Equinox (Book One of the Firebird Chronicles) WATTY AWARD HIDDEN GEM WINNER 2015

Chapter Twenty: Moving On

Three days. We had three days to prepare, three days to leave safety yet again.

Morwena was especially fierce. Soon after our conversation, she sent us out to get ready; on the third day, we would take Kirsten's sister, and ride for the Opal district.

On the first day, Sakura, Kirsten, Iggy and I went out into the city markets to buy clothing. The markets were as busy as they had been the day I arrived, and the streets were alive with both travellers and residents, all buying wares in the bleak afternoon light.

We purchased thick hooded travelling cloaks, one for each of us in navy, maroon, grey and black, knotted with simple brooches. The Equinox was approaching, and with it, the rays of autumn passing into winter. Soon, Sakura told me, ice would fill the island, and even our cloaks would find it difficult to keep out the cold.

Along with the cloaks, the girls purchased more clothes; we couldn't stay in our uniforms for the journey as they would be easily spotted or followed. I, who had never had new clothes of my own, looked at the clean material with awe. Sakura bought plainly coloured scarves to tie my hair in. She struggled to hide my hair, which was now brushed my thighs, and my horns were jutting out further, beginning to loop on themselves rather than stay as bumps on my forehead. She wound the material meticulously to hide my recognisable features. 

Weaponry came next. Sakura replenished her stock of arrows, being the only adept fighter of the group. Kirsten looked at the array of daggers with some confusion, and Iggy seemed to approach them as he would a kitchen knife. Eventually, Kirsten settled on a small pistol and Iggy the knives. I did not need any of my own, although I did pick up some supplies to make the repairs I'd intended. Satisfied, we trudged back to the Bathhouse for the workers to begin their shifts. Instead, I requested that I take the evening to fix the fateful bow that had gotten me caught.

A workbench was set up within the hour, and the tools I requested were brought and laid out neatly on it. A lamp lit up a small circle in the centre of the bench. I squinted as I worked, having fashioned an eyeglass to work with and then managed to bind a strap to it, to keep it on my right eye. It was not as comfortable as my goggles that I had left in the orphanage, which I had built to fit my size and eyesight, and could press a button to swap the lenses in the goggles to magnify what I was working on. They had been one of my most proud inventions, and I thought wistfully of them as I worked. I launched into mending the bow with vigour, my fingers running rapidly across the brokenness and pulling it back together. At my elbow, the Black Fire Opal rested, curiously alit with a red colour. It was strangely soothing, a reminder of where I had come from and where I had yet to go, but also a mystery. It heated at my touch, allowing me to use it to weld together the materials I was using to fix the bow. Soon, its shape came together once more as sweat beaded on my brow, and night's curfew set in with darkening clouds. As day one drew to a close, I wrapped the handle of the bow with comfortable leather, gradually erasing the engraved Lumina letter by letter. It had gotten me caught once before, but not again. Perhaps, if it was ever safe to do so, I could remove the ugly black leather from the beautiful silver bow, and not be afraid to reveal my name.

When it is safe? That would be when you rule, I thought ruefully. And I can't see that happening, ever.

The second day began with bursting from my bed as the light struck out across the fields. I threw on my new boots, winding the tight material up my legs. I set out for a morning jog in my dark uniform, my hair stringing out, tied at my head by scraps of red material. My breath soon came in snatches, feeling the effort clearing my head and lungs at once. On my way back, I ran into Sakura, out practising at archery again. I fetched the repaired bow for her, showing it proudly, and she spent our training time teaching me to shoot. By the time the workers became fully awake, I was starting to aim enough to hit Sakura's island, and not the water.