by Jamie Day
Mother dropped the porcelain platter she had been holding. “Rhiannon, what’s wrong?” Her cheeks changed from pale to red.
“There’s trouble,” I answered, pointing east. “Darian was coming. Now he’s gone and there are armed men out there. Father went to see.”
Mother ran to the dining room and stared through the glass. After a moment of searching, she tugged on my dress. “We should go upstairs. We’ll see better from your room.”
As we ran up the stairs, my sister’s singing echoed off the narrow hall. Leila was in the washroom. We ignored her music and scrambled into my room. The window gave us a clear view of the trouble; Father and two men stood over Darian’s crumpled form.
“I hope he’s dead,” I whispered, catching myself thinking aloud.
Mother bumped me and turned to glare. She didn’t have to speak; I understood her meaning. I was no longer a faerie, but I didn’t need to be so cruel.
Darian tried to stand but one of the men reached toward him and with a jerk, pulled out the arrow lodged in his upper arm. The sudden violence was a shock. Mother stifled a scream and an involuntary gasp escaped my lips. Darian fell to the ground. While Father stood watching, the other man leapt on top of Darian and struck him in the face and chest several times. I had to turn away. Even though he deserved to suffer for the pain and death he caused, it made my hands hurt to see such brutality.
Mother corralled me away from the window. “We don’t need to see this,” she whispered, her voice shaking. “The danger has passed.”
I tried to look once more, but Mother pulled me toward the hall. “There’s work we can do in the kitchen,” she said. “Let’s go back downstairs.”
Leila’s singing still carried from the washroom. She hadn’t heard our commotion.
Mother put me to work, assigning a bowl full of carrots and onions to slice. I tried to concentrate on work, but the image of the man in the meadow running toward me didn’t leave my mind. The day had been broken and the peace of the new season taken from me. Darian was a villain, and though he never reached me, he had managed to bring back the fear I had tried to forget. I noticed my hands shaking and dropped the chopping knife on the counter. A small shadow crept into the room and my younger brother Ethan appeared in the doorway.
“What’s happening in the meadow?” he asked. He leaned a long hammer against the wall. “There are men with Father. I heard yelling.”
“Did you go and see for yourself?” asked Mother, prodding Ethan back with her own questions.
Ethan shook his head and muttered. “There’s too much work to do. I think Father’s giving me more on purpose.”
“Why don’t you talk to your father about the burden of your chores?” said Mother. She carried a stack of plates into the Dining Room. “I know he would love to hear your thoughts.”
Mother revealed a smile as the back door swung open. Father towered in the doorway, blocking the sunlight. We all turned and stared at him, waiting for news of what had happened. His face was flush red and he had twisted his beard in tiny strands, indicating his worry. Father didn’t speak, allowing silent dread to envelop the room. My heart beat louder. I realize my hands were still shaking.
“What happened, Neal?” Mother finally asked, saving us from the moment.
Father stared at me before turning to answer her. “Did Rhiannon tell you?”
“We watched from her window.” Mother set the plates down with uncharacteristic force. Their loud clank made Ethan and I jump. “Who were the men?”
“I’m sorry you had to see such things.” Father lowered his head and closed the door behind him. He wrapped Mother in his arms and kissed her on the head. “The men you saw were Cameron Barry and Rance Marin. They had been guarding Darian.”
“The bandit?” Ethan covered his mouth as his shrill response echoed in the rafters.
I smiled, not at his answer, but at the high-pitched change in his voice. It broke the tension in my hands and made the day feel a little less threatening. I turned away and resumed chopping an old onion. Suddenly, its fumes didn’t bother me and the work helped steady my hands.
Singing announced Leila’s arrival from upstairs. As she floated into the room, the strong scent of lavender soap whispered and curled around us. Her music ended.
“What is it?” she asked, stopping at the end of the hall. “What happened?”
Father shook his head. He must have seen the anxiety in her eyes because he lifted his chin and smiled. “Everyone is safe,” he said, softening his tone. “That’s what matters now. Come sit at the table, my little faerie daughter.”
