Sprite

Norah raced through the woods back the way they had come without thought for the sharp brambles that could scratch her. Amazingly, she seemed to avoid them with no effort and came through unscathed. Her mind raced at a similar pace.

Anais and Valin were alive. Rellan was not as evil as Norah had thought, which made her feel relieved in a way. She had been attracted against her will to the bright fae, as people tended to be attracted to beautiful, dangerous things in spite of their inherent danger. Pup was alive, too, thanks to Anais’ guidance, and to Norah’s own wishes. Norah had to face facts: she was the holder of the land. She was beginning to figure out what that meant. Perhaps she herself was one of those beautiful, dangerous things. She had put a whole army of men to sleep; they slept still though she was miles away from where she had left them. She had considered leaving them that way permanently. What kind of a person did that make her?

Not a person. A sprite. Norah had to face that, too. She had more in common with Neistah and Breyan and even Rellan than she had with Pup or her own mother. Her gawky growing body had gradually become this slender, graceful one which could cut through water—or forest, now, apparently—as swiftly and keenly as a knife. She took after her father, her sprite father, in all but coloring, which trait was passed down to her from her mostly human mother. But even her red hair ultimately came from Valin’s line, Valin who was her paternal grandfather and himself part bright fae. Her birth had been a result of Anais’ desire long ago, when she sent her chosen consort, Valin, to the mortal lands to strengthen the weakening bloodline of the sprites. Valin carried within his veins the blood of both dark and bright fae, touched with a hint of human. Wishes had power. Anais had taught Norah that. As she ran, Norah reflected that Anais’ wish so many centuries ago had predicted this moment. Now it was up to Norah to carry on. Norah wasn’t sure she was up to the task.

But she loved this place too, and she loved the people who lived in it: her mortal family, Roselle and Will, little Andy with all his astonishing potential, Pup . . . . She could not let their lives be endangered if she could help it. She held the land, not only the connections between this place and faerie, but the heart of the land itself. The land was more than just the place. Trees would grow again, rivers would flow, and even storms that crossed the lands in winter made way for new growth in spring. That’s what made the connections between the lands so important. Faerie was beautiful and constant; it needed the mortal world which changed moment by moment in order to keep from stagnating. The mortal world needed that connection with faerie to remind it that, although all things changed, the essence remains the same. They were connected, and Norah held that connection.

It wasn’t about building roads or owning land. Those things in and of themselves did not hurt anything. If they made the lives of the people they affected easier, then what was the harm? Norah realized she had never been meant to protect the forest from the incursions of mortal men. Her human grandfather was no more evil than Rellan in wanting to expand his horizons. Both of them, however, shared a flaw: how they went about it. That did hurt, and Norah would not allow that from either of them.

An amused agreement curled around her mind. Neistah. She was close. -Father, where are you?- she sent, altering her course slightly to where she felt his presence.

Neistah’s amusement grew. -Father, is it now? It seems you have opened your eyes at last.- His tone changed. -Yes, we have met the hunters. They are wary of me. Avery thinks he can control them and me both. For now, we are at a standstill. It appears the hunters are missing a good portion of their men. Avery fears they have circled around behind us and are now on their way to attacking the south gate.-

-No, they went after Pup,- Norah sent as she pushed through the last bit of foliage to stand, breathless, beside Neistah. -I stopped them.-

The hunters stared as a young female Sprite in a clinging gown that changed colors as the light struck it, reminiscent of flowing water, appeared next to the other Sprite who stood fearlessly by Avery on his horse. The commander of the hunters also sat on his horse as the two groups faced each other. Uneasy murmurs arose from among the hunters.

Neistah glanced at Norah, his face breaking into a grin. -You did? All of them?-

Norah nodded, unsure whether to be flattered or not.

“Is that another one of them? A Sprite?” The commander asked, pointing to Norah. Then he leaned forward and peered closer. “Isn’t she--?” He shook his head, clearly confused.

