Emma and the Silverbell Faeries

by Matthew S. Cox

  A thick grassy aroma pervaded the air, laced with a hint of flowers. Buzzing announced the presence of a handful of mouseaters a short distance away. At the arrival of the egg-sized bees, Kimber gasped and clung to Emma.

  “Tell ’em nae sting us,” whispered Kimber.

  Emma patted the hand clinging to her arm. “They won’t sting unless you get too close to their nest or try to hit them.” Her anxiety built the closer they got to the place, worse since Tam didn’t seem to realize where they’d gone.

  Soon, they reached the gate in the wooden fence around the Cooper farm.

  “Mama,” asked Emma. “Should I take Tam somewhere else?”

  Tam looked at her, confused.

  “Why?” Mama raised an eyebrow.

  Emma nodded toward the house. “Rydh…”

  “I’m not ’fraid of him.” Tam patted the handle of his wooden sword. “Imma knight.”

  Mama held back her grin. “Oh, I doubt that boy will be a bother to you.”

  Emma squeezed his hand. “All right.”

  A winding path led between two fields planted high with corn and wheat. The end opened onto a longer, wider path that curved off eastward to larger fields out in the plains. Tiny figures, farmhands, milled about, looking like bugs from so far away. Straight ahead past a grove of aspen trees stood the Cooper’s two-story farmhouse. To the left of the house, Rydh Cooper and two smaller boys lobbed rocks at a stream.

  Despite being thirteen, Rydh had the size of a much older boy, nearly as tall as Da. Fluffy reddish hair made him seem even taller. His friends, both on the skinny side, looked like little children next to him even though they had to be at least twelve.

  Kimber drifted to the right amid the aspen grove, drawn to a swing hanging from a thick branch. Emma followed her while Mama kept going on toward the house. No doubt, she wanted to check up on the new calf and its mother, since the birth two weeks prior had been difficult. Again, Emma resisted her curiosity for the sake of allowing Tam some distance from the Cooper home. If Mama had thought she needed to learn anything here, she would’ve said so.

  Kimber pulled herself up on the swing, smiled, and got it moving.

  Rydh had gone statue still since he’d spotted them, gaze locked on Emma. The expression on his face said he’d likely run off screaming if she so much as glared at him.

  Tam grumbled.

  “What?” she whispered.

  “Rydh’s ’fraid of you.” He scrunched up his nose. “He’s not ’fraid of me.”

  An older man answered the door, spoke to Mama for a few seconds, and walked with her around to a fenced-in area where cows grazed.

  Emma turned her head to the left, meeting Rydh’s gaze. He flinched. Does he think I’m going to hurt him? She tried to ask ‘what?’ with her eyes, but the huge boy didn’t react. The sight of him cowed at her mere presence bothered her. It’s not like she’d flown in on him like Nan had come after the thieves. Seeing the look on Nan’s face when the cellar door opened both frightened her and brought comfort. She’d never seen the old one so angry, neither before nor since, and that she had become so because Emma’s life had been threatened filled her with tingles and warmth whenever she thought about it.

  Still, having Rydh Cooper ready to run away from her didn’t sit well in her stomach. While she remained cross with him for breaking Tam’s toy, his continued dread of her brought guilt. With all the townspeople learning she had ‘the gift’ as well, perhaps the boy thought Emma was too much ‘forest witch’ and not enough Mama.

  “Tam. Stay here with Kimber. I’ll be right back.”

  “’Kay,” muttered Tam, squeezing the handle of his wooden sword. “If he’s mean, I’ma thump him.”

  “Protect Kimber in case there’s goblins hiding in the grove.” Emma winked.

  Kimber put a hand over her grin to muffle a giggle.

  Tam nodded.

  Emma pivoted on her heel and walked up a shallow hill toward the side of the house, straight at the three older boys. Rydh leaned away, causing the other two to snicker at him. She stopped a few paces distant and put her hands on her hips.

  “Rydh… why are you afraid of me?”

  She almost smiled at watching this near-adult-sized boy’s cheeks wobble with fear. He stood at least a foot and a half taller than her and had to weigh three times as much, yet he looked ready to flee. When he’d crushed Stick Knight’s horse, she hadn’t even believed in magic. She’d gone into a frenzy, punching at his face, but couldn’t possibly have hurt a boy that big. The other two had Emma by about five inches in height.

