A singular, shining silver thread stretched from the tip of the gnarled branch near the base of the old oak tree. Cast into the gentle breeze, its free end reached outward, floating gracefully on the warm summer air. Jenna noticed it straight away, its iridescent sparkle drawing her attention from her spot beneath the tree. She watched it carefully, knowing full well that this field was a shared space, a blurred line between her world and the land of Faerie. She’d grown up with tales of those who’d interacted with the inhabitants of the other side, not all of them with pleasant outcomes. And yet, she was intrigued. Lying just inside the ring of shade beneath the oak’s grand canopy, she stared skyward eyeing the silken strand as it danced in the breeze. Moments later another descended through the leaves, waving itself enticingly in her direction, followed soon after by a third that dangled more heavily than the others and a little nearer her face. Down this third strand, a single droplet slid, hesitating when it reached the end and swelling fat and round as it hung suspended above the ground. Jenna watched the droplet grow ever so slowly, a tiny rainbow swirling inside of it. She sat up and put her face just in front of it, as close as she could get without touching. Her nostrils quivered, its fragrance sweeter than anything she’d ever smelled and suddenly she had an overwhelming urge to taste it, although she knew better than to do so.
In fact, Jenna knew better than to be here in this field at all. It wasn’t so much forbidden as frowned upon by the townsfolk. But then again, Jenna wasn’t much for following the rules and the patch of soft moss beneath the old oak was one of her favorite places to daydream.
She parted her lips and slowly held out her tongue in tantalizing anticipation. So tempting, but oh so dangerous. She closed her mouth to better resist and, as she did so, would have sworn she noticed the droplet pulse ever so slightly. Her breath upon it, it began to swing like a pendulum, its intoxicating aroma trailing the arc of its path as it moved further then closer with mesmerizing regularity. Jenna thought this must be what the hummingbirds and butterflies smell as they drink in the sweet nectar of wildflowers and she closed her eyes and imagined herself with wings, hovering over a bright red blossom as she unfurled her long tongue and inserted it deep into the center to retrieve the glorious droplet. Lost in her imagination, Jenna tasted the sweetness of the nectar with her whole being. It was like nothing she had ever tasted before and she enjoyed a satisfaction unlike any she had ever known. Opening her eyes, she saw with horror the glittering thread stock still in front of her, its free end invisible to her as it rested between her lips. There was no undoing what she had done, and she scrambled to her feet as the colors of the earth around her shifted a tad to the left, giving everything a beautiful yet unsettling hue.
“Happy now?” The voice of the old oak rumbled up from beneath the ground and Jenna heard it through her feet as they stood above its tangle of roots. It was a knowing that filled her, more than it was a sound, and Jenna swooned from the newness of the experience.
Above her, there was a rustling in the leaves as something small and hurried made its way down through the vast network of branches.
“I’ve caught one! I’ve actually caught one!” A tiny creature emerged from the greenery, slender and furry in spots, a crooked twig held tightly in his gnarled left hand, a tattered brown knapsack slung over his shoulder.
“Wonderful. You’ve caught her. Now what?”
“Now I… erh…. now I…well, she’s mine now, that’s all that matters. Mind your business.”
The old oak shook itself in response, throwing the creature from his perch. He landed in a heap at Jenna’s feet, quickly righting himself and gathering the spilled contents of his knapsack, mumbling insults under his breath all the while.
Jenna, her knees weak, folded herself back down to the soft patch of moss and pulled the silken strand still dangling from her lip. Holding it out in front of her, she saw it for what it was… its other end attached firmly to the crooked twig the creature had been holding… a fishing rod of sorts. “Excuse me,” she said, addressing the creature, “but I belong to no one.” The tree laughed, a low rumble that reverberated through the ground, and the creature scowled.
“I’m sorry, my dear, but you sipped the nectar…you belong to me now… or at least to Faerie…and as I’m the one who bound you here, you belong to me.” He fumbled through his bag as he spoke, reaching both arms inside and, with great effort, wrested out a squiggling white worm. He gave it a squeeze round its middle and a silvery strand emerged from its rear end, growing longer and coiling in a pile on the moss. The sight, while oddly beautiful, was quite disturbing and the whole of everything was suddenly just too much for Jenna to bear. The world swirled before her, a smear of colors more vibrant than any she’d ever seen…and then just as suddenly… it all went black.
