REALM'S END (BOOK OF FEY 1)

by Jules Hancock

  Briok heard a noise. He crept across the wooden floor to the shutters and peered out through a knot hole, suddenly a shadow passed by. Briok leapt back, his fear rising up enough to make him wish he hadn’t eaten the lamb pie. Why would anyone be at the back of the cottage? Briok turned back towards the sleeping room, half way across he stopped himself. He had shamed himself yesterday, letting Gwenth come to harm. Maybe it was better that he should follow the person, and find out what he could, and use the information to try and redeem himself with the humans.

  Briok grabbed another slice of the lamb pie wrapped it quickly in a dishtowel and stowed it in the pocket of the pants Meredith had conjured for him, and then reached for a half filled skin of water that hung on a hook near the door. Easing the front door open he looked nervously about. Seeing no one, he slipped outside and pulled the door till he heard the latch click in place.

  Careful not to impede his wings in any way, Briok slung the water skin over his shoulder. He wasn’t sure the spell was still keeping his wings hidden any longer, he hoped so, but now was not the time to worry about whether he could be seen, he leapt into the air and his wings lifted him high into the clear morning sky. He rotated slowly until he had surveyed each of the paths away from the croft. Heading down the paths that led to town he could see a woman with her head bent low walking quickly towards the village. Briok zoomed after her, staying high enough that should she look-up, he doubted she would understand what she was seeing. He followed slowly along above her and as she came to the edge of the village, he flew higher still; in hopes of avoiding any prying eyes. He watched as she made her way through the dirt streets, and hovered overhead when she stopped in front of the only building of any size. He waited while she went inside. Finally after she did not come out, Briok flew like an arrow down to an open window, and stealthily climbed inside.

  Getting his bearings, he crawled over to the railing that separated the upstairs galley from the downstairs area. Seated in a heavy oak chair, which stood on a raised platform at the back of the room, a well-appointed man sat listening carefully to the old woman’s tale. There, stood the old woman telling a story that made his blood run cold. As the woman’s story wore on, other people came and soon the room was packed and people overflowed out into the street. There was much debate between the people, some cursed and accused the woman of lying. Others seem to be enjoying the story. Then there was a commotion and a great cry went up from outside. The well-dressed man and several others hurried out into the street. The old woman was helped down from where she stood, and she hurried after the men.

  There looked to be no way for Briok to make his way to the front windows except by flying over the open galley. It felt too risky, so instead he climbed back out the way he had come in, and flitted up to the roof, where he inched his way across the slate to the front peak. To avoid being seen, he lay flat on his belly, against the roof, and there below him he saw his friend James, struggling against several of the citizens, man-handling him toward the entrance. Briok tried to calm himself, he could feel his anger rising up within his mind, and he wished he had completed his awakening so he could have unleashed a spell on the crowd that stood below him. Without the awakening there was no magic he could unleash upon the ignorant people below. Briok breathed slowly, deeply taking in as much air as his lungs would allow, until he regained his composure. He could do nothing, which would not bring more harm to James.

  Briok watched as the men dragged James through the crowd, toward the building. He saw an old man hit James in the head with a stick and watched as James’ body slumped into unconsciousness.

  Flitting to the window again, he slipped into the dark attic space of the gallery. Lying carefully with his ear to the floor boards, he listened as the men below made plans for tomorrow’s trial and as he waited, a plan began to form in his own mind. Finding a dark and dusty corner he slipped under a large horse hair blanket and began the long wait for nightfall. He sipped at the water bag sparingly. It would have to last out the day and he had no idea if James would need it, before the night was over. Briok dozed lightly; he would need all his strength, if his plan was to succeed.

  Gwenth Lives

  Meredith didn’t understand. The fire was stoked up, but the room was absolutely empty. The door was solidly latched, if the boy had only stepped out to use the outhouse, he wouldn’t have bothered to latch the door.

  “Clearly he is not here sister, though I see two pieces of lamb pie have been cut out,” Hectain said, holding up the pie plate for their examination.

