REALM'S END (BOOK OF FEY 1) (18 page)

The Stars

Briok turned away from the cottage and felt a soft breeze play over his skin. He wanted to stay with the witches. It scared him to be away from the Realm and he felt uncertain in his actions. There was so much he couldn’t make sense of, yet he sensed he would need to try his best to adjust as quickly as possible to his surroundings, as he was moving through the moments. He felt a shiver run down the length of his spine. He took a deep breath, letting the air slowly fill his lungs as he tried to counter act his rising fear. He stood still letting his eyes adjust to the darkness. He saw the dark shadow of hills to his right and out to his left a shimmering movement, it looked like the sea of all time. He wondered if that could be. Turning his eyes upward towards the midnight sky, he could see stars strewn throughout the heavens; more stars than he had ever imagined. Back home in the realm there was only the one star always brightly fixed on the horizon, but here the night sky fairly glowed with their brightness. Well he thought sighing, this wasn’t home of course it would be different and he steeled himself and headed down the trail.

As he walked along Briok thought about the miracles he had experienced today. He had time traveled forward to a future world. He had met a race of crows, who were posing as humans, and now here he was in this world walking rather than flying along, staring out at a sky where stars outnumbered the people on his world. Even more importantly he could understand their speech. He wasn’t sure how that was happening. If only he’d had time to consult his mother. Perhaps she could have shed some light on this ability.

              Briok slowly followed the steep worn path down the hill. Nervously he pulled the covering Meredith had lent him tightly around himself. She had called it a coat, the wind was brisk and his own skin did little to protect him against the cold. He continued along the trail, it leveled out as it went around the base of the hill and he did not stop walking until he came to a small stone hut, standing just off to the side of the track. The building stood inside of an enclosed area and some animals he knew not what they were, were moving about on four legs and calling out in forlorn voices. He couldn’t understand their language and wondered why. From where Briok stood he could see a light shone through the window of the grass covered building. Another difference he noted, the trees didn’t make dwellings for this tribe of people. Bracing himself he stepped up to the door and waited for the wood to pull aside, nothing happened. He had expected differences, but so many made him uneasy. He was just about to turn away when he heard shuffling inside and the sound of animals being roused. He cleared his throat loudly.

The door was suddenly thrown open and there stood a tall being, with the light spilling out around him His eyes were dark and there was smoke coming from his face. Briok stood dumbfounded.

“Aye lad, who are ya and what do ya need at this late hour,” James asked? He lifted the lantern aloft to see the boy’s face more clearly.

“I was sent down by your Mrs. she said to tell you it’s ok, the babe’s been born and you’re to come at once.”

James eyes lit up, “Well that’s good news, I hadn’t expected to hear for hours yet,” he said. James blew out the lantern and set it down and stepped out through the door into the night, latching the door behind him. He walked a dozen steps before he stopped and looked back. “Aren’t you coming with me?”

Briok awkwardly ran to catch up to the big man.

“I don’t remember seeing you around son. Who are your folks?”

Briok caught off guard as he was by the thing smoking in the man’s face, forgot himself for a moment and so answered truthfully. “My parents are Lindel and Lisl.”

James took the pipe from his mouth and stared down at the boy as they walked. “From your accent I would say you aren’t from around here. So did the women folk call in the midwife then? She must have been close by to arrive so quickly!”

Briok had never experienced such a strange looking creature. Scared as he was, of the smoke that came from the man’s face, Briok had watched the man closely afraid that this creature with a smoking face would harm him. As the man removed the pipe, Briok was relieved to see that the thing was not part of the man’s face at all.

James found himself staring at the boy as well. He couldn’t say what was different but something was fundamentally different about this boy. “I suppose you’re hungry at this late hour?”

Briok was hungry; it had been hours ago-- no wait years or even lifetimes had gone by since he’d last eaten. He tried to clear his head; he didn’t think he could get his mind around it all right now. He sighed, realizing it would be better to just not try to grasp the finer points of his situation and just go along with the man in hopes of getting a meal. Briok shook his head in agreement.

“Ah, well then let’s get a move on. I want to see the wee one, and make sure that my wife is safe.” James turned towards the house and began the climb back up the steep path.

Briok hurried to keep up. His breath came short and hard as his lungs labored on the steep trail. His lungs burned as if on fire, and he felt the muscles in his legs rebelling, at the overexertion, as he strove to keep up with the big man. Briok broke into a cold sweat as he tried to imagine living in this world, without flying. Then he looked up and saw the sky full of stars overhead and sighed again.

