More story
Second update of today. It seems getting a job makes me verbose.
The ship docked in a harbour that was clearly an extension of a natural bay. There were no buildings in sight, only a paved road heading out over a grassy hill. As they crested the rise of the hill, they could see the settlement below. It was composed of several low, white buildings, arranged around a central garden. There were some small worked fields of crops and a couple of pens of livestock visible. Further off to the west, the rest of the island appeared to be coved with forest down to the sea.
They had reached Finnegan's Reach, and a quick conversation in an inn had been all that was required to find passage to the island. Apparently there was a system in place where ships that used the town as their home port took it in turns to take charters to the island. Had taken passage on a small, light trading vessel on its way to Tal-Nerif on the coast of the Ilyn Empire. The journey was swift as the little craft was light and riding high in the water.
As they approached the closest building they were spotted by a greying man, who hobbled towards them. He had a pronounced limp and walked with the aid of a sturdy stick. He was dressed in loose white clothes, a straw hat on his head making him look like a particularly fastidious farmer. Amari walked towards him.
“We have someone who needs you help. We are willing to pay what we can.”
The man waved his hand dismissively at the talk of money. “Bring him through here.” He led them into the nearest building and into a small chamber. An empty bed was set up on one side, under a large window. Jack laid Zephyr's body on the bed and the man began to examine him gently.
“Your friend has been tortured?” he asked, as calmly as if enquiring when the patient last ate.
Amari nodded. “We think the physical damage isn't too serious, but he seems to have lost his mind.”
The man picked up Zephyr's hand and noticed the tattoo across his palm. “I think this is out of my area of expertise. Could you wait outside please? I need to consult with my fellows. I'll send someone out to you shortly.”
They reluctantly left and stood outside in the sunshine. The effects of the strange winter did not seem as bad this far south. The air, while not as warm as a summer's day should have been, was not chilly and the crops in the fields seemed to be growing well. A bell rang, sending a clear tone across the settlement. Amari wondered if it was a summons or if they marked the time here as well. Unconsciously, she began to pace.
After a while a man came out to speak to them. He was dressed in the same loose white clothes as the first one, but this one had pure white hair and plum coloured eyes. Amari turned on him, almost pouncing on him in eagerness to hear what he had to say.
“Well?” she demanded.
“Your friend is under the effect of a blood spell. It is a powerful and unpleasant curse: if you take a man to the edge of his limit, so he would rather die than live another moment, you can use his blood to trap his mind with his own desire. The good news is I can reverse the effect, but there will be a high price to pay.”
“Money is no problem,” Amari replied, producing the necklace and tiara Michael had left behind.
The man shook his head. “I fear you misunderstand me. The price cannot be paid in goods, it must be paid in blood.”
“I'm willing to bleed some blood for him,” Amari said, drawing her dagger. “I'm sure we all are.”
The man shook his head again sadly. “You still misunderstand me. Not some blood, enough blood. This is a powerful charm. In order to break it, there must be a powerful sacrifice. In order to reverse the spell, I will need the blood of one who loves him enough to die for him.”
There was a moment's silence as the man's words sunk in. Then Amari stepped forward. She still had her dagger drawn.
“Very well. Tell me what I have to do.”
“No.” Saffron's voice cut across the still air, startling them. “No Amari, it will be my sacrifice, not yours.”
Amari turned on her angrily. “What do you mean? What right have you to say that?”
“Because I love him. And because ... because he loves you. I've seen the way he acts around you. He doesn't act like that for anyone else, me included. If I die, he'll be upset, but if you die, it could destroy him. You didn't see him when he thought Martyn had killed you. I don't think he'd be able to cope a second time. Don't get me wrong,” she continued with a harsh laugh, “I hate you for coming back into his life and destroying my dream. But if I can't have what I want, then at least he should have what he wants. And he wants you, Amari.” She looked up at the other woman, waiting for an argument or retort, but nothing came. “Well?”
“I...I've misjudged you,” she stammered.
Saffron laughed again, wiping tears from her eyes. “Well, if that isn't the nicest thing you've ever said to me.” She threw her arms around Jack. “Thanks for everything.”
Jack embraced her in a bear hug. “I'm sorry.”
“Don't be. This is for the best. Just don't forget about me, okay?”
“Never,” he promised, tears falling openly.
Saffron turned to man, who had been watching this exchange with visible discomfort. “Take me to Zephyr, I want to say goodbye.” She paused in the doorway. “Amari?”
