The look she gave me told me that she hadn’t.
“I think we should take a drink break,” Rob called out, ruining my chance to tease her about her lack of observation. “Fee is complaining about the heat.” It was pleasantly warm, but not what most people would call hot. I realised, however, that Fee spends most of her life in caves and tunnels so would feel the heat more than the rest of us.
“A few more minutes and we should reach the edge of the cliff,” I said. “We have to climb down it so that would probably be a good place to stop.”
While in the tunnels I had given a lot of thought to what direction I would take when we finally made it out, eventually deciding that both Rob and Rachel seemed fit enough to make the climb down the cliff face then up the other side. It would probably make her muscles ache a lot and she might ask me for another massage. At least I hoped she would.
True to my word, I stopped for a drinks break as soon as we got to the cliff edge. It wasn’t a cliff in the traditional sense, more like a large gap in the rock with another cliff the other side and Rachel could not resist commenting.
“This isn’t a cliff,” she said. “This is a ravine or a canyon. It looks like a giant has taken a huge axe to the rock.”
“That is more or less what happened.” Rachel stared at me in surprise. She was being sarcastic and seemed a little put out to be told that she was actually right.
We all dropped our bags on the ground and I handed round cans of coke and bottles of water. I no longer bothered to ask Rachel what she wanted as she always drinks water while we travelled. It was a sensible thing to do and made me even more attracted to her.
“You should try this,” Rob said to Fee, holding out his coke can toward her. She looked at it as though it was a loaded weapon. Rob gulped some down to prove that it was drinkable, then held the can out to her again. Tentatively she took it from his hand and took a sip. The look of revulsion that took over her face almost made me laugh and I was grinning broadly when I handed her more water. Without a word she grabbed it from my hand and drank.
“That was disgusting,” she said when the bottle was empty. “How can you drink that stuff?”
Rob smiled at her. “It grows on you.”
“Not on me it doesn’t,” she muttered as she handed the empty bottle back to me. I watched as she walked to the edge of the ravine, leaned forward and looked down.
“The view is magnificent,” she called out. “Come and take a look Rachel.”
I tensed. What was the fairy up to? Rob was talking to me, but I wasn’t listening. Instead I was focused on Rachel and Fee.
I watched carefully as Rachel moved closer to the edge and leaned forward. I almost called out a warning to her, but was afraid it might take her by surprise and she would overbalance.
“I can’t see anything but rock,” I heard her say.
“Look further down,” Fee said. Rachel did as she suggested. I watched in horror as Fee placed her hands on Rachel’s back and pushed her over the edge. “The view looks a lot better now,” she called out as Rachel plummeted toward the ground, screaming loudly.
“No,” I cried out. Not caring about the consequences, I willed myself to appear just below Rachel’s falling body and caught her. As soon as she was safely in my arms I translocated us both to safety. Rachel was holding on to me tight, too terrified to let go.
“It’s alright,” I said to her gently as I tried to pry her arms loose. “You are safe. I’m not going to let anything happen to you.” I didn’t want to let her go, but there was something important I needed to take care of.
She started to shake uncontrollably as I reluctantly handed her over to Rob, who hugged her protectively. I rounded on Fee, who jumped back in fright. “You evil little...” I was so angry I couldn’t finish the sentence. “I suggest you make yourself scarce before I do something we will both regret.”
“Like what?” Fee asked insolently.
“Like pull your wings off for a start.”
“You wouldn’t dare.”
“Try me.”
Fee stared at me, trying to gauge whether I was serious or not. The colour drained from her face as it slowly dawned on her that I was.
“You will regret this,” she said before she took to the air and flew away.
“What was that all about?” Rob asked in confusion. His arms were still around Rachel as he tried to stop her shaking. “Why did she try to kill Rachel? What has Rachel ever done to her?”
“It’s not her, it’s you. Your murderous young fairy has become besotted with you and saw Rachel as competition.”
“But that’s ridiculous,” Rob said. “Fee knew that I was on a quest to rescue my girlfriend. What did she think? That I would give it up and run off with her?”
“I have no idea what she was thinking, but it was probably something along those lines.”
“Then we are well rid of her.” Rob released Rachel and started to rub her arms as though trying to regain circulation in them. It had the desired effect and she stopped shaking. “We are safe now,” he told her.
“I wouldn’t bet on that,” I said. The humans both gave me questioning glances. “She may be out of sight, but she won’t be far away. If she has her heart set on Rob then I can almost guarantee she will not give up this easily.” I looked at him. “I’d watch your back if I were you.”
“Why me?” Rob asked. “I thought it was Rachel she wanted to dispose of.”
“You did nothing to defend her when I said she had to leave. She will take that personally. I’m sure she will not do anything to harm you, but it doesn’t hurt to be careful.”
I turned my attention toward Rachel. “We should get moving. Are you ready to continue?”
Annoyingly, Rachel ignored my question. “How did you do that?”
“Do what?”
“You caught me in mid-air and the next thing I know I am standing on solid ground.”
“It’s a demi-god thing,” I said casually as though it was of no importance, which it wasn’t when compared to Rachel’s life being at risk.
