by Riana Lucas
I hear a twig snap and look over to see the Halfling hovering nearby. He looks unsure and a little in awe. I had forgotten that he walked out with me; I was so in touch with the nature surrounding me and focused on what I needed to do. I raise one eyebrow in question.
“Wow,” he breathes a little astonished. “I honestly don’t know what I just saw but it was one of the most amazing and beautiful things I have ever seen. The way you glowed…and the trees and flowers…and the images…I could see it all but it wasn’t really there was it?”
“No.” I answer being deliberately nonchalant. Faery magic is both amazing and beautiful like he says, but I do not want to lose focus. The Halfling bombarding me with questions about Faery magic is not a priority right now.
I stand up and walk back toward the house, “Come Halfling, we still have much planning to do.”
I hear him grumble under his breath “my name is Reed, not Halfling” but when I turn to look at him, he shoots me a lopsided grin and waves me forward. Of course he does not realize the precise acuity of my hearing. I will save that information for later. It may prove to come in handy.
When we get inside, I take the same seat I had previously occupied. “When will your mother be arriving?” I ask. I know it is getting late in the day and humans return home after working all day.
“We’ve got about an hour,” he says, looking at me questioningly, apparently waiting for instructions.
“I think it would be okay if we stay here tonight while I wait to get a response from Damien. He may have a destination for us. You must not tell your mother what I have shared with you today. Do not tell her of my presence either.”
“How do you expect me to manage that? She’s going to ask when she see’s you.”
“I will make sure I am not seen.”
“OOOOkay.” His voice is disbelieving but he is learning quickly not to question me. He has already seen enough to know that I speak the truth, even if he does not want to believe it.
I decide this is the best time to inform him of the rest. “This will be your last night in your home with your mother, but she cannot know that either.”
“How exactly do you expect that to happen? I have to tell her where I’m going or she will look for me. I don’t want her to worry.”
“She will not. I will spell her before we leave. The spell will alter her memory. She will know of you but will not look for you or miss you. You will become a distant memory and soon will fade completely.”
“What do you mean, spell her? I don’t want that to happen. I know I have to go with you and I can give her a believable excuse, school trip or something like that. But if you do that, she won’t remember me when I come home.”
“You will not be coming back.” I know that the bluntness of the words will sting, but it is important for the Halfling to know what is going on.
“What?” His voice raises and his confusion is obvious.
“I have never seen a Halfling return to the human world after they have been to the Faery Lands. They belong there and feel more comfortable there. You will feel the same way. You will not wish to come back here, ever.”
“I don’t believe you. I would never choose that place over my own mother…and she would never forget me.”
“You do not have to believe me, but I suggest you say your goodbyes now anyway.”
The Halfling turns away from me to look out the window. He remains silent as he peers out of the kitchen window overlooking the ocean. I know this is hard for him, as it is for all of the Halflings I have taken over the years. They have formed attachments to their human families and friends. I have seen this on all of my missions although I do not actually understand the feelings. I have never been close to anyone other than Damien and Rho and those are not really emotional relationships. I am sure I would miss Rho, but I have never been faced with that so I cannot fully comprehend the emotions the Halfling is processing.
Although I do not understand them, I do understand that it would probably be best if he were left alone with his thoughts.
I quietly slip out of my chair and make my way down the hall to the backyard again.
This is where I will sleep tonight.
Chapter 5
I decide to return to the spot where I sent my message to Damien earlier. I feel peace and closeness to nature while sitting here. I cannot sleep inside the house. Being confined by the walls and all of the human objects is difficult for me. I also feel as if it is easier for someone to sneak up on me in there. Outside I am more connected with what is around me and am able to detect a threat quicker.
I place my satchel on the ground and sit with my back to the tree again. I take a moment to breathe in the fresh air. It is still tinged with salt but it is more refreshing now that it is night time. It almost feels cleaner going in and out of my lungs. I am sure it is because of the lack of humans contaminating it.
I look up into the night sky and let myself think about the Unseelie Court and all that I would miss if the portals do not open and I was formed to remain stranded here. For the first time I realize that there is not much I would miss. I would of course miss the Faery Land as a whole, but Rho would be the only real thing I would miss. I would miss my instruction that I receive from Damien, but I would not actually miss Damien himself.
Rho is the only Faery I am connected with and because of that, the thought of never seeing her again makes me extremely sad. I blink my eyes at the odd moisture that is collecting there and quickly tuck those thoughts away. I do not like these feelings nor do I have time for them. I need to focus on getting back to Faery Land, with the Halfling.
A good night’s sleep will hopefully help to clear my mind and allow the time to pass quickly while I await Damien’s response to the message I sent. With this thought, I lie my head down on my satchel, twist on my side so my back is up against the tree and my body faces out into the yard.
I mumble quietly
Moon light
Sleep tight
Let no one
Disturb this night
I close my eyes, allowing my other senses to heighten and drift into a light but much needed sleep.
