Shades of Fear

by D. L. Scott

  “Brighid, look at me.” He lifted her chin up and stared deep into her eyes, “I won't let her take you, not when I've just found you again.” He placed a kiss on her forehead and brought her to the bed, lying down with her until they both fell asleep.

  The next morning he was on fire, moving about the homestead trying to gather as much information as he could on the Fey, Bean-Sidhe in particular. There was little knowledge in the way of defeating a goddess, if that was even possible. According to Moira, the only way to placate a Bean-Sidhe was to offer the victim's true love instead. It saddened him to know that if he was her true love, he would have to give his life to protect hers, something he knew he would do if needed.

  He silently crept into his own room to wake the woman he loved with a fierce kiss. He knew after that night he would never see her again one way or another.

  A glint of something even more primal shone in her eyes now. Their coming together that morning was no less fierce than the first time they met at the docks, but now it sizzled with passion as they fought for dominance with each other. Fingers tangled in hair, teeth nipped at skin hard enough to leave marks, but again, they were too evenly matched.

  Totally spent, in every way, they lay alongside one another. When he knew she slept soundly he crept from the room, taking one last look at his love, before going in search of the powerful fey who had entered his dreams.

  Christopher walked the swamps of the Irish countryside, searching for signs of his quarry. By the end of the following day, he was getting tired and stopped to rest on the banks of a stream. After dabbing himself with water to cool off, he looked across the river into a thicket of reeds. Sure enough he saw the strange woman, washing bloody rags in the river. He stared intently at the Bean-Sidhe, and she must have felt his eyes on her because she looked up from her washing and stared straight back at him. Christopher was stunned when he realized she had taken the appearance of Brighid, his love.

  The Bean-Sidhe just smiled and walked across the water towards him, her ghostly rags dissipating into nothingness, trying to lure and tempt him, her likeness uncanny.

  “How can this be? Why have you taken my love Brighid’s form?” He could barely muster the courage to speak to the creature.

  “I am your love, Christopher.” She kissed him fiercely and lifted him into her arms with a strength that felt like she could crush him with little effort. “You gave me what no other man could. A child.” He was awestruck, how could this creature be his childhood love? He shook his head in disbelief.

  “But we grew up with each other, how could you be the Bean-Sidhe Queen? We made love and now you tell me that you don't want anything more than a child?” He kicked at her to loosen her grip, falling out of her arms and scrambled away. He managed to get to his feet and stared her down, with nothing but hatred in his eyes, “You betrayed my heart.”

  He realized why he hadn't recognized her immediately upon meeting her after his arrival in Ireland. She wasn't Brighid, the girl he had grown up with; she was just taking her form to lure him to his death.

  “I am Brighid, but I was never really a child. My real name is Morrígan, the goddess of war. And you my dear have become my slave.” She smiled as her form changed to a woman with black hair and eyes, wearing a dress made of feathers. He was awestruck and afraid for his life, so he turned and ran as fast as his legs could carry him.

  He felt its cold breathe down his neck as he ran, which only inspired him to run faster. She was getting closer, he could feel the wind at his back as she flew after him; her wails making his ears feel like they would burst.

  Suddenly, he tripped over a loose elm root. Falling hard on his chest, he picked himself up and ran the rest of the way to the family home, slamming the door and locking it with the deadbolt.

  He turned and ran up the stairs, closing and locking every window he could find, and hid inside a closet, hoping against all hope that she would not find him.

  He heard the door break as the creature burst through the door looking for her prey. He held his breath, trying his hardest to remain silent.

  After what seemed like hours, she left the room and he slowly crept out of the closet trying to not make a noise. The floorboards groaned as he shifted too much of his weight onto the old wood, alerting the Bean-Sidhe to his location.

  She heard it and doubled back, to catch him unaware. He crept as silently as possible through the halls towards the exit, never realizing she was just toying with him.

