The Real Folktale Blues (Beyond Ever After #1)

by Random Jordan

  Gnomes seemed to flutter around me and each time my eyes opened and closed I could see Ashe slowly running closer and closer to me. It all kind of felt like a dream, especially when her voice rung through my head and her face appeared right in front of my eyes after I opened them again.

  “Hang on Gnidori, please.” I heard her say as she squeezed on one of my hands. I lifted a hand slowly toward her puffy cheeks and shimmering dimples but her face seemed to get further away until finally my arm was just too much to lift and it fell again.

  “Gnidori, you’ll be okay. I promise.” She whispered to me as my eyes closed again and felt the splash of rain against me. The Darkness was so pleasant I just wanted to drift through it, but her voice kept pulling me back. So I opened my eyes again to see the tears from her face dropping toward me.

  She was trying to comfort me even as she cried. I accepted the words and attempted a nod as my eyes closed again.

  “I know.” I yawned in reply. My hand lifted to land on top of Ashe’s hand as it held my other one. I patted it and held her fingers close with all of mine.

  I could still feel the drops of her tears touching my face but it was masked by the warmth of her hand against me.

  She soothed me enough to drift off toward the darkness as I yawned one last time. “It’s just nice to hear you say it.”

  Twenty-Nine

  Seeing Double

  I squeaked out happy stretching sounds while pulling at the sheets I was laying in until I found warm skin next to me. I yanked the warm body to me and nuzzled against the soft flesh before I heard a giggle which forced my eyes open.

  I was staring at Ashe’s chest right up against my face; that explained the softness at least. I had thought I grabbed a warm pillow. My face flushed red as I looked up at her smile through a few strands of my messy hair.

  She was grinning so softly, and her voice rung still like a melody. “Good Afternoon, sleepy head.” She teased.

  I readjusted myself so I was using a normal pillow instead of her, before rasping. “Sorry.”

  “It’s okay.” She replied impossibly quick before pressing her lips together till they turned white then added, “It was actually adorable. And you spent most of the day laying on me anyway.”

  “I did?” My eyes brightened from the sleepiness and I shrunk away from my roommate in embarrassment.

  “It’s okay, really.” She tried comforting me again, before she reached a hand out to pull me back closer to her. She grazed my cheek with hers then sighed contently. I smiled through my embarrassment.

  “What happened?” I finally asked as she settled her head on the same pillow as me. Our hair was practically tangled together in a mix of chocolate and raspberry. I could catch an almost earthy smell like a garden coming from her.

  “I found out I could talk to those elementals too and I got the one I trapped in the cabinet to rally the others with me then came searching for you.” Ashe started to explain while her hand caressed along my arm then settled at my waist comfortably.

  “They attacked that faerie woman but she got away with your cloak still.” She frowned while my mouth fell open a bit.

  “You could talk to the elementals?” I asked, absolutely amazed.

  She nodded, causing her hair to swish against the pillow. “The gnomes anyway. They were nice once I informed them they were just being used till they died. One of them even brushed my hair last night.”

  She giggled nervously and I couldn’t help but smile before saying, “You do know that means you have elemental blood in you? You aren’t just nature-touched like an elf or half-elf.”

  “What does that mean?” She almost looked worried but I grabbed her hand on my waist and held it up to my lips to kiss it.

  “It means what I already knew. You’re special. You probably have some type of earth elemental blood in you. It just means you are a part of nature. Have you ever talked to flowers or trees too?” I continued while laying our hands between each other.

  “Well… yeah. In your garden, but I thought they were just magic flowers you had.” She averted her eyes downward and my grin grew.

  “No, that was all you. I avoid magic things like that, they tend to just cause problems or draw unwanted attention.”

  “Oh…” She looked back up at me. “So I am half gnome or something?”

  “No, probably one of the higher elementals, like a nymph most likely if you can talk to animals too. Probably from a long line in your blood, nymphs are about as common as elves are with having relations with humans.”

  She nodded again and looked lost in her thoughts. After some silence I finally asked, “You said afternoon? I only slept for a couple of hours?”

  Her eyes refocused and she gave me a half grin. “It’s the next day. If it wasn’t for you stirring and snuggling up to me each time I laid down with you I would have been afraid you fell under the sleeping curse here!” She explained, her eyes filling with amusement toward me.

  “Oh, and you would then have to kiss me awake?” I jested and her face lit with blush, so I prodded on, “My prince! Come to save me!” Then I swooned with my hand to my head and everything. She sat up and pulled a pillow out to hit me with it while I laughed.

  At some point she started laughing too. Probably, when I jumped on top of her and started tickling, after faking that my head injury hurt.

  “No fair!” She cried while squirming to get away from me. I leaned down over her, with my legs straddling her body and kissed her softly. She stopped moving at all.

  When I lifted my face from her, her mouth fell open and she started sputtering some words out. “W-what was that for?”

  I smiled at the corners of my mouth and bit down on my lower lip in thought. “A lot: for being my savior, my medic, my friend, for living and putting up with me, for laughing with me, fighting by my side, and also for being my pillow when I probably needed it most.”