“Yes?”
Tell him I love him.
“Don't break his heart.”
“I promise,” she murmured, but Saffron had already disappeared into the building.
Much later, Jack found Amari on her knees, weeding a vegetable patch. She stood up as he approached, wiping her hands on her trousers.
“I didn't expect to find you out here,” he commented.
“I was pacing and one of the healers shouted at me,” she replied wryly. “He said if I had that much energy I should put it to good use. He was right; it's good to have something to take my mind off things. Where have you been?”
“Walking. Trying to get my head round things. I wish there had been some other way, but it's too late now.”
“Were you there when...” she trailed off.
Jack nodded. “It didn't seem right to leave her alone. It was very painless: they just gave her something and she went to sleep and...” his voice caught. “Poor lass.”
“It was her decision, Jack. We must respect that.”
“I know. Listen, we must keep her death from Zephyr as long as possible. He won't be up to dealing with this for a while.”
Amari looked unhappy. “I'll try,” she started, but was interrupted by a boy running across the field towards them. He skidded to a stop beside them and pointed back towards the main building.
“They said to tell you that your friend was starting to come round. They said you should be with him when he wakes up.”
Amari was already sprinting across the field before he had finished the last words. She dashed into the building and came to a stop at the door to Zephyr's room. The white-haired man smiled at her and gestured for her to come to the bed.
“He's been stirring for a little while now. It will be good for him to see a familiar face when he wakes.”
She sat down beside the bed. “Zephyr? Zephyr, it's me. Wake up, please.”
His eyes opened slowly. “Songbird?” His voice was faint, a barely audible whisper.
Amari realised she had been holding her breath. “Thank the Light. I thought I might never hear your voice again.”
“Where am I?” he asked, struggling to sit up. Amari pushed him down with one hand.
“Easy. You're safe here. Don't worry about anything.”
“Songbird?”
“Yes?”
“You're hurting me.”
She looked down and realised in horror she had been holding his broken hand. She let go hurriedly. The healer stepped forward, holding a small cup of liquid.
“Drink this, it will take away the pain.”
He did so and quickly fell into a deep sleep. Suddenly exhausted and overwhelmed by emotions, Amari allowed herself to cry for the first time since they had been released from the paladin's dungeon.
The ship docked in a harbour that was clearly an extension of a natural bay. There were no buildings in sight, only a paved road heading out over a grassy hill. As they crested the rise of the hill, they could see the settlement below. It was composed of several low, white buildings, arranged around a central garden. There were some small worked fields of crops and a couple of pens of livestock visible. Further off to the west, the rest of the island appeared to be coved with forest down to the sea.
They had reached Finnegan's Reach, and a quick conversation in an inn had been all that was required to find passage to the island. Apparently there was a system in place where ships that used the town as their home port took it in turns to take charters to the island. Had taken passage on a small, light trading vessel on its way to Tal-Nerif on the coast of the Ilyn Empire. The journey was swift as the little craft was light and riding high in the water.
As they approached the closest building they were spotted by a greying man, who hobbled towards them. He had a pronounced limp and walked with the aid of a sturdy stick. He was dressed in loose white clothes, a straw hat on his head making him look like a particularly fastidious farmer. Amari walked towards him.
“We have someone who needs you help. We are willing to pay what we can.”
The man waved his hand dismissively at the talk of money. “Bring him through here.” He led them into the nearest building and into a small chamber. An empty bed was set up on one side, under a large window. Jack laid Zephyr's body on the bed and the man began to examine him gently.
“Your friend has been tortured?” he asked, as calmly as if enquiring when the patient last ate.
Amari nodded. “We think the physical damage isn't too serious, but he seems to have lost his mind.”
The man picked up Zephyr's hand and noticed the tattoo across his palm. “I think this is out of my area of expertise. Could you wait outside please? I need to consult with my fellows. I'll send someone out to you shortly.”
They reluctantly left and stood outside in the sunshine. The effects of the strange winter did not seem as bad this far south. The air, while not as warm as a summer's day should have been, was not chilly and the crops in the fields seemed to be growing well. A bell rang, sending a clear tone across the settlement. Amari wondered if it was a summons or if they marked the time here as well. Unconsciously, she began to pace.
After a while a man came out to speak to them. He was dressed in the same loose white clothes as the first one, but this one had pure white hair and plum coloured eyes. Amari turned on him, almost pouncing on him in eagerness to hear what he had to say.
