Mystery

~Fate

The fire crackles between us, the occasional popping coming from the wood within, as if it were laughing at us. We’ve all found something to sit upon or lean against, as we think and consider the mystery set out for us. The bandit turned bard, sits casually on his little stump as he searches for a song with his makeshift pan pipes. The tune is sombre, and the broken notes born of his inexperience only add to the anxious ambience.

The sun is still high and shining through the thinned canopy of the forest, if we travel a little further, I’m sure we’ll be free of trees entirely, and we can send Sara and her mother back home. I’m not sure that I’m wanting to spend months here looking for Luek, but I’m willing to stay for another a week and try to help.

Hope shares her water with us, more prepared for the long trek than the rest of us combined. Considering how she frequently traverses the desert, I’m not entirely surprised that she’s brought so much with her. Though, I’d thought that she’d be the sort to pause and think things through rather than charging ahead in a fit of passion, as she’s been doing.

It’s charming in a way, but I do feel that I need to reign her in a little before we end up getting hurt.

“We should discuss what we saw, and what could explain it.” I suggest, thinking back to the bloody scene. It all seemed too perfectly aesthetic, perfect for a grand stage, but rather unusual to find in real life.

“No, we should leave.” Sara’s mother says, waving a hand down the slope.

“It doesn’t hurt to take a short break.” I say, wiping some of the sweat from my brow before taking to the difficult task of taming my hair. I was not prepared for this sort of exercise. “It also doesn’t hurt to talk about it while we’re resting.”

She grumbles and leers between us as she clutches her child close.

“There was too much blood.” I say to start the conversation. “I’m not that experienced with things like this.”

“Kid killing? I’d hope not.” Hope interjects.

“So, am I right or am I wrong about the blood?”

“If the boy was bled to the last drop…” Hope says, flinching and shaking her head vigorously before looking into the flames and continuing. “You’re right. There was too much blood, especially since there were no corpses nearby to explain it.”

“So then, what would explain that puddle of blood? Where could it have come from? Surely it didn’t just rain from the sky, so who was injured so badly, and yet escaped?” I ask, hoping that the others can think of something.

“A person or a beast.” The bard says, “I’ve never known a tree to bleed anything but sap, and I don’t think that any of you ladies could be convinced that one is the other. So, a man or a beast was bled by my copper sword, but no body remains by the scene of the crime?”

“Not even disturbed dirt.” I say, “It was almost as if the blood was simply raining down on that one spot on the earth. Except for the hand print and trail that led us there, of course.”

“So, the person or beast was already dead, before being strung up to bleed out?” Hope asks, shuddering at the thought. Her shuddering expressions are rather cute and distract me well from those same terrible thoughts.

Is she the sort to be frightened hearing horror stories? I think I have a book of them back in my wagon.

“What about the copper sword?” Hope asks, “You dropped it back down by the road where you were ambushing merchants. Perhaps another of your group returned to take it?”

“Maybe…” The bard says, shaking his head. “I wouldn’t be so confident in that answer. We were a bunch of cowards held together by that fool of a leader, most of them wanted to leave but were frightened of what he’d do to them.”

“Then why be bandits in the first place?” I ask, laughing at the sad tragedy of the story he spins.

“There’s a certain appeal to the life of a bandit, at least in the songs and stories.” The bard says. “I admit that it’s what drew me in. I thought we’d be running about, stealing from evil merchants, and living rich off the profits.”

He kicks at the ground, spraying a little dirt into the fire. The flames lick back towards him as if offended, and he jumps back from the fire while swearing.

“In the beginning, I was picking up the coins thrown by a few merchants who had the goodwill to play along with me. It was more the life of a beggar than a bandit, but it was still better than what it was like when Thag and his group found me.”

“Enough of the story.” Hope interrupts. “Do you think one of them could’ve done it?”

“No.” The bard says, his foot tapping away in aggravation. “No, with Thag gone they couldn’t, and I’m sure that they wouldn’t even if they could. They, like me, are idiots and cowards more than bloodthirsty killers.”

