Sprite

Of course Pup didn’t come home, and Norah was frantic with worry. A week went by and no Pup, no Neistah , Lara, or Valin. Changeling patrols had come in and reported that Will and Roselle had safely reached their destination, but they had seen no sign of Pup since he had left the family at Hanan’s border.

Norah clutched her pendant. Should she go—could she go? Leane watched her shrewdly from across the room but didn’t offer any advice.

“We have patrols out looking for Pup,” said her father, correctly gauging her mood. “They will contact us as soon as there’s word.”

But what about the others, the sprites? Norah knew her parents thought Neistah in particular was capricious and unreliable. They also thought he and the other sprites were virtually indestructible, which Norah knew was not the case. Pup might have had his suspicions about iron, but the others at the Hanan compound were not aware of the sprites’ peculiar weakness to that earthly metal.

Well, Norah was also a sprite, and she did not suffer from exposure to iron. “I’m going,” she announced, to Leane’s silent, if amused, approval.

“I know you want to help,” Jim said, “but it’s better if you stay here and wait. Pup is used to the forest; I’m sure he has a good reason for not coming straight back.”

Leane snorted derisively. She knew what Norah intended. “Not that kind of going,” she said, and Jim stared at her, not understanding. Leane laughed softly.

Norah wasn’t sure it would work. All the other times, she’d wished for Breyan and he appeared. This time, she wanted to go to where he was. As Leane had said, she needed to tell the Lady what had happened with Andy as well as the rest of it—that Neistah and Valin and now Pup were all missing. “You’d better stand back,” she said, taking a step back herself.

Norah closed her eyes and held the pendant close to her heart. -Take me back to faerie,- she wished fervently. For a minute nothing happened. Then a familiar glow formed in front of her and through it she could make out a hand stretched out to her. She grasped it and let herself be pulled through.

Behind her, Jim let out an explosive breath as he watched Norah disappear.

“Keep your distance,” Leane warned. The gateway was fading even as she spoke, but it wouldn’t do any good to faerie or to Jim either if he tried to cross that threshold.

“Where did she go?” Jim asked, thankful that at least Miriam was not around to witness this further evidence of her daughter’s alienness.

“Home,” Leane said firmly, taking Jim aback. He had known for a while now that Old Man Hanan had been right all along, and that Neistah and the other sprites, including his stepdaughter Norah, were not quite human. But he and Miriam had shied away from the entire truth: if not human, then what? Where did these sprites really come from?

Leane arched a green eyebrow. “Why, faerie of course.”

X x X x X x X x X x X

Norah smiled as she stepped into Breyan’s arms. Who else would have been waiting for her? With a contented sigh she put away thoughts of the mortal world and simply basked in the serene glow that was faerie.

Breyan looked down on her in amusement. “I knew you would come back to me eventually,” he said softly, a faint smile playing upon his lips.

Reality intruded abruptly, and Norah pulled back in dismay. -Where is the Lady? I must speak to the Lady,- she sent urgently, looking around herself for the very first time since she had crossed over. She didn’t recognize this part of faerie.

-Of course not,- Breyan agreed. -You made a gateway where none existed before.-

-Yet you are here.-

Breyan gave a low laugh. -We’re connected, you and I,- he said, dropping his gaze to the blood-red pendant next to Norah’s heart. -I always know where you are.-

Oh. Norah blushed.

-Come.- Breyan took Norah’s hand and moved swiftly with her through the ordered forest, so different from the tangled, broken woods on Norah’s side of the gate. Light seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere, and the sound of burbling water like murmuring voices teased Norah just out of view. She ached to swim. She ached to swim with Breyan.

The path to Anais’ green pool appeared between one turn and the next, impossibly close, Norah thought. Breyan turned and fixed her with a bright stare. -As close as your desire,- he told her cryptically.

Anais wasn’t alone. Breyan left Norah standing upon the shore in her cumbersome (in this place) gown while he slipped beneath the green water, giving her the choice of joining him or not. Anais reclined on the opposite shore, her golden head pillowed in Valin’s lap as they both regarded her curiously.

“Neistah is not with you?” Norah blurted out, disconcerted to find Valin here and not missing after all. She felt faintly embarrassed to have interrupted what was certainly meant to be a private moment. From beneath the water Breyan broadcast amusement.

Valin shook his head, one eyebrow raised.

“Oh, I – I thought maybe he was with you,” Norah stammered.

Valin grinned sharply. “Not here,” he answered in kind, making Norah blush again.

“You said you had to speak to the Lady,” Breyan prompted her, coming up out of the woodland pool to drip next to Norah. He laid a proprietary arm across her shoulders.

Anais sat up, assuming her formal aspect as she shifted position, although she remained by Valin’s side, reminding Norah of pictures of kings and queens in her old storybooks. Together, they were the rulers of this part of faerie.

