Secrets of the Fae

12

We continued to communicate this way, for hours, learning about her through what little she knew, with my questions to invoke answers she couldn’t remember on her own. We knew as much about each other as ourselves, and more, by the time I took my hand from her and sheathed my wings. It was less disturbing to break the connection this time, where we both realized our hunger and could prepare for that disconnection. We ate and talked a little more, sharing our thoughts more openly now, a remnant of that connection humming between us.

We slept that night, twined in each others arms, seeking to keep our connection strong, even in sleep. When we woke with the sun we both released our wings, almost eager to touch and have that soul to soul vision again. I caught her hands as she reached for me, and gently pulled her wing foward so she could see what I saw. I faint band of color floated along the edges, a bright joyful yellow pulsed as she caught sight of them. Her hands left mine to reach for my wings, and to see through my eyes for a moment. She marveled briefly, hopeful that somehow our connection was healing her, that perhaps she could regain her magik. I was skeptical though, I never believed that her magik was tied to her wings. It didn’t make sense for the entire essence of Fae to be tied to the wings. I explained my theories to her, of Mother’s intent for an honest race and thus the wings and their colors. Sadie nodded in partial agreement, but was too hopeful for a return of her magik to dismiss her own theories just yet. We started experimenting more with our connection, answering questions I had never thought to ask before. Learning better ways to progress her healing.

It was during one such session that the core of her wings finally showed some color. A pale blue, almost white it was so faded, appeared at the base of her wings. Such color was that of the sky and water fairies, those concerned with rain and growth. As she gained mastery of this knowledge, deep purple veins showed up in the pale blue, thin as silk strands and weaving along her wings, even through the main sections that were still transparent. The purple flowed throughout, proving her royalty, marking her as slightly other, slightly more than Fae. She would make a strong queen in the coming years, and with her soul visibly connect to her wings, and our connection growing stronger, we noticed something new.

Both of our wings had become less opaque, gaining a translucence neither of us had been prepared for. We also gained a bit of the other’s affinity color, my earthy green fading to her pale blue before entering the murky reds and greens of my personality. Her pale blue darkening to a teal then evergreen before shifting back to the dark cornflower and gold of herself. It was a fascinating meld, and we started to wonder if we could share eachothers gifts or affinite powers. I teased her gently, saying that she already knew the plants of my craft as well as I did. She scowled at me a moment before breaking into laughter. She claimed to know them better than I since I was constantly asking her about them.

When we settled down again we started discussing our other affinite powers. I told her of my empathy and of the inherent magik that lie in every Fae. She tried to call upon her gift of clouds and rain to make a small shower over the garden, but the sky stayed bright and cloudless. We worked toward smaller magiks, glamour and simple spellcraft, she could do nothing at all. Since I hadn’t used much magik in the last few decades I didn’t feel like I was the best teacher or coach. I suggested, rather demurely, that we plan a trip to Fae proper. Perhaps a Mothering Fae or even her parents could help her unlock the magik within. She suggested we find an ancient one, that perhaps one of them could reconnect her to Mother Nature and give her power again. Neither of liked these ideas, she for fear of the Dark Lord’s capturing her again, and me for losing her to the Fae Kingdom once she was well enough to return to society. We tried to alleviate the other’s fears, but not even our souls could get past them completely. Belief in self does not alleviate fear in others, and we both found our fears to be logically and emotionally solid. I could not promise her safety outside my shield spell; she could not promise me a place of healing in her realm. She agreed that my talents weren’t much use among Fae, and that I was best suited for my life here in the forest. She knew that I could be happy with her forever, no matter where we were, but that I would be happiest here in the home I had made in the forest, closest to Mother Nature and her creations.

“What if your magik never returns on it’s own?” I finally asked her directly. She truly contemplated the question, thinking through the possibility as it seemed more real everyday she failed to produce even a wisp of power. After several long moments, she smiled softly, “I would stay here with you, forever learning how to create medicines and pick flowers for oils. I would stay in this little clearing when you left to discover some new path, or test some new knowledge, or follow some friend to an injured creature. Then you would be happy, and I would stay safe.”

“What of the Dark Lord? What if he tries something different now that the royal Fae gardens have perished? You will be the last queen, the Fae gaurdians in control now can not last forever.”

“Then you and I shall find a way to resurect the royal Fae gardens. Perhaps Mother will give you a new flower to grow them from, and we will start our own little Fae kingdom right here!” She was suddenly excited at this prospect, as though she could call for Mother Nature as though she were a neighbor across the way and she wanted to borrow a few cubes a sugar. I smiled in disbelief at her enthusiasm. How does any child call upon the Mother? Was she to just appear before us because we wished it? Sadie laughed at me, “You mean you’ve never talked to the Mother before?”

“Of course not. How am I to talk to someone who isn’t here?” I asked in confusion

“She is all around you Liam, in every creature who seeks your healing, in every tree and herb, every raincloud and breeze, she is nature. She may not reveal herself so plainly as a figure you would consider an intelligent being, but she is here all the time,” Sadie urged me to believe. Her words made a certain sense, but I had always pictured the Mother as some combination of her Children, some incredible single being who created and then watched over her children without interfering.