outlines a sharp, scarred face. Her stature leads me to guess she has at least a few years worth of experience in combat. White, pointed ears flick forward, her eyes narrowing with inaudible threat. Despite her strength, I feel no fear of her—only the gnawing thought that I can’t compromise Icarus.

They likely already have him

Too late

Waste of time

Kill her

I swallow a rising snarl, biting back my rage as she binds my wrists tight at my back. Thick rope rubbing the soft flesh raw. She drags me forcefully through the underbrush, my pulse quickening against the binds. We reach a sharp cutoff where orange flames and silver moonlight outline the shadows of her comrades as their circular flanks diminish any plot of a simple escape. My captor notices my calculating and snatches my hair, turning my face to the ground, but not before I manage to count six fighting members and two light-footed scouts.

Amazingly, the group has not noticed my sleeping companions. Not yet. Their focus is on me, the prize, the fresh possibility of what they think will lead to riches or ransom. I almost laugh at the thought—oh, how disappointed they’ll be.

Not our first experience with disappointing people

 The blaze of their fire does wonders to hide the pathetic embers of our camp. Just a few trees away, Icarus and Tommy are fast asleep, hidden right under their noses.

 “Good catch,” a man notes with commendation, stepping into view. He’s no more than a head taller than I, but holds himself in a way that makes me feel small, “And your name is?” 

I spit at his feet, earning a malicious chuckle. 

Forcing myself to my tallest height, we lock eyes. He matches my stare, but as the seconds tick by, his confidence falters and his original contempt descends to worry. His bravado cracks, and I watch the flicker of doubt cross his features. 

“You disrespectful bastard.” The back of his hand cracks across my face before I can react, sending me sprawling into the dirt. The sting of his slap fades as I look up, not at the man before me, but at the shadow of a man long buried in my nightmares—my father.

“Know when you are beaten.” 

 Suddenly, I’m not in the camp—I’m that terrified little girl again, the one who couldn’t fight back, who cowered under the weight of fear. Helplessness falls over me and I’m numb, vaguely aware as I am dragged away. 

Stronger now

No more

Couldn’t fight then

Can’t fight now

 No. I am not that girl anymore. No one saved me then, no one needs to save me now. 

The scene rushes away, thrusting me back into the present. My mind is sluggish but alive, fighting to focus. I am alone, but not unsupervised, forced against the trunk of a fallen log. My wrists burn where the rope rubs them raw. Hands first. I work the knots, feeling them loosen under my fingers. My earlier guesses must have been incorrect. Whoever fought me in the woods lacked the experience I gave her credit for; the knots are sloppy, designed for dragging prey long distances, rather than securing a captive. Any fighter worth my time would know how to properly bind their opentent. Still, even as I work her knots undone, I applaud her for her act. 

The ropes fall away, and only now do I allow myself to glance up for a few moments, cautious to not draw attention. 

The camp is too small to be a village. Possibly an outpost -no- the tents are flimsy, and the lot is vacant of a single permanent building. My eyes peel across the fabric, scanning for any mark, any sliver of identification as to the faction they belong. No markings, not an outpost, traveling packs don’t pick fights… 

These are Raiders. Picking up loose stragglers, holding them for ransom or selling them off to the highest bidder. 

Not good

You can’t go back

My situation just got a lot worse. I shift my weight, pressing my forearm into my spine, praying to whatever god that will listen that they don’t see it. You can’t sell a disgrace, there’s no point in keeping one alive. 

But now isn’t the time to run. My hands are free, but it’s futile to play that card now. An archer to my far right confirms that; I would get shot long before I could land a single blow either one of them. They took my daggers, I can see them dangling from the belt of the acting girl. I let out a sigh settling back against the log, the archer still rocking nervously on his heels. 

I don’t sleep, but I rest, aware of even the tiniest movements of my foes. Soon enough, Icarus will realize I am gone. By the time dawn breaks over the cliffside, I have a plan. 

The same girl comes to collect me. However, at the same time, the archer is relieved of duty. She crouches to haul me to my feet, but I drop through her grip. She makes an attempt to cry out but my blade is back rightfully in my possession.

