It was still Andros' home, but not the foyer where we usually arrive. It was a sitting room of sorts. Other than Vanity, I was surrounded by dwarfs, both male and female.They were smiling at us.
"Greetings, Kayla and Vanity. As you may have guessed, we are the High Fathers and Hedgi Jomfru," one male explained, "We wanted to speak to you. We would like to help our unique children to find each other. We are constructing an item that will speak mentally and let the receptive ones know they are not alone. Give it to your Lady of the House. She will use it properly."
"Nana is a good woman with a pure heart. She can be trusted with such a treasure. Her group is made of people she trusts, they will aid her in its use," I told them.
"Good, you confirmed our opinion. We shall have it for you just after dawn. By mid-day, you will able to go to the Faerie Realm."
Thanking them, we left Andros' home.
I awoke with Set's tail nearly pinning me on the bed. A light tickle caused him to move. My room had a window, originally meant for Set to fly in and out, not knowing about kirlan. The sky was getting lighter, but the sun was still below the lowland horizon. Feeling around, I found Nana already awake and at work.
"Nana, please meet me in the parlor. I have something to share with you," I mentally sent to her as I got dressed.
I was not surprised when I arrived and found her waiting. I was surprised to find her with some of her group. One of them stepped forward before I could ask.
"We apologize for intruding, but we heard your call to Gloria. We are just curious about what you wish to share"
I understood and asked everyone to be seated. I explained my encounter with the dwarf deities and that it was they who were providing the thing I wanted to share. Nana blushed when I told them they wanted her to be its bearer. The others thanked me for telling the deities that her group could be trusted.
During this conversation, I stopped speaking. I could feel something approach. In the parlor, a ball of light appeared in the middle of our assembly. The light floated around a bit, as if searching.
"Nana, hold out your hands," I instructed, "It is looking for you."
She held out her hands and the light came to rest on her palms. It faded, leaving a penny whistle of pure silver. Simple in construction, it was highly engraved and perfectly crafted. Nana started to protest, claiming no musical ability. I smiled and told her just to place it to her lips. Reluctantly, she did. Instructions poured not only into her mind, but mine and her group's as well. Nana laid the whistle in her lap, tears rolling down her face.
"Such a wonder. I do not deserve such. The gods have chosen a poor vessel to carry such grandeur," she whispered, choked up with emotion.
"They chose a woman of great character and of pure heart. You are not a poor vessel. For this task, you are perfect," I assured her.
She tried to hand it off to the others, but none would take it. Finally, I went and knelt before her, wrapping her hands around the whistle and caging them in mine. I pulled Faerie power into my voice to begin a sharing with her.
"Gloria Stormhammer, look into my eyes. Let me show you why you are the bearer of this instrument."
We locked eyes and I showed her dwarf after dwarf, adults and children, who, upon hearing the whistle, were freed from fear, confusion, and pain at being different. She saw happy faces thanking her for bringing them out of the lonely pit in which they felt trapped due to being "strange". Some thanked her for saving their lives as they were either suicidal or being abused for this ability.
The sharing was short, but it was enough. Nana clutched the whistle to her breasts. Her friends encased us in crushing hugs before excusing themselves. Nana went to find a box "fitting" for such an item. My sisters and our companions, including Set, were wide awake now. I informed them of Nana's gift and the wonders she and I saw it bring forth. We all headed to breakfast. Nana did not join us until we were nearly done. She was quiet, which was expected.
After breakfast, we went about packing. We heard the whistle's message even though we were too far away to hear the tune. Like our horn in Thantos, this spoke to the mind while the tune went to the ears. Unlike ours, only the receptive dwarfs could hear the message. The rest, if close by, would only hear the tune. Far away, the rest would hear nothing. It called to the receptive dwarfs, letting them know they were not alone, not freaks or unnatural or abominations, giving them comfort, and leading them to Nana and her group. Like fireflies on a moonless night, I felt pinpoints of hope, relief, joy, and gratitude.
Leaving our packed belongings, we joined Nana, her group, Gorval, Lanara, and those being drawn by the whistle. Some were being followed by parents, spouses, children, and co-workers. Fortunately, very few were trying to stop the one being pulled. Many, especially parents, cried in joy at learning their "odd" child wasn't so odd and was spared from grueling purification and exorcism process. Gorval and Lanara smiled at us when they saw us. As they waved us over, they bumped each other's hand briefly. From that small touch, their auras changed, becoming similar up to the elbow.
