The sky above me was bright blue with single fluffy clouds. My body was aching. So I hadn’t died this time either. Did I get caught? But why would I be outside then? Father would have had me locked up in the cellar again. I tried moving my head to see more of my surroundings, but the world started spinning. I heard something from very far away but also close. The more I tried figuring out what was going on, where I was, what happened, the more confusing it all got. I only wanted to rest for another minute or two. The thought of how dangerous that was crossed my mind for a split second. Something else was reassuring me enough to just close my eyes again.

  The next time I woke up, the sky had changed colour to a bright red, with orange features and some touches of purple. At first, I thought I had slept until the evening, but the sun seemed to rise rather than set. I had slept through a whole day and night. My head wasn't feeling much better, though, and I still felt every part of my body aching with pain from cuts and bruises. I still had no clue what happened, but it seemed as though I was safe for now.

  My first instinct was to sit up, so I could take in my surroundings and flee again if necessary. But I had to fight this urge. I don't think I would have made it far or did my body any good. Instead, I just tried moving my head again.

  Lucky for me, my head wasn’t so broken any more as I had assumed it was. This time, my vision didn’t instantly blur the second I even thought about rotating it. In the corner of my eye, I saw a burnt down fireplace. Next to it lay two bedrolls of some kind. I just now noticed that I was wraped up in a warm and fluffy blanket. I otherwise might have frozen to death already, with my already run down body.

  In my mind, a picture of what had happened started to form. I must have fallen down somewhere, I wasn't quite sure where, but that was the last thing I remembered from my chase. Some travellers must have found me then, badly injured, and so kindly tended to me. My heart filled with gratitude for those strangers that had no business with me. It has been quite too long since I had experienced this. I just hoped they hadn't recognized me and chosen to help because of my status. I would be damned if they were to tell father, they had found me.

  The bedrolls were empty. I assumed I was alone right now. Whoever had saved me was either currently gathering food, or they were off getting me back home. I was too exhausted for it to be the latter. My eyelids were already getting tired again. I allowed them to fall shut again. There was no good in pushing me further over my breaking point. Sleep didn’t tend to me this time, he wasn’t powerful enough to defeat the pain yet. Time went by until I had lost track. It could have been minutes or hours, when I heard footsteps drawing closer. More than one person was approaching. They moved with heavy steps and loud voices. Their carelessness gave away their every step. Twigs snapping, leaves rustling, stones smashing together. It sounded like they had never been in a forest before. Every step could be traced back. I was confident, they weren’t from here. But even people from the cities weren’t that noisy, were they?

  While they kept getting closer, I could make out more about them. They were travelling as two. A woman and an older boy, perhaps mother and son, their conversation wasn’t giving me any useful insight. I started to prepare myself to open my eyes again. Thanking them was the least I could do, and I had to figure out how much danger I still was in. My head started to spin again. Maybe I wasn’t ready to face them. As they reached their camp, the woman hushed the boy, so he wouldn’t disturb me. I appreciated the sentiment, but it was far too late now. And it was their conversation only that had quieted down. Every other noise they made was still present. I felt bad, but for now I just needed them to be quiet. My ambitions to talk to them got weaker and weaker. Tomorrow, after I had slept more, was early enough. Their noise brought the sleep closer again, I wasn’t as healthy as I thought I was. Allowing myself to rest more, had to suffice now.

  A nightmare shook me awake. With wide open eyes, I tried breathing through the pain and regaining my composure. I wasn’t in the dungeon. I wasn’t being tortured. I wasn’t in his hands any more. “Mother” The boy's voice pulled me back into reality. I must have scared him. The woman tended to with a damp cloth. For the first time, I saw one of them, until my eyelids started to flutter, and I closed my eyes to make them stop. “You don’t need to be scared”, she said with such a calming voice, that I believed her for a moment.

  My body started to relax. The pain didn’t vanish, but lessened. I had been through this before, just not for anyone to see. “You must be hurting” Even though I didn’t answer, she continued talking to me. My eyes filled with hot tears, that I let stream down my face without a second thought. She kept talking. “You will be alright now” Even though I knew she was only trying to reassure me, it was enough to do the trick.

