Faerie's Champion

by M. H. Johnson

  Jess gave her head a fierce shake, doing her best to break free of the aching nostalgia she felt, even now.

  She shivered from cold for the first time since she had arrived at this mystical realm of Faerie, her skin touched by a chill breeze that seemed to come straight from the direction of the road she now faced as it gently wound about the rightmost side of the great hill, almost a mountain, that both forks in the road encircled. Gazing upon the rightmost face, Jess saw brooding clouds heavy with rain. So much less inviting than the perfectly paved path leading to the pristinely beautiful palace that had been her magical home for countless days of feasting and merriment, and endless nights of sweetest bliss.

  It was then that Jess caught sight of something that chilled her far worse than the rain-laden breeze blowing across her naked flesh. "Twilight! Do you see that?"

  Her familiar left her shoulder with an effortless pounce, padding forward to investigate the object of their mutual interest, sniffing it tentatively.

  It was the gilded cage that had held her Prince's fantastically beautiful songbirds, a seeming prize of incomparable worth, now laying here at the fork of the road, dented and discarded within the tall grasses blowing in the chill breeze. Even as Jess herself slowly walked over to investigate it she felt a sickening wave of disbelief course through her. Within the cage was another of solid gold, crumpled and discarded like unwanted refuse, and in its center, the brilliant miniature castle of finest ivory, decorated with priceless gems, now smashed to splinters.

  It had been this very cage. A cage within a cage that had held an odd looking tailless mouse and a wingless bird. And come to think of it, hadn’t the songbirds in the surrounding cage possessed oddly intelligent eyes, peering at the small animals within with a gaoler’s stare?

  Even then, even when she had first gazed upon this gilded prison, she had wondered, had questioned. Yet one look from her lover's eyes, the warmth of his gaze, the gentleness of his touch, and she had pushed aside all her curiosity, far more enticed by her lover's arousal than the odd cage, and had not thought of it again, until this very moment.

  Twilight delicately touched the discarded cage with his nose, giving it a curious sniff, much like any cat would. The gaze he turned upon her, however, was far more self-possessed and knowing than that of any mundane creature.

  “Twilight, what do you think it means?” Jess’s heart had begun to race. She truly didn’t want to know the answer, tried to hide it even from herself.

  Twilight sighed. “My dear Jess, I think you know exactly what it means.”

  Jess turned her head away. “Don’t say it, kitty, please.” Jess’s voice had turned soft and plaintive as a young girl’s, her heart as vulnerable as any young woman deep in the blush of first love.

  “Jess. You were never one for self-deception, however bitter the truth. Far better to see the blade so as to better parry it, no matter what quarter it comes from, than to close your eyes blindly, choosing death over disillusionment.”

  Twilight's brilliant sapphire gaze held onto Jess’s own. “What it means, my dear mistress, is that a pivotal choice had been deliberately taken from you. And now your choice is a different one, yet no less vital. Do you choose to ignore the evidence before you, and run headlong back into sweet delusion? Or do you have the courage to accept what has occurred, however much your heart might ache for it, and forge onward to uncover the mystery at the center of it all?”

  “Bloody hells.” Jess shuddered, nodding in bitter acceptance, even as tears gently fell from her cheeks, sparkling like the tiny jewels they were, as they lost themselves in the grass by her feet. She was now determined to see what was on the other side of the great mountain, and perhaps find out the secrets behind the mystery of the golden cage.

  Jess made her choice. Placing one naked foot in front of the other, she made her way down the right fork in the road.

  42

  As Jess took those first steps down the right fork she felt a sudden wave of dizziness, stumbling as her entire world seemed to lurch in an unforeseen direction, an unperturbed Twilight gazing at her curiously. The choice, after all, had been hers.

  Jess took a deep breath, feeling the sweet nostalgia of that dreamlike wonder of being Talvi’s demure lover beginning to fade away, as if indeed it had been nothing more than a faerie dream. Or such she tried to tell herself, the wind blowing against her with a cry that almost sounded like her lover begging her to stop, to turn around, to race headlong into his waiting arms, wrapped up snug and content in his warmth, sweet and sure, never having to bear the terrible weight of bitter choices ever again.

