Chapter 3: Fledging


    The wind rushed over me as I started to accelerate groundward. My heart was racing with adrenaline and my face was being numbed by the cold. I couldn’t think clearly, and yet every nerve in my body was fraying with energy. My clothes were being battered with percussive flapping, and I struggled to get my eyes open as the wind seemed to dry them out. Not that it mattered. It was totally dark in the freezing void that pull me forth so forcefully. I felt myself tipping forward in the air. My breath caught and I began to flip head over heels repeatedly. The downward pull of gravity was so strong it was sickening. I felt the night’s chill sharpen and I grew damp when I broke through the clouds. The moonlight became clear and I could see the silver outline of the clouds growing further and further away. My head finally cleared and the reality of the situation began to dawn on me.


    I was going to die.


    The now dimly lit mountain range grew closer and closer. Was this really it? Had everything in my life been leading to this moment? Why was I not afraid?


    Dove was going to die.


    The images of the men who took her flashed through my mind. The shock in my sister’s eyes. I thought I was supposed to protect her. Now they had her and would hang her just like that mage in the village. My breath grew more shallow and I could make out the details of the sloped mountains. I was looking down at my grave and yet all I could think about was Dove. Choking and gasping while she swings from the gallows. The glee of her captors. Her tear stained cheeks. Her pale lips begging me for help. Somewhere inside of me, something deeper than my self preservation, something beyond my breaking heart, was the pinpricks of a struggle. The stars blanketed the encroaching world and I grew closer to it still. It was more than struggle. It was a rejection of what was before me. A rejection that like dry tinder I knew would give birth to an immutable flame. A flame of conviction. A brother’s love. A brother’s wrath.


    I tucked my knees into my chest to tilt toward my flipping, then extended my limbs outwards with an arched back. I stabilized myself and spread my fingers as far apart as possible, seeking to slow my rapid descent as much as I could. The thickly wooded pine trees lining the mountains came into clearer view and I grit my teeth together. I had to protect my sister. I yelled as loud as I could and swung my feet to be beneath me. Moment of truth. I crashed through the treeline, splitting through branch after bending branch. I sought to grab onto them but each skinned out of my grasp. A thicker branch came into view for a moment below. With a crack my knee collided with it. I cursed in agony and shut my eyes tightly. I soon fell past the canopy of the evergreens, the ground was meters away. I held my legs out before me to soften my fall.


    Then my bones snapped underneath me and my head collided with a jutting rock.


    ***


    Mind splintering pain seethed through my whole body as the morning came. I moaned out to God for mercy. My eyes immediately began to sting with shameless tears as I writhed in the mud. My head was throbbing. I reached up to touch the place of impact. No, my head was bleeding. It was bleeding quite a lot by the look of the blood on my hand. I sat up and looked down at my broken legs. They were swollen so purple that they were practically black, and they were gushing blood. Sinewy muscle tissue was torn in various places. I was in too much agony to be sickened by the sight. With a whimper I grasped the muddy earth and dragged myself forward about an inch.


    I thought of death once again. Bleeding out from internal injuries wouldn’t make for a very romantic end to my rescue mission, but the thought grew warmer every moment. I dragged myself even further forward, my legs dragging behind my torso like dead weight. I was growing weaker. I felt cold and pale, and each little movement made breathing difficult. I needed to save Dove, but willing as I was, my body was giving out. I managed to crawl to the edge of a downward slope and at the base was a river flowing through the evergreen forest. There next to it was a canoe covered in termites, or perhaps ants, it was difficult to tell from this distance.


    “One thing at a time...”


    I gasped out, though knife-like pain shot through me from the grinding of my fractured bones against me as I slid my lower half a few inches closer. The closer I got, the further away the canoe seemed. At this rate I might get there by nightfall. I halted for a moment to breathe. I looked over my shoulder and saw that I had left a slick red trail over the crushed pine needles. I needed to pause to try and tend to myself. I wouldn’t be of any use to Dove as a corpse. I unclasp my belt and fashioned a tourniquet as best I could around the leg with the busted knee. I had only ever read about this being done in storybooks, so I wasn’t sure how this was going to help exactly. I tightened the belt as closely as I can and more tears sprang to my eyes. I tried to sit still to get the pain to stop but it was shooting constantly. I reached for a nearby branch and bit down on it as I carefully released my grasp from the belt.


