The Eagle, The Hawk, and The Horse

The Eagle

The wind carries me across the Mountain tops. I soar with grandeur, ever searching for a feast. Searching, searching, I spot my prey. A little groundhog, on the sunlit grasses lay. Swooping down, gaining speed, I fly with majestic grace. My wings are spread-eagle; on an air current I ride. Down, down, I’m picking up speed. My talons are razor-sharp, ready. I inhale and on the final dive, I swoop down and pick up my prize. He squeals as I gather him up; surprised by my intrusion, terrified by the ride. We’re low over the ground; I can feel him squirm, tremble and quake. I must make this trip quick. Gathering speed, riding the wind, I’m flying high up, up, up again. Up over great gullies and divides. High, high into the sky I ride. Big blue skies welcome us, but my groundhog friend doesn’t see it. He’s blinded by the fear. He knows what happens next. He knows what will happen when we reach my nest. My young will eat today. This is nature’s way.


Chapter One

Every day that I’ve spent here on the ranch has been filled with magic. Some of it has been wonderful and some of it has been down-right grotesque. The creatures that fill these mountains often surprise me, thrill me and fill me with terror. Like the eagle that just flew overhead. He was magnificent in his majestic beauty but deadly for that baby groundhog. I can still hear the echoes of its scream. Haunting me.

I came to this valley for rest and relaxation, to get away from the hustle, bustle and brutality of city life. What I found here were clear blue skies, white-capped mountains and more mystery than I could have ever expected from nature or man. The Wilde family, who own the ranch, are nice enough. They welcomed me, gave me a room and food, and the use of a horse named, Miakoda. Which, I’m told is an Indian name that means: Power of the Moon. He is fast and frisky and seems to love moonlit gallops over the open plains, which we’ve been enjoying for the past few nights since the Moon is full and the nights bright. My days are full of wanderings and Miakoda doesn’t seem to mind the double shifts.

Yesterday while I was riding we came across a small creek and I stopped to let Miakoda rest. While he drank from the flowing waters, I took a seat on a sun-drenched stone and dug through the small brown bag that Mrs. Wilde had thrust into my hands that morning, exclaiming that I would get blown right off the horse if I didn’t eat more. Not wanting to offend, I had taken the bag and found myself grateful for the nourishment when I stopped to rest. It seemed that no matter where I went, people were trying to take care of me. Even here, in the middle of the mountains I had been labeled as someone who needed watching. I guess that’s why the Wildes’ twin sons, Dustin and Dakota had been taking turns trailing me for the last two weeks. It didn’t really bother me, in fact, for the first week, I found it rather charming and comforting. These two young men were sent out to watch over the city girl; to make sure I didn’t fall off the horse or get eaten by mountain lions. Not that I ever roamed very far, but the whole nature thing was new to me and I’ll admit, I didn’t really know what to expect out here in the great wide open. This was my first real adventure, my right of passage, if you will and I was just looking for some peace and quiet and maybe some inspiration as to what direction my life should take.

Yesterday though, had been different. For the first time since arriving I had found myself with Miakoda as my lone companion. It was exhilarating and little bit frightening too, but I was determined to live every moment to the fullest while I was here and that meant having courage in the face of the unknown. Besides, those boys had chores to do and traipsing after me wasn’t getting the work done. I would survive and I would be stronger for it. Right?

The following events happened as if I had stepped into a dream, lightening fast, but eerily slow. One minute I was sitting there on the rock eating a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, watching Miakoda lazily drink from the creek and the next thing I know I was waking up with a terrible start. I was utterly alone. The creek was right where I had left it, but Miakoda was gone. As I started to get up, my legs trembled and my head felt lighter than it should, so I sat right back down on the big flat rock. Obviously, I had fallen asleep but I couldn’t remember feeling tired or lying down. I wasn’t prone to black outs, and I didn’t have any medical conditions that I knew of… and where was that darn horse? I had tied him up, the way Dakota had shown me my first day out. He should be tied loosely to the tree by the creek, but he had vanished. Shaking my head a little bit, I tried to clear the cobwebs that clouded my thoughts. Was it just me or did everything seem a little brighter, a little more vivid than it had before? Like the red rocks I had noticed earlier, by the edge of the creek were really, vibrant rust-red now, but earlier they had seemed a dull orange-red. And the dull green of the grassy meadow behind me, which Miakoda and I had traversed earlier, seemed to be almost florescent green now. Was I having a stroke? Was this what a sun-stroke felt like? I reached up and put my forefinger and my middle finger to my throat, found my pulse and counted the beats…. A little fast I decided, but not uneven.

All of a sudden I heard a voice right behind me say, “Hey little girl, you lost?” Jumping to my feet I whirled around and… no one was there. Spinning all around, I looked and looked, but couldn’t find anyone or anything around me. Now, I was spooked. I could have sworn I had heard a man’s voice so close, it had seemed to stir the air around my ear, rustling my hair with his breath. Shivering from fright, I decided I must have imagined it. After all, I had an over-active imagination; my mother had always said so. Taking a couple of deep breaths I decided I needed to find Miakoda. That was my top priority, since he knew the way home and goddess only knows how long I had been asleep. Remembering the trick that Dusty had shown me, I put my index finger and my pinkie finger in my mouth and blew. Three short bursts and two long ones were supposed to bring Miakoda back to me. Dusty had said that the horse would know that call and would come running.

A minute ticked by, then another, and no sign of Miakoda. So, I prepared to do another round of calls. But just as I was on the last one, a voice to my right said, “That won’t do no good, little girl.” Jumping to the left, away from the voice, I spun around once again and found… no one. Now, this was getting ridiculous, so I decided I’d had enough and I demanded, “Come out! Whoever you are! Come out!” Peals of laughter encircled me and still there wasn’t anyone in sight. That’s it, I thought, I’ve lost my marbles. I’ve officially gone stark-raving mad and I’m hallucinating. Next thing you know, I’ll be seeing little flying critters and gremlins running around my feet.

I decided I’d had enough and that if I was having a stroke, I’d better find the ranch and find it fast. So, I took off towards the meadow and the general direction from which Miakoda and I had come. Halfway through the meadow I stumbled and fell to my knees. I’d worn my old, well-worn jeans that morning but they hadn’t protected me this time from scraping my knees. Especially since there were holes in them!

Looking down in shock and dismay, I looked at my knees and realized with startled amazement that my favorite jeans, though they had been well-worn, hadn’t had holes in the knees when I’d left the ranch that morning. Now, how on earth, I wondered, did I manage to rip holes in my jeans and not remember that?

Figuring I should better keep moving, or else I might just sit down, right here and cry – which was so city-girl – I wiped my hands against my jeans, not caring about the mud and rocks that had been embedded in them or the stinging that afflicted both my hands and my scraped, bloody knees. Really, I only cared about getting back to the ranch and I hoped beyond all reason that Miakoda would be there waiting for me. Heck, with any luck, Miakoda had shown up at the ranch without me and there would be a manhunt taking place. Yes, that was the hope I’d hold on to.

The sun was still pretty high overhead and so I knew I had plenty of time to find the ranch, get cleaned up and probably even eat dinner with the Wildes, which had become the custom since I’d arrived. They’d feed me and then I’d help Mrs. Wilde and her daughter, Adrian, clean up the mess while the men finished the end-of-the-day chores. With warm thoughts of a shower and a family meal, I once again headed out.

The meadow was pretty small from what I remembered from the ride in, but now it seemed it stretched on for miles and miles. Every time I thought I was nearing its end, I would realize that it was another mile or two at least. At one point I remember looking behind me to judge how far I’d come, only to find that I could no longer see the place where the meadow opened to the creek. Feeling only slightly panicked, I kept going, figuring at some point, I would have to pop out of this endless meadow but I was growing tired and I was seriously beginning to doubt my sanity. I even wondered if maybe I had fallen asleep on that rock and not woken up at all – maybe this was just a very weird, very long dream.

It was about then that I remember coming across a rock, I sat down only to catch my breath, I felt like my body, especially my legs, weighed a ton and the endless walking had rung me out like an old rug. I was starting to feel defeated. Maybe, I thought, I should just stay right here and let the rescue party come to me. Surely they had started searching by now, but when I looked up at the sky to gauge the time, the sun was in the exact spot it had been earlier when I first entered the meadow. For the first time during my trip I felt utterly alone, abandoned, forgotten and to top it all off, sick to my stomach. I started dry-heaving and that was when I saw it. First it was only a flash of light dancing in front of me. Then as it grew closer I decided that it was some kind of insect. Small, about the size of a dragonfly but it fluttered to and fro like a butterfly and instead of avoiding me, as I figured most insects would do, it was coming straight towards me. Fascination overtook my fear and feeling of sickness and I remained very still, hoping it might draw closer so that I could get a better look. It seemed to be sizing me up, but I dismissed this notion because after all, it was only an insect. Then all of the sudden it began to pick up speed and for a split second I wondered if it was on a kamikaze run, with me as it’s target. I didn’t know much about bugs, but I didn’t think this was normal.

If this thing had been on wheels I was sure there would have been a squeal as it stopped just short of my nose. Only a heartbeat away, if fluttered in front of me. Gulping back my confusion, I studied it as it studied me. Then it spoke. Startled, I scrambled backwards and fell off the rock where I had been resting. Deciding less movement was probably better, I just laid there on my side in the grass, still staring up at where the creature had been. Had I really heard it speak? What kind of insect was this?

Flying back into my line of sight, it approached me once again but this time, I noted, with more caution. This time I was ready. If it attacked I would swat it. If it spoke to me, like it did before, I would remain very still and see if it would come closer. Who knows what odd creatures lived out here in the middle of no-man’s land? Maybe it was poisonous. Or then again, maybe I was going insane. Could a combination of too much fresh mountain air and an over-active imagination result in delusions of this magnitude? I didn’t know but I feared I was about to find out. It landed on the rock I had so abruptly vacated.

Staring at me, with too-human eyes, wings folded behind it, it stood upright at about 2 inches tall and to my wonderment, it spoke once again. “You are very rude, human.”

Taken aback, I said, “What do you mean, I’m rude? You’re the one flying straight at me!” I couldn’t believe I was engaging in an argument with a…a… a what? A fairy? Did those things really exist? But as my mom always said, the proof’s in the puddin’. And here I was knee deep in the puddin’.

Interrupting my internal debate, it asked, “What’s your name human, and how did you come to this place?”

“My name?” I asked sheepishly and for that moment in time, I couldn’t remember what my name was or how I’d come to this place.

“Yes. You do have a name don’t you?” It asked with a hint of amusement.

“Umm, my name.” I said, testing the words like one would hot soup, “Yes, well, I know I do, but it’s slipped my mind.” I replied, because it had. “What’s yours?”

“My name is Migina and I am the Fairy Queen of this mountain,” she replied and then added, “if you can not remember your name, human, then what am I to call you while you're in my realm? Shall I name you?”

The Wolf

I must hide during the day. Men come with booming sticks that bring the fire of pain and the stiffness of death. Rabbits, squirrels, and other rodents sustain me, since I cannot get close to livestock. I do get the occasional deer, however, it is difficult without a pack. I am a rogue. There are few wolves here anymore, and those small scattered packs avoid me, sensing I’m different. I normally hunt in the shadowy forest, occasionally slipping through the concealing long grasses and flowers of the moon-soaked meadows where many of my game feel safe. But never in the day. This day, however, I’ve caught the scent of feminine youth. The fairy tales are right; wolves are drawn to innocent little girls like cats to catnip. But my motivations are different from ordinary wolves…

Chapter Two

“Cat got your tongue?” The fairy squeaked indignantly.

My tongue flailed for words. There was something distracting in the air that was invisible, but thicker than smoke. It smelled like lavender incense, wood smoke, and musk. Every time I inhaled, it felt like it flew straight up into my head instead of down into my lungs. I had read somewhere that stroke victims experience intense smells. There went that stroke theory again.

In all my confusion, I was aware that this Migina creature was still talking to me. She was in the middle of saying I was particularly daft, even for a human. Just then, I heard a low growl. Actually, heard wasn’t quite the word. It seemed to be inside my head like a recalled memory of a sound. It was animalistic, yet something more. Then, a voice replaced the growl and said, Tell her nothing, if you want to go home. Remember the fairy tales. Remember Rumpelstiltskin!

"Rumpelstiltskin...?" I muttered dumbly. This, plus the look on my face must have betrayed me to the Fairy Queen. She shot straight up in the air and her voice, now surprisingly powerful, echoed through the air like a deep-toned drum.

“WHO IS USING GLAMOUR ON THIS HUMAN?”

The growl in my mind turned to a howl, then it was outside my head, swooping from the edge of the woods and surrounding the meadow. I turned and looked to see a large gray wolf posted at the edge of the woods, head back in the throes of his howl. He seemed slightly bigger than the wolves I’d seen at the city zoo. When he stopped howling and lowered his head to look at me, his eyes shone like cut emeralds. They were not normal wolf eyes.

“Ah, you filthy mutt!” Migina boomed coldly. “Why are you interfering here?”

“Migina, you have done enough damage to this mountain. You were supposed to help protect us, but your narcissism got the best of you.” Seriously? Was this wolf actually talking? I shook my head, closed my eyes tightly, and opened them. The wolf was still there. I supposed that if there were fairies, there could be talking wolves too.

“That is Queen Migina to you! Go back into your hiding place, you cowardly dog. Leave me to the business of the mountain. I rule here, after all.” The fairy had fluttered down and was hovering next to my right shoulder. I studied her tiny, perfect, angry face. Her greenish-white hair stood a little higher like the hair of an irritated cat arching its back.

“Do not forget what I once was, Queen Migina.” The wolf said her title with sarcasm. “I may surprise you. Leave the girl alone. She has done no harm.” The wolf took a step forward, the razor-pearls of his teeth bared.

“She has invaded Faerie without invitation, wolf! That is a grave offense!” Migina looked at me with narrowed eyes and bared her own tiny teeth.

I finally found the courage to speak, “I didn’t m-m-mean to…” I stuttered.

The fairy swooped so fast I didn’t see her. She was now right in front of me. “Didn’t MEAN to? Unacceptable! Why is it that you humans think pleading ignorance will excuse your actions?” I could see her vibrating with anger, and little waves of heat seemed to be emanating from her tiny body.

“ENOUGH!” This from the wolf, who had begun to charge straight for us. I whimpered and stepped back. All I could think of at that moment was that I didn’t want to die by having my throat ripped out by a wild animal. The wolf jumped and snapped at the fairy, who again shot upward, avoiding his jaws. I quickly leaped to the left so as to avoid the wolf on his landing. I must have blacked out.

I came to with warm puffs of air and a wet sensation on my forehead. Opening my eyes, I saw a soft horse's muzzle in my face with the sun behind it like a halo. I scooted out from under it and sat up. Miakoda snorted happily and lowered her head to graze on the sweet meadow grasses. I looked around for fairies and wolves. There were none in sight. I looked down at myself. My jeans were still torn at the knees and my knees were still bloody. I fished a clean tissue out of my pocket and began to wipe at the blood, preemptively wincing in expectation of the pain. But there was none. I wiped at the blood some more and found I had no wounds, no dirt or gravel embedded in my skin. I spit on the tissue and wiped my knees clean. Perfect, unmarred skin.

Carefully, I stood. I felt unbearably sleepy. Aside from that and feeling a little shaky and confused over what I'd just experienced, I was fine. I mounted Miakoda and she whinnied happily. I looked around to orient myself, then headed to the ranch house, the sun, remarkably, still high in the sky. All the while, on the short ride back, I looked around for any signs of what had just happened. Everything seemed so normal, and the colors were a little desaturated in the scorching brightness of the sun.

The ranch house was a huge two-story cabin equipped with many guest rooms the Wildes occasionally rented out. The stables were at the rear and slightly to the east of the house. When I arrived, I took off Miakoda's saddle and put her into her cozy stable. Then I entered through the kitchen door. Mrs. Wilde was washing the lunch dishes in the sink and humming. She was a short, square woman. She had mannish shoulders and hips, and her skin was brown and lined from being outside. I'd never seen her wear makeup. Somehow, I never expected her to. Her blue eyes twinkled at me with the wings of a permanent jolly squint etching the corners. She looked up and smiled at me. Her large, slightly buck-toothed smile was like a soothing balm. "Back so soon?"

I tried to smile back. I was just so tired, and I didn't even want to attempt to explain to her what had just happened. However, again, my face betrayed me. I really needed to work on developing a better poker face. Mrs. Wilde frowned and quickly wiped her strong hands on her bleached apron. She stepped toward me and put her hands on my shoulders. "Ivy? What's wrong?" Her concern both flattered and embarrassed me.

I spoke carefully, making sure to keep my voice even and not letting it crack with emotion. "I didn't feel well, so I decided to come back and take a little rest." I grimaced when I realized I'd said the words a little too quickly.

"Well you're white as a ghost." She reached up and touched my forehead. "My goodness, you're clammy! Have a seat, sweets, and I'll draw you a bubble bath and make you some chamomile tea. I'll even let you use my favorite rosy bubble bath that the twins gave me for Mother's Day." She ushered me into a heavy wooden chair and bustled upstairs to draw my bath. I folded my arms on the kitchen table and put my head down. I must have dozed a bit, since Mrs. Wilde seemed to be back within seconds, gently guiding me upstairs.
"Holler if you need me, sweets. I'm off to make your tea."

With that, I was left looking at the blurry ghost of myself in the foggy mirror. I undressed and wiped the mist off the mirror with a hand towel. My strawberry blond hair frizzed out in the moist air. It was long, wavy, and got hopelessly tangled if I wasn't careful. I inspected my face in the mirror. My skin was naturally pale, but not like this. Even the tiny, faint freckles that dotted my nose looked lighter. My makeup the twins and Mr. Wilde teased me for wearing had rubbed off, the mascara adding to the dark circles under my pale blue eyes. My lips, which startlingly resembled those of the beauties depicted in Pre-Raphaelite paintings were bloodless--a far cry from their usual deep rosiness.

I turned from the mirror and slipped carefully into the old-fashioned claw-foot tub. The smell of Mrs. Wilde's treasured rose-scented bubble bath wafted up and soothed me. I had been cold, I realized, and hugged myself as the water warmed me. Although I'd gained a little weight from Mrs. Wilde's hearty cooking, my small bones seemed sharper. I felt smaller.

I was sitting on my bed in my favorite bath robe fighting with the tangles in my hair when Mrs. Wilde came with the tea. Grateful, I took a sip. I always loved a hot cup of chamomile tea, but Mrs. Wilde's was always extra tasty. She added just the right amount of honey and some kind of spice that she'd never reveal, always winking mysteriously when anyone asked what it was. I finished the tea, put on my favorite oversized punk rock band t-shirt, and slipped under the cool sheets which had the sun-smell of having dried outside on a clothesline. I tried to review what had happened to me that day, but I quickly slipped into dreamless oblivion.

When I awoke, it was the next morning. The sun was peeking halfway over the eastern hills. I got out of bed and allowed myself an indulgent, catlike stretch. I was awake--and hungry. I dressed quickly and went downstairs, the seductive smell of huckleberry pancakes luring me and making my mouth water. Mrs. Wilde, Dustin, and Dakota were sitting at the table. The twins were halfway through heaping stacks of pancakes, and Mrs. Wilde had a steaming cup of coffee in front of her.

"Well howdy, Sleeping Beauty! How do you feel?" Dusty said with a grin that could break a young girl's heart right in two.

"Hey, Ivy!" Dakota's grin mirrored his brother's.

I smiled back. "All better, " I said with a little more gusto than usual.

Mrs. Wilde got up and offered me a chair at the long kitchen table that could seat a small army of ranch hands. "Well sit down, sweets, and have some pancakes. You must be starved. I tried to wake you for dinner last night, but you were dead to the world."

I slipped into the chair and sighed with pleasure at the heaping plate of sugar and carbohydrates that was placed before me.

* * *

Now, I am crossing the meadow again. This time with Dakota. We're going to mend a fence that some overzealous cattle destroyed a few days ago. The sky is a little overcast today, and I notice the faint, clean scent of rain in the air. Miakoda feels comforting beneath me, as does Dakota at my side. One thing I have noticed about these country boys is that they aren't much for conversation. They're not aloof, just thoughtful. They are perfectly happy with just being there in nature and appreciating the experience of its beauty. It has stilled my neurotic chatter and made me more quiet and peacefully observant.