*****
She awoke ferociously hungry, her hands and ankles bound tightly by silken silver strands. Delicate in appearance, she struggled against them but they held strong.
“Don’t bother,” he said. “You’ll only hurt yourself.”
“How dare you! Release me this instant!”
“I will not. You’re mine, fair and square. Now stop struggling or you’ll bruise yourself and damaged goods won’t fetch the same price.”
She wanted to fight. To free herself. To get away from the irritable little creature. But the hunger demanded her attention, growling like a beast from within her gut.
“I heard that,” he said. “You’ll be wanting something to eat. Hmmmm. Hang on then.” He reached for his bag and thrust his arm in up to the shoulder, rummaging for a moment then triumphantly producing a large red berry. “Here,” he said. “This should do for now.”
“I am NOT eating anything from you,” she said.
“Yeah, ok then. Let’s just see how long that hunger of yours lets you make the decisions. Once you’ve had the nectar, Sweetheart, it controls you.”
Her stomach rumbled as if in response and knotted itself for maximum impact, doubling Jenna over at her middle. The creature proffered the ripe, red berry again but Jenna, as obstinate as she was ravenous, refused.
“Suit yourself,” the creature said, placing the berry on the ground beside her. Just then, a bird swooped down from above and swallowed the swollen red fruit in one gulp.
“That wasn’t meant for you!” the creature shouted, his furry little finger pointing angrily at the bird.
“I’ve come with news,” squawked the bird. “A reply to the message you sent out with the raven earlier. There’s interest in your offering and I’ve come to see if she is, in fact, all you claim her to be.”
“Of course she is! Have a look for yourself… but keep your distance, Bird. Who exactly is it who’s interested?” The creature eyed him suspiciously and moved
to stand between his captive and the feathered messenger. Another angry groan rumbled loudly from Jenna’s gut, startling the bird who flitted quickly up to the nearest branch. “You really should feed her if you intend to keep her alive, Harold.”
“You IDIOT!” The creature stamped his furry feet upon the moss, hopping up and down in a furious fit before calming himself with the notion that perhaps the hunger had distracted Jenna from hearing what had been said. Grabbing his knapsack he pulled a plump purple fruit from within and stomped his way up Jenna’s left thigh. When she opened her mouth to protest, he reached up as high as he could and jammed the fat fruit between her lips. It’s soft flesh caught upon her front tooth, ripping open and releasing its juices onto her tongue. The effects were immediate and powerful and Jenna would spend the next few hours in a drunken trance.
The bird dropped himself from the branch, landing briefly in a tangle of Jenna’s hair. He scratched at her scalp through her golden locks and, when that failed to rouse her attention, leaned over and gave her forehead a swift, hard peck. Jenna blinked and stilled herself momentarily before continuing to mumble about all the pretty colors but remained otherwise unresponsive. The bird jumped down and rejoined the creature on the moss beneath the old oak.
“I’m sorry about that. Look, I had a run-in with a troll a few weeks back and that growl…sounded just like him. It spooked me and I slipped.”
“Have you any idea how hard it is to actually catch a human and bind her here? I’ve been at it for ages and I can’t have you just spitting out the only thing that could free her. No sir! I will not have it!”
“Ok. I know. I’m sorry. Now do you want to know who’s willing to trade for her?”
The creature covered his face with his hands and drew in a breath which he expelled with a prolonged sigh. He straightened his shirt, then looked the bird square in the eyes. “Yes. What news have you brought for me?”
The bird puffed out his chest and winked at the creature. “I think you’re going to quite like this,” he said. “The Slade Sisters…both of them want her.”
“Both of them?” The creature leaned in, giving the messenger his full attention.
“Yes. And not together. The girl’s heart is only good once and they each want it for themselves. Word is it’ll grant 100 years vitality to whoever ingests it.”
The creature’s eyes narrowed and he rubbed his hands together slowly as he pondered the news. A bidding war was even better than he’d hoped for. Witches were a tricky lot, though, even for a faerie as powerful as himself and he’d need to be careful.