-What is it, child?-

The others might humor Norah by speaking out loud as mortals did, but Anais did not. She spoke mind to mind, offering and demanding complete honesty. The story tumbled out of Norah whole, how Neistah had discovered the human child Andy, who was so nearly what they were, but was not one of them as far as they could tell. Except there had been a strange turn of events. The child was able to communicate nonverbally, whether it was because he had learned it with the sprites or whether he had always been able to do so and no one had heard him before, neither she nor Leane were certain. The humans did not know, not even the boy’s own father, and there was no one else to ask. Valin, Neistah and Lara had all been missing for over a week, and Norah feared something terrible had happened. Pup was missing, too. She swallowed, relieved to have it all off her shoulders.

-Neistah and Lara have also been gone?- Valin asked with a frown. -Together?-

Norah gave a slight nod. They had gone off to Neistah’s Pond for some privacy—she reddened as she realized Valin had gone off for that very same reason.

Valin scowled. “The fools!” he muttered out loud, glancing at Anais before he continued subvocally. -I have an idea where they are. While they might be in danger, it’s not of the mortal variety.-

-Go,- Anais bade him, waiting while Valin flowed to his feet and moved beyond their sight. She focused her clear gaze on Norah. -Come swim with me.- She shifted her attention to Breyan. -Just Norah.-

With a sheepish grin, Breyan acknowledged the Lady’s order and eased away, sending over his shoulder, -I’ll be at the lake.-

-Tell me about this human boy who is so like us,- Anais began, circling under the misty green water until Norah shed her clothing and joined her.

Later, confused and a little awed, Norah followed the path that led to the sprites’ large lake looking for Breyan. The Lady had told her to stay with him until she returned. It seemed that Anais herself planned to look upon the boy and make judgment on his fate. Norah wasn’t sure quite what she meant by that—did the sprites mean him harm? Or were they just going to decide if he was worth their interest?

The Lady had said some other things, too, when Norah asked her what about Pup. In effect, she told Norah the same thing Jim had told her—Pup was able to take care of himself. Norah got the feeling that Anais was telling her that because Pup was human, the sprites would not intervene. She didn’t say so in so many words. What she did say confused Norah completely. -His children can never come here.-

She had told Norah to wait with Breyan until she returned from the mortal realm. Norah slipped beneath the big lake where the sprites spent most of their time. There were several large lakes, and many smaller ones, and it occurred to Norah that they were uncommonly near each other. She wondered if that was another facet of faerie she had just not realized until now.

Breyan swam up to her. -Of course,- he sent, circling tightly about her. -Because we wish it.-

Then why would any sprite want to come to earth, Norah wondered.

-Ah, for its very unpredictability, don’t you see?- Breyan stole a quick kiss before darting off.

Norah didn’t see. She gave up thinking about it and just enjoyed being here in this watery paradise with Breyan. There were other sprites around her, shadowy figures at the periphery of her vision, their thoughts hovering just at the edge of her mind. They left her alone with Breyan, for which she was thankful. The games sprites usually played would have set her on edge, worried as she was about Pup.

-You let the mortal boy catch you,- Breyan said, beginning his lazy circle once more. -Lucky mortal.-

Embarrassed, and recalling Breyan’s comment that he always knew where she was, Norah swam away. Breyan followed, easily keeping pace.

She and Pup had fallen into their relationship. After Breyan went home to faerie, Norah had turned to Pup because he, like Breyan, understood her. She was simply Norah to them both. She didn’t mean to choose Pup; it had just happened.

-You’re going to have to try harder if you want me to believe that,- Breyan sent, putting on a burst of speed as he made a grab for Norah’s waist. She twisted out of his reach at the last second, her lips curving in an unwilling smile. Breyan could always make her laugh.

She had played those games with Pup, but Breyan was right. She’d let herself be caught. She slowed down enough so that Breyan brushed alongside her, before speeding up again. Breyan was a sprite like her; she didn’t need to make allowances for him.

It was over in a matter of seconds. Breyan swept past her and around her until they fell towards the bottom in a swirl of hair and limbs. He kissed her laughingly, then again, and there was no laughter in it this time. -No—I don’t—- But she did. What kind of a person did that make her?

-Not a person. A sprite. This is what you are, what we are.-

Breyan brought her to the underwater cave where he had first shown her his treasures, and Norah let him. He had, after all, caught her. A part of her was glad for it. She had wanted this for so long. She lay on the crystalline beach in Breyan’s arms. -Do all these stones have the power to become gateways?- she asked idly, fingering the one which hung around her neck.

-You think it’s the stone?- Breyan smiled. -It is you. The stone is just a focus.-

They swam slowly back to the near shore, both reluctant to let the afternoon end. Anais still had not returned when they arrived at her preferred green pond. Norah stopped to pull on her faerie gown anyway. -I should get back,- she sent to Breyan, who watched her thoughtfully as she slipped on her multi-colored gown.