  “His coat is still here,” Reval said, lifting up the woolen jacket. “The spell isn’t still hiding his wings is it?”

  “A water skin is missing too,” Meredith said, as she absent mindedly fingered the empty hook. “I think Briok has gone off, but I can’t imagine why, and sister to answer your question, no, the spell isn’t working any longer or he wouldn’t have been able to fly last night.”

  Reval’s voice rose up into a giggle.

  Meredith raised an eyebrow as she gazed across the table towards the smiling Reval. “Are you going to share sister, or must we guess why you’re laughing?”

  Reval looked first at Meredith and then at Hectain. “No of course not sisters, I always share you know that,” her voice now a pout.

  Hectain frowned at her pensive sister. “Well get on with it then, share with us what is causing your great sense of humor to be called upon!”

  Reval’s laughter died completely out, her face seemed to tear open, becoming a jagged mess of hurt, as tears spilled down her face. “I was just,” her voice broke off turning into a sob.

  Meredith reached out and touched her sister’s arm. “Please don’t cry sister. We didn’t mean it; the strain is just becoming too great for any of us. Now tell us why you were laughing, and I swear we will not be rude,” she said, patting Reval’s great bulky arm.

  Reval wiped her eyes on her sleeve and tried calming her voice which brought on several loud hiccups. Reval couldn’t help but laugh, her eyes growing brighter by the minute. “I just thought how funny it was that Hectain didn’t use magic to serve us the food earlier. Instead we all served ourselves as the human’s would have.”

  Hectain was still quite upset at Reval’s silliness, and was about to make a rude comment, but found her rebuttal cut short by Meredith.

  “I didn’t even notice,” Meredith said as turned towards Hectain. “Did you notice Hectain?”

  Hectain took a deep breath and let it out ever so slowly, as she tried to reign in her emotions and consider her sisters’ words. Come to think of it she hadn’t served the food with any magic. That was very strange incident indeed. “No I didn’t even notice that I wasn’t using magic. Why do you think that is?”

  Meredith stared at Hectain. If Hectain was forgetting magic, it was easy to see how she had forgotten magic while she was pregnant. Perhaps it hadn’t been about the baby at all.

  Reval cleared her throat, “If you ask me, which I know neither of you will, I think it has to do with the magic, hiding in the rafters.”

  Meredith looked over at Reval, who now calmly sat down at the dining table. “Well ok so we clearly have an issue, one we’ve known about for months, ever since Gwenth left, and we are all under some geas that makes us forget about it again and again, which of course means we are going to forget about it again, but Reval just what does that have to do with Briok being gone?”

  Reval studied her younger sisters; sometimes it seemed as if they could be so dense. “Well don’t you see Briok doesn’t seem to be affected? He was able to break the spell we bound him with, and sing out the magical song last night as well.”

  “Sister,” Hectain said, as she stared across the table at Reval, “I owe you an apology, often I think of you as a silly nitwit, but while you may seem to laugh too much, for my comfort, I have allowed my prejudges to dismiss your astute observations, and for that sister I am truly sorry. Please forgive me.”

  Reval’s face scr
unched up and she began to quietly cry again.

  “Now what is it sister,” Meredith prodded?

  “I had long ago given up all hope that either of you would ever take me seriously.”

  Meredith moved gracefully around the table, and took Reval into her embrace.

  Hectain shoved back her chair, roughly, its legs squealed against the worn floorboards as she rose up and made her way around the table, wrapping both of her sisters within her great embrace.

  The sisters stood silently within their circle, clinging to the love they had for one another letting the minutes tick forever away.

  “What’d I miss,” Gwenth asked weakly?

  The crow sisters turned as one, and stared at the young woman standing propped against the doorway of the sleeping room.

  Meredith laughed, and cried simultaneously as she ran over to Gwenth, and took the young woman into her arms. “Oh you are a sight for sore eyes!” She wiped a tear away, as she hugged the girl close.