However, my inner peace is not easily achieved today. I keep replaying yesterday in my mind. Was it a dream? I glance nervously toward the spot at the edge of the woods where I first saw the strange wolf. I feel a tingle along my skin as goose bumps raise on my arms. There, in the darkness between the branches of a blue spruce, those same strange emerald eyes lock onto mine. They can't be the wolf's eyes, I think, because they're almost six feet above the ground. I blink. The eyes shift away, and the tree branches rattle as the shadowy figure of a man disappears into the woods.

I stare after the shadow for awhile and take a deep breath and focus on the job at hand, looking at the rocks by my feet and the remains of the fence.
Dakota hands me a tape measure and has me measure the space that needs fixing. I guess he figures even a city girl can handle a tape measure. Meanwhile he's poking around in the brush and comes back with the fence pole that had gotten uprooted. I have no idea how he found it or how it could still be in one piece.
I report back that we need at least 10 feet of wire to fix the hole properly and he whistles..."How'd one cow make that much damage? They will never cease to amaze me...Hey, I'll be back in a minute with it. You stay here."
I really wanted to say "wait let me go with you" but didn't want to face the "city girl's afraid of the wild open places" teasing. I could hear it echoing so I swallow my anxiety and watch him ride away.
Once he is out of sight I look up in the sky and then back to the ground and almost lose my balance when I notice that I'm right on the edge of a giant cliff. Looking out I see the vibrant country spread out before me with a river sparkling in the sun off in the distance. I look up at the cry of a raptor and squint to try and see what it is, still shaken by the sudden falling away of all the land beyond the fence line and worried about a reappearance of either the wolf or the fairy. As if he had heard my thoughts I hear "beware of boundaries around here they aren't always what they seem" right behind me. I almost jump out of my skin. It was...well it may be the wolf from yesterday, it has the same eyes but today he is standing on two feet. He looks like a man from the neck down and very wolfish from the neck up.
Ok I thought to myself this is getting stranger and stranger but out loud I ask "what do you want with me? Why do I keep having these weird shifts? Where the heck am I and what's wrong with me?" It was getting to be too much for me to handle. This is no stroke I thought starting to panic a little.
"whoa!" said the wolf man laughing/barking a little "one thing at a time, calm down, you're safe for the moment, I promise" as he sits down on the grass in the meadow and motions for me to join him, after a moments hesitation I do. "i don't want anything with you, but a favor from you would be acceptable, since I saved you from the flying brat"
"A favor? What sort of favor?" I ask. Actually I found his remark to be slightly offensive--"he saved me?" I thought "More like he scared the crap out of me...but it's not like I can go anywhere right now so I might as well hear him out" I take a deep breath and settle back to get more comfortable and nodded a little to let him know i was listening...all the while hoping Dakota would get back and rescue me, like NOW.
The wolf smiles as if he knows what I'm thinking but starts explaining "See, it all started when the Europeans got here a few hundred years ago, they brought more than just themselves, their stuff, and their illnesses, they also brought their belief systems, before that I was one of many that looked out for these mountains and forests. The locals loved us and honored us, we were very powerful and looked out for them, but then the Europeans came and everything changed, the local people lost much of their power and the spirits that the Europeans brought gained ever more ground. Mostly the groups of us can live in peace, we all do the same thing after all, but sometimes things get shaken up and one spirit, or spirit group gets too much power and things get out of balance..." He trails off and cocks his head listening a cloud crosses his emerald eyes. I hear off in the distance wolf howls and yips. "I must go" he says but we will continue this later. Keep this close to you it will help protect you" and he gives me a small granite rock with bands of amethyst and flakes of pyrite on it. When I look back to where he is sitting he's gone and so is the cliff. Dakota is standing not ten feet away from me looking around puzzled. I stand up shakily and he jumps. "Geez girl, learn to make some noise will you? How'd a city girl learn to walk so softly in the wild?" He looks at me with concern and says "hey you don't look so good, let's get you back home and I'll get Dusty out here to help with the fence, I'm sure he's back from town by now" I nod thankfully and find that he has to help me into the saddle I'm so shaken. Once I'm up on Miakoda I look down at my clenched hand and realize I'm still holding the stone looking at it in a daze I think to myself "OK that part is at least real, I wonder if I'm going crazy?"
Out of the corner of my eye I catch movement that follows us up to the house.

We entered the boundaries of the Ranch and Dakota insisted he would take Miakoda to the paddock while I headed on up to the house. I stood for a moment and watched them go. Man and horses. It was an amazing sight to behold, each as beautiful as the others, each as powerful and free as the terrain. Maybe I’m a little enchanted with this place, I thought on a sigh. As Dakota and the horses disappeared beyond the barn, I found myself alone in the vast spaces that are the Wild West. I felt a chill run up and down my spine. Feeling like I was being watched, I picked up the pace to the house. Maybe enchanted wasn’t the right word after all, I thought soberly.

As if she had been expecting me, Mrs. Wilde was standing out front, shading her eyes with her hand looking in my direction. I thought this was slightly odd, because you can’t see the barn or stables from the house. Not today anyway. So, how did she know I’d be coming? Maybe I was just being paranoid. Maybe she was watching for one of the boys or her daughter. Mentally slapping myself, I chided myself for being neurotic again and picked up the pace.

Greeting me with a warm, sunny smile, Mrs. Wilde threw open her arms and welcomed me with a hug that both bewildered and amused me. This was the first hug I’d received from the hostess since my arrival and it felt odd somehow and yet, oh-so-pleasant. Like being engulfed in a warm blanket, I stood there and hugged her back. Tears sprang to my eyes and all of the sudden I was sobbing. I couldn’t explain it if I wanted to, and thankfully, she didn’t ask. Instead, she abruptly let me go and patting me on the back, moved me into the house and on into the kitchen. Sitting me down, she handed me a box of tissues, poured me a glass of iced tea and then set about doing her usual midday chores.

Drinking the iced tea, I wondered what that had been about. Did I look that bad? She still hadn’t said a word. She went on working steadily; prepping what I supposed was supper, while I sat there stupidly, wiping the tears from my cheeks and unceremoniously, blowing my nose. It was such a relief to be in the presence of others. To know that it was unlikely I would be stalked by the wolf or end up in the world of the Fae or some other delusion my imagination created. Even having the rock in my pocket seemed like nothing more than the heavy mists of a dream, receding.

Breaking my reprieve, Mrs. Wilde finally spoke, “Are ya’ hungry, Sweets?”

“Uh, sure. I guess.” I stumbled. I really hadn’t thought about it, but now that it had been offered, I realized I was famished and I quickly revised my answer, “You know, I am hungry. Can I help?”

“Nah, sweets. The boys and Adrian will be in shortly, and then we’ll all eat. Why don’t you go get cleaned up. By the time you’re done, we’ll all be ready to eat lunch.”
Just like that, I was dismissed. As I made my way back to my room, I wondered at the oddness of these gentle folk. I wondered at the hug that I’d received and I wondered, once again, at the magic of this place.

Taking a fresh t-shirt and pair of jeans out of the dresser in my room, I headed to the bathroom to freshen up. I briefly flirted with the idea of taking a quick shower, but thought better of it. I didn’t want to make anyone wait on me and these kind people, surely would. Instead, I washed my face, my arms and my hands which were all pretty grimy from my work with Dakota on the fence. Not that I had done much really, but one thing you can be sure of in this region is you’ll break a sweat just stepping outside and then you’re fair game for the dirt. It just can’t be helped.

After changing my clothes I looked up and saw a reflection in the mirror that wasn’t mine. My heart thudded loudly in my ears as I choked back a scream. At first it was the kind old face of Mr. Wilde but as I stared wide-eyed at the image, it changed as the moon changes. What I saw made my heart flutter and my palms sweat and then, it was lights out.

I vaguely remember several voices hovering around me. The next, I was being carried to my bedroom. Then I remember hearing the soft murmurs of voices far off. When I finally came to I was in bed and a guy with a stethoscope was standing over me. I panicked and tried to sit up, to push away, but Mrs. Wilde appeared and applied some pressure to my arms, pushing me back down into the feather pillows. I was too weak to fight. She said something about Doc-somebody being here to check me out and “too many episodes,” but I fell back into the blessing of dreamless sleep.

When I woke up, my first thoughts were of the images in the mirror, indeed my first words were, “No! Not the wolf!” But then, it hit me and I knew why the wolf didn’t like the fairy queen and why he had shown up to give me the stone, which I realized I still clutched tightly in my right hand, and why everyone in this family was bent on protecting me. But they couldn’t protect me from the truth forever and now I knew the danger. If she could change Mr. Wilde into a Wolf, well then, what would she have done to me if he hadn’t shown up when I was ‘trespassing’ in her kingdom? The very thought sent shivers down my spine. Too much power indeed. On the positive side was that I now knew I could talk about it with the Wildes and they would understand.

I peered out the window realisng that it was dawn and was awed by the dew covered grass shimmering in the sunlight, like a billion stars. The beauteous vision calmed me in a way I thought was no longer possible.

My thoughts went straight back to Mr Wilde and the hope that he and his family could explain to me all of the strange occurrences, now that I knew, well, had a fair idea what and who Mr Wilde really was, I would have the courage to tell them all that had passed over the last few days.

As my stomach made a very disgruntled noise I realized that I had not eaten for what seemed like an age. I gently opened my door and started for the stairs when I heard the voices of Mr and Mrs Wilde coming from the kitchen.

“Ivy must be told who she is” said Mrs Wilde firmly. “No my dear she is not ready, she is not strong enough. She should have started having the memories by now.”

“Give her a bit more time, I know she can help us” said Mrs Wilde who was known for not giving in easily to anyone once she had made up her mind. “ It is too dangerous, the Faery Queen will work out who she is anytime now. There are very few humans that can move into Faery just by stopping upon the boarders of our worlds. If it had just happened once it could be seen as a happenstance but twice? Migina will not let this go unnoticed. Besides we are running out of time, have you not forgotten the Unseelie court are gathering to begin the raids?”


Now having lost all the confidence I had had just a few moments earlier I retreated back into my room. City life seemed down right serene compared to the extreme anxiety and confusion I now felt.

What to do? Should I just make a run for it? This was all getting way too scary for me. Another part of me wanted to help these kind people who had taken me in, there seemed to be so much more at stake than I had imagined. Why me? I’m no one, just a girl.

Just then I heard a soft knock on my door, I quickly got back into bed and pretended to be asleep. The door opened and I could hear gentle foot steps coming towards my bed. “Ivy, are you awake?” It was the Wildes daughter Adrian, I hadn’t seen her for a few days and to be honest had almost forgetten her. “Ivy, please wake up”. Using the skills I had learnt from all those acting classes everyone one had told me were a waist of time, I slowly opened my eyes doing my best to pretend to be groggy as though I had been woken from a deep sleep. Until I had decided what my best course of action was I didn’t want to let on anything that I had heard or seen.

“Oh, Adrian, what time is it? What’s wrong?”. Adrian looked at me with a sadness in her eyes I had not noticed before.

Favorite Froud Book? The Art of Wendy Froud

“Everything’s okay, I guess. Did you have any dreams?” Adrian asked.

“Um…” Adrian’s odd question took me by surprise. “Not that I can remember…”

Adrian looked a little disappointed. She came over and sat on my bed. I always thought Adrian seemed a little shy. The twelve-year-old had definitely inherited Mr. Wilde’s Native American features: the dusky skin, high cheekbones, midnight hair, and eyes the color of root beer. Her eyes were large and round and contained a heartbreaking innocence juxtaposed with something deeper – a sort of inner wisdom, I thought. Now, as I looked at her, I realized she wasn’t shy so much as thoughtful.

“I know strange things are happening to you, Ivy, and you’re feeling like you can’t handle it – like you want to leave and go back to the city. And if you do, we’d understand. But Ivy, we need you.” There was a yearning, almost a tone of desperation as her voice cracked slightly.

“I thought you guys took me in because I needed you. Why on earth would you need me? I thought I was more of a burden than anything else. I mean, I’m pretty weak compared to you guys, and it takes me twice as long to do chores and stuff. I even suspect I slow the twins down most of the time when I’m ‘helping’ them.” It was true. I really did feel like I wasn’t as strong or as disciplined as the Wildes.

“Oh, Ivy. You are so important to us. You do a great job. Especially with Miakoda. You are so sweet to her and you take such good care of her. She really likes you.” As Adrian said this, she looked down. She seemed almost embarrassed. How odd…

I felt like I needed to cut the tension, so I said, “Well, I suppose I should clean up and get dressed. It looks like I’ve slept in again. Want to help me pick out what to wear?” I knew Adrian loved my clothes. It couldn’t have been very easy for her growing up in the rough country with two older brothers and an old-fashioned mother who, although she had a natural beauty about her, didn’t know the meaning of the word ‘fashion’.

Adrian smiled. “That will be fun.” Maybe you could do my makeup again, like you did when you first came?” She seemed grateful for the distraction.

***

Food. Every important event seems to center around food. There is something very powerful about breaking bread with someone. The ritual is one that denotes trust, peace, camaraderie. I never felt comfortable eating a “family dinner” with foster families. I didn’t know them, and therefore, I didn’t trust them. With the Wildes, I loved the family meals. I did trust them and I had grown to love them. My body usually protested certain foods. The more processed and chemical-infused it was, the more my body reacted negatively. Perhaps that’s why I was so often accused of having an eating disorder. Thankfully, the Wildes’ food was so different. They grew their own vegetables and fruits, used raw sugar, whole grains, slaughtered their own livestock, hunted their own game. Everything was pure, and they rarely went to the grocery store.

So, after a day of helping Mrs. Wilde with her weekly deep clean of the house and laundry, I sat down with the Wildes for dinner. Once everyone was at the table, the Wildes always paused and closed their eyes for a few seconds before they began to eat. I figured they were praying silently for my sake so as not to offend me in case I wasn’t of their faith, though I wasn’t quite sure what faith that was. This time, however, was different. This time, Mr. Wilde addressed each piece of food, thanking the pig who gave its life for their nourishment, the carrots, the potatoes, the apples, the beets, etc. After each one he thanked, the rest of the Wilde family echoed with a “Thank you.” This was something I’d never seen before, yet it seemed so comfortable, so familiar, and so right. I found myself joining in the thanks.

“Ivy,” Mr. Wilde said after we’d begun to eat, “You are, no doubt trying to make sense what has been happening during the last few days.” I could listen to his voice all day. Deep, strong, with that slightly delicious accent infused with the ancient language of his Native American ancestors. I nodded.

“Poor dear,” Mrs. Wilde said, “You must be so confused.” She reached over and took my hand. “We’re going to explain it to you now.” I saw the twinkle in her eyes magnified with a slight welling of tears.

“As you have noticed, Ivy, my descendents are those who have always live here in this country, while Mrs. Wilde’s are from Europe.” I liked the way Mr. Wilde said this, but was confused as to why he was bringing attention to their ethnicity. “Mrs. Wilde’s ancestors came here with others for freedom from intolerance and hate. However, many of those who came with her ancestors perpetuated that same intolerance and hate toward my people. Some Native American tribes were also violent in their reluctance to these perceived invasions, but usually only after their hospitality was met with disrespect and hostility.”

I nodded again. “I learned all about our country’s history when I was in high school.”

“Ah, but you have not learned it all. As I told you before, the Europeans brought more than just customs and beliefs. They were followed.” As he told me before. He was the wolf, and this knowledge was now cemented in my brain. I wanted to ask him about it, but I felt it best to keep quiet. I was in way over my head, here.

Mr. Wilde must have seen the connection I’d just made in my eyes, because he said, “Yes, it is what you have been suspecting. The Wolf is my Spirit Animal. Everyone has a Spirit Animal. I come from a long line of shamans, and the secrets of shapeshifting into my spirit animal were passed down to me. Mrs. Wilde also came from a family close to the spiritual world. Here, we are revered, but where Mrs. Wilde comes from, they were hated and called witches. They were tortured and burned. They even brought the torture and burning practices to this continent. Mrs. Wilde is also very special in that she has a tiny amount of Fae blood. Do you know of the Fae, Ivy?”

“Yes… a little. I’ve always been fascinated by folklore…” I trailed off, hoping that by calling it folklore, I hadn’t offended them.

“Mrs. Wilde, my children, and I are all able to shift into the shapes of our spirit animals.” Mr. Wilde paused, then, as I looked around at the Wildes. I saw a shimmering mirage-like image flit across each one’s face. Mr. Wilde, a wolf--cunning, noble, strong. Mrs. Wilde, an eagle--regal, powerful, free. Dakota and Dusin, coyotes--smart, funny, tricksters. Adrian, a horse--my Miakoda--graceful, quick, sweet. I blinked. There was another wavy mirage over an empty chair. It looked like a stag. I blinked a second time, and the mirages were gone.

I looked questioningly from the chair to Mr. Wilde. “Why do I see a stag in that chair?” I asked.

“You see him?” Adrian gasped, “Papa, she has more Fae power than we thought!” Adrian looked at me in awe.

“Ivy, you are seeing my first son. His mother was Hopi, and unfortunately, she was killed by a group of teenagers who were robbing her for drug money when she was in town buying groceries. She named our son Chuchip, which means Deer Spirit. He went by Chip. He’s around your age, maybe a year or two older. Evelyn—Mrs.Wilde—helped me raise him from infancy. When he was five, we had the twins. Then our Adrian came six years later.”

“Where is your son—Chip?” I asked. I had never met this guy or even heard about him.

“He is imprisoned.” Mrs. Wilde said sadly.

“What did he do?” I asked. I could not imagine anyone with Mr. Wilde as a father being a criminal.

“No, Ivy, he is not incarcerated. He is a prisoner of the Unseelie.” Dakota said.

“Unseelie?” It sounded familiar, but I wasn’t sure what they were talking about.

Mr. Wilde cleared his throat. Everyone had been sitting forward on the edges of their chairs, intent and engaged. Mr. Wilde’s throat clearing had broken the spell somewhat, and everyone relaxed their bodies a little, knowing he’d straighten everything out. He looked around at his family, then at me, and said, “The Unseelie are a very powerful court of Faery. Many of them followed the Europeans over to this continent. They thrive on pain, suffering, death, hatred, and general misery. Their counterparts are the Seelie, or the Good Folk. When all of the unrest in Europe escalated, the Seelie retreated to the country forests and lakes, leaving the human world as much as they possibly could, because they could not stand what humans were doing to each other. The Unseelie, however, reveled in the chaos and ruin. When they found out that some of the people were leaving for this continent, a good number of them followed, looking for new frontiers of misery and destruction. They have wreaked havoc with the Americas ever since.” His voice cracked, and he looked down at his plate.

It was Mrs. Wilde’s turn to clear her throat. She continued where Mr. Wilde left off, “We have a particularly powerful and nasty sect of them here in these mountains, Ivy. They were going on raids and turning people against each other. There were wars between farmers and people in town were getting into drugs and crime. Chip has always been so sweet and giving. He’s always made so many sacrifices to help people. He was out in the woods on one of his long walks one evening when he overheard a conversation between Migna and one of her goblins. He found out that the Unseelie were looking to organize a Wild Hunt like those of their forebearers. They wanted to hunt the townspeople. Chip offered himself up instead. He convinced Migina that because his Spirit Animal was the stag, he’d be perfect for the Wild Hunt. He also showed his power to her, which excited her. She couldn’t pass up hunting something so powerful. This happened right before you came here, Ivy. It’s why we offered for you to come. We need you. The Wild Hunt will happen in two weeks when the moon is full. It will be a blue moon, which will add to the power of it. Ivy, we’ve been able to deal with their little raids, but a Wild Hunt will surely devastate the whole mountain and surrounding country. Chip is being kept prisoner in the forest in his stag form until that time. We need your magic to help us save Chip, as well as turn the hunt around on the Unseelie and force them to submit to the real guardians of the forest. We need a powerful female of the Seelie to help Chip so that, combined with his strong Native American powers there will be enough combined power to bring balance.”

“How do you expect me to help? I mean, I’m just a dumb orphaned city girl who has had to be taken care of all her life. I have no spirit animal, no power. What do you expect me to do?” I was frustrated. Sad that I knew how weak I was and that they didn’t recognize it.

