The War of Odds (7 page)

Sara sat with her mouth open as she listened to Muriel. She shut it with a snap, however, when Hissaphat growled, “You will catch a bug on your tongue, human. If you do, may I eat it for dinner?”

Chapter 7

“Come with us, girl,” Muriel demanded.
 
“There is a place, not far from here but on the other side of the veil, where we might speak more comfortably and away from the eyes of men.”

Everyone stood up except Sara.
 
Her heart was pounding again.
 
It was one thing sitting about twelve feet off the road leading home, quite another going deeper into the dark woods with these strangers.
 
Her mouth was dry and her breath caught in her throat when Muriel glared at her and snarled, “Well, what are you waiting for?”

The little sprite said, “Auntie, she’s frightened, that’s all.
 
Do you blame her?”

Muriel looked away for a moment, and then faced Sara again.
 
“Sara, we would never hurt you, that is a certainty.
 
I am impatient by nature, so please forgive my lack of manners.
 
Although I did not want to broach the subject so soon, what the sprite says is true.
 
There is the possibility that, with the proper training, you could help us- indeed the entire fae realm.
 
First, however, you need to listen to our plans, away from prying eyes”

Sara looked at the creatures surrounding her, and understood that the nymph was telling the truth.
 
The cat was winding a sinuous path around her ankles in affectionate apology, and the sprite was wringing his little hat in his hands while tears fell from his eyes.
 
The nymph stood tall, taller than Sara did, but even she seemed contrite and somewhat abashed.

Making her mind up, Sara said, “Okay, I’ll go and listen to what you have to say.”
 
She picked up the book bag and purse she had dropped in her tumble off the road and followed the fae into the forest.
 
At one point, Muriel stopped and pointed a short, crooked stick into the air in front of where she stood.
 
There was a soft popping noise, and Sara felt a wave of vertigo as an invisible curtain seemed to sweep aside.
 
Suddenly, the forest was filled with color instead of the usual black and gray shadows of twilight.

Sara stared about in astonishment as the woods transformed into a dusky panorama of strange trees, and huge flowers that grew eyes and watched her passage.
 
Animals stopped and stared at her, whispering behind furred paws, and birds twittered in excitement, spreading word of the human’s arrival as they always do.

To her left, Sara spied a swirl of color that rose up from the forest floor.
 
It looked like a swarm of fireflies, but peering closely, she could see that they were not insects, but the tiniest people imaginable, clothed in iridescent sheaths of light, in every hue of the rainbow.
 
A few of them flew close to her face and Sara could see that despite their beauty they were fierce, frowning, and hostile.
 
She could not help herself…
 
Sara laughed in delight.

Instantly, they retreated and a buzz of alarm arose, filling the immediate area with a high-pitched whining noise, like a swarm of bees. One of the angry little creatures flew at her and poked her cheek with the tip of a tiny sword.

“Ow!”
 
Sara cried, slapping her hand to her stinging face.

“Enough of that, Pixies!”
 
Muriel shouted.
 
After a moment or two, the buzzing died down and the colorful lights disappeared.
 
As Sara’s eyes adjusted to the absence of the pixie’s light, she thought she saw a tall, dark form slither behind a tall tree.
 
She gasped in alarm, and the cat hissed, growling low in its throat.

Muriel stopped and raised her stick like a sword, but whatever Sara glimpsed in the shadows had disappeared.
 
“We need to make haste,” the nymph uttered and moved swiftly ahead of the rest.

After a few minutes, Sara and her companions arrived at a small village. Tiny people scurried about and formed into a sort of impromptu welcome committee. They were sprites, like little Pollo. Sara was touched when one of the creatures approached bearing a bouquet of flowers, almost as big as she was.

Dandelions, primrose, Indian paintbrush and lupine made up the sprites offering, and Sara knelt down and thanked the little black-haired woman for the beautiful gift. The female blushed and said, “I am Pollo’s ma, and I apologize if he has given any offense, Lady”

Sara smiled, and answered, “Your son is very sweet, Ma’am.”

The female sprite seemed pleased and moved back into line as an older, red-bearded male approached.
 
He wore a crown made out of dried vines and wore a cloak made of twigs, pinecones and shiny seeds.
 
He was a magnificent looking fellow and Sara bowed her head in respect.
 
He peered up at her shining figure and thought
, yes; this witch is powerful, indeed!

“Greetings, witch! I am Sylvan, king of these sprites,” Sylvan said and watched in alarm, as the girl’s face turned as red as a strawberry.
 
“My lady, have I caused offense?” he squeaked.

Sara shook her head and chuckled.
 
“No sir.
 
It’s just that calling someone a witch where I come from is meant as an insult.”

Sylvan sputtered, “An insult? My lady, being called a hag or a demon’s spawn is to be insulted here. A witch, well, that is like calling a mountain a mountain. You are either a witch or you are not. The only difference is whether you are addressing a good witch or one who has aligned with darkness. Anyone with common sense would think twice before insulting a witch of either flavor!”
 

The little king had grown quite pink in his haste to explain, and Muriel stepped close. “Sylvan, let us sit and try to explain things fully. This girl has much to learn.”

