Her eyes adjust to the daylight. She surveys her surroundings. She’s standing near the stream where she used to float pinecone boats. She breathes deep and a rush of clean, cold air fills them.  Tall Pine and Douglas fur trees and rocks and random bits of bush and grass stretch all around her, as far as the eye can see. She walks over to a tree and places her hand on it. Four letters rest carved into the bark. She traces them with her fingers, allowing them to read the forms for her. CS + H.  She closes her eyes and stills her body, pushing her energy into the tree. Words float from her into the tree. Nothing comes back to her. The tree is silent.

Cassie walks over to another tree and repeats the process. The tree does not respond. They all appear silent. Feeling rejected, she briskly walks back to the river.

“Hazel?” she calls out. And waits. A hawk cries overhead, but not in response to her call.

“Hazel? Stick?” she calls out again, louder. The shadows on the trees shorten as the sun climbs higher into the sky. She searches the nearby trees for signs of Hazel’s brown pants and red hair and Stick’s blue naked body.

“Where are you guys? Why aren’t you here?” Panic and dread fill her. She sits down on the ground, pushing the dirt at her feet away from her. A pile of dust floats up from the soil.

“Okay,” she calls out to the trees and air around her, her voice friendly but commanding. “For the rest of the day I will remain RIGHT here. I won’t go anywhere. I know you guys are out there and I’ll wail all day till the sun goes down for you to show your face if I have to.”

She bows her head down towards her chest. Her hair flops over her forehead bobbing. Cassie cries again. The tears landing on her pants and in the dust between her crossed legs. She puts her hands over her face.

Whispering, Cassie calls out once more, “I was not ready. I am not sure I can do this alone. I need you guys. Please don’t leave me all alone. I miss you. Hazel, I love you!”

A few more hours pass. She hears nothing but the sound of the river and birds. No one steps out from behind the trees, laughing. Cassie stands up, her shoulders hunched over in defeat. She turns around to face the river.

Someone left trash on the rock by the river. Cassie goes over to the rock to pick up the garbage. A smile grows on her face as she realizes that the items are not some dumb camper’s trash but a present left for her. Two things sit on the rock; a  red, handmade journal, closed together by a piece of leather and a purple feather quill, shoved between the leather and book’s thick cover. Cassie picks up the present and sits down on the rock.  The book looks like the one Morrigan had.

Celtic designs adorn the leather cover, reflecting the same design on the medallion hanging around her neck. The Elder’s symbol. She raises the book to her nose, careful not to bend the quill. It smells of a mix of lavender and rose, just like the flowers in the vase of her room in the obelisk. Gently, she places the book in her lap and slowly unties the knot in the leather strap. The quill slips down between her legs. White handmade pages fill the book. A quick flip through it reveals they are all blank. Waiting for her to fill them with her words, her stories and her drawings.

Finally, Cassie presses the book to her chest. She turns her head around her, knowing that she won’t see anyone if they are there, but smiles appreciation all the same.  “Thank you,” she softly mutters.

She lays the journal in her lap, retrieves the quill and starts writing.

“Once upon a time..”

<<<<>>>>

“Hello,” Cassie called out. “Is there anyone here?”

Her echo was the only reply she received. They continued down the path, listening for signs of someone down below. Large crystalline forms grew up from the cave floor and down through the ceiling. They were deep inside the mountain now, safe from the cold and snow. The tunnel grew wider and wider until it suddenly opened up into a grand room. A small tree bark sat next to a fire, that was burning, two cauldrons hanging over the blaze. Two more tunnels lead off to the sides, burrowing deeper into the mountain.

Cassie called out again, “HELLO! Is there anyone here?”

Hazel slumped against the stump, shivering as he tried to warm his sick body by the fire. Cassie shedded her pack and jacket and helped Stick locate the roots and bark. Her mind panicked. She was not ready to lose Hazel just yet. A shuffling noise entered the room from one of the tunnels. Cassie left Stick to tend to Hazel as she picked a rock up and crept close to the tunnel. She held her breath.

A tall form emerged from the tunnel. The figure wore a hooded, brown cloak and boots. A pair of gnarled, arthritic hands pushed back the hood. White hair tumbled down over her shoulders and her brown eyes blinked at them. Cassie gasped at the hermit. She was human.

“My name is Morrigan. I have been waiting for you three. I am glad you made it alight.”

Morrigan dismissed the look of astonishment on Cassie face, “Yes, Cassie, I am human. If you would be so kind to help me to the fire, we can sit down by your friends and I will tell you my story.”

Cassie went to the old woman and held her hand. It was cold and withered. In a way Cassie felt sorry for the old woman and hoped that her life had not been spent totally alone.

“Thank you my dear,” Morrigan started, “this cavern home is wonderful but it does leave my bones feeling chilled.”

Morrigan closed her eyes allowing the fire’s warmth to wash over her. She took a deep breath as Cassie watched her intently.

“I grew up on the East Coast, near the Catskill mountains. When I was young, like you, my mother would read me stories about the faeries. Wondrous tales about their lands, and adventures. She would read from the Brothers Grimm and eventually made up her own stories. I could never get enough of them or the tales.”

“I would wander into the hills and pretend I was in the world of the faeries, an outcast sent disguised as a human to keep a watchful eye over the race. It came as no surprise that one day I came face to face with a real, living faerie. His name was Delul and he was tall and handsome with grey eyes and pointy ears and long grey hair and shimmering purple wings. We bonded immediately, you could almost say that it was love at first sight.”

“Every day for years I would spend time in that woodlands walking and exchanging information with Delul about our worlds, and peoples and cultures. We shared stories and music and discovered that we had a strong connection to nature. He taught me about magic and I taught him about the power of words. My love for him grew so strong that when he left to go back to his world, I thought my heart would splint in half.”

“When I became of age, my parents had arranged a marriage between me and my father’s partner’s son, Corin. He was a spiteful, fat, pimpled face boy who treated everyone he came in contact with like servants. I cried for days, even begging my parents to excuse me from being Corin’s bride. Of course, I never told them of Delul. They would never believe such tales, and the love between our people was also forbidden.”

“The day I told Delul about Corin and my parents’ planned fate for me, I thought he would never come back. Instead he did quite the opposite. He offered to bring me back with him, he didn’t care for the rules that separated man from faerie and he wanted nothing more than to be with me as well. Without hesitation, I fled our world that same day and arrived in this world, ready to live my days out here.”

“However, it was not easy. Delul’s clan frowned on his decision to choose a human for a partner. We tried to live in his town for awhile but after the teasing and lynching became so unbearable, we were forced to flee. We went from town to town trying to find acceptance, but back in those days, human tolerance was unheard of. So we lived in peace, for a time, in a secluded part of a forest, in a hut that Delul built by himself. We were happy, in those days.”

Morrigan paused, her eyes glassing over. “Occasionally he made trips into the nearest town for supplies that we couldn’t make or grow ourselves. He always brought me books and pens, as I took to writing about the land and fae. He loved my stories but they also caused him pain. As the years went by, the happiness left Delul’s eyes. He longed for his clan and faerie contact. He hid his yearnings from me well, but I could always sense something was wrong. Then, one day, he left. Leaving me to care for our hearth.”

This is the person who wrote the book that cassie loved.