James looked down and saw the lad looking up at the night sky. He too looked upward. The stars shone, twinkling brightly in the clear night sky and he felt something click within himself, he wasn’t sure if it was his heart or his head but he felt a deeper connection than usual to the stars. “They’re beauties aren’t they boy.”

Briok looked over and saw the man staring into the heavens. “Yes they are amazing. I wish I knew their names.”

James took his pipe from his mouth and looked curiously at the boy. “What?  You mean your father hasn’t taught you the names of the stars yet? Well I guess that means you aren’t a fisherman’s son, but even sheep herders learn the stars. What work does your father have, lad?”

Briok felt the fear of lying rising up inside of him; he knew he couldn’t pull off anything too blatant. “My father is a scholar.”

James let this sink in a little as they walked on silently.

Briok liked the quiet. He could hear the ocean below as it came roaring in, crashing against the beach, and then he felt the breeze whispering, teasing him as the air brushed against the small hairs on his neck, tickling his skin. He shivered and rubbed his hand across his neck, he wasn’t sure but for a second he thought he’d heard the songs of water and wind, but the sound was very faint.

“I’m afraid without the moon, there isn’t much to see. If the moon were out, you could see whales spouting off, as they passed by, in the bay. This place is a blessed place if ever I have known one, and mark my words lad I have known many blessed places.”

Briok listened to the deep rumble of the man’s voice, and he could sense the deep connection between the man and the land here. Briok felt tears welling, as he abruptly realized that he had that feeling for his own homeland too. He wished he was there now, safe and warm in his family home.

James stopped outside the stone cottage, and taking his pipe out of his mouth, he knocked it against the stone so that the burning embers fell to the wet earth. He gently pushed the tobacco into the soft earth to ground out the fire. “Not good for the wee one, so soon after birth,” he said turning to Briok, as he pocketed his pipe. “Well let’s go in and find some food for you and we shall see what we see,” he said, stepping up and unlatching the door. “Come on lad,” he said waving the boy through the doorway into the warm house.

Pit Misleads

Back in the Realm, Pit watched as the mouth of the cavern filled with a bright light and then a loud cracking sound resounded throughout the cave. The sound tore through the cavern chamber. The sound bounced and reverberated off the crystalline walls; the noise and lights were followed by council members as they came rushing into the cavern. The first council member Pit saw was of the stone tribe, a stone man called Soder. Pit groaned under his breath, he didn’t like to think stones were being duped into playing on the wrong side of this fight. Besides he would need to be careful and not lie.  The Stone tribe had the ability to see a lie clear as day.

Walking next to the stone, Pit could see Balt, a representative of the Tree clan and then Ricter a member of the Fey tribe came gliding in silently in from above. The three made their way cautiously into the chamber and Pit saw trailing behind the living members of the Realm, several deceased spirits filling out the ranks for good measure. They all looked surprised to find Pit sitting propped up his back against the crystal wall, humming a little song under his breath. “Welcome brothers, it is good to see the people of the clans coming to spend time in the cavern,” his rough voice rang out.

“Pit why are you down here?” Ricter flew directly at the seated meteorite.

The cedar called Balt, spoke up and asked Pit if he was responsible for the spell.

“Oh that spell, oh that was just a little thing to keep out anyone passing by while I napped. Never can be too careful these days,” he said, shaking his gnarled stone finger at the group. “As for what I’m doing here well I’m getting pretty old and I was discussing it one day with Sephoria, and did you know she told me that these black sands would warm my aches and soothe them clean away, so I’ve taken to spending a little time down here every few day.” He leaned back and pushed his body deeper into the sand. “Thank God the sacred waters are close by, it makes the trip easier on my old body,” he said, sniffing disapprovingly at Ricter.

“Are you alone,” asked the stone known as Soder?

Pit looked up at all the three, “Are you pulling my old legs,” he asked laughing.  “Why would I put a spell on the entrance if I wasn’t alone? Now that just doesn’t make any sense to me, he said shaking his head slowly, as was his way.

“Why indeed?” Ricter scowled down at the old meteorite.

“Pit, we are looking for a red haired child and have it on good authority that she is here with the boy Briok.”