“Then how did the sword get to the forest?” I ask.

“Could Luek have brought it here?” Sara asks, peeking up from her mother’s grasp.

“He’d have to race down from the forest to the road and back again in a single night.” I say. “No, it wasn’t Luek who brought the sword up here.”

“It was someone else, then.” Hope says, with a shrug. “Someone brought the sword up into the forest, where they killed something or someone. Luek come across the scene and left a bloody handprint on the tree.”

“Could the handprint have been from someone else?” I ask.

“There aren’t any other children missing.” Sara’s mother says. “The blood was fresh. It had to be from him.”

“Should we go back up to the bloody sword? Maybe there was some clue that we left behind.”

“How will we find our way?” I ask, looking over to Sara. “Unless you could you lead us back there?”

Sara hesitantly looks around the forest before shaking her head.

“Sara,” Hope says, after floundering for a few moments trying to remember her name. “How did you lead us here?”

The little girl snaps her mouth closed and looks around the forest, staring at a few flowers in particular.

“Sara?” her mother looks down at her.

“I can’t it’s a secret. I promised to keep it a secret.” She cries out.

“It could help save Luek’s life.” I say kneeling down to be at a height with her. “Is there nothing you can say that might help us?”

“I promised.” Sara says, looking down at her feet as she bites her tongue. I’m not going to get the answer out of her like this.

“A sword that shouldn’t be here, a bloody puddle, that’s come from nowhere, and a missing boy.” I mumble trying to think of something that ties all of this together.

Sara’s mother practically chokes, pulling Sara closer as she sneers and whispers a few choice curses. She glares viciously into the forest around us, waving her small dagger around as if it were some sort of magical shield.

“What is it?” I ask. All I can see is the forest. Bright flowers as pleasant as ever, though smelling a little too sweet. The birds and insects sing passionately from all around, but there’s not a thing here that should alarm her.

“Fool of a daughter.” Sara’s mother swears. “You made some sort of promise with the fae?”

“The fae?”

“I’ve warned you about them! You shouldn’t ever talk to them, let alone make promises! What did you promise them?” She shakes her head violently. “No, don’t speak it. You promised to keep quiet, and you shouldn’t ever break that promise.”

“I keep my promises!” Sara insists.

“How did you conclude that this was the work of fairies?” I ask, relaxing a little now that I know she hasn’t spotted a bear, or something equally as vicious.

“A copper sword, not iron. They’d never have touched it if it was iron. They take children, though it’s been generations since the last, and they love their tricks. Like how we were separated from the other villagers in the search, and we were led here while suspicious that this bandit might be the killer.

“Why didn’t you listen to me, Sara? You can’t promise the fae anything! They could steal you away, taking you so far that the gods can’t even reach you.”

“But what about the blood...?” I ask. I don’t know much about the fae, beyond their propensity for magic.

“A trick of some sort. The fae don’t kill like that. If they have Luek, there’s nothing we can do, we should hurry back to town and save my daughter before they come for her, too.”

“We can’t give up like this.” Hope says, standing tall as she reaches for the sword at her hip. “If they don’t like iron…”

“No. Iron only wards them off, wielding it as a weapon will only invite their tricks. There’s nothing we can do for the poor boy.” Sara’s mother insists, “He’s not here in this forest anymore, they’ve taken him away. Stolen his very soul.”

“We can’t be sure of that.” Hope says, stomping on the dirt as she looks about for these invisible kidnappers.

“They wouldn’t do anything mean to him.” Sara says, speaking up in favour of the magical beings.

“They wouldn’t do it to be mean!” Her mother hisses in reply. “They’d do it for the same reason that the wolf hunts, and the bear slumbers over winter. It is their nature.”

“Maybe we can ask them to give him back?” I suggest, looking about the forest but hearing none of the whispers that were following me before. I can’t imagine that they wouldn’t be watching after sending us on this wild chase.

“Are you stupid?” Sara’s mother asks me, her eyes wide in disgust and horror as if I’ve just pissed in her grandmother’s urn. “Never ask the fae a favour, and never make a deal.”