“I continued to write stories in the books, traveling into town when my supplies ran low. Many of them took pity on me, helping me by giving me gifts and supplies and books and pens. Every time I went into a town I would question the fae about Delul. But I always got the same answer, it was like he had disappeared off the face of this world. Eventually I left the hearth wearing a hooded cloak, as I searched for my beloved, to hid my humanity. It was the dwarves of Greycliff who took me in and treated me with kindness. In return for the ideas and machines I helped them build and create they allowed me to live with them, eventually constructing this cavern for my home.”

“That was over 20 years ago. Ancient history now. This is my mountain, it allows me to see the whole world. The view, along with the supply of books and pens, gave me a steady supply of dreams and things to write. Yes, I am lonely. I long for my beloved, but I am also happy here, being able to live free. However, this past year has not treated my hands well. As you can see, they are warped, twisted with arthritis. Stopping my stories. And now, after all these years, you are here. The first visitors to this cavern in a long time.”

Cassie nodded, feeling very sorry for the old woman, “I can imagine how lonely you must feel, being outcast from two worlds. I, too, was locked up for my beliefs in Hazel and faeries. That is, until Hazel found me again.” Cassie looked over at him lovingly. His eyes were closed and he shivered from the fever.

“This world is why i am here, actually,” Cassie continued, “A plague has appeared, causing a terrible sickness to the faeries. For two weeks they get really sick and then, they disappear as if they were never here to begin with. For some reason, they felt I could be their only hope to save them. That and the stories about someone, you, living in a mountain cave. I need to know, we all do, if you know how to save this world? I fear that my friend Hazel may be next.”

Stick nodded solemnly, wiping sweat from Hazel’s forehead.

Morrigan moved her eyes from Cassie to Stick to Hazel and back to Cassie. “Stick, you may use my cauldrons and the water in the jug on the wall to make your stew to ease his pain and help him sleep. However, I want to speak with Cassie alone, if that is alright with you?”

Stick looked puzzled but nodded her head, “Yes, ma’am. Thank you for your generosity.” She got onto her feet and started working on helping Hazel.

Morrigan stood from her seat on the stump with Cassie’s help. “Cassie, please come with me. There is something I want to show you.”

She lead Cassie down the passageway that she came from when the three friends arrived. Once they left the warmth of the great cavern, Morrigan spoke once more.

“I do know why you are here. I wrote about you. You and Hazel and Stick and your being here was the last thing I wrote before my hands got to twisted to hold the quills. I know why the plague is here and I also know how to stop it from returning.”

Cassie was puzzled, “I’m not sure I understand what you are saying, Morrigan.”

They entered another room. It was smaller, but lined with shelves. Thousands upon thousands of slim, leather-bound books lined the shelves. Sometimes doubling up, sometimes stacked on top of one another. Cassie’s eyes grew big, she wanted to read the stories contained inside. She moved towards the books, wanting to start from the beginning. She felt Morrigan’s eyes on her and repressed the desire to sit and read.

A comfortable bed, sat off in one corner. They sat down.

“The tomes you see here, are filled with the life of this world. I wrote every word in each book you see around you. They contain the continuing history and story of the world, its people and cultures that you read in xxx. These books helped to form and give purpose to this place. As long as I stayed healthy, this world has thrived. However, when my health began to fail, and I was not able to write, the plague developed.”

“I am dying. The world that I helped to create and keep young was also not meant to sustain a human for a lifetime. My hands, my death, stems from having lived in this world. And when I die, that is the end of this world. The stories won’t get written, which means Hazel and Stick and the Elders will also vanish as well. It’s the power of the word, the written word that brings life to this world. As long as humans thought and wrote about the existence of faeries, this world was allowed to survive. And without my successor, someone born with the gift to use the power of the word to tell them, the plague– my sickness released — will destroy this world and every fae in it. Dissolving it into nothing.”

“Cassie, I called upon you because you have the power of the word inside you. You are a gifted, special young lady with an imagination that compares to none. I chose you as my successor, and with your talent for storytelling, only your words and music can save this world. I sold millions of that book but somehow, the love and devotion you gave to the characters and the story made it more real. Your power called out to keep me going. I heard your voice during the many long nights I hunched over the journals, putting one word down on the page after another.”

Cassie looked puzzled, “I think I understand. But do you expect me to do? What happens next?  I can stay here with Hazel and Stick and write stories and keep this world alive. I don’t mind. They never understood me back home anyways.”

Morrigan stroked Cassie’s cheek with her hand. She shook her head and looked her in the eyes, “No child. Did you not hear what I just said. You cannot stay here. It will kill you. I am lucky I was able to write you into the fold in time, otherwise this world would truly have vanished. Cassie, if you agree to take my place, you will have to return home, to your world and never come back. This means letting Hazel and Stick go. But if you stay here, you suffer my fate.”

Tears welled up in Cassie’s eyes. She didn’t want to leave. Her mind recalled images of the night before, their waltz, Hazel holding her close outside, the kiss at her room, all the laughter and adventures they had. Everything about him flooded into her brain her at once.  “No, I don’t believe you. No. Hazel can’t die. He can’t.”

Cassie started crying, “I… I… I love him. Being away from him, at Blackwell, what they gave me killed me inside, but just the thought of him kept the hope alive in my heart. I got him back, and I don’t want to lose him again.”

Bring up the idea that Cassie wants to bring Hazel home with her and how doing so would destroy and kill him.

“No, you need to cut all the physical ties.” Morrigan seemed quite firm in this decision.

Cassie leaned into Morrigan’s lap, the stress, the worry and fear of losing Hazel setting the tears free. Her body heaved as she cried, her mind filled with thoughts of Hazel and her feelings for him. The realization that she returned Hazel’s love for her and her desire to stay and live with him conflicted with the reality that doing so would kill him and any hope of being together they ever had.

“Child, reality sooner or later catches up with everyone. If you do not leave here, he will die. And all the love you have for him and this world cannot save him them. You have the choice to make him well again, to live a strong and healthy life here, with his family and friends. I wish there was another way, believe me, I do. But there isn’t and this is a decision that only you can make yourself.”

I don’t want you to finish my own story, I want you to write your own. This world needs a new eye to live thru, and that is you.

Morrigan stroked Cassie’s matted hair. Cassie sat up, pulling herself from Morrigan’s lap, he tears still streaming freely down her face. She looked smaller and tinier than ever, more like the child she once was than a savior of a whole world. Her eyes roamed from the books in the room to the passageway leading back to the plague stricken Hazel. She shuddered at the thought of Hazel’s handsome body, his arms and heartbeat being eaten away, locked inside some alien cocoon.  He had two weeks before he would cease to be.

“And what next,” her mind shouted, “Will you stay to watch Stick fade as well?”

She stared at Morrigan, the hermit. The human. Her predecessor both in spirit and in love. The woman who gave up her life to destiny, while losing the one she loved most. For a moment, the wise woman morphed into her mother. Cassie laid her hands in her lap, her fingers picking at her nails.

“Okay. Fine. I’ll do it. I’ll do it for Hazel. Because I love him and losing him would kill me.”

Morrigan smiled sadly at the young girl. “Are you sure you want to go through with this? You can take time to think about it a bit more, if you like.”