“Now cry out for daddy,” I growl. Regardless of her obstinate silence, it doesn’t take long for the rest of the Raiders to set off the alarm. The alarm rings through the camp, a low murmur of panic rising as the gawk. Like ants awaiting orders from their queen. They advance slowly, waiting to see my motive. 

“I have your leader’s only daughter.” Given the jewels dangling from her hair and the silver tail, it wasn’t hard to deduce that she was an only child—or at least an eldest child—of whoever is in charge. Not just anybody gains that amount of respect and wealth without having some relations to the higher ups. “And don’t think for a second I will hesitate to kill her. Who wants to be the reason that she died?” The girl whimpers softly in my grasp, and I beg to not have her life on my conscience. Where the hell is he? He should have heard the shouts by now.

He won’t save you

Smoke. Past the heads of half a dozen panicked Raiders, small slender tendrils of gray spiral into the sky. The distinct smell filling the air, choking the chilled autumn breeze. I glimpse a flicker of white and smile. There is a crash and the wall of bodies ripples as they turn to look. 

Now

I kick the girl’s knees out from under her just as an arrow whistles overhead. I’m already on the ground, driving my elbow between a Raider’s legs and he doubles over in pain. Another arrow is being drawn… but Icarus sails through the air, his white wings glinting in the dawn light as he knocks the archer to the ground. The arrow goes wide, embedding itself in the stomach of another one of my advancers. His cries blend into the chaos around us and I force my attention away as the body slumps into the dirt.

The Raiders collapse into confusion, their earlier order shattered by the death of their comrade. Icarus grabs my arm, dragging me into the trees. His eyes are still fixed on the mayhem, as the Raiders try to comprehend their defeat. 

“Tommy?” I mouth. Icarus gestures in the direction he had come. Hidden. 

Relief washes over me, but it’s short-lived. A scream—high-pitched and painfully recognizable—cuts through the din. My blood is ice as I watch helplessly while Tommy is dragged to the center of the encampment. His small frame trembles, eyes wide with terror as the Raider leader strides forward, gripping him by the back of his neck. 

Icarus lets out a breathless string of curses. My hand shoots out to cover his mouth, but it’s too late—the sound escapes, and the Raiders snap their heads in our direction. The man grins psychotically, his bloodstained tail whipping violently.

“Oh, how quickly the tables can turn.” He presses a blade against Tommy’s throat, its silver edge gleaming wickedly. “Important? I think so, given how quickly you gave up secrecy. Now then…” He taunts, “Come out.” My fists clench, nails biting into my palms as I stare him down. Heat floods my chest, and my breath hisses through gritted teeth. Muscles coil tight ready to snap. The Raider leader smirks, but all I can hear is the pounding in my ears, a low roar building. I want to rip him apart, to make him regret ever standing in front of me.

Shaking, I force myself to release my grip, and warm blood trickles between my fingers from the fresh cuts in my palms. Choking down my fury, I step out of the shrubbery. My hands are behind my head, but I lift my chin with pride. Icarus makes to follow, but I push him back with a discrete kick. The Raider is oblivious as Icarus reluctantly falls back into the brush. 

“Better?” I ask calmly, the slow boil in my gut, absent from my tone. 

Get into his head

Have him try to anticipate our next move

He will fail

The leader narrows his eyes, his confidence wavering, caught off guard by my undisturbed attitude. I gleefully watch the doubt flicker across his face, knowing I have the upper hand.

“There was another with you,” he says, his voice low and threatening. “Where is he?”

I scowl, letting out a bitter laugh, allowing a miniscule portion of my hatred to escape. “Hell if I know. He took off after killing one of your men. Left me behind.” 

The lie is weak, but it does the trick as his attention is diverted to their fallen comrade. His arrogance blinds him to the truth. He thinks I’m alone, cornered, and desperate.

“But enough about that,” I wave to Tommy, “if we can get back to the topic at hand.”

The leader raises an eyebrow. In my periphery, I can see the archer with his bow drawn and ready. Tension hums in the air, threatening to snap. Only one of us is making it out alive, and I have been close to hell too many times to fall now.