Suddenly, Dusty exploded. “THAT’S NOT TRUE! You are so powerful, Ivy! You are more powerful than all of us! You have Royal Seelie blood! You have a spirit animal! I see it! We all see it except for you! Quit playing Miss Helplessness, already and get—”

“DUSTY!” Dakota jumped up from his chair to face his brother. “That’s ENOUGH! She’s confused! She doesn’t know what’s going on, and it’s all hitting her at once. How would you feel if you went your whole life without a family who understood and loved who you really were, huh?”

Dusty inhaled sharply, then exhaled. He took his seat, followed by Dakota, and muttered an apology.

“As you can see, Ivy, this is very serious.” Mr. Wilde said quietly. “We must help you find your true self and your powers. It is true, your mother was a royal of the Seelie Court. Your father was a powerful healer who lived in a small rural village next to one of the forests the Seelie had retreated to. They knew you were needed here in the states, so he brought you here and put you up for adoption. The reason no one adopted you was because your destiny was to come here and help us. It wasn’t because you were bad or wrong or weak like you think. It was quite the opposite. Now come, I will take you and show you your spirit animal.” With that, Mr. Wilde stood up and took his plate to the sink. Mrs. Wilde gestured at Adrian to help her clear the rest of the dinner dishes, and Mr. Wilde beckoned me to the front door, helped me with my coat, and put his own on.

We went out into the night.

***

For three days, Mr. Wilde took me out, and in the forest, underneath the sun of day and stars of night, he showed me how to listen to the earth’s breath, her pulse. He showed me how to track animals, how to clear my mind and speak to them with my heart.

During those three days, we fasted. At first, I was so hungry that food was all I could think of. But after a while, the hunger left. I felt altered, like I did in the realm of the Fae, only safer, with a clearer head. Finally, on the third night, Mr. Wilde left me in the woods on my own. I walked along the bed of the stream. Settled onto the bank, watched the sparkling reflections of the moon and stars in the trickling water, and I saw her, saw me. A beautiful tawny owl stared back at me. I had found my spirit animal. She was an owl. I reached for her in the water. I felt a charge of electricity, and suddenly the waters were no longer reflecting the stars. They went completely black, and I was suddenly so cold. The peace at finding my spirit animal was replaced by dread. Everything went completely dark.

I heard a splashing downstream. It sounded as if something large was climbing from the stream. I could suddenly see again. Miakoda was standing next to me. She was slimy and dripping wet. “Adrian?” I said, my voice quavering.

“I was sent to bring you back. You must be tired.” Her voice was hollow, empty. Her eyes were not the warm brown of Adrian’s. They were black pits. They did not reflect the moonlight. Her breath did not smell of hay and sweet grasses. It smelled of rotting fish. This was not her. I backed away, turned around, and ran. I didn’t dare look back.

When I got to the farmhouse, I told them what had happened.

“That was a kelpie,” Mrs. Wilde said with disgust. “Migina sent it to spy on you. You did the right thing, getting out of there. Kelpies love human flesh.”

“We must prepare for the worst now,” Mr. Wilde said solemnly. “Migina knows now that you have found the owl within you. She will not be pleased.”

I went to bed that night and dreamt of wounded owls.

The Queen and the Stag Chapter 3

Migina pouted on her throne under the mountain, "everything was going so well until she showed up."
For years Migina had tried to divert her from getting here, she sent out countless will o wisps to lead her astray in life making sure that she was rarely in a country setting alone for long and making sure that her head was full of materialistic things. "silly will o' wisps, if only they could talk she would know the girls name and it would all be done!" Migina had tried so hard for many years to make sure that Ivy was superficial, hoping that it would keep her away, away from the harsh country setting and most of all away from the Wilde's. But it was no use, the blood ran too strong in her. "It's not right" she pouted even more"...I am the Queen of this mountain. I hold court here, I have countless followers and yet I can't even control a single stupid girl." She fumed as she looked out at her court, the assemblage of goblins, hobgoblins and various misshapen creatures-the Unseelie welcome anything with fae blood and maliciousness into their court. Everything was going even better than planned, but now...She thought of what her kelpie had reported back this evening. She is growing stronger by the day. Migina didn't want to think on it any more. As she floated up from her throne everyone drew away to give her space to leave. They knew better than to get in her way, soon the silly girl would learn as well. As she left the mountain for the forest she gathered her closest friends and allies about her. At least one thing was going her way she smiled as she thought about the Stag. The silly little boy thought he could divert things with his sacrifice. Well he was a definite plus, his power would help feed the hunt and make it more widespread. These silly natives didn't understand so much. "Atol" she said to the mishapen elf at her left "I want you to take out your hunters and shoot down any owls you come across"
"Yes Milady" he said smiling and bowing out of sight.

Everyone was getting anxious for the ride. They knew that the time was getting closer and the presence of the stag in the forest seemed to bring them closer to a frenzy...the longer the stag stayed the more excited everyone was. "so much power" was heard over and over in court. Floating out thru the forest the power was palatable to Migina the closer you got to the clearing. Suddenly there, in the growing moonlight was the stag. Migina had to forcibly restrain her friends with magic lest they give chase to the stag and ruin all the plans. "Not yet" she snapped "we have a week more to wait until the magic is ripe"
"But.." one of her friends, a dog like creature with no name whined "but I want it now, Migina the power smells ripe"
"Idiot" she muttered to him, "you can't go by smell alone, you must go by Time, if we do it now it won't have the magnification that the blue moon will give us. The moon will allow what we do to be felt all over the mountains, not just in this tiny clearing. Then I will be the most powerful Queen in this world" her eyes glowed red as she thought of the many ways she would cause the downfall of the Wildes.
As if he heard her thoughts the Stag reared and ran off.
"follow him" Migina said, "but do not, I repeat, DO NOT touch him...I just want to know what he is doing"

The stag bounded through the woods, but try though he might he could never leave the boundary. His ancestral land is blocked to him using some magic that he was not familiar with.
"I don't like it here in these woods," he thought to himself "they don't feel right, all the normal creatures are gone replaced by an evil watching. The Unseelie seem afraid of their own shadows lately. I know it's my own fault that i am here, but what else could I do? Hopefully this will derail the plans of a wild hunt. I'm confident that I can out wit these folk and if not, then Creator willing I will be a willing sacrifice and may my blood render those that spilt it powerless in this land. I just wish I could see my family one last time. I hope they understand why I had to do this" He pulled up, tired of running and stood staring at the edge of the woods, he could see the fence line of the farm. He felt more than heard Migina's minions watching him. He stood still for a long time and one by one they got bored and left. Shortly thereafter an owl flew past, circled and landed on a fence post, regarding him. Chip found himself enthralled by it "who are you?" his mind asked the bird The owl looked at him upside down, sideways, hooted a little and swooped around in the sky gracefully. Chip sighed it's just a silly owl, not anything that could help him...but still...he looked at the owl again through his stag eyes and this time he got a picture of a girl with a wounded owl spirit.
Owl? he didn't know anyone with an owl spirit. Unless...and he shook his head unless...he didn't remember, but something tickled at his mind. The owl flew off into the night distracted by a mouse and he laid down looking longingly at the fence line. He found he was having a hard time holding on to the human part of him. The part that was called Chip was slowly receding and being replaced by the stag. Chip spent a good portion of everyday forcibly reminding himself what it is like to be human. Who his family is, sleeping in a bed, eating warm food. "I wonder how much of me will remain by the time of the full moon?"

Mr Wilde and I sat meditating, as had become our daily custom, on a spacious flat rock overlooking the beauteous valley below. As I came out of the meditation Mr Wilde asked me in a tone that seemed to betray his underlying anxiety “where did you go, that I could not follow?”

I told him of seeing the stag and as much detail as I could remember of the location. I also told him that I had tried to communicate with the stag but to no avail, as yet I had not gained enough control of myself in owl form.

His whole body seemed to breath a sigh of relief “ Ah, there is hope. Thanks to you Ivy we now have a good idea of where Chip is being held and can now prepare to rescue him. None of us have the strength you have. We have not been able to penetrate the glamour Migina has placed on our son.”

Happy that I had been able to help but still not comfortable with my abilities I felt almost embarrassed that I had achieved something that these graceful, people had not been able to. My cheeks flushed the color of beetroot.

Mr Wilde took my hand and said “ No need for you to feel uncomfortable we have always known the strength you have. I believe you are now ready for the second part of your training, now it is time to hand you over to Mrs Wilde to teach you the ways of her people.”

As we rode back along the road through the dense pine forest we had come through this morning, Miakoda paused and stamped her hoof three times. We then continued as though nothing had happened although I did notice that Mr Wilde was now subtly looking sideways at the trees and we moved much more slowly. Not being able to hold in my curiosity I asked “Is something wrong?”

“Nothing for you to worry about, we are nearly home.” Then I heard his clear voice in my head “Keep your eyes open, we are being watched. I am going to try and catch one of the little creatures if the opportunity presents itself”.

The distinct feeling of being watched washed over me, goose bumps rose all over my body. Then I could see them, hundreds of little eyes peering from the shadows.

All of a sudden Mr Wilde leapt from his horse and as he did so he rapidly changed into the wolf. He bounded into the forest, returning with a very small-disgruntled female creature being held gently in his teeth. Her skin and wings were green and she was wearing a long flowing almost translucent dress.

“Let me go, you big galumph! I didn’t mean no harm, just wanted to get a look at the one who had returned to us, we thought you wouldn’t let us see her,” said the irate being. I jumped down from Miakoda and Mr Wilde gently placed the winged lady into my hands. I held her as tight as I could without hurting the little thing and in the blink of an eye Mr Wilde was human again. He took the creature from me and said “Ah, it is just a Pillywiggin.” Then to the Pillywiggin “You should know better than to enter our land without making yourselves known. ”

“What do you mean just a Pillywiggin! We can be formidable if needed and I have a name you know!” With a bit of a chuckle Mr Wilde asked “Well, little one, what would that name be, and what is your true purpose here?”

“Those that know me call me Una.” Mr Wilde had now let go of Una and she stood on the palm of his hand. “We had word of milady’s return and of the Wild Hunt ‘tis the only thing we fear, if there is to be a stand we want to be a part of it. We have fought against the Hunt for centuries.”

As soon as Mr Wilde had let go of Una all the other Pillywiggins came out of hiding to hear what was being said. It was one of the most incredible thing I had ever seen. They were illuminating light from within and they changed color as they flew around in magnificent swirling formations.

“I’m sorry for the rough treatment little friend.” Said Mr Wilde “You have perfect timing we could definitely use your help. Please, all of you follow us as discreetly as you can, we don’t want any unseelie spies finding out about you all. There are meadows near our ranch where you will find all the pollen, sap or dew that you could desire.”

Just before Una joined the other Pillywiggins she bowed towards me and to Mr Wilde “We will follow and wait in the meadow for your word to join the battle.” She then turned to me and said “it would be an honor to fight beside you milady.” With that the Pillywiggins flew back up into the trees and waited for us to move on so they could follow unseen.

As we quickly moved towards the ranch I could not help but to hope that I could live up to the high expectations that everyone seemed to be placing on me. It was very unfamiliar to be relied upon for anything.

As usual Mrs Wilde was in the kitchen preparing food when we arrived. Mr Wilde told her of all that had occurred on our outing. When she heard that I had seen her son her eyes filled with tears of joy and she gave me the warmest hug. “Thank you Ivy. It is time for me to pass on to you your rightful possessions. They were entrusted to me with the hope that you would find your way here. Please come with me child and I will show you.”

We entered the lounge room and Mrs Wilde pulled up the rug that lay near the hearth. Underneath was a small trap door, she knelt down beside it and whispered an incantation that was so quiet I could not make out any of the words. The door slowly opened and she lifted out two wrapped bundles. One was long and thin, the other the size and shape of a book. She passed them to me and I sat on the lounge feeling nervous and overwhelmed.

“Thank you. I spent my whole life so far not belonging anywhere or with anyone. It is still sinking in that you knew my parents and that they did not abandon me the way that I once thought they did.”

“Well then, you have never really been alone my dear Ivy. There has always been one of us near you when we could be. I made a promise to your mother that I would watch over you as best I could. At times this was extremely difficult as Migina had it in her mind that you would not return to us. Now, are you going to open those?” A feeling of calm descended over me something did feel very right.

Firstly I unwrapped the long thin parcel. Inside was a bow and a quiver of arrows. The bow was pure white with intricate inlays of precious stones. As I held the bow it sent out a flash of radiant white light that seemed to fill the whole room. “This bow can only be used by those of the royal bloodline. It was your mothers. It is the only weapon that we know of that can bring down Migina. I will train you in how to use it skillfully and wisely. We have little time but you are proving to be a fast learner.” Said Mrs Wilde with an encouraging smile. “It is beautiful” were the only words I could utter.

My attentions now turned to the smallest parcel. I unwrapped it and discovered a small ornate book, on the cover was written in very delicate handwriting “For my beloved Ivy”.

My heart thumped in my chest,

Favorite Froud Book? The Art of Wendy Froud

… and my icy hands grew sweaty as I opened the small blue bound book. The pages were worn and wrinkly with age. Some of the corners were tattered but the words were as clear as the moon on a starless night-sky. Tears welled up in my eyes as I read the first line, “My darling daughter, you are loved…” Mrs. Wilde, who always seems to be ready, handed me a tissue as she sat down beside me. Putting her arm around my shoulders she gave me a gentle squeeze; without words, she encouraged me to just let go. I haven’t cried this much in – well, ever, I thought, and instead of feeling ashamed or angry at myself, I let the years of walls I’d built up around me, come crashing down. I let the tears fall until my eyes were blurred and my body shook from the sobs that overwhelmed me. The love I felt as I held that little blue book to my chest seemed to erase 20 years of anguish and loneliness, that until this moment, I had worn like a trusty piece of armor. For the first time in my life, I felt loved, cherished even, and most importantly I understood that I’d never been abandoned as I had grown up thinking. I fully understood that even though sacrifices had been made, I wasn’t one of them. Drying my tears with the back of my hand, I continued to read what my mother had written me so many years ago.

“My darling daughter, you are loved and how it pains me to know that I have such a short time left to be with you. There is so much to say, so much for you to understand and I fear a far shorter time for you to learn all that you must before the time for action is upon you. Since you are reading this that means you’ve already come a great distance in heart and mind, on your destined journey. You’ve met our dearest and most trusted friends. Just as they have watched over and protected you, we must now return the favor. I am sorry I am not able to be there to do this myself and it tears at my heart that you, my beloved, are left with such a great task. Always remember, that sometimes sacrifices are made so that better things can take their place. Your father and I are fighting a noble battle but it is not meant for us to win. It is only a distraction for Migina so that you, my baby girl, can be coveted away into the night and be protected and hidden until the time is ripe. That time must now be upon you. It is at great risk to all involved that I even write this, but you must be prepared for what is yet to come and sometimes the rewards outweigh the risks.

“There are a few things that you must know in order to fulfill your destiny. The bow and arrows you hold in your lap, were blessed by, Nilee, the Good Prince of the Fairies. From the sacred Fairy Ring, deep within the magic Algred Mountain, he took the materials, and with them made the bow and arrow that you now hold in your lap. The bow is blessed with a magic so grand that only you can yield it. Only for you will it fly straight and true. Only for you will it hit the mark you seek and bring down those that wish you harm and ill. Only for a battle as great as the one you now face, will they come together and lend a magical blow. The arrows are special in their own right; they hold a powerful spell for all whom they fire upon. You must learn to harness the magic within them; to do this, call upon your spirit owl. She too sacrificed a part of herself so that you and these tools are forever bound.”

Closing the book on the words my mother had so lovingly written, I sat mystified. Chills ran down my arms and the hair on the back of my neck stood up. I felt a special bond with my mother; a bond that had been lacking my whole life. I had to wonder how she knew that the bow and arrows would be lying across my lap as I read her words? Or how she’d know I would find my way to this place and these wonderful people she called friends? Looking again at the bow and arrows that did in fact, lay gently across my lap, I picked up one of the arrows and noticed for the first time, that the quiver was made up of snow-white feathers with a tinge of brown on the edges. “Eye, my young lass,” Mr. Wilde said from across the room, “those are your feathers” further confirming what my mother had written and sending another round of chills up and down my spine.

“But they’re so white and pure,” I said in awe. Mystified, I ran them through my fingers. “This isn’t what I saw reflected in the water,” I said in disbelief.

“Those are your true colors,” Mr. Wilde said firmly.

“But that night I spent out in the wilderness, on my own,” I stumbled, trying to understand, “I saw a tawny colored owl reflected back to me in the water.”

With uncharacteristic testiness, Mr. Wilde strode across the room and knelt before me. Taking one of the arrows, he held it up and touching the feathers gently, said, “Ivy, this is your true form. You are growing as we speak, you are changing. You are reverting to your true form. Just think, if Magina had seen this?” he said thrusting the feathered end under my nose so that I flinched from its sudden closeness. “If she or the Unseelie had seen this, you would have been downed before you had ever a chance to know any of this,” he said gesturing widely to the book and all that it meant.

Taking the arrow, he now held out to me, I felt fresh tears spring into my eyes. It wasn’t what he’d said, or how he’d said it, it was, after all the first time I’d actually gotten to see my feathers up close and personal. They were the most achingly beautiful things I’d ever seen. I couldn’t believe these were my own feathers.

Misunderstanding the tears, Mrs. Wilde said “Oh my darling child,” sending Mr. Wilde a look that should have split him in two for his irritation and rashness. On a sigh, hugging me a little tighter, and shaking and rubbing my shoulder just a bit she added, “He is right. You are a Snow Owl, Ivy; the most majestic, rare and wise of all your kind. As you’ll find out from reading your mum’s book, it’s just a bit of glamour is all; to protect you. It’s up to you to unlock it.”

The fact was, I hadn’t known, until now. I never considered myself special and certainly not unique. It was all too overwhelming as I found myself, much like Alice in my favorite childhood tale, falling down a rabbit whole; one so deep and so twisted that I wondered if it would swallow me whole or spit me out. Either way, I figured it would hurt when I came to the end. Taking a deep breath, still grasping the arrow to my heart, I opened my mothers’ journal and continued to read.

“Ivy, how hard it must have been for you, growing up without knowing anything about where you came from or why you were left to grow up without us. You must have felt so abandoned and lonely. I only hope that someday you can forgive us for all these things and more. I trust you now understand that this was the only way to protect you and the future of all who follow. My darling, what a terrible burden you now bare, but you are of strong stock. You have much more inside you just waiting to be found. Oh how I wish I could be there with you now, but I am with you always in heart, mind, and spirit. And when you need help, you only have to look to the moon to find it. We will be watching over you my dear, and through this medium and with the help of the Wildes, we will teach you all that you need to know.”

It was an end of a chapter, and for me, sitting there with these cherished gifts in my arms and on my lap, an end of a lifetime of hurt and misunderstanding. For the first time in my life I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that my parents had not only loved me, but had given me the gift of continued life through their own sacrifice. I couldn’t help but feel their presence surrounding me, just as surely as Mrs. Wilde’s arms encircled my shoulders. I felt heavy with sorrow and responsibility, but more determined than ever to not let my parent’s sacrifice go unwarranted. I couldn’t give up now, not with the stakes so high and not without at least trying to finish the battle and save the Wildes’ son. That was the one thing I knew I had to do, because it was a matter of honor between friends, my parents’ honor and I felt bound by blood to see it through to the end. Whatever that end may be.

Breaking through my thoughts, there was a sudden commotion outside. The doors blew open and with a great gust of wind, Adrian came bounding in. At first she was in the form of her spirit animal, Miakoda, and then quick as a flash, she changed and stopped dead in front of Mr. Wilde. Huffing and puffing, it took her a terrifyingly long time to regain enough breath to get out, “Dustin, in the meadow” in reply to Mr. Wilde’s wild-eyed look. Terrified, we all jumped up but Mr. Wilde was much faster to respond, having already changed form and bounding out the door in his wolf form. Mrs. Wilde went to her daughter and as calmly as she could, asked her what had happened but before she could answer I found myself flying out the door and into the twilight.