When we reached them, I asked them to step to the side with us. Slightly confused, they followed. Apart from the rest, with my sisters, I told them what I had seen when they touched. They looked at each other in shock. Excuses and reasons for them not to be together rattled around in their heads as they tried to voice them. To end their confusion, I grabbed their hands and pressed their palms together. Dumbstruck, they stared at each other as if seeing each other for the first time. Their auras changed rapidly, racing up their arms and engulfing their bodies within seconds. I released them, but they kept their hands together. Their shocked looks melted as they realized their true feelings for each other.
We all returned to the growing group of dwarfs. Even though Nana had stopped playing, the message continued to pull the receptive dwarfs from the deep levels. Friends embraced in joy as they, finally, understood why they were drawn to each other. Nana and her group set about talking with them, letting them know they truly heard the message and those gathered were like them.
During a brief moment when she was not talking to the group, we told Nana we were leaving for the Faerie Realm. She hugged us, told us she would miss us, promised to continue this task and maintain Callie's home, and wished us a safe journey.
Gorval and Lanara followed us back in the house as we gathered our things. As we went to Callie's back door, we said good-bye to the staff and Kirklan. Callie promised him she would return after finding Gretta's and Sarah's families and getting everyone settled in their new homes. Kirklan joined Gorval and Lanara in seeing us to the Faerie door. I called for Talris. He appeared out the shining doorway, smiling.
"Greetings, Princess. The Faerie Queen has a luncheon waiting for you. She has business to discuss as well."
Waving and calling good-bye, we all crossed into the Faerie Realm.
Talris escorted us down the door-lined hallway to the dining room. Laid out was a feast. Special places and food were prepared for our four companions. We sat and ate at our leisure. Compared with the tension of our last visit, this was very peaceful.
Aloriana joined us as we were finishing. Other Faeries cleared the dishes. Once cleared, Aloriana began.
"Dear girls, I am pleased with all you have done. This world is blessed to have you and the Swords bringing long-lasting and much needed peace. Your deeds will benefit these lands for generations. I do have some sad news. Kayla and Callie, your parents are very worried about you. The letters you have sent trouble them. Callie, due to the unusual method of delivering them, your family refuses to open them and destroyed them as soon as they arrived. Kayla, without Callie's confirmations, your parents believe you have gone mad. They fear you are holed up somewhere, writing your 'delusions', and slowly going insane. They keep a vigil, hoping to catch your 'messenger' and ask about your health. Since, as we know, you are sending them through kirlan, this is a futile effort. On your behalf, I have asked your friends; Mattis, Kendar, Droland, and Mara to write or visit them to ease their minds. Also, Carmon has spoken to all of your families, applauding your deeds. These, too, they have dismissed, even attacking them for lying or even kidnapping you two. What else can we do to let them know the truth and the deeds you have done?"
Callie and I were very sad. I knew they could be hard-headed, but to deny all of these reports was beyond mere stubbornness. What was their reasoning? Did they find it impossible to believe us capable of these things? Did they still see us as their little girls and, therefore, incapable of any kind of achievements?
"Is there a Faerie door in Denar?" I asked.
"Not in the town, Daughter, but there is one a day or two to the south."
"That will not do, Mother. I guess kirlan is the best option. I can take Callie through kirlan while Set takes Echo. We will talk with them, explain the events we have witnessed, and hope they believe. If not, then we will bid them farewell and good life and return here. Should they believe, we may spend the night with them."
"A compromise, Daughter. Take the door that is closest to Denar then kirlan to the village. While I am certain you can reach there from here, I think you need to mature a bit in your powers to control when you arrive. As the Faerie Realm is outside mortal time, you may appear too early or too late, possibly by years."
"Understood, Mother, I accept your compromise. Callie, are you willing to do this?"
Callie thought a moment before responding, "Yes, I am. Our parents should be told and allowed to accept or not accept as they are willing. But, it should be their informed choice."
Our other sisters agreed that our families should hear the truth from us without the distrust of being strangers.
Leaving our sisters, Callie, Set, Echo, and I followed Talris down the hallway of doors to one bearing the designation of being in the woods between Denar, Lorkan, and Bearser. Talris promised to stay near so, if there was trouble, he was there to be of aid. We thanked him, asked the door to take us there a few minutes after we left Stahendring, and passed through the shining door.
We knew these woods. We both remembered foraging in this area both for food and medicinal plants. Once we got a good feel of the place and Set marked a couple of trees and a large rock, I took Callie through kirlan to the central square of Denar.
Our arrival was announced by screaming. Some ran away. Some grabbed tools and confronted us. One of those approaching was one of Callie's brothers.
"Callie-girl? Is that you? What is going on? How did you appear out of nowhere? Who is this?" he asked as he tightened up on an ax, looking at me threateningly.
"It's me, Carl, Kayla, your neighbor," I told him flatly, looking up to meet his hard stare.