My heart tightened in my chest. It felt strange to hear him say that—about Leila. I used to answer to that name. I had been the faerie he had always known. Now my sister had my place in the Fae. I dropped the knife on the counter and fought another round of emotion.
“Come join us, Rhiannon,” said Father. “I have a story to tell.”
I obliged him with a forced smile and a slow shuffle to the table while my sister watched me with intensity. Once we had chosen seats, Father slid forward in his chair and leaned toward us.
“This isn’t the first time,” he began, “that the bandit has escaped.”
Leila gasped and stared at me. I tried to look indifferent, though his words struck me like a blade. He’s escaped before?
“But this is the closest he’s come to us.”
Mother reached across the table and grabbed my hands. Now hers were trembling.
“Owen’s men have bound his feet, his hands, gagged him, and tortured him, but still, he manages to slip away. And he won’t reveal where he’s hidden the scrolls.”
This time I gasped. I squeezed Mother’s hand for comfort. “Why did he come here?” I asked. “What is he looking for?”
Father glanced at each of us and then stared into my eyes, piercing them. “I have an idea.”
Understanding his meaning, I wiped my face and squeezed Mother’s hands harder. Darian was my nemesis. He had started it all; the chain of events that changed me from an innocent faerie to an outsider in my village. I had begged the Elders to hunt him down and had beaten him once they caught him. I was also the only person that man had known in Aisling. I glanced at Leila and watched the terror in her eyes expand.
“What are you saying, Neal?” asked Mother. “Are we in danger?”
Father nodded. “One of us is in danger, that much is certain.” He looked at me again. “I’ll call for a council in the morning, but I don’t see how this concerns the rest of the village.”
“Of course it concerns the village,” I said, releasing Mother’s hand. “They are at risk, too. If Darian—if the bandit escapes, then the trouble from last season will begin again. Fear and whispers will take over.”
Father’s voice turned low. “I’m not worried about possessions, Rhiannon. I’ll risk that the village would agree with me if they knew what just happened. I’m worried about your safety.”
“I will leave,” I told him, and though I fully meant my words, I felt a deep loneliness at the thought of being separated from my family.
“No, you won’t leave us.” Father slid his chair back and stood. He stared through the window glass before turning to speak again. “I need to find a way to protect you.”
“How?” asked Mother, straightening as she snapped her words. “Do you intend to keep your daughter at your side—all day, at every moment? How can that be living?”
Father’s hands started shaking and he quickly turned away. Instead of answering Mother’s question, he knelt down and lit a tiny fire in the hearth. He released a rumbling sigh before resuming his place at the table.
I didn’t have an answer, and it was obvious that he didn’t either. Mother ceased her attack and walked behind him. With masterful strokes of her fingers, she massaged Father’s neck until a faint smile appeared underneath his beard. Remembering the meal, I left them and resumed my work in the kitchen. Leila remained in her place, shivering fro
m her own fears, until a loud pounding on the front door jolted her away. My young sister dashed toward the hall, but the door remained closed, and the pounding didn’t cease.
“Leila?” Father broke free from his trance.
“She’s gone upstairs, I think,” answered Mother. “She’s frightened.”
“I’ll get the door,” said Ethan, again revealing the crack in his voice. He scrambled from the bench near the window and saved us from another jolting pound.
As the door creaked open, I gripped the handle of the chopping knife tighter in my palm. This time, it seemed to offer comfort.
“Greetings.” A high-pitched voice echoed into the rafters and ushered a sigh of relief from everyone. This was the voice of our neighbor and the village’s Chief Elder, Colin. “Is your father near?”
“Come inside,” bellowed Father. He patted Mother on her backside and stood to greet our guest.
Mother rushed into the kitchen and pressed her hands over mine. “I think you should leave us,” she whispered. Then she turned to face Colin, who had followed her into the kitchen. “Hello, Colin.” Mother smiled and offered our neighbor a long hug. “Your visit is a welcome change to the day.”