  “Hullo, Emma,” muttered Rydh. “Here to see the cows?”

  “Hey Rydh,” said the boy on the right. He had light brown hair and large eyes that would’ve made him appear innocent if not for his malevolent smile. “This is the girl you’re afraid of? She’s smaller than a faerie.”

  “Umm.” Rydh fidgeted.

  Emma tilted her head. “I’m not going to hurt you unless you tease my brother again. You don’t have to be scared of me.”

  The brown-haired boy laughed, pointing at Rydh. “You are! You’re really afraid of this little twig.”

  “She’s a witch, Alan,” muttered the black-haired boy.

  Alan walked up to Emma, a cocky grin on his lips. “She’s a little tiny thing. You ought’a toss ’er in the pig wallow. Show her not to threaten you.”

  Rydh’s bushy red eyebrows crept together. “I don’t hit girls… An’ she killed that bander-thing, an’ a wizard, an’ like a hundred thieves.”

  Emma rolled her eyes. “I didn’t―”

  “Yeah, right,” said Alan. He leaned at her, glowering. “I smell horse apples.”

  She folded her arms, shifting her weight onto one leg. “A cursed grown man chased me through the woods with an axe bigger than you are. I’m not at all afraid of you.”

  “Oh, really?” Alan grabbed two fistfuls of her dress and swung her to his left, pressing her into the wall of the house, holding her up off her feet. “What are you gonna do, huh? Maybe I should knock some respect into you?”

  The black-haired boy got paler. “Maybe you shouldn’t do―”

  “Shut up, Conall,” barked Alan.

  “Stop,” said Rydh, putting a bear-paw hand on the smaller boy’s shoulder. “Don’t hurt girls.”

  Tam let out a war cry and charged up the grove. Alan ignored him, pushing Emma into the house until his knuckles dug painfully into her chest. Rydh tugged on him but not with enough motivation to move him. Conall took a step back as if expecting something bad to happen.

  “Yaaaaah!” screamed Tam. He sprinted up and walloped Alan in the back with his sword.

  The older boy grunted but didn’t move. “Grab that little turd. He hits me again, I’m going to break that stick over his head.”

  “Mama!” yelled Kimber. “Mama!”

  “Aww, little girl crying for her mommy,” muttered Alan, his sinister grin baring teeth. “Come on, little forest witch.” He lifted her a few inches higher.

  Tam smacked Alan in the back of the leg. The strike made a sharp snap, but only caused the boy’s face to redden in anger.

  “Rydh!” said Alan. “Grab that little snot, now.”

  “Put her down.” Rydh stepped between Tam and Alan, but didn’t attempt to grab him.

  Emma scowled at Alan and muttered, “Great Uruleth, please lend me your strength.”

  The boy let off a gasp as faint green light swam over Emma’s body and a mild, sudden breeze kicked her hair about. She grabbed Alan’s wrists and pulled his grip away from her dress, sliding down the wall to her feet. Once her toes had purchase on solid dirt, she leaned forward and shoved him with both hands. The growl of an annoyed bear came out of her, much deeper than any noise that ought to have come from her small body.

  Alan flew as if a grown man had thrown him. He landed hard on his back a few paces away, barking like a kicked goose. Tam raised his sword and started to charge, but Emma clamped a hand on his s
houlder, holding him back.

  “Stop, Tam.”

  Her brother twisted around, blinking at her in confusion.

  “Knights don’t hit their opponents when they’re down.”

  Tam nodded and pointed his sword at Alan. “Unhand my si―the maiden.”

  Alan flapped his arms and wheezed, gawping at the air like a landed fish.

  Conall rushed over and pulled Alan up into a sitting position. Alan coughed and got wind in his lungs again a few seconds later. Both of the smaller boys gawked at her in fear while Rydh looked ashamed of himself.

  “She is a forest witch,” whispered Conall.

  “What’s going on here?” asked Mama after jogging over.

  “Alan was hittin’ Em, but she thumped him!” Tam held up his sword. “I thumped him too.”

  Mama looked at Emma, raising a questioning eyebrow.

  “It’s fine, Mama. Alan pushed me into the wall ’cause he said I was too small to frighten Rydh. He thought I was going to be afraid of him.”

