Faytes of the Otherworld: Fayted

Light poured in through the front window, casting sun rays all over Dani’s sleeping body. Eventually, the bright light roused her, and she groggily felt around for her watch since it wasn’t on her wrist; she had forgotten it back in her tent.

Her tent. She wasn’t in her tent.

Dani sat upright, blinded by the sunshine that seeped through the thin curtains. She looked around her, investigating her surroundings.

Futon, record player, tiny coffee table with an empty bottle of wine and two glasses: she was in Evan’s motor home.

Dani peeled off the flannel blanket that had been keeping her warm, almost too warm. She swung her legs over the side of the futon and wandered about for a moment before trying to find something that would give her the time.

She found an old analog clock in what she assumed was Evan’s room; it was almost eleven in the morning.

Nissa was going to wonder where she had gone off to; but then again, she was probably off somewhere with Orin herself.

While passing the coffee table to make sure she wasn’t leaving anything behind, Dani noticed a piece of paper lying atop an old issue of the X-Men; her name was printed across the top.

She picked it up and quickly scanned it:

Dani,

Liam called me out early.

Talk about another petrol run.

There’s coffee in the kitchen.

Promise I’ll find you later.

Dani wondered why they were going on another petrol run after such a short time, but then she remembered that she had already been here almost two weeks. Besides, they all had made mention about how low their fuel supply was becoming. Dani wondered how hard it would be convert things into diesel or find some other power source.

She folded the piece of paper and fit it in the pocket of her trousers before grabbing a coffee and leaving.

(*)

Breakfast is what she sought. Her stomach was growling something awful; she’d forgotten to eat yesterday.

Dani made her way to the mess hall, which was being set up for what she thought was lunch. She took a seat at one of the tables and just laid her face flat on the surface, waiting for the mid-day meal.

“You forgot about Elevensies.” Tam Lyn appeared behind her with a plate full of goodies and a cup of hot earl grey and cream.

“You’re a Godsend, Tam.” Dani dug into her food, dolloping cream and preserves on top of a huge scone.

“I do try.” He slid into the bench beside her, propping his elbow up on the table as he leaned against it.

“I didn’t know they did this here.” Dani picked up a biscuit and dipped it in her tea till it was soggy.

“Obviously neither did I, but Liam mentioned they do it as a treat once a week on Sunday mornings.” Tam Lyn turned his face towards the sun.

Slowly people started to file into the mess hall, making their way to the stalls that were set up for tea and biscuits.

Dani saw Pete and Evan exit Liam’s cabin, looking a little irritated.

Tam Lyn flagged them down and when Evan saw Dani’s familiar face, his demeanor changed.

“Bad news?” Dani asked as Evan took the seat across from her while Pete went to pile his plate.

“Liam said they were doing petrol inventory and noticed that we are short what we are supposed to have since the last run.” Evan licked his lips.

“Meaning? He thinks someone has nicked it?” Dani thought she knew where he was going.

“Yeah. Made me swear that I didn’t do it. He knows about my generator, but he also knows that it’s diesel. I will say I am a tad insulted, but that isn’t the point. The point is we have to double our run essentially. Further out into London, meaning longer time away from the Hedgerow.” Pete sat down next to Evan and handed him a plate piled with fruit and baked goods.

“How long are you expecting to be gone? Is it just you and Pete?” Dani arched her left eyebrow slightly like she did when she was trying not to look upset. She knew what longer runs meant: a higher probability of death.

“A week at least. Liam wants just me and Pete to take one of the trucks this time. Waste a little; bring back even more.” Evan bit into a strawberry, the red juice dripping down his hand. The color reminded Dani of blood.

“Please be safe, yeah? I don’t want anything to happen to you two.” Dani tried not to look too worried.

“We’ll be fine, Dani. Don’t worry your faery bum about it.” Pete was a little loud. She widened her eyes at him as some sort of signal to get him to quiet down. He did, pressing his finger to his lips.

“Orin is going to follow too.” Evan assured her.

“Speaking of which, have you seen our besties? I feel like Niss is gone all the time.” Dani sipped at her milk tea.

“You know, I hunted around for them a bit the other night. I had heard them out in the trees behind the caravan, but when I went and looked all I saw was a—uh, a couple being intimate in the shadows.” Evan scratched his ear.

“That’s weird.” Something illuminated in the back of Dani’s mind.

Evan had finished his scone and fruit and was going to get up when Dani tapped his fingers that were resting on the table.

“Evan, come with me to find our Familiars. If—if you don’t have anything else to do.” Dani didn’t want to demand anything of him.

“I was just going to go back to the caravan to read for a bit. We don’t leave until Wednesday. Where do you think they are?” Evan came around the table and signaled to Pete that he’d find him later. Dani waved to Tam Lyn as he eyed her backside when she walked away.