“Thank you.” Colin nodded to me. “How are you, Rhiannon?”
“The trouble has shaken me,” I answered honestly, “but I’m in good spirits.”
“I’m both remorseful and relieved.”
Before Colin could say more, my father pulled him into the dining room and welcomed him. Mother turned me to face the stove.
“You should leave us,” she said again, this time pleading with her eyes, “and take your brother with you.”
“Why?” I asked, whispering loudly. “This might concern me.”
Mother smiled. “Just as you mentioned—the trouble has shaken you.” She gave me a hug. “I love you.”
I offered my warmth in return. “You can’t protect me forever.”
“No, I cannot. But I will try—every chance I find.”
As I turned to leave the room, Colin stopped speaking with Father and reached for my hand. “It is good to see you well,” he told me. His eyes were honest, but carried the same concern as my mother’s. “We care about you.”
“Thank you,” I said, bowing, although I didn’t mean to be polite. I felt like a small child, scolded from the room while my parents talk in secret. It was annoying, and it upset me almost as much as seeing Darian again. I shoved Ethan forward and followed him up the stairs.
“What’s going to happen?” asked Leila, when I opened my bedroom door.
I slammed it shut. “What are you doing in my room? If you’re afraid, this was a poor haven.”
“I’m not afraid.”
“Really?”
I rubbed my necklace and stared out the window. The meadow appeared calm and normal. The horses grazed in small groups. I noticed Maeia with one of them, enjoying the spring grass as if nothing had disturbed her earlier. The men we saw in the meadow were gone. Darian was gone. Now, I was the one staring east.
“I’m only worried,” said Leila, kneeling next to me. She reached around my waist. “It’s not the same as fear.”
I shrugged, but allowed her warmth to calm me. “Nothing is going to happen to you. The bandit was coming after me.”
“That’s why I’m worried.”
I looked down. My sister was still innocent, still pure. She had lived with me through the trials of Moon Season, but had maintained everything she was supposed to. She was the perfect choice to replace me in the Fae. I loved Leila.
“I’m not afraid of him,” I said, forcing a deceiving smile. I was afraid of Darian. The day was proof of that. The man could still affect me. “He’s already taken everything he can from me.”
“Why did he come here?” asked Leila. “What else does he want?”
I shook my head. “I don’t know. I don’t think anyone knows.” I grabbed Leila’s shoulder. “Maybe that’s why I’m worried.”
My honesty made her smile.
We stayed in my room, forbidden to listen to the words of our parents downstairs. Ethan tried to sneak down and spy on them, but Father heard his steps and cursed him for interrupting. After that, my brother sulked at the window while Leila braided my hair.
When Mother finally opened my door, shadows were creeping across the meadow. “Rhiannon, will you join us?” She didn’t wait for my answer and promptly disappeared.
“Whatever happens,” I told Leila, “It’s for a reason. We learned that in the winter.” I stood and walked toward my open door.
“Will you be strong?”
I turned back to answer. “Moon Season made me strong.”
Downstairs in the dining room, Colin and Father were engaged in animated discussion. They stopped talking as soon as I appeared in the hall.
“Rhiannon, dear child,” said Colin, leaping from his chair like an excited courter. “We have a remarkable resolution for your dilemma.”
“That was fast,” I retorted. I winced from my rudeness. “I meant to say, thank you.”
“Sit down,” said Father, seemingly oblivious to my outburst. He looked satisfied and triumphant. “Let’s talk about your journey.”
“What journey?” I asked.
“Sit down, dear.” Mother prodded me in the back. “I believe you will find our solution interesting.”
I was confused, but obliged everyone with a flat smile. What journey? As I sat on the bench, Colin slid closer to me and Father leaned to whisper.
“You’re going to DarMattey.” Father grinned as he spoke.
“You’re sending me away?” My words spun as the room fell from focus. “I wasn’t serious when I offered to leave,” I told him. “I was trying to offer an option.”