Higher and higher I flew until I could just make out the shape of the Wolf bounding over brush and downed trees below me. Flying lower, he looked up at me over his shoulder. We made eye contact for a brief moment and without so much as a word, I took the lead. He was fast, but I was faster and soon I overtook his position and finally seeing the opening to the meadow, I swooped down and landed very neatly on a nearby stump. Looking around anxiously, I couldn’t see Dusty anywhere and something in the air didn’t feel quite right. Changing back to my human form, which seemed so easy, now that I had a better understanding of how it worked I finally caught sight of a small heap of clothing at the far edge of the meadow. Mr. Wilde came out of the trees and entered the clearing. Still running he looked at me and I looked over towards the clothes. Gathering the direction he needed to proceed; he took off, still in a full-out run, towards the heap of clothes.

The clothes were just that, nothing more. Dusty, it seemed, was gone. Where he could have gone, I wasn’t sure, but I knew one way to find out. “We need to find out what happened,” I said to Mr. Wilde with more authority than I knew I had in me, “You talk to the Pillywiggins, they may have seen something. I’m going to go up and investigate from above.” And before he could do more than stare open-mouthed at me, I metamorphosed and took off once again, but this time, using my keen sight as a weapon to peer deeply into the growing shadows of the gathering night.

Because of the new Moon, it was going to be a dark night. For me, however, that was all the better. As my eyes quickly adjusted to the growing darkness, I could clearly see even the smallest titmouse scampering across the fields. With a chill of wonder I flew higher and faster, searching every inch of ground as I went. When I had gone several miles, I circled back and came at the search from the opposite angle. I was fast approaching the meadow when I caught sight of something in the undergrowth. I was sure I was looking at a coyote. It had to be Dusty. I swooped down and landed just above him on the limb of a dead tree. Shouting three whoops of what I assumed were hoots, I started transforming. Realizing my mistake, I quickly stopped and using my wings once more, gently glided down to the ground. When I was safely on terra-firma, I converted once more to my human form and bent down next to the coyote. Relief washed over me as I abruptly knelt beside him and took a sharp intake of air into my burning lungs. He was bloody and bruised, his breathing shallow and thready, but he seemed to be alive.

Before I even realized it, the entire Wilde family had gathered beside us. Slowly, I moved back to allow them room to take care of him. They each seemed to know just what to do and they worked in unison with familiarity and ease.

“There’s not much more I can do here,” Mrs. Wilde stated after applying some kind of herbal tincture and roughly wrapping the wounds on his head, neck and shoulders, “we need to get him home.”

With much effort, the unconscious Dusty was lifted onto a narrow stretcher, which Dakota and Adrian had quickly made out of wood, vines and leaves while their mother had been treating their brothers’ wounds. Adrian transformed and Mr. Wilde and Dakota secured the make-**** gurney around Adrian’s Hithers so that it she could pull it behind her with relative ease. Once that was done, we all headed back through the meadow and towards the house.

Coming up beside me, Mr. Wilde patted my shoulder, “you did good girl. You did real good.”

Blushing from the roots of my hair, all I could manage was a small smile. “What’d you find out from the Pillywiggins,” I asked quietly, as we walked.

“Ah, well, we’ll have time enough for that after we’ve seen to Dusty.” Mr. Wilde said as he walked on ahead, making sure that the stretcher didn’t tip as it traversed the rough, uneven ground.
After the house had fallen silent, and everyone, exhausted from the days events had retired for the night, I sat on my bed in the quiet and pondered all that had happened. Once we’d gotten back to the ranch, there had been a flurry of activity and no time to talk. Doc Iason had been called and Dusty’s wounds had been properly cleaned and treated. He had still not woken up, but Doc Iason assured us that it was just a bit of magic that would wear off with time and rest. Half-heartedly everyone had a bite to eat, finished their chores and headed off to bed in hope of a better day, come sunrise. Meanwhile my mind wouldn’t rest. A million questions still swirled around inside my head and no matter what I did I couldn’t seem to turn them off. Looking around my cozy little room, my gaze landed on a small blue book. It was sitting with the other items from my parents on the dresser across the room. I scrambled across the bed on my knees and grabbed for the book. Like a life-jacket I held it to my chest hoping it would provide me with the peace of mind and spirit I so desperately needed. Taking it with me, I crawled back into bed and pulled the covers up, tight around me, tucking myself in as I had so often dreamt as a child that my mother would have done. Once I was settled and cozy, with my pillows and covers arranged just so, I opened the little book once again. This time, a picture fell out and landed face up on my stomach. I recognized it immediately, even though I had only been an infant at the time it had been taken. There I was, looking up at my parents, smiling a bright innocent smile and my parents smiling back at their little miracle. Flipping it over, I saw scrawled on the back the inscription, “our miracle; our love.”

A blissful feeling washed over me and soon I drifting off to sleep and dreaming of that love.

(Cori)
Chapter Four

Although my dreams the previous night had been pleasant, my first thoughts upon waking were of scary faeries. I’d already encountered a kelpie, Pillywiggins, and the Queen of the Unseelie herself. Mrs. Wilde had helped educate me on different faeries after the kelpie incident. She showed me books with lively sketches and vivid paintings by a man named Froud. These, she had told me, were what real faeries were like. Most were not like cute little Disney Tinkerbells.

What troubled me most were the goblins. The Wildes had told me about them, but even with all that had happened, I still couldn’t fathom what they were like. I knew I’d eventually have to interact with them, but I was afraid. I was not ready. There were many small pesky goblins, but there were also large, powerful goblins. I had no idea what I’d ever do if I ran into a Red Cap.

As if my thoughts were self-fulfilling, I had my first run-in with a goblin that day. Fortunately, it wasn’t a Red Cap. Unfortunately, it brought many more complications to the already complicated situation I was in.

I was washing up the breakfast dishes while Dusty was upstairs sleeping under the spell of powerful healing herbs and the other Wildes were out doing other chores. Gazing out the kitchen window at the vast and beautiful landscape beyond, I wondered how anyone, human or fae, could stake claim to something so magnificent. The sun was out, and there were clouds all around the edges of the sky. They were the kind of clouds that looked like fluffy cotton – the kind of clouds you could find shapes in, all bubbly-looking and three-dimensional. Just as I began to look for shapes in those clouds, I heard a what sounded like a small sniffing sound. It startled me so much that I almost dropped the teacup I was washing back into the water. Luckily, it didn’t break.

I froze and listened again, but there was no sound. I resumed my dishwashing. Back in the city, I always just loaded the dishwasher and sat down to read a book or watch TV. After living with the Wildes, who didn’t own a dishwasher, I decided never to go back to using one again. There was something about the hand-washing of dishes that calmed me. I was able to get my thoughts together and center myself. It was very relaxing. I found myself relaxing again when I heard a small sneeze.

I was certain that even though they lived rurally, the Wildes were clean people who wouldn’t have any rodents in their home. And I was also certain that rodents didn’t sneeze like that.

I stopped what I was doing and quietly wiped my hands on my apron. How should I handle this? There was obviously an intruder hidden somewhere in the kitchen. I didn’t know who or what it was. I had a feeling, though, that it wasn’t on my side, or it wouldn’t be hiding. I decided to pretend I hadn’t heard it, and see what its next move would be. That way, I could listen closer for any additional noises and try to pinpoint the location. I stuck my hands back in the dishwater and grabbed for some silverware.

As soon as I had gone back to washing the dishes, I heard another little noise. This time, it sounded like a small sigh. It also sounded like it was coming from the cupboard beneath the sink. No adult human could fit under that sink. I wasn’t really surprised that it wasn’t going to be human. It was strange how my perceptions of what was real and possible had changed in such a short amount of time.

I now knew the location of this guest, and that I was bigger than it was. I also knew just how close I was to it and how physical size didn’t really count when it came to the creatures of fae. Migina, the big cheese of the other side, could technically fit in the palm of my hand. However, if the Wildes and I could change shapes, why couldn’t Migina? My thoughts were broken again by a shifting sound in the cupboard at my feet. I made my decision right then. I knew exactly what I was going to do. I grabbed a long kitchen knife and, as quickly as I could, slid it through both handles of the cupboard so that whatever was in the cupboard could not open the doors. As soon as I did so, I went for my bow and quiver of arrows, which were slung on the coat rack for quick access. As I was going for my weapon, I heard a rattling as the cupboard doors were being pushed from the inside. Then, whatever was under the sink uttered what sounded like a combination between a squeak and a shriek. I came back to the cupboard and, with an arrow taught and ready in my bow, I aimed it at the cupboard and said in a voice that honestly surprised me with its strength, “I have a deadly weapon pointed right in your direction. I am going to open this cupboard, and if you try to run, you’re dead. Any questions?”

I heard a barely audible squeak in the affirmative, and from that, I knew I had this in the bag. I smiled at my new confidence. I was a much different person since I first arrived on this ranch. I was beginning to recognize that I did have power and control over what I allowed others to do to me. I counted to three in my head. Then, keeping my weapon steady, I kicked the knife out of the cupboard handles and a small, dusty guy the size of a cat tumbled out and was immediately on his knees in front of me with his hands up, knowing he was at my mercy.

I pulled the arrow tighter and aimed at his head. He saw this, and said in a tiny, panicked voice, “No shoot! No shoot! I not hurt nobody!” He was visibly trembling.

“How do I know what your intentions are?”

“Huh? I not want to hurt! I want to be safe! I come here to be safe!” The more he panicked, the squeakier he got. I had to calm him down, or I wouldn’t be able to understand him much longer.

“Okay, okay, you’re not making much sense to me right now. I promise I won’t shoot unless you give me a good reason, okay? Now calm down. Who are you?”

He took a deep breath and seemed to steady himself a little. His voice still shook, but there was not as much squeak to it. “I Gomek the Goblin.”

“You’re a goblin? Do you work for the Queen?” My eyes narrowed with suspicion.

“N-n-not no more. I was slave. Had to do what she say or she hurt me.” He looked up me. It was then that I noticed the wounds on his face. His skin was dark and wrinkled, but I could tell there was bruising. One of his large yellow eyes was almost swollen shut.

“Did Migina do this to you?” I noticed that a little tenderness had entered my voice. That was not good. I needed to be sure I wasn’t giving a potential enemy any advantage.

“Yes, Meanie Queenie—she catch me trying to get away. She have other goblins pound on me. But I still sneak away when they think I dead and leave me. I good at sneaking when I not sneezing from dusty hiding places.”

My arms were getting tired. “Gomek,” I said, “I don’t want to point this thing at you anymore. But if your story is a lie, and you really are loyal to Migina, I can’t have you running back to her and telling her whatever information you have gathered by hiding here. So here’s the deal. If you promise not to run and to stay and talk to me, I will put my weapon away. Just know that I have a very good way of catching you if you decide to make a run for it.” I knew I could simply shift into owl form and catch him with my talons. He must have believed me, because he nodded. I put my bow and arrow down on the kitchen table and said, “Okay, Gomek. Why don’t you come over here and have a seat?” Gomek limped toward a chair. He was hurt more than I thought. There was no way he’d be able to climb up onto a chair which had a seat taller than him in his condition. “May I lift you onto the table? I promise I’ll be gentle.”

Gomek looked embarrassed. “Okay, please,” he said, looking at his feet. I gently lifted him up the way one would a small child and placed him on the table, where he gingerly sat down. He was much lighter than I had anticipated.

I sat down in a chair and looked Gomek in the eye. I wanted to make sure he was telling the truth. “So,” I said, “why in the world did you risk your life to leave Migina?”

Gomek looked right back into my eyes without shifting his gaze like he’d been doing since I first saw him. His voice was full of a sort of soft horror. “I want to be with bird girl. She save me and all of us. She can help deer boy. Queen bad. More bad than nature say she supposed to be. She hurt everybody. She no love nothing. No love in her at all. Only the bad. She hurt animals for fun.” Gomek’s non-swollen eye widened. I believed him. He came for protection. I was going to give it to him.

“I will offer you my protection if you swear to help us by giving us all of the information you have on Migina.”

“I tell you whatever you need!” His eyes lit up. His hope and trust were heartbreaking. I was just about to tell Gomek that everything would be okay when I heard Mr. and Mrs. Wilde’s voices outside the back door.

“Gomek!” I whispered. “I’m going to need to put you back under the sink until I can explain your situation to the others. If they see you before I get a chance to explain, they may very well attack you. Quickly, may I put you back?”

Gomek nodded. I picked him up gently, but swiftly, placed him back in the cupboard beneath the sink, and stuck my hands back into the lukewarm dishwater.

The first thing Mrs. Wilde said was, “You’re STILL at those dishes?”

The first thing Mr. Wilde said was, “Why is there a KNIFE on the floor?”

“I can explain…” I said.

