Sprite

“Papa, I was going to tell you after I moved him,” protested Miriam. She didn’t want to let on that Neistah could speak so she chose her words carefully. “He seemed so unhappy with all of us staring at him, and he needed to swim, really swim, which he couldn’t do in our big pond.”

John Hanan frowned. “Why couldn’t he? From what Bill and Dave tell me, it’s bigger than the pond you found out in the woods.”

“That’s just it, Papa. My pond may be smaller, but it’s more suitable for a woodland creature such as the Sprite. Don’t you agree?”

“Not entirely, no I don’t. How is James to study him way out there?”

“Jim doesn’t need to study him—you said yourself that you would never make his existence public. And I could keep whatever notes you wish when I go over there to visit him.”

“No, Miriam. I will not have you over there unsupervised,” her grandfather said. “However, perhaps you are right. A woodland Sprite is best studied in the wild.” He looked thoughtful. “Very well, I will allow you to visit the Sprite, but only when James comes along. We can set James up in the woods so that he can observe the pond without the Sprite’s knowledge.”

Miriam smiled, remembering Bill and Dave.

Inwardly, John Hanan was pleased. The Sprite would bestow great fortune upon their family if his granddaughter won his trust. He sent Miriam to her room with the promise that she could visit her Sprite the very next day. “James, just a minute,” he said as Jim moved to leave. “I’m holding you responsible. Miriam is to have her privacy with the Sprite, within reason.”

“You want her to interact with the Sprite but you still want her to be safe.”

“Of course.” The old man nudged Jim conspiratorially. “I want you to observe, but don’t let them catch you. Only step in if it’s absolutely necessary.”

“Yes, sir,” Jim mumbled. The old man had far too much faith in the supposedly magical nature of the Sprite. Jim had seen the way the creature looked at Miriam.

“Oh, and James?” Jim turned in the doorway. “Only you are to watch the Sprite and my Miriam. I don’t want those other two anywhere near that pond. Do you understand?”

“Yes, sir,” Jim repeated, as he turned to leave. The Boss had left him a nearly impossible task. How was he supposed to guard the girl from a distance? That Sprite was no more magical than he was, but he definitely was wily. Jim didn’t believe the creature could not communicate. He had almost—almost—caught the Sprite and Miriam a few times when he had come up on them suddenly from behind only to find their heads close together. He only ever heard Miriam’s voice; however, by the guilty looks she shot him whenever he interrupted them, he was pretty sure the Sprite had been talking, also.

Miriam was ready to leave first thing in the morning. Jim took his time, gathering up his notes and a few supplies. “Four hours,” he told her, shouldering his pack. Miriam handed him a satchel which she had filled with a blanket and some sandwiches from the kitchen. “Four hours and then we come back.”

She pouted, then specified, “Not counting the time it takes to get there, right?”

The Boss had shown Jim this new pond on the map Miriam had taken. Clever girl. It would be nearly an hour’s walk both ways. “Not counting the time it takes to get there,” Jim reluctantly agreed as they started out.

“Here it is!” Miriam burst through a final screen of bushes with Jim right behind her, cursing her for rushing ahead of him. The pond, while smaller than the one by the house, was still and black. There was no sign of the Sprite. She stopped short.

Jim dropped her satchel beside her. “He can’t have gone far,” he said. “This is the only water source between here and the house. He’s probably swimming.”

Miriam looked dubiously at the black pond. There was not even a ripple to mar its glassy surface. “I guess so,” she said. “He’ll come out when he sees I’m here. You don’t have to stay,” she told Jim. “Go set up your camp or whatever.”

Jim was glad to do so. “Four hours,” he reminded her, moving back into the camouflage of the trees. He picked a spot far enough away that he couldn’t easily be seen from the pond, and climbed a tree. Next time he came, he would have to bring some wood so he could make himself a crude platform. For today, he chose a sturdy branch which gave him a clear view of the pond.

He watched Miriam spread out her blanket on the grass and arrange her sandwiches on two plates. His stomach growled. When he had told her ‘four hours,’ he had not been counting travel time. He was going to be very hungry by the time they got home. He watched her walk over to the water and swirl her hand around. She was saying something, but he couldn’t quite make it out. He leaned forward just as Miriam raised her voice. It echoed across the water.

“. . . Neistah! Where are you?”

What? Jim overbalanced and nearly fell from his perch. Was she calling the Sprite? That had sounded like a name. Proof at last that the Sprite could communicate! Jim considered climbing down and getting closer so he could hear better, but he disregarded it, keeping John Hanan’s directive in mind. Let Miriam befriend the Sprite. Don’t interefere unless there’s danger.