  Hectain and Reval watched in wonder as the girl and the woman shared their relief at the safety of one another. Hectain looked down at her sister and shrugged, even the Gods were clueless when it came to human love.

  Hectain turned her head and blinking, a feast appeared filling the table. “Well I say even with Briok missing, there is much to celebrate, come sisters, Gwenth, let us build your strength up,” she said beckoning to Meredith and Gwenth.

  Reval hugged first Hectain for her thoughtfulness and then met Gwenth and Meredith as they walked slowly across the room to the table. Reval reached out and took Gwenth into her arms, hugging her tightly. “You are a very brave young woman taking on a bear without magic,” she said as she released Gwenth. Reval took the young woman by the other arm, and helped Meredith steady the girl as she walked towards the table.

  Hectain pulled out a chair and snapping her fingers, she transformed it into a deep chair with high sides and a deeply cushioned seat and back. “Sit here, it will be more comfortable,” she said turning it, to best ease Gwenth’s sore body down into its great mass.

  Meredith helped Reval lower the weary girl into the chair her sister had conjured up and felt relief, when the child sighed as she reclined into its deep recesses.

  Hectain snapped her fingers again, and the great behemoth of a chair slid easily into place at the table.

  Reval and Meredith took chairs on either side of the girl and Hectain seated herself across from the girl. Each woman placed tender bites of food upon the girl’s plate, till it was piled quite high.

  “Stop, I can’t imagine how you can think I will be able to eat such a great amount of food,” Gwenth said, her laughter carried itself above her exhaustion. “I’m tired, from just looking at the plate.”

  Hectain blinked and reduced the mound of food by half. “There we think you should be able to eat all of this, if you take it slowly, but first sip some of this tea,” she said pushing the cup closer to Gwenth. “I admit it taste like saw dust and bug skins, but I think you will find it’s quite restorative.”

  Gwenth shakily picked up the clay cup, and took a sip. Her face blanched, at the first taste. “You are always honest to a fault, I’ll give you that Hectain,” she said, trying not to make too much of a bad face, as she forced herself to swallow the horrible concoction.

  Hectain smiled at Gwenth. It was clear the girl had come through her ordeal, but from her obvious exhaustion, it had been a near thing. If Gwenth wasn’t sugar coating her answers, to please her elders, it must have been a very near thing, indeed.

  Anxious to see Gwenth’s health restored, the women watched as she chewed and swallowed several bites of the meal. Slowly the drink and the meal brought a more natural color back into her skin.

  Meredith sighed, “Well it looks as if you will in fact live. Even now, the color is beginning to come back into your cheeks. If we take it slow, do you feel up to telling us what happened?”

  Gwenth lifted her head and looked around the table. “Hasn’t Briok told you already?”

  “No my dear, he has not. In fact the Fey has flown off this morning, without a word to any of us. I have the clan out looking now, but after all the work the Corvine have done for us lately, I suspect they may be playing hooky,” Hectain said, looking hopefully at Gwenth.

  Gwenth had a momentary flash of the ground falling away and feeling as if she was flying. Briok’s face was above her. “Oh my God, he flew me here didn’t he?”

  Meredith’s dark locks bobbed up and down, confirming what Gwenth had said. “Yes my dear, he managed to break through a very strong spell and thank the stars he did, for if he hadn’t I’m afraid you wouldn’t be sitting here now.”

  Reval turned towards the fire and snapping her fingers, the fire roared up. “I sense you’re cold.”

  Gwenth shook her head in reply, for she was a little cold. Sipping the awful tasting tea, she leaned back in the chair and cleared her throat. She looked anxiously from sister to sister. “It’s all sort of foggy… I’m not sure if I can tell it exactly right.”

  Meredith reached out her hand and brushed Gwenth’s hair gently away from her face. “It’s ok; we can help you piece it together, after you tell us the details. The drink will help you as well; it’s a strengthener of the mind as well as of the body.”