Anger flushed through Cassie’s face, she cackled, “You ask me that now, after all the things you have just told me? I thought I had no real choice here. Hazel is sick, he’s dying. I can ignore all that, and spend the next two weeks here watching him die. Stick may be next. And then what? Will I fade away with the world, when there is no magic left? No, I don’t think so. I love Hazel, with all my heart and soul, but I would much rather know he is alive and safe here, than locked inside the plague, vanishing. I’d give anything for him, and I know he’d do the same for me.”

Morrigan nodded, “I know this is hard for you. Hazel was not meant to get sick so soon. Or so I thought. The plague has a mind of its own now, there is very little that I can do to stop it now. Okay, if you feel you are truly ready, I will transfer the power of the word to you. You do not have to do anything but sit there.”

She pushed herself off the bed, and turned her back to Cassie. The air in the room surged around Morrigan. The hermit closed her eyes and stretched her towards the sky, “Holy Mother, Maiden, Crone. Earth Fire Water Air. Gather to me now, I call to thee.”

Cassie closed her eyes, holding onto the medallion around her neck, she prayed that this would make everything right. Her heart skipped and her mind scrambled to remember everything that happened in this world and her friendships with Stick and Hazel. Mostly, she held to the image of Hazel and the love she had for him. Whatever the hermit was doing, she hoped it would not steal her memories.

“We gather here tonight, on this sacred ground to pass the torch, the power of the word, from crone to maiden. An honor that has passed down from generation to generation, keeping the old ones young. I call upon thee, to release me of the power and to pass it to Cassondra, daughter of Adam, so that her stories weave breath and life into this world of fantasy and myth.”

Cassie’s eyes snapped open as she heard Morrigan cry out in pain. The hermit’s arms gripped her chest, as if something had been ripped from inside her. Cassie reached forward, hoping to steady the woman. At that same moment, something slammed into her own chest, knocking her back to the bed. It burned, then tingled, spreading from her heart throughout her whole body. Her vision blurred and the world exploded in a array of colors. The power that was the word, left Morrigan’s body and was now inside Cassie.

Morrigan collapsed to the ground, breathing heavily. “Thy will is done. We praise thee for coming. So Mote it Be.”

Once Cassie regained the ability to move on her own, she jumped off the bed and squatted next to Morrigan, “Are you okay? I feel it, the power. It is inside of me now.”

The old woman nodded. Her words spoken silently as she gasped for air, “Yes. It is done. It is now your turn to write. Be strong and write your truth. Now go to Hazel, he needs you more than I do now. I will be alright, now leave me.”

Cassie hugged Morrigan and kissed her on the forehead, “Thank you. For teaching me the meaning of love. For unlocking this power inside me. I can only hope that you see Delul soon.”

Cassie saw Morrigan smiling at the thought of being reunited with her beloved faerie as she ran back down to the grand cavern. She had no idea what she was going to tell Stick or Hazel. Neither one would be too happy with her decision. Cassie only hoped that they would understand she did it for them, out of love and respect for all they did for her.

Stick sat next to Hazel, who was awake and drinking the steaming stew from a mug. “Cassie, he’s awake. His fever has broken. I don’t think he’s got the plague.”

Cassie hugged Stick, “Yes, I think you are right. He’ll be okay now.”

Stick saw that Cassie had changed somehow. “So what did the hermit say to you? You were gone for an hour, we were getting worried that she did something to you.”

“I’m fine,” Cassie said. Then she calmly told her friends what Morrigan had said to her. About the stories, the power, the plague, and the cure. Her voice tottered as she struggled to keep a positive attitude while telling them her decision. Her eyes grew watery. Shock reflected back to her on her friend’s faces.

“I did it for you Hazel. You too Stick. But mostly for Hazel. This journey, being at Blackwell and hearing Morrigan speak made me realize something. I love you Hazel. More than anything or anyone I have ever known. I felt helpless watching you grow sick. I had to do something. And unfortunately there was only one thing and one way for us to get through this.”

Stick turned away from Cassie, hiding the tears. She was mad for what her friend had done. Madder still for Cassie having done this without asking for their opinion. Cassie hugged Stick hard.

“I know you’re mad. But I hope in time you’ll realize that I did what I did because I care and had to. You’d have done the same for me.”

Stick turned around, “No I wouldn’t have. I’d have come and asked you for your opinion first. And then made a decision.” She frowned and looked down at the ground, “But yes, you’re right Cassie, if it came down to what you said, I’d have done it too. I don’t want you to go. I want it to be like it used to. I’ll never forget you and what we’ve done.”

Cassie smiled and held onto her friend, “I know. I want the same. But it can’t be. I can’t stay here and you can’t come with me. But I’ll never forget you and will always consider you my best friend ever.”

Hazel sat frozen with his eyes closed the entire time Cassie spoke. Even as the girls were saying their farewells he didn’t move a muscle. He felt like someone had torn his heart to shreds. Instead of turning out to be Cassie’s knight it was he who ended up in need of rescue.

Stick hovered off into a corner, allowing Cassie to have time alone with Hazel.

Cassie sat down next to him, leaning her head on his shoulder, wrapping her arm around his waist, “Hazel, when you kissed me the other night, I felt like I was the luckiest person on any world. You are amazing. You have my heart always. You know that? I’ve always loved you, but just didn’t know how to put it into words or feelings at all.”

He forced his lips into a smile, “I flipped when you disappeared. You were all I could think about. And when we found you again, I vowed to stay with you always,” he sighed, “It looks as if that can’t happen now. It just wasn’t meant to be was it?”

She wiped a tear from her eye, “No, it was. I can’t see myself loving anyone but you. However, Morrigan is right, all the love we have for each other cannot keep us both alive together in once place for too long.”

She kissed his lips. They were rough from the fever and mountain wind, but she didn’t mind. They let the kiss linger for a bit, while they memorized the way it felt and smelled and tasted before the dream ended.

“I’ll never forget you Hazel,” Cassie cried, refusing to let him go. Stick came back from where she sat, and held onto the embraced lovers. Together, they shared one last embrace of friendship.

Suddenly, the room shifted around them. The flames from the fire died down into nothing, leaving them in total blackness. A weight pressed against Cassie’s body and she found herself unable to speak. And when she thought the darkness was going to swallow her, she sat staring at Atim’s black leather pants.

Morrigan had given them one final gift before dying, she had teleported them back to the Obelisk. The Elders stood, staring at the still embraced friends.

“By what magic?” he exclaimed.

Cassie, Hazel and Stick scrambled to their feet. They bowed in greeting to the Elders before speaking.

“We did it sire,” said Hazel, “The plague is gone.”

“Gone? How can it just be gone?”

Cassie cleared her throat and started telling the Elders about their 2 day journey. She told them about the hermit, and that it was the human presence that caused the plague to appear. Their expressions darkened into sadness when Cassie told them about her sacrifice. She did not tell them about the power of the word and how it was human creativity that helped to keep them alive. Hazel held her hand the entire time she spoke.

“Cassondra, daughter of Adam, we knew we could count on you to relieve this world of the plague. But we are sad to hear the cost you paid for our salvation. We shall honor the memory of the hermit, this human named Morrigan, as she did us a great service as well.”