“Remember who has the upper hand,” he growls, tightening his grip on Tommy. The boy winces, his eyes locking onto mine, silently begging for help.

I step forward, slow and deliberate. The ring of Raiders tenses, but none of them move, waiting for their leader’s command.

“And who might that be? Because if I remember correctly, the last time we fought it wasn’t you who made it out unscathed.” 

His face darkens and he backs away. But I press on, moving closer, my steps steady. I let the rage bubble up, the fury that’s been smoldering beneath my skin since the moment I was captured.

“You care too much for honor to kill an unarmed prisoner. So save us all the time and give him back.”

His lips curl into a snarl. “You know nothing of honor.” My tail sweeps back and forth across the grass.

“I know enough to see through your act.” I stand face to face with the man. His fear is clear now and despite his height he shrinks away. I rise up onto the tips of my toes, leaning in until I can feel his quick breath on my face. ““You’re nothing but a coward, hiding behind your men. Know… when you are beaten.” He doesn’t see my knife, doesn’t notice as it slips from my sleeve, doesn’t feel my attack until it is forced into his heart. 

We won

I drop to my knees, catching him before his corpse hits the ground, and lower him gently. Gracing him with whatever twisted mercy there is to offer. 

A scream rips through the air, high and shrill—the girl, his daughter, her voice cracking with horror as she watches her father die. I’m thrown sideways, blood spilling from a gash across my forehead. I scramble out of the way just as the girl lunges for the killing blow. I prepare to dodge again, but Icarus is already at my side, his wings a blur of white as he tackles an advancing Raider midair, throwing him to the ground. It’s chaos. Screams and bodies everywhere. 

Another Raider swings at me, and I dodge, grabbing Tommy by the arm and pulling him back with me as the edge of the cliff looms behind us. Desperation is the only thing keeping back the pummeling advancement that forces us ever so closer to the deathly drop at our heels.

It’s a blur of motion, a frenzy of blades, blood, and screams. I can hear the shouts of orders, the clattering of steel against steel, but it all blurs into a cacophony of violence. Behind me I hear Tommy’s graping sobs.

“Tommy, stay behind me!” I shout, pushing him further away from the fray, but we’re running out of ground. The cliff edge is close—too close. Another swing, another dodge, and my body is running on pure adrenaline. I can’t think, can’t plan, only react, every move is the difference between life or death.

“SANGE!!! DOWN!!” I don’t hesitate. At Icarus’s shout, I drop to the dirt just in time

A crack splits the air—a sharp, deafening sound.

Fool

no…

    no…

       no…

 I turn, slow, too slow, always too slow. The gore of the battlefield blurs into a dull hum, fading around me, leaving only Tommy, teetering above me, back lit by the rising light. 

Tommy. The sun at his back, the golden curls of his hair aflame so cruelly ethereal, so out of place. But I see the arrow, feathers stained like the brilliant leaves of autumn. Crimson blooms from its unholy mark, a dark flower against his shirt, and the beauty twists into a vice that grips my heart.

 “Oh,” he breathes, the word trembling in the cool air, like a fragile whisper. His wide eyes glisten with unshed tears, full of confusion and disbelief. I want to scream, to rush forward and cradle him, to wipe away his anguish, to tell him it will be alright. Yet, I’m frozen, stuck in the dirt, no more free than the roots of the trees.

He takes a step back, and the air is pulled from my lungs. My heart races, pounding against my ribcage, desperate to warn him, to save him. But the moment stretches like a fragile thread, and all I can do is watch in agonizing silence as his foot finds nothing but empty air.

“Tommy—” The plea escapes my lips, raw and broken, but it’s drowned out by the chaotic world around us. He tilts his head back, eyes searching the sky, and for a heartbeat, it feels like he’s reaching for something far beyond my grasp, something I can’t protect him from.

He falls. Slipping away from me, a leaf caught in the wind. A sob rises in my throat, but I choke it down, desperate to hold onto this moment, this memory. 

Everything around me blurs—sounds of battle and cries for help dissolve into nothing, leaving only the emptiness where he should stand. My heart fractures, each piece splintering away, and I’m left standing in a void, the weight of his absence pressing down, crushing, suffocating. I failed.