She may have had an idea where.

(*)

“You mentioned hearing them behind the motor home. Maybe they have something set up back there. I don’t know anything about Imp social structure, but they seem to be pretty fond of each other.” Dani walked barefoot through the rows of tents again, Evan by her side.

“Possibly. Kind of rude if someone else was in their love nest.” They arrived at Evan’s caravan and went down the side trail to the patch of trees behind it.

Dani noticed nothing out of the ordinary on the ground, but upon further inspection, they found a blanket in the fallen leaves as well as a pair of Evan’s tin cups, a bottle of mead, and a few feathers.

“These are my cups.” Evan picked up a cup and sniffed it, “Mead.”

“Someone stole your cups so they could have a midnight tryst behind your carriage? That makes no sense.” Dani snatched the blanket up and shook it out. It was wool and dark purple.

“This is my blanket.” She held it to her nose and sniffed long and hard; she could smell Nissa on it—and Orin?

“This is getting pretty bizarre.” Evan took the blanket and inhaled too.

Dani waited to see if it clicked.

“This smells like Orin…”

“Nissa too.” Dani had her tongue in her cheek, piecing together the puzzle that lay before them.

“Wait—so, someone has stolen my cups, stolen your blanket, and have been getting busy in my backyard?” Evan reached back and scratched his head. He was clueless.

“Orin never mentioned it, did he?” Dani realized that Evan had no clue.

“Mention what?” Evan folded Dani’s blanket up.

She reached down and plucked a raven feather from the ground, “Animals aren’t an Imp’s natural form. Nissa said she’d show me hers one day, but I wonder…” Dani ran the feather over her hand.

“You think they’ve been sneaking around in their true forms behind our backs?” Evan scowled.

“Seems that way.” Dani held the feather to her mouth, whispering into her hands. She unfurled her fingers and the feather soared off on an invisible wind.

Evan walked up to her, craning his neck to get a better view of the feather as it danced away.

“I sent a message to them. Hopefully, they will come sooner than later. I also requested that they come in their true form.” Dani looked a bit smug as she marched off back towards the caravan.

Evan was looking at her as if what she had just done was not normal. Then she remembered that it wasn’t.

“It was a trick mum taught me about contacting the Fae. Works even better when it comes straight from the one you’re trying to contact.” Dani stepped around the side of the motor home and went to sit on the stoop.

“Want to come in for a bit? We don’t know how long it will take for them to get that message.” Evan paused, his hand poised on the doorknob.

“I guess I can.” Dani got up from the stairs and let Evan invite her in.

(*)

Coffee still sat on the counter and Evan went to warm it up while Dani put the futon back in its upright position.

“I don’t understand why they feel the need to hide from us.” Evan brought his mug over and sat down on the futon next to Dani.

“Me either. I know there is a lot she is keeping from me because of that Oath. Do you get the feeling that they somehow know more than we do?” Dani curled her feet up underneath her like she had done the night before. She was so comfortable in the small living space.

“I thought about it after the other night when you got back from Whitmore. It is a possibility, but if they are keeping things from us, I don’t think they want to.” Evan sipped at his coffee.

“I hope not. I just don’t know what to do with all this information.” Finally, Dani and Evan were able to sit and talk without any interruptions.

“I still want to know what we are in all of this. Do we fall into the categories of Seelie and Unseelie? Are there neutral rogues running around not wanting to be on either side?” Evan thought aloud.

“Where are the rest of the Halflings?” Dani narrated her own thoughts.

“Or is it just us?” Evan’s question was a poignant one.

There was a knock at the door, the hollow of the aluminum ringing through the living area.

Dani could sense Nissa on the other side; that knock seemed awfully heavy for such small creatures.

“Come in.” Evan’s acknowledgement was a bit shaky.

“Should we tell them to close their eyes?” Dani heard Orin ask Nissa on the other side of the door. Her answer was inaudible.

“We’re coming in. Maybe you should close your eyes?” Nissa called through the door.

“Oh, for fuck’s sake, just come in already.” Evan hollered, flopping back on the futon.

The door slowly creaked open.

Orin walked in first.

He was oddly taller than Evan, thin and slightly muscular. A raven feathered vest adorned his shoulders, but his chest was bare; his bottom half was clad in dark leather.

His hair was as jet black as Dani’s, but shaved tight at the sides but left long on top where he slicked it back.

Evan made an odd wheezing sound as he took in the sight of his favourite familiar.

In stepped Nissa and Dani almost gasped.

She was much shorter than Orin, but still a tad taller than Dani’s meter and a half. Her hair was the same color as Orin’s, but with a snowy white stripe that mimicked the tuft that was usually on her chest. It lay in long thin dreadlocks all around her head.