  He heard the wind ruffle in a set of curtains behind him and turned to come face to face with the Bean-Sidhe. His knees buckled and he groveled in fear of what would happen to him.

  His heart raced as the terror made his adrenaline pump hard and fast throughout his body, and he knew he had lost. He stood up shakily and faced the creature, ready for his imminent death. His life with Brighid sped through his mind as though it was flashing by his eyes as he met his fate with dignity and final resolve. She smiled at him, and the woman he loved flashed in the creature's eyes as his whole world went dark.

  Weeks after the attack on the O'Riley home, Brighid was sitting down and petting a dog as it laid down beside her, a tear rolling down her cheek as she remembered her love. After a while, she stood back up and began to walk, the dog remaining at the spot it had laid down. A fierce whistle cries out in the wind, and the dog's ears perk up as he gets up to move to his master's side. Staring down at the unborn child she just smiled, and whispered to it.

  “Come, Sydara, let's take Christopher home.”

  About the Author

  Jack Darkness lives in the rural town of Blue Lake, in sunny California. When he isn't glued to his writing he is spending time with his family, or off on another adventure through the woods.

  He grew up with a strong influence from the stories of heroes and gods in all cultures. He is a practicing member of the Asatru traditions, and has instilled the same values he grew up to understand in his own daughters. He enjoys sketching, reading and is a real sucker for horror movies and supernatural stories. He has been known to peruse his email at jack.darkness12@gmail.com, but is easier to contact through Facebook or Steam.

  Forbidden Child

  By S.M. Lowry

  The woods were made for the hunters of dreams,

  The brooks for the fishers of song;

  To the hunters who hunt for the gunless game

  The streams and the woods belong.

  – Sam Walter Foss, “The Bloodless Sportsman” (1858-1911)

  Tanah stood at the end of the path, unsure which way to go. Her heart pounded; fear, a vile taste in her mouth. She glanced back the way she had come, but saw no one. She took a deep breath and decided to follow her instincts. She headed deeper into the forest on the animal trail. She needed to move. Now.

  Hustling, Tanah watched her step as best she could. This part of the forest was unfamiliar to her and one wrong step could mean her death from the crash of a fall. Fortunately, it was still summer, so the ground wasn’t littered with fallen leaves and branches. She listened hard for any sounds behind her, but it was impossible to tell with the sound of her own heartbeat in her ears. She said a little prayer to whatever gods might be listening to bring her safely out of this.

  They will send Kotori to find me once they realize I’m gone. There’s no way I can outwit him, she thought. Her heart sank and her stomach rolled. No. Thoughts like that wouldn’t help her; they would only paralyze her. She had to believe she could get away.

  The crack of a branch brought her back to the moment. Her breath caught. Picking up her pace, all thoughts were driven from her mind. There was only fear and a small string of hope driving her forward.

  Tanah unconsciously put a hand on her belly. The life growing inside of her was too small to be felt physically, but it had already touched her soul. She would do anything for this child, even if it meant killing the baby’s father. She would stop at nothing to protect her child.

  Roots and fallen trees made the anima
l trail treacherous to navigate. Low-hanging branches hit her in the face and snagged on her clothes.

  She hardly noticed as briar thorns carved small streaks of blood on her skin as she yielded to the resistance of small branches in an effort to remain as quiet as possible.

  She occasionally slowed down long enough to listen carefully for sounds behind her. Kotori was a Tracker, which made her escape that much more unlikely. She pushed that thought down and focused instead on listening for him.

  The forest was silent, except for the sound of water running somewhere in the distance. There was a creek running through the forest by the neighboring village, and she realized she must be closer to the other side of the forest than she had thought. That brought a silent sigh of relief to her.

  Refusing to give in to the relief too soon, she carried on with her trek. Knowing what a competent Tracker Kotori was, she was more concerned with not hearing him behind her than she had been when she thought she heard him in the distance.

