Lessoc Fountain - a fairy-creature tale

Ch. 41 To the Stars

Rustling of leaves spread through the Moss Folk and they lifted their twig and branch hands, clicking their fingers.

Captain Thraidox hesitated for the barest second, then his face hardened. "Formation!" His soldiers fell into a circle, himself at the fore. He surveyed the square with a sweeping glance, his wounded fighters, the hunched magician, the blood pooling under Wenslar, and the witch lying nearby like a bundle of discarded rags.

The clicking grew turning into the buzzing of locusts.

"Stop," the magician said. She hobbled to her feet and waved a weary hand. The sound dimmed.

"What has happened here tonight?" Captain Thraidox asked, pointing his sword at Cocot.

She blinked.

The clicking from the Moss folk grew menacing and they began to rise from their crouched positions as if to pounce.

From the beginning, this captain had threatened to harm her, hated her. She owed him nothing. She dropped her gaze to Daniel, his head cradled in her lap as he slept.

"Speak!" In a few quick steps, he was in front her, sword up.

A moss creature rose, as if springing from the ground in front of her and batted the sword away. He hissed in surprise. Then his face cleared and the anguish of doubt crept to his eyes. "Please. Tell us what happened."

Cocot's anger softened and she cleared her throat, but Soufflé flew in front of her.

"I'll tell you what happened. Your wise and powerful king banished her—his niece's child with no one in the world to turn to—and Wenslar tricked her. And the witch tricked him. She tricked all of us. Without this girl, you would be her slaves. You, you mighty fairies, safe and warm in your hall, too wonderful and good to be kind to a child in need, you, you..." he sputtered and huffed, too flustered to speak.

"Wenslar is dead," the magician said, kneeling by his body. "The king as well, I can sense it. What has she done? That girl brought the evil to our hall. She broke our laws and caused the king's death. There is one punishment for that."

The clicking started up again, droning from the Moss Folk.

"I am done with your laws," Cocot said.

The magician pointed a crooked finger.

From the cobblestones near the basin, the witch shook herself and moaned. She sat up, crooning in pain and trembling. She tried to stand. She tried again and made it. She hobbled towards the fountain.

"Go no further," the captain hissed, angling his sword at her throat.

The witch took a couple of shaking steps closer, practically brushing the razor sharp edge with her neck. She tapped at the spigots which were still stopped from the magician's spell that night, then splashed her face from the basin. The water trickled over her pale skin and ratty clothes. She stared about, not recognizing her surroundings, or if she did, then clearly not understanding how she got there.

Captain Thraidox frowned, mouth open to speak, but she walked past him, oblivious to his presence.

"What trickery is this?" he breathed. He motioned for two guards to follow the witch who was limping down the street, away from the village and away from the fairy hill.

"No trick," Cocot answered. "I cured her of evil power. It must have taken all her witchcraft magic away. I don't how it works, witches and fairies and why she can't see you, but I know I cured her. As I promised I would."