Endrah, Acarad, and Wanda all met in their cabin, each covered in dust and sweat from their journeys. Acarad’s eyes brightened as Endrah walked into the common room, wings open and unbandaged. Endrah had four large bags hanging from his shoulders and hands, packed full with his possessions from home. His golden hair was intricately braided and had dozens of colorful ribbons strung through it, courtesy of his nieces and younger sister. His wings shined with the last of a healing salve his mother had coated them in. Much to Endrah’s secret delight and Acarad’s surprise, the sprite had dark make-up lining his eyes, and glitter brushed over his cheeks.
“Why are you so dolled up,” Wanda asked.
“My sisters know Acarad is a prince,” Endrah blushed a little bit. “They wanted to make sure that I don’t, quote ‘Look like a raggamuffin who rolled in his mother’s grass for weaving,’”
“And all the beautiful ribbons are their work too,” Wanda asked.
“No, those are from my nieces and youngest sister,” Endrah chuckled. “They wanted to make sure I didn’t leave without any ribbons.”
“And the glossy wings,” Acarad asked. “It looks like they healed.”
“I went to a healer back home,” Endrah’s wings fluttered a bit. “She only had to undo a little bit of your work to realign the cartilage veins that hold my wings up to the strain of lift off.”
“Can you fly again,” Wanda asked.
“Not very far or fast yet,” Endrah smiled. “But that will come with time. I need to put strength into them the same way one would do with two broken legs.”
“What’s all this about broken legs and flight,” Brooke shouted from outside.
“I will go tell her,” Wanda smiled and slipped out of the common room.
“You look a lot better than you did before,” Acarad stepped closer to Endrah.
“How do you mean,” Endrah asked.
“Your eyes are brighter,” Acarad said. “Your wings are open, you stand like you know no one can move you.”
Endrah blushed and looked down at the bags in his hands. Acarad cupped Endrah’s face in his hand, lifting Endrah’s eyes up. Acarad leaned forward and down, planting a kiss on Endrah’s jaw bone, deliberately avoiding the glitter his sisters had brushed him down with. Endrah turned his head and caught Acarad’s lips with his for a brief moment. Endrah looked up at the taller man through his lashes.
“Is it normal for people to tease each other like that,” Endrah asked. “Or did you stop because I am betrothed to a lazy waste of wind?”
“If you are taken I will not step in,” Acarad stepped back. “I just meant to...I...I’m sorry.”
“Don’t apologize,” Endrah set his bags down and half folded his wings. “Just tell me how you feel.”
“You are engaged to someone else, Endrah,” Acarad said. “I will not dirty your reputation like that.”
“Like what,” Endrah’s wings twitched.
“I’m sorry,” Acarad stepped back. “I was too forward.”
“Acarad what do you mean,” Endrah asked.
Acarad was already out of the room before Endrah could finish. Endrah folded his wings and gathered his bags. As he started to walk down the hall, he couldn’t help looking back, hoping Acarad was still there.
~
“We have dried pork, fresh butchered beef, and plenty of fruit and vegetables for a few days,” Brooke set a basket of berries down on the kitchen table. “If the two of you eat all of this before I get back I am dragging you to the bottom of the river and making you fish with no line.”
“I won’t be here for long,” Acarad said, looking up from his battered book. “My brother is holding a charity auction at his estate and asked me if I could supply some potions and salves. I will be leaving in the morning.”
“I have a calling to the south,” Endrah set his bowl of fruit down. “It doesn’t feel urgent but I think I will go ahead and leave before the sun is too high.”
“And you and I share a Calling this time Brooke,” Wanda bustled into the room, carrying Brooke’s Drifter’s uniform under one arm and hers under the other. “If we leave now by water we should get to where we need to be by noon.”
“Why are you two so eager to slip the net,” Brooke asked.
“We have previous arrangements,” Endrah shrugged and picked at the stem of a large strawberry. “I won’t be much longer than a few hours. Certainly not overnight unless things turn ugly.”