"Kayla? 'Callie's twin'? No, you are not Kayla," he moved closer to me, trying to be intimidating, "Tell me the truth, witch, who are you?"
"STOP!" shouted a male voice, "Carl, stop now!"
Callie's parents, some more siblings, and my parents came racing over to us. Our fathers stepped between Carl and us. Our mothers and some of Callie's sisters looked us over. We said nothing. Our marks were uncovered. Our mothers seized us in bone-crushing hugs. This calmed the others. After a few moments, they released us. My parents looked at me.
"It is true, what you wrote, about your eyes, hair, and height. Where... where is it?" they looked around nervously.
"He," I corrected, "is outside of town, waiting to make sure it is safe. Echo is with him. We wanted to keep them safe."
"Who is she talking about? Divine! You're talking about those beasts! Show them to us! We will free you from them," Callie's father threatened, punching his fist into his hand.
"We are partners!" Callie countered, "There is nothing to free us from! No one is a prisoner nor slave. How can you thing that?"
"Dragons, large or small, are demons!" came an unfamiliar voice.
A trio of old women tottered over. They were unknown to us. Their auras were clean, so they actually believed what they said. They moved between us and our families.
"We have read your letters, even the ones destroyed. We are truly concerned. Those people who came to tell us the 'wonders' you supposedly performed were, obviously, lying. Anyone who praises dragons cannot be trusted. Cast away these beasts, your foul swords, and those untrustworthy girls who claim to be your sisters."
Our families, friends, neighbors, and people who have known us all of our lives began echoing these three. We backed away, feeling threatened by those who should have made us feel the most safe. Several paces apart, Set and Echo appeared between us and them. Set growled, flames and sparks escaping between his lips. Echo flapped above him, copying Set. The crowd shrank back, fear coloring them all. The trio, the Trinity, began fishing in the clothing for something. We, swords included, laughed when they produced bottles of sparkling water. They were startled.
"Why do you laugh? Do you know the sacred water? Are your foul beasts and swords so powerful you do not fear its purity?"
"You've read our letters. We've told of several splashing events by many of those bottles. One more won't change anything," I challenged.
Of course, none of them believed me. We called Set and Echo to us and drew our swords. We invited them to proceed. The trio uncorked their bottles, began splashing us, and muttering odd words. With the bottles empty and their chant complete, they stepped back to inspect us. As we expected, other than getting wet, nothing happened. We did use the water to clean some dust off the swords and ourselves. Echo shook off the water and cheeped angrily at the crowd. Set, already warm from his flaming, had steam rising off of him into the cooler air. The crowd turned on the trio, asking why they failed and questioning its and their purity.
While they argued, Callie and I called a wind to dry us. We sheathed the swords.
"What do we do? I know we are not staying the night, but do we leave now or wait until they quit fighting?" Callie asked me mentally while watching almost the whole town shout at each other.
"Let's give them a few moments," I suggested, "If they are still arguing by the time the sun is below Fist Hill, then we leave."
"Sounds like plenty of time," Callie agreed.
As they fought, we told Set and Echo which ones were our families and pointed out our houses. We kept track of the sun. Vanity and Wrath recognized the mound of earth we called Fist Hill, telling us that, when they first saw it centuries ago, it was called Giant's Head. We could see how, way back then, it could have looked like a head.
The sun was sitting like a ring on the hill and they were still arguing. We were ignored and bored.
"Let's go," Callie stated, "This won't be resolved anytime soon."
"I agree, stubborn as dwarfs, arrogant as elves, and all too human. Bet it will be dark before they miss us."
Callie agreed. I focused on the marks Set left and took us back to the area near the Faerie door. Set and Echo were there a heart-beat later. Calling to Talris, he opened the door and we all crossed back into the Faerie Realm. He looked at us and silently escorted us back to the Faerie Queen and our sisters. Fortunately, with our sharing, we did not have to tell them how it went. They all consoled us and Aloriana showed us to rooms where we could rest. Callie and I wrote to our families one last time, letting them know it was up to them to re-establish communication. We also wrote to our friends to let them know not to go to Denar anymore unless necessary.
Set curled up with me almost human-like, his body against mine as we laid down to sleep. Vanity hummed a soft tune that eased my troubled mind into slumber.
Faerie Realm:
As there is no "day" and "night" in the Faerie Realm, hunger was my wake-up call. Set's hunger was also strong. As expected, food was brought in as soon as we got up. Some of my sisters were awake while others still slept. As we ate, Aloriana entered and saw I was still sad.
"Daughter, release them from your heart. I know they are your family and friends, but they are allowing others to think for them. I fear your home town is dying."