Bridget sat up, “I can feel your pain. After you leave, I will assemble the best seers and shamans in our realm together, to see if anything can be done to allow you to come visit us again. Or to allow Hazel and Stick back to see you.”

Cassie squeezed Hazel at the promise of being reunited, “Thank you. I would like that very much. But if it causes any more pain, to either of our worlds, then it was not meant to be. I do have one request, before leaving your world, that is?”

The Elder smiled, “Anything daughter of Adam. Ask.”

“Can you give me five minutes to say good bye to my friends?”

The Elders nodded. Cassie pulled Hazel into the hallway, back towards the balcony. They stepped outside, into the cool air. Hazel hugged her once more.

“How about this? Remember the day we met, by the river?” she said.

He nodded, “Yes.”

“Well, how about that every year, on that date, I will return to that spot and sit. All day, and think about you and what we’ve done and shared. You can come here, to this porch. Where you first held me close, wrapping your arms around me like you are now. And you can sit here. All day. And think about me. That way, no matter where our lives lead us, we can always have that one day. No matter what.”

He cuddled her close, “Mmmm… I love that idea. I agree. Every year, no matter what.”

“And who knows, maybe one day, maybe those seers will find a way for us to be together again. Or maybe someone from my world will discover a place that connects to yours. Whether it’s through your magic or our technology. Wouldn’t that be wonderful?”

Hazel kissed her again, “Ah, my princess. Ever the dreamer, ever the optimist. I love you. And will miss you with all my being.”

The moon rose high above them. Hazel turned Cassie towards him and they kissed one final time. Long and deep, with their entire bodies and spirits. Joining as one. And when it was done, they returned to the Elder’s Chambers.

Twelve mystics stood in front of the Elders. Cassie recognized the three seers that helped them start their journey to find Morrigan. Innowen also stood among the them.

She walked over to Cassie and lowered her voice, “This will not be the last time our paths cross, Cassondra. I knew all along what you had to do. What you had to go through to make the decision. Morrigan did not choose you, although it was her writing that set the call into motion. It was the power of the word, the story that connects everything together. How do I know this? Because she was my grandmother.”

Cassie was speechless. Morrigan never said she had a child. Perhaps that was a story best left for another day. She let Innowen guide her into the middle of the room. Her eyes scanned the room until they spotted Hazel, Stick perched on his shoulder. The tiny faerie held onto one of his hands and tried hard not to cry. Hazel only nodded at Cassie, mouthing the words, “I love you.”

Cassie nodded in return as the mystics circled around her humming strange words,  drawing symbols in the air in front of them. Innowen cried out, and thrust her hands into the air. Cassie’s heart beat faster and faster, focusing on Hazel until she couldn’t see him anymore. Her hand reaches up and grips the medallion tightly, afraid that it might get ripped from her chest.

A howl rose from the vocal cords of the thirteen mystics. Innowen dropped her arms down. Cassie vanished.

“Do you hear that?” Stick said. “We must be getting close to Greycliff. Although I do not see any roads or smoke indicating that anyone lives near here.”

The little faerie was right, from where they were, the sound was the only thing telling them that a settlement was nearby. Cassie hoped that Greycliff was more like Stonehaven, although she did not mind a surprise.

Mac’s directions, while very descriptive, lead them off about five-hundred yards from the road Stick spoke of. Despite the miscalculation, they made their way back to the main road and headed for the town. Tall, two-story buildings made of square brick lined the sides of four cobblestone streets. Greycliff was not as big as Stonehaven but Cassie thought it seemed more modern. Beasts of burden pulled carts filled with stone and slate through the streets, their reins held by short, dwarven men with short, grey beards, wearing heavy boots and leather pants. As they passed by, many of them looked at Cassie, sizing her up.

Their lustful stares made Cassie uncomfortable so she walked close to Hazel. “Do you notice something strange about this town,” she whispered to Hazel and Stick, “Greycliff seems to be inhabited by mostly men.”

“You are absolutely right,” said Stick. “I did not see that at first. But now I do.”

They walked up to one of the dwarves. “Pardon me, sir,” Hazel said formally, “We traveled from Stonehaven and was wondering if you could point us in the direction of your town’s mayor and maybe a place of lodging?”

The dwarf scratched his head, “Well, now. You would be a wantin’ to see Nalut. His office is over yonder. And well, the only place fit enough for you and your companions may be The Sad Hobgoblin Inn, at the very edge of town. Of course, you sire may enjoy a night with the lovelies at The Virtuous Virgin Tavern.”

Hazel blushed at the last suggestion. He pushed Cassie ahead of him and hastily blurted Thanks to the dwarf.

“Did he just tell you, what I think he said?” Cassie giggled.

“Uh, yeah. Apparently Greycliff is a dwarven mining town. That is why there are no wives or classy women around. I say we find this Nalut and see how he can help us. I do not think I want to stay a night here.”

It shocked Cassie to see the amount of seedy taverns Greycliff had, Nalut’s office building was between two brothels. Large busty faerie women of all clans, wearing skimpy dresses and busties that exaggerated their woman-ness ganged up in front of their homes. Their hair done up in outrageous styles and their faces covered in thick layers of makeup. They cooed and whistled at Hazel and Cassie as they walked past them. “Hey baby, why don’t you come over here and rest for awhile. I have charms that can make your muscles all better.”

Cassie frowned at them, feeling a tinge of jealousy rise from her chest. She was tempted to hit the one who catcalled to Hazel. But she held back, focusing on their task instead.

Another woman stood in the doorway to Nalut’s office. She threw a cockeyed smile as she bent forward to open the door, displaying her goods to Hazel. He quickly thanked her and sidestepped into the office.

A deck sat opposite the door. Cluttered stacks of paper filled every corner. Two more piles, rose high on both sides of the table. Pieces of paper covered the walls like wallpaper. The script barely legible, displayed lists and times. Cassie ventured that they outlined the rules and regulations and schedules of Greycliff. Behind the desk was a chair, the back facing them was long, orange and tall.

“Excuse me,” Hazel said to the chair, “I am looking for Nalut.”

The chair wiggled a bit and then quickly spun around. A short chubby dwarf with a long silver beard and a pair of spectacles perched on his nose faced them. “That be me! What can Nalut do for ye. You folks lookin’ for work?”

“No sir, we are not.”  Hazel pulled out the Stonehaven medallion that slipped under his shirt. We are on a quest, and were told that you might be able to give us some information.”

Nalut had to lean over the desk, his hands sending loose scraps of paper into the air and on the floor. He squinted and then opened his eyes wide. “Ah yes, the crest of the Stonehaven Obelisk. I know why you are here now.” He hopped off the chair and walked around the desk towards them. He shuck Hazel and Cassie’s hands with his thick, calloused hands. “It be a pleasure, for sure. Please come with me.”

He lead them into a room behind the office entry. Plush rugs and wall coverings hung everywhere. Two lavish armchairs sat next to a fireplace. He offered one to Cassie while taking the other for himself, leaving Hazel to stand or sit on the floor.

Cassie said, “There are stories, about a hermit that lives somewhere up on the mountain behind Greycliff. A deadly plague has reached these lands and we believe that if there is a hermit, that they may know of a cure. We came here in the hopes that you could tell us if the stories were true. And whether or not you know they way to where the hermit lives.”

