Chapter Text
Chapter One
I clutch the note in my hand, reading it over and over again.
Alyce, come home.
I trace the dark ink on the smooth parchment with my thumb, over and over. She wants me to come home. To her.
I sigh deeply and rest my back on the thick cool bark of a wide tree that I’m sat against. Closing my eyes, I try to imagine what Aurora is doing at this very moment. Busying herself with the anniversary preparations, perhaps. Organising housing for the Imps that are sure to arrive soon. My mind drifts to what the Briar Court could possibly look like after all this time. A smile tugs at my mouth. Aurora would have made it beautiful. With blossoming trees and flowers and rivers. Neve talked of how her Etherian magic, that had been running through her veins for the last 100 years, created a land so full of nature and love and life, Oryn’s land would have been put to shame.
I secretly hope some features of the dark court remain. A torch made of a broken Etherian staff. Perhaps even a stray chess piece carved out of bone.
I shake my head of the thought.
The Briar Court was a melding of dark and light magic. The best of both worlds, so to speak. I saw the thick vines with thorns protruding myself, mixing with the blooming flowers.
My heart rate picks up at the thought of seeing that again. The physical manifestation of mine and Aurora’s love.
Aurora. Me and Aurora
I wonder if she still loves me the same. Or if I still love her the same. It’s been so long.
Yet, there has rarely been a day gone by in the last ten centuries that I have not thought of her.
Callow’s cry snaps me from my thoughts. She glides down between the trees and drops something at my feet, landing with a proud chitter.
I squint in the dusk, shifting my eyesight. A mouse, it’s torso slashed open, lies on the dirt in front of Callow’s feet, who is looking up expectantly at me.
“Over 200 years and you still bring me these little gifts? You know well by now I have no interest in dead mice.” I pick up the creature by it’s tail and throw it to the side. Callow shakes her wings in annoyance and launches herself onto a nearby branch.
Slits of moonlight dance on the forest floor. I can feel this years winter coming to an end. The nights aren’t as cold, the wind not as harsh. The seasons had been restored thanks to Aurora, but the dark magic still meant that winters were fairly unpleasant.
I stand up and tug my blanket from Chaos’ saddle, feeding him half an apple from my pocket, which he chomps happily. The remnants of my campfire have died out, and I’m too tired to use my magic to relight it, despite the little effort it would take.
I settle in for the night, feeling safe with callow and chaos nearby. It takes a long time for sleep to come. I dream of Aurora. Of a particular night all those years ago when she came to my lair, and we stayed up ‘til dawn, huddled over ancient books. The illustrations swirl in my mind. Vila. Goblins. Humans. I dream of Aurora’s golden hair. Her long fingers turning the pages. Her violet eyes looking into mine. Our laughter. Happiness. A deep hope swells inside of me as I sleep, and suddenly there’s nothing I want more in this realm than to see her with my own eyes once more.
***
It’s mid-morning when I wake to Chaos’ nudging me with his forehead. His warm huffs of breath waft over my face. I pry open my eyes, feeling dizzy from sleep. The sun is already making it’s way across the sky, Callow is nowhere to be seen, mostly likely already out hunting. I sit up with a jolt and remember I have a pack of Imps to catch and send to The Court. Dragon’s teeth.
Grunting, I push myself up and ready myself for the day ahead.
The next two weeks I spend gathering up the Imps, which proves to be just as difficult as usual. I managed to convince half of them to join me and wait for Neve, but they soon skittered off, making it another five days before I had successfully rounded them all up.
I sit on a cliffside south of the great forest. In the late sun, the hoard of the imps are chasing each other around behind me, poking broken twigs they’d found at each other.
I stare out at the fire-streaked sky, my hands rest on the cool ground behind me. It’s been a good few months since I’ve seen a sunset as beautiful as this.
“Excuse m- me.”
I turn at the voice behind. An Imp, unusually calm and collected, separated from the rest of their pack, hobbles up to me. I raise my eyebrows just the slightest.
“Do we wait… at all- much longer?” The Imp appears frightened, almost.
“Any moment now.” I offer them a warm smile.
“Thank yous. For helping us.”
“You’re most welcome. You’ll have a good life in The Briar Court. You’ll be free, and safe.”
“We heard many-a stories and stuff.” The Imp positions themselves to sit beside me on the dirt.
“Stories?” I turn back to the blazing sky. The Imps behind me continue their racket.
“Of Briar. The Court, I means. We never thought we could get to go to such a place. Didn’t believe it.”
