Of Gods and Fae

by Tom Keller

  "Thank you for your hospitality. I am Siegfried and this is Gerda. Our companions, Rupertos and Diantha, and the hounds Charlie and Sophie you have already met. There is little to tell, all was quiet when I left Jotunheim as a youth. I have called Midguard my home for many years. Now, my friends and I travel the different realms, yet perhaps one day we will return."

  "Midguard?" the Elf said, suddenly looking around the room to make sure we were still alone. "Perhaps it would be best not to mention that too loudly."

  "Why?" Siegfried asked, a look of feigned concern on his face. "I had not heard that travel from that world was forbidden here."

  "Forbidden? No, not forbidden," Handion replied. "But frowned upon, certainly. The Dryad here are a reserved clan and travel to Midguard is… discouraged." He began to say more but the front door opened and another group of travelers entered the room. "We will talk more of this later," he said, rising to greet them.

  I was about to ask Siegfried what he thought, but Lotte took that moment to arrive at the table, and with her, a tray of meats, cheeses and breads. Just the aroma of the fresh food got my stomach rumbling. With too many ears now in the room, I decided to let my stomach do the talking and picked up a loaf of steaming bread, breaking off a piece and handing the rest to Diantha. If I learned nothing else for a while I was content knowing that the food and drink, at least, were delicious.

  As the place began to fill with travelers I encouraged the others to mingle and listen. After a while I stood up and stretched, telling Diantha that I needed a walk after such a meal. Going outside I milled around the front a bit before walking out to the field behind the stable where, after feeling confident I wasn't followed, I summoned Sendy. As before, she appeared at my shoulder within seconds. Making sure once more that we weren't being watched, I removed a bundle from my cloak.

  "I brought food," I said, sitting down on the grass. I unwrapped the bread and cheeses I had slipped off the plate earlier and offered it to her, along with the half bottle of wine.

  "Thank you, I am famished," she said growing back to normal size. She didn’t fully reappear, but she could plainly be seen now, even if partially transparent. She was learning.

  "So what's it look like?"

  "Quiet," she answered. "There are more travelers now, but there is little movement between the outskirts here and the city." She paused a moment to take a few bites. "The land along the path is similar to this place. Forest dotted with houses and inns, a few stables and the like, but little else. "

  "Did you see any of it? The city I mean."

  "Little, it is surrounded by great trees, many times larger than those here. The forest is old, perhaps as old as the land itself. I flew as high as possible. The Temple you seek lies almost in the center. There is a clearing there and it sits on the land beside a swift running stream. As for the Dryad themselves, their homes are built in the trees. I could see bridges between individual trees and structures among the branches and around the trunks. It is beautiful to behold, but watched, so I dared not go too close."

  "Watched, you mean guarded?"

  "Not by warriors, although I do not doubt that they are within. No, the magic comes from the trees themselves, as if each watches and protects the Dryad that reside among them."

  "Thank you," I said, thinking that if the trees were the guardians I might have a chance to get in unseen. "One more thing, how far is the Temple from here?"

  "Five, maybe six leagues, although the forest that holds the city begins in about four."

  "Ok, see if you can find some less travelled paths leading into the old forest, then stay close, I can’t say when we’ll go in but it may be sooner than I originally anticipated."

  "As you wish, my Lord," she replied, handing me the now empty bottle. She popped the last morsel of food into her mouth and once again began to shrink and fade from normal view.

  As I was heading back to the inn, I saw the quiet Fae named Karl that had retrieved Siegfried's boar come out of the stable. He crossed in front of me, stopped, looked directly at me and then motioned back at the stable with his eyes before continuing on to what must have been a service door on the side of the building. Caught off guard by the gesture I none the less changed direction and walked over to the stable doors.

  Handion was inside scooping oats, or some similar grain, into a feed tray by one of the stalls. He looked up as I crossed into the stable.

  "I wonder," he said, holding out the now empty bucket in front of me. "Can you lend a hand?"

  "Of course," I said as I reached out for it.

