ELO

  Faelorn smiled and signed, "You are learning very fast." Bree signed, "I have a stronger voice now..." Faelorn signed back "I'm happy that you are happy..." The stared at each other for a long moment, and Bree turned bright red. She looked away. Joltrun, annoyed, glared at both of them.

  The whitish purple pods began to unfurl, and Bree realized that the flowers where moving. The plant before them raised itself off the water, and it began to hover gently. The dragonflies suddenly shifted, and upon closer inspection, Bree realized that they were not dragonflies. Bree stared, almost going cross-eyed in amazement. It's was a tiny person, it looked like an insect, but its body was frilled as if it were wearing a dress. Its face was like a woman's, but the eyes were shiny and black. Bree came closer and stared harder it wasn't wearing clothing; its skin was armored, and the creature's body was coated in vibrant, silky frills, much like petals. The beast turned its human-like face towards Bree, and she let out a tiny eek of excitement. The fairy startled, taking flight as the other fairies began to swarm.

  Bree looked back up to the mass of flowers they had been drifting towards. Her jaw dropped when her eyes fell on the being that had risen out of the water. It was the most beautiful and alien creature she had ever seen. Its skin was coral pink and molted with white and purple. Its eyes were dark, wet, and green. The creature's face was very human in some regards and otherworldly in others. Bree would have said it resembled a beautiful woman; however, it did not look entirely human. Like most fae, the human-like creature's ears were pointed and sharp, but its body was covered in elegant frills. The frills looked similar to the delicate fins of a fish. The creature hovered over the water. Joltrun tipped his hat at the creature. "Hello, queen, I've come to present my new pupil, and I've come as requested by you." The creature hovered closer, Bree suddenly felt terrified. All the fae she had seen in the forest were little, no more significantly sized than an infant. The exception so far had been Tharin, who, while being fae, looked and behaved like a human. The queen of the fairies looked neither male nor female. They looked otherworldly as no human or elf did. The queen hovered close to the boat; they leaned forward, getting a good look at Bree. Joltrun introduced the queen, "This is Si-ago, Bree. They can understand your thoughts if you push them towards them just as you would Bakura. They are the queen of the fairies. They rule over all of the fairies that live in the forest and in this outer realm. They are different from fae, such as Cael, as he is a woodling or forest fairy. He's only a distant cousin to this species. Cael and the other woodlings live in bushes and dark undergrowth's. These light fairy's only live in this area and are extremely rare. Only one queen can be born per millennium, and unlike a woodling fae like Cael. These fairy's only die of unnatural means, they do not die unless murdered or their habitat is destroyed." The queen came near her, Bree's heart was in her throat. The creature was clearly without a doubt unreal, wild and beautiful. The queen said, "I am just as alive as you, just because your reality does not acknowledge that I exist does not mean that I am not real."

  Bree focused her thoughts, "you're… so beautiful…." The queen covered their face, embarrassed. "It is rare that a human does not faint from fear in my presence." The queen read her face. "So much pain and suffering in such a short life..." Bree looked away. They said, "Child, you have a great destiny, thank you for believing in my kind." They touched Bree's hand gently, "you come from a long line of magic and tragedy. You are cursed with a horrible curse made by a horrible creature."

  Bree felt her throat burn as the queen touched her throat. She swallowed, uncomfortable, and pained. "Fear not, it is only my magic, the pain should go. Only you can break the curse, my child. I'm sure with help from the elf that you will manage it." The queen touched her face, fascinated. "I must attend to my people's needs. Please come visit me when you are able..." She left Bree floating back to Joltrun and Faelorn.

  "Gentlemen, It is good to see you. I called you, Joltrun, to talk on behalf of all the light faeries. I am distraught; some of my children have gone missing. Some of them have even passed on from my realm. I fear that there are poachers in the woods and at a time that I am most vulnerable."

