Chapter 14

Sylvi

The forest was burning. Thick smoke filled the air, and I could feel the flames licking my skin as I watched everything I loved and cared for being burned to ashes. Sparks danced between the trees, consuming them one by one, and the hot wind carried the distant screams of those caught in the inferno. Their pain was so overwhelming I wanted to scream, but when I opened my mouth, black smoke filled my chest, and I realised with terror that my tunic was ablaze, and the pain was my own, and the flames slowly consumed my body.

I woke up with a scream in the dark forest, fright still raging in my heart. I tried to gasp for air, but a hand covered my mouth, and I struggled to break free.

“Quiet!”, Cat hissed. I felt the cold blade of her dagger pressing against my neck, and I froze.

“Good”

In the corner of my eye, I could see her nodding in approval. Slowly, she loosened her grip on me and let the dagger fall to her side as she carefully scanned the darkness of the night.

“Why are you screaming?” she asked sharply, still peering through the trees and into the night. She hadn’t let me go, and her body was still pressed against mine, but her warmth did not comfort me. I could still see the flames from my dream dancing before my eyes, no different from the ones I had seen in the vision the forest showed me before I left my home, and they filled me with dread. I looked at her, my eyes pleading for comfort.

“I... I had a bad dream.”

I had hoped she would comfort me, but instead, she frowned and pushed me away.

“Get used to it”

She didn’t see my tears as she lay down and turned her back to me, but despite her harsh words, I refused to believe she didn’t care.

I lay down. I could not see the stars as I was lying underneath the tree, but I knew they were no different from the ones I saw at home. Even if I had become someone else, someone who didn’t belong there any more, they were still the same. What should I do now?, I wondered. I realised I had nowhere to go and began to sob as the dreadful thoughts filled my mind. Cat turned to me, her hand raised to strike me, and she hissed,

“I told you to be quiet!”

I froze and closed my eyes, but the blow never came, and when I dared to open my eyes again, I saw her watching me with anguish. Our eyes met, and she smiled sadly before turning away to hide the tears that flowed down her cheeks. I could feel her deep sadness filling the air as she lay down, once again ignoring me. My eyes were wet once more, but I didn’t know which one of us my tears were for.

She froze at first when I moved closer and pressed my wet cheek against her neck, but she didn’t push me away. Slowly, she relaxed, and I put my arm around her, finding comfort in her warmth.