  He picked up another bucket by his feet and gestured for me to follow him, stopping in front of a group of barrels. Taking off the lid he scooped grain into both the pails and then walked over to another stall.

  "You can tell a lot about someone by the company he keeps, wouldn’t you say?" he said as he filled the trough with the grain.

  "I suppose you can," I answered, now alert to something out of the ordinary happening.

  "Take your dogs for example," he continued. "Now, Sophie I know, and a fine judge of character she is. And your hound, Karalos is it?"

  I nodded in agreement but said nothing, noting that he had used Charlie's formal name.

  "He is from a mighty line. Originally bred in the forests of Arcadia, I believe. No finer hunting dogs exist, or at least so I am told. Here, let me show you something," he said, taking an apple from the pocket of the apron he wore and handing it to me.

  As I took the apple, a horse's head, black as the darkest night, appeared from the shadow of the stall that he stood in front of. With a snort that could have awakened the dead, it moved towards me, sniffing for the apple as Handion opened the stall's door. As it came forward I held the apple up in front of its mouth.

  Instead of taking it, the animal reared up on two legs and whinnied, then came out of the stall completely and I could see its wings as they spread out. As it came back down it folded its front legs, as if bowing to me, then stood back up, snorted again, and softly took the apple from my hand. Handion gave the great beast another one and gently led it back to its stall.

  "Let me introduce you to Althaea. She is a Pterippus. A descendant of the great winged horse, Pegasus. It is said that when Zeus placed Pegasus upon the heavens to rest, a single feather fell to the ground. What is not generally known, is that from that feather, seven Pterippi sprung forth. Three black, three white, and one of dappled coat."

  "A beautiful creature," I said, walking back up to the stall to stroke the large horses head. "I had no idea that they existed."

  "Few do, as there are still only seven, and seldom are they seen. Even in the Fae lands they prefer to remain hidden. Althaea, unlike her siblings, occasionally likes to dine on my fine hay, and, of course, feast on the apples. Isn’t that right, girl?" he asked, before turning back to me. "The Epimeliads have a grove nearby and always leave a bushel or two when they know she is nearby," he replied.

  The large horse whinnied again and Handion pulled two more from his apron, handing them to her. "What kind of inn would I be running if I did not know what my guests needed?" he added with a laugh, patting the horse.

  "To be sure." There was something familiar about this conversation. It almost reminded me of something Bernd had said in our last meeting. But where was all this leading? Just because I sensed no threat didn’t mean that none was involved. So I decided to get right to the point, or at least, what I thought the point was, character references notwithstanding. "Handion, since you brought it up, what is it that you think I might need? Since I suppose I can call myself a guest as well."

  "A guest? Of course you are a guest. Why else would we be having this conversation? Come, there is one more thing I must show you," he said as he walked over to me and took me by the shoulder, turning and leading me to the back of the stable looking over same field I had come from.

  "Did you know that the forest that is home to the Dryads here is the oldest in all of the Fae realms?"

&
nbsp; "No," I answered. "I hadn’t realized that." Had he somehow heard my conversation with Sendy?

  "Why should you?" he laughed. "You are on the outskirts of this realm and these trees here are certainly not that old. But just a few leagues further inward lies the ancient home of the Dryad, and the Goddess Demeter." He walked to a window at the back of the stable and pushed open the shutters, spreading his arms. He used them to gesture at the world around him as he turned from side to side.

  "No, no, closed it all is now and so it has been since The Fall. But before, oh…before. You should have seen the worlds of those times. Magnificent…wonderful…and open to all. Travel between the worlds was as simple as wishing to be there. But alas, The Fall occurred, and with it, the war. Much has changed since then, and with those changes, much sadness has entered the worlds of the Fae." He became silent for a moment before turning back to address me.

  "Imagine," he said pointing beyond the field. "If you were to walk but a few leagues in that direction. You would stumble across a small poppy field, and beyond that, just across the spring that still flows, two large oaks. Then, as now, the gate remains hidden. But in those times that was the very spot that Demeter used when she wished to leave her Temple in secret. It is the trees. Their branches are intertwined and so form a hidden tunnel that runs the distance from her poppy fields to the Temple following the old stream.

