“Ah well, not much exciting to say about me I am afraid. Just a humble servant,” Alasdair said, making Lachlann laugh.
“He definitely isn’t.”
“It was lovely to meet you, though sadly I must leave you both now. There is much planning to be done for the upcoming Queen’s Light festival, which your King has decided to attend at our castle.”
Aelwen had threatened to seriously harm me should I miss the meeting to discuss festival plans.
Alasdair gave one last bow before heading off into the castle to complete his day’s work. Lachlann returned to me, his cheeks still flushed from our walk, and placed a quick kiss on my lips. Then he was darting off after Alasdair and soon vanished into the castle.
“Perhaps it wouldn’t do to keep Queen Aelwen waiting,” Tormod reminded me in an amused tone which earned him an unamused glare.
A part from aching thighs and sore legs, our journey on horseback to the foot of the Fairy Hills was pleasant. We had now left Tirwood behind and entered the fairy kingdoms. Having never spoken to a fairy before, we didn’t know what this land was called.
It was a relief that we’d managed to enter the kingdom without any trouble and hadn’t encountered any horrific beasts or human eating fairies so far. With no reliable information to go on we couldn’t afford to let down our guard, just in case something did happen.
We chatted about our different experiences in the loch-side villages as we rode and only stopped to relive ourselves and have small meals. We didn’t want to risk running out of food in the mountains.
When eventually the mountains appeared in front of us, we were in awe. We knew they were huge, but nothing really prepares you for standing at the foot of mountains so large that their peaks are obscured by clouds.
The Fairy Hills were mainly brown, with patches of green grass growing around them as summer crept closer. We could see sheep on the hills we were closest to and kept a wary eye out for their owners who could be lurking nearby, ready to turn us into their next meal.
The path we were on continued up into a valley between two of the mountains. Thankfully it went nowhere near as high as the peaks and, although it was steep, it would be much easier than trying to walk over one of the mountains from top to bottom.
It was a worn path, despite how little it was used, and it made me wonder if in the past humans and fairies had travelled between kingdoms more often than they do now.
We dismounted from the horses distributed our bags evenly between us. Then we shouted “home” and gave the horses a pat on the shoulder, as instructed by their owner. To my surprise, they turned and headed off back to the village.
As we watched them go I wondered what Finnian was doing today, if he was back out on the loch in his boat fishing for brown trout or if maybe he waiting to see the horses return.
The sun was setting quickly and so we found a gap between some large boulders at the entrance of the valley to shelter from the wind. It wouldn’t help us if the rain started, but lying in each other’s arms we’d be warm enough throughout the night. The cold hard rock was uncomfortable but we managed to sleep eventually, the day’s riding having tired us out.
The weather was mild and dry when we woke to start our first day of clambering through the Fairy Hills. Before setting off we made sure that we had our food provisions and that Glen’s small dagger was easily accessible. There was no way of knowing what horrible beasts we could encounter up amongst the rocks and the clouds.
The path, which wound in between the Fairy Hills, was made up of jagged pieces of rock which moved whenever they were stood on. This made our progress slow as we didn’t want to risk falling and breaking our ankles on the first day.
I was surprised by how enclosed I felt, surrounded by huge walls of rock. Although the valley was large enough to fit one or two carts at one time, I still felt trapped within the stones. The only way to escape would be to go forward or back.
My unease grew as the day progressed. Glen and I didn’t speak much as our voices echoed all around us and we didn’t want to risk attracting anything’s attention. Better to silently move through this stone prison as quickly as possible.
The path became steeper as we walked and we both ended up falling on the uneven stones, scratching our hands and hurting our knees, before the day was over. For a while, the path was so uneven and dangerous that I started to think we were never going to make it, but then it reached a peak and suddenly, we were looking down over a valley.
It was breath-taking, a terrain unlike anything I had ever seen before. The valley grew wider after the small mountain of stones. The path led down into a wide, gently sloping valley which, to my surprise, even had a small river running through it. The river came from high up in the mountains and ran through the middle of the path, disappearing into the stones we had climbed at the end of the valley.
The small trickle of water helped to lift my mood. In the stories, the adventurers always found what they were seeking when they followed a river, or if they were lost, a river always brought them home. We had found our river and at once, the stone walls seemed less ominous and the suffocating silence was broken by the calming sound of water running past us towards its goal.
Our night was uncomfortable, although we were warm, our woollen blankets did little to cushion the solid rock we lay on. No grass grew down in the valley and so we had no choice but to rest uncomfortably. Glen drifted off to sleep not long after we had a quick meal of dried fish and some of the bread from the village, which was starting to harden.
I had to fight to keep my eyes open as I lay staring up at the sky. It was strange to see the sky bracketed between two huge mountain peaks. Instead of brown and grey the mountains looked black and mysterious in the moonlight.