Sympathy floats up in me. “It’s a long journey. But you can count on my friends to get you there.”
The Imp offers a crooked smile and picks up a twig from the ground. In an instant, the twig transforms into a rectangular chocolate pastry, with white and blue frosting decorating the long treat. I smile in surprise.
“For you.” I take the pastry and bite into it, inwardly reeling from haven almost forgotten what chocolate tastes like.
“Thank you.” I say through a muffled mouthful.
The Imp nods and joins me in watching the sun dip beneath the horizon.
Just as an Imp crashes into the back of me with a giggling apology, Neve flies into sight. Several of her starlings follow, such a transport needed for all of the Imps.
I raise my voice slightly in order to herd the Imps into a somewhat organised group. Neve lands onto the cliff edge and shifts from her bird form.
I can’t help but smile at her even though it’s only been a couple of weeks since we last saw one another. She embraces me and eyes the pack of restless Imps.
“Thank you for coming so quickly” I say as I motion to the Imps. “I’m not sure I would have been able to convince every single one of them to stay longer than today.” The pack huddles together restlessly, looking expectantly at Neve and her starlings.
Neve nods in agreement. “We made it over here in one flight, I’m famished, don’t suppose anyone has any food?” She eyes the Imps with a smirk. They start to dance around in response, and start creating cakes and cheese and fruits, far too many for us to eat. We all laugh, the Imps joyous.
“Don’t worry,” Neve winks at me, “we won’t be here long.”
The Starlings huddle together on the ground, close to the cliff edge, gusts of sea breeze wafting their feathers.
Neve sits beside me, shovelling food into her mouth, the Imps chattering a few feet away from us.
“How’s Torin?” I ask.
“She’s good.” Neve smiles self-consciously in a way I rarely see her do. “We’re good.”
“I’m so glad to hear that.” I relax my shoulders and listen to the faint bird chitter underneath the Imps’ squabbling.
“Not that I’ve been instructed or anything,” Neve says sarcastically as she swallows a bite of fruit pie. “But I think a certain someone is hopeful that you would return back with me tonight.”
My stomach drops. I hadn’t thought of returning with Neve today, the one hundred year celebration at The Briar Court is almost two more weeks away. I could find others to send back in that time.
“I don’t-“
“Don’t worry about your duties, she’s selected another special ambassador. Someone who she’s know for a while, trusts to carry out the important task.”
I laugh. “That sounds like her to do such a thing. A vila?”
“Yes. Percil. He’s been an important member of the court for some time now. He’s always spoken of his desire to help outside of The Briar Court,” Neve continues, “and we voted for him, the title of special ambassador also belongs to him now.” Neve tugs at her sleeve. “Sent him North last week, we had word of several goblins living in an old mine.” Neve must see the apprehension on my face. “I trust him. And so should you. We already have plenty others stationed outside our borders to help, anyway.”
I turn to face the dark sky, the horizon glowing with a faint orange. I sigh deeply.
“It’s been a century, Neve.”
“And that’s exactly why you need to go back, Alyce. She misses you.” A pause. “ Aurora misses you.”
My gaze snaps to Neve. “She does?”
“Yes. Of course.” she says like it’s the most obvious thing in the world. “I suspect she has for a long time.” She glances back at the Imps, who are muttering and laughing, making crowns for each other out of sticks and moss. Callow flies between them, dropping small berries onto their crowns. A small smile appears on Neve’s face. “We all miss you. You’ve done your part, Alyce.” Turning back to look at me, I see the seriousness reflected in her eyes. I run my nail along a groove in my worn leather trousers. “You know how stubborn she is, I don’t think you get much say in the matter.” Her comment surprises me, but I quickly realise she’s joking. A laugh bubbles up from my throat, and Neve offers a grin in return.
“Yeah.” Aurora’s voice rings in my head. The way she’d stood up to the high King all those years ago. The way she told me she was determined to become queen of Briar and change the way things were done. The way she looked at me, wanted me to be a part of it. Saw me for the person I was, loved all the parts of me, even the parts others deemed ugly. Warmth blossoms in my chest and the reality of seeing Aurora again after almost 100 years explodes to the forefront of my mind. “I’ll come with you.”
Neve smiles at me. “Very good.” She stands and motions for the Starlings to shift so that they can carry the Imps. “We’ll make it to the camp in a few hours, we’ll rest there for the night then arrive at Briar in the morning.” I nod in acknowledgment and walk over to prepare Chaos for the flight. Callow lands on my shoulder, brushing her head against mine. I lean into her and smile. “We’re going home Callow.”