The Writer - Chapter 13

The Healer

Clara wished that she had never agreed to go with the army in the first place. 

She felt useless, especially now that her Blessing wasn’t going to help her. Bones refused to let her fight, but he did give her a job at the next village. 

The army arrived outside the village about midday. Obviously, it would be a bit suspicious if 500 armed men and women marched through the village. So about two thirds of the army would be going around the outside. A select few would remain together with Bones to search for the heir. Other miniature groups would be shopping - especially for tents and other supplies. 

Gale and Keenan were with the majority of the army, reorganizing their materials. However, Titus and Clara were instructed to go on a separate assignment. 

Bones pulled the pair of them aside, looking a bit more uneasy than usual. He wrung his fingers as he spoke. “I have a special job for the two of you. The soldiers are going around to the right of the village, but I need you to go to the left.” 

“Why?” Clara blurted before she could stop herself. Luckily, Bones was too preoccupied to notice her outburst. 

He hesitated before answering, “there’s a certain site that needs inspecting. Our soldiers couldn’t fit through some of the gaps in the scaffolding - it appears to be an abandoned house. We were hoping you two could fit.” 

Titus and Clara shared a look. There were plenty of smaller men in the army who would most likely fit anywhere Clara and Titus could. Not to mention the fact that Bones wasn’t sending any escorts with them when there were plenty of men to go around. Clara was apprehensive but she knew she couldn’t voice her objections. 

“Do you have the exact location, sir?” Titus asked. 

Bones shook his head. “No, but I’m sure you’ll have no problem finding it. At least, I’m pretty sure. We’re not quite sure exactly what village…” 

His voice trailed off as he wandered away, leaving Titus and Clara in silence. 

“Well that was interesting,” Titus commented when the captain was out of earshot. Clara nodded her agreement. 

It was like Bones was hiding something. She still didn’t know how the soldiers planned to search for this mysterious heir without wreaking havoc. And why had Titus been invited on this journey when no one else from the circus had? Clara knew her medical expertise and Blessing made her a good choice, but all Titus had was fire powers and a tragic backstory. 

“Should we head out now?” Clara pondered. “Maybe we can get the search done early and then hang out in the village.” 

“And go against Bones’s orders?” Titus seemed aghast at first, but then he seemed to think again. “Okay, I’m in.” 

The two gathered their supplies, making sure they had their weapons on hand. Clara knew they were both still a bit weak from yesterday’s fight, but she hoped that if they needed to battle that they would pull through. Hopefully. 

The army began the tedious task of splitting up, which was more chaotic than Clara had anticipated. Her and Titus were able to slip away without being spotted. 

The village was surrounded with a large, wooden fence painted white. It had definitely seen better days, the harsh weather had begun to take its toll on the paint. With winter coming and the oncoming battles approaching rapidly, apparently no one cared enough to fix it. Although Clara understood that there were priorities higher than a fresh coat of paint, it made her sad to see something that had once been a symbol of safety be destroyed so easily. 

Titus said nothing as they walked. His heavy boots thumped against the soft earth in a comforting pattern. Clouds cast shadows from the fruit trees placed around the area, and the leaves danced in the slight wind. 

Thump. Thump. Thump. And then a soft, barely audible melody. 

At first Clara thought she was just hearing things. The song sounded eerily familiar but she knew she had never heard it before in her life. 

Titus perked up, looking around like he heard it too. 

“What is that noise?” he whispered. For a second, Clara thought she saw a flash of fear in his eyes. 

Why was he so scared? 

“I don’t know, but we should keep moving. The house has to be around her somewhere.” The lie tasted bitter in Clara’s mouth. 

They had walked almost the entire way to the edge of the village, and despite slightly rolling hills, there were no abandoned houses in sight. So why had Bones lied? It wasn’t common for a military captain to be dishonest. 

Thump. Thump. Thump, followed by the soft padding of Clara’s own feet. A bead of sweat trickled down her neck even though the air had a definite chill to it. 

And the drifting song again. It floated gracefully up over the hills, never losing intensity or volume despite the long distance. Titus heard it too, and he began to start towards the village. Clara grabbed his hand to stop him. 

“It sounds like someone I used to know,” he mumbled vaguely. 

