Shadows & Secrets part 12
Things begin to get rather interesting for our adventurers as they enter Fae territory. What mischief will they encounter? Read and see!
New to this story? Start here!
D
Deryn knew the kiss was a deflection, but he let himself be silenced and enjoyed the warm contact. Cáit pulled away sooner than he wanted, but the pleasant buzzing in his blood remained, draping him in a drowsy contentment as dinner was prepared and served. He had eaten pheasant before, but whatever Maeve had added to the birds was akin to magic, changing the usually bland meat into an explosion of flavor on his tongue. The rest of the meal was equally delightful and he had a feeling he was already thoroughly spoiled with Maeve’s cooking.
Dishes were washed and packed away as before. Cáit, once more clad in her night clothes, patted the spot beside her and he quickly shifted, his enthusiasm drawing out a soft chuckle from Cáit. He was far too happy to feel any embarrassment as he curled up in her arms, his purr rumbling to life as sleep clouded his senses.
Morning found them on the road north once more, though Deryn could feel a slow shift in the air. His skin itched, having grown used to the dearth of magic in Cáit’s village.
“Do you feel that?” Deryn asked her quietly. He waited for her reply, watching as she took in her surroundings. Nothing had visibly changed and he had been told humans were oblivious to magic’s presence. Cáit did not disappoint him and eventually nodded.
“The air feels thicker and…” she paused searching for the right word, “itchy?” He nodded, pleased she had the same instinctive awareness even without having Settled yet. He felt Lonán pull up beside them and realized the hunter likely sensed the change as well.
“We’ve entered Fae lands,” he stated, keeping his voice low, “be mindful of what you share as ears are everywhere. Stay with either me or my brother and trust no one that’s left your sight even if it’s just briefly.” He watched his friends nod, their expressions serious.
“How was the forest not like this?” Lonán asked.
“There are relatively few Fae in that forest,” he explained, “and all were woodland Fae. Their magic is generally minimal and tied to the woods themselves.” Lonán nodded his understanding then flicked his reins, urging his horse up beside his sister.
Deryn felt Cáit hunker down in his arms, but unlike her usual snuggles this was riff with tension. He scented no fear on her, merely wariness, and found himself in awe at her resilience. He suspected he would not be nearly as calm if their roles were reversed.
C
Cáit burrowed into Deryn’s arms wishing they could shield her from her mounting nerves as well as they did the increasing chill in the air. She had known she would be entering Fae lands and yet feeling the magic crawling across her skin made her skittish.
She felt the horse beneath her shiver and realized Pedr had paused, allowing him to walk beside them.
“Until we are within the walls of the manor,” he advised softly, “it would be wise if we did not advertise any relationships that could compromise our ruse.”
“I’m sure Maeve was devastated to hear that,” she murmured back, a smile tugging at her lips in spite of her worry.
“True names are highly inadvisable,” he chided, “She has chosen to go by ‘Scarlet’ until it is safe. Her brother is ‘Hunter’.” Cáit nodded, secretly wincing at her blunder. She pondered quietly, trying to come up with a use name, but unlike her friends, she had no distinct trait or trade to utilize.
“Melody,” Deryn suggested, “that is also a name is it not?”
“It is,” she agreed, “I shall be Melody.”
“I shall inform the others,” Pedr said curtly and padded away.
“He’s likely the one devastated right now,” Deryn murmured, “it’s been far too long since I’ve seen him even close to as happy as he’s been lately.”
Cáit watched Pedr as she mulled over Deryn’s words. He had been riding behind Maeve for much of the trip, only padding beside her in his malk form when her temper had flared and she sent him flying off. His gait had been relaxed, with a jaunty, playful bounce to his strides. Now, she realized, his gait was measured, controlled, and held a dangerous edge. A completely different Pedr prowled with them and she found herself wondering, despite Deryn’s claim, which one was truly the act.