  She laid below me in silence, staring up at me with her mouth only partly open before finally asking, “One kiss means all that?”

  “No,” I shook my head and my smile seemed to just seep up to my eyes. “Every kiss I give you means all that, and a lot more I’m probably not thinking of right now.”

  She shot her upper body up and her hands pulled at my face somewhere between my neck and my cheek as her lips were suddenly against mine with so much passion buzzing from her. I breathed into her kiss and then gave myself to it just as she had done.

  We were both breathing heavy by the time we broke apart, and I could feel Ashe’s heart thumping against my chest as she lifted a hand up to brush my hair out of my face while I just looked at her and my smile slowly grew. I finally said, “You definitely would have woke me with that one.”

  Her face grew crimson before she pushed me playfully away from her. I rolled off of her and to the edge of the bed sticking my tongue out at her as she crushed her lips together again and smiled back at me, clearly embarrassed.

  “Come on,” I sighed, not wanting to leave the bed even though my foot stepped off it. “We should probably get going. I shouldn’t have slept so much.”

  I touched the bandage at my head as I stood up completely from the bed. The wound wasn’t hurting and the bandages were clean, which meant Ashe must have changed them a few times. My eyes fell back to her as I saw her slip from the bed on the other side.

  “Um…” I began, somewhat unsure of what it was I entirely wanted to say. Her cocoa powder hair tossed around as she looked toward me with such an innocent face despite only being in her undergarments. “Do…” I chickened out and finished, “… do you still have her hand?”

  She blinked then her eyes shimmered with brilliance before she darted past me and out the room.

  I heard Goldie yell. “Oh come on! You could at least put clothes on after doing it.”

  My cheeks flushed, I could have only imagined how Ashe felt in that moment. I would have followed her out if it hadn’t been for the shorts I had already started pulling on
.

  Ashe returned a few minutes later when I was fully clothed and pulling my hair up into a ponytail like I always did. She was holding the shriveled hand with a cloth before setting it down on the bed.

  Her eyes fell to me inquisitively as I stepped closer to her and leaned in to give her a peck on the lips while smiling. “You could have at least gotten dressed first. But thanks. It’ll be useful for tracking the exact location we need.”

  She blushed and looked down at herself, before dashing over to her bag and digging through it. She pulled out two outfits and glanced to me as I snatched up the hand on the bed. “Dress or overalls and shirt?”

  “Overalls. Your dress has no pockets for me to fit.”

  “Fit?” She squeaked.

  “Yes, it’s time we met the other Gnidori, and I’m not going to let Goldie carry me around when I’m a fox. Be good to me okay?” I grinned as I touched the doorway leading out of the room.

  “I’m always good to you!” She fumed while I led myself out of the room with a soft laugh.

  “I know…” I whispered to myself as I walked down the hall to be able to set up the spell that would track Nera by her shriveled hand,

  It was maybe an hour before we were all set and heading along the spiny trail being led by a dead hand pointing the way, and a few guffawing gnomes appearing and disappearing around us.

  Ashe and Goldie talked mostly on the way to the tower, sometimes I caught small bits of what they were saying like when Goldie yelled, “How would I know what to do?”

  It frightened me to think of what they were talking about, but I just let it be. I had enough of eavesdropping and just stayed ahead of them till we reached the tower.

  We only stood in the brush near the tower while I figured out which direction we needed to take to get to the crashing ship. Both Ashe and Goldie mentioned how uninspiring and ugly the place looked when they had been expecting it to be creepy, and I realized that their original reactions I saw first, were actually their second time seeing this place.

  My roommate finally fell along side of me as we headed to the ship’s destination through the annoying brush I so easily remembered from before.

  “So you’ll be a fox.” She stated simply. I think I knew where this was going.

  “Yes.”

  “Will I be able to communicate with you?”

  “Of course, I can still hear you.”

  “No, I mean like my way?”

  “I’m not really sure,” I sighed and shrugged. “I don’t know everything, but it might work if it works with Reynard.”

  “Good.” She nodded. “So I could have a private conversation with you, in theory?”

  I leaned in to Ashe with a smile and teased, “You’re having a private conversation with me now.”

  She pushed me away from her gently and I stumbled as we reached the open area near the sand bar. “You know what I mean.”

  I raised my eyebrows, “We’re here. So let’s find out.”

  I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, drawing in the images I had of Reynard. Luckily I didn’t need to be exact since all the patches of crème and custard would have destroyed my psyche without having a physical image to work from.

  I looked down then opened my eyes to watch the hand signs I made and make sure I got them right. When satisfied I focused on Reynard’s image again and let the magic run through my body.

  I didn’t open my eyes again until the pain from the change had passed. My eyes took in the light around me and saw the large-looking Ashe scoop me up while I heard her giggle loudly. I could even catch the subtle scent of me on her which made me feel strangely safer with being held by Ashe.

  This is weird. I had thought only to have Ashe hold me to her cheek and nuzzle my fur which made me shiver excitedly.

  Don’t do that! I tried yelling but only a tiny yip that didn’t sound at all like me had come out.

  Oh sorry… I heard Ashe’s voice in my head, as she pulled away and instead cuddled me against her chest. I guess she thought that was better?