I could see faint wisps of bright green and blue light and I wondered what the fairies in the sky could be fighting about. I wondered if we would wake up covered in their blood jewels if their argument turned into a battle. I soon lost my own battle with sleep, and spent the night dreaming of the castle I would build once I had an abundance of coin from selling the jewels.
Morning arrived, bringing with it a pain every time I moved my neck and stiff limbs from a night lying on a bed of stone. The fairies must have settled their dispute without bloodshed as there was not a single jewel in sight, much to Glen’s disappointment.
More bread for breakfast, washed down with water from the stream, and we were ready for another day wandering through this seemingly never-ending valley.
The longer we spent here, the less I was amazed by the size of the mountains. Instead I became bored of their similarity. Glen thought he spotted some sheep at one point, but that was the most exciting thing to happen that day. Another night on the crippling rocks, watching the stars pass, and then finally it was our last day in the rocky prison.
We wandered alongside the river, grateful for the light rain which helped clean the dust and dirt from our skin and make the journey somewhat more exciting. A wind started to pick up, which was unusual, the valley had been calm and almost airless up until this point. Before long a wind, that simultaneously chilled us to the bone and refreshed us, was whistling through the valley.
As we walked the valley sides began to change, and soon grass and plants grew on either side of us, blowing around in the wind. After spending so long in near silence, I felt as if the wind was howling within my head and it was all I could focus on.
“Morven, look!” Glen called from ahead of me.
So distracted by the noise, I had failed to notice the valley ending in front of me. In between the rocky walls I could see the river running through gently undulating hills and into the forest.
I assumed this was another part of the Fairy Forest, which we had passed many times now on our journey. The old woman’s map had shown that the Fairy Forest travelled across half of the land.
Exhilarated by the wind and freedom I rushed forward to take Glen’s hand, and after a few minutes of running happily,
we were out.
We ran for a while, laughing, until I was completely out of breath. With a happy sigh, I sank down onto the cool damp grass and lay down for a rest. I had never been so happy to see trees, grass and open space.
Glen and I spent the remainder of that day wandering through the hills, which seemed like an easy stroll compared to the uneven stone hill we had encountered on our first day in the mountains. We chatted happily about the sights we hoped to see and laughed about our time in the valley as if it was a distance memory, not less than a day ago.
The green grass and hills made me feel as if we were back in our village, wandering around to avoid doing work. We had travelled so far, but still the land and the nature around us felt the same as it did back home.
Home... I felt a twinge of homesickness at the thought of home, but we had been away so long now that my longing for our wee village had lessened to a dull ache. Perhaps it was the thought of another walk in that valley, or the risk of falling back into the loch, which made me less eager to begin the journey home.
After hearing so many stories about how dangerous the fairies were, it was almost disappointing that we hadn’t been chased or attacked yet. In fact, we were yet to see anyone or any signs of life, other than the path which led off into the forest. Unless of course, the path simply formed itself by magic.
“Are you nervous about entering the forest?” I asked Glen as we lay beside each other on the grass.
It felt luxuriously soft in comparison to the rocky ground in the valley. I wanted to stay there forever.
“Well there aren’t many stories about the forest so I’m not sure what to expect,” he admitted, “Why? Are you nervous?”
I shrugged. “It just seems so huge, especially on that map. I don’t want us getting lost in there.”
“If we follow the path we will be fine,” Glen said confidently, and stupidly, I believed him.
“You got us lost!” I accused, throwing my hands up in despair.
“Me?” Glen shouted incredulously. “It was the will o’the wisp that led us here.”
Which was true, we had entered the forest the previous day and had an easy day walking. The weather was pleasant as we followed the winding path through the trees without a problem. It was difficult to tell which direction we were going as everything looked the same. Still, we felt confident that eventually the path was going to bring us out of the forest on the other side.
By the end of the day we were sure that we had managed to travel a large distance, though we had no way of knowing. One benefit of being surrounded by trees and bushes was the ability to go relieve ourselves in private. The valley had been far too enclosed to get any sort of privacy.
That night we settled down to sleep near a fallen tree. The luxury of the soft ground was still amazing, but because of the strange animal sounds and creaking trees I slept fitfully.
Glen and I both woke multiple times throughout the night, fearful that some hideous creature was about to come crashing through the trees and attack us. No attack came, but by the time morning arrived we were tired, weary and becoming sick of the sight of trees.
That afternoon, as we were grumpily trudging through the forest, clambering over fallen logs and cursing the fairies for not taking the time to clear their paths, a bright light flew across the path in front of us. We both froze, waiting to see if it would return, but it was gone and we decided that we must have imagined it.
Our ignorance didn’t last long and soon the light was reappearing continuously. I felt as if we were being circled and watched. We were.
I watched the light, expecting it to disappear out of sight, and was startled when it floated towards us. Before I even realised what I was doing, I reached out, as if to touch it. My fingertips warmed the closer I got, like it was a tiny little fire floating in front of me.
“A will o’the wisp.” Glen gasped beside me, mesmerised.
