Her nature was such that her early years had been complete torture and her turbulent temperament with their idiotic ways quickly started to set her apart. So, when the Spirit Mother asked for an assistant to be sent, she had quickly volunteered, and all those she left behind were happy to see her go.
Since then, she had been doing the odd errand; mostly getting ingredients for spells she had never heard of or conceived of trying herself. The amount of knowledge the Spirit Mother had amassed was too staggering for her to comprehend and she knew most of it would be lost with her passing. Part of her duties were studying old complex spells, but there was no way she could master everything the Spirit Mother had to teach before it would be lost; there just wasn’t enough time.
She soared into a small clearing and came to a stop in mid-air, her wings fluttering just enough to let her hover. Before her stood a very large solitary tree, the bark silver, the branches drooping with brown and white leaves.
“I did as you asked, they are on their way. Is there something I may do for you while I am here?” Shirl asked, hoping that the answer would be yes and she could make her escape quickly.
My daughter, you need to open your heart and learn to accept ideas other than your own, an old voice spoke within her mind. When the Spirit Mother was in her tree form, it was the only way they could communicate. It seemed like the nymph had been spending more time as a tree lately than her humanoid form, something that made her heart ache with the loss that was fast approaching.
It wasn’t the first time she’d been advised of that. She just had a hard time actually doing it.
She loved the sound of the trees, the leaves whistling as they flowed with a breeze. The birds sang softly in the distance and her feet absentmindedly tapped along with their beautiful cadence. Water trickled just over the hill; the sound of water hitting rocks calling her to go for a swim. Everything she ever needed or wanted was right here. Why would she want to disrupt that by involving herself in pointless pursuits of intrigue and revenge?
She heard an inward sigh from her Master and she lowered her head in shame.
It’s not just the fairies that you will have to learn to adjust too. The time is fast approaching when you must leave the Glen and travel amongst the other fledgling races of the world, the ancient voice intoned and she winced at even the notion of leaving her home.
“Why would I do that?” she asked with genuine confusion. What possible need could she serve that would require her to leave home and journey into the world of the Lunkers? The tall humanoids would despise her and she already had enough of that here at home.
Why invite more?
The tree shimmered and very slowly the form retracted into a bent over old woman, her long white and silver hair laying tangled across her shoulders. “Come here, my daughter,” the woman beckoned, and she quickly sped forward as commanded.
The Spirit Mother sat down on a soft patch of grass and motioned for her to join her. Shirl slowly descended until she sat at her accustomed place on the old woman’s right shoulder; her eyes unable to hide the pity she felt at the other woman’s frail state.
“Yes, my time is nearly here. I may have just enough left to see things start to move, but not enough to watch them finish. Don’t cry, it’s part of nature that all things that are born must die. It’s the natural order. We may live for a very long time, but even we must someday pass and move on to the next world. Just as everything else in this plane of existence,” the Spirit Mother comforted, a soft smile deepening the wrinkles on her face.
“Now, I want you to listen and try not to fight me on this. I know how stubborn you can be, but it’s important that you hear me through and heed my words. After the meeting today, you are going to be traveling with your mother to Forlorn to assist the Elves in defending their homeland. I said, don’t fight me on this,” the older woman scolded, seeing the slight shake of Shirl’s head. “The future’s path hangs in the balance from this one focal point. If the Elves lose, the Phoenix’s forces will overrun and destroy every living thing they can reach, and our race will perish along with the rest. If they win, then there is a chance to destroy the Phoenix’s evil for good, ensuring the survival of all the races and establishing our permanent presence in the future. There is no middle ground. Either one or the other will happen, and our kin cannot afford to be absent from such a crucial juncture of what will be.”
“Soon, humans, elves, and dwarves will march to Forlorn and we can do no less than offer our aid as well. Your mother will fight me, just as you are right now, but in the end, she will see reason and ensure our participation in the battle ahead,” her Elder explained, eyes staring off into the distance.