  Faelorn and Joltrun looked at each other, surprised. Faelorn said, "My lady, I speak with trees every morning and night...they do not talk of any intruders. Nor do the many woodlings that watch this wood…" The queen's face was troubled."They are using magic that few can see. It has been since last winter. I have seen them myself, slavers with machines and fae poachers. They do not stay long, only hours at a time. They appear within weeks, sometimes months apart. They come...they take...they destroy…" Joltrun was troubled. "How could this be! No one gets past us. There have been no outsiders in the forest in hundreds of years," he turned and looked at Bree." Bree's been the only one..." His voice trailed off, Faelorn face darkened. She looked away, feeling guilty. The fairy reached into one of their delicate frills. They said, "One of my children tried to fight the poacher. He was hit by magic summoned by witches." Bree looked at the pathetic sight of the fairy in the queen's hand. It was gray and curled in a fetal position; its wings were singed to a crisp, and its sides were burnt. "He does not have much time in this realm. Not only was he harmed but when his siblings rescued him, the miasma also spread to them. So far, they have not gotten worse, but if this magic is not studied, it may spread to the other fae." Joltrun was troubled "I will start researching immediately. When he passes, please send one of your children to me. I will need to study his body, with all respect." The fairy queen's eyes were wet with tears. "I expected it, Joltrun, I've known you for many many years and your predecessor. You have my trust that you will respect his body." The boat threatened to capsize, and Bree gripped the edge. Joltrun was nearly thrown, and Faelorn leaped from the ship. He transformed and thrashed in a rage. Bree had never seen Faelorn so angry. Faeries swarmed in defense of their Queen. Faelorn roared. He was massive, his green-mossy fur shaggy, his vines full of blackened thorns. His eyes were hollow pits, and his face had become a terrible exposed skull. Bree was horrified. Joltrun yelled, "Faelorn, control yourself before you become bereaved!" The queen embraced him; she touched the skull gently.

  "Faelorn, I am going to be okay." A terrible sob escaped Faelorn, and he buried his face into the queen's bosom. He changed his face, no longer a beastly skull. The queen was whispering to Faelorn gently, and Bree knew they were speaking to him in thoughts. It was a long moment, and Faelorn was again a man hugging the fairy who held him gently. Faelorn face was mournful. He cried, "I failed you."

  The queen shook their head, Bree could not hear a word they said. Faelorn changed back into his creature form. He wadded away, without a word. Cael waved to the queen and Bree. Joltrun looked up at the queen. "I'm sorry for his behavior." The queen watched Faelorn go. "He is still young, Joltrun, he is good despite what you think. In time you will see his strength." Joltrun seemed taken aback but said nothing. "Well, my'lady. We will take our leave, your next guest has been waiting to see you." Joltrun began paddling the boat away into the direction that Faelorn left. Bewildered, not wanting to leave but worried about Faelorn, she scribbled on her pad. "What happened to Faelorn? Why did he do that."

  Joltrun's hard face did not look at her. He said, "he is the lord of the forest… he can feel all the suffering of the fae, the trees, even the animals. He simply knows something that the queen did not tell either you or me. I will have to return to get to the bottom of it." his face softened a little, he said, "do not press Faelorn about it. Whatever truth, he saw hurt him deeply." Bree hugged herself silently. As they arrived at the shore, she glanced back to see Elo talking with the queen. Elo was standing on the queen's lily pads her back turned twoards Bree.

  She got out of the boat and helped Joltrun push it to the beach and hide it beneath an overgrowth of plants. The old man's face was troubled. "I'm going to sit and wait for Elo. Go back to the baskets, I believe your friend wanted to gather some fruits from the grove. Go and do that…" Bree fought to not bo
mbard Joltrun with questions. Instead, she picked up her journal and walked the trail back to the tree where Elo's baskets waited. She picked up one of the large, sturdy baskets and followed the path to the grove. She spotted trees with large fruits growing. With much effort to get through the thick foliage, she began plucking dense yellow fruits. She only reached for the lowest ones. After a moment, the basket was too heavy for her to carry. She left it, returning to the tree for the second basket. As she picked up the second basket, she thought she spotted something hunching in the thicket. She looked for Cael, wondering if the little woodling had followed her. Seeing nothing, she hurried back to where she had been working and continued picking. She thought about the fairy queen and Faelorn. She wondered what it was about, but she knew she would have to wait to find out. Something in the corner of her eye rustled in the grass. Bree nervously picked up a rock, thinking of the witch and the bereaved. To her relief, it was Faelorn; he was in his human form. His eyes were red-rimmed as if he had been crying. Dropping the rock, Bree offered him fruit, and he shook his head. Cael took her offering and began peeling the fruit with his tiny little fingers. Bree finished her task, sat beside Faelorn, and signed, making sure to reference her book.

