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Chapter 19:- No choice
The next morning, Amy woke much warmer than she had been in months. Sleeping in a building was some kind of different, she decided. She had forgotten the comfort it afforded.
She rolled over, stretching as she sat up. It was nice to throw off the covers and not have to throw her coat on immediately for fear of freezing. Her eyes flicked to the dagger on the table beside her bed. Definitely not coming with her.
Niki was waiting outside the door, rolling a glass ball across the floor between her hands. Amy noticed that the ball had a dragon shape in it.
"Blown glass?"
Niki looked up. She was incredibly beautiful, Amy noticed. Her skin was warm and glowing, illuminating her long blonde hair and misted gray eyes.
"Da." She picked the ball up and stood, standing at Amy's height, slender and graceful. She held the glass up, rotating it in her hands. Amy could see the small dragon within. It must have been crafted with care to get such details.
"You're Niki, right?"
She nodded, speaking in her thick Russian accent, "I am to provide you with breakfast and give you..." she frowned, grasping for a word, "supplies."
"All right. Let me get my coat and boots."
Once ready, Amy followed Niki down a flight of stairs to a kitchen. A real kitchen, with basins and stoves. Oh, it was without a doubt not from any of the most recent centuries, but it had pots and pans and plates and utensils.
There was also a difference in food. Though it was meat, as the tunnels had, it had more flavors and was softer.
"I am sorry, but everyone has left. Helen is worried about you being here," Niki said, watching Amy eating with gusto.
Amy understood, truly, she did. It wore on her, but she couldn't say they were over-reacting. They weren't.
As Amy ate, Niki started throwing some things into a shoulder bag. Amy could not see what it was, entirely, but she was sure she saw some dried meat. Amazing how she had not tired of meat after all these months. Amy frowned. Would there ever be anything other than meat? Probably not, with the snow as permanent as it was.
Niki dropped the bag into her arms when Amy had finished eating.
"There is jerked venison and rabbit, and some dried roots I do not know the name of. There is also a shepherd's sling, so you can hunt birds if you can use it."
"Wow, she told you to give me all of this."
"Not exactly, but..." Niki twirled a lock of her hair around her finger, and dropped onto the bench beside Amy. "I do not like Silene, and I am afraid of what will happen to you. She is not kind and will kill you if she finds out you know her secret."
Amy and Micah had not told Helen about Silene being a changed dragon, but Micah could have told her, perhaps.
"You know?" Amy said it with hesitance, in case Niki did not know.
"Yes, I knew the day I changed."
"Wait, what? Why didn't you tell anyone?"
Niki frowned her pretty face into a crinkled knot. "Silene said she would kill everyone in the tunnels if I told anyone. I had wandered too far out into the fields and saw her change back into human. I ran away as fast as I could, but she caught up to me. Lucky for me, Helen and Reed came over the hill so she told me to go away, and if I said anything, she would kill everyone. I never said anything until today."
"She told everyone Helen captured you, and forced you to change!"
"That is a lie. It is true that I had to change when I came here, but I did not mind so much. I was tired of living in the cold, and she was so frightening. It was worth it. I am not afraid of her anymore!" Niki rested her hand over Amy's, "I understand why you are afraid to go back. I would not, either."
Amy felt afraid of what would happen if Silene ever found out she knew... And shivered, praying that day never came.
Micah met them outside, his eyes scanning the hills. He looked stern and focused, and Amy was glad he was on her side.
"Be safe, Amy." Niki hugged her, whispering, "I look forward to the day you come back here to stay."
Amy smiled, aware that she did not dread that day as much as she had before. She turned to Micah, "I'm ready."
"You'll have to get to Robert's on your own, I'm afraid. Helen is angry with me for bringing you here, so I have some duties to attend to. But you'll be all right, since Silene is bound to be gone until tomorrow anyway."
"Who even knows where she is, though..." Amy felt ill at the thought of being alone out in the snow, but smiled at Micah, trying to be strong.
He hugged her tight, "Go straight there. Robert is going to meet you at the base of the mountains."
Amy nodded, and whirled on the heel of her boot. She had to leave now, or never leave at all.
So she ran.
She ran until the cathedral was completely out of sight, and only then did she slow to a walk. The day was extra cold, and the snow that was beginning to fall was more slush than fluff. Amy was soon damp, and shivering.
Then a huge shadow covered her in passing, causing her to whip her head up towards the sky. It was a dragon, flying above her, beginning to circle down. And to Amy's horror, she realized it was Silene. And due to the thick snow, and overcast sky, Amy must have been rendered invisible. Silene was going to land right in front of her!
Looking around her quickly, Amy realized she was near a small outcrop of rocks, so she dashed to hide among them. But she didn't make it.
