Chapter 10

Sylvi

When Sara’s fire turned the soldiers’ hate into screams and consumed their bodies, something in me died. At that moment, I knew I had lost my home and would never be able to go back to the forest of my tribe. The darkness I had witnessed had tainted my heart, and I wouldn’t dare to bring it back with me, even if I would be welcome.

I wished I could lie on the soft bank where the river had washed me ashore forever, and cry and mourn my loss, but I could not. A wave of fear and pain hit me as soon as I opened my eyes, and it took all my strength to resist it and not fall into the darkness that had already taken root deep inside me.

I forced myself to get up. The girl was lying just some distance from me, and I stumbled over to her. She needed my help, I didn’t care who she was or what Sara had told me about her, she didn’t deserve to die… No one deserved to die. No one. Not like this. I could feel tears wetting my cheeks as I tried to hold on to that thought with all that was left of my heart.

She turned to me as I came closer, and her eyes shone with fear as she pulled her dagger and tried to scramble away. I stopped, watching her struggle to stand with the long blade in her hand. She screamed in pain and collapsed to the ground, and I ran to her and kneeled next to her trembling body, putting my hand on her forehead. I tried to smile as she looked at me with her wild eyes.

“I will not hurt you”

She tensed, and I could feel she didn’t believe my words. I felt the darkness flooding my heart; it was as if I was stepping on wet stones, and it was just waiting to swallow me if I slipped. It took me all my strength to push it away and turn back to her. I needed to calm her before I could help her. Forcing healing on someone in her state would harm her even more.

“I will help you.”, I said gently, as I brushed away the wet hair from her face.

“Why?”, she replied quietly, avoiding my eyes.

“You don’t deserve to die”.

I held my tears.

“Why not?”

Her question almost made me slip into the darkness and despair that awaited me, and with rising panic, I tried to find a way to resist its call, knowing that I had nothing to hold on to. She looked into my eyes, and I felt so helpless and exposed under her gaze when I realised that the part of me that could answer with a smile, was gone.

“Because….”

My mind was blank. Was I really as useless and naive as Sara believed?

“Because…”

I knew if I turned my gaze and looked away, I would lose her. Tears started to roll down my cheeks again, and I put my head on her chest and started to sob.

“Please, don’t die…please”

I could feel her body relax as she put her hand on my head.

“Thank you,” she said quietly.

I took her hand in mine and began to sing quietly, dispelling the darkness from her heart. I could feel the song take hold of her, and feelings and images even more terrible than those Sara carried deep in her, flooded me.

I don’t know how long I sang, but even if I managed to heal her body, I knew no amount of singing would completely heal her heart. It didn’t matter. I kept singing until I collapsed next to her, still holding her hand.