  Gwenth smiled, “Well I better have another sip of this concoction then,” she said lifting the clay cup to her lips. “I remember we had walked along the water and then Briok noticed the beachhead in Briok’s world our beachhead looked so much alike. He thought there was a cave where a shadow falls under the rim high up on the water side of the cliff. I took Briok up the hill to the old wall and he was sure, it was the same wall from his time. Neither of us could understand how that could be.

  “How did you get hurt Gwenth?”

  Gwenth picked up her fork and played with the food left on her plate. “I don’t seem to remember it all,” her voice trailed off. “Briok was digging along the old stone wall up there and I was looking out to sea,” she said, hesitating. There was a storm coming, I think. I remember lying on the ground and feeling light as a feather. I remember seeing a bear going over the cliff.”

  “Dembys told us the same story,” Hectain said.

  Gwenth looked at the three worried faces around the table. Her voice struggled to cut through the fear she felt rising up, “I think I stopped it with magic.”

  Meredith looked over at Hectain first, and then to Reval, before turning back to Gwenth. “Well it’s possible, there are cases of spontaneous awakenings when there is great need, remember sister all things have magic within, it is only the witch that chooses to recognize and use it. Yes a bear that makes sense, but I suspect from all that you’ve said about the similarities of the cliffs to Briok’s world, that the bear was no normal bear, but a magic bear.”

  “Or it could be a shape shifter like us sister,” Hectain piped in.

  Reval reached over and patted Gwenth’s arm. “See my dear, I would say you did very well, chasing off a shape shifter.”

  “Did it fly away or disappear, when you were through terrifying it,” Hectain asked?

  “Gwenth was quiet a long while trying to find her way back into the event. Mist swirled all around in the girl’s mind. Exhausted, she lifted her eyes enough to look bashfully at the sisters. “I’m sorry I can’t remember. It’s all jumbled up and makes no sense to me. Gwenth let her head rest against her chest.

  Reval watched Gwenth as the girl tried to sort out her memories, Reval could see the girl’s fear. She understood the girl a little better, Gwenth didn’t want to be a witch, didn’t want to go against her peoples’ beliefs or hurt others. Nor did she want to kill others with her magic. Whether she wanted to admit it or not, it was clear she didn’t want to encourage any awakening in herself. The girl’s fears were holding her back and it seemed that only a worse fear would allow any kind of breakthrough, and then only if it were dire. Reval reached out and took the young woman’s hand in her own. Looking d
own, she saw the differences and they were striking. Young flesh lay against her older taunt version of human skin, one hand was vibrant, flush with life, the other was pocked and ringed with age lines, for Reval was very old and of course only the young girl’s hand was truly human, the other was much more like a foggy dream hanging over her old bones. Reval sighed, “Child, I can see your fear clearly, and I think I begin to understand what it is to be human. Your species is quite afraid of being different, from one another and that need to emulate one another stamps out your own greatness all too often, but child,” she said, as she patted Gwenth’s hand, “your fear will never save you unless you stand up to it. Unique is the way of your world, you humans are all unique, all special. Your kind, fear magic and yet you all have it within you. Don’t you see that?”

  Gwenth listened as Reval spoke to her, in her tinkling voice. She listened as the words slid into her exhausted mind and understood within what she’d heard, was true. Somewhere deep within herself, she felt a spark of hope kindle. Gwenth found the energy to raise her head and gently looked within the older woman’s eyes. “All humans have magic within?”

  “Yes child, all humans have magic within, but most fear it,” Reval said sniffing. “Some fear it for the reasons you do, because they were taught to fear it, others because they can’t believe something so fine is their own without a payment of some kind being due. Still others don’t feel they deserve it and so turn away from it. I have heard in the village, people speaking of the devil with great fear. I have never met this devil; I believe your species has used this story to keep many of your kind afraid of what is natural in all beings. No other species turns away from their inner truth as easily as humans. Animals know they carry magic within themselves, squirrels know the sky will hold them, at least for a little while, when they jump from a tree high off the ground. All other species trust that they can and do impact their world and that they can use their gifts, their inner magic when it is called upon, only humans fear what they are.”