* * *
“Poppy,” no more than a quiet whisper into my ear wakes me quickly. I begin to jump up, but I am restrained by strong arms that I thankfully recognize before I attack.
“Halfling, what is wrong with you. I almost attacked you. What is the meaning of this?” I keep my voice at a low whisper like his. I may be upset but I am not stupid. There is a reason for him waking me. He quickly lets go but remains uncomfortably close so that he is able to whisper into my ear.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you, but I heard a noise that sounded like someone trying to get into my front door, so I figured I should come get you. I didn’t want to scare you, but I didn’t want them to hear me wake you. What do you want to do?”
The Halfling has surprised me with his common sense. Most human boys would try to confront the danger or protect the helpless girls, instead he has deferred to me knowing as well as I do that this is the same threat from the alley.
Now that I am fully awake, I can feel the Fae magic and smell the unique sweetness of the Faery that is sneaking around the side of the house trying to obtain entrance.
Before I fell asleep I had cast a quick spell on the house that would reinforce the locks so that no human or Fae could enter without being let in. I did it almost as an afterthought, not really thinking it would be needed. It seems my instincts were correct and it was the right precaution to take.
I motion for the Halfling to remain quiet and to follow me. He hesitates and I know he is thinking of his mother, but he must see the look in my eyes because he nods quickly and begins to follow me. The further away we are, the safer his mother will be.
I make my way to a small gate that I noticed earlier in my assessment of the back of the yard. It is dark now so the only light we have is from the moon. My eyes had adjusted almost instantly to the
dark when I woke up, but I stay close to the Halfling to help guide him through the gate.
There is a pathway leading from the gate further down onto the beach. It is made of tiny pebbles that I fear will make a slight crunching noise when we take steps. I try to take as few as possible knowing the Faery that is hunting us can probably hear. My steps are light and make no noise at all. Part of being Fae is being able to be stealthy. I listen carefully for any other noise but there is none at all. I expected to hear at least a small crunch from the Halflings feet, but he is not making any noise either. The Halfling is not only keeping up but he is moving as quietly as I am. He is fast and stealthy and his instinct to trust me is taking over. This will prove to be very helpful on what I fear is going to be a long and hard journey.
We make our way along the path quickly and finally reach the narrow wooded boardwalk that leads over the sand dunes and out onto the beach. For once I find myself thankful for the beach. The sound of the waves crashing will help to camouflage any noise we make and the wind will help to hide our scent in the air. The only downfall is that it will do the same for the Faery that is following us. I will not be able to tell how close they are until it is probably too late.
Once our feet hit the sand, we both sprint down the beach as fast as we can. The Halfling pulls ahead of me and I allow this. He is more familiar with this area and will be able to lead us to a better hiding place quickly.
As we run, I try to formulate a plan in my head. I know we cannot shimmer into Faery Land, but I did not try opening a portal to another location in the human world. I was awaiting Damien’s response as to whether or not this was still possible. I will just have to take a chance and try. If we can do this, the Faery that is hunting us will lose our scent and have a harder time tracking us. This will buy me some time to prepare for the fight that I know is coming. I just hope that we will not have to run all night.
The Halfling takes a sharp turn in front of me and I quickly follow. We are now running between two houses very similar to the one the Halfling lives in. We make our way to the street in front, then quickly turn again to run down the street. After a few more sharp turns the Halfling ducks into an abandoned home.
I follow the Halfling into the building as he continues to weave around empty boxes, old furniture, and a large amount of trash. The house smells horrible, but this will help hide our scent while we figure out where to go from here.
We finally come to a stop in front of a wooden door that leads into another room. The Halfling turns the knob and pushes but the door does not open. He has to lean his entire body onto the door and shove until it finally opens with a loud groan.
The room is dark and dusty. There appears to be cob webs hanging from the ceiling and on the different items in the room. The Halfling shoves the door shut behind me. I stop with my hands on my knees to take a few deep breaths. I will my heart beat to slow and my breathing to calm. I look over to see the Halfling doing the same thing.
We have been running full speed for about fifteen minutes. We are both heavily winded but I know the Halfling is prepared to keep going if we need to, just as I am. After a few moments of silence to catch our breath, the Halfling straightens and looks at me.
“Will my mom be safe?” he asks.
I nod my head.
He studies me for just a moment, once he seems satisfied with my answer he continues, “Okay. Tell me what you need me to do to keep her that way.”
“We need to get away from here. If I can open a portal to somewhere else in the human world, we will be able to lose the Faery for a time and formulate a counter attack.”
He raises one eyebrow at me, “Counter attack?”
“Yes, Halfling. Fae do not shoot arrows at other Fae for fun. Fae do not track other Fae to a human’s house just for laughs. I am being hunted and it is safest to assume that I am to be killed. We will need a plan and a safe place to make them. I am afraid this is not that place. The forest is where we need to go, Halfling.”