  “I’m sorry, Mrs. Dalen.” Rydh stared at the dirt, kicking it. “Alan’s makin’ fun of me for bein’ feared o’ Emma.”

  Emma brushed the rumples out of her dress where Alan had grabbed her. “I didn’t kill the wizard. Spiders as big as horses did, because he hurt Mama. I didn’t kill any thieves either. Mama and Nan scared them out of the forest because they kidnapped me.” She walked up to Rydh. “I don’t have any quarrel with you as long as you leave my brother alone.”

  Alan wheezed, still struggling to breathe.

  “Uh huh, Emma.” Rydh nodded. “I won’ bother ’im.”

  “I still think you’re nasty for stepping on his toy. That was mean.”

  Rydh scratched his head behind his right ear. “I stepped on a pile of sticks… didn’t mean to. When he cried, I, uhh, thought it was kinda silly he cried over sticks is all.”

  Emma frowned. “It’s not what it was… it’s what Tam thought it to be. To him, those sticks were a knight’s warhorse. Besides… you’re thirteen and huge. Picking on a boy half your age doesn’t prove you’re strong. It proves you’re afraid of anyone who can fight back. You’re even afraid of Alan… you wanted to pull him away from me but didn’t.”

  Rydh fidgeted. “I didn’t wanna hurt him. Pa says I’m too strong for my own good.”

  Emma’s angry glare softened a touch.

  “Alan Miller,” said Mama. “What’s gotten into you? I mean to have a talk with your mother about what you did.”

  He bowed his head. “Yes, ma’am. I’m sorry.”

  He’s only sorry because he got caught. Emma decided against doing anything more, since the two other boys already appeared frightened of her. She looked up at Mama. “Are the cows healthy?”

  Mama smiled. “Yes, Em. They’re both doing well. Come along then… I’ve another elixir to drop off, and the Holsteads are expecting me.”

  “Baby!” cheered Kimber. “He’s so adorable! Do you think Anna will let me hold him?”

  “Maybe.” Mama winked. “But you’ll have to ask politely.”

  Kimber jumped up and down, clapping.

  Alan wandered off toward the stream, grumbling and kicking dirt. Conall followed, glancing back over his shoulder at Emma.

  “Sorry, Emma,” said Rydh. “I shouldn’t ’ave let ’im push you into the wall. Want me to hit him?”

  Emma shook her head. “No. You’re right. You’ll probably hurt him.”

  “If you’as like Julianna, you’as ought’a talk tae her,” said Kimber.

  Rydh’s cheeks went as red as his hair.

  Tam made a gagging face.

  “All right, children. Come along.” Mama took Tam and Kimber by the hand and started in the direction of town.

  Emma followed, walking slow for a few steps while grinning back over her shoulder at Rydh. It seemed maybe he wasn’t quite the nasty sort of person she’d assumed. He’s like a big bear afraid of its own strength. She’d have to talk to Julianna again since she hadn’t spoken kindly of the boy to her. Perhaps if she went with Mama on her errands again tomorrow, though she’d likely be sent into town soon enough. Stopping by the blacksmith’s for a moment shouldn’t be a problem.

  She smiled at Mama and followed her back toward town. All the while, Kimber rambled happily about getting to hold Anna’s infant son.

  ith no errands begging her attention the next day, Mama spent some time after breakfast teaching Emma about Linganthas, the spirit who looked over plants in all forms. Everything from the great trees to creeping ivy, flowers, and even weeds. He could make plants grow faster, make them grow backwards and become smaller, create bramble patches or giant roots. To demonstrate, Mama called a tendril of vine as thick as Da’s arm, which made a whipping motion in the air a few times like Tam ‘fighting goblins.’

  Kimber and Tam ran about the meadow, a little farther from the house than where Emma sat with her mother in the grass.

  “When you get a little older and you’ve had more time to let magic flow through you, you can try to ask Linganthas for aid.”

  Emma nodded.

  “You can also ask the roots for help.” Mama smiled and raised her hand. The root coiled around Emma as gentle as could be, and lifted her up to the height of the house’s roof. “If you needed to climb over a wall.” The root lowered her and set her on her feet. A second later, it coiled around her, pinning her arms at her sides. “And if you want to stop a fight without hurting someone…”

  Emma squirmed, emitting a playful growl. The root unwound and sank back into the earth. Mama took a seed from a pouch on her belt and poked it into the ground.