She glanced at him when he did not respond. -I wish you could come with me.-

That got a reaction from him. -Perhaps the Lady will allow me to do so when she returns. You are worried about Pup, aren’t you?-

Yes, Norah was worried. She was also feeling guilty. -I have to go now,- she sent. -I’ll come back when I’m sure he’s safe.- She clutched her pendant and wished herself back in the mortal realm, squeezing her eyes shut so she wouldn’t have to see Breyan’s expression as she left. Nothing happened. Opening her eyes, she found Breyan grinning at her. -What? Why didn’t it work?-

-You can’t leave,- Breyan told her, grinning broadly at Norah’s astonishment. -Not until the Lady returns—did you not know you stand in her place while she is gone? You hold the land. Besides,- his grin widened. -How did you expect the pendant to bring you back when I’m standing here beside you?-

-I don’t understand.- Norah ignored the part about holding the land. She wasn’t stupid; she got what he meant. She could not physically leave until Anais returned. One of them had to remain in faerie to ‘hold the land,’ even though she wasn’t sure exactly what that entailed. She meant the pendant. -It brought me through before.-

-Because I was here. The stone connects us. It’s your power, the power you and the Lady share, that allows it, but it’s our connection that brings you through—or me through to you.-

Norah sank down in the soft grass. It made sense now, why every time she thought of Breyan he would somehow appear, how when she wanted to come to faerie, it was Breyan who met her. -So I guess I have to wait.-

-It’s not so bad, is it?- Breyan asked, settling down next to her and pulling her half onto his lap. He stroked her hair back from her face and kissed her brow.

No, not bad at all. She smiled tremulously up at Breyan. If only she wasn’t so worried about Pup.

Breyan’s chest shook as he laughed silently, to Norah’s surprise. -Does that mean you gave up your other mortal lover? Then there’s more chance for me. I like Pup. I’ll help you find him, as long as you promise that while you’re here, you’re mine.-

-Will was never my lover!- Norah protested with a slight pout. -And yes, I gave him up long ago.-

-Then that’s settled. You can be Pup’s on the other side, and mine on this one.-

Strangely, that made Norah feel better.

Anais returned at dusk and methodically removed the slatted wooden armor she, like Lara, adopted for wear in the mortal world. -Not only there,- she corrected Norah gently. -Even in faerie there is a need at times for armor.- She sank with a sigh beneath her own still pond, its colors muted in the gathering twilight. -I saw the boy and spoke with him at length. He will bear much watching in the years ahead. His blood will never grant him entrance to faerie, however. He is too much of earth. But that is no reason we cannot guide him as he grows into his abilities.-

She dismissed Norah with thanks for standing in her stead, and as a token of her thanks, she allowed Breyan to accompany Norah to the mortal realm. -Only to search for the young man,- Anais stipulated. -Then you must return.-

Norah did not understand why Anais was so adamant that Breyan must remain in faerie. Neistah, Valin, even Lara and Leane came and went between the realms as they pleased. Why could Breyan not do the same? It wasn’t fair. She didn’t protest, however. The Lady was the law in this realm, and even if Norah was not willing to accept that, Breyan would not go against the Lady’s wishes.

X x X x X x X x X x X

Neistah stomped through the woods not bothering to dampen his disgust. If Lara felt upset with his behavior, she let out no outward sign. She followed more sedately behind Neistah, careful as always of the sharp brambles the mortal world seemed determined to place in her path. The last thing they needed here was yet another gate.

Neistah stopped and waited for her to catch up. -I’m sorry. Are you all right?-

-I was all right over there too,- she pointed out.

That was a sore point with Neistah. Their afternoon idyll had turned out to be a trip to the one place sprites were forbidden to go—the bright faerie realm.

-You could have been hurt, or worse. This is Valin’s fault.-

-Your uncle let us return. He invited us back.-

-He’s crazy. He’s bright fae.-

A noise above them in the trees made Neistah look up. Valin jumped down lightly to stand in the path, blocking Neistah’s way. “As are you, at least in part,” Valin spoke out loud. “Rellan would not have harmed you.”

“Lara did not have that same surety,” Neistah muttered sullenly. Valin was up to his old tricks again, skulking in trees, speaking aloud as mortals do in an attempt to disguise his true thoughts. Well, Neistah could play that game as well. “Why did you do it? Why ruin a perfectly good pond by linking it to that place? Now Rellan has another entrance to the mortal world.”

-He doesn’t.- Valin spoke mind to mind. -He is not one of us. He cannot cross the water. He remains bound to his part of faerie unless Norah wills otherwise. Rellan has always liked you, Neistah. Lara would have suffered no harm from him. I came to make sure you were safe, but I see now there was no need.-

“No need,” Neistah muttered under his breath. “You ruined the pond.”