Just then Gomak shifted under the sink and sneezed a little.
The Wildes as one looked at the cupbaord and then back at me since i was obviously guarding it.
Moving away from the sink I gestured for everyone to sit at the table and related my find. The Wildes looked calmer but mostly unconvinced. Mrs Wilde finally said "well, hon that seems very interesting..may we see this little goblin? I'd like to ask him a few questions myself"
Out from the cupboard creeps Gomak looking for all the world like he wishes he could escape their scrutiny. Mrs Wilde walked up to him and touched him right between the eyes. Ivy saw the tension leave Gomak as the little goblin became entranced. Once the spell took Mrs Wilde sat down again and asked Gomak "now really, why are you here?"
"Me ran away...the Queenie was mean... getting meaner"
"why was she getting meaner Gomak?"
"Queen say that moon getting full, things need to happen, bad things, ooh the evil ones that are her friends, they get more restless, harder to control, Queen lose temper beat things beat things all the time, Gomak run"
Mrs WIlde sat back in her chair looking at her husband and Ivy. "He's telling the truth" she said "now we just have to figure out what it all means"

~~~~

It is gloomy under the mountain, gloomy in all the caverns and caves, all except the throne room that blazes with color and brilliance. It almost seems like Migina is afraid of her own shadow, she has all the candles, fire fairies and salamanders working overtime to keep the light going.
It is blinding going in to see her, entering from the gloomy canverous hallway into the brighter than the sun throne room. Atol hates this part of the evening. Reporting in and telling Migina that, once again the girl/owl had eluded them. Every night they swept the forest hunting, not daring to enter the ranch perimeter. That would provoke a fight that they aren't ready for yet. The fight will come but only when they are assured of victory. After the hunt...Atol shivers, and shifts his bow on his back. For some reason he didn't want to think of the upcoming hunt. The Queen had called on some "old friends" she said, but Atol didn't like the feel of them, their energy Felt darker than Unseelie, more like demons or something from the deep levels of the underworld...
"Daydreaming Atol?" Migina looks at him smirking "you may approach the throne and tell me of your hunt. Is the owl girl dead yet?"
Atol walks forward and bows low in front of Migina "No Mi'lady, it is my sorrow to report that she eluded us again. She is very canny for such a newcomer to her powers"
"Of course she is you idiot" Migina sneers "she has those Wilde people teaching her, and she has more innate abilities than any half breed mortal girl should be allowed to have! It's sick and unnatural even if she wasn't meddling in my plans I'd still get rid of her simply for that fact!" She rose from the throne and Atol backe up slightly as she approaches him, "you will" she said speaking low and poking him in the chest with her fingernail "you WILL bring her here tomorrow" She smile sweetly "won't you?"
"I will try Mi"lady"
"or die trying, you may go Atol" as she sits back down and waves him away. "oh and Atol? Don't disappoint me again"
Migina pensively looks after her head archer as he leaves the room, he seems visibly relieved to be going. "He used to love to spend time with me...when did that change?" she wonders. "I've been too caught up in this great hunt...I've been remiss in my duties as Queen, maybe my glamour is fading, no matter there will be more than enough time to fix things after the hunt and when he brings me the girl...maybe i should have someone keep an eye on him just to make sure he's still loyal" wincing a little she yells out "more light! I need more light!! There is a shadow right by me"

Atol pauses outside the door and listens to Migina's call for light. She is afraid of her own shadow...I wonder why. That is unnatural for any faerie, the shadow is our natural playground, the between space that light and dark meet. What would make her so? Surely not the owl girl, from what he has seen of her she doesn't seem like the type to ambush even Migina from the shadows. No, the owl girl will fight out in the light of day, in the open.
Atol shakes his head and heads for the cavern that holds the stables.
Down spiral steps that are dark and shaded and then he smelled the fresh hay and the nickering of the horses. He placed a calming hand on the one nearest him and left the stables for the field that surrounded the stables. This side of the mountain is pure faerieland. It is deep in the otherworld. The world of humans is far far away.
Atol walks up a nearby hill to a shrine and postions himself on a cushion to contemplate his situation. Death is not something he fears, but he also does not feel that this would be a right death or a timely one. He asks his ancestors for help and sits patiently waiting for a response

As dusk descended on the ranch I thought to myself if anyone from my old life was to look through the window at that time they would see the strangest sight and they would doubt their sanity… There was a small-animated creature standing on the kitchen table surrounded by five people and a very small luminescent woman, we were all looking grave.

Mrs Wilde had called a meeting of the family and had invited Una to hear what Gomak had to say and to discuss what was to be done next.

After Gomak had told all of the Queens extreme cruelty, her fear of shadows (which Gomak had heard rumour of) and of Atol, the only Goblin that was still standing by their queen, Dusty who had now healed enough to join the family spoke up.

“I was looking for unseelie spies just past our boarders when all of a sudden I felt a deep cold that seemed to pierce my heart. I turned and there was a great shadow, dark as ink that moved more quickly than I could have imagined. I looked up thinking that the shadow must be caused by some kind of massive bird, there was nothing in the sky no creature on the ground just the shadow moving closer and closer. I ran thinking that the spell that protects our land would protect me, but it was too fast. It engulfed me and sharp pain filled my body. You all know that I would not give up without a fight the more I fought the more it wounded me. Luckily the Pillywiggins saw me, they quickly grouped together to make a wall of light, the shadow screamed and moved back into the woods.”

Dusty then turned to Una and said, “ Thank you for helping me, it would have been the end of me for sure if you and your friends had not arrived.”

“Young warrior, we would do it again in a heart beat” said Una who bowed towards Dusty.

Mr Wilde then looked at us all and said “It is time, we can not wait another moment, we must act tonight. I have only seen a creature like The Shadow once before, as far as I knew they only dwelt in Faerie. They have existed and grown since the dawn of time, after a great battle they were all trapped with a powerful binding spell. Migina has made the biggest mistake of her life and of everyone else’s. Her fear has lead her to make the darkest of allies, these allies will surely turn on her in the blink of an eye. Once they do Seelie, Unseelie and human alike will all be in danger.”

After a moment Mr Wilde continued, “Chip must be rescued, we will need the whole family together to cast the binding spells we will need to recapture The Shadow.” Mr Wilde then turned to me “Ivy, it has come to this, we must track The Shadow and draw it here as soon as we can. You must rescue Chip and bring him here, we will deal with Migina once we have dealt with The Shadow. If we fail Chip will know what to do.”

You could have heard a pin drop, adrenaline filled my whole body. I knew this was coming and I knew it would be soon, For the sake of my friends I must not let any of my old self-doubt to resurface. “I do have a plan of how I can rescue Chip without Migina knowing he was gone” my voice definitely sounded stronger in my head than the small voice that came out of my mouth.

“One of the spells that my mother left me will be perfect, although, I will need the help of as many Pillywiggins as can be spared. We know Migina’s men are hunting a tawny owl, lets give them many.” I surprised myself as I felt a small smile light across my face.

Una piped up “We Pillywiggins will split into two groups one to track The Shadow the other to be at your command My Lady.”

“Thank you Una. Have them meet me here as soon as they can be gathered.” I did not want to put anyone in harms way but I was sure that the Pillywiggins could look after themselves.

We all looked to Mr Wilde “Dusty you must stay behind; you can prepare the herbs will need.” There was a long pause, and then Mrs Wilde said, “It has begun, may Great Spirit protect everyone of us.”

It was nearly dark when Una appeared before me; fluttering her little wings in the twilight. I stood in the growing light of the moon, longing to feel as confidant as Adrian said I looked. She had made me blush only moments earlier, telling me so. In reality, her words only made the burden of what I was about to do seem all that much heavier. Her willingness to be my feet as Miakoda, though a grand gesture was not necessary and I had told her so. I hoped I hadn’t hurt her feelings, I hoped she understood. No matter, I thought, this is it. This is my chance to honor the memory of my father and mother and these dear people who had given so much of themselves to see me fulfill my destiny. It was a heavy burden, an expectation I only hoped to live up to.

Una, who was not always a patient creature, had been resignedly waiting for my attention. Having had enough, she flew directly in front of me, hovering with the slightest movement of her wings only inches from my face. Bowing deep and brightening her inner light until I had to shield my eyes from the aura she cast, she spoke, her tinny voice wiping away my doubts, “Mi’lady, you asked for help from the Pillywiggins with this great task and we are deeply honored.” Dimming a bit, she gestured grandly, sweeping her tiny hands out to her sides, she added, “We have heard your bequest and we have come!” All of the sudden, what seemed like a million insects filled the night, sweeping the air around me into a frenzy. They circled me like an intelligent tornado and then, with a single motion from Una, came to a startling stop in front of me.

Throwing my head back in pure amazement and shock, I laughed a full, hearty laugh and clapped my hands; the show was brilliant. I was delighted that these brave little souls would be so willing to put their lives on the line for a human – shape shifter or not, part Fae or not.

Pleased, Una said, “Pillywiggins! About face!” Each one hovered stone-still, looking forward, heads up, wings folded back as if ready for inspection. Clasping my hands behind my back, I took a step forward and walked down the line. Looking from one little being to the next, acting like, what I thought was very commander-like.

Stopping in front of the tiny combatants, and addressing my little troops, I said, “My friends, welcome and thank you! Our mission this night is one of utmost importance. We will be freeing Chip from Queen Magina’s land, and I need to know who, if any of you are willing to fight beside me this night? You must also know that death may indeed seek us out, but first we must stand and fight. This war is not just to save humans, but all beings, everywhere! The hunt will soon be upon us, our time is short. We must draw first blood!” Pausing for effect, I stood back and rumbled, “Are you with me?”

At that, a great whoop was sent up into the night sky and a flurry of wings erupted before me. Amazed and so proud of these brave little beings, I clapped for joy. Not one had questioned or disagreed, not one had thought of themselves. They deserved much more, but like I had said in my speech, time is short. After they all settled down again, I began the task of breaking them up into teams. Una was a great help during this process, because she knew each and every one of the Pillywiggins, and she knew what tasks would suit them best.

When all was said and done, we had 25 Pillywiggins, broken up into groups of 5 each and this did not count the ones that would be remaining behind to help the Wildes fortify the ranch and get ready for the Hunt. In total, there were over 100 Pillywiggins ready and willing to fight with us and though they were small, they were grand in spirit. In my book, this alone was a sign of victory.

As the sun disappeared behind mountains, airbrushing brilliant colors across the skies I said my goodbyes to the Wilde family. Once again, Adrian voiced her willingness to be my feet and once again, I had to decline. I would not be traveling by foot this night – I would fly. Teary-eyed, Mrs. Wilde hugged me and with a pat on the back and a quiet thank you, she pushed me towards my destiny. Assurances were useless, unless I succeeded in my task and somehow, without actual words being spoken we knew this to be the truth.

In a small burlap bag, that was flung unceremoniously over my shoulders, I had safely tucked away my mothers little blue book. Having memorized every spell she had provided me, the book was only there for comfort. Around my neck, for both luck and protection, on a chain that Dusty had made especially for my shape-shifting abilities, I carried the stone that Mr. Wilde had given me. That day by the fence seemed so long ago, I thought, as I lovingly fondled the cold, hard Granite, Pyrite and Amethyst between my thumb and forefinger.

Adjusting the strap to my bows and arrows, which laid between my breasts, I turned to my Pillywiggin friends and held up my hands for silence and said, “It’s time. Everybody ready?” After much nodding and fluttering of wings, the evening grew deathly still. Even the birds seemed to sense the importance of this moment and were silent.

Using one of the spells my mother had left me, I called the four directions and energies of light. Raising my voice, with an authority and conviction I didn’t know I had in me, I began the simple chant:

“There shall be light
In the darkness of night,
Deceive all who shall see,
In my image you each shall be!
You are Tawny Owls, I decree!
So Mote It Be!”

At first, I didn’t think it worked; I was about to repeat the spell, but then right before my very eyes, the 25 Pillywiggins who were to be my companions, shone brighter than the brightest star in the night skies and then dimmed, like tiny light bulbs slowly burning out. In the darkness of dusk, they started to change. The transformation was slow, but beautiful. Each one grew in size and their shapes changed. Tufts appeared where there hadn’t been any; first around the neck and then filling in, covering their bodies in soft brown and white plumage. By the light of the moon, their wings pulsed and changed from slight ribbons into the heavy, full feathers that were so like my own when I was in my animal form. I could hear gasps coming from the Wildes and other on-lookers who were gathered in front of the house and I silently sent up a thank you to my mother for her simple, but amazingly effective, spell.

When each selected Pillywiggin had taken its new form, everyone around us started clapping and as it has been known to do even in the darkest of times, the clapping brought about a happy, joyful, full feeling in our hearts. You could see this wondrous effect written on the faces of everyone there. Their eyes glowed from within, their smiles brightened the night. But before the smiles faded, before I could give any further instruction to my feathered friends that were only moments ago, Pillywiggins, a commotion erupted behind me. A thump accompanied an audible “humph” and a rolling ball of dust came bouncing over the rocky terrain, landing in a heap at my feet.

“I go too, milady” Gomak said with much determination.

When I started to decline his request, he straightened himself up and dusted himself off, and looking for a moment, quite regal he insisted, “I can help, yes I can. Gomak can help milady find the Stag.”

Pondering this, I carefully responded, “Gomak, if you were to go with us, I’d have to carry you in my talons. It may be quite uncomfortable, not to mention quite dangerous.”

Heartened that I didn’t just outright deny his request, he giggled and shaking his head up and down, he said, “I trust you. I do.”

Smiling down at him, I knew he did and in my heart, I knew he could help us because he’d been inside Queen Magina’s boundaries before, and in fact, he had been her slave. “I trust you too, Gomak.” With that said I patted his furry, little head and left him standing there, toeing the ground and blushing from head to foot.

After some careful instruction and some practice in taking off and flying like a true owl, I stood before my troops and told them the general plan. Using a stick I carved out a rough map on the ground. Motioning for Gomak to join us, I asked him to show me how best we could enter her lands and find Chip. Pointing to a spot I marked as a mountain range, he said, “Meanie Queenie, here. We no go there.” Shaking his head back and forth until I thought it might spin around. “Ok, Gomak, we won’t go there,” I muttered, adding under my breath, “not yet.” “We should go this way, yes, yes, this way,” he said emphatically, pointing to the head of the riverbed that ran between Magina’s lands and our own. “Where exactly are they keeping Chip?” I asked him. Pointing almost exactly to the spot I’d flown over a week earlier and spotted what I thought was a Stag in a grassy meadow due South of our current location, Gomak said, “He here.” Relieved that I had some idea as to where we were going, I announced that we would leave immediately and head towards the borderlands and the riverbed. “Group 1 and 2 will follow me. Groups 3, 4 and 5 will be commanded by Una. You will disperse and fly over Magina’s lands. Remember, you are to distract. Stay together, stay high and if anyone gets hurt, they will automatically revert back to their true form so that they can be carried. Oh and remember, your talons are sharp, so do be careful. We’ll regroup back here when the moon is at its highest point. And everyone should also be aware that there is a limit to the glamour I have cast. At half past Midnight, it will be broken, so don’t be late.”

Groups 3, 4 and 5 all took off awkwardly at first and then as if they had been owls all of their lives, they swooped down and back up, riding the air currents. Soon they flew high into the inky sky and set off towards Magina’s lands.

Heaving a sigh of relief, I looked at the remainder of my friends. “Everyone know what they’re supposed to do?” I asked. A chorus of hoots answered me back. Smiling, I looked down at Gomak, silently asking him if he was sure he wanted to come along. Nodding his head, he said aloud, “I have to help.” Quizzically, I looked at him, searching for the reason on his swollen little face. Understanding my puzzlement, he said, “she hurts too many.” With that still echoing in my head I said aloud, “Come on Gomak, let’s get this thing started.”

With an intake of breath, I pictured my animal self, and with an exhale, I could feel the shift, ever so slightly. Flying high up into the sky, I felt the rush that always followed. Circling back and as quick as a gust of wind, I swooped down and picked up Gomak in my talons, careful not to squeeze him too tight. With a squeal, whether from sheer terror or of glee I couldn’t tell, coming from below me we headed back up into the night and towards our destiny.

We flew west towards the river. Upon reaching the waterway we turned south, following the rushing waters down towards where I’d last seen the Stag. After a while the river turned east, instead of following it on, we continued our southern trajectory. After just a few short miles, I heard Gomak squeak, “This it. This Meanie Queenie’s land.” Racing through the night, high above the tree tops, I watched for any sign of the enemy. After some time, the trees started to become thicker, denser. At one point, I thought I saw a figure dash between bush and tree, but when I sent one of the Tawnys to check it out, they reported nothing unusual. I couldn’t help but feel that we were being watched. Deciding I was probably just being overly paranoid but not willing to take the chance and ignore it, I urged group 1 to break up just a bit and fly out to our sides, forming the V formation typical of many winged beasts. I then had Group 2 fly directly beneath me, blocking the view of my white feathers from the ground. We didn’t need to tip our hand just yet, I told them all telepathically. Directing my telepathy towards Gomak, I urged him not to speak but to just think the words, and then I asked in the same fashion, “Are we close?” “Close,” came his silent reply, “you see fence. We there.”

It wasn’t long then, that through a break in the trees, I spotted a wooden fence. With a sigh of relief, I quickly relayed this information to the others and asked Group 1 to scatter and fly lower, to check the area for any sentinels. Meanwhile, Group 2 and I flew the parameter of the fenced area, staying high above the trees so as to not draw any unwanted attention to ourselves. Though the treetops were not quite as thick in this area, I couldn’t make out where Chip was. The thought that maybe Migina had gotten paranoid and moved him, made my heart skip a beat. I certainly didn’t plan to go home empty handed.

I started getting messages from my scouts right away. There were minimal guards posted. Four to be exact and they were positioned North, East, South and West outside of the fence. I urged group one to stay undercover as much as possible. We didn’t want anyone to become aware of our presence just yet. Everyone readily agreed.

Leaving all but one of group 2 as lookout from above, my lone escort, Tria and I circled back towards the river, crossed it and sat down on an old, dead log dropping Gomak from my talons as I perched. He rolled just a little, before righting himself once again and dusting himself off. Before he could speak I said, “Gomak, I must leave you here for now,” with enough authority that he didn’t dare object. “Your help has been tremendously important, but now I must travel quickly by foot.” Nodding his understanding, but obviously reluctant to be left behind, I added, “Tria, will stay with you.” To Tria I said, “Please watch over Master Gomak. He is essential to the upcoming battle.” Tria nodded, but I could also hear her thoughts, and looking after Gomak rated pretty low on her list of necessary tasks. She seemed to be much more worried about her fellow Pillywiggins. I understood this, but I could not have her distracted from the task at hand. Turning back into my normal form, I put a hand to her feathery back and with great care I silently used one of my mothers spells to help calm her. “Yes, Mi’lady,” she said and settled down to watch the river.

With a little wave from Gomak, a wide-eyed and alert look from Tria, I quickly turned back into my owl self and took off towards Chip’s glorified cage. As soon as my eyes picked out the fence, I tucked down into the trees and gracefully descended to a thick bush I had scoped out earlier. Behind this bush, I once again reached out with my mind to my feathered friends. Tila, Tria’s sister and the leader of group 1, answered me at once, letting me know that there had been a development of sorts but that she needed to explain in person. Anxious to know what this new development was, I told her where she could find me and asked her to come as fast and as stealthily as possible. Within moments a tawny owl appeared beside me in the brush.

I could tell the moment she got within touching distance, something was wrong. She was extremely edgy; nerves shook her normally calm resolve. “One of the guards,” she began with haste, “It shifts, Mi’lady.” Trying to glean what I could from what she wasn’t saying, as much as hearing her words, I tried to understand what she meant by “it shifted.” Obviously, whatever it was was more than she could understand, maybe even more than her Pillywiggin mind could accept but I had to know what I was up against. So I pushed harder, digging deeper into her mind, until suddenly something happened that even I didn’t understand. I found that I could see it, as if I were seeing it through her eyes.

The Goblin that stood watch at the north side of the fence wasn’t a goblin at all, but a creature of the void. In fact, as I watched the pictures float through my mind, like a movie reel, there were moments when the glamour wilted away and became nothing more than thick, grey smoke. Shocked, I fluffed my body up in self defense. The vision seemed so close, so real that I feared it may materialize right here in front of me. I withdrew my mind from Tilas and silently asked for her forgiveness for intruding. With a calm that she hadn’t exhibited a few moments ago, she said, “You saw it? You saw it shift?” Nodding, I felt every muscle in my body as if it weighed a ton and my bones felt like rubber. Not a good combination, I decided. Without fear, she asked, “What is it, Mi’lady? I’ve never seen anything so,” she stumbled and then added, “so dark.”

In the index of my mind I went through the types of fairies that I knew to inhabit the surrounding lands. From what I had learned from Mrs. Wilde and the fantastical Froud Art and books, I knew that there were 5 basic types of Faeries: The Singers, the Sidhe, Faery Guides and Guardians, the Help-Line Troupes, and the Faery Challengers. From what I’d learned, I believed that the one we were dealing with here was from the Challengers group. Quite possibly it was the much dreaded, but terribly misunderstood Soul Shrinker whose purpose it seemed was to alert us to malicious gossip and reflect our own nasty thoughts back to us.

After a moments pause, I asked instead, “Do we know if this is true of all four guards?”

“We’ve only witnessed the one shift like that, the others seem to take their orders from,” she sighed and then finished as if not quite sure what category it fell under, “it.”

Sensing the weariness and fear deep within Tila, I used the same spell, with a slight variation, that I had used on her sister and instantly, she began to think more positively. I also added another little bit of magic that I learned from my mother and by doing so, I spread this feeling to all who had come with me. To Tila and all the other Pillywiggins that were in hiding, I thought, “I need a distraction, a big one.” Sensing my purpose, Tila readily agreed and flew off to join her brethren.

By my calculation, it was nearing 10 O’clock. That wasn’t much time to rescue Chip and get back to the ranch before the Pillywiggins would start to change back. However, I was confident that we would still succeed.