“Tell the sisters that you’ve seen the girl. Tell them of her beauty, her youthfulness, her purity. Tell them I’ll entertain offers by all interested tomorrow and I expect to be rid of her by nightfall.”
The bird took three steps and flapped his wings, pulling himself up into the air and circling high above the old oak tree. The compensation for his trouble would come from the sisters and he flew eagerly back to confirm.
*****
Philip circled the old oak, hesitant and confused. This was the one, wasn’t it? She’d brought him here with her once before. He remembered the patch of soft moss at the base of the tree yielding under the weight of them and providing cushion from the gnarled roots below. But that was months ago and she’d put him off ever since. Until yesterday. Behind the market, before parting for home, she’d allowed him a kiss that while fleeting, contained all the passions he’d hoped were still there between them. After, she’d smiled at him a hungry smile now burned into his memory and said simply “Tomorrow…the old oak,” before leaving him to head home. And now tomorrow was today and he stood below the oak in eager anticipation but she was nowhere to be seen.
“Philip! Oh Philip, thank God you’re here! This creature has bound me with these ridiculous strands and I can’t seem to break free. Here…help me get them off.”
Philip sat down beside her, deflated and dejected.
“Philip. Philip?!”
“Save your breath, dear. He can’t hear you. He can’t even see you. You belong to Faerie now. I’ve told you this.”
“Phillip! Oh you can’t be serious.” Slowly, the gravity of her situation began to sink in and she turned to the creature. His back to her, he’d emptied his knapsack and was organizing its contents into tiny piles in search of something.
“You. Hey! You. What is your name anyway?”
The creature spun on his heels. “Never you mind about my name, girl, it’s none of your business!”
“Fine then. Look, Philip has come to meet me here. He’s expecting me and he won’t just go away.”
“Yes he will. He can’t see you. He can’t hear you. He doesn’t know you’re here. He’ll eventually go away.” The creature returned to his piles.
“You clearly don’t understand. Men don’t give up so easily when opportunity presents itself. I invited him here. He’s expecting me.”
The creature continued about his business, re-organizing the piles pulled from his tattered knapsack, trying to corral a collection of acorns that had rolled haphazardly beyond his reach.
“Philip! Philip!!” She shouted his name now, as loudly as she could, but it was of no use. He could not hear her. Philip rested himself against the trunk of the old oak and settled in to wait a while. Perhaps she’d had second thoughts. He hoped not and he closed his eyes, letting images of their last encounter play out inside his head.
*****
As the late afternoon sun approached the horizon Jenna’s hunger made its return, raking her insides and weakening her resolve. Philip, who’d fallen asleep against the trunk of the old oak, remained at her side. She began to cry. Soft whimpers at first that grew into heaving sobs roused the attention of the creature who scampered back down from the branches to assess the situation.
“What is the matter with you?” he demanded impatiently, eager to shut her up.
“The matter with me?! I’ll tell you what the matter with me is you furry little freak! I’m hog-tied with silver silk, Philip can’t see or hear me, and thanks to you, apparently, I have an insatiable beast in my belly. AND all you offer are berries… silly little berries!”
“Those berries, my dear, are all you’ll ever eat again. How do I make you understand? You’ve partaken of the Nectar of Faerie. Once it passes your lips, you’re ruined to all other forms of nourishment. Nothing but the fruit of Faerie will sustain you from now on. It’s that simple and it’s pointless to resist.” He pulled at the straps and his knapsack circled round from his back to his front. Lifting the flap, he retrieved two berries, each as black as the night sky, and placed them on the ground beside her. “Here. The day will soon be over and these will keep you through the night. Be quiet now and get some sleep.” With a huff, the creature ascended back into the canopy.
Jenna, tears streaking her cheeks, leaned forward and grasped one of the berries gently between her teeth. It smelled unbelievably sweet and she was tempted to swallow it down quickly but resisted the urge and instead pressed her teeth together gently until the flesh burst and a droplet of juice fell upon her tongue. The pleasure was instant and overwhelming though fleeting. Momentarily rejuvenated, Jenna looked at Philip asleep by her side and an idea born of panic and desperation flashed through her mind like a bolt of lightning. She squashed the fruit between her lips and, dripping with juice, leaned onto Philip, placing her mouth on his. She kissed him long and hard, pushing the remains of the berry into him with her tongue. He reached up and held her head in his hands, returning her kiss with all the passion he assumed it was given. Pulling back, Jenna whispered urgently.
