In the Land of Fae ♔ (gxg)

15. another fallen

A large swoosh of air made the icy strands of the large willow tree break and sway.

Feet landed firmly on the ground and began briskly walking, black and crimson wings tucking tightly into the body they were rooted in. "Where are they?" came that strong voice, less steady than it usually was.

Underneath the willow tree was Catori kneeling over a body, while Caspian, Aerwyn, and Abitha stood around and looked sorrowfully downwards. Al stormed towards them, so fiery that tendrils of steam lingered from her feathers.

Hearing Alastair and seeing the blaze in her eyes, Caspian quickly stepped forward and blocked the fae, pressing his cool hand on her shoulder. "Be calm, Al," he urged pointlessly. Al pushed him away and stepped through the parting in the willow tree, slowing when she saw who Catori was kneeling over.

It was a young earth fae. While she did not personally know every earth and air fae inhabiting the camp, she could vaguely recognize him. His body, once tan and warm, was now blue and stiff. White lines of ice creeped from a dark blue bruise on his neck and up his face like veins, warping around his eyes which were wide open and turned white. A large spear of ice was thrust through his middle, dried blood inking through the sheepskin tunic he wore. Even his brown curls were frozen solid, and his mouth was left partially open in a look of fear and surprise.

"Dear God," Al breathed, dropping to her knees in front of him. She quickly pressed a hand to his cold face and another to his chest, closing her eyes and bringing heat to his body. The veins in her hands glowed orange, and the crackle of melting ice was heard. The lines of ice on his face began to melt and drip away like tears, the blueness leaving his skin.

"There's no use, Al," Catori gently urged her to stop. "He has already left us."

Alastair's jaw clenched as she continued to warm up the fae's body. "The least I could do is unfreeze him," she whispered through her clenched teeth, grabbing the ice spear and plunging it out of his body, throwing it behind her.

"He was tending to the carrots right on the edge of the forest," came Aerwyn's deep voice. He stroked his long beard, his grey eyes filled with sadness. "He was far, but not far enough." He looked up to Caspian who gave him a knowing look of worry.

Alastair snapped her bloodred eyes to him. "He was out there alone? At this time of night?" she growled, shifting her furious gaze to Abitha. "You're supposed to be keeping watch of your fae!" She yelled, sharply standing up and bowing up to the shorter earth fae, her ears pinning back to her skull.

Abitha looked up at her, brown eyes pleading. "I'm sorry, Alastair," she breathed. "I can't keep an eye on every single one of them."

"You could take enough care to at least ensure they aren't murdered! Is that so hard?!"

Aerwyn stepped between the two, Abitha's fearful stare replaced with his noble one, meeting the fire fae eye to eye. "You know good and well that this was not Abitha's fault, nor is it the point of the matter!" He watched Alastair's rage soften under his words. "Not only is one of ours dead, a child nonetheless, but Eira knows where we are." His voice dropped to a whisper.

"The gardens are just that way, not half a mile out of bounds," Caspian demanded, pointing his large hand in the direction where the fae was found. "They could have easily ventured far enough to see where we are standing right now."

Catori took a knitted blue and red blanket from her doctoring station and gently laid it over the passed fae, carefully covering his face with it. She placed her hand over the body and closed her eyes, softly whispering a prayer.

"Instead of pointing fingers at one of your own, perhaps you should be the leader you are supposed to be and start planning how we will defend ourselves!" Aerwyn snapped, his frustration bringing a breeze through the trees.