Clara wondered for a moment if he heard Marlene’s voice in the song somehow, but she pushed the thought away. 

The sound grew louder and more insistent. 

It was like it latched onto part of Clara’s mind like a hook, pulling her in like a fish. Something clicked inside of her and the eerie melody had taken its hold. Clara dropped Titus’s hand and began a slow walk towards the village. 

The song had words, but they seemed to be sung with such an accent that they were indecipherable. The lilting of the tune pulled at Clara, tugging her closer and closer. It threatened to spill her very secrets, encouraging her to tell her story from start to end with no hesitation. 

“Clara?” the voice was drowned out in the sea of the music. She ignored it, continuing towards the village. 

She lost track of time, of place, and of herself as she made her way down the hill and over the fence, onto the cobblestone of the village roads. She had only one thought on her mind - the music. She was lost in the beat, the music pulling her along. 

Someone was trailing behind her, calling the word “Clara!” over and over again, becoming louder and more panicked each time. She wanted to tell the voice to shut up, it was interrupting the song and ruining the blissful magic. She wove through the alleyways like she had lived there her entire life. 

She didn’t notice the people at her side, most of them looking like her in age and in size. 

She didn’t notice the soldiers dressed in a navy blue, gathered in the middle of the town square with a cage in the middle. 

The others were forming a line and she joined them. Slowly, they moved forward. The children at the front told their story and when the soldiers were satisfied, were given a small drink and encouraged to return home. 

“Clara! Clara! Clara!” the voice repeated. She wanted to tell it to be quiet, but the music was too enticing. 

Another voice rang out over the lovely melody. “You’re supposed to be outside the village!” 

“Clara came running in here after we heard music, and I followed her.” 

“You were supposed to stay outside the limits of the song. That’s why I had you searching for a house.” 

“A house that doesn’t exist. She’s in line, just over there.” 

The voices - thankfully - fell silent. But then she felt hands on her shoulders, steering her away from the line and the source of the music. 

“Look at her, she’s just like all of the others. Where did you get a Syren, anyway?” 

There was more silence, and she wanted the music to come back. It felt like someone had stuffed something in her ears to prevent the music from getting through. 

As the silence filled her brain, she realized that she had a name. Clara, that weird word was her and she was it. Clara was her identity. 

Clara sat up with a start, gasping for breath and fuming. Her skin felt like it was burning off of her and she was sick. The pressure from her ears was removed and Titus and Bones stood over her. 

She knew it was unfair, but she lunged at Bones, spitting with anger. “How could you! You used a Syren to attract the children?!” 

Titus grabbed her and held her back. Clara writhed in his grip, but his hands were like steel. She eventually gave up, exhausted limbs falling limp against her sides. He gently let her go, and she sank to the cobblestones. 

“It was our only option, and a decree by the generals,” Bones explained quietly. “The children will all be fine, the Syren did no permanent damage. Besides, the heir isn’t here so we’re moving on.” He seemed embarrassed, which eased Clara’s pent up rage a little bit, but not much. 

She reminded herself that Bones was inexperienced in “war”. He was just obeying direct orders from his superiors. 

That helped a little, but her anger still raged inside of her. 

“How could you?!” she burst when her mind was her own again. 

“I-” Bones began, but she cut him off. 

“What if Baelle had come?” she whispered. “The children would’ve been helpless. I would have been helpless, and probably killed.” 

Bones looked ashamed. Clara realized that he actually did care for her, like the father figure she never had. Her anger once again subsided. “I know you were just following orders, but it could’ve been so much worse.” 

Bones nodded his agreement, though he remained silent. 

“You don’t look so good, Clara,” Titus commented, trying to change the subject. 

“I’m fine,” Clara protested, despite her dizziness. The Syren’s song still echoed around in her mind , and she felt exhausted but didn’t want pity. “I’ll rest when we get out of the village.” 

“I’m so sorry, Clara. There’s a reason that I sent you and Titus looking for the nonexistent house. I knew the song would be powerful,” Bones admitted. 

Clara’s lip quivered. She was angry at the Generals for ever saying that the Syren could be used. It was inhumane to force a Syren to sing, as well as using the song to make children spill the truth. She was tired too, her eyes felt like they could close at any minute. 