Avery’s jaw tightened. “They listen to me,” he said, dismissing the rest of what Marks was questioning. He did not want to get into discussing Norah’s identity. “I have the situation under control. Hanan’s property is mine. You and your men are no longer needed. I want you to return to Datro and await my orders.”

“Your orders? You were voted out of the council. We listen to Atwater now, and Atwater’s orders are to secure the Hanan lands and take into custody any Sprites we may encounter. These two are now my prisoners.”

Neistah raised an eyebrow.

“Atwater is dead,” Avery said flatly. “I took care of it myself. The council is dissolved and Datro answers to me.”

“I don’t believe you.” Marks straightened his back. “I would have received word.”

“Are you questioning me? I will have you stripped of your rank and this army dissolved,” Avery raged. “I am the council! Datro is nothing without me and my factories!”

The other men muttered among themselves, but Marks didn’t budge. “Prove it,” he said stubbornly. “If I am wrong, I will apologize. But I would not be worthy of my rank if I surrendered just on your say-so.”

“I’m not asking for your surrender!” Avery shouted. “I’m asking you to support me instead!”

Marks motioned for two of his scouts to come forward. He leaned down and gave them orders, after which they darted away.

“Where did you send them?” Avery demanded. He would have ordered Neistah to intercept the two scouts, but the sprite gave him a bland look which clearly indicated he would not listen to any orders Avery gave. Avery decided that he’d rather keep up the pretense that the two sprites were controlled by him, so he wisely kept silent.

“To verify your story,” Marks replied shortly.

Neistah told Norah the truth. -He’s sending them to get the rest of his men.-

-I know,- she replied. -What should I do?-

-Let them go. Breyan is there. He can take care of two mortals. Or perhaps he will let them return to Marks and report that the other half of his army is dead—or as good as,- he added, at Norah’s alarmed look.

“What are these two?” Marks gestured at Neistah and Norah. “Some new type of mutant?”

Neistah sidled closer, causing the skittish hunters ranged behind their leader to point their guns at him. Norah tensed. She could freeze them all like she had done to the other group of hunters, but what would that prove? Unless she planned to leave them frozen until they starved to death, it would not solve their problem. -Father, those are iron weapons. Be careful.-

-Always, dear daughter.- But he had to play. Aloud, he said, “We’re Sprites. Haven’t you heard? We can do many things.”

Norah’s lips twitched. She glided forward past Avery. She was her father’s true daughter after all. She might as well be what he Named her. Putting her hand on the bridle of Marks’ horse, she leaned towards him. “Don’t you recognize me, Captain Marks?” She smiled, and shook her hair forward to cover the fine webbing on her neck.

Marks’ eyes widened. “Norah? Is that really you? But you were—you weren’t a mutant!” He glanced at Avery who sat frozen on his horse. “She was! You hid this? How? Why?”

Norah had prudently sent a subliminal message into the minds of the soldiers, not enough to immobilize them, but only to ensure that they did not fire their weapons. She did not want Avery or Marks to know what she was truly capable of.

-Good idea, Daughter,- Neistah sent with a quick grin. He was enjoying this. With a start, Norah realized she was enjoying it, too. -Of course you are,- Neistah sent back. -You are one of us.-

X x X x X x X x X x X

“What happened over there?” Pup pushed himself to his elbows and peered across the pond at the motionless bodies.

“They shot you. Norah got upset.” Breyan, who had been resting beside Pup, stretched and stood.

“Are they dead?”

“Not yet.” Breyan offered Pup a hand and easily pulled Pup to his feet. The changeling was a little shaky, but his color was coming back.

“Oh.” Pup leaned against a tree. He felt along his ribs which were still wrapped in swaths of Norah’s shirt. “I feel—better. Who bandaged me?”

“Norah. She healed you, too.”

Pup’s brows rose. “Oh? I didn’t know she could do that.”

“Neither did I. Neither did she.” Breyan laughed. “Our Norah is full of surprises, it seems.”

Pup looked across at the still bodies once more. “Will they wake up?”