              Pit gave the rude Fey a pitiless look. “Be careful Ricter, remember I outrank you. As for your question, I can’t say I have seen anyone here. Are you sure this child and Briok are in the cavern? Last I knew the red haired child was locked away inside the Great Rowan, and Briok is such a young scoundrel, he could be anywhere. Have you checked to see if he is out playing near the sea? Perhaps you should ask the Rowan where the boy is.”

Ricter looked around at the group members, “Spread out and look everywhere.” Turning back to Pit, Ricter glared at the meteorite.

“We have it on good authority, that there is another red haired child, and she and Briok have been hiding out in this cavern.

Soder cut in, remanding Ricter’s order, “There is no need to waste time looking.” Soder turned toward the Fey. “There is nowhere to hide in here. If we can’t see them from here, it’s because they aren’t here.”

“So,” interrupted Pit. “Let me get this right, you think there is a second red haired child?” Pit scratched at his pock-marked face, “Well, that sure leaves an old feller like me something to think about. Does that make the first child you condemned so long ago, innocent? I think you would do better to go back and question your good authority, they don’t seem very reliable. Maybe they will know where the children have gone too. By the way you three wouldn’t know how that big boulder came crashing down on the trail, would you? It was sure a lucky thing that trail isn’t much used anymore, anyone on it would surely have been killed.” Pit learned what he suspected was true as Soder looked anxiously toward the hovering Fey.

“We heard that the boulder had fallen. It’s too bad, it had stood watch in that place a long while,” Balt nervously stuttered.

Pit scowled at the three elders, with their entourage of ghosts, “Well I guess you will be going then. I believe I shall stay and enjoy the warm sands a little while longer. I’m not as young as I use to be,” Pit growled dismissively.

Soder gave Balt’s trunk a push, and they all, including the specters turned and hastily fled the cavern.

Found Out

As soon as Briok was out the door, the sisters cornered Gwenth. “Well girl did you save the world,” Hectain asked?

“No wait, first I want to know about the fairy,” Reval said, cutting in.

Meredith reached over and took Gwenth by the hand and led her over to the table, pulled out a chair and motioned to Gwenth, “Sit down child; I have lamb and potatoes ready. You need to eat and then you can tell us about what you have come home for.” Meredith snapped her fingers, and a plate of hot food appeared upon the table in front of Gwenth.

Gwenth gasped. “So you are a witch!”

Meredith snapped her fingers again and two more plates appeared. Each of these clay plates was piled up high with her sisters’ favorite foods. “It’s true I am a witch, as are my sisters. We came to help you make your way back to save the world that’s in trouble,” she said. Meredith sat down across from the young girl, the nursing babe asleep in her arms.

Reval and Hectain took the other seats, tired and hungry themselves from the long energy draining birth they were happy to quietly dig into the good food.  By the full plates it was obvious Meredith didn’t want them talking too much.

“Did you kill my mother, is that why you came here?”

Meredith’s mouth fell open in disbelief. “Is that what you think, that we would stoop to killing your mother, in order to make you go back in time?”

“Well didn’t you?” Gwenth stood up knocking over the chair as she shouted across the table.

Meredith shook her head, “We would never do such a thing, not even to one who clearly hates us so much. No Gwenth, I never even met your father till last year when he needed help.”

Gwenth closely watched Meredith’s face. She wanted nothing more than to catch Meredith in a lie. Her friend Dembys was telling her that Meredith was telling the truth, and even without the crystal’s input it was clear to Gwenth that Meredith was telling the truth. Mechanically, Gwenth reached down and picked up the chair and sat back down. “Dembys is the food safe to eat?” Hearing in her mind that it was indeed fine, she took up her fork and knife and began to cut the roast lamb into bite size pieces.

Meredith sat rocking the sleeping babe, silently watching as the young woman ate her meal. Her stomach churned with anxiety as she remembered how poorly she had treated Gwenth. She wish she had been stronger and more understanding before, it might have made things easier for both of them now.

Gwenth speared another bite of meat and chewed it letting the meal strengthen her. She noticed the meat was tender and tasted of some herb that blended well with the lamb. “When did you learn to cook this fine, or is this more magic?”

Meredith shook her head, “No it’s not magic Gwenth. I’m not sure myself about the cooking, it just seemed to happen. So far my cooking has continued to improve.”

Reval abruptly stopped shoveling large of bites into her mouth at this point. “Sister it’s truly amazing that you cook so well,” she continued to chew as she spoke. “Can I get a little more of the pudding, please?”