  I was going to die before this was over.

  You can hear me? I tried thinking and immediately I could feel Ashe was smiling. I couldn’t explain it, I just knew what I asked had made her happy.

  Of course, can I keep you like this all the time? She continued in my mind while starting to stroke my fur which made me shiver again and want it even more. Yet for some reason my mind told me this was really messed up.

  No! You have a fox you’ll get to play with like this. Just put me in the pocket. I explained and she pouted before pulling her chest pocket out and dumping me in it. She could have at least been a little nicer about it.

  I quickly realized why all the fox had done was sleep when I had him. It was dark and comfy in the pocket so there wasn’t much else to do. I stood up and poked my head out, feeling my ears twitch as I pulled them back.

  Ashe giggled. You’re adorable.

  Didn’t you know this is the form I use to get all the girls? I teased and tried to smile but it felt awkward with vulpine lips.

  That’s mean. Trying to hurt my feelings?

  Maybe.

  You’re so cruel when you’re cute.

  There was no way I was winning this one.

  Luckily I turned a glance over my shoulder when I picked up the unusual sound of something screaming through the air. It had to be the ship coming in.

  I ducked my head back into the pocket when the ship crashed into the sand and water with a rather large wave. Ashe stepped closer when I heard my voice calling in the distance. She started moving and I bounced around a bit. I guess she didn’t have a perfect pace like I had thought.

  I listened to the initial awkward conversation we had on the shore about her hair and how I was being inconsiderate. It made me realize just how much Ashe had been teasing me without me even aware of it. She had to have made a big huff about her hair this time since she knew I was the one who fixed it up for her.

  Time travel screws everything up.

  All I want to do is hug you again; it would be weird right now wouldn’t it? Ashe’s voice rose in my mind.

  You will in a second. I explained right as I heard Ettie’s voice mention hugging ‘baby Ella’ and then felt squashed between two stiff bodies.

  That was a terrible hug. And I’m not a baby! Ashe sighed and I felt her annoyance rip through me.

  You sure are complaining like one.

  I am not! It was the truth. At least you hug better later...or earlier. She exclaimed while I heard my other self then felt the push of Ashe being drawn aside. I knew this was my cue and popped my head up from the pocket.

  I looked around to see myself, mere inches away, surprised. I could only imagine how more surprised I would have been if another Gnidori had been here instead of a fox.

  This is really weird. I said as Ashe scooped me out of the pocket.

  How do you think I feel? She commented while lifting me up to her face; my heart jumped. I had completely forgotten ‘Reynard’ had licked Ashe last time. Did that mean I had to do it? I guess I could…

  I slipped my tongue out and licked over Ashe’s skin right up against my face. She giggled like before and I felt like my heart was going to give out with how fast it was beating. I was almost sure she could feel it.

  That’s it. I’m keeping you like this.

  Nooooo way. You can’t make me.

  She felt amused while she bothered herself with spinning some lie about why there were two foxes. She did well with that one. The other Gnidori wouldn’t suspect a thing if she was anything like me; which I knew she was.

  After a brief explanation which I coached Ashe through when the other me had grabbed her tightly wanting to know about the faerie. I concluded, Just say you aren’t sure. Mention the sleeping spell. That’ll sell it.

  Once Ashe wasn’t feeling quite so nervous about lying to the other me she seemed to dig a bit better into it, even lying a few more times about how we found them and how w
e tracked The Blue Faerie.

  The group gathered back around us, and Ashe pushed me up to her shoulder. I looped around my roommate’s neck to see Reynard brightened up and sniffing in my direction. He nearly fell from Ettie’s shoulder if she hadn’t scooped him up in to her arms to hold him.

  Reynard says he missed you and thinks you look funny. Ashe explained with trying to hide a giggle, while Goldie took over much of the conversation about heading to Bluebeard’s tower.

  Thanks, I guess.

  He also says he was fine if you were worried. He just woke up in the wrong place and that he picked up a passenger. Ashe continued to relay messages between Kit or Reynard and me while we all headed toward the tower.

  Kit mentioned something about time magic not being even remotely simple and actually took very specific rituals that could take months of planning. It was more likely I had been hit with a ‘Time Touch’.

  He wouldn’t explain what that was though. Just that certain people could do it if they were descendants of Rip Van Winkle and that it was similar to Midas’ Gold Touch.

  By the time the other Gnidori was pounding on the door to the tower, we had officially mostly run out of things to talk about. Even with having told them we would have to fight Bluebeard. I realized afterwards that was a bad idea since I could then feel Ashe worrying about that.

  I plopped back inside Ashe’s pocket when the other me busted through the door. I could already feel the magic so strongly emanating from the place that it was clear now that I hadn’t been the one to finally break the door open. It had been opened with a magical pull.

  Once Ashe and Ettie had helped the other me up, my head was just poking back out, following the trace of magic to Bluebeard as he descended the steps. Reynard started growling and something deep inside told me to follow along with him, so I did.

  It wasn’t long before everyone discovered Goldie was related to Bluebeard and Reynard started barking which only made me want to bark with him.