Thinking back, I remembered the lack of children and how many old people were there. Denar has never been large, but the population was stable, nearly one-to-one births to deaths. I opened to Fate and asked to see Denar is five years. I was shown a ghost town, devoid of all its people, wild and feral animals living in the remains of the houses, and only a cemetery to tell the tale. All of the elders lay there, plus some my parents' ages. Among those stones, I saw a double marker, bearing mine and Callie's names. They gave the date of our "death" as two days from our visit, most likely when they would receive our letters. Under our names was written, "Taken by Evil, Purity Lost". As the images faded, I got angry. Aloriana stared at me.
"They buried us!" I shouted in anger and pain, "Instead of trying to understand, they buried us as if dead. In five years, all the people are gone and the village abandoned."
"Abandoned?" Callie asked from the door, "Why? What could cause them to leave our home town?"
"I don't know, I only saw it empty, along with our grave markers. In a couple of days, they will declare us dead and bury us."
Tears fell down Callie's cheeks, hurt, anger, and sadness flowing out of her like it was out of me. Only once had anyone else been declared dead to our village and symbolically buried. He had been a troublemaker, thief, and a murderer. We had done nothing to deserve such. Callie let her emotions flow until nothing was left. I vented mine, causing the native animals to scatter. Aloriana patiently watched in silence.
Empty as we had never been before, we collapsed to sit upon the bed. Only then did Alorian speak.
"I know that was hard, but necessary. I have held on to your final letters, to make sure you truly were ready to part from them. Now that you have, they will be sent."
We numbly nodded. Our other sisters ran into the room, telling us the swords had informed them of my viewing. We all hugged without much talking, mental or verbal.
After a while, we all grew curious as to why the town was deserted. Going to a mirror, we asked to see why Denar was abandoned.
It was a few years from our last visit. All the elders were gone. No children played. No babes anywhere. The crops lay unharvested, rotting in the fields. The few people left looked haggard and sickly. The three old women, the Trinity, were bound and below nooses hanging from a large tree. Their robes were gone. Sores, open wounds, and boils covered their exposed skin. They shouted their innocence, claiming others had cursed them. They even blamed us and used Set's marks as evidence. No one believed them and they were hung as plague carriers. The remaining villagers pronounced Denar as cursed and took all that they could carry, leaving the women and village to rot.
Sarah looked at the hanging women, "I've seen that before. It is not a curse or disease that passes to others. Some women, trying to look younger, use a variety of things without understanding how they react together. My Mother Superior called it 'Whore Sores'. Those boils grow until they explode. Healing salves and potions make them worse. Each boil has to actually be poisoned. Belladonna and aconite are the only treatment. Washing the 'beauty' creams and stuff off lets the open sores heal. They must have 'treated' the townspeople as they got sicker, convincing them to not trust the food they grew nor the animals they raised. While hanging is harsh, they did bring it on themselves."
As the scene vanished, Callie remarked that neither of our families were among those left nor were any marked in the cemetery. We concluded that they left before this event. Briefly, we debated whether to warn them, but came to the agreement to let it be.
Shaking off the sadness, we all walked out of the room. We walked to the terrace that looked onto the Immortal Realm and stared at it a while. Echo, as the only one seeing it for the first time, had trouble understanding how all the deities lived in that "little mountain". It took a while to explain exactly where they resided.
Aloriana found us, looking a bit worried, "Girls, it was my hope you could ride out the rest of winter and visit the leprechauns and merfolk in spring. Alas, you cannot. The leprechauns have been dealing with a nuisance for a while. Ghosts, spirits, and similar entities are common because of ship wreaks, dangerous animals and plants, and territory disputes. Other than a fright, no harm has come from them. Lately, Talris has rescued a few leprechauns being actively pursued by such spirits plus undead. Each one has told the same tale: someone is mustering these beings into attacking leprechaun communities, demanding 'the Hoard', whatever that means. Their powers are falling short of any real relief. Others they have turned to are also at a loss. All I can do is let you skip the worst month of the storms and get you to the largest community."
We looked at each other in shock. What possible reason could anyone have to organize undead and ghosts against leprechauns? There was nothing we could think of that leprechauns had that any of those beings could need or want. Gretta was especially hurt that family she had yet to meet was being actively abused. Aloriana asked us to follow her. She led us to an area that was part workshop and part laboratory. She got the attention of another female Faerie we recognized as Idona, the one who gave us the potion for Lord Carmon.
"Idona, our girls are in need. While Kayla can sense undead, the others cannot nor can any of them sense ghosts. Do you have anything to aid them?"