  Her gorge threatened to rise, but she forced it down. If she got sick now he would certainly hear her. She slowed down, focusing on breathing deep and slow.

  She froze. A noise to her right paralyzed her. Everything in her body told her to move, but her feet were planted firmly.

  She strained to hear where he was, but all was silent again. Shaking, her hands covered in sweat, she silently exhaled. Her heart pounded and she couldn’t think. Just a little farther. She could make it to the village. Someone there would surely help her.

  Despondent and frightened as she was, Tanah forced herself to push on. She kept moving forward, hoping she could make it to the village.

  Not paying attention to her feet, she rolled her ankle on a root. She caught herself on the tree before falling down, but the pain was excruciating. She bit her lip and tasted blood. It was better than screaming.

  Part of her wanted to stop, to let Kotori find her and take her back to Rathowin. She didn’t understand why they couldn’t just leave her in peace. She had told them she would leave, so her child could not do the harm Mage Sorrell had predicted.

  If she and the baby weren’t there, how could the child possibly destroy their way of life? It hadn’t been good enough for her to leave; Sorrell had insisted the child be killed. Tanah had been outraged when her mother had supported the decision. She had never known her mother to betray her before.

  She stopped briefly to rest her sore ankle and listened for Kotori. She took a few deep breaths, straining her ears for any sound. The forest was eerily silent, as if it was holding its breath to see if she could outrun him.

  She clutched a nearby branch, and tried to find the well of strength she had had this morning when she left, but all she could find was despair. Kotori tracked outlaws for Tanah’s mother who was the leader of the City of Rathowin. According to her mother and Sorrell, Kotori was the best in all the land of Thesantor. Defeat seemed assured.

  She put a hand on her stomach, remembering her child was the reason she had to keep going. If she let Kotori find her, the baby was dead. She would not let that happen. Not if it was in her power to stop it.

  Taking a deep breath and fighting through the pain in her ankle, Tanah continued walking.

  The sound of running water was getting closer now, and it took all of her willpower not to head in that direction for a drink. Her throat was parched, but she dare not stop for water. She was safer if she kept moving.

  The fact that he hadn’t already caught her was disconcerting. Maybe Kotori had given up. She doubted it, but the thought lifted her mood a little.

  While Tanah had always known Sorrell to be wise—he was considered the most skilled Mage in Thesantor—she simply could not believe the prophecy about her child was true. As the future leader of Rathowin, Tanah had grown up with Sorrell because he was her mother’s councilor. She had respected and virtually worshipped him because of his skills in magick. Despite Sorrell’s wisdom, Tanah could not kill her child based on something that might happen. Tears welled up in her eyes, and Tanah let them spill over.

  Drying her cheeks with her sleeve, she saw the village of Celdair through a break in the dense trees.

  Her heart soared, even as her belly clenched, terrified of being so close, yet the possibility of getting caught still remained. The sight of the village renewed her energy.

  Her heart pounded, but whether from excitement or fear, she didn’t know. All she knew was she had to keep trying. Someone’s life depended on her survival.

  Her ankle throbbed, but her steps were lighter than they had been since she had left Rathowin. She hadn’t thought any farther than escaping to Celdair, but now her thoughts turned toward whether or not she would be able to remain there. She didn’t think she would. Kotori would know she had gone there and would find a way to bring her back to Rathowin on Sorrell’s orders.

  Knowing him, though, she knew he would be inclined to take her by force only when alone. His job was secret by its nature, so he wouldn’t want to make a scene in the neighboring village and have them learn of it.

  She stopped every few minutes, listening for any sounds of him. Nothing. She refrained from saying a thank you to the gods too early, for fear they may decide not to grant her safe passage after all.

  She could see the edge of the forest now. The sight was almost too good to believe. By sheer willpower alone, she refrained from falling to the ground, weeping in relief. It was still too soon to let her guard down.

  Just because she hadn’t heard him, didn’t mean he wasn’t out there, waiting for the perfect opportunity. She just couldn’t imagine why he hadn’t caught her in the forest where there was no one to explain it to.