Hours stretched as Cáit tried to doze. Lunch had come and gone, the conversation hushed and as bleak as the sky had grown. Steely gray clouds had gathered and now loomed oppressively above. She suspected it would rain soon, likely before nightfall, and wondered how they would keep dry and warm.
When they finally stopped for the night, she watched Lonán pull out large hides and stretch them between the trees, the sides draping down to create a sheltered space. She didn’t think they would hold up against a strong storm, but hoped they would suffice for whatever downpour was imminent.
Dinner was another quiet meal like lunch and was made exclusively from the supplies on hand as none wanted to risk being caught in the bad weather the clouds threatened. As she prepared for bed, she noticed Pedr had vanished.
“I know where he is,” Deryn whispered beside her, glancing at Maeve’s hide shelter, before shifting and entering theirs. She caught Lonán’s gaze and nodded a silent good night before ducking inside.
D
Deryn had been surprised when Pedr had simply vanished, but not for the reasons Cáit was. Unlike her, he had seen his brother pad into a shadow and fail to reemerge on the other side. Shadow walking was not an exclusive Cat Sith trait, but they excelled at it, especially his brother. His nose picked up the scent of female surprise and he had to hide his smirk.
“I know where he is,” he whispered to Cáit, eyeing Maeve’s shelter discreetly before shifting. The shelter was small, barely big enough for one, but his malk form was conveniently compact. He wondered briefly which form his brother was in then wrenched his mind firmly away from that trail of thought.
“It’s surprisingly quiet,” Cáit murmured thoughtfully, “should we be concerned?”
“He is likely behaving himself so as not to…” he paused to remember his brother’s phrasing, “advertise any relationships.”
“Sneaky kitty.”
“He excels at shadow walking,” he agreed, “so, yes, a very sneaky kitty.”
“Can all Cat Sith do that?”
“It takes practice like shifting,” he replied, “but I have never heard of a Cat Sith that couldn’t.” He knew where Cáit was going with this line of questioning and wished he could tell her she probably would be able to once she Settled, but her safety was more important. She seemed to understand, excitement flitting across her features before she snuggled deeper into her bedroll to sleep.
Deryn shifted uneasily, unsure what had woken him. It took very little time for his brain to inform him he was alone in the shelter and he bolted awake when it did. Once awake, he heard the steady drumming of rain and woven beneath it a sound that made his blood chill, Fae song.
He slipped into the shadows, popping first into Lonán’s now empty shelter, then into Pedr’s which was decidedly not vacant. Pedr glared at him, his green eyes promising a slow, painful death before registering the panic drenching Deryn’s scent.
“They’re gone,” he told Pedr, “both of them.” Beside and partly beneath Pedr, Maeve stirred uneasily as if experiencing a troubled dream. As his brother moved off of her, she sat up, though her eyes remained closed. Deryn watched as Maeve proceeded to leave the shelter, still asleep, her night clothes quickly becoming drenched as she made her way into the night.
“We should follow, little brother,” Pedr advised him. “She is likely being drawn to wherever the others have been.” Nodding, Deryn darted into the rain, ignoring the unpleasant feeling of the pelting water. He felt his brother’s larger form prowling beside him, though he was barely visible in the shadowed woods.
When Deryn reached the clearing his coat was so ladened with rainwater that his body had stopped twitching at the ceaseless raindrops, as if finally resigned to being wet. Fae lights bobbed in the air like ghostly orbs, lighting the clearing in a silvery glow. Scanning the clearing, he noted numerous Fae dancing in the rain, their bodies a bluish gray to his eyes. His friends were easily spotted, their skin a rosier hue than the Fae, though far paler than was normal. They danced as well, grins stretched wide and eyes closed, oblivious to their muddy legs and torn clothes. He watched Maeve approach the group, but Pedr did not allow her far, shifting out of his malk form and grabbing her arm. Deryn saw him whisper into her ear and she sagged against him, no longer compelled by the song.