“Are you trying to tell me you can transport people around?” she asked in a stunned voice.
“Only down here.” What was her problem? Would she have preferred it if I had let her die?
“Oh, that makes it alright then. We have been walking for days on end, through some truly horrific terrain. I felt like I was being burnt alive at one point and now I find out that all you had to do was take hold of us and you could have taken us anywhere you wanted.” I could understand why she was angry, but she really did look very nice when she got herself worked up.
I smiled at her. “There are rules to this journey and I intend to obey them.” Most of them anyway.
Rachel called me a number of unpleasant names under her breath, grabbed her bag from where she had dumped it on the ground and started to walk away. Shouldn’t she be grateful that I revealed one of my abilities just so I could rescue her? Apparently not.
“Regret bringing her yet?” I asked Rob as we both watched her retreating back.
Rob grinned as he replied. “Never.”
I ran ahead and led them to the edge. “The steps down are narrow and slippery, so be careful. After all, Rachel has tried to fly once today. I’d rather not have a repeat performance.”
“Ha ha. Very funny. I’m glad you find the thought of me plummeting to my death so amusing.” Now that I knew she was safe I found winding her up very entertaining, but at the time I had been scared to death that I would not get to her in time. Not that I was ever going to admit that to anyone, especially her.
I wasn’t lying about the steps. They have been cut out of the rock and in places are overgrown with vegetation that grows all down the cliff face. There are no rails to hold on to. I kept looking behind me to make sure neither of them were slipping. Rachel kept grabbing hold of the edge and her hands were soon cut, bleeding and extremely sore.
“I’ll heal you when we get to the bottom,”
I said when I overheard her complaining.
We were about half way down when Rachel called out to me. “Something keeps buzzing round Robert,” she said. “I’m not sure what exactly, but it is distracting him. Have you got anything to get rid of it before he loses concentration and overbalances?”
“Bloody fairies. More trouble than they are worth.” I took my bag off my back, reached in and withdrew a canister. Why I was still getting things out of my bag instead of just making them materialise, I have no idea. “Pass this up to him,” I said as I handed it over.
Rachel did as instructed and moments later I faintly heard a near-human scream and I assumed that Rob had sprayed Fee. I overheard Rob’s exclamation of surprise and Rachel’s explanation as to what was going on. Rob had not seen Fee in her normal, small size and found it hard to believe that the creature buzzing around him had been her.
“What did I just hand to Robert?” Rachel asked. I turned around and grinned at her.
“Pepper spray.”
“Ouch,” she said. “That was nasty.”
“So was trying to kill Rob. That is what she was trying to do after all; make him overbalance or lose his footing so he fell down the steps, hopefully taking us with him.”
“At least we are rid of her.”
I shook my head. “She’ll be back.”
It took a long time to reach the bottom of the steps and by the time her feet touched the sandy ground Rachel looked like her legs were ready to give way, making me wonder if I had made a mistake in making her walk down all of those steps.
“I vote we camp here for the night,” she said as she collapsed onto the ground.
“I thought you were fit,” Rob said as he sat down beside her.
“You use different muscles walking down steps.”
I smiled at their exchange. She obviously wasn’t feeling quite as bad as she was making out. “We can rest for a few hours then we have to climb up the other side.”
“Please tell me you are joking.”
“No,” I said, unable to keep the smile from my face.
“I really hate you right now,” she said and I knew she meant it, though her feelings would not last long.
“Wasn’t there an alternative?” Rob asked.
I nodded. “There is a bridge we could have taken, but it would have taken a few weeks to reach it, then another few to get back here. I didn’t think you would even have contemplated that option.” I was really getting the hang of keeping a straight face while I lied.
Neither of them told me I was right, but their faces said it all.
We ate a cold meal and soon it was time to be on the move again. Rachel groaned as Rob pulled her to her feet and complained that her thigh and calf muscles had seized up while she had been seated.
Without showing any sympathy, Rob and I told her to move around a bit to get them loosened up, which she did while grumbling to herself.
I walked across the sand, over to the rock face on the other side and started my ascent. Rachel looked up at how far we had to climb and groaned again.
“Why are you doing this?” she asked me as we climbed. “You can just imagine yourself at the top and be there. Why go to all this effort. Robert and I have to, but you don’t. You can just wait for us at the top.”
I paused and turned around to look at her. “That would hardly be fair on you.”
By the time we got to the top Rachel was complaining that she was hurting all over.
“Please can we stop here for the night,” she said, despite the fact that it was only mid-afternoon, as she collapsed onto the ground.
I tried to sound sympathetic. “Sure, though we may want to move away from the edge just a little. I don’t think any of us want to get up in the night and walk too far in the wrong direction only to discover we can’t fly.”
“Some of us can’t anyway,” Rob said, not quite quietly enough for me not to hear.
I ignored the comment and focused my attention on Rachel. “You need to get up if we want to find a good place to camp before nightfall.” Rachel just groaned in reply. “It’s not much further, I promise.”
My cajoling had no effect on her, so eventually I gave up and resorted to threats.