Then she turned her eyes on the sprite and Shirl felt a quick bout of terror from the resignation in the woman’s eyes. Was she that willing to move on?
“Yes dear, my time has come and I am ready for it. For three thousand years I have done everything I can to protect our race and I’m too exhausted to do it for much longer. Now, you will do as I ask and travel with your mother. Your assignment will begin once you are there, now listen,” the Spirit Mother commanded, continuing on for a few moments, relaying cryptic instructions about people she’d never heard of.
Who was Merlin or Willow?
Wait, she’d heard that last name before.
“Mother, didn’t you send Trek to protect this female elf you’re talking about?” The shapeshifter was one of her few friends in the Glen and she distinctly remembered his departure a few months before on an errand the Spirit Mother had sent him on. Something about protecting a baby?
The older woman nodded. “I did, and he has done exactly what I’ve asked, and if all goes well, you two will be reunited again real soon.” The Spirit Mother’s eyes grew distant once more as she called upon her innate magic to see events transpiring in the world. “Excalibur has been found and will soon be in the hands of its rightful heir. Armies will march northeast to Forlorn from the lands to the west. Four Horsemen will ride as one to oppose the forces that stand in defiance of the oblivion the Phoenix offers them. The Minotaurs are restless, the Dark Elves are emerging from their caves, and the Mountain Trolls are being rounded up and pressed into service in the Dark Queen’s armies. Dragons are taking flight once more and the Jackyls have begun sharpening their claws. The amount of forces facing the free races is staggering and only together will we have any chance of surviving the dark days ahead.”
The Spirit Mother slowly began to return to herself and spoke softly as she continued; the strain in her voice making Shirl wince. “The time is coming when the Elves must be made whole again. They have stood apart from each other for far too long and now that Excalibur has been returned to the world, there is a genuine chance of healing the old wounds forever. Sea Elves, Highland Elves, Wood Elves, maybe even some Dark Elves, united once more under one flag and with one purpose, finding and destroying that infernal Book of the Dead that has caused all this evil to flourish unchecked for far too long.”
“A mother will die, a child will be born, and you must be there to do as I have commanded and see it through no matter what the cost. I want you to give me your word,” the older woman demanded and Shirl nodded her head reluctantly, still not given into the idea that she might be leaving her world forever.
“Very good, now go get your things together, your mother is almost here,” the elder woman advised.
Shirl slowly got to her feet and took flight. “As you wish, Mother,” she intoned, bowing her head and flying away.
Her heart ached and tears flew past as she sped for her room in a nearby tree for what might be the very last time. What was so important about this elven girl that she personally had to leave her home to attend to her? Why had Trek been sent? None of this made sense.
In sorrow, she did as she bid and when she returned to the Spirit Mother a short time later, her birth mother had arrived and a heated conversation was taking place. She kept her head bowed and tried not to be noticed.
It didn’t work.
Her birth mother gave her a questioning glare and she ignored it, trying to act like she didn’t know anything about what was going on. That wasn’t far from the truth anyways. When the conversation ended, the Fairy Queen and her escorts quickly took flight and she was forced to follow swiftly behind them.
She took one last look at her home and silently prayed to whatever Gods existed that she’d see it again.
Good luck, my daughter. As long as you do as I’ve instructed, no harm shall come to you. Stand by what must be and see it through to the end. We will see each other again before this is over, so lift your spirits and remember what I said about opening yourself up. It’ll save you a lot of hardship during your travels and lighten the load for what is to come. Good bye for now and I’ll see you soon.
With a heavy heart, Shirl sent her farewells and tried to focus on the task at hand. It was difficult because every second she flew east she was getting further away from home and she was not prepared for what had been asked of her. Although she took pride in the Spirit Mother’s confidence in her abilities, she just didn’t know how she would be strong enough to see it through as instructed.
How did you tell a pregnant woman she was going to have to die in order to save the world from annihilation?
To Be Continued…
In Book 3 of the New Age Saga
Phoenix Rising
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Pure of Heart (the New Age Saga Book 2) Page 29