Silene landed with a ground shaking crash, sending Amy into a forwards roll. And though she scrabbled to her feet and continued her racing to the boulders, she felt the wind change directions, as if being sucked in towards Silene.
But Amy had made it to the rocks, and was tucking herself in between them, when she heard Silene call out.
"Amy!"
Her heart was racing and working so hard, she feared it would explode.
"Amy, I saw you! I know you're there! I know you saw me!"
What could Amy do! There had to be something! Anything! She did not want to die!
"I'm sorry this had to happen, Amy."
Silene sounded a lot closer this time.
"I'll make it quick, if you'll just come out. Don't make me tear those rocks apart to get you!"
The rushing of air meant Silene had changed again. It meant Amy's time was almost gone. Hot tears filled her eyes, and Amy began to rifle through her bag for the slingshot. But it was too small, she knew. It could do nothing against Silene's thick scales! Amy looked around, desperate for anything to help her, and saw something in the snow back the way she had come.
Had something fallen out of her bag? Or her pockets? She could see it glint as light reflected off some shiny part of it.
Amy steeled herself. If it was an object of no help, she would die sooner. If it was of use, she might have a chance. And if she stayed here, she would die anyway.
So she darted from the rocks towards the thing in the snow, sliding on her knees in front of it, and scooping it up in her hands. Her jaw dropped. She couldn't believe it. It was impossible for it to be here. After all, she had left it sitting on the table beside her bed at the cathedral.
It was the blue opal dagger.
And Amy knew what she had to do. Silene was now arched and hissing at her from a few hundred feet away. The horrible smell of ash and tar permeated the air, and the red wings quivered and flapped in anticipation. Oh yes, Silene was very familiar with this side of herself, there could be no doubt. Just as Amy could not doubt her course.
Amy slid the leather cover off the tiny dagger. Four inches long, at most, it looked too innocent do any kind of damage. But the edge was not to be trifled with.
The hissing turned guttural, and Amy turned with a snap at the sound. Silene was speaking.
"What, you aren't going to run, Amy?"
I am not afraid, Amy told herself.
"Do you have something there? A weapon? I have skin thicker than the most durable of chain mail!"
I am not afraid!
Silene shot out, flying toward Amy as she knelt in the snow.
I am terrified!
And Amy plunged the dagger into her left wrist.
The next morning, Amy woke much warmer than she had been in months. Sleeping in a building was some kind of different, she decided. She had forgotten the comfort it afforded.
She rolled over, stretching as she sat up. It was nice to throw off the covers and not have to throw her coat on immediately for fear of freezing. Her eyes flicked to the dagger on the table beside her bed. Definitely not coming with her.
Niki was waiting outside the door, rolling a glass ball across the floor between her hands. Amy noticed that the ball had a dragon shape in it.
"Blown glass?"
Niki looked up. She was incredibly beautiful, Amy noticed. Her skin was warm and glowing, illuminating her long blonde hair and misted gray eyes.
"Da." She picked the ball up and stood, standing at Amy's height, slender and graceful. She held the glass up, rotating it in her hands. Amy could see the small dragon within. It must have been crafted with care to get such details.
"You're Niki, right?"
She nodded, speaking in her thick Russian accent, "I am to provide you with breakfast and give you..." she frowned, grasping for a word, "supplies."
"All right. Let me get my coat and boots."
Once ready, Amy followed Niki down a flight of stairs to a kitchen. A real kitchen, with basins and stoves. Oh, it was without a doubt not from any of the most recent centuries, but it had pots and pans and plates and utensils.
There was also a difference in food. Though it was meat, as the tunnels had, it had more flavors and was softer.
"I am sorry, but everyone has left. Helen is worried about you being here," Niki said, watching Amy eating with gusto.
Amy understood, truly, she did. It wore on her, but she couldn't say they were over-reacting. They weren't.
As Amy ate, Niki started throwing some things into a shoulder bag. Amy could not see what it was, entirely, but she was sure she saw some dried meat. Amazing how she had not tired of meat after all these months. Amy frowned. Would there ever be anything other than meat? Probably not, with the snow as permanent as it was.
Niki dropped the bag into her arms when Amy had finished eating.
"There is jerked venison and rabbit, and some dried roots I do not know the name of. There is also a shepherd's sling, so you can hunt birds if you can use it."
"Wow, she told you to give me all of this."
"Not exactly, but..." Niki twirled a lock of her hair around her finger, and dropped onto the bench beside Amy. "I do not like Silene, and I am afraid of what will happen to you. She is not kind and will kill you if she finds out you know her secret."