With so many Tawny Owls in the skies and trees, I didn’t want to chance one of the guards, or one of Migina’s other minions, would see my snowy whiteness and realize that we were using a sort of glamour, so I shifted once more to my human form. I was amazed at how easy it was to get used to relying on my Owl senses and how much I missed them once I was back in my own body. Slowly getting up from my seated position, I began stretching my neck, arms, back, and legs, trying to reorient myself within my human form. Finally, after some pinching of skin, I felt totally within myself again and staying low, waited for Tila’s distraction.

Within moments, far off in the opposite direction from where I sat, there was a huge boom. Fire sprouted up 50 feet into the air. The heat was intense, but it did not singe the trees. It was so powerful that it shook the earth under my feet and had I not expected it I would have probably run in the opposite direction; but instead, I stood my ground until I saw the guards, under the orders from the Soul Shrinker, run off towards the explosion. Mentally, I applauded my Pillywiggin friends. Unfortunately the Soul Shrinker didn’t follow his men; he stayed to guard the prisoner. Instead of depressing me, I took this as a good sign and it gave me hope. He wouldn’t have stayed had Chip been moved.

Knowing I had very little time, I slowly crept out from behind the bush and staying low, I crossed the short distance to the fence. Before the Soul Shrinker had a chance to realize I was there, I had already cast a spell, binding the beast with blessings. Falling to the ground the Soul Shrinker didn’t seem to be in pain, as much as it was… in love. Jumping the fence, I was in mid-air when an electric shock ripped through me, flinging me up and away from the fence and with a thud, I landed on my back. For a few moments I couldn’t breathe. When I finally managed to suck in a fiery, stinging breath I found myself staring up into the eyes of the Soul Shrinker. Terrified I recoiled before I realized that I saw, not malice in his dark black eyes, but compassion.

Behind the Soul Shrinker, I could just make out a gaggle of Tawny Owls hurtling towards me and my assumed attacker. Before they could come any closer, I extended my mind to them and assured them of my safety and urged them to stay back. I was already committed, I didn’t want to involve them or chance breaking the spell that was working to my favor. Extending my hand, with a smile that reached all the way to my heart, I willed this gentle giant to help me up - and to my relief it held out its thick, shadowy hand and grasping my own, pulled me up to my feet. With earnestness, I thanked him and asked if he could help me? With great gentleness he led me by the hand to a spot in the fence that was nearest where he had, only moments ago, stood guard. At this point, he stooped down and picked up a stone that had been smushed deep into the ground; most likely from have his bulking weight grinding it down, deep into the earth for so long. As he picked up the stone an odd buzzing noise filled the air around us. Searching the skies for an attack of some sort, I was surprised to find a gate in the fence before me when I looked back. Relief rushed through me and I felt laughter bubble up in my throat and forgetting myself for a minute, I just let it spill over and out. Before I knew it, I realized I wasn’t laughing alone. The Soul Shrinker had started to laugh too, only his laugh was like something from a nightmare - garish! The look on his face however was so gentle and kind and innocent and happy, that I knew it held no malice. And seeing his childlike pride made me laugh even harder.

*****************

Hearing laughter for the first time in months, I stood up from the damp hay in this thing they called a shelter, my legs shaking with the effort. Cocking my pointy ears towards the sound, I listened intently. Letting the sound wash over me, I felt hope for the first time since I had given myself up to Migina. Willing my legs to carry me, I inched forward towards the door. As I grew closer I realized that some of it was the laughter of a girl. As I peaked out the opening, I saw that it was not just any girl, but the one that haunted my dreams.

*****************

As our laughter drew to an end, I found myself with an arm around the creature, hugging it. Oddly, I found it comforting. Letting go, I looked towards the fence and the gate that stood open wide and noticed for the first time that there, in the middle of the paddock, was a small hut-like structure. Standing inside the door to the hut was a hideously misshapen deer. This couldn’t possibly be the great Steer I had seen sitting in spirit form at the Wildes kitchen table. As if sensing my disappointment, it slid back into the shadows. Carefully, I stepped over the gates’ threshold and slowly, so as to not scare it, crossed the paddock. As I approached the hut, I peered into the dense shadows and saw the sad creature lying, its spindly legs folded under it, on a pile of rotten hay. Stepping into the hut and the shadow, I was overcome with the smell of manure and rotten eggs. Although the deer seemed to be cowering from me, its eyes penetrated deep into my soul, as if reading my intent. Going with that, I too used my new-found abilities to penetrate its soul and found there, the most beautiful spirit I’d ever known. In that moment when our souls collided I knew I had found the one I’d been searching for. Not just today, but for my entire life. I also saw great pain and sorrow. This made me feel like my heart had been ripped out of my chest and crushed with unearthly force. I wondered how he could have survived like this and as I thought it, I saw hope. It was an undeniable, unwavering, unyielding love that brought immeasurable hope.

On a sigh I said, “Chip.”

One blink, then two; then he struggled to his feet. Shakily he said, “I’ve seen you in my dreams.”

Thinking him delusional, I smiled and asked him the only question I could think of, “are you ready to go home?”

Before leaving the hut, I disabled the glamour that Migina had stricken Chip with, but before I could add my own glamour to him, he stopped me and asked, “What’s your name?”

Smiling, I answered, “Ivy.”

“Ivy,” he repeated as if my name was something to savor. Shaking it off, he focused his penetrating green eyes on me again and said, “Let’s go.”

Stepping out of the hut and into the darkened night, I said, “Wait, there’s something I must do first.” I went over to the Soul Shrinker, who had been waiting patiently by the gate, and taking his big hand in mine I offered, “Will you come with us? Help us fight against Migina?”

To my surprise he didn’t answer but let my hand drop, turned and stalked away, back towards Migina’s Court. My heart beat hard in my chest as I watched him lumber away. I wanted to run after him, but Chip held me back and in my ear he whispered, “He’ll help us, but from the inside.” Taking a deep breath in and then letting it out slowly, I understood in that moment that Chip was right – the Soul Shrinker’s job was best done from the inside out. I turned back to Chip and with a few words spoken under my breath I had him flying with the rest of us Owls. I could tell by the wild look in his eye that he’d never experienced anything so freeing as flying. With a hoot, I led the way up and across the tops of trees until we came to the river where I picked up Gomak, and where Tria was able to reunite with her sister and the other Pillywiggins. With the moon rising ever higher in the sky and everyone together once again, we rode the wind towards home.

From high above, I looked out and over the shadowed meadow where I first had met the infamous Queen Migina. Of course, I hadn’t known her then; heck, I hadn’t known myself then. I remembered the fear I had felt. Now, though, everything seemed so small, so peaceful and perfect. I knew better, but in that moment, it seemed as if nothing could disturb this picture of perfection and that made me start to wonder… How had it been so easy to get into Migina’s lands and get out without an alarm being sounded? Looking back, it almost seemed too easy.

The land surrounding the ranch was quiet and dark when we approached at a quarter till Midnight. Nothing stirred in the slight breeze, no creatures were scurrying around, and no sounds penetrated the night air. Sensing something was off; I had everyone double back to the Stable, where I left Tria once again to watch over Gomak while Chip and I did a flyover. “Awfully quiet down there,” he said as we passed over the house. “Too quiet,” I answered. Circling back, with great weariness Chip said, “It looks like I’m not home yet.”

Heading back to our Pillywiggin friends, I heard an odd clamor behind us. Chip heard it too. Casting a furtive glance over our shoulders, we saw a massive black cloud forming behind us. But this was no ordinary cloud. Clouds didn’t advance on you and they most certainly didn’t Caw! Knowing we had very little time, we flew harder and faster than I ever had flown before. Finally, we came upon the Stable and took refuge in one of the unused stalls. Hunkering down, I called out to the Pillywiggins with my mind and told them of the upcoming murder of Carrion Crows. Everyone took to closing and baring the doors and windows. As the massive birds drew closer and closer the noise grew into a chaotic screeching. With thundering accuracy, they flew headfirst into the wood; splintering it and smashing away windows in their eager attack. Coming from somewhere in the barn I heard screams.

“Change!” The word pulsed consistently in my head. Calculating the chances, I quickly changed back to my human form. Taking note of the time, I saw that the Pillywiggins would be changing in a mere 15 minutes, but I felt compelled to undo the spell I had cast on those that were here with us. They needed their own skills, their own bodies in order to survive this. I needed to stop the screams echoing in my head. Through the swirling mass of birds I could make out a multitude of tiny lights flitting around through the rafters. Beside me, Chip sat on the hay covered wooden floors and looked at his hands; turning them this way and that, studying them as if he hadn’t seen them before. “It’s been a while,” he commented. Shaking himself, he added, “MOVE!” Before I could understand what he meant, I found myself hulled up to my feet. Shocked, I looked around and coming straight at us were hundreds of black crows. Dodging angry beaks, jumping over debris, we moved further into the Stable. “Here!” Chip yelled over the din, yanking me by the arm, he half threw me into what I knew to be a tack room. Catching myself on the table, I heard Chip struggling to close the door behind me. Quickly, I crossed the small room and added what strength I could. With one last heave, we had the door closed, cutting off the beak of one of the crows in the process. It flopped on the floor, opening and closing with an unearthly power, trying to get closer to us – to get us.

Outside the door, the birds kept up their barrage. “We need a plan,” Chip said, staring at the door as it wavered anew with each hit. With anger and boundless frustration I kicked the beak that still moved of its own volition. Skidding across the floor, it landed with a thud as it hit a low cupboard and bounced off, sliding under the table. Something in the low cupboard squealed and both Chip and I jumped back. Retrieving an arrow, I notched it in my bow, with a thundering voice I said, “Who’s there?!” When we didn’t get a response, I nodded to Chip who had positioned himself to the side of the small cupboard. Leaning forward, he grasped the handle and silently asked if I was ready. Giving him the go ahead, I pulled the arrow back and with a steady hand, aimed. With one swift movement Chip threw open the door and a small furry ball came rolling out, with a plop cowered on the floor. “No shoot!” it wailed. “No shoot!”

Letting my arm with the bow and arrow still in it fall to my side, I let out a whoosh of air. “Gomak!” I said angrily. With one hand over my heart to steady it, continued, “Why didn’t you answer me? I almost killed you!”

“Me sorry, milady. Me scared.” Gomak said as he hefted himself to his feet. Suddenly, Gomak realized that someone else stood in the small space and shuffling over to me, he hid behind my legs.

“It’s ok Gomak,” I said, “That’s Chip. He’s the one we were trying to save.”

Humbly, Gomak came out from behind my leg and bowed deep saying, “I here to serve.”

Chuckling, Chip ruffled Gomak’s hair and Gomak giggled in reply. Hating to break it up, but the birds were persistently chipping away at the door and I felt my nerves fray with every strike. Impatiently, I said, “If you two are done, can we maybe come up with a plan?” When Chip threw me a look of annoyance, I added gesturing towards the door, “I’m worried about the Pillywiggins. They’re out there all alone.”

“Don’t worry,” he replied casually. To the look of annoyance I sent him, he said, “they’re after us. Not them.” To make up for it, he went over to the cupboard where Gomak had been hiding and reached deep inside. When he withdrew his arm, he held a stick gnarled with time. Shaking my head back and forth, I asked, “And how exactly is that supposed to help?”

Holding it out to me, he said, “Here, take it.”
Skeptical, I reached out and took it from him. “I still don’t see…” I started to say; when all of the sudden, it started to vibrate. Then, to my utter amazement it started to glow from within. When I just stood there, mouth agape, Chip exclaimed, “I knew it! I knew it was you!”

With the crows still pounding away at the door and their blood pooling beneath its threshold, time seemed to swirl around me. The air became close, too close to breathe. My head was light, too light to keep standing, too light to see. My legs became weak and I felt myself falling through time and space. I guess I passed out, because the next thing I knew I was on the cold, hard floor with Chip supporting my head, brushing my hair back out of my eyes and Gomak was pacing back and forth muttering to himself. Raising myself on one arm, I asked groggily, “What? What happened?”

“It’s alright. Everything’s going to be alright,” Chip said with care.

Gomak came up and started poking me in the ribs, saying, “You alive! Oh milady, you alive!”

“Yes, Gomak, I’m alive.” I said, hoping to spare my ribs any further punishment. To Chip I said, “What did you mean, you knew it was me?”

Smiling brightly, he said, “I told you I saw you in my dreams.”

“I thought you were delirious,” I said incredulously.

Laughing lightly, he said, “Nope. I’ve dreamt of you my whole life.” When I only looked blankly at him, he added by way of explanation, “I always suspected it was you, the Faery Princess my parents always spoke of, the one who would come and save the day.” He stumbled a bit, spilling the words out like water tumbling over a waterfall, “But I wasn’t sure so I made you this wand. If the wand reacted to you, then I’d know you were the one.”

“The one what?” I demanded, still wary. He just smiled and started to ease me up to my feet. In my hand I still held the wand which was more than just a twisted stick, but a symbol of dreams come true.

“From here on out,” he said taking my hand, “we fight together.”

Atol returned to Migina's court to be greeted by chaos. Everyone was rushing around, he desperately looked around for someone to tell him what was going on and had almost given up when he spied an old friend. The friend seeing him at the same time came scurrying up to him out of breath "Atol! I'm so glad I found you! Migina is out of control! She keeps on raving about owls and archers!"
Owls and Archers? thought Atol that could only mean one thing, something big was happening with the girl and the Wildes. He took a deep breath to steady himself and entered the throneroom.
The throne room was like entering a hurricane, there was so much bustling and noise, no one seemed to have any direction except that it was all focused around the throne. Migina seemed to be in her element, sending people off in one direction, than another. The storm parted as Atol walked towards the throne.
Migina's eyes snapped on him and she grinned looking slightly insane. "Atol! I'm glad you finally decided to grace us with your presence. The owl girl has multiplied herself somehow and our guards are getting overwhelmed with owls."
"Interesting milady, what actions have you taken so far?"
"I placed some of my friends to guard the stag instead of your men, I do not think you are strong enough to withstand her, she is much more advanced than we suspected, the only way to fight her is to undermine her confidence"
"Milady, are you sure that is wise? My men have been trained for centuries to guard those borders and they have done so diligently...."
"Enough!" Migina cut him off "I have done what I know to be best, now what I want you to do is to go make sure that..." at this time a goblin runs up and starts jumping up and down trying to get their attention Atol focuses on it and so does Migina, granting it permission to speak.
"IIII', sssorry ttto iiiinnnterrupt milady bbbbut IIII ffffelt you should know that" he stuttered obviously overcome with fear, then gulped and said very quickly "thattheowlgirlhasinvadedandmadeawawiththestag"
"What?!" Migina screamed her eyes bugging out "I've been betrayed, betrayed by YOU!" She pointed at Atol and the goblin that was trying to hide behind Atol.
She went on "You, Atol, WILL get her and bring her and the stag back before the time for the hunt, or you will be the hunted"
Atol bows and and says "as you wish milady" anyone looking at his face at that point in time would notice that he looks both stricken and older than before.
As he leaves the throne room he calls to his friends and guards and orders them to call the crows. When he reaches a clearing outside there are thousands of crows gathered, creating a huge shiny sea of black. He places an image of Ivy and Chip in their minds and orders them off to hunt. After the crows have taken off in a huge cloud of cawing black, a friend comes up and tells Atol that he saw the whole thing happen and that he over heard Ivy tell Chip his name.
"Now that we know her name, we can use that to spy on them and find out what they are planning, should we tell Milady?"
Atol thought about it for awhile and shook his head "no we will keep that knowledge amongst ourselves my friend. I like not what milady may do with the knowledge, I feel that lately she has been flirting with powers that she does not understand and can not control. I fear it may come out badly all around. No, we will use what we have for ourselves and try to mitigate the damage all around. I, at least, will stick to the Old Rules. Now I must go report that the crows are on the hunt for Ivy and Chip, once they have been found I will have them brought to Milady"
Returning to the throneroom Atol puts all thought of names out of his mind, he wouldn't put it past Migina, in her current mood to read his mind or try to get control of the situation in someway.
"You put the crows on them! What a grand idea, now once we know where they are I will send one of my friends off to get them and bring them here" she beckons off to her left and a trio of hideous black creatures oozed forward. " Hobyah, Shrinker and Doom, I want you three to go and disarm the owl girl and anyone she is with and bring them all back here to me"
"Milady, you know that the crows will happily bring the girl and boy here themselves, no need to worry your friends with this"
"Oh no, Atol, this is what my friends specialise in, trust me it will be so much quicker and easier than your old crows, anyways I am the QUEEN remember? Who are you to second guess me?"
Atol watched the three dark faeries leave with distaste, he made a quick exit from the queen and quickly, quietly followed the three off into the forest.
He followed them, sending a mindcall to his men to let them know what he was doing. This was the point of no return, if any of the men decided to tell Migina that he was acting on his own he would be dead...or worse. To his surprise, as they reached the edge of the woods he glanced behind and saw his men quietly following him. He motioned to them and they all gathered in a circle, he counted all twelve of his best men. Smiling ruefully he outlined what had happened to his men, with Migina giving him an order and recalling it, placing it in the hands of the unknowns. He explained the unknowns and how they seem to not work by the same rules as the old UnSeelie court, and he explained how his main goal now is to see if Ivy is really so much of a threat to the balance or if Migina is the true threat to the balance. "All I want is to see the light and dark balance restored so that we can go about our business, if that means killing Ivy then that is what we shall do, if it means dethroning the Queen, so be it."
"Aye capt'n" one of his men said "the queenie has been a loose cannon of late...but how do we take care of her when she has so much power?"
Atol took a deep breath "first things first, let's see to Ivy and these three friends of the Queen" And they silently took off towards the Wilde's.

When I heard those words from Chip—that we would fight together, I felt as if the heavy weight I’d felt on my shoulders since I learned of this Wild Hunt had been eased by half. I looked down at the wand and then up into Chip’s eyes. I felt his power so close around me. Our power swirled around us both, melding together to form something so strong that I felt light-headed again. Chip reached into the cupboard and pulled out another wand. They both radiated with our power. It was as if being near each other, our powers mingled to become stronger and concentrated into our wands.

“I’ve never felt anything so strong before,” I gasped.

“Neither have I,” said Chip. He sounded breathless.

“What can we do with these wands?” I asked Chip.

He smiled at me. His smile was beautiful and gleaming white against the beautiful richness of his Native American skin. I felt another tingle, then—one that I promptly pushed out of my mind. “I think the more appropriate question would be, what CAN’T we do with them?”

“Well in that case,” I said, my heart suddenly filled with a bravery I never knew I could muster, “let’s open these doors and toast these squawking pests!”

“I thought you’d never ask!” Chip took my hand. “Gomak, you should probably get back in that cupboard, little guy. We don’t want you getting hurt.”

Gomak, who’d been watching our exchange with eyes as big as saucers and chin almost on the ground shook his head to clear his awe and scrambled back into his hiding place. Once we were sure Gomak was safely hidden, Chip and I opened the doors together.

When we opened the stable doors, we were bombarded with blood and feathers, squeaks from the Pillywiggins and squawks from the crows. Chip looked at me and called over the noise, “Concentrate your power toward the darkness only. We don’t want to hurt any Pillywiggins.” Suddenly, I didn’t feel so brave. We were spattered in blood. This was getting too real. Chip must have seen the slight panic on my face, because he winked and squeezed my hand tight. “Ready?” he asked.

I swallowed a lump and nodded. “Let’s do this!”

And we did. We concentrated all of our combined power into the tips of our wands and focused it toward the crows. Suddenly, just as I thought I wouldn’t be able to handle it any longer, our power burst forth from the tips of our wands in hundreds of glowing streams so thin that they looked like glowing spider webs. Each stream found a target in a cawing crow.

The Pillywiggins seemed frozen in mid-air. Then, in that instant, each crow was transformed into glittering and frozen obsidian stone and fell to the ground with a soft thud. When the crows started falling, the Pillywiggins darted out of the way.

After all the crows littered the ground, I bent over and picked one up. It was, indeed, a solid obsidian stone in the shape of a crow. Feathers still floated down to the ground. I also saw little clouds of pearlized, glowing dust in the air. I assumed it was some defense of the Pillywiggins, who were now milling and flitting about the grass, helping their wounded.

I fell to my knees then. My eyes filled with tears and my heart with sorrow. These little fae had fought hard and made sacrifices to save us, even though we had shut them out and left them to fight a battle that should have included all of us. Through my sobs, I felt Chip’s arm around me. He called out to the small, glowing soldiers, “Get your wounded into the ranch house! My family will care for them! Thank you all for your honorable bravery! We are going after the Unseelie Queen, and we WILL NOT FAIL YOU!”

Chip helped me to my feet and turned my body so that I was facing him. I looked down and away from him, until he lifted my chin gently with his hand. I sobbed harder. Then his eyes caught mine and held them. The only person who existed in my world right then was Chuchip Wilde. “Shhh,” he whispered, “Ivy, we will win. I know it. This will all be worth it in the end. We must trust in our power and in our…” He blinked as though he had caught himself saying too much, “…and in our destiny.”

What was our destiny? I wondered. But I trusted Chip, and I knew that he trusted me. Neither of us could do this without the other. We were two halves that made up the power to stop Migina.

“Let’s go get her.” I said through clenched teeth. I squeezed my wand in one hand and Chip’s hand in the other. Just as we started moving, we heard a squeak behind us. We both turned. Gomak was standing in the doorway of the stable, the moonlight bouncing off his fuzzy hair like a crooked halo.

“Wait! You need Gomak!” I had never heard such resolve out of the little goblin, and it left me speechless, unable to argue.

“C’mon then,” I said with a new respect for him. “Keep up, my friend.”

Gomak’s little legs moved swiftly as he caught up with us and we stole into the night to fulfill our destiny.

* * *

When Atol and his soldiers arrived at the stable, he held up a hand to stop them. He smelled the copper scent of blood and the lightning scent of strong magic in the air. He moved forward, cautiously. The ground looked wet in the moonlight. Then, the toe of Atol’s boot came in contact with something hard. He bent down and picked up the small obstruction. It was a shiny crow made of polished obsidian. That was what was making the ground look wet—hundreds of obsidian crows reflecting the light of the moon.

Atol dropped his head.
“Capt’n? What is it?” He could hear his men shifting uncomfortably behind him. Atol made a decision then. He lifted his head, drew in a breath, turned, and addressed his men.