“Then why don’t you go with Acarad,” Wanda cocked her head. “You two could meet up in Glade tomorrow evening. It would be an excellent opportunity for you to learn more about humans.”
“I don’t want to interfere if Acarad will be doing work and visiting his older brother,” Endrah’s wings twitched under his light jacket. “I will be fine looking after the cabin.”
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“But-” Wanda began.
“Let it rest Wanda,” Brooke grabbed her uniform. “We need to leave for our Calling.”
Brooke ushered Wanda out of the kitchen and through the common room, silencing every protest. Before long, they were following the river eastward. Wanda trotted along the bank, holding both of their Drifter’s uniforms, as Brooke fought the current. They were silent for most of their journey. Wanda tried several times to start a conversation, only to be answered with a few grunts and snorts from Brooke.
Some time around noon, Brooke climbed out of the water, shedding her tail and taking her Drifter’s uniform from Wanda with a far gentler hand than one would think. The two climbed into their uniforms and walked on, following their Calling. Brooke summoned her spear-like weapon, using it as a walking staff. Wanda drew patterns in the air, letting them light up before she walked into them. The two women broke off from the river’s trail, following a well-worn path through the trees and bushes. Wanda stopped just before the treebreak, grabbing Brooke’s arm.
“Something is wrong,” Wanda whispered, pulling Brooke back. “Don’t break the treeline.”
Brooke nodded and led the way down a branching path. Both women were crouched low to the ground, peering over the brush and between the trees. Brooke held her weapon ready. Wanda stopped them again with just a hand. She pointed up into the tree tops across the clearing from them. Four archers had their bows and arrows trained on the treeline, ready to loose. All four were human. Brooke nodded and called to her magic as quietly as she could. Before she could form or cast a spell, something hit them like a wall. Brooke went down with a grunt, Wanda with a squeak. Brooke broke through the strange magic pinning her down and called her magic again. She threw a wave of magic out like a fisherman would cast a net. When the other magic came at her again, she grabbed it first, dragging its originator out of their hiding place. A masked and cloaked being was dragged backwards through the brush, flailing and trying to cut at Brooke’s magic net. Wanda stood behind her companion, summoning a ball of orange fire to her hand.
“Who are you,” Brooke asked.
“Brooke, look out,” Wanda cried, throwing up a wall of flame out in the clearing.
Arrows burned in Wanda’s fire as the Drifter threw a lasso made of fire and magic. She dragged each of the archers down in turn, tying the lassos she used off so that she could keep them all pinned down. Brooke dragged the cloaked magic user closer as she stepped out of the brush.
“You beast,” the cloaked being spat. “I will not be taken.”
With that, the magic wielder drew in as much magic as they could, and then more. They collapsed, a burning corpse was all that remained of them. The archers in Wanda’s grip each took a knife from their belt and sheathed it in their abdomens. Wanda ran to her captives, but they were all dead before she reached them. Brooke cursed under her breath as she stalked up to the cloaked figure. She ripped the mask off of their face, revealing a scarred, twisted human face. Well, at least what was left of it.
“Brooke,” Wanda said tentatively. “Look at this.”
Wanda pulled one of the archers’ coats back, revealing the yellow of the Tolocian warrior’s garb. The loose shirt was made of dyed wool, and there was a symbol in the center of the chest. The Tolocian crown was drawn inside of a circle, surrounded by burning wings and fish skeletons.
“If that isn’t creepy,” Brooke shivered. “I don’t know what it is.”
“I have seen this symbol before,” Wanda tore the shirt from the corpse it was covering. “These people kill flits, sprites, kyrill, goblins, and dragons as easily as you kill a fish. They hate all people not of their likeness.”
“I wonder what they would do to half bloods,” Brooke shook her head. “Humans can reproduce with sprites. Goblins can reproduce with sprites and flits.”
“But kyrill can only reproduce with other kyrill,” Wanda said. “And dragons can only reproduce with other dragons.”