The dwarf leaned back in his chair, stroking his beard as Cassie spoke. He reached behind him, removing a pipe from a table. Striking matchstick that appeared out his shirt’s breast pocket, he light the pipe. The strong odor of tobacco filled the room. Cassie patiently waited for the dwarf to answer her question.

He took a few more puffs off the pipe and then set his arm down on the chair’s armrest, pipe still in hand. “The stories are correct. For years, Greycliff has provided the hermit you speak of with food and supplies. In exchange for our services and silence, the hermit helped us find the best places on the mountain to mine stones from. We were told that there would come a day when three visitors, like yourselves, would appear here. On that day, we were to break our vow of silence and expose the truth about the hermit.”

Images from Cassie’s dream flicked in her mind as her eyes focused on the dwarf, “Is that all, or is there more?” she asked.

“Oh,” he said between puffs, “there is more. She was young when she came to us, seeking asylum, but by now I am sure she is either very, very old or dead. We have not been up to see her in a few weeks. Usually she sends a signal to us, when she is ready for a shipment of goods. For years we have kept to this system, sending the same packages every time we see the signal.”

“We feared the worst when we did not see anything appear in the sky. And we had all forgotten what she said about you three. Until today, when you arrived in my office.”

“So what now,” Hazel said.

Nalut took another puff from his pipe, “Now I make arrangements for your ascent into the mountains. It will take us the rest of the day for Thoring to prepare the gondola for winter travel. While it is early in the season, snow falls on the caps early. I also need time to draft up a map for you to follow to her cave. The path is covered with snow and if you do not have coordinates and a compass to guide you, you will get lost and starve to death.”

Cassie listened intensely. They had come so far and she was not about to get lost because she did not listen to what the dwarf said to them.

Hazel said, “I will help you with the map, then. That way I can best guide us up the mountain to the hermit.”

Nalut shrugged, “As you wish.” He turned to Cassie and Stick, “It may be best for you ladies to stay inside. The boys ain’t used to seeing flesh so young and tender. And without protection, sometimes their carnal desires override the smarts inside their mind. You can stay here, if you like. The shelves are filled with books, many with pictures. Or you can nap in the chairs. Whatever you like.”

Cassie turned to Stick, their eyes silently communicating agreement with the dwarf, “Thank you. We shall stay here. If we can help out in any way, please let us know.”

The dwarf hopped off the chair, “There will not be any need. The boys know their jobs.” And with that, he left the room Hazel trailing behind him.

Stick leaned against a floor-pillow and closed her eyes. Cassie grabbed a book off the shelf and started flipping through the pages. Even though she was not able to read the language it was written in, she made up her own stories to match the sketches. A small pile of books grew besides her chair marking the passage of time. Hazel appeared through the door later.

“I brought some lunch for you guys,” he said, pulling his pack from his shoulder. He pulled out two sandwiches wrapped in brown paper and handed one to Cassie and broke the other in half, offering the smaller portion to a sleepy-eyed Stick. “From what Nalut says, the hermit’s cave is not very far from the end of the gondola’s line. We may be able to get there by…”

Hazel was not able to finish his sentence. He coughed, his chest heaving.

“Hazel, what is wrong,” Cassie said her face growing pale. Stick stared at her companion.

“It’s nothing, just a small cough from all the smoke. Don’t worry, I am fine.”

After lunch, Nalut gathered them back into his office. An icepick, a tent, some rope, a bronze compass, and the map sat on his desk. “These are for you. You may not need all these things, but tis better to be safe than sorry.” He unrolled the map and describing the location of the hermit’s cave. As he described each area in detail, he pointed to their corresponding coordinates.

“Thoring says the gondola is ready for you now. That is, if you want to leave now. It makes no difference to me, as long as my boys stay on schedule. We have ore and stone to mind. Nothing personal, just business, you understand.”

They nodded. Nalut escorted them to the base of the gondola. A large cable, woven from metal, had been wrapped around trees and gears. The cable ran into a wooden house and out the other side. Cassie concluded that the house stored whatever powered the gondola up and down the cable. She looked up the mountain side, following the path of the cable. The gondola traveled high above many jagged cliffs and rocky outcroppings. Her eyes strained to see the end of the line, but it was obscured by clouds and altitude.

The gondola was also made of metal. It reminded Cassie of a Volkswagen bus without the wheels. It had been painted green but age wore flakes of paint off the side, exposing dull, grey metal underneath. Another dwarf, slightly taller than Nalut and younger, slid back the door to the gondola. He wore heavy boots and pants as well as a warm winter parka.

“Thoring, these are our guests,” Nalut said. “Please escort them safely to the top of the mountain.”

Thoring nodded, “After you, madam.” And then he helped Cassie into the gondola. Hazel followed her, Stick perched once again on his shoulder. Thoring closed the heavy door and slid a bolt into place behind him. He walked passed them and stood in front of a box that had a button and two knobs coming from it.

“Okay everyone,” Thoring announced, his voice gruff but friendly, “Hold on tight to one of those poles cos we’re taking off.”

He pushed the button and pushed one of the knobs forward. The gondola leapt to life with a jolt that pushed its passengers forward as the cable started to move. The ground gave way beneath them, they were airborne.

The view from the gondola was incredible. A metal bar ran around the whole inside just under the windows. Stick hopped and ran around the bar, amazed at the lushness of the world below her. She had never been this high off the ground before, having sat only various friend’s shoulders in trees.

“Lookie me! I am flying! I am really flying.” Everyone smiled at her excitement.

While Thoring stayed at the gondola’s helm, he spoke to them, acting as a tour guide for their journey. “It takes about 30 minutes for the gondola to traverse to the top of the peak. When they first installed it, they figured that the gondola takes us 4,000 feet vertically up from Greycliff. Basically it goes halfway up the side of this mountain.”

Pressing their heads against the glass windows, they thought it was hard to believe that in 30 minutes they could be halfway up the mountainside already. Jagged rocks and long pointy bits of mountain zigzagged beneath the gondola’s path. They saw the mountains freezing point, where green trees met the white crust of dry snow. Ahead of them, high above a plateau, they could see the timberline where trees did not grow anymore. Occasionally holes, blasted by the dwarves for entrances into mine shafts, could be seen. Thoring told them that the gondola did not travel that high, the snow and wind harsh to the cable and gear system.

“Those jagged rocks and cliffs made our early attempts at scaling this mountain treacherous. We thought that any hope of excavating minerals from this rich sound impossible. Which was unfortunate because the veins at the top of the peaks here yield the best crops,” Thoring said. “We got lucky when the hermit came to us with an offer we couldn’t refuse. The things she said she could help us build and do to increase productivity and sales were outta this world.”

He then recounted how the hermit had helped them, in exchange for dwarven supplies delivery. Thoring also told them how it was a small team of dwarves who cut deep into the side of a hill she selected to construct her cavern. The cave, he said, overlooked the valley towards the Obelisk and Stonehaven. Trees surrounded it but the land around it was flat and rich in soil so she could grow a small garden of crops. The cave, it seemed, never attracted predatory animals  because no one saw any around the cave or any of their mining shafts.