“Philip! Oh Philip! You can see me!”
“I can see you alright. And you can wake me like that anytime, although I’d rather you’d not keep me waiting so long. Where were you anyway?”
“Philip you don’t understand. I’ve been here all along. We’re in Faerie now, Philip, and I’m afraid we’re quite bound here.”
“Faerie?! Impossible. How?”
“Faerie Nectar, Philip. It’s real…and I sipped it. I was tricked, of course. He made me do it…dangling it in front of me like that!”
“Who did?”
“The faerie!”
“Wait. You saw a real live faerie?”
“Yes, Philip. He’s tiny and furry and easily bothered and, unfortunately… I belong to him now.”
“You belong to him?”
“Yes. Much as I hate to say it, it’s apparently true.” Jenna hung her head shamefully, embarrassed at the predicament brought about by her own carelessness. She knew the stories, had heard the cautionary tales. And it was against her own better judgment that she came to this field in the first place, allowing herself to be tempted by its inviting beauty and, if she was being honest, the excitement of risk.
Philip sat in stunned silence, putting it all together inside his head and trying desperately to make sense of this new reality.
“Wait… Jenna! It’s ok… it must be… if I can see you now, if I can hear you…you’ve obviously crossed back over. No idea how you’ve done it…maybe the nectar wears off or something. I don’t know. But it’s ok, Jenna… it’s ok.” He reached out gently and brushed her hair back, lifting her face to meet his gaze. She did not raise her eyes and instead spoke very softly.
“No, Philip. It’s not ok. I kissed you with the juice from a faerie fruit on my lips. I brought you here in hopes you’d help me.”
“You what?! You kissed me with faerie juice??”
“I know, I know… I’m sorry. But I didn’t know what else to do. And there you were, right next to me. You’re my only chance, Philip.”
His pride swelled slightly upon hearing her words; he rather liked being in the hero position. That is, until the gravity of their situation settled back on him. He huffed and gave her a sideways glance, then reached for the silken strands and struggled to free her. Even as he did, he wondered…what then? How could he get them out of Faerie? The delicate bindings, impossibly strong, loosened slightly under Philip’s pull but did not yield. It was no use.
“Oh Philip. What are we going to do?” Jenna laid her head against his shoulder, sniffling quietly. The truth of the matter was that Philip had no idea. He reached up and wiped the tears from Jenna’s cheek.
“I don’t know yet, Jenna, but there must be a way. There must be.”
Jenna took a deep breath and sat up straight. While it was true she’d brought Philip into this in a moment of panic, she never was the type to need rescuing. She looked at him now and saw the worry upon his face…worry she was responsible for. Regret formed like a hard rock in the pit of her stomach and she spoke gently. “I’m sorry, Philip. Truly I am. I shouldn’t have brought you here. It’s all my fault. We’ll get out of this. I don’t know how, but you’re right…there must be a way.”
As the hours passed, the two recounted every faerie tale they could remember in hopes of stumbling upon a loophole that might get them home. The moon crested high above, casting a bluish glow over the field. In the distance, two figures on horseback made their way through the twilight, a blackbird circling above them.
*****
The hunger pulled at Jenna’s insides, demanding her attention once again. She leaned in the direction of the one berry that remained and was just about to bite into it when she heard Philip’s stomach rumble. She had done that to him, and suddenly that was more important than her own hunger.
“Take it,” she said to him. “You’re hungry.”
“You’re hungry too,” he said.
“No,” she lied “not terribly. I’ll be fine til morning then surely the faerie will feed me again. He has plans for me, it seems, that require him taking care of me.”
Philip eyed her doubtfully, unaware of the true magnitude of her sacrifice or the power it held in this magical realm.
“Seriously. Go ahead…eat.”