I nodded, that made sense. I had heard the stories about them ever since I was a child but I hadn’t recognised what was floating before us.
It suddenly darted away from us and we hurried to follow it. I wanted to look at it more. The light was so bright that I could barely make out what it was.
Soon Glen and I were following the will o’the wisp as it flew, seemingly randomly, through the trees. It ignored the path, and so we went from chasing it along the path to scrabbling through bushes after it.
The chase was the most fun we had had in weeks and I could finally understand why dogs loved to chase after sticks. The thought made me laugh, which in turn made Glen laugh.
I had to stop and clutch my chest after a while, my changeling body making the prolonged chase difficult. I watched in amusement as Glen scrambled after the will o’the wisp looking ridiculous and elated.
My smile faded as I realised just how strange his behaviour was. Why in the name of the Others were we wasting our time chasing after a light? We were supposed to be heading north in search of answers.
How many babies had been stolen and replaced with changelings whilst we remained here in this forest, aimlessly chasing a light?
As the light, and then Glen passed, I grabbed onto Glen’s hand and pulled him away. If we continued following this will o’the wisp we would surely be lost until the day we died.
Like everyone else, I’d heard the stories about travellers who followed the will o’the wisps forever or of those who ended up travelling to the Otherworld as they chased them. I had always thought of those people as foolish and couldn’t understand why they would follow something for so long. Now I understood. I had never felt so drawn to anything in my life.
We made a point of walking away from the will o’the wisp and ignoring it whenever it passed by us, trying to reclaim our attention. After a while it grew bored and eventually left us alone, presumably to find someone else to trick. I hoped whoever it found had more sense than the two of us.
Eventually we found the path again and continued on our way. We hoped that we were still heading north but only time would tell.
If we came out of the forest back at the mountains I was going to scream.
“I’m sorry I blamed you,” I said after a while.
“Don’t you worry, Morven. I’m just glad you had enough sense to stop the chase,” Glen said, wrapping his arm around my shoulders.
10 YEARS AGO
I n Norbroch the Queen’s Light festival, celebrating the longest day of the year, has always been important. In the years since Aelwen and I gained the throne, the celebrations have only grown. Aelwen loves festivals and takes every opportunity to throw a feast and bring in musicians.
I remembered my teachers telling me that the humans celebrated the same festivals as us. They have little magical ability to ensure crop growth, so they must focus on appeasing the Others by giving multiple offerings.
Here in Norbroch, we give offerings and take care not to anger the Others. It is rumoured that on the days of festivals the Otherworld is closest to our realm, so we always take care. I had even heard rumours of people stumbling across places in the hills where you can travel to the Otherworld, though I was not sure I believed that.
Culhuinn throws a small feast for the festival but King Ferchar cares little about offending the Others and so their offerings are always small. Queen’s Light is the time to ask for protection for livestock, making it especially important for us here in Norbroch where we grow less crops.
It dawned on me that this festival would be the first proper Queen’s Light experience that Lachlann would have. Unashamedly, I became almost as bad as Aelwen when it came to planning and organising, much to Ronan’s dismay. I wanted it to be perfect for him.
To begin with, I had been angry that the King was staying in our castle for so long. We could not agree on new trading terms as he was even more stubborn and greedy than we could have imagined. Now though, I was beginning to dread us ever reaching an agreement as that would mean that Lachlann would be forced to leave me.
The morning of the Queen’s Light festival always starts the same. Everyone leaves the castle and goes out to the largest meadows near the Verch forest, where the morning dew collects in the grass.
It is said that anyone who washes in the dew, on the morning of the festival, will become beautiful and so everyone does it. Not many people, apart from some of the younger fairies looking for love, care much about the dew improving their appearance but it is a tradition we all follow.
The Queen’s traditionally go first and so Aelwen and I were the first to kneel in the damp grass and begin covering our skin with the dew we could collect. I noticed the Queen was helping the giggling Princess Freya to cover her skin whilst the King stared at them with a look verging on disgust.
Aelwen’s children were still too young to properly take part and so that morning they were being cared for back at the castle.
“He should take care to be more respectful,” Aelwen commented.
“Especially with one of the Others living so close,” I added with a laugh.
Some, who believed the more obscure rumours and stories, say that deep within the frozen mountains north of our kingdom there is huge castle in which the Queen of the Others lives. I am not sure how they know this as anyone who tried to cross the ice would surely die. Why their Queen would choose to live in our realm was also baffling. Perhaps it was simply a representative sent to watch over us. The thought made me laugh again.
Festivals were a time for hope and optimism, and I was eager to put aside my worries and duties until tomorrow.
After everyone had a chance to roll in the grass, we spread out through the meadows and forest. We were collecting the yellow flowers which had started growing now that the weather was a little warmer and the days were longer.
For the next few days yellow flowers would decorate the castle and homes across the land. For the feast later many people, including Aelwen and I, would add them to our hair or wear them as jewellery.
The Changeling's Journey Page 12