“You will release what has been taken tonight,” Pedr ordered to the dancing Fae, “you know not the risk your theft has.” Deryn watched one of the males pause his dancing and slowly approach them. As he did, Deryn noted his skin was not wet like his brother’s, but seemed to shimmer as if made of water.
“They came to dance,” the Fae answered lazily, “who are we to deny them such joy?”
“You have taken from the sons of Caedryn, High Lord of the Cat Sith,” Pedr calmly informed the water Fae, “such a transgression would not be seen favorably in the court.” He saw the Fae stiffen as much as such a fluid Fae could at his brother’s words, the threat in them heard loud and clear. Deryn had seen whole clans of Fae obliterated at the behest of his father over far more trivial slights.
“We would not take from the sons of Caedryn,” the Fae replied, his voice no longer as languid, “they came to us and spoke of no ownership. We will make recompense for your trouble.” He shouted in a watery language Deryn had trouble following and two Fae approached, each guiding one of his friends. As she drew closer, he saw Cáit was covered in scratches, likely from brambles and branches in the woods. More words were exchanged as he took in her torn, muddy night clothes and the paleness of her usually rosy cheeks and lips.
His attention was pulled away as a third Fae approached, a slight female whose features were not like the rest. Her hair was a mass of silver curls in the light, not the steely gray of the rest. Her skin lacked the fluidity of the others and instead seemed to glow softly. He fought the widening of his eyes and hoped they remained mostly unaffected by the sight of such a rare Fae.
“We offer this rarity as recompense to the sons of Caedryn, High Lord of the Cat Sith,” he heard the male Fae announce, “perhaps the perceived transgression need not reach the court.” The Fae could not hide the hopeful lift towards the end of his statement and Deryn could not fault the Fae for it.
“We accept this recompense,” Pedr replied, his voice sounding almost bored, “the court does not need to hear of a transgression that did not occur.” Deryn saw the Fae practically sag with relief. Formal goodbyes were exchanged and Deryn led a still sleepwalking Cáit and Lonán back to their camp.
Once back at camp, he began to fret in earnest. Deryn looked at his brother, his eyes wide with a silent plea.
“Their clothes need to be stripped off before they enter the shelters,” Pedr instructed, “then each needs dried and bundled for warmth. Humans are fragile creatures and we do not wish to lose any of them to illness.” Deryn hated the cold tone his brother had, but understood it was merely an act to protect their secrets. They had a very close pair of ears that could pose a real threat to his friends’ safety, to Cáit’s safety.
Deryn tried desperately to maintain modesty while still divesting Cáit of her sodden night clothes. She stood eerily still as he fumbled and he was both grateful and disturbed she would have no memory of what happened. He vaguely noticed that Pedr was also being rather polite, though not fumbling nearly as badly with Maeve’s garments. Their new companion had no such decency as she stripped Lonán’s pants off, openly taking in his appearance with curiosity.
Deryn used Cáit’s tattered night clothes to clean some of the mud and blood from her limbs before ushering her into her shelter. He then used one blanket to dry her off and bundled her in the other. He rubbed her arms and back briskly as he’d seen human mothers do when a child had been out playing in the snow and used his warm breath to bring color back to her face. She still felt chill as she snuggled into the blanket and him, but he told himself he had done all he could for her.
C
Cáit was cold. She had no idea why that would be, having gone to bed under two blankets and with Deryn’s warm furry body curled up against her, but she felt chilled to her core. A warm, heavy weight was draped over her and a rhythmic warmth danced over her cheek. Opening her sleep-crusted eyes, she spied a mop of black hair and flawless skin. She immediately slammed her eyes closed again and tried to keep her heart from racing. Deryn, it seemed, was not in his typical malk form. Curiosity pried her eyes open once more and she took in her companion’s appearance until she realized he was completely lacking clothes. Her next realization was equally jarring as she looked down at herself and noticed she also lacked clothing.