“We? You are the one being hunted. Why can’t you just leave me here? Leave me out of this? And my name is Reed.”
“You have made a vow to me, Halfling. You must come with me to Faery Land and until we can get there, you must come with me where it is safe.”
“And that would be the forest?” he ask sarcastically.
“Yes.”
“Well I don’t know what forests you have been in, but the ones I know of are not very safe. There are wild animals, poisonous snakes, and spiders,” he pauses to shudder mockingly before continuing “it’s wet and cold, and there aren’t any fast food restaurants around. How is that safe?”
“The forest is the closest thing to home in the human world for the Fae. We do not have to fight the interference of the sounds and smells of the city so we are able to feel and use our magic more freely. I will be more alert and able to protect us there until I can open the portals once again.”
“How do we get to the forest?”
“I should be able to open a portal and we can shimmer to where ever we need to go.”
“But you just said you couldn’t open a portal.” He smiles like he has caught me in a lie.
“Listen Halfling, I do not have time for these questions and games. I am unable to open a portal to Faery Land but I might be able to open a portal within the human world. If I can do this, we will be able to travel more quickly and lose our enemy at the same time.”
“Okay, okay. No portal to Faery Land…we can shimmy to other places though. No more questions… right now.” He winks before continuing, “Would you mind calling me by my name though? It’s Reed, just in case you forgot.”
“Thank you. And, no.” I walk to the window that is covered in dust and try to peer out onto the street. I do not see or hear anything so we should still have time.
“No, what? No, you won’t call me Reed or no you didn’t forget?”
“It is not important now. Could you please remain quiet so that I may concentrate?” It does not really matter if he is quiet or not, but I am tired of hearing him talk.
I move away from the window and into the center of the room. I hear the Halfling mumbling under his breath, but I tune him out as I concentrate on where I want to go. I remember another mission I did a few months before. I went to a small town that was surrounded by forests and mountains. It was located north from where we are now. I picture where I want the portal to open, just outside of the forest near a gas station on a long strip of highway that is usually quiet and absent of humans.
I feel the magic pulse through me and open my eyes to see the shimmering portal open before me.
It is quiet in the room; the Halfling has stopped mumbling to himself and is now staring at the portal as if he cannot believe what he is seeing. I am sure it is all difficult for him to take in at once, but unfortunately we do not have the time for baby steps.
“Come Halfling; take my hand so that we may proceed through the portal.” I extend my hand to him and wait for him to grasp it.
“Will it hurt?” he asks as he hesitantly places his hand in mine. His hand is warm and sweaty, probably from being nervous, but his grip is strong and sure. I take one step forward, turn to him and let go of his hand.
He looks down at his hand then back at me. He blinks his eyes and slowly turns around until he is facing me again. He blinks again, as if giving the image before him one last chance to change. When this does not work he finally whispers, “Wow!”
We are standing on a deserted road just next to the tree line of a forest.
Chapter 6
It is the middle of the night so it is dark and because of the change in atmosphere, the temperature is much cooler here. The fresh air feels nice and refreshing against my skin. My skin still feels dry from the salt and overexposure to the sun earlier, but that is nothing that a quick dip in a lake or stream will not fix.
I take a deep breath and sigh in relief as the clean crisp air of the forest fills my lungs. It is still the human w
orld, but the difference in the air here is so drastic, that if I close my eyes I can briefly let myself believe that I am back in Faery Land…until I hear the roar of an engine. I blink my eyes open to see the faint glow of head lights approaching.
I quickly grab the Halfling’s hand and pull him into the forest behind a tree as we watch the truck quickly pass by. Sometimes it is easier to just hide than to use my magic and glamour.
Once the truck has passed, I take a moment to look around and orient myself with my surroundings. We are right where I wanted to be. There is a small gas station up the road and nothing but trees around for miles and miles. This is why I chose this location. The gas station will provide the items that we will need and the lack of humans around will ensure our privacy and safety.
The Halfling still has not said anything since we arrived, so I turn to him now to make sure he is okay. He seems to have recovered from his initial shock because he is now taking in the surroundings as well, with an almost critical eye. It is as if he is planning and calculating as well. It irritates me a little that he is trying to help with our strategy. I am the warrior and the Faery; therefore I am the one that will be doing all the planning and the Halfling will be the one doing all of the following.
“Come, Halfling.” We may as well start now.
“Reed” is all he says as he follows me down the road in the direction of the gas station. We stay close to the tree line in case there are any more cars, but we do not see any on the way to our destination.
I pull my glamour back into place and also shield the Halfling with glamour so that he will not be recognized or remembered. As I do so, the Halfling’s head snaps up, looking at me in question. He has felt the slight tingling of the magic run through his body.
“So the clerk will not remember you,” is the only explanation I give him before opening the door and walking into the store.