Free Falling Ashes by Kate Bloomfield Page A

Stepping away from the edge, I ran as fast as I could. The end was in sight. I hoped that there would be a way down. A dumpster, a cart – anything.
    I made it to the end of the row and skidded to a halt before I toppled over the edge. Looking down, I saw nothing but hard stone below - not even a ladder to climb down. I was cornered.
    Spinning around, I saw the thin man who had climbed through the Greenwood’s bathroom window slipping and sliding his way towards me. He was not as agile as I had been. Perhaps being shoeless had benefitted me, rather than hindered my progress.  His wide, heavy boots had no grip on the layered tiles.
    Despite his clumsiness, I was stuck two stories high with no way down. He would catch me within a matter of seconds, and if I jumped, I would surely break something.
    I looked around for something, anything, to aid me in my escape, igniting my hands at the same time. I knew the fire would act as a signal to the other guards, but it was my only defense.
    ‘Stay back!’ I warned as the thin man drew closer. He slowed to a jog as he approached, stopping mere meters from me. ‘Come any closer, and I’ll burn you to a crisp.’
    ‘Don’t do anything silly now. It’ll only get you into more trouble,’ he said, raising a hand. ‘Why don’t you step away from that ledge?’ He took a step closer.
    ‘I said stay back!’
    I looked over my shoulder at the teetering edge behind me. The other guards had caught up and were loitering in the street below, like alligators in a swamp, waiting to be fed. I was the meat that hung on a hook above their heads.
    There was nowhere to go. I couldn’t go down, forward, or back where I had come from.
    At that moment, a shadow passed over, blocking the moonlight and throwing us into darkness. The thin man looked around for the source, but nothing could be found, and no clouds were in the sky. He dismissed it as a trick of the night and focused his attention on me, but I knew better. The temporary darkness had been a signal.
    ‘Sorry,’ I said to the thin man. ‘I really have to go now.’
    ‘And how do you plan on doing that?’ He could barely hide the sneer on his sunken face.
    I took a step backwards so my heels were teetering over the edge, as if I were a diver preparing for a spectacular back-flip into a pool.
    ‘You’ll break your neck, kid,’ he said, his oversized adam’s apple bobbing noticeably as he gulped. ‘Not that it makes much difference to me. If you jump, it’ll be much easier to take you in.’
    I put my hand to my forehead in a sarcastic salute and allowed myself to fall backwards from the roof. The air rushed past me, and all sound ebbed away for the split second I was falling. Something large and furry swooped beneath me, catching me in mid-fall. I clung to the long, white fur as we leapt into the air, taking flight immediately, leaving the stunned guards on the ground below.
    I whooped and cheered with delight, throwing my leg over Hawthorne’s back and raising my arms in the air. The wind whipped through my damp hair, drying it quickly. This really was an excellent example of how in-tune Hawthorne was to my needs. He was the Yin to my Yang, and my gratitude did not need to be expressed for I knew he could feel it emanating from my very being.
    It was time to leave Scyre, but I still had nowhere to go. Staying at an Inn or lodge was out of the question for I had no coin, and was sure to be recognised. The Realm had made it very hard for me to go anywhere unnoticed.
    But then it occurred to me: Ræven. I could go to Ræven’s home in Frost Arch – she would take me in and look after me. I did not like the idea of going back there, but what choice did I have? I needed somewhere to stay.
    ‘Let’s go to Frost Arch,’ I called to Hawthorne, who looked over his shoulder wearily. ‘We’ll visit R æven!’
    Reluctantly, Hawthorne changed his direction, heading North.
    I was extremely tired, and the cold wind against my