“Yes, yes…” Sylvan muttered, as refreshments were brought forward and the guests made themselves comfortable. Sara sat cross-legged on the ground and sipped water that was so cold and fresh it made her eyes ache. She sniffed a muffin and took a small bite, smiling as a burst of honey and the smoky taste of nuts filled her mouth. Then Muriel cleared her throat.

“Ahem,” she began, staring out at her audience. “We have gathered here today in order to train this young witch and to help fulfill her birthright. How many of you have sensed the darkness that creeps onto our land?”

The sprites stirred uneasily at the nymph’s question. It was plain to see that many in attendance had felt the touch of evil that was making its way slowly, insidiously, across the realm.

Hands shot up into the air and the nymph nodded. “Yes, their power grows. Timaron, the fairy king, has declared war on humans, Sara. I believe that, in his madness, he has unleashed demons upon the world. These demons hold great and terrible powers…” Muriel paused as she observed the expression on the girl’s face.

“Usually,” she continued. “The dark fae and demon spawn are held in check by the fae of light. Fairy royalty, elven sorcerers and human wizards band together and cast wards to keep the darkness at bay. Now, however, things have changed. Timaron has gone insane, the wizards have fled and the elves… the Seeli and the Unseelie, are at war amongst themselves. That’s where you come in,” she concluded.

Sara mouthed,
Me?
The look of puzzlement in her eyes was almost comical.

Muriel wasn’t smiling, though, as she nodded. “Yes, you Sara. It is our belief that some sort of dark creature has seized control of Timaron’s senses. It could be a number of things… a hobyah, a pooka… a bogy… even all three working together to steal the king’s mind and soul. All three of these creatures hold dark, insidious powers. They will drive a man insane with fear, despair, and rage,” she sighed and added, “I do not have the time, right now, to teach you the ways of all magical creatures, but I will endeavor to instruct you if you decide to help us.”

“Unfortunately,” she added, “as the powers of the dark realm gain strength, our powers diminish. That is why we hope you will help us.” Muriel studied Sara and the nimbus glow of light that surrounded her.

“We think that you are a healer. Did your teacher, er… your mother ever say so before she died?”

Sara nodded, and Muriel smiled.

“You see, because you are human and not constrained by magic, the dark powers cannot steal and nullify your gifts. We think that, with a little training, you can journey to the underworld and cast out whatever has seized control of the fairy king.”

The look of fear on Sara’s face was profound. Muriel added, “Oh, we would not have you go alone. We want you to pick a champion, one of your own kind. This will help keep you… grounded. Some of the places you will journey through are too strange for one human being to visit with only fae for company.”

“Um… how long will this journey take?” Sara drew a breath, “that is, if I DO decide to go?” She clutched her hands together nervously.

The nymph named Muriel, intimidated her. There was a permanent frown wedged between her eyebrows and her shiny white teeth were pointed like fangs and glittered balefully in the light. Sara could not help but wonder if these creatures would simply kidnap her and force her to do their bidding if she refused to help.

Muriel observed the terror in Sara’s eyes and responded, “Child, it would do us no good to abduct you. A witch’s power to heal must come from her desire to help. Healers, both magical and human, draw their strength from love and kindness. They cannot be coerced.”

Great,
Sara thought,
Muriel can read minds, too!

The nymph grinned, adding, “As to your question, time moves differently in this realm, from what you are used to.” She frowned in concentration. “It is fluid and can be manipulated. What might take weeks or months, here in this place, might only be a few hours or a day in your world.” She paused and said, “Sara, we are not asking you to give up your life as a human. We are aware that you have a guardian at home… your father, I think, who would miss you terribly.”

Sara nodded thoughtfully. “So is this… mission dangerous?”

Muriel glanced at Sylvan quickly, before looking at Sara again. “We will not lie to you, Sara. The answer is yes. We would train you and your champion to face obstacles the dark powers would put in your way. In addition, we have picked out a small army to accompany you on your journey. You will not face the darkness alone.”

Muriel drew in a deep breath. “Sara, I know that we are asking a lot of you. You need to remember, though, that this war not only affects the fae realm, but yours as well. The earth trembles in anguish as the dark ones gain power and human beings…indeed, all creatures, in every realm, stand on the brink of ruin!”

“Will you help us, little witch?” the nymph asked softly.

Chapter 8

“Can I think about it?” Sara asked. She understood, really she did and wanted to help but she was also frightened. She did not miss the worried exchange of glances between Sylvan and Muriel, and the fearful tremble of the littlest sprite’s fingers. She knew that this was no game and was not sure if she was up to the challenge.

“Yes, child, we would expect no less from you,” the nymph replied. “We will accompany you back to the road, and leave you there to make your way home. If you find it in your heart to help us, just be there at this time tomorrow night. We will come to fetch you then.” Muriel snapped her fingers. “Oh yes, please find your champion and bring him, or her along with you when you come, Sara. Time, however you measure it, is of the essence.”

She pulled a feather from the pocket of her cloak and handed it to the girl. “This is a Quempel feather. It carries strong magic and will act as a ward against evil, until you return.” She paused and whispered, “And it may be of some service if you decide not to return.”