Nissa wore an asymmetrical top covered in a deep colored fur and cropped pants that flowed about her to the knee.

The shocking part about both of them was their feet: they looked like that of a faun.

“It’s just from the knees down.” Orin’s human accent was a much thicker Irish one than she had noticed before, yet he wasn’t even human.

“Oh, that makes this a lot easier.” Evan sighed, covering his face.

Dani got up from the futon and slowly padded over to Nissa.

“Hi.” Nissa smiled, her sharp canines mimicking those of Tam Lyn.

“Hi.” The corner of Dani’s mouth turned up at the sight of Nissa.

“So, this is me.” Her voice was even richer than it was as a cat, but she still had that purring hum to it.

“Are you all assigned an animal at birth or is it in your DNA?” Dani fingered the furry fringe on Nissa’s top.

“We take the form of whatever favours the Guarded. You seem to like cats.” Nissa fiddled with a strand of loose hair on Dani’s head.

“I like dogs too.” Dani pouted, running her fingers down Nissa’s locked hair.

“But cats are faeries in their own right.” Nissa winked at her.

“This is ridiculous.” Evan stood in front of Orin, having to slightly look up to see his face.

“You don’t like my feathers?” Orin joked, nudging Evan.

“I thought Imps were small and kind of—kind of—” Evan tried to find the word.

“Ugly?” Orin chuckled, “The folklore was inaccurate and written to demonize us. We weren’t exactly good faeries there for a while.” Orin explained.

“Well, I’m glad you are now.” Evan clapped Orin on his feathered shoulder.

“Now that we know what you look like and that is out of the way—what the hell were you both doing behind my caravan?” Evan held up the purple blanket and tin cups.

Orin’s eyes darted to Nissa who just burst out laughing.

“Don’t ask questions you don’t want the answers to, mate.” Orin chuckled.

Dani blushed for some reason and this made Nissa laugh harder.

“You two are ridiculous.” Evan sighed heavily, walking off towards his bedroom.

“Are you going to walk around like this all the time? I think the feet may be a dead giveaway.” Dani rubbed her hand over Nissa’s furry legs.

“I mean, we could. There is always a glamour like what Anessa did.” Nissa wanted to take back the end of her sentence instantly.

“What about Anessa?” Evan came out of the bedroom with a different shirt on.

“I completely forgot to tell you.” Dani wanted to smack herself.

“About what?” Evan looked slightly alarmed as Dani steered him back over to the futon.

“I think I figured out what Anessa was; Nissa and I were talking about it last night.” Dani hadn’t done much talking about Anessa the prior evening, at least not with Evan.

“Obviously she is fae. Unseelie.” Evan wasn’t entirely over the whole ordeal, and the thought of it made his stomach churn.

“She’s not Unseelie, Evan. She’s Fomorian.” Dani’s last word elicited a sharp breath from Orin.

“I knew there was a reason why I never liked the bitch.” Orin seethed.

“What is a Fomorian?” Evan had never heard the term before.

Dani beckoned for everyone to sit as she retold the story that was given to her the night before, with Nissa chiming in every once in a while.

“Anessa wasn’t some minor character.” Evan couldn’t believe what he just heard.

“We don’t know. She could have just been a fluke; a Fomorian that broke free of the darkness with all the chaos caused by the genocide. But that doesn’t mean we should ignore the fact.” Nissa leaned against Orin as they sat huddled in the bowl chair.

“I have terrible taste in women, I tell you.” Evan pointed at Dani, shaking his head. “Except I had to break it off with this one.”

“It’s all part of the learning process, mate. Trial and error. You’ll find the right one eventually.” Orin tried to keep Evan positive.

Evan held his breath and just nodded.

“We’re going to have to tell Liam and the others about this.” Evan waved at Nissa and Orin, a pained look on his face.

“I resent that.” Nissa hissed.

“He’s right, you know. We’re going to have to tell all of them about your regular appearance.” Dani tried to be less harsh.

Nissa and Orin looked to one another, ready to concede when distressed voices were heard outside through the cracked window.

“Something isn’t right.” Evan could see shadows passing by in a hurry.

Dani got up and opened the door to see people scattered about, heading towards the front gates.

“What’s going on?” She called out to a frizzy haired woman. She turned and Dani recognized her as the woman that she had met on her walk the other day.

“There’s a woman at the gates. Just showed up alone.” She said in passing, marching on with the other people.

Dani leaned back in the caravan, “Someone’s at the gates.”

“Alone?” Evan looked concerned.

“Alone.” Dani nodded.

“Evan!” Pete’s head popped through the door, “We’re needed at the front gates.”

Evan jumped up from the futon, laced on his boots, and followed Pete.

“Stay here or change into your animal form.” Dani instructed before disappearing through the door after Evan, but the two were already gone.