Staring at Thoring, Cassie believed that the dwarves saw this hermit as their good luck charm. So long as they kept up their end of the deal, no harm could ever befall them. The windows started to fog with their warm breath as the temperature dropped. Hazel and Cassie opened their packs, pulled out the parkas and pulled them on.

“Cassie look,” Stick cried out. The faerie pointed to the window. Outside off to the left, was a long and wide cascade of frozen water. A waterfall, frozen in time, awaiting the warmth of the warm season to set it free. It glistened and sparkled as the sun’s rays bounced off it. They all agreed that it was the best thing they had seen all day. Even Thoring bowed his head in appreciation for the natural splendor.

Five minutes after seeing the waterfall, the gondola touched solid ground again. Thoring pressed the button on the console and the gondola’s mechanic heartbeat sputtered into silence. Cassie hugged the little man, thanking him for taking them up the mountainside. Hazel pulled out the map and hung the compass around his neck.

Thoring gave them one last piece of advice, “Keeping the sun amd moon to your back will always lead you North. You’d do well to remember this if find yourself lost.” He then showed them where the start of the path was and bid them farewell.

The gondola groaned to life behind them and moved backwards down the cable. They were alone.

Hazel coughed again deep from within his chest. He twisted the dial on his compass, “Well, are we ready?”

Cassie gulped in the cold air, hoping that it caused the cough within his chest, “I guess I am as ready as I can ever be. Do you want me to read the coordinates?”

Hazel handed her the map and they started hiking through the snow. Surprisingly, their boots held up well to the snow, keeping their feet both warm and dry. They slowly made their way up the side of the mountain, being careful to stay away from signs of soft snow and deep drifts. The wind, for now, stayed calm.

Cassie called out coordinates as they ticked off their progress on the map with a quill. Hazel thought they were making good progress and could be at the hermit’s cave before nightfall. This would have been true, if they had not stumbled across a bridge.

“Uh, that’s not on the map, Hazel,” Cassie said staring at a suspension bridge that crossed a wide divide. Years of snow and avalanches washed a deep trench in the side of the mountain and someone, probably the dwarves, had build the bridge to continue providing passage to the hermit’s place and any mining shafts nearby. Puzzled, they doubled checked the map and retracted their route. But the map only confirmed that they were, indeed, standing right where they were supposed to go. And the bridge was along that path.

“I guess we gotta cross it,” said Hazel. They stepped towards the wooden planks creating the floor of the bridge.

A puff of smoke greeted them, exposing a tall, slim shape.

“A troll,” gasped Stick.

“This is a troll?” Cassie thought. It looked nothing like the trolls the Brothers Grimm created in their stories.  The troll appeared to be a cross between a reptile and a goat. His body was scaly on top, two grey horns growing from his head. Long, woolly hair covered his legs down to cloven feet. The troll’s nostrils flared open as it breathed.

“I suppose you want to cross,” it said plainly.

“Naw. We thought we’d build a summer home here,” Cassie retorted. “Of course we want to cross.”

“Don’t be snide to me girl. I could just eat you three right here, save you the trouble of freezing to death.”

Cassie clenched her teeth but kept her mouth closed. Hazel pushed her behind him and said, “So what is the toll? And I’ll bet that you do not care that we are on official business from the Obelisk?”

The troll nodded, “I know nothing of this Obelisk you speak of. The toll, is simple however. I’ll pose a riddle to you, and if you answer it, you may safely pass. If you are wrong, you become my dinner. Sound fair?”

Hazel knew it wasn’t a fair deal but they had no other choice. Cassie and Stick nodded for him to continue.

“Very well. Listen carefully for I will not repeat the words,” the troll said. “Here is your riddle:

I never was, am always to be,
No one ever saw me, nor ever will
And yet I am the confidence of all
To live and breathe on this terrestrial ball.

What am I?”

Cassie repeated the riddle again silently to herself. The troll leaned against a support beam, anchoring one of the bridge’s ropes. He stared at his long claws, preening them. “Feel free to talk amongst yourselves. Oh, and take all the time you need, I’m not going anywhere.”

They walked away from the troll, where they could think free from his remarks. Standing face to face they tossed ideas back and forth.

“I do not think it is a physical object,” Stick suggested. “How can it be if it never had form in the first place.”

“Good point,” Cassie said.

“Could it be a word?” Hazel suggested.

“I don’t think so,” Cassie said. “People don’t live to speak or write. At least not where I come from. Of course, I am an exception to that rule.” She smiled.

Back and forth they went, tossing ideas out and rejecting them.

Stick solved the riddle, “I know what it is,” she said, “It’s tomorrow. Tomorrow never is and yet it is always there. We don’t see it cos it’s not happened yet.”

“And in my world,” Cassie added, “We all live for it.”

“So we’re agreed then,” Hazel said looking at each of them. They nodded and held their breathes.

The troll stood upright as they walked towards it again, “Have you decided then?”

Hazel said, “We believe we have the solution to your riddle troll.”

“Let’s hear it then. But remember, if you are wrong. You become my dinner.”

“The answer is tomorrow,” Hazel boldly said, crossing his arms over his chest. Another cough rose from his chest. Cassie started to worry.

The troll frowned and then let out a howl. “You bested me. You have answered correctly.” It bowed as it stepped aside, granting them safe passage. Hazel and Cassie stepped on the bridge and watched the troll disappear back to wherever it came from.

The bridge wobbled under their weight but held strong. Hazel reminded Cassie not to look down, and although she did once, she kept her mind and eyes busy by counting numbers. By the time she got to 29, they were safely on the other side.

“From what I can tell, we have about 2 more hours of sunlight left. That troll ate a good portion of our day. But I think if we keep moving we can still make it to the cave before it gets really cold,” Hazel said, watching where his shadow landed on the ground.

They pushed onward, following the compass’s needle. Every time Hazel coughed, Cassie added another tally in her head, they were coming harder and more frequently. If he did not get inside soon, he was going to get sicker. Sweat beaded his forehead and whenever Stick and Cassie asked him if he needed to rest, and have some water, he politely refused. He was determined to make it to the cave that night.

The afternoon passed and the sun descended lower to the horizon. Cassie looked at the map, “We’re almost there Hazel. You were right. We’ve got like one more length of my finger, however long that is in feet, to go.”

He smiled at her joke but didn’t laugh. Cassie knew at that moment that he was not well. He always laughed at her jokes, even the ones she thought were really gay.

She moved up next to him and allowed Stick to sit on her shoulder, hoping that the loss of some weight would help him. He had buttoned and tied his parka around his body tightly. It was cold out but not cold enough for that yet.

The sun set, tainting the sky in a bright array of reds and oranges and yellows. The sky cleared and the stars shone high above them. Cassie scanned the horizon for signs of a cave, or footprints. There were none. Doubts that they had been tricked and misled filled her head.

“How could you have been so naieve, and trusting,” she thought angrily to herself. “I mean to take the words of a story, some book, and get you and your best friends lost on some cold, snowy mountaintop was stupid. If you ever get off this rock, I hope you think twice before believing in such tales.” She paused. “But if I did not believe so strongly in the tales, I would have never thought to see faeries and gotten to know Hazel or Stick,” the logical side of her mind retorted.