Idona listened intently to understand Aloriana's request. Once she understood, she began shouting to her assistants, who raced around the room, gathering supplies. What was, at first, chaotic mayhem quickly became very organised and orderly. Idona asked if we still had the charms we received to go through Brimgrove. All but a few of us had stowed them in our gear. It was a simple thing to call them to us. Once gathered, we gave them to Idona. She laid them out on the tables. Each assistant placed a drop of something in the hole of each stone. Drop by drop, they built up a pool inside each charm. Finished, the assistants stepped aside for Idona to inspect their work. Approving, she dropped what looked like a single grain of sand into each pool. Satisfied, Idona returned the pendants to us. Each now had a pale, nearly liquid, stone fully filling the hole in each stone. As she gave them back, Idona explained.
"Undead and spirits have aversion to the things that make up those stones: holy water, the special spring water, unicorn's tears, tears of an innocent child, a few other things, made solid by a grain of pure crystal. Any such being in a one hundred foot radius will cause them to glow. Will that be sufficient?"
We all agreed that it was good. While I could sense undead farther than one hundred feet, it would be enough warning against spirits. We thanked Idona and her assistants and put them on as we left.
Aloriana left us in the garden to determine the best Faerie door. The orphans had grown, the fliers zooming above the garden. We gave our companions leave to join them. The garden was still in full bloom with mammoth flowers and bushes engulfed in blossoms and fruit. The trees were also in full bloom and heavy with fruit. Bees, birds, and other small fliers flitted around the bounty. While walking around, we found the hive of the bees, natural hives, not the man-made boxes found in other places. We also found hornets and wasps, but they did not seem to mind us.
Set and the others found us, complaining of hunger. Right on cue, a female found us to guide us all to the dining room. Our companions did not wait for us to sit before launching into their portions. We laughed at their enthusiasm as we sat to enjoy our meals. We spoke of the garden and how much the orphans had grown. During our meal, we did discuss the situation with the leprechauns, trying to understand what purpose any undead, necromancers, or the like have bothering them.
Aloriana arrived as we were leaving. She told us a door near Snathdubh (snath-DU), the largest leprechaun settlement, had been found, but it was as least two or three days walk from there. We informed her that we didn't mind. She suggested sleeping here one more time so we would be fully rested to face what lay ahead. We saw the logic in that and decided to retire to our rooms. Set took a while to settle down, recounting all the orphans who flew with him and how much fun they had. Sleep snuck up on him and he started snoring in mid-sentence. Vanity and I laughed as we settled down to sleep.
We all woke and ate, steeling ourselves for the task before us. The Faeries brought our gear expertly packed. Over each, they laid fur-lined cloaks. They informed us they had added, rolled up in our mats, a deceptively thin blanket that was waterproof and very warm. They did request our shoes, saying that they had boots better suited to the cold and rough terrain. As ours were very worn, we did the exchange. The boots were very comfortable and fit well. Sarah was a bit shocked at how much her feet had grown since we met. We reminded her that, at fifteen to sixteen years old, growing feet was normal. They also gave us plenty of rations, in case the settlement was farther than anticipated or we had to set out a day to wait out a storm. We thanked them for everything as we strapped on our gear. Aloriana and Talris took us down the Hallway of Doors. The door we needed, like the one near Denar, explained where it was in relation to several places, including Snathdubh. Aloriana hugged us all and wished us a safe journey. With a wave from Talris, we walked through the shining doorway.
"Dear girls, I am pleased with all you have done. This world is blessed to have you and the Swords bringing long-lasting and much needed peace. Your deeds will benefit these lands for generations. I do have some sad news. Kayla and Callie, your parents are very worried about you. The letters you have sent trouble them. Callie, due to the unusual method of delivering them, your family refuses to open them and destroyed them as soon as they arrived. Kayla, without Callie's confirmations, your parents believe you have gone mad. They fear you are holed up somewhere, writing your 'delusions', and slowly going insane. They keep a vigil, hoping to catch your 'messenger' and ask about your health. Since, as we know, you are sending them through kirlan, this is a futile effort. On your behalf, I have asked your friends; Mattis, Kendar, Droland, and Mara to write or visit them to ease their minds. Also, Carmon has spoken to all of your families, applauding your deeds. These, too, they have dismissed, even attacking them for lying or even kidnapping you two. What else can we do to let them know the truth and the deeds you have done?"
Callie and I were very sad. I knew they could be hard-headed, but to deny all of these reports was beyond mere stubbornness. What was their reasoning? Did they find it impossible to believe us capable of these things? Did they still see us as their little girls and, therefore, incapable of any kind of achievements?
"Is there a Faerie door in Denar?" I asked.
"Not in the town, Daughter, but there is one a day or two to the south."
"That will not do, Mother. I guess kirlan is the best option. I can take Callie through kirlan while Set takes Echo. We will talk with them, explain the events we have witnessed, and hope they believe. If not, then we will bid them farewell and good life and return here. Should they believe, we may spend the night with them."
