Chapter 4

Soon enough we were out of the castle. Through all the silence, all I could hear was the crunching of dead leaves under our feet. All around me were tall trees with golden, brown and red leaves. Orin didn't grip or call my arm, he was gentle, but not once did he look back at me.

"Where are you taking me?" I asked.

"Into Initium, the Spring Courts. You will be dead before sundown. Now, be quiet! We are near the border. I could be killed at any time, you with me."

"Killed? Why would they kill us?"

"The fey are at war, child. We do not mix and aren't allowed to trespass."

"Stop calling me a child! I have a name! It's Sophie," I said quickly.

"Okay then, Sophie, now would you please be quiet?" he snapped.

"No, I won't be quiet! You are taking me to my death and I am supposed to be quiet!"

"SHH!"

"NO! Take me back to my father!"

Just then, we crossed into the spring country. All of the trees started to turn green and flowers started to bloom everywhere. Soon we were walking through a meadow of orchids, tulips, daisies, roses and lavender that was surrounded by cherry blossom trees and dogwoods.

"Listen Sophie, if you do not shut your mouth now, we will both die, and most likely your father will too. So please just stop talking or I will kill you now!" he growled. He was angry, and he gathered himself to full height in which he towered over me.

"But-"I said but I was cut short.

"SHUT UP!" He screamed, but he was too late, a group of satyrs surrounded the meadow carrying cross bows and gleaming silver swords. One of the satyrs with long silver hair shot an arrow with an iron tip strait at us; it barely missed my face, catching strands of hair, and shot strait into a tree behind me. Orin pulled out his silver sword.

"Get down! Go to cover in the trees!" he shouted at me, but I was frozen in my place. My feet were stuck to the ground and bows were flying a

"GO!" he shouted, but as he said it the silver hair satyr shot an arrow into his chest. Soon he was on the floor of the meadow and gasping for air. His eyes became bloodshot and the skin around the wound grew black as blood oozed out of the cut. The iron tip was poisoning him.

"ORIN!" I shrieked. My feet got feeling in them again because I grabbed his arm and dragged him towards the trees. We got behind a huge oak, and he was still gasping for air. I took a hold of the iron arrow and tried to pull it out, but Orin started to make bloodcurdling screams.

"I'm sorry!" I tried again, but it dug the arrow in deeper. I mustered up all my strength and gave the arrow a huge tug, and it came out covered in blood. I took off his armor and lifted his chain mail only to see his chiseled chest covered in blood and blackened by the poison. The hole in his chest was cracking as well. There was nothing to wrap it up in, or stop the bleeding, so I picked a pink flower up from the ground and pressed it to the wound. When it touched him, however, it died instantly.

"Oh, come on!" I said, picking up one of the biggest leaves near me, and pressing it to the wound. When it touched him, it just turned into a golden yellow leaf, as if the seasons had changed. I put more leaves on the wound, putting pressure on to stop the bleeding, but it could become infected or something. I quickly dragged him over deeper into the woods, and the shouting of the satyrs slowly died away. We came to a small stream in the woods, carrying lilies and reeds.

"Here, lay in the water," I breathed; my heart was pounding in my chest, and adrenaline pulsed in my veins. I laid him in the stream and let the cool water wash over his wound. Suddenly, the hole in his chest started to close and heal itself. The blackness turned to white again and all that was left was an unconscious man lying in front of me. I decided to rest until he woke up, so I laid by an oak tree and day dreamed.

Chaos was at constant war; Summer against Winter and Spring against Autumn. My mother, Lady Rhoslyn, was crowned queen of the Spring court and Lady Tetra of the Autumn court is threatening my father's and my life to get to her. My father is still being held against his will in the Autumn court and Lady Tetra had tried to kill me in the Seelie court because I cannot be harmed in the Unseelie Court. Oh, and not to mention that a gorgeous faery was lying unconscious in front of me.

The sun started to go down when Orin finally started to wake up, he was still sore from the arrow's iron, so he couldn't move much.

"What happened?"

"You got shot, so I took you here and helped you," I said calmly.

"You, saved me?"

"Um, yeah… I guess I did…"

"I am in your debt, Sophie," he breathed. Suddenly, an idea came to mind.

"Why didn't you leave me? Why didn't you leave me out there so they could kill me themselves?"

"Because… It is my duty to leave you at Lake Shea."

"Oh, your duty? Why thanks for helping out then!" I said sarcastically.

"It's complicated human; you have no idea what nonsense you are speaking!"

"Complicated? Oh so now you are Mr. Misunderstood?"

"I am bound to her… forever. Ever since the start of the war. I used to be a part of the Seelie, but when Tetra and Fanon began this war; my village was taken and slaughtered. Tetra saw something in me. A power that she needed; so she kept me as her pet," he said, but I listened silently; embarrassed of my reaction earlier. "I grew up in the Autumn court possessing power of both Spring and Fall. As you have noticed." I blushed, he noticed me staring at him in the meadow.

"I was taught how to kill showing no mercy, fear, or hesitation; I was also taught to protect Tetra at all costs. I could never betray her. We fell in love. However, the worst thing you could do in Never-Never is give another your deepest secret, treasure and power. The worst thing you can do is give them your name. I was so madly in love that I told her mine. Foolish thing to do because when she took my name, we made a bond of the oldest magic. Even though she already had my life in her hands, she now controls me. I can never leave her."

There was silence for a couple of moments while both of us stared into the darkness.

"I'm so sorry, Orin. I never knew…"

"It's no one's fault but mine." He looked at me then, exactly the way he did before. Nothing in the world mattered at that moment, and I didn't care. For that moment, it was only him in my life, and I couldn't possibly imagine life without him in it. He smiled at me, a small but caring smile, but looked away.

"You want to know why I didn't leave you there?" he asked. I nodded in reply.

"I see something in you, Sophie. There is something in you that interests me, which dazzles me forevermore. Inside you is a foolish, ignorant girl; but there is also a courageous, powerful woman. You are important to me, somehow." He said. He looked away but smiled for a second. I blushed until my face was as red as a tomato, but smiled as well.

"I never knew my mom. All I knew was that she was a faery and my father could go back and forth through Chaos and earth. But I never really knew her. Can I ask you some questions?" I asked.

"Anything you wish."

"Why did Lady Tetra lie about not harming me?"

He laughed at this. "The fey are bound to their word, and it is impossible to lie. Tetra didn't lie; however, she never said you wouldn't be harmed. She merely didn't speak." He explained, and I nodded in reply.

"How come you all have different forms?" I asked.

"Why do humans have different forms?" he retorted.

"No no, I mean, why are you all blue, green, white, shaped as animals, tiny or large?"

"The fey can take any form, but when a faery stays in that form too long, it becomes permanent. What really matters is the glamour."

"What is glamour?"

"Glamour is a type of magic that can help a member of the fey transform into anything they wish, can conceal them, and make them turn invisible, or make them simply look better or worse than before. Most of the fey use glamour to help them look prettier, hide themselves, or to help play tricks."

"Are you really going to kill me?"

"I don't think I can. You are a strange person, Sophie. Intriguing, yes; but very strange."

I nodded and smiled at him, and he smiled back at me the same wide grin from the meadow. It was almost dawn, and he needed more rest. But I had another idea.

"Orin, I need you to do me a favor."

"I am in your debt. I will do anything you command."

"Do you swear to me that you will do what I ask of you?"

He hesitated for a moment, but agreed. "I swear under my duty to Lady Tetra, under my longing for spring, under myself, and to you that I will do anything you demand of me."

"I want you, Orin, to take me to my mother, Queen of the Spring Court.