Philip reached for the berry and swallowed it hungrily. The sweetness overwhelmed him and for a moment all he could see was colored pink. He blinked, then blinked again while his eyes adjusted and his senses settled down. He turned toward Jenna. The ties that bound her glowed beautifully. So beautifully, in fact, that Philip wondered why he hadn’t noticed before. And as he wondered, the iridescent glow intensified and then, in a flash, was gone. And so were the silver silken strands.
“Philip, look!” Jenna’s hands and feet were free. She rubbed her wrists briskly and stood up because she could.
“How?”
“I have no idea!” she said. And she wondered if that meant they were unbound from Faeire as well. Her question was quickly answered by a rustling from above. Philip looked up as the creature dropped himself from the lowest branch onto the moss below.
“A faerie! A proper faerie!” Even knowing their predicament, Philip could not help the shock of seeing a real, live faerie for the first time and he scrambled backward in surprise.
“Yes, of course I am!” The creature spat out the words indigently, mustering all the confidence he could in an attempt to cover his own surprise at being seen by Philip. He drew his eyes to slits and glared at the human. “And you’re the one from yesterday…how can you see me?” The creature circled Jenna and Philip, eyeing them suspiciously, unsure if this was a stroke of luck or a complication he did not need. But before the matter could be settled, a commotion from above drew their attention. The large blackbird, having misjudged his landing, flapped furiously as he fell through the leaves and landed with a thud on the ground beneath the old oak. He squawked and quickly righted himself. The creature rolled his eyes and dropped his head into his hands, wondering if the all of this was more than it was worth.
“Ooooh…caught another one, did ya Harold? Not sure what a man’s heart is good for, but perhaps some of his other parts are worth something.”
The creature, not wishing to tip his hand to either the idiot bird or his captives, maintained his composure…though it required great effort on his part. Bird had once again divulged the one thing that could ruin the entire plan and the creature feared what further damage he might do with the knowledge that Philip’s presence in Faerie was still a questionable loose end.
“What are you doing here, Bird? I’m busy and I don’t have time for you this morning.”
“Hmph! I come with more news. But if you don’t want to be bothered…” Bird fluffed his feathers and turned his head as if preparing to leave.
“Fine! What news?”
“It’ll cost you this time. I’ve not been sent, but come on my own. And trust me…this is something you’ll want to know.”
The creature’s distaste for Bird did not diminish his respect for Bird’s particular talents. Bird had a way of stumbling into situations and coming out with valuable information that was often otherwise impossible to obtain. He was dismissed by many for his clumsiness and, assuming him inept and unintelligent, people were not careful with their words around him. But Bird was more cunning than most gave him credit for, and he made a nice living trading in secrets and slipped tongues. The creature eyed Bird who clucked impatiently.
“Oh alright,” huffed the creature, feeling a bit as if his grip on the circumstances at hand was slipping. “Wait here.” And with that, the creature scurried up the trunk of the old oak. Moments later he reappeared carrying a very shiny gold coin. Bird’s excitement was obvious as the early morning sun glinted off the surface of the coin. Bird liked shiny things. He liked them a lot. And he smiled, as much as a blackbird can smile, as he reached for the coin then tucked it beneath the feathers under his left wing.
“Right then. Let’s have it. What news have you brought?” The creature, expecting the Slade Sisters any time now, was growing impatient.
“The sisters will be here shortly. But I’ve come ahead to tell you that they’re planning to trick you out of the girl.”
“There better be more to it than that, Bird…I’m well aware that dealing with witches is tricky business.”
“Of course there’s more!” squawked Bird, obviously offended. And he continued on, although indignantly.
Whatever it was that Bird and the creature were discussing, Jenna was not listening. The wheels inside her head were spinning at a furious pace, as they had been ever since her restraints had vanished. The seed of hope now planted, she was convinced there was a way out of Faerie if only she could find it.
Bird and the creature continued to babble on beside her. It was clear to Jenna that there was no love lost between the two and, more interestingly, that Bird’s loyalty was for sale. She also noticed that what Bird lacked in grace, he seemed to make up for in usefulness. After all, he was playing both sides quite effectively by what she could tell, and as much as the creature seemed to detest him, he none-the-less tolerated his presence and trusted his information enough to pay for it. As these thoughts swirled inside Jenna’s mind, her mother’s words echoed in her ear and the tiny seed of hope began to take root.
