Guardian of the Hills

Out of The Cage

I worked the boat all day with my dad. For the most part, I stayed busy, and it kept my mind from overthinking about Derek. It felt good to pull on the nets and have the ache in my knuckles and the burn in my shoulders. I welcomed it. After we were docked, the catch weighed and accounted, and the boat sprayed down, I sat back and felt the weight hit me like a bus. He was really gone, and if he was gone to his world, it might be a long time before he came back to mine.

"You ready to go, kiddo?" asked Dad. I nodded and quietly followed behind him.

Dinner went off without much speaking. He respected me like that. I guess he knew what was on my mind. I cleaned the kitchen and took a shower. I lay down and felt the hot tears forming. I was so mad and hurt. He could have at least warned me. I let a few tears fall and then drifted off.

She was in my face. I jumped awake and was immediately startled to see that I was back with the girl who had called out to Derek.

"You're dream walking," she said as I gathered myself.

"You're not really here. Somehow, you are using Fae magic to be here. The thing is, you only show up when I try to reach out to Derek. Why is that?"

"I have no idea. I'm still learning the ends and outs of your kind and all they are cracked up to be."

"Well, either way, you have got to get me out of here. Derek obviously left some type of magic with you whether you knew about it or not. Where is he anyway?" she said as she ran her hands over the bars of the cage as if she was looking for weak spots.

"He's gone back to your world. He said it was urgent."

She snapped her head around at me and pursed her lips. She stared at me for a good while as if thinking.

"I think I know how to get help. When you wake up from your dreamstate, you need to go to the circle and get help. Tell them Helga sent you and you need a mage to find me Earthside and to send a war party, because it might become quite violent."

"Violent? What in the hell is going on? Derek left me without so much as an F you, and now you're talking about war parties. I need some answers."

"There was an attack and several in my party were killed. I'm almost certain the King was injured bad enough that it might have been fatal. It would explain Derek's hastiness to return home. If I'm correct, Derek is more than likely caught up in royal diplomacy and is devising a war plan. This is going to get ugly quite quickly. I need you to remember these words, "Bidh cearcall timcheall a’ fosgladh an dorais dhòmhsa a-mhàin. An Geata."

We worked on it until I had them down. "What does it mean?"

"Circle round opens the door only for me. The gatekeeper."

"So what am I supposed to do with these words?" I asked.

"You're going to the circle and you're going to say the words. It should open. I am one of the few people that know the words to open a locked portal. I'm captain of the Royal Seelie Guard and ."

"I can do this," I said as I pinched myself as hard as I could while reciting the words over and over in my head. I awoke with a start in my bedroom. I was sweating and gasping for air. I grabbed the bed and slowly studied my breathing. I got up, dressed, and wrote a note to my father that I would return in a few days and to not worry. I was going to be with Derek. Then I went out the window. I hurried as fast as I could to get to the wooded area and to the circle. I arrived at the spot and then realized I didn't think to bring a weapon of any kind. What if I was attacked or scooped up again. I needed to be more vigilant. I looked around to make sure no one was there with me and then whispered the words outloud.

The circle appeared, and I stepped in. This time, I was ready for any traps. I was vigilante. I had nothing to worry about, however, as there were Jo cages on the other side. Instead, I was met with a spear point to the throat.

I swallowed slowly as the point poked my skin. I was calm, and I realized the Fae was Seelie. I held up my hands in surrender.

"How did you get past the ward," he asked.

"I was sent by Helda. She is being held captive, and she needs a mage to locate her by spell."

"That's highly unlikely," he said as he pushed the spear tip a little. I slowly stepped back enough to relieve pressure.

"I know this is unusual for a human to have access to your world, but I need to find Prince Derek and Helda needs help immediately. So, if you are going to arrest me, do so now."

He eyed me suspiciously and then slowly moved his spear.

"You mean King Derek," he said with a smirk.

"Yes, King Derek," I answered. So Helga was right. The King had died from his injuries, and now Derek was in charge of ruling the land.

"So you're taking me to him now?" I asked as he pointed for me to move in front of him.

"No. the journey is too far for me to abandon my post that long. I'm taking you to Marchibelle. She has ways to make you forget everything, and she can hold you until we figure out just what to do with you.

"Who is Marchibelle?" I asked.

"She's a witch."

I had no choice but to go with the guard. The walk was brief to the small woodland cottage that looked like it was straight out of a storybook. Smoke was coming from the chimney as we arrived. The gurad knocked on the door. When the door opened, I wasn't sure what I had been expecting, but it wasn't at all what I thought. A little Seelie girl opened the door. She had her wings unfolded, beautiful brunette hair up in a pretty top bun, and dressed in an embroidered linen shirt with a long skirt. She was so pretty in the face she almost looked cartoonist.

"What can I do for you today, kind sir?" she asked the guard.

"I've gotten a human that somehow knows the password to get through the portal. I must get back to my post, but I need you to take care of her and her memories."

"Come on in," she said as she gestured to me. I stepped inside the cottage, and she shut the door behind me.

Inside reminded me a lot of Derek's hill house. Inside hung dried herbs from the ceiling and something bubbled from a small cauldron over the fire.

"I need a mage," I said before she could put some type of spell on me.

"I've been expecting you," she said as she sat down at the table. She poured tea into from a pretty ceramic tea pot. Then, I poured a second cup for me and motioned for me to sit.

"They call me a witch, but in all honestly a mage and witch can be one in the same. My sister is called the mage, but she's actually a witch too," she said as she giggled. "My name is Marchibelle, but you may call me Ban. My sister is named Dorcha. She will be along in a bit. Let me make you feel a little more comfortable." In the blink of an eye, the little girl changed into an old woman right in front of my eyes. I let out a small gasp. She laughed at me and then took a sip out of her tea. "We will help you learn your path. In the meantime, let's talk about this little sticky situation you've found yourself in."

"What sticky situation?" I asked.

She pointed to my stomach. "I'm talking about the halfling you have in your belly."