Her breathing picked up along with her heart rate, but she couldn’t hide her escalating embarrassment and anxiety. The arms surrounding her tightened briefly, drawing her gaze up. Emerald eyes filled with warmth and concern greeted her and she felt herself relax a bit.
“You gave me quite the fright last night,” he murmured softly to her and her curiosity spiked. She didn’t even need to ask what happened as he must have seen the question in her eyes. The story he told had her completely forgetting her embarrassment at their missing attire as gratitude took its place. Worry soon followed as he informed her of their new companion.
“You said she’s not water Fae like the others,” she prompted, “so what exactly is she?” Deryn sat up and sighed, running a hand through his messy hair. She could see now that it had a matted quality to it, having dried in uneven clumps overnight.
“She’s what we call a ‘moon maiden’,” he replied, “they are lower Fae that are all but extinct now due to the war. Her powers match those of the moon, hence the name. She can create or extinguish light, though not sunlight, and can manipulate water.”
“Like the moon controls the tides,” she commented. She watched him nod and smile softly in response, creating a warmth in her that heated all the way down to her chilled toes. He startled then and she had to stifle a giggle at his sudden realization that he was nude. He quickly shifted form and darted out the shelter with some vague comment about checking on the others.
Now alone in the shelter, Cáit turned her attention to getting some clothes on. Her mind turned over the story Deryn had shared with her as she dug out thicker clothing than her usual attire to help warm up her chilled skin. She listened for the patter of rain, but found it absent. Frogs croaked happily alongside the cheerful calls of birds, letting her know it had been a fairly steady rainfall overnight.
Her brush snagged repeatedly in her hair as she tried to wrestle with the tangled mess. She decided to give up before she yanked half her hair out and climbed out the shelter to find something to eat. Maeve sat before a small fire preparing a pot of what looked like oatmeal. Her braid looked neat and twig free and Cáit suspected Pedr had assisted her with it in private. Lonán stood tending the horses with Deryn, but she could tell his attention was split. Pedr lounged nearby with a carefree air that she could tell was feigned, his eyes never straying from the new addition that was watching Maeve cook.
The female was slight, but definitely not a child. Her curves were less voluptuous than Maeve’s, but she had an unearthly perfection about her features that was amplified by the soft glow her skin had. Like moonlight, Cáit noted, it was cool and silvery. Her skin was equally pale, almost like porcelain, and her hair was a silvery white. Large gray eyes dominated the Fae’s face, almost comically so compared to her tiny button nose and thin mouth. Cáit didn’t need to see the pointy ears nestled in the mass of curls to recognize this creature as not human, everything about her practically screamed it.
She approached Maeve tentatively, and the Fae’s gaze shifted to her. Childlike curiosity was all she could read in those eyes before they switched back to Maeve.
“Need some help, Scarlet?” Cáit asked her friend, remembering to use Maeve’s use name. Maeve smiled up at her then shook her head.
“Not much to help with, Melody,” she replied with a chuckle, “your hair could use some though. I can help after breakfast.” Cáit nodded her thanks and moved to Lonán.
“You ok over here?” She whispered to them. Lonán startled slightly, but nodded. His features seemed a bit flushed and she wondered how the female Fae had behaved with him. Deryn had no knowledge of what occurred within the shelter once the Fae had led a very naked Lonán inside, his focus entirely on getting her dry and warm. She doubted Pedr knew either seeing as he had had Maeve’s well-being to focus on. That left only Lonán to know what occurred and, seeing as her own memory of last night was missing, she doubted he remembered much of anything that happened.
“Lunitza,” Lonán whispered back, “that’s what she wants us to call her.”
“It basically means ‘little moon’,” Deryn added, “She has merely watched us and only spoken once, to let us know what to call her.” Cáit nodded.
“We should pack up as much as we can before breakfast,” Lonán advised before heading to the shelters. Cáit looked at Deryn, but he shook his head.