* * * * * * * * * * *

Neistah arrowed through the small opening which connected his pond to the underground river below. He heard Miriam’s call, more on a subvocal level than the actual sound, and knew it was time to return. He would play this out. Now that he knew he was no longer trapped, the game had gotten interesting once again.

Not bothering to slow down, he shot out of the water and landed feet first in front of the girl, startling a squeak of surprise from her.

“Neistah! Don’t do that!”

“What?” Neistah shook water droplets from his hair and smiled innocently. He could sense the hunter just beyond the clearing, and he made sure to keep his back turned and his voice low as he spoke. Let him wonder. “You brought me food?” He sank down gracefully beside her on the blanket, wet and glistening from the water. His neck webbing fanned out just behind his ears, moving faintly with every breath he took.

“Where were you?” Miriam whispered furiously. “I thought you were gone!”

Neistah whispered back, leaning in to place his lips almost on Miriam’s ear. His silent watcher might guess that he was speaking, but he would never be sure. “Where else would I go?” he asked innocently.

Miriam relaxed a fraction.

“What’s with him?” Neistah jerked his head to the side and back.

Miriam’s eyes followed. “Jim? You can see him?”

Neistah grinned. “I know he’s there,” he said. He didn’t have to see the man—he could sense him, and hear his every thought.

“He’s supposed to watch us,” Miriam said. “And bring me back and forth. It’s the only way my grandfather would allow you to stay here.”

Neistah’s eyebrows rose. “Is that how it is?” He reached across Miriam and grabbed a sandwich, noting Jim’s start of alarm with satisfaction. Miriam’s guard did nothing, however, and slowly Neistah edged closer to the girl. “Want to go for a swim?” he asked her.

Miriam paled, then flushed. The memories of her last swim with the Sprite shone clear on her face.

“I won’t hurt you,” Neistah assured her, offering her his hand.

She took it. His hand was warm and dry, utterly human if one overlooked the nearly transparent webbing which connected his fingers. He cupped her hand in his, pulling her to her feet.

Miriam wasn’t dressed for swimming. She hadn’t been the last time, either, when Bill and Dave had interrupted them. The only other time she had deliberately attempted to swim with Neistah, back at the big pond by the house, he had frightened her so badly that she’d vowed never again to go into the water with him.

Then last time had happened. Miriam’s cheeks still felt warm as she remembered his mouth on hers, his legs wrapped around hers, so strong.

“I’m not dressed,” she said, pulling back slightly.

Neistah looked her up and down, making her blush even harder. He didn’t say anything, though. He just turned and sank back into the water, leaving her standing on the edge. The water was so dark that he effectively disappeared. Only the top of his head, and his eyes, showed above the water line. It was uncanny.

Miriam hesitated, glancing back to where she knew Jim was watching. “Neistah? Neistah!” she said louder.

He raised his head and shoulders out of the water.

“Next time, all right? Next time I’ll swim with you. Now, please come out and sit with me. Tell me what you did since yesterday.”

Neistah obediently climbed out of the water, casting a gaze directly at the spot where he knew Jim watched. He felt the jolt of surprise from the other man, as he wondered whether his secret location had been discovered, and whether or not it had been Miriam who’d told the Sprite about it.

Neistah put his head closer to Miriam’s. “I swam,” he said, telling nothing but the absolute truth. “What else?”

Unfortunately, even though this small pond did lead to an escape route, Neistah still hadn’t been able to contact his people. So they were still angry at him, and still blocking him from finding the way home. Neistah would have to find another way.

“We can still go for walks,” he said, earning him a pleased smile from Miriam. “If your guard will allow it.”

Miriam scoffed. “Oh, him. He’ll do whatever I want,” she said. “Grandfather said he had to obey me.”

Neistah heard the lie in her thoughts, but smiled anyway. Jim would do whatever Neistah wanted. He would make sure of it. He turned his eyes towards the spot in the forest where Jim was hidden. “All right, we can go now,” he said, after a few seconds.

They left the picnic things where they were, and started off into the forest.

Behind them, Jim sat in his tree and trained his eyes on the pond, where in his mind he watched Miriam and her Sprite sit quietly on her blanket. He remembered he needed to pay attention to find out if the Sprite could speak, but he couldn’t tell for sure. Neistah. Was that really his name? Jim glanced at his watch. Two and a half more hours. He sighed.