"A compromise, Daughter. Take the door that is closest to Denar then kirlan to the village. While I am certain you can reach there from here, I think you need to mature a bit in your powers to control when you arrive. As the Faerie Realm is outside mortal time, you may appear too early or too late, possibly by years."
"Understood, Mother, I accept your compromise. Callie, are you willing to do this?"
Callie thought a moment before responding, "Yes, I am. Our parents should be told and allowed to accept or not accept as they are willing. But, it should be their informed choice."
Our other sisters agreed that our families should hear the truth from us without the distrust of being strangers.
Leaving our sisters, Callie, Set, Echo, and I followed Talris down the hallway of doors to one bearing the designation of being in the woods between Denar, Lorkan, and Bearser. Talris promised to stay near so, if there was trouble, he was there to be of aid. We thanked him, asked the door to take us there a few minutes after we left Stahendring, and passed through the shining door.
We knew these woods. We both remembered foraging in this area both for food and medicinal plants. Once we got a good feel of the place and Set marked a couple of trees and a large rock, I took Callie through kirlan to the central square of Denar.
Our arrival was announced by screaming. Some ran away. Some grabbed tools and confronted us. One of those approaching was one of Callie's brothers.
"Callie-girl? Is that you? What is going on? How did you appear out of nowhere? Who is this?" he asked as he tightened up on an ax, looking at me threateningly.
"It's me, Carl, Kayla, your neighbor," I told him flatly, looking up to meet his hard stare.
"Kayla? 'Callie's twin'? No, you are not Kayla," he moved closer to me, trying to be intimidating, "Tell me the truth, witch, who are you?"
"STOP!" shouted a male voice, "Carl, stop now!"
Callie's parents, some more siblings, and my parents came racing over to us. Our fathers stepped between Carl and us. Our mothers and some of Callie's sisters looked us over. We said nothing. Our marks were uncovered. Our mothers seized us in bone-crushing hugs. This calmed the others. After a few moments, they released us. My parents looked at me.
"It is true, what you wrote, about your eyes, hair, and height. Where... where is it?" they looked around nervously.
"He," I corrected, "is outside of town, waiting to make sure it is safe. Echo is with him. We wanted to keep them safe."
"Who is she talking about? Divine! You're talking about those beasts! Show them to us! We will free you from them," Callie's father threatened, punching his fist into his hand.
"We are partners!" Callie countered, "There is nothing to free us from! No one is a prisoner nor slave. How can you thing that?"
"Dragons, large or small, are demons!" came an unfamiliar voice.
A trio of old women tottered over. They were unknown to us. Their auras were clean, so they actually believed what they said. They moved between us and our families.
"We have read your letters, even the ones destroyed. We are truly concerned. Those people who came to tell us the 'wonders' you supposedly performed were, obviously, lying. Anyone who praises dragons cannot be trusted. Cast away these beasts, your foul swords, and those untrustworthy girls who claim to be your sisters."
Our families, friends, neighbors, and people who have known us all of our lives began echoing these three. We backed away, feeling threatened by those who should have made us feel the most safe. Several paces apart, Set and Echo appeared between us and them. Set growled, flames and sparks escaping between his lips. Echo flapped above him, copying Set. The crowd shrank back, fear coloring them all. The trio, the Trinity, began fishing in the clothing for something. We, swords included, laughed when they produced bottles of sparkling water. They were startled.
"Why do you laugh? Do you know the sacred water? Are your foul beasts and swords so powerful you do not fear its purity?"
"You've read our letters. We've told of several splashing events by many of those bottles. One more won't change anything," I challenged.
Of course, none of them believed me. We called Set and Echo to us and drew our swords. We invited them to proceed. The trio uncorked their bottles, began splashing us, and muttering odd words. With the bottles empty and their chant complete, they stepped back to inspect us. As we expected, other than getting wet, nothing happened. We did use the water to clean some dust off the swords and ourselves. Echo shook off the water and cheeped angrily at the crowd. Set, already warm from his flaming, had steam rising off of him into the cooler air. The crowd turned on the trio, asking why they failed and questioning its and their purity.
While they argued, Callie and I called a wind to dry us. We sheathed the swords.
"What do we do? I know we are not staying the night, but do we leave now or wait until they quit fighting?" Callie asked me mentally while watching almost the whole town shout at each other.
"Let's give them a few moments," I suggested, "If they are still arguing by the time the sun is below Fist Hill, then we leave."
"Sounds like plenty of time," Callie agreed.
As they fought, we told Set and Echo which ones were our families and pointed out our houses. We kept track of the sun. Vanity and Wrath recognized the mound of earth we called Fist Hill, telling us that, when they first saw it centuries ago, it was called Giant's Head. We could see how, way back then, it could have looked like a head.