  My eyes stayed shut while she used the cloth to lower my temperature. Some time in the last couple of hours, I had developed a fever. Or I haven't noticed it before. I felt myself burning up, without anything I could do. I started to doubt again, if I would be alright. At least my nightmare could be a symptom and the past wouldn't forever haunt me while I sleep too.

  We sat quiet. Not sharing another word, while I recovered. Minutes went by in which I felt secure. At some point, the smell of food filled the surrounding air. I must have interrupted her cooking. Later, she gave over her duties to her son and tended to her stew. He was far less gentle. The boy showed no interest in being here. I was glad he stayed quiet. Then, while the fire crackled, I decided I couldn’t handle laying down any more. My paranoia whispered to me. I had to open my eyes, be more aware of my surroundings. After the first hurdle of my endeavour, I knew I needed help. I was far too weak to put myself in an upright position. I stared at the boy. He stared back.

  My mouth was far too dry to speak, and I didn't think I could form even a single sound right now. He might catch on when I started pushing myself up. Otherwise, I had no idea how to communicate, that I required his assistance. My elbows hurt when I put pressure on them. The sharp sting travelled up to my shoulder. That's when I remembered the injury. I begged it wasn't broken.

  I kept pushing forward. The feeling of needing to get up tightened my chest even more, making it hard to breath, and I couldn't handle lying here any second longer. I must have not looked struggling enough for him to understand.

  While I managed to stay on my balanced on my arms, sweat ran done my face. He only continued staring. Help. I mouthed the word, any sound I had made was far too quiet to understand, he wouldn’t have heard it. I begged he saw it. He jolted back, looking appalled. So he did understand!

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  Tears started welling again. He turned away his gaze before reaching out his hand. I took it. As I did, he started pulling me up. It hurt, I was out of breath, but I felt safer now.

  This time around, he helped me to settle against a tree. I mouthed thank you, which he didn’t return. He settled down closer to his mother, avoiding me again. I questioned what I had done to him. But my head wasn’t in the right place. Something felt off about them, something I couldn’t quite put my finger on.

  When the stew was finished, she gave me a bowl too. It was too heavy for me to hold, and even using the spoon was tedious. In the same time the boy devoured portion after portion while throwing sceptical looks at me every couple minutes, I managed to force down one serving. Afterwards, I felt awful again. I started burning up again. Pain blurred my vision. The urge to get running grew bigger. Despite my better judgement, I kept watching them. As time passed, a realisation started to form in the depths of my fever clouded brain.

  It was the way they talked. Stiff and hard with some odd sounding words in between. And so loud.

  Their clothes, unfit for the weather here. Too many layers and washed out colours. The fabric was thick and restricting.

  And the way they moved. It was harsh and sudden. Without any grace or consideration to their surroundings.

  “You're not…”, my voice gave up halfway through the sentence. I don't know what they were, but they were not feuyren. The boy shot back at me. “Of course not!” His eyes looked like those soldier boy’s I had kicked. Like my father's. Rage and disgust were fighting a gruesome battle on his face, as to determine what he should feel.

  And then I saw it. His lie. The bush behind him shook in unison with his anger. Who was this boy? Why did he say he wasn't one of us if he was given the gift of nature? Confusion locked my gaze on him.

  His mother held his fist tight. Then she gave me a real explanation. “We are travellers from Toiken.” My breath got caught in my throat. Instantly, my body went into flight mode. I had to get away from here. How was I even alive right now? These people kill our kind on sight.

  Father said…

  He told me…

  I…

  They must've honoured the truce. No, they were… helping! My world shattered. The war had taught us who they were. Father told me the tales about their cruelty. Why were they sharing their food with me? Caring for my wounds? They should have left me right where they found me. My eyes burned. Everything washed away.

  He lied. The realisation was cruel, hitting me harder than Sir Tarron ever could. Father’s tales… what of them was real? Why were strangers that should harbour nothing but hate for me, kinder than him? How do I prevent my mistakes ruining everything all over again? Mother, I am so scared.