Meredith laughed, and wiggled her fingers, refilling Reval’s plate. “Thank you dear sister, but don’t ask for thirds, because I will need to feed both the Fey and James when they arrive,” she said.

Meredith turned back to look at Gwenth and took a deep breath. “We believe your mother was a witch, Gwenth, and meant to teach you about your magic, but she died. So we came to help prepare you for your task.”

Gwenth stopped with her fork mid-way to her plate. “How dare you say such an evil thing about my mother,” she said. Gwenth’s anger suddenly raged out of control, and she flung the sharp knife across the table aiming at Meredith’s face.

Meredith easily stopped the fork with nothing more than a thought, and turned it about and sent it toward Gwenth’s plate. “First off, witches aren’t all the evil things, you think my dear. They are no worse or better than any other group of people. They can be strong and good, or weak and vengeful, just like your own people.  People are just afraid of what they don’t understand. Secondly,” Meredith said, as she stood and carried the child to the carved cradle that rested near the fireplace. “I understand your fear, but you can’t deny much longer that you are a witch, without destroying all that you love.”

Gwenth stared at Meredith and her two sisters. “Of course you would say you aren’t evil. That is how the devil and his evil minion work.”

Meredith leaned down and tucked the babe snugly into the carved cradle, before she turned back to Gwenth. “I know you are just repeating what you’ve been told but my sister’s and I have nothing more to do with the devil, than you or this wee baby does,” she said, as she walked back to the table. “Gwenth, we are just a different tribe of people, just like you and like your Fey friend are different races. Meredith pulled the chair back and sat down again, “Please understand there used to be many different tribes of people.  Tribes you have never known, nor can scarcely begin to imagine lived in the world; many of those races have passed on now. Each race brought its own gifts, its unique magic into the world. When those races died out sometimes the magic died with them, but sometimes the magic was left to continue on in this world. Witches have continued to survive since the very beginning. Sometimes we are few, sometimes many. You’re right, my sisters and I are witches but we are also descended from a different line of magic as well, a stronger line of magic and one that has protected our people and your people for a very long time.” Meredith rose from the table and stared hard at Gwenth, who sat staring up at her step-mother, her meal all but forgotten. “Do you really think those poor women that are being hung all over Scotland are witches? If they were witches don’t you think they could avoid being found out or even if they were found out, don’t you think if they were really witches they would just escape? Humankind has gotten it wrong, Gwenth,” Meredith said exasperatedly. “Your people Gwenth are using the word witch to get rid of anyone that isn’t liked, anyone in the way. That is where the real evil lies! Gwenth you were born to save the Fey race. It was always, and only you, that can do this fearsome task, and if you have come home without having saved the world, it may all end. You and your friend may end with it. Understand?”

Gwenth looked from one face to the other. “Why should I believe anything you say? You were mean to me, horrible to me, and now you are being nice. Why?”

Meredith sighed, she’d known it would come, and now it had. Pulling the chair out, she sat down, her heart heavy with shame. Across the table Gwenth stared angrily at her. “I am sorry child, it is my first time stepping into human form and I have handled it badly. I thought you were just being a brat. I didn’t understand that in many ways, humans are different. I couldn’t understand that you were not even aware of your magic. I thought you were just spoiled.” Meredith splayed her hands out in front of her reaching across the table towards Gwenth. “I am truly sorry.”

Reval and Hectain laid their forks down and turned towards their sister. “Sister, please don’t blame yourself. You did better than most. It is a difficult assignment,” they said simultaneously.

Gwenth’s eyes narrowed. “What do you mean by, first time being human?”

Meredith heard the fear in Gwenth’s voice. She wanted to help the girl, but was afraid that the times had so ingrained the girl with fear, that knowing the truth would be too much for her. What choice did she have? Oh if only the Gods could help now. The girl could not fail.

Gwenth cocked her head slightly as if listening to a far off voice. “Dembys says that I should forgive and trust you. She says you are of the Corvine clan. She says that word means people of the crow. Is that true, are you really a crow? That would mean what Briok said earlier was true.”

Meredith felt herself instantly relax. “Yes Dembys is right. We are all of the crow clan. Would you like to see or would that it be too much for you? I no wish to scare you further.”

Gwenth chewed her bite solemnly, and considered the news for a moment. “Yes, show me. After where I’ve just come from, thinking of you as a crow would be easier than as a witch.”

Meredith stood up pushing her chair back and snapped her fingers. Meredith vanished, in her place stood a large crow.