“Soldiers, the Seelie power has been fully unleashed and has melded with the native powers of this land. The Queen can only fight this by harnessing the full powers of the Void. Many of us have seen the effect that small amounts of this black power have had on the Queen. She does not have the strength to control it. No one does. What we have to decide now, my men, is which side of this fight we will take, now that we have this knowledge.” Atol paused. His men were still. Some looked at their feet, some looked at him with adoration, and others still looked at him with slight defiance. It was the last group that he focused on as he continued. “Now I know we all pledged ourselves to the Unseelie Court. Some of us may think we are betraying our word and our nature if we join forces with the Seelie girl and the Native boy. However, we are still subject to the Old Laws. Perhaps the most important of all those laws is maintaining balance between the Seelie and the Unseelie. Migina broke that law when she began summoning the powers of the Void. It is my firm belief that those who fight against her do not mean to eradicate us Unseelie, but to restore the balance between the two courts and the balance within the powers that are native to this land. I have been around for more battles than all of you. Please, soldiers, I ask you to trust my instinct and my motives. Who is with me?” Atol glanced around at his men. Every single soldier was looking at him with confidence now. For the first time since he had pledged himself to Migina, Atol felt the uneasy stirring within him lift and float away on a breeze of hope. Then, he and his men formulated a plan and began to track Ivy, Chip, and Gomak.

When Atol and his men had gone, a pile of obsidian crows shifted as a tiny Pillywiggin with an injured wing pushed them off of his glowing body. He carefully stood, wincing in pain. When he was upright, he smiled and let out a tiny, triumphant whoop.

* * *

Chip, Gomak, and I stole through the trees. Chip and I had put away our wands, and I had my bow and arrows ready and within reach. We were saving our wands for Migina. We had decided it was unwise to use such large amounts of power that drained us and might set up huge red flags to the Unseelie. All along the way, Gomak whispered directions. He knew all of the spots that were ignored by most of the fae. He had survived all his life by finding hiding places and unused, secret routes to travel.

We wanted to catch Queen Migina by surprise. We knew that she had probably sent the majority of her guards out to find us. Gomak told us that she held her court deep within the mountain, which was full of dangerous faerie creatures that none but the Unseelie knew how to avoid. Gomak would be able to help us avoid these creatures. Queen Migina undoubtedly felt safe because she didn’t know we had someone from inside her court on our side.

All of these thoughts were running through my head as we stole through the thickest parts of the forest. I was so distracted by my own thoughts that I didn’t feel the presence following behind us, nor did Gomak, who was intent on making sure we were taking the most concealed paths. Luckily, Chip was paying attention and alerted me by softly touching my elbow. I reached forward and down, and did the same with Gomak. I put my finger to my lips and motioned for him to be quiet and follow our lead.

Chip motioned for us to spread out, but as we moved to do so, the one who was tailing us stepped from behind a large tree with his hands up. The moonlight shone on his armor. By his armor and his misshapen appearance, I knew he was Unseelie. I could see every detail of him, even though the moonlight was filtered by the thick leaves and branches. There were many advantages to embracing the owl in myself; seeing perfectly in the dark was just one of them.

I raised my bow with an arrow aimed right between his eyes. I saw Chip brace himself out of the corner of my eye. He didn’t have a weapon with him, but from what the Wildes had told me, he’d mastered many of the martial arts.

“I am unarmed,” the soldier said calmly. “I am here to help you. My name is Atol.” I heard a small gasp from Gomak.

“What is it, Gomak?” I asked, not taking my eyes or my aim away from the figure before me.

“He Captain of Queenie’s guard!” Gomak said it so fast that I didn’t understand him at first. When I realized what he was saying, I pulled my bow even more taught and narrowed my eyes.

“This is a trap,” I said, “and we are going to kill you.” Just as I said this, a shadow passed over us, and I heard the fluttering wings of something large as it settled onto the limb of a tree directly above Atol. It was an eagle. Perched on its back was a tiny Pillywiggin with a broken wing. I knew that eagle. It was Mrs. Wilde.

The Pillywiggin waved at us. “Hey! Don’t shoot him! He is on our side!”

I looked at Mrs. Wilde and asked, “Is this true?”

The eagle fluttered down to the ground, gingerly let the Pillywiggin slide from her back, and transformed into the short, stocky woman with pretty blue eyes. “It is true, Ivy,” she said, “This little one overheard this captain speaking with his guard. I went into the mind of the Pillywiggin to confirm it before I came to tell you. Poor little lad has had a time of it, what with the crows and all, but he insisted on coming with me to tell you.” She smiled down at the Pillywiggin, who beamed and seemed to glow a little brighter. I couldn’t help but smile back at him.

Atol spoke then. “Milady, you are welcome and invited to use your magic to see into my heart and to see my true intentions. It is true that my guard and I are Unseelie, and that our nature is different from yours. However, we wish to keep balance between all parties involved, for balance is one of the Old Laws. Our Queen thinks she can tip the scales in her favor and vanquish all who will not submit to her rule. We know this is not how things should be. Our goal is to achieve and maintain a balance like the powers native to this land we have invaded have achieved.” I looked at Chip. Both of us were still poised to fight. I relaxed my hold on the bow, and he followed my lead by relaxing his stance. I felt Gomak, then, holding onto my leg. He peeked around my calf, glaring at the armored creature before us.

“Well, I believe him, anyway,” Mrs. Wilde chimed in. I did too, but I wasn’t about to show my hand just yet.

“Chip, what do you think?” I asked.

“Well,” Chip said slowly, as if he was working through everything in his mind, “I think what he says is making a lot of sense. I feel no malice from him. You may feel a little oppositional push because you two are from opposite ends of the power spectrum, but I honestly feel he can be trusted, Ivy.”

I let out a breath of air that I felt I’d been holding the whole time. “I trust you, Atol. In fact, I think you may be just what the Unseelie need in a ruler. Help us overthrow Migina, and we will see what we can do about getting you that throne.”

Atol smiled. It was hideous and heartwarming at the same time. He called out then. “Soldiers! We shall pledge ourselves not to Queen Migina, and not to the Seelie girl, but to restoring balance to the powers in these mountains! We shall be equal allies with the Seelie and native forces to overthrow Migina!” Just as he said that, hundreds of grotesqueries in armor stepped from behind bushes and trees. I inhaled sharply, shocked.

“Goodness, Chip,” I whispered, “I thank the Gods that they are allied with us, otherwise, they could have easily captured us. Did you know they were hiding all around us?”

“Nope,” Chip whispered back, a tinge of shock in his voice too. He glanced at me and smiled. Then, he looked over toward his stepmother and his grin got wider and his eyes grew soft with tears. He strode over to her, gave her a big bear hug, lifting her off her feet, then putting her back down.

“Oh, my Chuchip!” She said through sobs, “We have missed you so much! I hate to leave you again, but I have to get back and help hold down the fort. They walked over to me and she clasped both of our hands in hers. “You two be safe and help each other. We can’t afford to lose either of you.”

We both leaned over and kissed her cheeks. Then we stepped back and she transformed back into her eagle self. I gently picked up the injured Pillywiggin and kissed him gingerly on top of his head. “Thank you for all you have done for us, my friend. You are a true hero.” The Pillywiggin’s glow was suddenly tinged a slight pink color. This must be how they blush, I thought to myself with a tiny chuckle. I set him atop Mrs. Wilde’s back, and she took off back to the ranch.

We turned our attentions to Atol, our newest and strongest ally, to plan our course of action.

Atol and his men had left us to fulfill their side of our carefully laid plans. We had talked for hours trying to decide what the best course of action was going to be. There were now only a few hours until the sun would rise.

Chip and I had found a small abandoned shack that we had decided to rest in. Without sleep there was no way we could face the battle that was to come. The shack was just a single room. It was small and dusty but dry with the only furniture being a bed, a little table and a chair.

Gomak had been given the mission of telling the rest of the family the plan so they could prepare for what was to come. It took a lot of convincing for him to agree to go, it was only when I told him that he could join us when he had completed his mission that he left happy. I’d never seen his little legs move so quickly.

“So milady the bed is yours, I will gallantly take the rickety chair” Chip said with a bow and a playful grin. For me even the thought of being that separated from Chip made my heart sink. I didn’t know if I would be able to sleep with him in such close proximity but not having him by my side.

The look on my face must have betrayed my thoughts. “Ivy, I will only be a short distance away, I will not leave you. It is important for us to get some rest we will need all the energy we can muster”. The sensation that filled my body when he touched my hand was intoxicating. I was speechless for a few moments.

I begrudgingly sat on the edge of the little bed “do you really think our plans will work? I do feel stronger but will it be enough to defeat Migina?” As Chip leaned his chair back up against the wall and put his feet on the table he answered “Migina grows weaker as her fear intensifies, she will be no match against us and our new allies. It is the creatures of the Void that will be the real challenge now. Although we have no choice but to contain Migina, she has gone too far. Now lie down Ivy and get some sleep”.

At that moment I became so tired that I could not have stayed up right for another second. I lay down but as my head touched the dusty old pillow I felt like my whole body was being torn into a million pieces.

When the feeling subsided and I felt like my body was whole again I slowly opened my eyes. I was on a large round flat rock that was elevated above the ground. It appeared that I was in some kind of cavern that was filled with thousands of candles and torches lined the walls. My mind was working over time trying to work out what had happened and where I was, I needed to remain calm. I tried shift into my owl form but it didn’t work, fear started to overwhelm me. I desperately tried to find a way down.

“Ha! You’ll find no way of escape from here, I’ve done it, I’ve done it!!! I’ve captured the girl! The trap was laid, she walked into the trap trusting the beloved.” I looked towards the place that I thought the voice was coming from and there she was, Migina, dancing around in the air eyes wild and drawn, there was only a slight hint of the beauty that she had been.

“Did you not think it was all too easy, did you not think that spending so much time with me would not change a beings allegiance? Did you really think such a one as Chip could be yours or that he could be interested in such a mere slip of a girl like you?”

Before I could answer her, he was there beside her, the man I had risked my life and others to save, the man I thought… Well, what ever I had deluded myself into believing was shattered.

Through the tears than ran down my cheeks I could see Migina change her size to match Chips and they embraced each other. It sickened me to the core.

“No” the word was so small and quiet ‘No, it can’t be true” I started shaking my head slowly in disbelief and wrapped my arms around my self in an attempt to keep myself together as my whole body seemed to be shaking with rage.

Migina’s laughter was maniacal and bore through my very being. My thoughts turned to the Soul Shrinker, “please, please help me my friend, have I been betrayed or is this illusion?”

All at once the laughter stopped and was replaced by a piercing scream, a great gust of wind blew out all the candles and torches. Then there was silence and darkness. In the distance I could see what appeared to be a shadow gliding with a single ball of light moving in front of it. As the shadow moved closer my body started to relax, warmth and peace filled my heart.

The Soul Shrinker glided up to where I stood and I gave him the biggest hug I could. “Thank you my friend. What happened? Was any of that real?” The Soul Shrinker laid his gentle hand upon my cheek. Instantly I knew the truth of what had just happened. It had been a trap, but my deepest fears had dictated what I had seen and heard. The Soul Shrinker nodded his head and smiled, he then placed his hand upon the top of my head, and in that instant I was back in the little shack.

“Ivy! Thank the Great Spirit! I didn’t know where you had gone or what had happened!” Next thing I knew Chips arms were around me, I then felt something attach itself to my leg. I looked down and there was Gomak “Milady I will not leave your side again!” Once they had let go I told them all that had occurred.

“I’m so sorry Ivy, I should have known that she would leave traps along the way. We have become too complacent. She will now know that we are on our way. It’s time for us to move on.” Chip then hugged me again. I had heard of people feeling like another made them whole but until this day I had not felt nor believed it.

Migina hovered over her throne thoughtfully. It had been a long time since she had actually stopped and thought about things. But that was not what she was thinking about. She felt a slight uneasiness about how Atol had absented himself from the room. She searched for his mind for awhile and was unable to locate him. Then she shrugged, let him go sulk in the depths of Faerie, that was where he was undoubtedly. She did not need him anyways, he was part of the old balance, would have to be disposed of somehow eventually if he did not come to his senses. She was working on a new balance, one that was tipped forever in her favor. She looked around the brilliantly lit throne room happily. Even though Chip and Ivy had slipped thru her grasp in the last trap (that would've been just too easy, the hunt must go on), just the fact they were careless enough to trip that one gave her even more confidence. Add to that the fact that she now had the girls name.."Ivy" ifted oh so easily from Chip's mind...now Migina can find her anywhere on her land, or if Ivy said her name, Migina could zero in on her anywhere on earth or faerie.
Looking around Migina's eyes fell on a group of shadows in the otherwise golden bright throne room, "The Hobyahs have many other traps and tricks up their sleeves" She thinks to herself, "and they were just one of my many new allies." She gestured to a group of shadows off to her side and the Hobyahs sidled up to her. "Go" Migina says empirically to them "go and feed her fears, make her feet unsteady on the ground. I want her to be jumping at her own shadow and reeking of fear before we finally capture her, it will be no good to have her if she is not feeding us with her fear!"
The Hobyahs nod and shuffle out the side door and into the night, into the dark corridors of the mountain and out into the forest. They sniff the air and locate Ivy and Chip and head off that direction becoming no more solid than a thought as they move onward. They are now wisps of light on visible to a person or fae with the Sight.

Although she had sent the Hobyahs from her court out into the forest to attack Ivy, she felt as if her own uneasiness and fear had actually been amplified. She should have been able to stop this stupid girl by now. She was angry with herself for having to use her allies such as Atol and his guard, the Soul Shrinker, the Hobyahs, the Kelpie – all for this one scrawny girl, the deer boy, and the silly little Pillywiggins. She was embarrassed that her powers had not crushed them all right away. She regretted having toyed with Chip for so long, wishing instead that she had simply done away with him when she’d had the chance. But that would have been no fun, and Migina loved her dark fun.

She sighed and paced the corridors of her underground palace, small torch-bearing rogue-pixies surrounding her, keeping the shadows at bay. That’s all they were good for, thought Migina. When this little group of pixies decided they had enough of being chastised by the other pixies for playing pranks that were seen as a little too cruel, they’d decided to adopt the “we’ll show them” attitude and go to Migina, who thought they were silly and useless, but took them in anyway. Better to have as many expendables as possible.

These little pixies were indeed expendable, Migina thought as she flicked one against the rocky wall. She smiled wickedly at her method of stress-relief until, as he bounced off the wall and tumbled back toward her, his torch went out, leaving a little spot of sudden darkness. Migina grabbed another pixie and screamed, “Light his torch!” They scrambled to help their friend up and lit his torch. He looked disoriented and a little unsteady on his feet, but only his group of friends noticed. Migina didn’t care. They began whispering amongst themselves about how they were being treated worse here than they had been among their own kind until Migina hissed at them to be quiet. There had been a lot of whispers in her court lately, and one soft, yet deadly word brushed at the edges of her mind like a shadowy feather: betrayal.

***

“Why is it still nighttime?” I asked. It seemed as if I had been asleep for days, yet dawn had not yet broken.

“Time is different here, Ivy. Faerie is keeping itself in a sort of suspended time so that this battle may have all the time it needs to play out.” Chip was gathering their supplies so that they could keep moving on toward the Queen’s caverns.

“Well I don’t like it.” Ivy hugged herself. “I would rather bring everything into the light so I can see what’s coming at me.”

“And so they can see us coming at them? Use your owl eyes. You will be fine. We have to use things like this constant nighttime to our advantage. We have light on our side in our hearts.” Chip took my hand. “You’re shaking. What is it?”

“I’m not sure…I just have this feeling like we’re going to lose everything and it will be my fault. I feel I’ve forgotten something important and we will all fall to Migina because of it.”

We had begun our journey through the woods again. My feet felt heavy and clumsy as I saw Chip gliding gracefully and silently through the trees in that stag-like way. I was just a stupid girl who thought she could play a warrior. I stepped on a twig that snapped loudly, and I winced at the sound. I thought I saw a glimmer of something between two trees like a reflection off a small, shiny object. I blinked, and it was gone. I felt myself trip over something, and as my body hit the hard ground, I was jerked out of the forest and into a dream-memory…

(I was standing at the edge of the gym. Lined up to take my turn at whatever fresh hell the gym teacher had devised in order to torture and humiliate me, I could feel the extra baby fat on my thighs, arms, tummy weighing me down. It felt like five tons of flesh were pulling at me, trying to make me crash through the floor and down into the earth where I would be hidden in shame forever from all of these thin girls.

Although I weighed the same as the other girls, I was short. I felt like fat little freak. When I looked at my reflection in the glass doors at the entrance to the school next to the tall, waif-like creatures surrounding me, I looked like some massive giant had placed me between his thumb and forefinger and squished so that my body shrunk down and bulged out.

Standing in that gym, waiting my turn, I could smell the school smells: the stale sweat, stinky socks, and cheap colognes and perfumes of the gym and locker room mixed with the smell of lukewarm orange juice and yeasty rolls wafting through the halls from the lunch room. It was a filthy smell full of lies and whispers that ruined girls’ lives. The salad I’d eaten for lunch did cartwheels in my stomach. I’d put too much dressing on it. I imagined the salad dressing beginning to absorb into my stomach lining and distribute swollen, oily chunks of fat into my already engorged limbs and torso. I couldn’t stand the thought of it. I gagged once, then ran to the girls’ locker room, the salad flying from my lips like a scream. But it was more of a release than a scream could ever be.

Flash to me in class two months later. I had lost all of my baby fat, and dropped two sizes. The other girls had started to notice, and a group of them stared at me while the teacher wrote some meaningless and cryptic equation on the board. I was doing much worse in gym class, but I didn’t care because I was thinner than the jock girls now. I read books in the library during lunch and hid the treats people gave me in napkins and stuffed them in my pockets. I still felt too fat, though. Those thoughts of worthlessness were stronger than ever, and I felt weaker than ever. I tried to ignore the shadows at the edges of my vision—the inky black shapes that suddenly lurked in the corners…)

I awoke in the forest alone. Chip and Gomak were nowhere to be found. I realized that I must have hit my head when I’d tripped. The dream I’d had when I was out had left me shivering and in a cold sweat. All of those feelings of hopelessness and weakness had invaded my mind again. Although I had recovered thanks to a treatment facility, I still felt a little worthless and ugly sometimes, but never so intense as I had felt them when I was in high school. Now in this forest alone the feelings were more intense than I ever remembered them being. I wanted to lie back down on the cold hard ground and die—stop the pain and shame I caused myself and everyone around me.

Those silver glimmers again. I used to see little silver glimmers when I was eating under 500 calories a day. They usually preceded me passing out. I slowly sat up. These glimmers were a bit different. They gathered in front of me, pooled together, and melted into a silver mirror. I used to hate mirrors. I pinched my arm to reassure myself that there wasn’t much more there than skin and a little lean muscle. I was going to sit right where I was and not look in the mirror. That was, until I felt something that was like a combination between a pin-prick and an electric shock surge through my backside. I jumped up, and suddenly, I was looking in the mirror. I saw a short, deformed, fat girl staring back at me. My arms were enormous and swollen like sausage stuffed into casings that were too small to hold all of it. My small, pointy chin was hidden under a mound of flesh that reminded me of a frog’s throat in mid-croak.

This couldn’t be real. I know I had indulged a little at the Wildes’ house—Mrs. Wilde was such a good cook—but I couldn’t have gained that much weight, could I? I pinched my arm again, and it felt like just skin over bone and muscle, but when I looked in the mirror, I was pinching a fistful of fat.

I would not allow this weakness! I began tearing at my skin, my hair, raking big scratches all over my body and pulling out hair in clumps. I would extract these impurities from myself or die trying…

***

Migina’s giggles were wickedly gleeful as she watched Ivy from the other side of the Hobyahs’ mirror. The girl was going to tear herself apart! Migina shoved small seeds into her mouth like popcorn, chewing greedily and licking her lips like a predator with its prey in her grasp.

***

“We almost there, Mr. Chip,” Gomak said.

The ground was getting rockier and steeper. Chip, who had been focused on the task at hand, suddenly realized that Ivy had been very quiet since they’d left the shack. He had been vaguely aware of the sound of her walking behind them. But he hadn’t looked back until now.

He turned around and asked. “Everything okay—?“ In the spot where he’d assumed Ivy was behind him, a shadow twitched and scuttled away through the trees, crunching twigs and laughing a sinister, throaty laugh. Where was Ivy?

Screams seemed to fill the whole of Faery. It was impossible to tell what direction they were coming from. Chip drew his focus inward to center himself then he spread his awareness out to all the living creatures in the forest. He then narrowed his focus upon Ivy.

When he did locate her and lock onto her mind the force of her pain and anguish was so great that he fell to the ground with a great thud. It didn’t make any sense to him. What could be causing her so much pain. All he could hear from her thoughts was “no. no, no, not again, no, no, no!” He stretched his mind further and found the Hobyahs.

Anyone that had grown up in Faery would know the tricks of the Hobyahs and would not have fallen into their trap, as all know that they are truly tiny creatures that only get to be as big as your fears allow them to be. They usually don’t mean harm to others, they see it as their jobs to teach people that their fears create illusions and are not to be believed or trusted. The spell they had cast onto Ivy seemed to be particularly nasty, they didn’t usually allow the person they were teaching to come to physical harm, this was out of character, even for these little tricksters. The shift of power had begun and it seemed that the darkness being harnessed by Migina had the upper hand.

Chip called upon the only one that he knew could save Ivy from herself and free her from the spell.

“Singer of Courage, I beseech thee, come to the aid of my beloved. Your light usually shins so bright within her, she is lost, I call upon thee!”

In front of Chip and Gomak radiant light gathered into a huge mass that dwarfed some of the nearby trees. Then it moved off so quickly that the human eye could barely follow it – well, luckily Chip was only part human and Gomak, well, he was Gomak, purely goblin blooded, so they were able to follow the Singer to Ivy’s location.

**********

The illusion vanished; my arms and whole body were back to normal, the mirror cracked into a thousand shards. The scream that had just left my body seemed like they came from a distant memory.

A shimmering light surrounded me and obscured my vision, although somehow it felt comforting. I felt strong, determined back in charge of my mind and body; there was no more haziness or fear. The light then seemed to be drawing into my heart and filling my entire body, any remaining pain and anguish dissolved.