“Well?” she demanded.
“Your friend is under the effect of a blood spell. It is a powerful and unpleasant curse: if you take a man to the edge of his limit, so he would rather die than live another moment, you can use his blood to trap his mind with his own desire. The good news is I can reverse the effect, but there will be a high price to pay.”
“Money is no problem,” Amari replied, producing the necklace and tiara Michael had left behind.
The man shook his head. “I fear you misunderstand me. The price cannot be paid in goods, it must be paid in blood.”
“I'm willing to bleed some blood for him,” Amari said, drawing her dagger. “I'm sure we all are.”
The man shook his head again sadly. “You still misunderstand me. Not some blood, enough blood. This is a powerful charm. In order to break it, there must be a powerful sacrifice. In order to reverse the spell, I will need the blood of one who loves him enough to die for him.”
There was a moment's silence as the man's words sunk in. Then Amari stepped forward. She still had her dagger drawn.
“Very well. Tell me what I have to do.”
“No.” Saffron's voice cut across the still air, startling them. “No Amari, it will be my sacrifice, not yours.”
Amari turned on her angrily. “What do you mean? What right have you to say that?”
“Because I love him. And because ... because he loves you. I've seen the way he acts around you. He doesn't act like that for anyone else, me included. If I die, he'll be upset, but if you die, it could destroy him. You didn't see him when he thought Martyn had killed you. I don't think he'd be able to cope a second time. Don't get me wrong,” she continued with a harsh laugh, “I hate you for coming back into his life and destroying my dream. But if I can't have what I want, then at least he should have what he wants. And he wants you, Amari.” She looked up at the other woman, waiting for an argument or retort, but nothing came. “Well?”
“I...I've misjudged you,” she stammered.
Saffron laughed again, wiping tears from her eyes. “Well, if that isn't the nicest thing you've ever said to me.” She threw her arms around Jack. “Thanks for everything.”
Jack embraced her in a bear hug. “I'm sorry.”
“Don't be. This is for the best. Just don't forget about me, okay?”
“Never,” he promised, tears falling openly.
Saffron turned to man, who had been watching this exchange with visible discomfort. “Take me to Zephyr, I want to say goodbye.” She paused in the doorway. “Amari?”
“Yes?”
Tell him I love him.
“Don't break his heart.”
“I promise,” she murmured, but Saffron had already disappeared into the building.
Much later, Jack found Amari on her knees, weeding a vegetable patch. She stood up as he approached, wiping her hands on her trousers.
“I didn't expect to find you out here,” he commented.
“I was pacing and one of the healers shouted at me,” she replied wryly. “He said if I had that much energy I should put it to good use. He was right; it's good to have something to take my mind off things. Where have you been?”
“Walking. Trying to get my head round things. I wish there had been some other way, but it's too late now.”
“Were you there when...” she trailed off.
Jack nodded. “It didn't seem right to leave her alone. It was very painless: they just gave her something and she went to sleep and...” his voice caught. “Poor lass.”
“It was her decision, Jack. We must respect that.”
“I know. Listen, we must keep her death from Zephyr as long as possible. He won't be up to dealing with this for a while.”
Amari looked unhappy. “I'll try,” she started, but was interrupted by a boy running across the field towards them. He skidded to a stop beside them and pointed back towards the main building.
“They said to tell you that your friend was starting to come round. They said you should be with him when he wakes up.”
Amari was already sprinting across the field before he had finished the last words. She dashed into the building and came to a stop at the door to Zephyr's room. The white-haired man smiled at her and gestured for her to come to the bed.
“He's been stirring for a little while now. It will be good for him to see a familiar face when he wakes.”
She sat down beside the bed. “Zephyr? Zephyr, it's me. Wake up, please.”
His eyes opened slowly. “Songbird?” His voice was faint, a barely audible whisper.
Amari realised she had been holding her breath. “Thank the Light. I thought I might never hear your voice again.”
“Where am I?” he asked, struggling to sit up. Amari pushed him down with one hand.
“Easy. You're safe here. Don't worry about anything.”
“Songbird?”
“Yes?”
“You're hurting me.”
She looked down and realised in horror she had been holding his broken hand. She let go hurriedly. The healer stepped forward, holding a small cup of liquid.
“Drink this, it will take away the pain.”
He did so and quickly fell into a deep sleep. Suddenly exhausted and overwhelmed by emotions, Amari allowed herself to cry for the first time since they had been released from the paladin's dungeon.