  "Are you doing okay?"

  Faelorn rubbed his head. He mumbled, "I'm-I'm-I'm fine, I just got upset."

  She flipped through her book, then signed, " Do you want to talk about it?"

  Faelorn shook his head, "no..." He looked at her, his eyes were smoky in color. Stoically he said, "It's nothing that concerns you, Bree."

  Bree was taken aback, hurt even, and she didn't know how to respond.

  Faelorn said his voice hard, "The woods Bree, have changed, many new things have entered them." He softened his tone when he saw her upset face. "I'm glad that you were one of them." Bree wasn't sure if she was flattered or not. She responded, signing, "I'm glad I met you, Faelorn."

  Faelorn smiled; he helped her fill the second basket, transforming he lifted her with his vines to pick the last of the yellow fruit. Bree wiped the sweat from her head, smiling at Faelorn, he gave her a small smile back. He said, "Would you like one..." Bree nodded, and he showed her how to peel it. He said, "It's called sun fruit; it is said full of wisdom from the King," Faelorn said, " At least that what Joltrun says, but he is a bit daft in the head." He took a bite, his troubled face brightening back up, "I say the wisdom taste's rather good." Bree giggled and wrote down, "Wisdom does feed the soul, at least that what my nan said, but she was also a bit daft." Faelorn smiled, "well, then we have that in common. My father is rather daft. Do you think they would have gotten along Joltrun and your grandmother?" Bree nodded, smiling, covering her smile with her hand. Faelorn gave her a piece of peeled sun fruit. She popped it in her mouth and had to hide her reaction. She had never tasted fruit like this. It was succulent and sweet. She could not describe the taste other than it was as if sunshine grew from a tree.

  "Do you like them?" Faelorn asked, and Bree nodded, grabbing one from the basket and peeling it. She wrote in her journal, trying not to spill sun-fruit juice on the pages. Joltrun read aloud her words," where I come from, there is nothing like that, only apples and berries. This fruit is magical," Faelorn laughed "that good, eh? Cael loves these." He gestured to a sun fruit covered Cael. "But I'm actually more partial to berries, I especially like the ones growing in the glass garden, at Tharin's library."

  Bree started peeling her third fruit when Faelorn asked quietly. "What is your world like?" Bree stopped and wrote down. "It not wonderful like it is here." Faelorn asked, "Could you tell me anyway?" Bree took a long moment, then marking her journal, she began writing. "Summers were nice and early spring. Mother worked the farm, Father fished. I had seven sisters and brothers. I lived with my grandmother in the woods, I used to hunt a lot. The forest was green and dark, full of mystery. Everyone used to be afraid of it, but I wasn't. There was a river the flowed from the mountains; I used to fish there every spring. My grandmother would tell me stories about the fae almost every day before I fell asleep. My favorite thing was to look at the stars and hear her talking about her father's father. He was a famous hunter, but sometimes he would disappear and come back with stories of elves, faeries, leprechauns, and monsters." Faelorn read over her writing. He smiled. "I would have liked to meet her. I love stories, maybe you can tell me one of them sometime?" Bree smiled, "I..." She signed flipping through the book "would like that..."

  She looked up, Faelorn's mouth was jutting with fangs, his eyes black. Horns sprouted. Bree was terrified. His vines whipped out like lightning, they went around her, missing her, and something screeched. He stood clutching in his vines, a wiggling gray creature that hissed. Bree stood up, examining it. It was half her size, with elongated arms and legs. Its eyes were slits and, in its hand, restrained by Faelorn's vines, was a large dagger. Faelorn vines began to constrict it, and he fully transformed into a beast. The creature gurgled, "goddd….of the old world….let me go, lest you tempt my Lord to come slit your throat," Faelorn hissed. "I am not God, but I am your death." Bree threw her hands up, "wait, wait..." she signed, "why!? why kill?"

