People of Fae

by M.M. Gavillet

Lyssa woke to see a gray sky that opened up past a darkened frame of jagged edges. Her body wasn’t numb, but ached all over to the point she felt like crying. Instead, she pushed herself up to see she was surrounded by jagged rocks of black and dark greys. The air was cool, and a small fire was slowly burning beside her. Looking around, she realized she was in a cave.

  A long, thick coat covered her that she pushed aside and tried to get up, but the pain overtook her. She let out a whence as she sat back down.

  “Don’t get up. I don’t know how Sleather Vine poison works on Fae.” A tall, shadowy figure suddenly stood at the mouth of the cave and came towards her. “Here drink this.”

  Lyssa didn’t have a choice as a large hand cradled the back of her head and liquid was forced down her throat. She drank the sweet liquid until it was all gone.

  “Who are you?” She asked not staying awake long enough to hear a reply.

  Something wet rubbed across Lyssa cheek. It did it again and again several times until she managed to open her eyes to a bright light. This time, softness surrounded her and warmth rather than the hardness of rocks.

  Lyssa focused her eyes to see what she thought looked like a dog in front of her. Its large eyes were round and its face encircled with a soft mane of black fur. Its nose was stubbed and flat and almost reminded Lyssa of a lion.

  Her body didn’t ache anymore, but she felt weak and slowly flipped her legs over the side of the bed. Lyssa looked around at the red walls that looked like stone. As she studied the room, she realized it was rounded and looked like it had been hand carved out of stone. A small window let in a single stream of light. The room was simple with only a nightstand and a rug of many colors on the floor.

  The dog-lion creature gave a small yelp that sounded more like an alert to whoever was outside the door.

  Lyssa heard footsteps come closer to the door as it slowly opened. Smiling at her was a woman with dark, straight hair and tanned skin. She was dressed in long pants and boots that went past her knee and a tunic like shirt with a soft looking shirt under it that covered her arms.

  “My name is Elsa and you are safe here. How are you feeling?” She asked looking at Lyssa hands that were bound in white blood soaked bandages.

  “Fine,” Lyssa numbly replied.

  “Well, I don’t believe that. You need to rest as you had a pretty good dose of Sleather Vine poison,” Elsa said, smiling as wrinkles formed around her gentle eyes.

  “Where am I anyhow? I have to find Zoey and my father.” Lyssa protested as the woman smiled at her.

  Gently she covered Lyssa back up, and stroked her hair back just as Zoey would have.

  “I will tell you are in Iethia, and my son found you.” Lyssa wanted to ask more questions but sleep took over her.

  Lyssa woke to the sound of hushed voices discussing something in a quick manner that sounded like they should have been yelling. The dog creature was on the floor curled into a ball sleeping. Lyssa carefully tiptoed towards the door.

  “I can’t follow the orders. I just can’t do it,” a male voice, soft and strong said followed by silence.

  “No one has to know,” It was Elsa who replied back.

  Suddenly, from behind Lyssa came a loud bark. She turned to see the furry creature looking up at her with its large eyes. Lyssa couldn’t help but to smile down at it before the door swung open.

  Lyssa, startled, stepped back wrapping her arms around her chest.

  “I’m sorry…I didn’t mean to…” Lyssa peered at the boy in front of her.

  His blue grey eyes stared steadily at her and even when she looked away for only a moment she still felt their embrace on her. His tall, broad stature looked like he could bend steel with his bare hands, and by the way he gazed at Lyssa, maybe even with his eyes. The only thing that looked gentle enough to touch was his slightly wavy hair as black as a winter night sky that curved around his sharp-angled face.

  “Eavesdrop?” He implied.

  “I am sorry, Lyssa. My son here needs to show a few manners.” Elsa skidded past the boy who looked at Lyssa one last time over his broad shoulder before leaving the room.

  “Feeling better? You look better,” Elsa said, opening a wood wardrobe that nearly went all the way to the ceiling. “Here, I hope these fit you.”

  Elsa handed Lyssa a pair of wool-like pants charcoal in color, and a silky, black tunic shirt with a belt hanging from its loops.

  “Change into those and come out the door when you are done,” Elsa said, with a smile as the door clicked shut behind her.

  Lyssa changed, and looked down at her still bound hands. Slowly, she removed the bandages to see tiny white dots barely noticeable unless you looked for them. Her mark still flickered back at her unbothered by the poisonous vine she had clutched onto.

  “Oh, good the clothes fit. I’m glad, because I am no seamstress,” Elsa said, pouring steaming water out of a copper kettle into three black handless cups.

  Lyssa looked at the curving red-orange colored walls that seemed to look like the whole house was carved out rock. A table sat in the middle of the room with an arched fireplace off to the side. A large door and two windows with distorted looking glass let in diffused light from the bright outside. The boy that was Elsa’s son was gone.

  “Come and eat.” Elsa’s voice was welcoming.

  “Thank you for everything, but I really need to go and find my family,” Lyssa said as Elsa placed a bowl of what looked like oatmeal in front of her.

  “Not alone with the Everspell in you and the Muses who are feverously after you,” Elsa said without even looking at Lyssa.

  “How…” Lyssa sat with gaping mouth. “How do you know that?”

  “I am a Seeress and I saw you coming and I know who you are Lyssa Cleverthorn of Briarwood from the Etherworld.”