“They’re not bad people, mum.”

“They took your friend, then tried to convince us that he’s dead, and get this... bard, killed.”

“They were just playing. Luek is friends with them, they wouldn’t hurt him.” Sara insists.

“The fae don’t make friends with humans.” Sara’s mother says. “They see you as a plaything, and they’ll hurt you when they get bored of being nice.”

“So, what? We leave the boy to his fate?” Hope asks, her hand on her sword.

“There’s nothing else that we can do!” Sara’s mother insists.

“I could try something.” The bard says. “The fae like music, don’t they?”

“Not your music.” Hope says, “Unless you intend for your music to do them such harm that they surrender Luek to us!”

“Hope.” I call her name and step a little closer. “Getting angry isn’t helping us.”

“Exactly,” Sara’s mother says. “We need to leave!”

“Mum!” Sara shouts.

“No, Sara. We’re leaving, I won’t risk losing you forever to those vermin!”

“Mum!” She shouts again, pointing at our little fire.

When I see it, I have to blink a few times, and rub my eyes clean. Even after that, it hasn’t disappeared. Hidden in plain sight. I swear I was staring right at if for the last few minutes and still didn’t notice it.

A little humanoid figure sits in the fire, glowing the same colour as the flames as it stares up at us, smiling. Bright wings, like those of a butterfly come out from the beings back, not even flapping as the fairy hovers over the ground dressed in flames.

The curious creature, breaks into chiming laughter, pointing at us while it rolls around on the air, rising slightly over the fire.

“Is there one here? Where is it?” Sara’s mother asks, wielding her iron dagger. The fairy just laughs louder at her antics.

“It’s in the fire.” Sara says. Hope and the bard have the same empty expression as Sara’s mother, searching the flames and completely overlooking the creature hovering over them.

“What do you want?!” Sara’s mum yells at the fire, her eyes glowing with the reflections of the flames. Angered and ready to fight, even though she advised us against the same.

“Mean old lady.” The fairy says, pointing at the woman.

“It’s not nice to say things like that.” I say to the fairy, turning its attention to me.

“Oh, you can see me?” The fairy asks. “You’re pretty big for a child.”

“I’m not a child. I’m 22 years old, this year.” I say, standing up taller and looking down at the little creature.

“Only a stupid child tries to prove that they’re not a stupid child.” The fairy says, laughing at me.

“What do you want?” Sara’s mother insists, still glaring and waving her little dagger around.

“I want love, and candy!” The fairy says, floating around the fires and looking between us. “Oh, and whatever is in that bag!”

The little fairy floats over towards Hope and the bag that she carries around with her everywhere, not the one with all her gear, but the smaller one that she never lets out of her sight.

“I’ll give you back the boy, if I can have this!” The fairy declares pointing at the bag and looking up at Hope, who can’t see the little creature.

Before I can explain what’s going on, there’s a small flash of light, and the fairy squeals, tumbling through the air back towards the fire.

“Deals off, I don’t want it anymore!”

“You have Luek?” Sara asks. “Why did you take him?”

“He said he wanted to play!” The fairy replies, “So we’re all playing together. You should come too, leave this stinking world behind.”

“Don’t talk to it.” Sara’s mother insists, gripping her daughter tighter still. Her fingers are white as bone around Sara’s shoulder, clutching tight enough that I’m sure she’s hurting her daughter.

“I want Luek!” Sara insists.

“We can give Luek back to you if you promise to do something for us!” The fairy offers.

“I…” She hesitates… looking up at her mother than back to the fairy. She balls her hands into fists and shouts. “I promise!”

Her mother tries to smother her voice, but moves a moment too slow.

“Sara!” Her mother says, swearing so violently that I swear she’s speaking another language. “I warned you!”

“You always say that I need to stay at home, that I need to take care of pops, and all those other things. Why can’t you just let me play with Luek!”

“This isn’t about that!” Her mother shouts. “If you break a promise with a fairy, they’ll hurt you or take you away! What did you promise them?!”