The sun was sitting like a ring on the hill and they were still arguing. We were ignored and bored.
"Let's go," Callie stated, "This won't be resolved anytime soon."
"I agree, stubborn as dwarfs, arrogant as elves, and all too human. Bet it will be dark before they miss us."
Callie agreed. I focused on the marks Set left and took us back to the area near the Faerie door. Set and Echo were there a heart-beat later. Calling to Talris, he opened the door and we all crossed back into the Faerie Realm. He looked at us and silently escorted us back to the Faerie Queen and our sisters. Fortunately, with our sharing, we did not have to tell them how it went. They all consoled us and Aloriana showed us to rooms where we could rest. Callie and I wrote to our families one last time, letting them know it was up to them to re-establish communication. We also wrote to our friends to let them know not to go to Denar anymore unless necessary.
Set curled up with me almost human-like, his body against mine as we laid down to sleep. Vanity hummed a soft tune that eased my troubled mind into slumber.
Faerie Realm:
As there is no "day" and "night" in the Faerie Realm, hunger was my wake-up call. Set's hunger was also strong. As expected, food was brought in as soon as we got up. Some of my sisters were awake while others still slept. As we ate, Aloriana entered and saw I was still sad.
"Daughter, release them from your heart. I know they are your family and friends, but they are allowing others to think for them. I fear your home town is dying."
Thinking back, I remembered the lack of children and how many old people were there. Denar has never been large, but the population was stable, nearly one-to-one births to deaths. I opened to Fate and asked to see Denar is five years. I was shown a ghost town, devoid of all its people, wild and feral animals living in the remains of the houses, and only a cemetery to tell the tale. All of the elders lay there, plus some my parents' ages. Among those stones, I saw a double marker, bearing mine and Callie's names. They gave the date of our "death" as two days from our visit, most likely when they would receive our letters. Under our names was written, "Taken by Evil, Purity Lost". As the images faded, I got angry. Aloriana stared at me.
"They buried us!" I shouted in anger and pain, "Instead of trying to understand, they buried us as if dead. In five years, all the people are gone and the village abandoned."
"Abandoned?" Callie asked from the door, "Why? What could cause them to leave our home town?"
"I don't know, I only saw it empty, along with our grave markers. In a couple of days, they will declare us dead and bury us."
Tears fell down Callie's cheeks, hurt, anger, and sadness flowing out of her like it was out of me. Only once had anyone else been declared dead to our village and symbolically buried. He had been a troublemaker, thief, and a murderer. We had done nothing to deserve such. Callie let her emotions flow until nothing was left. I vented mine, causing the native animals to scatter. Aloriana patiently watched in silence.
Empty as we had never been before, we collapsed to sit upon the bed. Only then did Alorian speak.
"I know that was hard, but necessary. I have held on to your final letters, to make sure you truly were ready to part from them. Now that you have, they will be sent."
We numbly nodded. Our other sisters ran into the room, telling us the swords had informed them of my viewing. We all hugged without much talking, mental or verbal.
After a while, we all grew curious as to why the town was deserted. Going to a mirror, we asked to see why Denar was abandoned.
It was a few years from our last visit. All the elders were gone. No children played. No babes anywhere. The crops lay unharvested, rotting in the fields. The few people left looked haggard and sickly. The three old women, the Trinity, were bound and below nooses hanging from a large tree. Their robes were gone. Sores, open wounds, and boils covered their exposed skin. They shouted their innocence, claiming others had cursed them. They even blamed us and used Set's marks as evidence. No one believed them and they were hung as plague carriers. The remaining villagers pronounced Denar as cursed and took all that they could carry, leaving the women and village to rot.
Sarah looked at the hanging women, "I've seen that before. It is not a curse or disease that passes to others. Some women, trying to look younger, use a variety of things without understanding how they react together. My Mother Superior called it 'Whore Sores'. Those boils grow until they explode. Healing salves and potions make them worse. Each boil has to actually be poisoned. Belladonna and aconite are the only treatment. Washing the 'beauty' creams and stuff off lets the open sores heal. They must have 'treated' the townspeople as they got sicker, convincing them to not trust the food they grew nor the animals they raised. While hanging is harsh, they did bring it on themselves."
As the scene vanished, Callie remarked that neither of our families were among those left nor were any marked in the cemetery. We concluded that they left before this event. Briefly, we debated whether to warn them, but came to the agreement to let it be.
Shaking off the sadness, we all walked out of the room. We walked to the terrace that looked onto the Immortal Realm and stared at it a while. Echo, as the only one seeing it for the first time, had trouble understanding how all the deities lived in that "little mountain". It took a while to explain exactly where they resided.