“Where did you get a Syren?” Titus repeated. 

“Does it matter, soldier?” Bones snapped, before frowning at himself. “I’m sorry, I must head off before I say anything else I’ll regret. Make your way to the edge of the village and as soon as you get there, we’re leaving.” 

“Yes, sir,” Titus replied and Bones marched away, his hands trembling. 

Guilt pooled in Clara’s stomach, but she pushed it away. Her rage burnt away, leaving weariness in her muscles. 

“I should’ve tried harder to keep you with me,” Titus mumbled, rubbing his arms. 

“No, it’s fine,” Clara argued. “No one got hurt.”

Titus gave a small sigh. “This time, at least. We don’t have other methods of searching for an heir, it’s quite likely that Bones will use the same trick again. Just like you said - the children would be defenseless if Baelle were to attack.” 

“What matters is that we’re all alive and unharmed,” Clara told herself more than she told Titus. “We should get going. I don’t want to spend any more time here than I need to.” 

Titus gave a small nod, but Clara could practically see the guilt weighing down on him. Shame welled up in her chest again, but she forced it down again. Titus helped her to her feet and the two began their journey to the edge of the village. 

Night fell, as did the spirits of the soldiers. Some were itching for battle, others longing for home and their families. Clara just wanted a friend. 

Winter grew closer, bringing gray clouds and harsh winds. Clara pulled her cloak tighter around her as soldiers gathered around a blazing campfire. The flickering flames reminded Clara of Titus’s fire magic from the other night, and she felt exhausted and uncomfortable. 

Titus had taken the seat beside Clara, though she didn’t know why. He seemed to radiate warmth, however, and Clara let it slide. 

Bones and a few of the higher up soldiers were laughing merrily not far away. As the night passed onwards, more and more of the soldiers excused themselves to go to bed. Clara spotted Gale and Keenan deep in conversation with a handful of soldiers on the other side of the fire. 

She gave a tired sigh. 

What I would give to be with the others, Clara thought bitterly. She missed them terribly, some more than others. She longed for Newt’s relaxed demeanor and sarcasm. She missed Emmeline’s comforting presence. Coral’s wisdom. Forrest’s silence, but his sword skills too. 

And though she wouldn’t admit it, Clara wanted to hear Beckett’s laugh again. 

He wasn’t like Johnny, and he never would be. Besides, he was royalty - even if he didn’t act like it. But he was still Clara’s friend, and he had helped her back at Coral’s manor. 

The thoughts of her friends only made Clara feel worse. The scratches on her arms were healing quickly, but they still hurt with a dull throb. She was about to excuse herself to get some rest in her new tent (the soldiers had purchased two, one for her and one for Titus) when a disturbance caused the crowd to shift. 

A glowing, white form bounded through the groups of soldiers and halted in front of Clara. It looked to be like a spirit fox, its fur snowy white with the faintest hint of sky blue. The fox almost looked like Beckett, but it had green eyes. In its mouth was a roll of parchment. 

Titus scrambled backwards, nearly falling over from his perch on a log. “What is that?” 

Clara didn’t respond right away. The fox’s eyes held her gaze. They seemed familiar, like she had seen them before but she couldn’t figure out where. 

“I think it’s a Guide,” Clara mumbled, aware of the soldiers watching her. Bones seemed mesmerized, as did Gale and Keenan. She reached out like she was going to pet the fox, almost in a daze. 

The fox backed away, and it spun in a blur of light before reappearing as a … boy? 

He had dark hair and the same green eyes, but he was most definitely dead. He handed Clara the parchment before disappearing with a soft poof. 

“You mean like the one you thought I sent you?” Titus clarified. “I thought those only took the forms of animals. And that was a boy that I saw, right? I wasn’t hallucinating or anything-” 

“They are normally animals,” Clara whispered. Gwen had hammered the stories of Guides into the heads of the Sprite Hunters, but they always appeared as animals according to the older girl. 

“Who sent you a letter?” Bones interjected, striding over to her. 

Clara realled the fox’s familiar eyes. “I … I think the Guide was Emmeline’s. We agreed that we would send letters by Guide.” 