“That depends on Norah. Or I suppose I could drag them one by one into the water and see if that helps, but it’s likely they’d just drown. Besides, I don’t feel like it.” Breyan spoke flippantly, but Pup recognized the dark anger underneath his words. He felt the same way.

“Where is she?”

“Gone. Back to Neistah and that human grandfather of hers. By now they’ll have caught up to the rest of the hunters.”

“And you let her go?” Pup straightened up too fast and gasped as a wave of pain hit him. He wasn’t as healed as he thought. Dizzy, he sank back down to a sitting position, his back against the tree.

Breyan chuckled bitterly. “I was set to watch over you,” he said. “Or I would be by her side. Are you able to walk? We don’t need to stay here now that you’re awake.”

Pup nodded and used the tree as a brace to stand again. “I can walk,” he replied. “I’m sorry. I know you love her too.”

Smiling wryly, Breyan put his shoulder under Pup’s arm. He nodded his chin towards the opposite shore. “Do you think someone who can do that will be in any danger in these woods? Norah is strong, perhaps the strongest among us.”

“She may be strong, but she’s still inexperienced,” Pup said to the sprite who had centuries on him in terms of age, no matter what he looked like. Yet Breyan understood and agreed with him.

“Let’s go rescue Norah,” Breyan said, laughing. He pulled Pup into the pond because it was easier than traveling all the way around it, noting with approval that the human changeling was not at all frightened. They picked their way through the fallen soldiers on the other side, with Breyan still supporting Pup on his bad side. Norah’s bandages had become unraveled, so Pup took them the rest of the way off. His wound was closed. New pink skin shone through, though he was still weak from loss of blood. The water had cleaned off the last of the reminders and anyone who had not known that Pup had been shot through with an iron bullet would never have believed it happened.

“I love her,” Pup said.

“I know. She loves you, too.” Breyan moved steadily through the forest with Pup.

“She loves us both,” Pup said.

Breyan grinned. “I know.”

“I can’t compete with you.” Pup sighed. It felt good to get his feelings out into the open, even if it was with his rival rather than with his lover. Breyan understood. He wasn’t sure if Norah did.

X x X x X x X x X x X

“She’s mine,” Avery growled and moved his horse forward. “Norah, get away from him.”

“Is she?” Neistah asked out loud. “Is she your flesh and blood, or your weapon to be wielded by you? And if she is your flesh and blood, then what am I, for Norah is surely my child.”

Confused, Marks looked from Neistah to Norah. They appeared to be nearly the same age.

Avery scowled and avoided Neistah’s direct gaze. “She’s mine,” he repeated stubbornly. “Mutated or not, she’s Miriam’s child. My grandchild. She listens to me.”

For now, Norah would play Avery’s game. She had promised him that much. With a small laugh, she stepped back from Marks, beckoning to Neistah to do the same. “These are my lands,” she said softly, to both Marks and her grandfather. “I will allow no harm to the people who dwell within them.”

Just then, the two scouts who Marks had sent on ahead came crashing back. “Mutants!” One gasped. “Sprites—two of them, coming this way!”

“Where are the rest of my men?” Marks snapped, wheeling his horse around.

The other scout, hands on knees to catch his breath from running, answered, “We never made it that far. We thought you would want to know about the approaching Sprites.” He hesitated, unsure now as he saw the dark scowl on his commander’s face.

“And you didn’t think to take care of the two that you saw?”

The scout reddened. “We—we thought there might be more. . . .”

Disgusted, Marks turned back to face Avery and the two Sprites he had lined up beside him. His plan for reinforcements would have to be scrapped for the time being, which meant he had to continue to negotiate. “More of yours?” he asked.

Avery inclined his head. “Of course,” he bluffed. Neither Neistah nor Norah helped him out. “I have Sprites all over this forest.”

Neistah choked back a laugh.

Breyan came out of the bushes heavily supporting Pup, whose eyes were bright but his energy was flagging. Norah’s hold on Marks’ men did not prevent them from swiveling their weapons towards this new threat, but they would not—could not—fire. Norah met Breyan’s eyes as he quickly absorbed the situation. He grinned, and helped Pup over to Avery’s side.

