The girl had her hands on her knees, she had stopped to catch her breath. She was a lot faster than Arlo had expected. His eyes were searching through the trees. They were almost out of the wood, at least he thought they were. Everything looked different from the ground. But he didn’t dare fly. He was sure Caedmon was already hunting them, if he hadn’t already found them.

“Okay, time to go.” He grabbed the girls arm and pulled her along.

She didn’t contend and brought herself back to standing as they began running again. He watched her movements as she ran along next to him. She was far more graceful than he had heard humans were, he wondered if that was the magic inside of her or not.

They had been running for hours, with no sighting of Caedmon. The afternoon sun was beating down on them now. It was hot on Arlo’s translucent skin. Inside the realm the sun was never this hot against their skin. The realm’s barrier prevented it. But now, outside of it’s protective shield Arlo was sweating and stinging underneath the sun’s hot rays.

“Can we stop for a moment?” The girl begged as she strayed behind Arlo.

Arlo slowed to a stop. “Only for a moment.” He knew better than to feel a false sense of safety. He knew Caedmon was near, just waiting for an opportune moment to attack them. And when they were stopped he would have the most opportune of moments. Arlo scanned the trees once again in vein. He knew he wouldn’t see Caed until it was too late. He had never once been able to find Caedmon when he hadn’t want to be found.

And it was too late, before Arlo could react an arrow came flying at the girl. It ricocheted off the protective barrier he had placed on her, nicking the tree next to them. The girl screamed and dropped to her knees.

“Get up!” Arlo yelled grabbing her and flinging her underneath his arm as he took off on wings at top speed. He could hear the fluttering of wings behind him, but he didn’t dare look back. He continued racing forward. Suddenly Caedmon dropped from above him, tackling him down to the ground, Arlo held onto the girl as tight as he could to prevent her from falling at this height. They tumbled to the ground Arlo skidding to a stop ahead of Caed. He scrambled to his feet again the girl in tow and began running again, but Caed was on them before they could make a break for it. His arrow now pointing directly at Arlo, knowing full well that if Arlo died his protective barrier would disintegrate along with him.

“Don’t move.” Caedmon said.

“Caed...” Arlo whispered out, his eyes meeting the bright green ones of the hunter before him. “Please.” The girl was hidden behind Arlo, a whimper catching in her throat. “She doesn’t deserve this.”

“We don’t get to make that decision.” Caed kept his arrow pointed at Arlo.

“Caed...” Arlo breathed out, trying his best to lower his heart rate. He stared at Caedmon, trying to pierce into him.

“Don’t!” Caed warned tightening his bow.

Arlo kept his gaze, staring more intently into Caedmon’s eyes. “It’s okay,” he whispered, reaching out towards Caed’s arrow. “It’s okay...”

Caed shook his head and tightened his arrow once again. “Stop it.” His voice was sharp but strained and Arlo could tell he could break him.

“It’s okay...” he whispered again, his eyes boring into Caed now. Caed’s grip on his arrow weakened only slightly, giving Arlo the opportunity to raise his hand and push it down more. “Caedmon...” he whispered. 

Caed’s pupils dilated and Arlo knew he had him. “Go to sleep.” He commanded.

Caed’s body slumped to the ground and Arlo caught him and leaned him against the tree nearest him.

“Is he dead?” The girl asked finally peaking out from behind Arlo.

“No, he’ll wake up in a few hours if we’re lucky... then he’ll continue hunting us. We best put some distance between us and him.”

The girl nodded and began running again, Arlo behind her, leaving the other faery slumped against a tree.

Arlo had broken many oaths he had sworn to this day, but the promise he had made to his once best friend centuries ago was ringing in his ears now.

They finally made it out of the forest and into the outskirts of farmland. Arlo folded his wings inside his cloak to hide them from any wandering passerby.

“Come, we need to reach the next wood before nightfall.” Arlo said pulling his hood over his golden hair.

“Why is that other one hunting us?” The girl asked.

“That’s what he does. He’s tasked with hunting us. And he won’t stop until he finishes his task.”

“Is he evil?” The girl asked.

Arlo stopped and stared down at the girl. Her dark brown hair was wild all around her and in the sunlight her dark brown eyes glittered with golden and purple. “No, he’s not evil. He’s doing what he believes he has to do.”

“Why did they want to kill me?” The girl asked taking a step further into the farm fields.

“They’re scared of people like you. You have magic, and as a human there is only one way to have magic.”

The girl stared at him for another moment. “My name is Rowan.” She said before continuing forward. Arlo looked back towards the forest, deep in the wood was the realm that he had called home for almost 800 years, he now wondered for the first time if he would ever see that home again. He took a deep breath before turning and continuing forward.