  "But, of course, that part of the forest is ill kept and overgrown and who knows what dangers exist there these days. So I cannot say if the way is even passable, but it makes for interesting history. Does it not?"

  "Why are you telling me all this?" I asked. He had to know who I was or why tell me about this apparently unguarded entrance to the Temple. Suddenly I felt a nudge against my back and I took a few steps, almost going for my sword. My hand was on its hilt as I turned, and luckily, I caught myself before I pulled it out when I realized it was Althaea, the winged horse, that stood behind me.

  "Why not?" he asked. "Did I not say that you can tell much about someone by the company he keeps?"

  "Yeah, but what does that have to do with what you just told me?"

  "Perhaps I did not tell you everything about the Pterippi," he replied, smiling as he walked back up to the horse and patted its muzzle. "They bow to no one, save the Gods themselves." Without another word he walked out of the stable, leaving me alone with the great winged horse.

  I was speechless.

  Althaea came closer and nudged me again. She bowed her head and stomped her front hooves a few times. Suddenly I felt a warmth emanate from the sword I carried in the small of my back, the sword once wielded by both Cronus and later, Zeus himself. With it, words formed in my mind as the great horse turned back to follow in the direction Handion had gone.

  "Worry not while you are under this roof for this Elf is a competent host. As for when your journey continues, if you need us, we will come."

  ****

  The room was still busy as I walked back in. Eyeing Siegfried at the bar, I wandered over and took a place next to him. "So what do you hear?" I asked.

  "Absolutely nothing," he answered, taking a long drink from a tankard he had sitting in front of him. "Merely talk of travels and, believe it or not, the weather. I have heard nothing that should concern us."

  "Good, let's stay the night then. Handion," I called, the Elf now back behind the bar filling mugs from a tap. "Do you have a couple rooms available?"

  "Aye, two rooms it is," he yelled back over the din, treating me like any other patron. A moment later he slid over and placed a mug in front of me. "Just let me know when you are ready."

  "You wish to stay here?" Siegfried asked.

  "At least for tonight."

  I scanned the room looking for Diantha as I took a long drink, considering what had just happened. Had an Elf actually just handed me the keys to the kingdom of the Dryad? But why… and how had he known who I was? Perhaps Althaea was the reason? But then how did she know I would be coming here? There were just too many questions with no real answers.

  "Hey, where are the girls?"

  "Over there," he indicated by raising his mug towards the far side of the room. "Talking to the Oread and the Pegaeae."

  I turned to look at where he pointed. I could now see Diantha and Gerda sitting at the table with three other Fae, one female and two males. Then I remembered something.

  "Pegaeae... Pegaeae? Wait a minute, aren’t those Naiads?"

  "Yes, as a matter of fact they are the Nymphs of springs, and the Oreads are Fae of mountain valleys," Siegfried answered. "These three came in together. Gerda met the Oread at the bar and was soon flirting with him. Diantha joined her later. They moved to a table before you came in. Why? What are you thinking?"

  "I'm not sure, but it's nothing that can't wait. What about the dogs?"

  "They followed another hound out the side door. One known to Sophie and the Elf."

  "Ok, I'll check on them in a bit. For now, just play the part of a tourist. Have some fun. I'll call you when I need you."

  I didn't have a chance to say anything to Siegfried about my recent meeting. Even though I sensed no danger from anyone in the room there were just too many ears. Especially since at least one Fae, the Elf, had to know what I was. Assuming he was telling the truth, and the winged horse seemed to confirm that he was, our presence had not set off any alarms. Well, at least not from our enemies. If I told him now he would start preparing immediately, so perhaps it was better to let it wait. Besides, a little break would do him some good. I think that for all his accomplishments on the human worlds, he missed being in Fae lands.