“Whatever happened between them is a secret he's not willing to share,” he confided, “perhaps in time he will feel more comfortable sharing, but right now he’s very guarded about it.” She nodded, pleased Deryn had broached the topic. While she had grown up with Lonán, she could tell Deryn already had a much closer relationship with him. If Lonán was not sharing with Deryn, he certainly wasn’t going to share with her.
“It’s nothing special,” she heard Maeve announce, “but it’s warm and filling.” Cáit headed back over to her friend as she ladled steaming oatmeal into bowls. Seating arrangements had changed with the new addition and she found herself nestled between Maeve and Lonán instead of with Deryn. Her usual companion sat with his brother and Lunitza, their conversation too quiet to hear.
Deciding to focus on her meal instead of the spike of jealousy she felt, she dug her spoon into the oatmeal. After a few spoonfuls, she grinned.
“Nothing special,” she parroted to her friend, “this is amazing as always.” Lonán agreed and Maeve demurred shyly, though Cáit saw her glance to see Pedr’s reaction to the meal.
D
Deryn tried to shake his sadness at not being beside Cáit at breakfast, but it clung to him like a burr snagged in his fur. The meal Maeve claimed as ‘nothing special’ still had his taste buds rejoicing at the complexity of flavors in the dish. It was mashed and boiled oats, hardly something he’d think of as tasty, yet there were spices and honey swirled in along with bits of dried fruit and nuts. The combination was absolutely delicious and he wondered what their new companion thought of it.
Lunitza puzzled him, in a number of ways. She seemed young for a Fae, though that could be misleading with some. She had been submissive and meek towards him, not just his rather dominant brother. Quiet was another trait that surprised him. Most Fae were actually rather chatty, drawing out information while in essence saying nothing.
“How did you come to be with that clan?” Pedr asked bluntly, “they are rather unusual company to keep, are they not?” Lunitza nodded, though kept her gaze on the bowl in her hands. Deryn noticed the spoon in the bowl was left untouched and doubted his brother had overlooked that.
“I was given into their care as a youngling,” she replied softly, “I was told my entire family was killed by the Dorchae, though I have no memory of the incident.” He watched Pedr take hold of her wrist and scan her arm before repeating the behavior with the other. He found what he was looking for and pointed out a small scar on her left wrist. Deryn looked closely and realized it was a brand of sorts.
“Memory block,” Pedr explained, “a high Fae would be needed for such a spell. It can be broken, but to prevent damaging her existing memories, it will require more skill than I have.”
“Surely you have a connection to one that does,” Deryn replied. He knew his brother had a whole network of connections in court, some for information and others for skills he lacked.
“I do,” Pedr agreed, “but first we need to get these humans to the manor.” Deryn felt himself bristle at how Pedr referred to his friends, but held his tongue. He felt a firm hand on his shoulder, drawing his gaze to his brother’s. “You know my opinion of them little brother, I made that clear days ago.” Deryn relaxed, knowing what Pedr meant. To anyone else it seemed a reminder of how little he thought of the humans, but Deryn knew it was actually a reminder of how deeply his brother cared for at least one of them, a certain fiery redhead, that had earned a very special name besides ‘Scarlet’. He watched his brother turn back to Lunitza.
“You should eat,” Pedr instructed her, “Scarlet’s skill with cooking is rather extraordinary even with such meager supplies.” His praise seemed to convince her to finally pick up the spoon. She nearly dropped it a mouthful later, her eyes widening.
“I watched her,” she whispered excitedly, “there were no spells, no strange techniques. How did she create such flavors?”
“That is a secret I’m quite happy to let her keep,” Pedr replied, popping a spoonful into his own mouth. Deryn turned his attention back to his own breakfast, content knowing Maeve’s culinary magic had won over the Fae.
Continue Reading: Part 13
We have a new companion to our merry band now and new secrets to uncover. Feel free to share your thoughts, theories, and critiques in the comments.
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