The two sisters approached from the edge of the field, reaching the old oak before the creature and Bird noticed their arrival.
“Where is she?” one of the sister’s demanded. “And who are they?” asked the other.
Startled, Bird squawked and ruffled his feathers, causing the gold coin to slip slightly from beneath his wing. He tucked it back in place.
“The Slade Sisters…so nice of you to come.” The creature gushed, turning on his heels to greet them. “I think you’ll quite like what I have and she could be yours for a price you’ll no doubt think more than fair.” The creature bowed his head to the sisters as a sign of (feigned) respect and gestured grandly toward Jenna. “And, should you be so inclined, I happen to have for you the added bonus of this fine, young human male as well. More than you were expecting, I’m sure. Always under-promise and over-deliver, I say.”
“More like over-promise and under-deliver, I think,” scowled a sister. “This girl is no good to us. You’ve wasted our time.”
“But…but…what do you mean she’s no good to you?” the creature stammered, unnerved by his sudden lack of standing in the negotiations. A young human female, beautiful and healthy and pure, was always a valuable commodity. It occurred to him that this may be part of the deception the sisters had planned and he regained his composure, even if it would be short-lived.
“She’s not pure,” said a sister. “She has to be pure or she’s no good to us. It’s a virgin heart that carries powers of the sort we’re after.”
“What do you mean she’s not pure? Of course she’s pure!” The creature was beginning to lose himself and his voice pitched in the midst of his protest whilst he struggled to remain calm. “Tell them you’re pure, Girl! Tell them! Defend your virtue!”
But Jenna could not have done so if she’d wanted to…which, given the circumstances, she did not. Jenna thought about the afternoon, all those months ago, spent with Philip under the old oak upon the very patch of soft moss on which they now sat. She blushed and reached to hold Philip’s hand. The creature’s face went red in all the spots that weren’t covered with fur and he did not know which to be more angry about… that he’d somehow missed the fact of Jenna’s deflowering or the fact that the silver silken strands that previously bound her hands were now missing. He stared, wide-eyed at the couple, fuming and speechless for all his wasted efforts. Bird, seeing an opportunity to gain good favor from all sides, stepped forward and cleared his throat.
“Pardon my interruption, Sisters, but might I suggest that although the girl may no longer be of use to you it is quite unusual for a young and virile human male to be found captive in Faerie. I wonder if he might not be of at least some value to a pair as skilled in the dark arts as yourselves. You are the Slade Sisters, after all. If anything can be made of him, I’d suspect it’d be the two of you to do it.”
“Laying it on a bit thick, aren’t you Bird? Flattery will get you nowhere with us and there’s no more in this deal for you. You’re lucky we don’t take your wings for wasting our time.”
“Sisters, sisters…my mistake was regrettable, I admit. But I had no way of knowing –a lowly blackbird such as myself does not possess the sight of the kind to which you are privy. The girl’s beauty and youthfulness I verified with my own eyes, as you asked of me…but as for the rest I could only rely on the good word of this faerie.” Bird reached out a wing and wrapped it around the creature, pulling him near and then stepping slightly behind him, out of harm’s way.
“Did you think you could fool us, Faerie? Did you think we wouldn’t see what is plain as day?” The sister raised a crooked finger and pointed it at the creature, took a breath and closed her eyes. Ancient words, spoken sharply through wrathful lips wafted into the air and circled above the creature in a cloud of glowing green mist.
“Sisters. I had no intensions of trying to deceive you…which is more than I can say of the two of you. I’m well aware of your plans to cheat me and steal the girl.”
“Perhaps not the time to sling accusations, Harold,” Bird whispered with a nod to the menacing green mist hanging low above the creature’s head. “Sisters. I ask you, humbly, to reconsider. This faerie was crafty enough to bind not one, but two humans here. No doubt then he could do it again… this time with a more careful eye for what you require. I, myself, pledge to assist him in completing the task in short order…for the smallest of fees, of course.”