Cassie swung her eyes from the ground level with the horizon. A faint light, cutting a path of white between the shadows, flickered. Firelight. It had to be. Just beyond the path a wall of white rose from the ground. They found it. Right where the map said it was.

“Hazel, do you see it,” she said, holding onto his hand. It felt warmer than normal, and was moist. He had a fever.

Hazel nodded, “Yeah. I see it. We did it. We” and then his body shuddered with more coughing.

Stick whispered, “I have some root and bark that I can make into a stew to ease his fever. But we gotta get him inside first.”

Hazel opened his eyes. “Oh crap! Do not tell me that I fell asleep.”

Cassie nodded. “I was sound asleep by the time my head touched the pillow. So I do not know how long you have been here. It seems dark out still, so I think we are okay.”

It sounded more like she was trying to reassure herself, than to make excuses. Hazel turned his head towards the window, confirming that it was still night but not for long. “I should leave. The sun rises soon and I do not want any trouble for not being in my quarters.”

She nodded. “I understand. I do hope I do not cause any trouble for you. As much as I want you to stay, I know you need to go back and get ready. Do you know when they what us to gather in the Chamber Room?”

“No I do not. But I am sure it will probably be a bit after first sunlight. It will take a better part of the day to hit Vertley. And I want to get there before sundown, as it gets colder there and the roads, as I told you before, sometimes are not the friendliest to travelers.”

Before he got off the bed, he reached over and gave her a big hug. “Thank you for a wonderful night. And for the nap. I enjoyed it. Like I said, if you need anything I will just be down the hall. Second door on the right.”

“Your welcome,” Cassie said. “Now go, and I will see you in a little bit.”

He smiled and walked over to the door. He placed a hand on the doorknob and pressed an ear to the door. There was no sounds coming from the hallway. Slowly and silently, he turned the knob, and opened the door. He pressed his head between the door frame and door before slipping out. And just as quietly as he opened the door he closed it behind him, a small, almost inaudible click as the door fell back into place.

The fireplace popped and crackled as the dying embers gave out the last bits of light they had to offer. Cassie knew she was no going to get any more sleep. Yawning she stretched the remaining bits of sleep out of her muscles. She felt rested, even though she had no idea of just how much sleep they really did get. But the dream that woke her, puzzled her more than the amount of sleep she had received. Grabbing the top blanket off the mattress, she wrapped it around her. The room was still warm but the air felt cool against her skin.

Cassie moved over to the chair and window. If the window had been a few feet wider and the glass covered with bars on the outside, it would have passed for her window back at Blackwell. If the chair had been brown and vinyl, smoothed over with years of use, it would have passed for her chair as well. She was glad that both the window and chair were different. Cassie pulled the blanket around her feet, and bent down to sit in the chair. It made a small creaking sound as it shifted its weight. She leaned over towards the small table and smelled the petals from the flowers that sat inside the vase. They looked fresh and Cassie could not tell if they had been replaced since she last saw them or if it was just how they were, able to survive for long periods of time cut, sitting in water. Lavender and rose filled her nose. She breathed deeply and turned her attention towards the window.

Unlike her window at Blackwell, Cassie did not see any trees. She was not even able to see the ground. But she did not care. The clouds outside, swirled, having descended low to the ground sometime during the night. Their dark black gave way to a lighter blue and then a small hint of pink drifted over them. The sun started rising. The colors slowly cascaded from the pink to orange to red  and the mixing with the blue to give the top of each cloud a light violet color. And then she saw a line of green entering the sky. It rose from the ground, pushing it’s way up and then out running away and parallel to the ground. Cassie gasped.

The will-o-wisps were the ones casting the green light and forming the line. As the sun rose, painting the clouds with color, they rose into the air floating their way back to where ever they stayed during the day. She was not able to tell just how many of them were there, but the length of the line appeared to last for a few hundred feet, at least. She watched the flock hover into the air, growing smaller as they floated beyond her view disappearing into the clouds. “Too bad I do not know how long I will be in this world,” Cassie thought, “there is so much I would like to see and explore.”

The idea of ever having to leave Hazel, Stick and her new friends so soon just after meeting them and after all they had done for her saddened Cassie. She quickly changed those sad thoughts into more optimistic ones, as  she was also thankful for having been given the opportunity to visit Hazel’s world at all. She longed for a camera and a journal and pen, a book at the very least, so that she could capture in words and images what things she did see and do. Cassie closed her eyes, committing to memory everything she could remember from first arriving to this place to that very moment. She refused to let these memories get lost inside her mind when she did return home.

The sun rose higher and higher into the sky tainting the walls and room with hues of pink and orange. She looked across the room, towards the door to the washroom. “They will come for me soon,” she said out loud. “I better wash up and get ready.”

She stood up, dropping the blanket into the chair. She grabbed the clothes Celan had laid on the chair and walked into the washroom. As if on cue a white porcelain decanter filled with steaming hot water appeared on the counter, next to the basin. Cassie took the decanter by the handle and poured some of the water into the bowl. Tentatively she carefully stuck a finger into the water, testing the temperature. It was hot, but not scalding hot. Cassie pushed the sleeves of her nightgown back to her elbows and cupped both hands. Then she dipped them into the bowl, letting the water wash over them.

Then she bent forward a little bit and rapidly withdrew her still cupped hands from the basin. The water splashed over her face, warming her cheeks, washing the remaining dirt and sweat from her skin. She disrobed, standing naked in front of the basin. Someone had placed a wash cloth sat next to the basin and Cassie grabbed it next. Dipping it into the still warm water, Cassie sponged her body off, cleaning it the best she could, and then towel dried her body. She had no idea how much time she had to get ready and did not want to keep Hazel or Stick or the Elders waiting any longer on her than they had to so she declined the allure of another long bath.  “I can always take one later, if we end up staying in Vertley,” she decided. “After all the walking we will do today, it just may be better that I wait anyways.”

She grabbed the shirt first. The fabric felt soft and light, like handspun cotton. It had been died green, a piece of brown leather threaded through 3 eyelets. She put her arms thru the sleeves and then over her head. It was loose fitting; Cassie flapped and twisted her wrists, watching the ruffled, fabric hanging loose around her fingers swing and sway with each twist. “I gotta get Mom to make me one of these shirts when I get home. It is just too cool and comfy.”

She pulled the ends of the leather so that the shirt came together. While it did fit her, she was modest about her body. She looped them into a bow hoping they would not come undone and exposing her body. The pants were next. The pants were made from a soft leather. Cassie contemplated asking Celan for her jeans, the pants they gave her looked too warm for the weather. A wave of guilt washed over her, and she put the pants on, figuring that they knew the weather better than she did and  even if it was sunny out, she would need their protection when they climbed into the mountains. They were a little loose around the waist and a bit long in the leg, but they did fit her and she was fine with them.

Before she left the wash room, Cassie stared into the oval mirror. The previous’ days hiking in the warm sunny weather helped to bring color back into her face and hair and eyes. The deep dark circles that plagued her eyes as a result of all the medicine Blackwell forced her to take vanished. She smiled, watching the self she knew best smile back at her. Then she quickly ran her fingers through her hair, combing it back into place. The braid Celan placed had left waves in it and Cassie decided that they suited her. The leather strap that held her hair in place during the party was also sitting on the counter. Cassie grabbed it, in case she wanted to tie her hair back later, to keep it out of her face.

