Having fallen asleep, she was woken the next morning when she was nudged by the Grim Paragon. “Wake up, demon-blood.” When she blinked, tired, and looked up at him, he nodded. “We talked to the Aumakuas. They told us to deliver you to them and that they would tell Hina of you.”
Ailys nodded and got up. “Thank you. Will we fly now?”
”Yes. Same formation as in the night.” The Grim flew up and Ailys followed him, finding herself surrounded again, but this time, her guards were a female Windgill and two Lavamancer Paragon. Obviously, the Grim was the only one who was still awake after the night shift. She was glad for this, it was easier to deal with him again than with someone new.
It was, as Ailys learned, not that far until the island of Hina’s tribe. The Grim pointed it out when it got into sight. It was a fairly large island, most of it grassy and flat, with a beach made of fine sand. There was a forest on it, too, but it was rather small compared to the forests of the islands Ailys has stayed on so far. She could see the settlement clearly as soon as they got nearer; there appeared to be around eighty nests and from Hina’s tales she knew there were a few hatchlings as well, probably meaning Hina’s tribe had around hundred members. It seemed so small to Ailys, who had lived in the big cities with thousands of people, but in a good way. She hated and feared crowds.
She quickly saw where they would land – the whole Aumakua tribe seemed to have come together and everyone was forming a rather large circle. Ailys quickly looked around and saw Hina standing next to two Primal Paragon, probably her father and uncle. She searched for Hina’s emotions, but couldn’t clearly make them out in the mass of feelings washing up to her senses from all the Paragon below. Some were scared, some curious, but there was a great deal of resentment throughout.
The eyes of everyone were upon her when they landed, but the second Ailys touched the ground, Hina ran up to her. “Ailys! Are you alright?” Ailys found herself hugged and could do nothing more than return the embrace.
”I am fine...I am sorry for worrying you.” What else could she say after leaving Hina behind? Ailys felt terrible and guilty, yet she could sense no anger from Hina, which confused her – until it flared up, but it wasn’t directed at her.
”Why did you search the islands in our region?” she demanded to know from the Grim.
”Pardon me?” The Grim looked at Hina. “We didn’t, we would never. We found the demon while she was flying towards the shore, close to the rocks near the southern sandbank.”
Hina’s gaze returned to Ailys and the Halfling could feel her confusion, then disbelief, anger and hurt. “You left? You just...left in the middle of the night?!” Hina could feel her heart break. She had been so worried when she had heard about Ailys being captured and had felt nothing but anger towards the other clan overstepping their border, just to learn they hadn’t... and that Ailys, her Ailys, her best friend, had left her. She shook her head. “No... but yet, it is something you would do, wouldn’t you?”
”I’m sorry!” Ailys looked up. “I... I thought it was for the best! I didn’t want to burden you and I knew you would have tried to stop me with whatever means you had if I had waited any longer...!”
”Silence!” one of the Primals roared then. Hina and Ailys both jumped and turned towards him, but he was nodding at Ailys’ guards. “Thank you for bringing her here. We will deal with her now. Send your chief my thanks for his cooperation in this matter.” He waited until the guards had nodded and taken flight, leaving Ailys and Hina in the middle of the circle. “Hina. You will tell us now who this person is, why you know her and what you know of her intentions.”
Hina drew a shaky breath. She couldn’t cry right now, couldn’t yell at Ailys. Right now, she had to follow her uncle’s orders. This was the crucial moment, she had this one chance to convince her tribe to take Ailys in. Inwardly, she smiled wryly. This would still be easier than convincing Ailys to stay... as her friend had just proven. But for now, the tribe had to know.
Ailys watched as, slowly at first, but then getting more fluent, Hina started to talk. How she had found Ailys, what Ailys was, then how she had hidden her on the island with the waterfall. Hina’s eyes never left her uncle, but Ailys felt how she was talking to the whole tribe. Hina also talked how important she, Ailys, was to her and Ailys felt tears in her eyes again. She had betrayed the only one caring about her so badly... yet she wasn’t sure if she really regretted what she had done, even though the guilt was right there, in the middle of her heart.
”...I had planned on talking to you about this. I wanted Ailys to become a part of the clan and I still want that.” Hina heard her own pulse racing. She was used to talk in front of the people, but never had something been so important. “Ailys might be different from us, but she is not evil. It is not her fault she is what she was born as.”
There was silence for a moment and Ailys tracked the emotions of the clan. Most were wary now, but it was clear they believed Hina a great deal. “You, Ailys”, the other Primal then said, “My daughter just spoke for you and is ready to vouch for you. Yet from what I heard earlier, you have hurt her. Is that true?”
Ailys needed a moment to find her voice. “Yes, I have. Hina told me she would do everything in her might to hold me here and I wanted to prevent that. I never wanted to hurt her, but I knew I would leave eventually, so it was not something I feel I could have prevented anyway. I thought... that leaving now, when she wasn’t expecting it, would be the best for us both.”
”So you do, contrary to my daughter’s wish, not want to become a part of this tribe”, Hina’s father continued to ask.
Ailys glanced at Hina, who looked at her pleadingly. She was too scared to read her emotions right now. “I... I don’t feel I deserve it”, Ailys slowly answered. “I don’t feel like I belong here and that I would only cause trouble. I can’t be sure I’m not followed by my hunters from the mainland and, as Hina said, I’m different from you all. I have never been really part of society and know not much of its ways and I sometimes misjudge my own demon-strength. So, in the end, I feel like I would only be a burden. A dangerous burden.”