“Quiet, Bird! If you know what’s good for you,” said the sister who wasn’t currently invoking the misty green spell of vengeance. She reached forward and placed her bony fingers gingerly upon her sister’s shoulder. “Sister,” she said. “Perhaps there’s something to what the blackbird says. There is the Incantation of Legions, after all. Remember?”
The second sister paused and opened her eyes, green mist still swirling above the creature’s head as the last of her words trailed from her lips and joined the others. “Hmm… yes…. The Incantation of Legions. Seeds of life from a human male mixed with spit and dirt and blood from the still pumping heart freshly ripped from within his chest…”
“Yes, Sister…from that a horde of faithful underlings will grow to do our bidding. It’s not the 100 years we wanted…but perhaps the faerie will do better with a little… motivation?”
The sister pointed a finger at the green mist then at the creature and the cloud slowly descended, snaking its way around his body and squeezing him tightly in a menacing embrace.
“We’re taking the man. Consider it reparations for bringing us here under false pretenses. But be warned, faerie…try to trick us again and you won’t be so lucky. We’ll be back at the next blood moon to collect what we came for in the first place. You have til then to make good.”
“Wait! You can’t take Philip. He shouldn’t be here. It’s not his fault, its mine. Take me, but leave Philip out of this.” Jenna pleaded in horror at the thought of Philip’s fate, begging for his life, but it was of no use. A witch’s heart is made of stone and not one drop of compassion can be drawn from it. Ignoring Jenna’s pleas, one of the sisters raised a weathered hand to Philip’s face and drew it closed into a fist and like that Philip’s eyes closed and his body slumped against the trunk of the old oak. The sisters hefted him onto one of their horses and secured him with thick ropes that tied themselves around his body.
As the sisters rode off across the field, the grasp of the green mist tightened around an increasingly terrified creature, wringing the breath from his tiny, furry body. It was merely a warning; however, and the mist slowly dissipated once rendering him unconscious. Bird watched as the creature slumped to the ground.
Jenna knew this was her opportunity. She reached into her shoe and retrieved the shiny silver coin her mother insisted she carry hidden away on her person at all times. You never know what might happen, Jenna, she’d said. One day you might really need it. Jenna had never appreciated her mother’s advice until this moment and, if this worked, she vowed never to dismiss her again.
Bird, eager to leave entire the situation behind, stretched out his wings and prepared to take flight. But just as he did so, Jenna held the coin out and called to him.
“Bird!”
The sunlight bounced off the surface of the coin, the sparkly flash drawing Bird’s attention. He stepped closer.
“What have got there, girl?” Bird’s eyes remained transfixed on the coin as he spoke, his desire to possess it for himself apparent.
Jenna wasted no time getting to the point. “I’ll pay you. This shiny silver coin is yours if you’ll get us out of Faerie.”
“Us?”
“Me and Philip.”
“Dear girl…there’s nothing I can do to help Philip while the witches have him. You saw. I am cunning, it’s true, but they are not to be toyed with.”
“Oh please,” Jenna sobbed, her voice thick with desperation. “You have to help him. It’s all my fault he’s here! It was me who bound him here with the berry…I kissed him with the juice…I was desperate and scared and…and…it was stupid. Please help us… get us both out of Faerie and I’ll leave another silver coin for you under this very oak tree every week. Please! I promise!”
Jenna knew little of Faerie…only what had been passed down in tales and bedtime stories and from that there was no telling which bits were true and which simply made for interesting legends. But Bird knew. In fact, he knew the intricacies of Faerie law quite well. He knew the one way Jenna could be freed…that was easy enough… and now he knew the unique situation she’d created by binding Philip to this land herself. Binding a foreign-born to Faerie, you see, can only be done by one from Faerie. Once Jenna was no longer a part of Faerie, Philip’s tie would no longer hold. But a shiny silver coin a week was at stake and Jenna needed only to believe that Bird was responsible. Perhaps this day could be salvaged after all, he thought to himself.
“Another silver coin each week? That is your offer?”
“Yes, I promise,” Jenna replied eagerly, encouraged by his interest.
“Very well. I can help you. You’ll have to free yourself but I’ll give you the means in exchange for that coin you hold there. Then leave Philip to me… I’ll see that he’s freed as well, although it won’t be easy. You must never forget the danger I’m placing myself in to save him and promise to leave payment each week in gratitude. Should you fail, he will be returned to Faerie.”