  She heard me. Like she always did when I felt lost, she pulled me in a warm embrace. I let the tears flow. With her, I was safe enough to do so. She wouldn’t tell and no one would see. I was about ready to fall asleep in her arms, when a voice broke through my shelter. I’m sorry he lied to you. It was so, so far away. But it wasn't my mother's. She is dead. I had been years without her. What is happening?

  I desperately held on to the fantasy the fever had created. Going back meant pain. Falling asleep just one more time in her arms. Nothing but sleep. I don’t want to remember. Why can’t I stay with you? I cried out in the deep, dark hole she had left behind.

  But the woman holding me wasn’t my mother. No one heard me any more. No matter how much pain there was, I was alone now. And in danger. I wasn’t sure any more who I should fear the most. Clear alone was that I had to stay weary. I had no friends, no allies. Lies could be hidden in everyone. Even in those I had deemed true.

  “I thought you people can’t lie”, that awful boy’s voice was too much. I snapped back. “Well, you’re stupid and wrong, then!”, I had long forgotten that he was one of us. After all, that fool didn’t even know his own magic. His boring brown eyes stared holes through me. His pathetic face turned red with anger. The surrounding clearing went silent. I held his gaze. I faced worse opponents than him. I man his age should be able to control his anger by now, or at least keep his magic out of it. Whatever he plans to do…

  A crushing pain shot through my leg. My leg immediately felt damp. I didn’t have to look to know where the tree’s roots had found a new resting place. His expression changed. Pure horror let his face go pale. I looked down. How worse could it be?

  My stomach twisted. I managed to scatter away from the woman’s lap before throwing up the miniscule amounts of stew I had consumed earlier. I cowered on the ground. His mother cried out. Heavy, frantic footsteps went off in the direction away from me. She got up, took a few steps forward, and stopped in her tracks. I felt her guilt from over here. I wanted her to stay and help me. I didn’t want to suffer through this alone. But my mind was surprisingly clear and the only one who could get that thing out of my leg, had taken off. And his mother likely was the only one to get him back here.

  “I need him”, the words tasted like poison. I didn’t want his help, but it wouldn’t work without it.

  She was hesitating. Through clenched teeth, I muttered “please” to get her going. I was relieved when she listened. I decided to take another look. Even though I was used to assessing my wounds under bright daylight, it was a lot worse than in the dim cellar.

  The second look wasn’t much better than before. If I had been able to, I would've thrown up again. I braced myself for the third attempt. While my leg impaled by a root was engraved in my brain already, I had to know how bad it was. I resisted the urge to look away. I gnarled a piece of wood coiled around my left leg so tight it would have snapped my fragile calf in a thousand parts if it was any stronger. Above the knee a wet stain was forming around the location its thin end had shot through my leg back into the ground. My hands trembled as I ripped the fabric of my trousers and bandages away to reveal more of the wound.

  The first thing I noticed wasn’t the fresh one. It were those that had already started healing. Scar tissue that was left from my father’s research was discoloured in a soft teal. I wasn’t sure if they were glowing as well. For a moment I was too fascinated to return to my true endeavour. I traced the scars, wondering what my back must look like now. My head begged me to examine the more pressing matter, but my eyes couldn’t stir away. Only when I got curious about my arms and other leg, did I snap back to reality. The Toiken could return at any point, and I had to come up with a plan till then.

  Relieve washed over me after a closer look at the wound. The root had shot clean through. I might even be lucky enough for it to not have damaged anything serious, but we would have to wait and see.

  During the time I spent waiting, I did my best to halt the bleeding a bit. The last couple of days had been a lot already and my body hadn’t got a sufficient pause to recover yet. As time past, I got nervous. If he didn’t come back, I had no chance of getting away here without damaging my leg further. And even if he did, he might refuse to help me. I hadn’t meant to anger him. By Creation, I was so tired. And scared. And hurt. How do I make this stop?

  I heard them trample through the forest. Finally, I wouldn’t be nailed to the ground any more.