Before my eyes the Hobyahs started shrinking and dancing around in a rage. “What was I afraid of?” I surprised myself by saying this aloud.

The sound of footsteps gathering speed and moving in my direction made me draw my weapon in preparation of another possible attack. First I saw Gomak who was squealing with delight, Chip then rushed through the trees and into the clearing.

At that moment the weight of all that had occurred and of all that was sitting upon my shoulders hit. Ivy sat heavily on the ground and with great heaving sobs started to cry, I could feel tears rolling down my cheek, this felt like the good kind of cry, the kind that releases all that had been cooped up inside. The next thing I knew Chip had his arms around me, he then gently lifted my chin and I felt the gentle warmth of his lips pressed against mine.

Staggering back, Chip began to apologize at once for kissing me, “I’m sorry Ivy, I didn’t mean to…it’s just that you looked so lost” My tears had stopped flowing but my mind was still foggy with our kiss. I didn’t want apologies and I said as much. After all, there really wasn’t anything to apologize for. It had seemed so natural, so right and it was just what I had needed at that moment and I was glad for it.

After a few minutes of walking in silence Chip asked, “Do you want to talk about it, Ivy?”

“The kiss?” I asked coyly.

“No,” he said laughingly, “the hobyahs.”

Sighing; not really knowing if I wanted to share such a deeply personal and traumatic time in my life with anyone, let alone someone that I felt such a romantic connection with, I hesitated. Taking my hesitation as a negative, Chip said, “I don’t know if you know this Ivy, but when I was an infant, my mom died. My dad married my step-mom shortly thereafter and when I was five my brothers were born.” Here he paused, collecting his thoughts and I nodded, remembering the night that Mr. Wilde had first told me about Chip; the night that I had first seen his animal form sitting at the table. It seemed so long ago, so much had happened in just a couple of weeks. And here we were on the verge of a great and mighty battle – with the Fae Queen. Ha! It seemed a bit bizarre, a bit extraordinary.

Breaking into my thoughts, Chip cleared his throat and continued his story, “I didn’t really know how but I knew that I was different, even in a small way, from my step-mom and my brothers. That feeling transferred into my life outside my family and I never really felt like I fit in anywhere except in these mountains. At school the kids made fun of me because I was awkward.” Looking at him askance, I couldn’t quite picture him as ever having been awkward! Seeing the question in my eyes, he laughed and asked, “is it so hard to believe?” Blushing I looked down at the ground and waited for him to continue. “The other kids were merciless. They knew of my mom and they said all sorts of horrible things about her. What’s worse is that I believed them. I didn’t want to, but that little voice inside your head that talks to you when you’re alone, it always needled me with doubts. They called me names and picked on me continuously. But it wasn’t so much what they said, but my own doubts that led me to this.” Stopping, he pulled up his pants leg and gestured to his leg where short little scars were formed, crisscrossing each other back and forth, back and forth. Turning towards me, he lifted my chin, like he had only moments before when we kissed. I shivered at his touch as he looked me in the eye and said, “I doubted who I was in relation to the world. That was my mistake, Ivy. I was wrong. My mother was an honorable woman, as is the rest of my family and I wasn’t such a loser as my classmates would have had me believe. They aren’t out here fighting for balance in our world, I am – you are.” Averting my swimming eyes, he slowly let go of my chin and we continued to walk towards our destiny and Queen Magina’s Court. I was grateful for his honesty and I was a little bit ashamed that I had thought so little of him not to tell him my own. “Chip,” I started to say, but with a shake of his head he silenced me.

He had stopped walking and stood stock-still; looking, listening, feeling. His stance was alert, his eyes searching the trees for whatever he had scented. Taking my hand, we moved swiftly and quietly through dense undergrowth. When we’d gone some distance, he stopped abruptly and I nearly lost my balance. Steadying me, he whispered, “We’re not alone.” Suddenly, my heart jumped into my throat, Gomak! I wanted to shout but I silenced my panic and only whispered back, “Gomak?” Shaking his head my heart plummeted to my stomach; I felt ill all over again. I pointed up as if to ask if I should fly. After a slight pause, he nodded and pointed at me and then up and then north in a loop to circle back around. At once, I dropped his hand and began shifting. Truth was, I was eager to get into the air, not only to scout out those that were following us, but also to look for Gomak. If anything had happened to him, I didn’t know what I would do. He could be lost forever and it would all be because of my own self pity and self doubts! Placing his hand on my wing, I turned to look at Chip, into my mind he pushed one thought, “be careful.”

With a swift nod I was off! Up through the trees I climbed into the air. Finally, breaking through the tree tops, I immediately saw a great pillar of smoke rising in the east! My mind racing, my heart breaking, I thought of our loved ones who were back at the house. Had it begun for them as well or was this a signal from them? I reached out to them with my mind, but I found nothing there except chaos. With my heart heavy with grief I decided to push forward. Seeking out our immediate threat, I flew back under the tree tops and towards the north, ever watchful for our stalkers. As I was making my loop westward of our original position, I spotted them. They were but inky shadows slinking behind trees and shrubs. Sending this vision to Chip I quickly headed eastward to make sure we weren’t being surrounded. How did one fight a shadow, I wondered as I flew back towards Chip?

****

Pacing before her thrown, Queen Migina was in a tither. “Oh that girl” she raged! “I had her! It was all but done! Then that boy had to go and disperse the Hobyahs! What good are they? My poor Hobyahs!” she cried as she looked upon their little bodies, lying here and there around her, all shrunk up from being denied the energy of the girl. Where is Atol? She wondered impatiently. “More light!” she commanded. Sitting down on her thrown with a humph, she impulsively bellowed, “Shadows! Go after the boy and girl! Feast upon them! You will eat well tonight!” As the shadows slinked off and the light increased all around her, she sighed with relief and thought, ahh, that’s better.

****

Quietly, Gomak crept through the forest. He regretted having left Ivy and Chip, but he knew he must try and do this one last thing. He had heard the message go out. If he died trying, then he would at least die knowing that he had done his best for his Lady.

****

All around them, black smoke billowed. Buckets of water were being handed from one to another down the line of people towards the house. Blackened with ash and soot, Mr. Wilde stood closest to the flames. My house, he thought wearily, as he threw bucket after bucket of water onto the structure. People from all around had come to help. The yard was bustling with activity. No one but the family noticed the little flashes of light flitting from here to there, in a flurry of activity doing all they could to ease the weariness inflicting those doing battle with the fire.

****

The shadows were creeping closer. I could sense them now that I knew what I was feeling. It was a feeling like all the happiness, hope, love and light was being sucked out of the world. The birds didn’t sing, the skies seemed to disappear and the forest was growing darker. I feared that if we stood and fought these things that it might be the last thing we ever did. Chip was ever alert. I admired that about him. With my mind I reached out to him and asked the question that had been burdening my mind since I had first glimpsed the Shadows, “How do we fight Shadows?” Before Chip could answer, there was a great buzz all around us and with a rumble and a plop, Gomak reappeared in his usual ball of dust, but he wasn’t alone.

****

Giddy with excitement, Migina felt 100 years younger! She watched in her scrying bowl as the two humans were slowly being surrounded by the Shadows. She wanted to see the deed done, but she knew it would be a while since the Shadows liked to take their time in such matters. Besides, there were others to watch and see to, so she called upon the water and tuned into the chaos at the Wildes’ ranch. Oh it was glorious! No time to fight when your house is burning to the ground, she thought triumphantly!

****

Exhausted, Mr. Wilde stood aside and let others fill the gap. He watched as his beautiful, handcrafted house was engulfed with flames. Thinking, what a nasty tactic by Migina, he called to his family and they went a ways away from the others to decide their next step. They must not be bound by earthly concerns when there was a mighty battle to be fought and won. The house was just a house, a thing that can be rebuilt and replaced.

****

“I help! I help!” screeched Gomak. All about him were creatures, both great and small. Already they were throwing bolts of light and forcing back the shadows. A great howling began, almost guttural at first, then turning into a roar of utter devastation as the shadows were burned and repelled backward. Taking my cue from the fairies and from Chip who wielded his wand, I withdrew my own and began to send light into the inky blackness. Back to back, we fought the shadows; driving them further and further into the forest and back towards Magina’s Court. Before I knew it, we were closing in upon the mountain where Magina reigned.

The mountain rose high above us, a giant against the granite sky. The shadows, having disappeared over the mountain, were but a distant memory as we were confronted by this new beast. Letting my wand hang to my side, I asked, “How do we get in?”

Out of breath, Chip answered first, “It might be best if we shift. It would certainly be easier to climb that with four feet instead of two. I can take Gomak on my back and you can scout the way by air.”

Not much of a rider, Gomak looked disgruntled. “I fly,” he suggested with much consternation. Ruffling Gomak’s furry head, I said, “I’ll take him with me. We’ll need his guidance to get into the mountain anyway.”

To which Chip asked of Gomak, “Once we’re to the other side, how long till we get to the Queen’s Court?”

Pondering this, Gomak answered, “if you small, like Gomak, we get there quick. Real quick! But big humans must take long way. Oh yes, they must. Deep into mountain and back up again.”

Wondering if we’d ever get to Migina, I sighed heavily. Chip reading my mood said, “We’ll rest here for a bit. I fear the next leg of our journey will be fraught with danger.” Noting my look of dismay, he added, “Atol and his company won’t be ready until the moon is high in the sky anyway.” Wearily, I agreed but only for a little bit.

As we sat down to eat some berries we had gathered earlier, another small voice piped up and said, “We’re at your service, Milady.” Nodding at the group of little light warriors, I said, “Thank you friends, it was very courageous of you to help us with the Shadows. We’ll need the darkness when we first set foot into Migina’s court, but when the battle is in full force, we’ll need every man, woman and fairy alike.” Pondering this, I added, “Are there any others you might know who would stand with us?”

In answer, a little fairy with bright orange hair and green eyes came forward. With a curtsy and twirl in mid-air she said, “I am Gwyneth of Leasgate. There are many wishing the balance restored. Shall I go and fetch them, Milady?”

Certainly, if our numbers were many, we’d have a better chance at winning against a powerful Fairy Queen such as Migina, I thought. Bowing to this little winged one, I said, “We would be grateful to have all who wish to join us.”

Calling to her contemporaries Gwyneth said, “If you have folk who would wish to help, please fly with all your might and return to Court by midnight!” And with that, off flew the lot of them.

****

“Light! More light!” bellowed Migina as the shadows crept back into the thrown room. “What is the meaning of this? Is there no justice? Where is the shell of the girl? Why do you come slithering back to me empty and defeated?” she demanded, though no answer was forthcoming. Neither for the first, nor the last time, Migina wondered where her faithful servant Atol was and why HE had yet to bring her the girl they call Ivy? For some reason his mind was blocked to her; but she supposed that he was probably blocking it from the boy and girl and she just couldn’t penetrate the barrier he had set up. It infuriated her, but she also understood the precaution. So as much as she resented it, she wouldn’t punish him for it – especially if it worked and he brought the girl to her. Giddy with the thought she flicked one of the nearby will-o-wisps and sent it flying across the chamber and into the far corner filled with darkness.

****

I let Gomak down with a light plop as I alighted on a rocky outcrop. Chip was just climbing the last bit of rugged terrain and would soon join us. Though I was suffering a bit from the change in altitude, the view from the summit was worth it. Forcing myself to take steady, even breaths, I looked around. My breath caught when I saw the smoke still billowing from where the Wildes’ house stood. With all the excitement, I had nearly forgotten! Poor Chip! I hadn’t had a chance to tell him either. I supposed he would find out in a very short while – with or without my help. But I thought I could at least try and get a picture of what was going on at the ranch. Closing my eyes, I reached out over the land towards the Wildes. Concentrating on Mr. Wilde I pushed, until finally I could see him standing, with his wife and children – yes, they were all there, dusty, soot covered but they looked alright – on the edge of the property they huddled together talking. Taking another deep breath I sought his mind and instantly made a connection. I could see him look up at the summit of the mountain as though he were looking straight at me. It sent chills running up and down my spine, but not wanting to break the link I quickly and succinctly asked what had happened.

****

Mrs. Wilde saw the vacant look in her husbands’ eye as he gazed up at the summit of the great mountain. She could almost hear the light voice of Ivy and she knew they were in deep conversation. As if he knew she was watching him, he looked right at her, not seeing her with his own eyes, but Ivy’s eyes. Addressing her, Ivy spoke through him saying, “I’m so sorry this has happened. When this is all over, I’ll help you rebuild.” When Mrs. Wilde would have interjected, Ivy continued, “We pushed back the Shadows in the green grove and have gained many allies in our travels. We will be descending shortly into the mountain. Know that we fight for all man and fairy kind!” And just like that, she was gone and instead of looking at the eyes of an owl, Mrs. Wilde gazed into the eyes of her beloved husband. Throwing her arms around him, she exclaimed with renewed excitement, “My husband!” and then in a wondrous tone added, “That girl has more power than she realizes! Why I doubt very much that even the Queen could do that!” Laughing, Mr. Wilde hugged her back and spinning her around like in the days of their youth, he said, “Now, let us leave this house to burn and be on our way. We have much to do to help in the fight!”

****

Chip came up the last stretch of the trail and though he was out of breath, his breath caught when he glimpsed Ivy in her animal form sitting atop a rocky outcropping. The sunlight cast shadows in odd angles and her shadow stretched out almost to where he stood. With her snow white body and small flecks of brown weaved throughout her feathers she looked regal perched there. Her eyes were closed and her head tilted up towards the sun as if she were merely sunbathing. But after he had shifted and spoken her name, he realized that she was in a trance of some sort. His heart beat a little harder for fear something had happened and he started to rush forward but Gomak stepped out of her shadow, stopping him. He looked, confused, one to the other and back again. Gomak, pointing back the way they had traveled, said, “she t-t-talk to them.” Chip’s heart felt as though it would shatter as he looked out across the land and saw the huge curling column of black smoke spiraling towards the sky.

Startling him, a voice much like his fathers, came to him across the mountain top. Turning toward it and Ivy, he realized it was one and the same. Taken aback, he crossed to where she perched. It didn’t as much come from her but through her and though she looked at him now, instead of the sun, it wasn’t her big brown owl eyes he saw, but his fathers’ wolf-eyes. “Though the house is all but destroyed, we are well. Worry not about us, son. Your task is much more important and we are, even now, devising our next move.” And just like that, he was gone and Ivy’s eyes blinked and she focused on Chip.

*****

Transforming into my human form, I half skidded and half glided down the outcrop and onto the uneven surface of the mountain top. Running to Chip, arms wide, I enveloped him in a big hug and said in a sob, “they’re alright, thank goodness, they’re alright.” Chip held me to him for a few moments, relishing the comfort we found in each other’s arms.

After a few moments, I pulled away and wiping my eyes on the back of my arm I asked, “Your father. Was he able to speak to you?”

Smiling, Chip nodded and said, “Were you using his body the way he used yours?”

“Oh yes,” I told him excitedly, “I spoke to your mother. Your brothers and sister were there too. They looked tired and covered in soot but they were ok. Oh Chip! There are so many people there, helping to fight the fire! They’re only using buckets, but there are so many! Already the flames have died to almost nothing and only smoke and smoldering wood remains.” Barely able to draw a breath, I added with an icy cold passion, “Migina would have those people killed, Chip. She’d have the balance tipped so that they were nothing and she were sole inhabitant of this whole land and more! We can’t let that happen, no matter what. We can’t let her win!”

****

~Continued~

Favorite Froud Book? The Oracle

After drinking some much needed water, Chip, Gomak and I set off down the other side of the mountain. The air this high up was cold but the flying and climbing we had done so far had kept our bodies warm and the cool air was welcome relief. Descending, carefully picking our way over rocks and icy patches, we finally came to a cave in the side of the mountain. Here, Gomak, told us that we would need to enter. Chip, who was the biggest, voiced his concern as to whether we would be able to enter after all. Gomak assured us though, that it would grow larger just after the opening.

It was a tight squeeze for sure. Gomak, having gone first went through the opening with ease, stood on the other side and watched as I climbed through on my belly. Then it was Chip’s turn. He got halfway in and blocking all light from the outside, shimmied and strained but couldn’t manage to get himself free. Finally, I had to help him by pulling his arms, while he used his toes to push from the other side. With a mighty thawamp and some grunts the mountain finally let go of Chip and he flew forward, landing heavily on me while I still had hold of his arms. Gomak, who thought this was wildly funny rolled around on the ground laughing hysterically. I started giggling and soon Chip joined in. “I didn’t think you were gonna make it,” I said between hysterics. “it reminded me of when Winnie the Pooh got stuck half in and half out of Rabbit’s front door after eating too much honey…” In reply, Chip muttered, “I wonder how small the smaller entrance was.” At that our laughter grew even more maniacal.

Wiping my eyes, and gasping for breath, I tried with all my might to get myself under control. It was tough, but the sobering truth of where we were and why was always just under the surface of my consciousness. Chip had already rolled off of me and so I sat up and took in our surroundings. First off, there was very little light. I could barely make out where a torch hung, unlit on the wall by the entrance. We were currently in a short tunnel that opened up into a larger cavern. The cavern was vast and shrouded in darkness. The sound of running water echoed off the walls but could not be seen. The ground in the tunnel was made up of sand, the walls of limestone. I looked up and saw more stone. It gave me the feeling of being buried alive; I had the sudden urge to run back towards the light, to the opening; to break free of this cold prison and burst out into the clean, clear air. All the sudden I felt like I needed to be free and fly!

Swallowing my sudden panic, I realized that the laughter had stopped completely and the only sound was the water running somewhere in the depths of the cave. Chip had retrieved the torch and lit it, casting eerie silhouettes on the smooth walls. Gomak was up ahead, nearly to the cavern, listening and waiting for us.

As we picked our way across the sandy downward slope, the shadows cast from the torch mimicked movement and as our eyes adjusted to the diminished light I realized with a sudden panic that there was in fact, moment all around us. Nearly white from living in such darkness, were cricket-like creatures jumping away from our footfalls. Several times I found myself climbing a mound of sand where it had been pushed aside by earlier flooding; piling up on the rock walls a good 4 feet and at the bottom of the mound was stagnant water. I wondered how often rain gushed through? Noticing the damp, smooth walls and ceiling, I had to conclude that it did and possibly had even done so recently. That thought alone, made me want to pick up the pace. To get out of the torrents path, just in case. I knew there was rain in the valley; I had seen as much when I had spoken with the Wildes… had that been only an hour ago? The cave seemed to be out of time - a place where nothing else existed but right here, right now.

Just as I was becoming accustomed to the bracing cold air and the hilly terrain, our tunnel opened up into a vast arena-like dome and my breath caught. The ceiling was hung with Stalactites which glistened from within with droplets of water that fell into a dark basin of water below. All along the edges and even throughout the pool, were Stalagmites; rising like mighty pillars reaching toward heaven; toward their brothers above. It was shocking and awe-inspiring. I stood in the gleam of the torch and watched as the light bounced around the room, gleaming off the crystalline in the limestone and off the ever-dripping water from above. In the silence I could still make out the sound of a waterfall somewhere off in the distance and I had to wonder if we would get to see it too? Breaking the silence that had befallen our little group, I reverently asked this question and Gomak assured me we would. I couldn’t imagine anything more beautiful than what we were already seeing, but in my heart I knew that the deeper we went the more wondrous and eventually, terrifying things we would witness.

As we started to leave the dome, Chip took my hand in his and I was once again both grateful for his presence and overwhelmed by the feelings I had for him. As if he sensed it too, he gave my hand a light squeeze. It was an innocent gesture but the shock waves of love I felt from just that little bit of pressure around my hand, warmed me from the inside out. I chanced a glance in his direction and found that he was looking back at me. I felt myself blush from tips of my hair to my pounding chest and was glad it was too dark for him to see. In that moment, time really did seem to stand still. Gomak had moved only a little ways ahead but I could see out of the corner of my eye that he was motionless – very odd for our little friend. But it didn’t seem to matter as I gazed into Chips eyes. I could see the flames from the torch reflected there; mesmerizing me. With all my heart I suddenly wanted his lips on mine. I wanted him. Before I knew it I was only a breath away from him. Had I moved, or had he? It didn’t seem to matter. I let go of his hand and threw my arms around his neck and with a spark our lips touched. I let myself go and found that I enjoyed the taste of his salty lips against mine. His arms came up and with one hand in my hair and the other around my waist. Our bodies were as one. The softness of his lips was in direct contrast to the fine-toned, hard-muscled chest that meshed with mine. His heartbeat was strong and steady. His legs were rock solid masses of muscle. As the kiss deepened and our tongues touched, all thought left my mind. There wasn’t a worry in the world that could intrude upon this moment. And finally when we came up for air, we did not release each other. We simply stood there, his hand still in my hair, his body pressed against mine. His lips pressed against the side of my neck as I clung to his. We were both breathing hard and I knew no sweeter agony then what I was experiencing at this very moment deep inside. “We should go,” Chip whispered in my ear. Letting my arms drop I uttered my displeasure with a sigh and said a little too loud, “Yes.”

The echo wasn’t immense, but just enough to startle Gomak, who squeaked, lost his balance and rolled down into the water with a great splash. Chip and I both rushed over to the edge of the water, just as Gomak bobbed to the top and begun awkwardly swimming to the edge where we stood. We each reached out a hand and tugged him up onto the stony ledge. Gasping and sputtering, and spitting water all over our shoes, his eyes climbed up our feet, legs, torsos, and finally looking at us he blinked as if he hadn’t expected us to be there at all. Collapsing onto his back he sucked in the chilled air.

As we stood over Gomak, using a sleeve Chip had torn off of his shirt to help dry him he laid there shivering and rasping for breath. His eyes were still vacant and I worried that he might have bumped his head before he hit the water. Finally, just as I was beginning to panic Gomak managed to say two words. Two words that echoed louder and grew colder in my heart as they rang out over and over again inside my head, and the two words were, “she knows.”

Favorite Froud Book? The Oracle