“Humans would do their best to do so to mate with us,” Brooke tapped her foot on the ground a few times. “Kyrill and dragons just can’t carry half bloods, the child’s blood would be attacked by ours.”
“We need to tell Endrah and Acarad about these people being so close to us,” Wanda stood and folded the torn shirt neatly, so the symbol on it wouldn’t be seen.
“This wasn’t our Calling Wanda,” Brooke turned east. “I can still feel the pull.”
“Then let’s go,” Wanda raised her robes and took off in a loping run like the she-wolf pendant she wore.
Brooke broke into a run right on her heels. They were just a few feet apart as they leapt over felled trees and short bushes. After a few minutes, they came to a small camp, with seven tents and a fire pit. Wanda called fire into her hand and lit the wood in the pit on fire. Brooke called the wind to her, asking it to carry her voice.
“Come out where we can see you,” Brooke said, raising her weapon. “Keep your hands where we can see them.”
Three more humans with cloaks and masks leapt into view, bows and swords all raised for combat. Brooke threw her weapon, skewering a human with it. She summoned another before they came within the archers’ range and skewered another. Wanda threw fireballs at the last one, ensuring they were dead before they hit the ground. More people came running out of one of the tents, but these ones were different. These ones were dressed in rags, and only one was human.
A flit child clung to a half-sprite-half-goblin woman. A kyrill girl, scarcely more than thirteen, clung to a human boy. Three goblin women clung to each other, and two male sprites had their wings wrapped tightly around themselves.
“Is anyone here hurt,” Wanda asked, dropping her magic and robes.
“There were others,” one of the sprites said. His beautiful white butterfly wings were shaking, making the fact that there were holes in them more obvious.
“The humans took them to another tent,” the half-sprite-half-goblin woman murmured. “All we heard were screams. We haven’t seen them since.”
“I will look,” Brooke trotted off to the tents.
“Who are you,” the other sprite said. His sparrow wings were nearly completely devoid of feathers.
“We are Drifters,” Wanda answered. “Sent by First Wind’s sibs, Shining Water and Burning Ember. They sent us here to bring you to safety and get you some form of healing.”
“What of First Wind’s Drifter,” the first sprite asked.
“He was sent elsewhere,” Wanda said. “He should be done with his task before nightfall. We aren’t very far from our home.”
“Wanda,” Brooke called. “Get them out of here.”
“Follow me darlings,” Wanda said. She gathered the others within arms reach. “Run as fast as you can, hold on tightly to each other, do not look back. No matter what, stay brave. I will make sure you are safe.”
Wanda led the former prisoners through the trees and brush. She kept the two children under her robes. The sprites kept close to the women, lifting the goblins off the ground when the felled trees were too tall for them to jump. Wanda shielded the children’s eyes from the bodies she and Brooke had taken in the clearing. They ran for what seemed like both days and moments. Brooke came up through the water in the river. She joined the group, taking up a position behind everyone else. She had her spear-like weapon in hand, ready to throw.
Somehow, the sky was only just starting to turn pink with dusk as Wanda, Brooke, and the former prisoners came within sight of the Drifters’ cabin. Endrah hopped down from the roof, wings flared open. The two sprites with wounded wings stopped in surprise, both pairs of wings half open.
“What happened,” Endrah asked.
“They were kidnapped,” Brooke answered. “These two need to have their wings healed.”
“I will take them to my family,” Endrah said. “From there, they can take these two to Healer Anik.”
“Feyborn,” one of the other sprites asked.
“Yes,” Endrah said. “It’s nice to see you again, Kaylar.”
“You know each other,” Brooke asked.
“Our families used to trade,” Endrah answered.
“I thought they still did,” the sprite with sparrow wings said.
“My family was forced to move,” the sprite with butterfly wings said. “There was too much fighting near the border for the Monarch’s liking. She put guards in our family home.”
“Come with me,” Endrah said. “I will make sure you are safe.”
The sprites set off on a path leading north. Wanda and Brooke herded the rest of their charges into the cabin.