  It was not too late. Her faerie lover was waiting back there for her even now, crying out for Jess to love him once more.

  “Jess?” Her familiar asked softly.

  “I’m fine,” Jess sniffled, furiously wiping her stinging eyes.

  Twilight nodded solemnly. "Of course. I would, however, recommend seeing if you feel strength sufficient to summon forth your armaments. Your boots and gambeson will do much to warm you as we continue down the path before us.

  Jess managed a shaky smile. “You’re right, Twilight. I should do that, shouldn’t I? I'm just feeling a bit distracted, I suppose.”

  Taking a deep breath, pushing all thoughts of dismay and an aching heart from her mind, Jess focused fiercely and firmly upon her armaments, imagining them fitting snugly and familiarly about her person, her sheathed mithril blade securely fastened to her hip. For a timeless moment she felt both there and not there; far more real and vital than this ephemeral dream of Faerie, and at the same time no more material than a puff of smoke, a mote sparkling in the lazy golden rays of the noonday sun, hoping her treasures were not lost to her forever.

  When she opened her eyes she felt a wave of shuddering relief, secure once more in the comforting embrace of her gambeson, battleleathers, and mithril armaments plucked straight from the realm of dreams. Most reassuring of all, of course, was the comforting feel of her mithril hilt squeezed tightly in her palm, before she sheathed once more the blade that had once pierced the great Void itself.

  “Your strength returns, my mistress. Much better.” Twilight nodded his approval, leaping to Jess’s shoulder once more.

  Jess smiled. "I do feel a bit stronger. Less a girl lost in the gentle embrace of her first infatuation, more the brave knight able to do what must be done. But still, my Twilight, I can't deny that my heart lies heavy in my chest, and how I hope there is a reasonable explanation for it all."

  Twilight nodded. “I understand, my dear Jess. But whatever the truth of the matter is, let us have the courage to gaze upon it unflinchingly, and do what must be done, whatever that might be.”

  Jess acknowledged his words with a nod as they trod forth along their chosen path, gamely looking for clues, seeing naught but the road winding down the hill before them. Though there was little in the way of the noise common to fields back home, with no animals to be heard chirping or calling, Jess did note with increasing frequency animals gazing at them quietly from both underbrush and tree.

  “Twilight?” Jess whispered.

  “Yes?”

  "Their eyes." She felt curiously compelled to speak as little as possible as if her lips were pressed with the weight of all those stares fastened upon her. Stares from eyes that were decidedly human.

  “Interesting.”

  “You think?” Jess quipped.

  Her familiar shrugged. "We are in the land of Faerie, my dear Jess. Who knows for certain the nature of these things? The rules upon which this realm operates are alien to you and me."

  Jess sighed. “Nonetheless, it means something. That I sense clear as day.”

  “Then perhaps we’d best continue with all due haste, and see what lies at the end of this road.”

  Jess nodded and increased her pace to a jog, her mithril mail and familiar affecting her stride not at all, her strength steadily returning.

  Though still pristine in its beauty, the majesty o
f the vast grasslands dotted with wildflowers of every color and size being nothing short of captivating, it was as if they ran through a subtle change of seasons as well. The height of spring slowly turned to a cool autumn evening as the sky slowly darkened with the setting sun.

  “Twilight, up ahead! I think I spy a village.”

  "Indeed." Her familiar sprang off her shoulder to investigate as they traversed the crest of the slope they strode upon to catch sight of a very odd town indeed. It appeared at first glance as naught but a cluster of grass covered mounds, until closer inspection revealed circular windows and doors, the wooden window frames holding panels of priceless crystal clear glass, each door etched with meticulous carvings of woodland creatures, even as they were opened by the same. Woodland creatures of unusual size and very human eyes, walking on two legs and apparently holding animated discourse with one another.

  Jess stopped abruptly, shaking her head in amazement. Never had she seen such a thing as dozens of talking beasts, save for her precious Twilight, and not even her familiar walked about on two legs with fully articulated feet and hands, fully clothed, no less, all the various breeds of animals of the same uniform height, coming up to her chest.