“It was a brilliant plan!” said Colin, beaming as if he’d suddenly solved all the problems of our village. “Nia’s wedding is soon. I know you want to be there.”
“You’ll travel to DarMattey,” said Mother, and stay with Nia’s sister. After the wedding, you can return home.”
“While you’re away,” interrupted my father, “I’ll find protection for the house. The bandit won’t know where you’ve gone, and before you return, we’ll have the help we need to keep you safe.”
I stammered. “I—I’m going alone? What about Cael Bauer? He could protect me. He’s strong.” Cael was as strong as his brother Sean had been, although that was the only similarity between the two men.
“That’s not possible,” said Colin. “Cael has responsibilities to help Owen Dorsey. He’s also part of the guard for Darian.” Colin smiled. “You won’t be alone once you arrive at DarMattey. Madeline and I will travel there soon. We’ll all stay at Sianna’s home, together.”
I was still confused; everything was happening so fast. I stammered out my next question. “When will I leave?”
Mother placed a hand on my shoulder. “I’ll help you pack your things. You’re leaving tomorrow.”
Hallowed Places
Anticipating the journey made my night restless and long. I had never left Aisling before. I had never been anywhere. When I managed to sleep, anxiety crept into my dreams and presented horrible images of what awaited me. I started missing my bed, while its comfort still warmed me; the familiarity of the village, that I hadn’t left yet; and my family, though they were sending me away.
While I imagined dark creatures lurking in the forest of Taylor’s Ridge, I also thought of Sean and the quest he had once made for me over that mountain. Those thoughts were my only comfort and allowed us to be together again—if only in my mind. I smiled at Sean’s memory and caressed the diamond on my necklace, the same diamond he had once kissed with an offering of courage.
The sun arrived too early. I remained in bed, listening to the morning bird songs while my stomach twisted in fear of the day, and I tried to imagine a reason to stay home. This was an adventure I didn’t want or ask for and my head ached from the night’s torment. As Mother’s baking filled
the house with smells of bacon and fresh biscuits, offering a remedy to my pain, I dressed in a sturdy brown riding skirt, an old linen shirt that was down soft from many washings, and supple leather boots. My finest green gown I’d carefully rolled into my travel pack, along with my comb and ribbons to dress my hair before the wedding. Despite my earlier misgivings, I suddenly felt eager for a change of scenery. Moon Season had stolen the colors from my world, leaving me feeling as washed out as a pale grey river stone. Now, for the first time since those terrible dark days, I felt a glimmer of my old enthusiasm for life. This journey would be an adventure, and I was suddenly looking forward to it.
Mother was in the kitchen, rosy-faced from leaning over the stove. From the smell of things, she must have been up since dawn.
“Good morning,” I greeted her, inhaling the succulence with a yawn.
Mother presented me with a goblet of cold cider and a smile. “How did you sleep?”
“I didn’t much,” I admitted. I suspected she knew the answer anyway. I drank from the goblet—the sweet apple taste offered refreshing encouragement. “I’m nervous.”
Mother kept her back turned while she sliced a pile of dawnberries, but I could tell she was smiling when her cheeks rose. “You’ll have a wonderful time.” She placed her knife on the counter. “I’d love to see DarMattey.”
“Then come with me,” I said. “We’ll attend the wedding together.”
As my heart began to rise, Mother pulled me close and hugged me. “We all have a purpose and a place. Mine is here. Yours is unknown. Go and find it.”
I knew she was trying to sound wise, but her words didn’t make sense to me. Even her hug felt awkward, as if she didn’t want me near her. Before I could clear my hesitations, Father entered from the back door.
“Maeia’s ready for you,” he told me, boasting a grin. “I brushed her coat clean. What’s bothering her?” Father whispered and nodded toward the pantry where Mother was making a fussy racket, banging pots and canisters around the shelves.
“I don’t know,” I whispered back. “She’s been odd for days.”
“The journey will be good for both of you.” He tossed a leather purse into my hands. It was heavy and jingled when I caught it. “That’s for you. You might need it in DarMattey.”