Marks narrowed his eyes. “You!” He pointed at Pup. “Where are my men? What did you do to them?”

Pup lifted his head and grinned along with Breyan. “I didn’t do anything to them.” He nodded his chin towards Norah. “She did.”

Avery stared at his granddaughter, who blushed at the attention. “You did?”

Neistah laughed. “I told you. She holds the land.”

Norah sighed, but she wasn’t all that upset. She did hold the land. It was about time she did something about it. Pointing, because it was fun to see the look of horror on the human’s faces, she put one, two, three, ten of Marks’ men to sleep. They crumpled to the ground where they stood, to the utter panic of the unaffected men around them.

“Did you kill them?” Marks asked. He sat without moving, hardly daring to breathe as his men fell like flies behind him.

Norah shook her head. “No, but if I don’t wake them, they will stay that way until they die. That’s what happened to your other men. They hurt Pup.” Her eyes blazed. “Because you thought he was a mutant and a Sprite, you wanted to kill him. Why shouldn’t I kill your men for that?”

“No—Norah.” Marks tried to see the young girl he’d known in Datro, when she was her grandfather’s protégé and a normal human being. It was hard, looking at this ethereal creature so full of righteous wrath in front of him. Was she a mutant with extraordinary abilities, or was she something more, a sprite out of legend as the rumors said? Marks was beginning to doubt the evidence of his own senses. But the young girl he remembered would not have killed anyone, even in anger.

“You’re right. I wouldn’t,” Norah said, making Marks’ eyes widen as she picked his thoughts right out of his brain. He shuddered. “But they would, for my sake, for the sake of the land.” She indicated Neistah, Breyan and Pup. “What will you do? Will you take your men and leave this forest? Or will I have my people strip yours of your weapons and leave you to find your own way out, knowing that if you touch anyone that is mine, they will kill you? Choose.”

Avery pushed his horse forward. “It doesn’t have to be this way, Marks. Go home like I asked. I’ll make sure Norah awakens all your men, as long as you recognize me as the new leader in Datro.” He glanced back at his granddaughter, whose lips had tightened at his implication.

Shoulders slumped, Marks gave in. “We’ll leave,” he said. “What about the rest of my men?”

“They will be released when you are back in Datro, so you’d better hurry,” Neistah answered for Norah. “Before they starve to death.” He had liked Norah’s idea about removing their iron weapons first. Pup could arrange to have some of his Sprites do that before Norah awakened the sleeping hunters.

“What about these men?” Marks asked, referring to the ten who slumbered among the rest. “A sign of good will?” He also had no intention of capitulating until he was sure Norah could indeed awaken them.

Norah nodded, and released them, ignoring the magnanimous wave Avery had given her, as if it were his decision and not hers. “Go now.”

She turned to Pup, who looked a little gray around the edges. Breyan and Neistah helped him sit back against a tree as Avery watched Marks’ men slowly move away. Avery’s jaw clenched. He spurred his horse after Marks.

-What now?- Breyan asked.

-He thinks to betray us,- Neistah replied matter-of-factly.

-Grandfather? No, not after everything that has happened,- Norah protested, still fussing over Pup.

-He knows you are the true power here now,- Neistah sent, watching as Avery conferred hurriedly with Marks out of hearing distance. -What’s more, Marks knows it, too. Don’t trust him, Norah.-

Avery turned and rode back to them. “They are my men now,” he said confidently. “Marks will make sure of it back in Datro. You can tell your Sprites that they can disband now. I can handle things from here.”

Neistah eyed him suspiciously. “You will call off the hunters permanently? Leave the mutants alone?”

Avery wouldn’t meet Neistah’s eyes. “We won’t go after the ones who are already here,” he said, but Neistah could see in his mind that he would not hold to even that much of a promise. Mutants were still feared, especially mutants who were not under anyone’s control.

-You should have just killed them all,- Neistah sent to Norah. -We have just delayed the inevitable.-

Norah was afraid he was right.