  As one they turned to face Jess as she strode into the village center, no few looking alarmed with expressions very reminiscent of awed human townsfolk, Jess chilled by how similar some looked to the servitors at her family manor back home, even as several approached, their curious snouts tilted upwards in grins very like a welcoming townsman's; fur, whiskers, and oddly shaped canines aside.

  “Greetings, fair traveler! 'Tis a fine pleasure indeed to have a guest come to our fair little town. Please forgive our lack of preparation!” With that, the strange badger-like creature who diligently waddled up to greet her raised an articulated paw, Jess clasping it firmly in friendship and giving a polite bow.

  “Greetings to you as well, fair badger. It’s a pleasure to meet you all, and I thank you for making me welcome.”

  The badger beamed happily, spreading his arms wide as if to encompass the entire town. “Excellent! I am mayor Goodwin, and I bid you welcome to our humble town of Flowersbend.”

  Jess nodded, taking in the whole of the small town whose residents lived entirely within grass covered earthen mounds, some even maintaining quaint little gardens on top of their homes. Though at first appearance quite humble, the entire town easy to overlook, there was no doubting the quality of construction that went into the doors and windows, nor did Jess fail to note the lack of any odor or taint of sewage one would normally expect from even a small town.

  "It is quite a nice little village. Very picturesque. Beautiful, in fact," Jess said quite truthfully. The wildflowers sprinkled upon the mounds gave them an almost luminous quality as the last golden rays of sunset touched the petals, some seeming even to sparkle like gems in the fading light.

  “Oh, we thank you for the kind words, dear wayfarer!” Mayor Goodwin gushed. “Might we have the pleasure of your name?”

  Jess blushed at her slip. “Of course. I am Del Jessica de Calenbry, Squire and adventurer, here on a mission of rescue.”

  This caused more than a few ears to perk up quite literally, as the villagers began to crowd ever closer, curious to catch a glimpse of their strange visitor.

  “My dear, aren’t you chilly? You hardly have any fur at all!” tutted one motherly looking possum.

  Jess grinned. "It is quite all right. The gambeson underneath my lamellar and hauberk keeps me quite warm."

  "And quite beautiful armor it is," the mayor chimed in. "Your mithril shirt sparkles quite prettily in the sunset."

  Jess grinned. Her fine hosts knew exactly what to say to bring a smile to her lips. “A most astute judge of armaments you are, dear mayor.”

  The mayor gave a self-deprecating little chuckle, even as animated whispers of a brave adventurer in their midst began to percolate through the crowd. "I do naught but state the obvious, my dear Jessica. May I call you Jessica? Excellent. In any case, we are so very pleased that you have chosen to pay our quaint little village a visit. So few do these days, I'm sorry to say." The badger sighed. "The truth is, we are in dire need of someone with a noble spirit and virtuous heart. To come across a questing knight, shining in magical mail by the light of the setting sun, why, I am not normally one for omens, yet what else could your arrival be, but a sign that our hero has arrived at last?"

  As one the villagers nodded, whispering their agreement, all gazing at Jess with eyes that were filled with awe and, perhaps, a touch of desperate hope that caused her stomach to twist in an anxious knot. She hated seeing people in distress, yet she sensed that this was but the first stone in what might become a mighty tower of obligation, and a tiny voice from within counseled her to turn around and walk away.

  But no. Jess shook herself firmly. Whatever hardships she was to endure, however much she ached for the splendor she had forsaken, it would not change her resolve to embrace the role of the noble knight, the questing paladin that she once found such strength in envisioning herself becoming.

  For as jaded and violent as the reality of knighthood was in the world she had left behind, here in this realm of Faerie, she could embrace a role as idyllic and noble as that of any hero she had dreamed of becoming as a child. She sensed that here, like nowhere else, the true path to finding oneself was to hold to the spirit and ideals that fostered one's noblest passions and intentions, however naïve and foolish those dreams of virtue might have been in the world beyond.

