A Kelpie of Rowan

Chapter 2

The blurs of color clear. Well, not clear exactly, their edges sharpen. For the first time in her life, Rowan can see the fae in every detail. From the bark ridges on one's skin to the hairs on another's legs. There are four of them. A tall woman whose features seem to be constantly shifting, a short slight man with a cap of red on his head - Rowan swallows nervously at the sight of that one, redcaps are not known to be good faeries. There is a squat woman with bark skin and curling ram's horns, a tail curling around her legs. The last faerie is a satyr, his goat hooves pointing backward and the points of his tiny horns peeking just above his curly hair. The ram horned woman speaks first, her voice a strange combination of musical and gravely at once. Her hands clap together with excitement.

"Oh look! A human child!"

The redcap laughs, high and shrill. "We can see that, Vlia."

Vlia approaches the edge of the faerie ring. "Come closer, child."

She beckons, her fingers curling strangely. She has an extra joint. Rowan can feel magic stirring, the woman is trying to compel her, glamour her into stepping into the circle. The enchantment doesn't take hold, the iron in her pocket keeping it at bay. Despite herself, Rowan steps up to the very edge of the circle.

"Hello."

"Would you like an apple, child?"

Vlia holds out a golden fruit to Rowan. At one glance, it looks perfect, but when Rowan blinks, the fruit is shriveled, old. Another blink, it's perfect again, ripe as an apple can be. Rowan shakes her head.

"No, I'm not hungry at the moment."

The words tingle on her tongue. It's true, in a sense. She isn't hungry, or she wasn't before. But seeing the apple, oh how it makes her mouth water.

Vlia frowns and raises an eyebrow. "Really? What is your name, child?"

The words come to her mouth easily, a lie yet not a lie. "Berry."

Vlia tastes the name on her lips, stretching it out. "Berry."

Rowan swallows nervously and holds out her basket to the faerie woman. "Would you like something from my basket?"

A spark lights itself in Vlia's eyes. Hunger. She cries out in glee. "Such a fascinating assortment! Mushrooms, acorns, sorrel, this is positively faerie!" She plucks out a chanterelle mushroom and a small handful of acorns. "Child, as I have taken two things, I will give you two in return, to pay my debt. Remove your protection charms."

Rowan pulls away slightly. "I can't."

Vlia lets out a laugh. "Very well. I promise that none of the faeries here will harm you in any way, our view or yours, by word or deed, and we will give you ample time to don your charms once more when I am done. Go on now."

Magic sparks in the air as Vlia is bound to her promise. Slowly, Rowan sits down on the grassy earth to remove her inside out sock. She slides off her red bracelet and removes her bags of salt and her nails from her pockets. Vlia steps outside the faerie circle to place one finger on Rowan's brow.

"Close your eyes, child."

Rowan does so, trembling. The finger moves to one eyelid and another finger joins it on Rowan's other eye. A song without voice fills the air, stirring the world around Rowan and tugging at her heart. Twin sparks appear on her eyelids and she cries out in pain, barely feeling the fingers retreat.

"Keep your eyes closed, child." The pain fades after a moment, but Rowan keeps her eyes closed until Vlia tells her, "Open now, child."

Rowan's eyes flash open and the world spins for a moment. When it comes into focus, she finds Vlia looking at her with awe.

"Hafling of light and dark. Interesting. Child, I have given you true sight and I will tell you this as well. There is something strange about you, something not entirely human. But it's not entirely faerie either. An encounter with us as a child perhaps, or something more. Now for the second thing I owe you. You will find what you seek in the bramble batch, just beyond the trees. Go now, child."

Vlia's eyes glimmer. The protection she granted Rowan is fading. Swiftly, Rowan slips her inside out sock onto her foot, slides the red bracelet onto her wrist, and shoves her salt and iron in her pocket. Then she flees through the trees, not even daring to glance behind her at the faerie circle. Sure enough, there is a bramble patch in front of her. It is massive, full of wicked thorns. There is a sound in the center of it, and Rowan carefully parts the branches.

Her hair snags on them once or twice, but it is no hard thing to free herself. Rowan slowly makes her way to the center of the bramble patch. The black berries beckon at her, but the thing at the center draws at her curiosity far more than the berries do to her taste buds. She'll be back in a moment besides, they can wait to be collected. The center of the brambles is empty at first, or so it seems. The sound echoes again from her right and Rowan twists around to find its source.
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Why do you think Rowan saw two versions of the apple? What do you think Vlia was referring to?What do you think Rowan will find in the bramble patch? What was she seeking? Tell me your thoughts!

Happy reading and I'll see you next chapter!

~Goddess of Fate, signing out.