Hectain waved her fingers, and she and Reval both transformed instantly into their crow forms.

“Will the baby be able to do that to?”

The three sisters once again took their human shape and sat back down.

Hectain walked over to the cradle and lifted the sleeping child up and returned to the table. “The truth is we don’t know yet, every child is different, parts of each parent make the baby unique. There is no way to guess which parent the child will take after. We will have to wait to see,” she said. She gently settled the sleeping child into the crook of her arm, as she sat down.

“So what about my dad, did you hex him?”

Meredith sighed again. “No of course not; I came to help you find your way and then over time your father and I fell in love.”

“Does he know?”

“No he doesn’t know and it hasn’t been easy to hide your disappearance from him all this time either.”

“It’s only been two days.”

“No, it hasn’t been two days here; it’s been nine months to the day.”

“Nine months, but that’s not possible!”

Reval laughed her round features growing more animated. “You aren’t kidding girl. We had to spell half the countryside to get them all to forget you.”

Meredith gave Reval a cold look. “We did have to put a spell on the countryside and it has taken its toll on my health. Between the spell and the baby, life has been pretty hard around here since you left. You aren’t staying though are you?”

It was Gwenth’s turn to blush with embarrassment. “No we aren’t staying. We just had to go someplace safe for a little while and Dembys thought we should come here. We must return right away, as soon as Briok is back I should think.”

Hectain and Reval looked from Meredith to the girl. “Does this mean you haven’t figured out your magic child or that you haven’t saved the Realm yet,” Reval asked?

Gwenth hung her head. “Briok’s people have a wise woman, Sephoria. She said the same thing that I have great magic, but I haven’t figured out what magic that might be, yet. To be honest I’m afraid to even try. I don’t want to be a horrible witch,” she said, fleeing the table.

Meredith rose up and followed Gwenth, and pulled the girl close in an embrace. “Child, ask your friend Dembys if being a witch means you need to be horrible? My three sisters and I are good people, we are not horrible. We don’t abuse our power, nor do we eat the souls of sleeping children,” she said, as she gently stoked the young woman’s hair.

Gwenth let the angry tears slide down her cheeks. Inside her mind she heard Dembys speak gently of their love for the girl, and of the rightness of being true to herself. She heard Dembys say that the sisters were pure of heart and that the one called Meredith loved Gwenth’s father very much. Dembys told her they were a perfect match. Pushing herself away from Meredith, she held Meredith at arm’s length, while she looked hard at the raven haired woman. “Alright, I trust Dembys and the Dembys trusts you three,” she said.

Meredith could see that the girl had grown, and not just in height, though that was obvious as well. She came easily up past Meredith’s shoulder now, another indication that time seemed to be unraveling. Meredith took the girl’s hand and led her back to the table. “Sisters, I believe we must do something drastic to help Gwenth gain hold of her magic powers. Look closely, she has grown though in that world only two days have passed.”

Reval and Hectain looked at the girl. It was obvious she had grown. “That’s not right. She should be younger still,” Reval said.

Gwenth stood staring at the three women. Suddenly she remembered the piece of metal her mother kept shined up in her trunk. She pulled loose of Meredith and ran into her father’s bedroom. Falling to her knees, she opened the wooden trunk and rummaged around till she found the metal wrapped in an old piece of muslin. She quickly brought it back out and stood near the fire so that she might look into its smooth surface. She lifted the polished piece up, but staring back at her was a stranger. Her baby fat had all but melted away leaving behind sculpted cheek bones. Her skin was clear and bright.  Somehow even her eyes which had always been to large, now lay just right on either side of her aquiline nose. “How did this happen?”

Hectain looked at the young woman who stood before her. “It is part of the problem, part of the reason you’ve been called to go to that place. Time has gone erratic, in the Realm and here as well,” she said shrugging. “Even we don’t know enough, much of our records were destroyed and with them most of the story of the witch who saves this world. It’s clear in the story, time is in trouble and the God of time has gone missing. The only one who can help is a young red haired girl.”

“Sisters.” Meredith turned towards the door as it opened. Both the man and the fairy froze where they stood.

“That was close.”

“What did you do to them?” Gwenth wailed, as she ran across the room to her father.

“Stop that right now. We only need to decide a few things and then I will release the spell. Do you want our help to find your magic, or do you want to return to the place and try to find it on your own? Quick girl, decide.”