    After a few labored breaths I broke the branch at its crotch to make it straighter. I pulled my tunic from my torso and ripped it into two even strips. I lined the branch up with my leg and wrapped it to fashion something of a split so that my bones wouldn’t slide against themselves. With some effort, I did the same to the other leg as well. I layed my head back and let out a guttural groan. This was surely what Hell would be like. The sun now hung in the middle of the sky and it shined directly into my eyes. The warmth seemed to dry the dirt packed blood running down my right temple. My head would not cease in its aching. I turned my attention to the canoe once more and resume my crawling. It turned out that the makeshift splints were virtually useless when I wasn’t totally stationary. My arms grew packed with mud and my wounds festered. I pushed away all despairing thoughts and kept my eyes transfixed on my reason for living. I had no other choice but to power through this. I reached a steeper part of the slope.


    I stretched my hands out onto a sandstone to lower myself slowly but it broke under my weight. I tumbled over my shoulder down the slope and both splints broke in perfect harmony as I slowed to a halt. I again cursed violently as the consequences of my recklessness immediately wracked my whole body. At this point I was hyperventilating and sweating freezing droplets. I could barely see two feet in front of me as my vision was growing dark and blurry. I pushed myself up onto my hands and clambered forward into the canoe. I had hoped reaching this point would be a lot more relieving. The nearby river ran downhill and was only a few feet away. The water swept over the jutting rocks with white capped ripples. It seemed to be going a lot faster than I was comfortable with.


    This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    I grabbed the oar and used the broad head to push off a tree trunk and guide the canoe into the water. It landed with a splash and was quickly overtaken by the current. I managed a weak laugh as I felt the boat pick up speed. The wind started to brush across my face after so long of moving through the mud like a worm. I lowered my oar into the water and guided my vessel through the middle of the river, weaving around the little obstructions. I let out a victorious cry as the river broke through the tree line and led into a broad lake. The water was sparkling with sunlight and the reflection of the wooded mountains stretched across the surface. I let out a sigh, despite the aches of my body. The canoe dropped from the river into the lake with yet another loud splash. I knew I needed to get medical attention as soon as possible. I could feel myself growing light headed. I knew that there was a logging village within a few days travel that was close enough to the river.


    “A few days might be more than I have…”


    I pushed away the dread I wanted to feel as I racked my mind for some kind of solution. There wasn’t anywhere else that I knew of where I could find medical supplies. I wasn’t a herbalist so there was no chance I could forage for anything. If I tried to stave off my death with amputation I would likely meet it at the hands of blood loss. I looked at my reflection in the subtle ripples of the lake. My short hajr and thin beard were matted with blood and dirt and sweat. I was used to looking at a young man in my reflection but what I saw now was someone rather haggard.


    “I’m way out of my depth.”


    The scent of smoke filled my nostrils before I could start to despair. I scanned the edge of the lake and sure enough a light column of smoke was rising through the air. After stumbling across this canoe and now finding the sign of human activity in the middle of the untamed wilderness I was beginning to think my desperate prayers had been answered. Or perhaps the smoke was from an outlaw camp and I would be plundered for my shoes. Either way, it was my only chance. I rowed with renewed vigor  toward the smoke. The lake led into another river as I got closer to the smoke. Soon a cabin with a big stone chimney came into view and I used my oar to guide the canoe onto land. The boat was firmly beached. I set down my oar and draped myself over the side of my canoe weakly to catch my breath. Each time I inhaled I could feel a sharp pain through my whole body and each time I exhaled I felt like I was going to gag. I heard the door of the cabin open and footsteps approached. I kept my head bowed and my hands braced on the boat’s edge.


    “Oh my God…”


    It was a young woman’s voice. I had to try and coax her into helping me. God, the pain was really growing unbearable now. I spoke in a now raspy voice.


    “Please, help me. I can explain everything and…repay you somehow. But right now I can’t do anything but beg. So…please.


    I felt strangely vulnerable all of the sudden, like everything I had felt up to this point was felt through a suit of armor. Now, though, It was abundantly clear that I was broken right now and I was banking everything on this woman’s kindness. Of which she owed me none. The young woman spoke again, her voice was cool and low.


    “Okay, I’ll help you. Everything’s going to be fine, alright?”