  “Ask Linganthas to help make that melon grow,” said Mama.

  Emma scooted to kneel next to her.

  “Nan asked him to make the cherry tree big, didn’t she?” Emma grinned and held her hands over the tiny hole in the soil.

  “Perhaps a bit more than that.” Mama winked. “That tree’s got a spirit.”

  “She trapped a ghost in it?” Emma blinked.

  Mama laughed. “No, Em. She channeled so much energy into the sapling that the tree’s spirit grew stronger than most.”

  “I sensed it when I picked cherries. The tree knew I was there.” Emma smiled again and focused on the spot of ground beneath her hands. “Linganthas, please hurry this little seed along. Grant it a whisper of your breath.” She tried to picture the little black dot, and as she did with her healing spell, desired energy to flow into the seed. A slight phantom tug pulled at her, and three inches of stem popped up. “He listened!”

  Mama beamed with pride.

  Emma sat back on her heels and looked up. “That little sprout won’t stop a wizard.”

  “Em.” Her mother’s smile faded. She put a hand on Emma’s shoulder. “Almost all of the spirits can be called upon for protection. The more you talk to Linganthas, the more you will be able to ask him for. You pictured that melon seed growing. What your magic does will change depending on what you envision, and what you ask. Linganthas knew how much I wanted to protect you, and how I needed to stop that man from using his magic.”

  “I’m sorry.” Emma bowed her head. After a second or two of sniffling, she leaned over and hugged her mother. “You got hurt because I was foolish.”

  Mama stroked her hair for a few silent minutes until she calmed. “Everything we do is a chance to learn. I’m sure you learned quite a lot from the choices you made that day.”

  Emma nodded. “Yes.”

  Attempting to evade the ‘princess’ trying to kiss him, Sir Tam ran while looking back over his shoulder at Kimber, and careened into one of the workmen. He bounced off and landed on his bum, while the man flailed his arms after dropping the board he had been attempting to hammer in place. Kimber went from giggling to frozen still, staring in fear at the worker.

  “Em, why don’t you take them to the stream for a bit? It’s warm today, and there won’t be too many more warm days left this year. I’ll see if I can give the
men a little something to speed them along.”

  “Sorry!” yelled Tam. He rolled onto all fours and sprinted for Mama, as wide-eyed as if he fled from an enraged troll.

  The workman shook his head and stooped to pick up the board.

  “Yes, Mama.” Emma stood. “I’ll keep him away from the workers.”

  Mama held back the laugh, but couldn’t stop from smiling.

  “I didn’t mean to,” whined Tam, as he ran around to hide behind Mama. When it became clear the man would not give chase, he relaxed.

  Kimber trotted over, still with an uneasy expression.

  “Let’s go swim.” Emma pointed at the woods. “It’s warm.”

  He grinned ear-to-ear.

  “All right.” Kimber nibbled on her lip with an expression like she contemplated doing something she’d get in trouble for, but wanted to do anyway.

  Mama patted Emma’s back and kissed her atop the head. “Keep an ear out. I’ll call for you in a bit when it’s time to eat.”

  Emma headed off toward the creek while Mama went into the house. She held her hands out to the side, caressing tall yellow flowers poking above the meadow grass. White butterflies zipped and corkscrewed, flitting in and out of view amid the green. After crossing the remainder of the meadow, she led the way into the Widowswood Forest. The trees wrapped around her like a welcoming embrace, and she found herself smiling at them.

  A few minutes later, Emma halted at the side of the stream and tested with a toe. She cringed, but she’d gone into colder water before and the season didn’t have many days left in it that would allow them to swim.

  Tam flung off his tunic and breeches before diving in without the slightest bit of hesitation. He stayed under for a five-count before bursting up from the surface and cheering.

  Kimber also stuck her toes in the creek. “Eee! Is ’a cold!”

  “A little.” Emma pulled her blue dress off, wadded it up, and dropped it next to Tam’s clothes. She leaned close to Kimber and whispered, “Mama wanted me to keep Tam away from the workers… you don’t have to go in if you don’t want to.”

  Kimber giggled. “Aye. He makin’ ae mess.”