“Well Rob and I will be leaving now. Stay here if you want. We will be heading that way if you decide to join us.” I pointed away from the cliff edge.
Rachel groaned once more, then held out her hand so I could help her to her feet. We walked for another fifteen or twenty minutes before I announced they could stop. It did not take long for us to have the three tents set up and as soon as hers was ready Rachel announced that she was going for a nap. She looked absolutely exhausted, so neither Rob nor I objected.
“We need to make plans,” I said as soon as Rachel was out of hearing.
“Plans?” he asked in confusion.
“In case Fee returns.”
“Do you think she will?”
“I will be surprised if she doesn’t.”
Rob nodded. “So what do we need to do?”
“She will wait until nightfall, so we need to prevent her getting into the tents.”
A few hours later, when Rachel finally emerged from her tent, Rob and I were sewing nets together. I could have created them larger, but we needed something to do while we waited for Rachel to surface.
“Going fishing?” she asked.
“You could say that, but not for our next meal.” Not directly answering her question would irritate her, but I couldn’t resist.
She frowned in confusion. “Kris thinks Fee will try to attack you or me tonight while we sleep,” Rob said. “We are making a couple of fairy catchers; one for each tent.”
“What makes you so sure she won’t go after you?” she asked me with what sounded like genuine concern.
“I’m the son of a demi-god remember. She wouldn’t dare.”
“So how does it work?” she asked, pointing at the nets.
“This is just the first part,” I said, holding up the one I was sewing. “The nets are designed to prevent Fee getting access to the tents in her larger form. To get through she will have to revert to her true size.”
“Okay,” she said. “Then what?”
I held up a jar. “One thing you may not know about fairies is that they are extremely vain. They love looking at themselves in mirrors. It is impossible for them to resist. I have put a mirror at the bottom of this jar and will place it lying down near the entrance to Rob’s tent. I have another one for yours. When Fee spots it she will enter the jar. I will rig the lid to close as soon as she is in and we will have her.”
“Will that really work?” she asked, not even trying to hide her scepticism. “It sounds kind of stupid.”
“Trust me.” I winked at her.
We all went to bed early, the climb down then up the steps having exhausted Rob and Rachel. I thought about going to see Death, but decided against it, wishing to be on hand should Fee pay a visit. I laid down and closed my eyes, my mind filled with thoughts of Rachel as sleep slowly took me.
Pegasus
I was woken in the middle of the night by high pitched screaming. It sounded more like a cat than a fairy. I quickly dressed and rushed out of the tent. Rob was already standing in front of his own tent, staring at the jar in his hand and smiling in satisfaction at its content.
“It worked then.”
Rob forced his gaze away from the trapped fairy and looked at me. “I never had any doubt.”
I grinned. “Liar.”
We both turned our attention back to the jar and I reached forward to take hold of it. Moments later I sensed movement behind me, but didn’t turn around.
“Still doubt me?” I asked Rachel as she approached, holding up the jar so she could see that Fee was inside.
“I didn’t think anything so small could make so much noise,” she said.
Fee stopped screaming and started to screech. “You cannot do this to me.”
“Well it appears we ca
n,” Rob said in a mocking tone.
“What do we do with her now?” Rachel asked.
“I’ll send her back to her mother.” I knew the best way to do this, but needed to check something first. “You’re not scared of birds are you?”
Rachel frowned in confusion but shook her head. Hopefully she will thank me for asking when she realises the reason for the question.
“Under no circumstances remove the lid,” I said as I handed the jar over to Rob. I then looked up into the sky and started to caw like a crow. As I called out I could hear Fee taking advantage of my attention not being on her. She began to cry and begged Rob to let her out. I glanced over my shoulder and was pleased to see that he was ignoring her.
I went quiet, but continued to look upward and a short while later I began to smile. Despite the fact that it was dark I could see that Tridae was on his way.
The giant bird, which is easily as big as a pterodactyl, soon landed in front of me. I noticed Rachel slowly inching away as I walked straight up to him and started to stroke his beak. “This is Tridae,” I said without looking around. “Leader of the great falcons.”
Neither Rachel nor Rob made a sound.
“Magnificent, isn’t he.” I then looked and noticed that both of them were still backing away. “He won’t harm you. Come and introduce yourselves. He understands English.”
Rob plucked up the courage and moved forward, carrying Fee with him. The poor fairy was so scared she tried to hide under her wings.
“You’re not planning on feeding Fee to this thing are you?” Rachel asked in horror.
I laughed. “Of course not. Tridae is a courier not an executioner.”
Rob told the bird his name and bowed low. The noises the bird emitted made him sound like he was amused.
Looking reluctant, Rachel slowly moved toward the falcon. “Hi,” she managed to stammer. “My name is Rachel. Please don’t eat me.” She looked at me. “Am I supposed to curtsey?” she whispered.
“Do you usually curtsey to birds?” I did my best to keep my amusement out of my voice, but I don’t think I succeeded.
“No,” she hissed. “But I don’t usually meet ones that are big enough to swallow my head whole.”
Kris's Story Page 17