    I looked up at her for the first time. The woman had thick chestnut brown hair cascading down her shoulders. She had a diamond shaped chin and pink lips, but the most prominent thing about her was her eyes. They were a deep blue and accented with long feminine lashes. My admiration was cut short by another dull throb from my injured legs. I moaned out as she tried in vain to hoist me up by the waist. She was rather stout, probably about 5’9 and a touch more muscular than the common woman, but I was probably fifty pounds heavier than she was. She took a step back and thoughtfully assessed my state. The woman went back inside her house and came out with an old blanket. She dragged me onto it by the wrists then dragged the blanket with me on it into the cabin. I wished I was coherent enough to feel humiliated. The inside of the cabin was dark, lit only by the fireplace which illuminated the homely decor. With a grunt I felt my body be hoisted onto the bed. The woman grabbed a bottle from the counter and popped the cork off and she brought it gently to my mouth.


    “Drink.”


    She muttered insistently. Whether I wished to or not didn’t matter as the purple liquid filled my throat. My eyelids drooped and the world around me immediately grew dark.


    ***


    I awoke in a stone brick dungeon. I was naked, save for a loincloth, and chained to the dark walls. Everything was tinted in red light that seemed to shine from around the corner. I could hear a muffled voice, strained and screaming.


    “It hurts! It hurts!”


    My throat went dry in terror as I recognized the voice.


    “Dove! I’m coming!”


    I tried to speak but the words came out as a strained whisper. I shook the chains violently but my wrists were firmly locked in. I couldn’t make a sound no matter how hard I try. I saw the dreary eyes of the tavern keeper who kidnapped Dove stride around the corner basked in the strange crimson hue. I felt a deep, uncontrollable fury and spoke in a guttural tone.


    “You’re going to hell, and I’m the one who’s going to send you.”


    Once again, I felt the words form in my throat, but they came out as whispers. He stepped forward until his face was mere inches from mine.


    “Your sister is ashamed of you. You were never strong enough to save her.”


    His eyes began to turn bloodshot and his voice turned into a duplicity of voices. All of which I didn’t recognize.


    “Weak.”


    “Complacent.”


    “Selfish.”


    “Direct your hate to the one who deserves it.”


    “You let your sister down.”


    “There’s only one person to blame.”


    I leaned toward the man fearfully and screamed at the top of my lungs. Only a strained whisper. Until finally my voice broke through and I heard the dry rasp of my own desperate scream.


    ***


    I shot up, suddenly in bed at the woman’s cabin still screaming out. I saw the woman who saved me jump in alarm with wide eyes, a kitchen knife in her hand. I paused and looked around, breathing heavily and sweating profusely. I felt unbearably weak. The covers felt itchy against my warm skin so I cast them off and shifted over to hang my legs off the bed. The woman seemed to be preparing some kind of meal. She set down the knife she was holding and spoke.


    “Bad dream?”


    I studied my legs carefully and wiggled my toes. I didn’t feel any pain at all aside from a light soreness. The strange thing was that there were pale jagged scars running from my toes all the way up to under the seams of my small clothes. I lifted my previously injured legs up in bewilderment.


    “Uh…yeah. You could say that. How did you fix my legs so perfectly?”


    The woman crossed her arms and walked out of the kitchen to be closer, but she avoided meeting my gaze.


    “You were delirious when I found you. Your injuries probably weren’t as bad as you remember. Do you mind if I ask what happened to you?”


    She was changing the subject, but I elected to not press her on it just yet. Regardless of how she managed to do it, this woman had saved me.


    “It’s…kind of a long story.”


    I say with uncertainty. If I told her everything that happened she might wish I hadn’t because Dove was mageborn. It wouldn’t be fair to make her guilty by association. Not to mention she probably wouldn’t believe me. I could hardly believe it myself. The woman pulled a chair up next to the nightstand and sat down.


    “Maybe we start with names then. I’m Tristana.”


    Her hand was outstretched. I shook it.


    “Sparrow. I suppose I should thank you for saving my life.”


    Her lips tilted into a lopsided grin.


    “I suppose you’re very welcome. I’m preparing something from my garden to eat if you’d like to stay and join me?”


    Her smile was infectious. I returned it helplessly.


    “I would like that, actually.”


    She returned to the kitchen and busied herself over preparing the meal.


    “If you’d like to tell me that long story of yours, I’d love to hear it.”


    I note a folded tunic and set of pants right at the foot of the bed and I quickly slip into them. I sit at the table uncertain of what to say.


    “I don’t know if that would wise. For your sake.”


    I hoped to myself that she would get the hint. Her eyes only flickered with curiosity, however.


    “Now I have to know.”


    I shook my head and sighed. I supposed that I did owe her this much.


    “If you say so. But don’t say I didn’t warn you.”