  Only in aiding others, in vanquishing foes, in relishing life’s adventures, could she exemplify the ideals of the noble knight and paladin. By helping those in need, she enabled herself to look in the mirror and be worthy of her own childhood ideals, no matter how ruthless and violent her later training had been.

  With a deep breath, Jess dipped her head. "Worthy people of Flowersbend, though I am but a traveling adventurer, and tasked with duties already, I would still invite you to share your tale with me. For I can tell that the burden of your woes weighs you down, and it is the duty of any noble knight to aid those in need."

  The strange crowd of upright forest animals all exchanged surprised looks and pleased nods, excited whispers showing great approval for Jess’s nobility of spirit and kind words.

  “Indeed, a noble knight you prove yourself to be, Del Jessica de Calenbry, worthy of your title!” declared the mayor happily. “Come, please make yourself welcome in our town’s humble inn, and we shall share our tale with you.”

  With that, Jess was led to a mound larger than the rest, blossoms glowing softly under the moonlight, giving the town a luminous quality. Her admirers quickly funneled through the great circular doorway of the central mound, gently beckoning Jess to enter.

  Bemused, Jess did so, feeling absolutely no malice or ill will from anyone, and so was not overly worried of betrayal or being swarmed, for all that Twilight tensed, tail twitching, certainly on guard as Jess dipped her head through the low door. Her hand by dint of habit was of course on the hilt of her blade. Yet no harm befell her as she entered. All was as her intuition had assured her. The only emotions she could sense being excitement and palpable anxiety in equal measure, which was odd, for in the realm of mundus, all she could sense beyond what anyone else could was malice and deception towards herself or a party that included her. Sometimes lies rang dissonant to her ears, yet most often, only when she caught another's gaze. Only when a malicious lie was told to her face.

  Gently she was led to a low table, making do with sitting on cushions even as others sat upon miniature benches. Truly, she felt like an elder sitting at a child’s table.

  "Are you comfortable, brave knight? Excellent!" The mayor beamed happily with Jess's bemused nod. "And now, let our meal commence. A time of revelry and joy! Only after you have supped shall we burden you with our tale."

  “I don’t suppose it would be too much to ask if they have fish, perchance?” Twilight’s sigh was almost plainti
ve, Jess snuggling her familiar close and kissing his forehead gently.

  “My poor kitty! That’s right, you didn’t really care for the food at… well, you know who’s demesne. And you’ve been so patient. Of course I will ask.”

  “Ah! Your magic talking cat would like fish? Of course we can prepare fish for the fine beast!” the mayor declared happily.

  Twilight smirked. “Who are you calling beast, sir badger?”

  Soon enough, all were seated, Jess and Twilight both ravenously devouring bowls of strangely satisfying fish and potato stew, a matronly squirrel always making sure they wanted for nothing, when the mayor at last began his tale.

  “It all started some time ago, right before the seasons ceased their turning, when I thought I heard the tears of a maiden sobbing, crying out for warmth from desperate chill. As you can imagine, being the noble creature that I am, I immediately went searching for this poor lost damsel, wondering if, perchance, she might want to marry a handsome mayor, after her rescue, of course.”

  "Of course." Jess nodded, deadpan.

  "In any event, I found no trace of any maiden, in distress or otherwise, but not for want of trying. I even asked our fellow townsmen if they had seen any desperately sad maidens wandering about, looking for a future husband, perhaps, but all to no avail. Yet wonder of wonders, as the last rays of the setting sun lit the night sky a burnished crimson, I was dazzled by a most marvelous flash of color, and did spy a wondrous hand mirror, exquisitely crafted, though the words inscribed upon the handle I could not make out."

  A pudgy beaver nodded solemnly. “Don't forget the diamonds. You always leave out the diamonds.”

  “Yes, yes, I was getting to that!” Mayor Goodwin harrumphed. “And yes, there were three perfectly shaped diamond teardrops upon the surface of the mirror, which I quickly removed for safekeeping, so as to better appreciate the wonders to be seen within that marvelous artifact!”