  She pushed down her worries and focused on the freedom at the edge of the forest. All she had to do was make it into the open.

  She moved silently through the trees, potential freedom giving her added strength. Her tiredness eased, her ankle pain became unimportant, only the village in front of her mattered.

  Footsteps to her right startled her. Her heart dropped into her stomach. She was so close.

  Her chest tightened, but her feet moved on their own accord. She loped on her injured ankle through the trees, heedless of the hazards under her feet. Her heart pounded in her ears, she couldn’t catch her breath, but still she ran. It was the only chance she had.

  “Tanah!” His screams echoed in the still forest. Tanah pressed her lips together, swallowing down the tears in her throat.

  “Tanah, wait,” he cried again. “Just let me talk to you!”

  She desperately wanted to, she did. Although the baby would belong only to Tanah’s family, the child was still a part of Kotori too, and Tanah believed Kotori should have fought for the child’s life. Instead, he had said nothing, and as a Tracker, it was Kotori’s job to bring her back. She couldn’t take the chance in believing he only wanted to talk.

  She was exhausted, but pushed herself to keep running. Her sides ached and her legs were wobbly. She could make it. Not far now.

  The root came out of nowhere. She didn’t see it until it was too late. She broke her fall with her hands, instinctively protecting her stomach. She pushed herself back up in record speed, knowing he wasn’t far behind her.

  Her heart beat so fast she thought her chest might explode. Sickness threatened to overtake her, but she ignored it and kept running.

  She was so intent on fleeing she didn’t notice the small woman until she was nearly upon her.

  The woman gasped. “Child, slow down. What is the hurry?”

  Tanah stopped, panting heavily, hands on her knees. She tried to explain, but she couldn’t catch her breath. The woman put a hand on Tanah’s arm.

  “Take a minute to rest. Everything will be fine,” the woman assured her.

  Somehow that simple statement brought Tanah to her knees. Her shoulders slumped, her body racked with sobs. If only it was that simple. Exhausted and at the end of her rope, Tanah hoped it was.

  When she had purged her
body of the tears, Tanah stood up and looked around. She had made it to the edge of the forest when she ran into the woman. There was no sign of Kotori. But he would be waiting.

  “Where are you going? Is something wrong?” The woman’s voice exuded concern.

  Tanah dried her eyes and bit her lip. “I-I thought I heard something following me.” She debated how much to tell the woman. She needed a safe haven, even if only for a night or two, but telling the people too much might be a bad idea.

  “Hmph. Well, there are known to be creatures in those woods. Creatures you would rather not encounter.” The woman’s eyes darted back and forth at the forest’s edge.

  Tanah briefly wondered what creatures the woman was referring to, but decided she was just glad she hadn’t encountered them. Kotori had been more than enough.

  The woman’s eyes narrowed. “Where are you from?”

  Tanah had to stop herself from wringing her hands before answering, “I’m from Rathowin.”

  Rathowin’s rule extended to the village of Celdair, but Kotori had once said that Celdair recognized Rathowin’s authority in name only. According to Kotori, Celdair paid taxes and sent men to train for war as necessary, but otherwise kept out of the affairs of the city. Celdair was fairly isolated from the rest of Rathowin, surrounded by forest and mountains, but Kotori had said it was because Celdair wished to remain immersed in old traditions rather than moving forward with Rathowin. It was the reason Tanah had chosen to head toward Celdair.

  She bit her lip, unsure whether to explain her situation to the woman. Should she give the woman her name? Or would the woman recognize it? Tanah bit back her uncertainty.

  “My name is Tanah.”

  The woman gave no indication the name meant anything to her. Tanah breathed a silent sigh of relief.

  “I’m Zakora.” Giving Tanah a shrewd look, Zakora continued, “Well, let’s get you to the village and get you cleaned up, child,” Zakora said.