She slowly unrolled the parchment. Emmeline’s cramped handwriting filled the page. 

Dear Clara, 

I hope you are doing well, especially being alone with Titus and all that - which reminds me that I should tell you something. Titus asked me to Write him, and I did. I took Marlene out of his past, so he might be a little confused for a while. And, well, I kind of wanted to Write him to be happy but I figured that would be … wrong.  

As for Newt, Beckett, and I - we’re doing fine, I suppose. Beckett and I are attempting to figure out how to summon a Guide, and if you got this note we’ve obviously succeeded. I miss you terribly, and Beckett is becoming quite insufferable. 

Nothing else is new here, and I’m really bored. Please write back soon. Just … I don’t know. Call for a Guide? Maybe my Guide will return to you, and you can use it to send the letter. 

Stay safe, and tell Titus I said hello. 

Emmeline 

Clara rolled the parchment back into its tight coil, tucking it away before addressing Bones. “It was a letter from Emmeline. She is doing well, and she said hello to Titus. Does anyone have a piece of parchment and a pen?” 

Bones scrambled around, rummaging through his bag until he handed over a pen and piece of parchment. 

Clara scribbled a quick note to Emmeline, rolling the parchment tightly. She was trying to figure out how to summon the Guide again when the boy appeared in front of her. “Thank you,” Clara whispered as she handed him the parchment.

The boy gave a slight nod before shifting into a fox and running off into the woods. Clara felt sad to see him go, and she decided the next time she saw Emmeline she would ask how to summon her own Guide. If they met again… 

No, I will see the others again, Clara decided. She would do everything in her power to live through this. 

The rest of the camp stared at Clara with silent awe. She excused herself, heat rising in her cheeks, and ran to her newly assembled tent. 

Clara’s tent was tiny, barely big enough for her. She covered herself up with her blanket, glad for the time alone. The Syren’s song still purred through her mind, sending her into a deep sleep. 

“Clara!” the voice echoed through her head. Clara groaned, wondering how long she had slept. An hour? Two? She felt like she had just closed her eyes. “Clara!” Wow, the voice was really insistent. 

And then Clara felt two strong hands grab her by the arms. She yelped in shock struggling as she was dragged out of the tent. Her fingers grazed her dagger and she latched on, slicing a small cut in her finger. She quickly whipped around, sliding the dagger into her boot before the arms could notice. 

Strong arms threw her to the ground with such force it knocked the air from her lungs. Clara struggled to sit up, but the arms grabbed her again and spun her around. 

A soldier with a silver uniform and a large, bulbous nose glared at her with beady eyes. His teeth were ugly and broken, and his smile was something that would’ve sent children flocking for cover. 

Clara tried not to let her fear show, but the devilish grin made her tremble. Baelle had found her after all, and the soldiers wouldn’t let her get away so easily this time. 

“Has anyone found the girl yet?” another voice called from not far away. 

The soldier holding Clara - who she decided to call Nosy - made a gruff sound that sounded like a yes. 

A figure stepped around the tents and Clara groaned inwardly. It was the same woman who had worked with the lion faced soldiers back at Coral’s manor. What was her name, Eris? No, Uris. 

The woman’s short hair seemed to be slightly longer, the look in her eyes a little wilder. She practically beamed when she saw Clara in the hands of the soldier. 

“Great job, soldier,” Uris praised. “You’ve finally done something good with your pathetic life.” If Nosy seemed offended, he didn’t show it. Instead, his face lit up and his smile grew bigger, revealing more missing teeth. “I’ve missed you, Clara dear.” 

Clara spat at Uris’s feet. 

Uris raised her hand as if to slap Clara, but then seemed to think better of it. “I can handle it from here,” she insisted. Nosy reluctantly let Clara go and the girl dropped to the ground. 

The demigoddess hoisted her up, grabbing her by her injured shoulder. A wave of pain washed over Clara but she bit her tongue in an attempt not to scream. Uris grinned malevolently. 

“You made a huge mistake letting me go back in Nelith,” Uris bragged. “And now you’re going to pay.”

Author's Note

I'm still trying to figure out how much action belongs in each capter. With the dual narration, I have to fit more into each one in order for the story not to be super long.