Amy and Micah had not told Helen about Silene being a changed dragon, but Micah could have told her, perhaps.
"You know?" Amy said it with hesitance, in case Niki did not know.
"Yes, I knew the day I changed."
"Wait, what? Why didn't you tell anyone?"
Niki frowned her pretty face into a crinkled knot. "Silene said she would kill everyone in the tunnels if I told anyone. I had wandered too far out into the fields and saw her change back into human. I ran away as fast as I could, but she caught up to me. Lucky for me, Helen and Reed came over the hill so she told me to go away, and if I said anything, she would kill everyone. I never said anything until today."
"She told everyone Helen captured you, and forced you to change!"
"That is a lie. It is true that I had to change when I came here, but I did not mind so much. I was tired of living in the cold, and she was so frightening. It was worth it. I am not afraid of her anymore!" Niki rested her hand over Amy's, "I understand why you are afraid to go back. I would not, either."
Amy felt afraid of what would happen if Silene ever found out she knew... And shivered, praying that day never came.
Micah met them outside, his eyes scanning the hills. He looked stern and focused, and Amy was glad he was on her side.
"Be safe, Amy." Niki hugged her, whispering, "I look forward to the day you come back here to stay."
Amy smiled, aware that she did not dread that day as much as she had before. She turned to Micah, "I'm ready."
"You'll have to get to Robert's on your own, I'm afraid. Helen is angry with me for bringing you here, so I have some duties to attend to. But you'll be all right, since Silene is bound to be gone until tomorrow anyway."
"Who even knows where she is, though..." Amy felt ill at the thought of being alone out in the snow, but smiled at Micah, trying to be strong.
He hugged her tight, "Go straight there. Robert is going to meet you at the base of the mountains."
Amy nodded, and whirled on the heel of her boot. She had to leave now, or never leave at all.
So she ran.
She ran until the cathedral was completely out of sight, and only then did she slow to a walk. The day was extra cold, and the snow that was beginning to fall was more slush than fluff. Amy was soon damp, and shivering.
Then a huge shadow covered her in passing, causing her to whip her head up towards the sky. It was a dragon, flying above her, beginning to circle down. And to Amy's horror, she realized it was Silene. And due to the thick snow, and overcast sky, Amy must have been rendered invisible. Silene was going to land right in front of her!
Looking around her quickly, Amy realized she was near a small outcrop of rocks, so she dashed to hide among them. But she didn't make it.
Silene landed with a ground shaking crash, sending Amy into a forwards roll. And though she scrabbled to her feet and continued her racing to the boulders, she felt the wind change directions, as if being sucked in towards Silene.
But Amy had made it to the rocks, and was tucking herself in between them, when she heard Silene call out.
"Amy!"
Her heart was racing and working so hard, she feared it would explode.
"Amy, I saw you! I know you're there! I know you saw me!"
What could Amy do! There had to be something! Anything! She did not want to die!
"I'm sorry this had to happen, Amy."
Silene sounded a lot closer this time.
"I'll make it quick, if you'll just come out. Don't make me tear those rocks apart to get you!"
The rushing of air meant Silene had changed again. It meant Amy's time was almost gone. Hot tears filled her eyes, and Amy began to rifle through her bag for the slingshot. But it was too small, she knew. It could do nothing against Silene's thick scales! Amy looked around, desperate for anything to help her, and saw something in the snow back the way she had come.
Had something fallen out of her bag? Or her pockets? She could see it glint as light reflected off some shiny part of it.
Amy steeled herself. If it was an object of no help, she would die sooner. If it was of use, she might have a chance. And if she stayed here, she would die anyway.
So she darted from the rocks towards the thing in the snow, sliding on her knees in front of it, and scooping it up in her hands. Her jaw dropped. She couldn't believe it. It was impossible for it to be here. After all, she had left it sitting on the table beside her bed at the cathedral.
It was the blue opal dagger.
And Amy knew what she had to do. Silene was now arched and hissing at her from a few hundred feet away. The horrible smell of ash and tar permeated the air, and the red wings quivered and flapped in anticipation. Oh yes, Silene was very familiar with this side of herself, there could be no doubt. Just as Amy could not doubt her course.
Amy slid the leather cover off the tiny dagger. Four inches long, at most, it looked too innocent do any kind of damage. But the edge was not to be trifled with.
The hissing turned guttural, and Amy turned with a snap at the sound. Silene was speaking.
"What, you aren't going to run, Amy?"
I am not afraid, Amy told herself.
"Do you have something there? A weapon? I have skin thicker than the most durable of chain mail!"
I am not afraid!
Silene shot out, flying toward Amy as she knelt in the snow.
I am terrified!
And Amy plunged the dagger into her left wrist.