Aloriana found us, looking a bit worried, "Girls, it was my hope you could ride out the rest of winter and visit the leprechauns and merfolk in spring. Alas, you cannot. The leprechauns have been dealing with a nuisance for a while. Ghosts, spirits, and similar entities are common because of ship wreaks, dangerous animals and plants, and territory disputes. Other than a fright, no harm has come from them. Lately, Talris has rescued a few leprechauns being actively pursued by such spirits plus undead. Each one has told the same tale: someone is mustering these beings into attacking leprechaun communities, demanding 'the Hoard', whatever that means. Their powers are falling short of any real relief. Others they have turned to are also at a loss. All I can do is let you skip the worst month of the storms and get you to the largest community."
We looked at each other in shock. What possible reason could anyone have to organize undead and ghosts against leprechauns? There was nothing we could think of that leprechauns had that any of those beings could need or want. Gretta was especially hurt that family she had yet to meet was being actively abused. Aloriana asked us to follow her. She led us to an area that was part workshop and part laboratory. She got the attention of another female Faerie we recognized as Idona, the one who gave us the potion for Lord Carmon.
"Idona, our girls are in need. While Kayla can sense undead, the others cannot nor can any of them sense ghosts. Do you have anything to aid them?"
Idona listened intently to understand Aloriana's request. Once she understood, she began shouting to her assistants, who raced around the room, gathering supplies. What was, at first, chaotic mayhem quickly became very organised and orderly. Idona asked if we still had the charms we received to go through Brimgrove. All but a few of us had stowed them in our gear. It was a simple thing to call them to us. Once gathered, we gave them to Idona. She laid them out on the tables. Each assistant placed a drop of something in the hole of each stone. Drop by drop, they built up a pool inside each charm. Finished, the assistants stepped aside for Idona to inspect their work. Approving, she dropped what looked like a single grain of sand into each pool. Satisfied, Idona returned the pendants to us. Each now had a pale, nearly liquid, stone fully filling the hole in each stone. As she gave them back, Idona explained.
"Undead and spirits have aversion to the things that make up those stones: holy water, the special spring water, unicorn's tears, tears of an innocent child, a few other things, made solid by a grain of pure crystal. Any such being in a one hundred foot radius will cause them to glow. Will that be sufficient?"
We all agreed that it was good. While I could sense undead farther than one hundred feet, it would be enough warning against spirits. We thanked Idona and her assistants and put them on as we left.
Aloriana left us in the garden to determine the best Faerie door. The orphans had grown, the fliers zooming above the garden. We gave our companions leave to join them. The garden was still in full bloom with mammoth flowers and bushes engulfed in blossoms and fruit. The trees were also in full bloom and heavy with fruit. Bees, birds, and other small fliers flitted around the bounty. While walking around, we found the hive of the bees, natural hives, not the man-made boxes found in other places. We also found hornets and wasps, but they did not seem to mind us.
Set and the others found us, complaining of hunger. Right on cue, a female found us to guide us all to the dining room. Our companions did not wait for us to sit before launching into their portions. We laughed at their enthusiasm as we sat to enjoy our meals. We spoke of the garden and how much the orphans had grown. During our meal, we did discuss the situation with the leprechauns, trying to understand what purpose any undead, necromancers, or the like have bothering them.
Aloriana arrived as we were leaving. She told us a door near Snathdubh (snath-DU), the largest leprechaun settlement, had been found, but it was as least two or three days walk from there. We informed her that we didn't mind. She suggested sleeping here one more time so we would be fully rested to face what lay ahead. We saw the logic in that and decided to retire to our rooms. Set took a while to settle down, recounting all the orphans who flew with him and how much fun they had. Sleep snuck up on him and he started snoring in mid-sentence. Vanity and I laughed as we settled down to sleep.
We all woke and ate, steeling ourselves for the task before us. The Faeries brought our gear expertly packed. Over each, they laid fur-lined cloaks. They informed us they had added, rolled up in our mats, a deceptively thin blanket that was waterproof and very warm. They did request our shoes, saying that they had boots better suited to the cold and rough terrain. As ours were very worn, we did the exchange. The boots were very comfortable and fit well. Sarah was a bit shocked at how much her feet had grown since we met. We reminded her that, at fifteen to sixteen years old, growing feet was normal. They also gave us plenty of rations, in case the settlement was farther than anticipated or we had to set out a day to wait out a storm. We thanked them for everything as we strapped on our gear. Aloriana and Talris took us down the Hallway of Doors. The door we needed, like the one near Denar, explained where it was in relation to several places, including Snathdubh. Aloriana hugged us all and wished us a safe journey. With a wave from Talris, we walked through the shining doorway.