  Faelorn grunted. "Bree...you will find that not all fae are good. Some are filthy murdering worms. This Bree is a goblin." Bree was horrified. The creature looked at her with hungry eyes, a shit-eating grin on its face.

  It hissed, " What a pretty ...girllllllll. We will take her offff your handdddsssss." Faelorn, enraged, let out a bellow, and he constricted it harder. Bree stepped back, frightened. Faelorn said, "Bree, I must...dispose of this….thing. I will return. Cael, take care of her, call me if you see any of this maggots brother's." Cael picked up a twig like a spear and climbed Bree's shoulder, standing guard. Bree watched as Faelorn left, disappearing into the thicket. She flinched, hearing a distinct snapping followed by a thud. Faelorn, moments later, reemerged his face stoic. He asked, leaning down, "are you okay? Did he cut you" Bree shook her head, still reeling. Faelorn asked, "are you sure you want to be here Bree, the fae are dangerous?" Bree determined, taking another bite of sun fruit, nodded, hiding her shaking. She wrote, "Bakura told me that there are bad fae." Faelorn grunted, "Goblins are the worst, they're no better than human slavers, and they're just as disgusting. They live in whelps deep in the ground. They feed on the flesh of the forest, any living creature. They are fond of human women." Bree made a face in disgust. She kicked aside the dagger. Faelorn picked it up " It's elfin made, stolen. Do you want it? We can clean it, and purify it." Bree made a face disgusted. The dagger reeked of dung and dried blood. Faelorn carried it in one of his vines. He said, "I will take this to Tharin, then he can decide." He then strapped his baskets to a thick branch and carried them over his shoulders. Cael, still armed and wary, leaped onto Faelorn's head. Faelorn kneeled, transforming into a stag. "I can carry you. Joltrun's making his way over here, and Elo just returned. She will be pleased that we picked all of the fruits." Still stunned from the goblin attack, Bree mounted Faelorn's shoulders. He galloped back towards the trees at the beginning of the fairy grove. Elo was waiting for them, arms crossed. She said, "you harvested the fruit without me!" Faelorn growled. "Hush, we gathered much sun fruit, and we should be leaving. Goblins are afoot, one tried to attack Bree." Elo, shocked, said, "Are you serious, a goblin in the fairy grove?" Faelorn's shook his thick mane. "It was a straggler, possibly a scout. I killed it. We should return, where is Joltrun?" Joltrun clamored out of the bushes. He grumbled, "I've decided to stay. I will see you tomorrow. Faelorn keep watch over the herd and keep patrol over the outskirts, I will be watching the central forest." Faelorn augured, "It's my job to watch the entire forest."

  Joltrun growled, "Don't be stubborn, the health of the fae is at stake."

  Faelorn tensed, "I can take care of the fae father." Joltrun grunted, "You best listen, boy, prove to me that you can do your job." Annoyed, Faelorn tossed his head and said, "As you wish."

  He leaped into the forest running at full speed; Elo struggled to keep up
and raced after him. "Faelorn, what happened back there? I saw you get upset. I asked the queen, but they would not tell me."

  Faelorn did not answer; he did not stop running until they were in the spring. White deer were startled, and some frightened ran away, moving as a group away from the spring. A tremendous golden deer stood in the spring, it was Bakura. She said, "Faelorn, what is it?" Faelorn gently lowered Bree, Cael, and the two baskets of fruit onto the ground. He was breathing hard. "The forest is getting dangerous, more dangerous than before. The herd is at risk. You need to keep them close until the danger passes." Bakura agitated snapped, "Is it the bereaved and the witches?" Faelorn's eyes where large and black his face looked dangerous, and long fangs extended from his mouth.

  "No, it is worse. Poachers have managed to breach the forest. Apparently, its been happening since winter." Bakura looked at Bree then to Faelorn. Her eyes were wide in shock. She hissed, "Do you believe the herd is in danger?" Faelorn shook his head. "No, not yet, and they won't be. I must patrol the outskirts Bakura. I cannot waste any more time. Goodbye," Faelorn turned and left without another word. Bree wrung her hands, watching him disappeared, her heart aching and heavy for a reason she could not name.