  Of course, I still had to consider what was happening. First, Handion and the winged horse. Then the directions to the gate, and now Nymphs of the streams. Interesting when you consider we apparently have to cross one to reach the entrance. That was one helluva coincidence. Once again, I was just gonna have to play the cards I was dealt and hope they were as good as they looked.

  I finished my mug and walked over to where Diantha and Gerda were sitting. Kneeling between the two I let them know that we had rooms and to just keep their ears open. Diantha made introductions and after a few minutes of idle chit-chat, I excused myself to go check on the dogs. As I stood up, Diantha leaned over and touched my shoulder.

  "This Spring Faerie seems fascinated by you," she whispered in my ear as she gestured at the blonde, fair skinned Fae at the table. "Perhaps you should spend some time with her."

  I eyed her curiously as she stood up.

  "We shall return shortly," she said to the group and started walking me to the side door, pointing. "Charlie went this way," she said in a loud voice.

  I let her lead me to the doorway.

  "She has been watching you since you came back in. I cannot tell if she is enamored with you or if it is something else. Still, I have seen nothing that concerns me and neither has Gerda."

  I twisted my head to glance back at the table and saw the nymph avert her eyes from my gaze. "What do you recommend?"

  "Personally," she said with a grin. "Since I sense no evil about her I'd say you should bed her and learn what you can."

  "I'm not sure that's helpful."

  "I am being serious, my Lord," she responded. "These are Fae, they are not… prudish… as mortals are. Just look around, sex is a normal custom here, as you would see if you would just open your eyes."

  This is an example where I have problems thinking like a Fae. As a human male, I like sex as much as anyone. As a human male in my fifty's, it's not as important as it used to be. But I wasn't a human male, and since the Fae side of me had been released, I didn't feel like I was in my fifty's either. Diantha's comment reminded me of one Charlie had also recently made, so I took another look around the room. This time, I saw things differently.

  I still tend to think like a human so it's easy for me to forget that sex is a big part of Fae culture. Hell, to them, sex is the equivalent of dinner on a first date. They even use it to forge agre
ements, as I learned when I formed an alliance with the Nereid. Now that's not to say that everybody jumps in the sack with each other five minutes after a meet and greet. But it does mean that if you're interested, there's no harm in asking another Fae if they are as well.

  I can see why the Greeks revered them. Damn near every Fae I'd ever seen was young and beautiful, at least when in their Fae persona, and that included the males. Ok, maybe not everyone, but for the most part it was a pretty common trait, at least among the Nymphs. You didn’t even have to worry about disease, now that part of magic has its benefits. And jealousy? Where else are you gonna find the woman you slept with last night recommending that you bed the Fae knockout sitting next to her?

  Of course, sex was part of what got the old God's in trouble. Always screwing someone else's lover when it wasn't appropriate and doing it by using magic to trick the other person. Leave it to them to not understand the word no. It's no wonder they're all gone now.

  But as I looked around the room I did notice a lot of flirtatious behavior between guests, not to mention that the two Fae heading up the stairs to the rooms were acting awful cozy with one another. I really hated it when Diantha was right.

  "Fine, you bring up a good point, I'll consider it. But I do have to see to the dogs first, as well as Sendy."

  "Thank you, my Lord," she said with a sparkle in her eye. "That is all I ask."

  I headed out the door and found myself in a small courtyard with a garden. The smell of fresh vegetables flooded my senses as I looked around for the animals. I found Charlie, Sophie, and another dog on the grass chewing on what I guessed were some of the bones from the boar we'd brought. When he saw me, Charlie got up and walked over, only putting the bone down when he was at my feet. I guess even Fae hunting dogs get possessive when it comes to their bones.

  I sat down on the grass, rubbed his head, and asked him how he was doing. He responded that he had sensed nothing evil on the grounds and that all seemed safe. I told him we were spending the night and that I wanted him to have fun but to stay watchful. He gave me a big lick on the cheek and then went back to his bone after saying that he'd find me if there was trouble. That was easy. Now I needed to talk to Sendy again.