“I said I’d do something for them, and they’ll give Luek back.” She says, turning to the little fairy. “That’s what I promised?”

“Yes, yes!” the fairy cries before zipping out into the forest, back up the hill this time. “Now follow me!”

“Mum we have to go this way.” Sara says, pulling at her worried mother.

“Sara…” The mother grips her knife a little tighter as she looks down at her daughter, after a moment, she lets out a long sigh and shakes her head. “No more promises, okay? I don’t want to lose you.”

“I just want Luek back.” Sara says.

Feeling more like part of the audience in this whole affair, we follow after them. The forest is lively enough around us to nearly distract me from how my legs are starting to burn.

“That was all rather strange.” The bard says with a cheerful smile. “To think I’d join a quest so soon, and such an important one at that.”

“Why are you following us?” Hope asks.

“Because he’s helping.” I reply, looking at the joyful bard.

“I am, or I will be, at least.” The bard says, looking up at Hope and smiling widely. “You have quite the fair hair, young miss.”

“I do.” Hope replies, touching at her hair and accepting the compliment as easily as she breathes. The bard pauses for only a moment before pushing onwards.

“Do you perchance have a lover, a sweetheart, to share these days with?” he asks, playing a few notes.

“The rest of us are right here, you know? This isn’t really the time…” I interrupt him, but he doesn’t seem to care.

“Are you claiming this beautiful flower as yours?” He asks, lifting his pan pipes and playing a few discordant notes.

“That’s not what I’m saying.” I reply with a long-suffering sigh, “I’m saying, let’s focus on the fairy and the missing boy.”

“Ah, but every moment is near the last, and it seems we’re to be walking a while longer. Surely, it’s not wrong to embrace these moments, and not simply let them waste away? So, young lady, would you grace me an answer?”

“I’m fine alone.” Hope replies, moving a hand protectively over her bags, as she steps a little further from the bandit that’s making a rather sad attempt at her heart.

“Fine alone, is finer with company, no?” he asks.

“Then why are you alone?” I ask.

“You wound my tender heart.” The bard moans. “I will admit that my poor choices have made it challenging to find a lover to make me a pair.”

“Are you sure your hygiene wasn’t the problem.” Hope asks, glaring down at him.

“Your tongue is vicious.” The bard says, “If only you weren’t speaking truth. A stinky, cowardly bandit, doesn’t suit to the fantasies of young maidens I’m afraid.”

“Well, good thing you’re a bard.” I reply, “Now learn to play your instrument and go bother someone else.”

“I shall.” The bard replies. “But would you mind saying? Was I at least a little charming?”

“No.” Hope replies, not sparing him a glance.

“The average city girl might find you charming, if you tried the same on them.” I offer him as much not as praise, “Their standards have lowered the past year.”

“Then after this quest, it is to the city I’ll go!” He cheers, and I can only shake my head at his antics. I’m a little glad that Hope isn’t the sort to dally around with men like him, I don’t want to lose her company the moment she’s approached by a halfway charming troubadour.

Following after the little sparkling creature, which bursts ahead in a sudden flash before pausing to wave us onwards, we prepare ourselves to face whatever strange task the creature has set out for us. Sara tries to run ahead, but her mother’s fingers dig into her daughter’s shoulder, keeping her close.

Hope and the bard look ahead, but their eyes can’t seem to focus on the little fae that leads us. Perhaps another of their magic tricks, or maybe it’s just that Sara and I are special.

The air thickens the further we walk, and soon enough the excitable fairy waves us through into a small clearing, introducing us to its family.

Here, dozens of flickering little humanoids dance and play, giggling and whispering as they look up at us. Some sit atop red crowned mushrooms that form a circle in the middle of the field, others play by the flowers, sniffing at them before wobbling away. A pair of them swing on low vines, having a playful sword fight as they move back and forth, their wings swinging them wide enough that one almost runs into us.

“Welcome fools, to the final party of the fae!” The fairy says, sipping the dew from the golden petals of a flower before cheering, joined soon by the others.