“Oh, thank you! I promise!”
“All right then. Hand me the coin.”
Jenna passed the shiny silver coin to Bird who snatched it up in his beak and tucked it beneath the feathers of his wing.
“Harold,” he said simply.
“Harold?”
“Yes… Harold. That’s his name.” Bird gestured toward the heap of fur that lay upon the soft moss at the base of the tree. “Speak his name to him and you’ll be free by the Law of the Land.”
“Really? Just like that?”
“Just like that. A name is a powerful thing in Faerie, and they’re well guarded as you can imagine. You’re lucky you met me, Girl. Not many have information as valuable as a faerie’s name.”
Jenna stepped nearer the creature and knelt down over his tiny, furry body. Placing a hand on his side, she gently jostled him while calling him by name. “Harold. Wake up, Harold. You’re fine, they’re gone. The witches are gone.”
“Huh? What?” The creature, still groggy, raised himself up on his elbows and looked around through squinted eyes. Two shapes stood before him…one bird-shape and the other too blurry to make out. He strained to focus as he came fully back to consciousness. But even then, with Bird in clear view, the other shape remained blurred and pale…almost other-worldly.
“Harold.” Jenna spoke his name again, plainly and with force, as if it were a password uttered to an enchanted gate.
“Stop calling my name! What do you want?” the creature demanded, irritable as ever. And suddenly, he understood. Harold jumped up and stamped his feet upon the moss in a fit of rage, shaking his tiny little fists and shouting “No, no, no! Bird, you IDIOT…the witches weren’t the only ones. She could still fetch a pretty penny!” But it was too late.
Colors dulled and the world spun in a smear as it squeezed in around Jenna until she could no longer see nor hear Harold or Bird. Alone on the soft moss beneath the old oak, Jenna was too frightened for Philip to allow herself any relief. There, she waited.
*****
Philip’s body lay motionless upon the enormous stump of a very old oak tree. An altar of sorts, it’s top was wide and made flat for occasions such as this. The sisters, wasting no time, prepared nearby for the ritual. Clearing a small patch of earth beside the stump, they spat into the dirt then positioned themselves. One stood at his shoulder, her dagger held high above him, ready to plunge into his chest at the exact point where his heart could be extracted, still beating. The other climbed onto the altar and straddled his thighs, a carving knife poised above his crotch. They began the incantation, chanting together and stirring up a breeze through the forest that grew quickly into a swirling wind. Philip’s body drifted in and out of focus. The sisters, assuming that a sign the spell was working, chanted louder and more quickly as he faded, unaware of the other forces at work. And then he was gone.
Philip awoke upon the enormous stump, groggy and not knowing how he came to be there nor how close he’d come to losing some rather important parts of himself. Immediately his thoughts turned to Jenna and without knowing why he climbed down off the stump of the very old oak and headed with intention through the forest. Whenever he paused to question his path, the leaves of the oaks in the forest would rustle, though he never noticed a breeze, and he felt oddly compelled to follow in the direction of the rustling, though he could not explain why.
Trees cannot move from their place in the ground, it is true. But the oldest ones have traveled far. Spreading their legacy across the land, each new sapling is a single step forward along a vast and winding path. As the only living things to exist simultaneously in both the Land of Faerie and the realm of mankind, the trees possess a special kind of magic. And sometimes, they are inclined to help.
As Philip stepped finally out of the forest, he noticed the very old oak tree at the other end of the field. The grandeur of its canopy spread out above its enormous trunk, he could just make out a figure sitting below and he ran to her.
*****
Jenna placed the shiny silver coin at the base of the old oak as she had done every week for the past 10 years. Her daughter settled onto the soft moss beneath the tree and reached into her shoe.
“No, Sweetie. You leave that one right where it is. You never know what might happen… one day you might really need it.”
A look of disappointment on her face, the little girl removed her finger from her shoe and stood up to take her mother’s hand.
“C’mon,” her mother said. “I’ll tell you another faerie tale on the way home.”
© Kelly Rainey and 500wordsandcounting.wordpress.com, 2018. Photo by Markus Reugles.
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