She left the wash room and went back over to the chair. While the sun rose, the room started to heat up again. The floor already warming up to the light. She pulled the calf-length boots over to her. The sole was thick, much like the height of her old doc martens she had to leave behind at home. The leather was soft, but not as soft as the pants she now wore. Taking each boot into her hands, one at a time, Cassie tugged and stretched them out a bit, attempting to break them in a bit before they would hurt her feet from a full day’s hike. She put her hand inside the boot and was greeted with a ball of fabric. They had even placed her socks, cleaned even, into each boot.

It took her only five minutes to lace each boot on. Cassie stood, once they were fully laced and bounced. Each boot gave a bit under hear weight  but held. She walked over to the other side of the room, feeling the soles bounce the bottoms of her feet just a little bit. She was testing them out, twisting and turning and scrunching them, to make sure they would support her across any terrain their journey would lead them. Satisfied with the quality and support, she returned to the chair.

And waited for Celan or Hazel or someone to tell her it was time.

Luckily she did not have to wait very long. So she did not have much time to worry or freak out about what agreed to do the other day. The knock and squeak of the door opening, brought her attention from the window to the presence at the door. Two faces peered in from the space.

“Hey! You ready?” It was Hazel. Stick waived for Cassie to follow them.

It was time. “Yes, I am ready. I think.” Cassie took one last look around her room as if she had forgotten something. And then she followed her friends into the hallway.

Two large framed backpacks sat up against the wall. Hazel picked one up and handed it to Cassie, “Here, this is for you. It has a sleeping bag, parka, some gloves, jerky, the stones, a map and a canteen inside it. I tried to make it as light as I could, putting more stuff and all of Stick’s gear inside mine. Try it on and let me know if it is too heavy.”

She took the pack and pulled it onto her back. It was heavy, But not so encumbersome that she would have trouble hiking all day with it on her back. She bounced on her toes, adjusting the weight so it hit all the right places. “This is fine. I think I can handle it. Thanks. And if yours is too heavy, let me know. I want to pull my own weight, so you do not need to baby me too much Hazel.”

He smirked, “Okay. I will. I just may give you all of Stick’s stuff, since it fills half of my pack.”

He laughed as Stick hit his leg, “I did NOT bring that much stuff. And since I am smaller it does not take up all the space.” She stuck out her tongue. Cassie laughed.

It felt like old times again. The three of them, getting ready to set off on another adventure. Except that this adventure had a greater impact than their games. The fate of the fae hung in the balance, and if they failed, there would be no more adventures with Hazel and Stick.  Cassie put that image out of her mind, they were not going to fail. She would not allow it.

The walked with their packs on back to the Chamber Room. The tables, candles and decorations had been removed and cleaned up. The three Elders sat stately in their chairs. Innowen’s winged cat sat curled in a ball on her lap. They were joined by three other faeries, all hooded. Cassie presumed that they were the seers. One held a sprig of sage in her hand. Another held a clay bowl. The third had 3 pieces of string in her hands.

Atim stood, “I hope that you all had a good time last night and slept well?”

The three friends nodded removing the packs. Cassie stood between Hazel and Stick who bowed, “We are ready to begin our trip,” Stick said.

Bridget waved her hand and the three seers stepped forward. “These are our most trusted mystics. They were the ones who found you, Cassondra, daughter of Adam and devised a way to transport you safely to us.” Cassie looked at them.

“Before we send you off, out into the world, we wanted to give you a gift and a blessing,” Bridget continued. The seer holding the stick of incense stepped towards them. A small red light burst from the sage and smoldered, sending a thin ribbon of smoke into the air. The seer walked over to Stick and waved the sage around her, starting at the top of her head, passing downwards to the faerie’s feet and then back up again.

“We ask that the Goddess and the Gods cast out impurity from your bodies. That you may start your journey healthy and whole, free from the dark that clouds us all,” the seer whispered. She moved to Hazel, and then to Cassie. Cassie closed her eyes as the smoke and scent of sage cleared her mind and spirit.

The second seer stepped forward as the first one moved back before the Elders. Bridget continued to speak, “The wine in this bowl comes from the first cellars. Legend has it that the water used to grow the berries and wet the mash came from the center of our world, when it was still young and pure. To drink from the vintage is to bestow great honor and longevity upon you. Typically it is reserved for only the greatest of Elders. However, with the fate of our world resting on your shoulders, we thought it was proper that you have some.”

Cassie raised an brow and looked over at Hazel. His face and colors displayed shock; it was the same with Stick. Indeed, it was a great honor, even though Cassie felt that Bridget was laying it on them a bit thick.

The seer walked up to Cassie first. She bowed her head as she offered the sacred wine. Cassie took the bowl with both hands, looking into it as she lifted it to her lips. The liquid was thick and dark, an drink of antiquity. She closed her eyes and closed the top of her lip over the edge of the bowl. Slowly and carefully she tipped the bowl towards her. A stream of wine kissed her lips and trickled down her throat. It tasted woody, mixed with a hint of white grapes. It warmed her body as it traveled down her throat. She swallowed and brought the bowl down from her mouth, offering it back. The seer bowed her head again and moved over to Stick. She helped the little faerie with the bowl as Stick took a sip from it. Stick shuddered and closed her eyes. Finally, the seer went to Hazel. He also shuddered after drinking the wine. The seer stepped back into line, as the third seer held out her hands. Three silver medallions dropped from the black cords they hung from.

The seer stepped forward. Again, Bridget’s voice called out, “The silver that cast shape to these medallions was bled from the veins that the mountain you will climb. The symbol carved into them is also the same symbol that we three wear as an emblem of our reign. While they act as a token of our honor and gratitude, they also  grant you safe passage through this land and act as payment for services or meals you may need during your trip. Innowen and the seers have also blessed the medallions with charms of protection and luck. Wear them with honor.”

The seer placed a medallion around their necks. Once Cassie received hers, she immediately placed one hand around the heart shaped metal. It felt cold and hard in her hands, the pattern of the Elder’s Celtic symbol pressing their lines into her skin. Cassie felt honored and she wished that she could have given each Elder something in return.

A tear rolled down Bridget’s cheek as she struggled with the words. Innowen stood, sensing the pain. She placed a hand on Bridget’s shoulder and spoke for her, “May Goddess bless you all. And may you three return to Stonehaven safe and sound with news about your findings.” Atim had walked over to the other side of Bridget and the three of them bowed their heads in honor.

“Thank you,” Cassie called out to them, speaking as bravely as she could, “I promise we will return. And with good news too.” She then bent down and grabbed her pack off the floor. Hazel nodded and did the same, pausing to let Stick climb onto his shoulder.

The three friends looked at each other, and without words, they slowly moved back to the hallway with the elevator to take them to the ground and out into Stonehaven. Cassie glanced over her shoulder once more before disappearing from the Chamber Room. The Elders still stood gathered next to each other, Bridget silently crying.

When they left the Obelisk, Stick was first to break the silence, “So guys. I am starving. And I know you both probably are as well. What do you say we start our journey off right by eating some breakfast?”

“Sounds like a good plan. We can go over the map while we eat, so Cassie can get an idea of where we are headed,” Hazel replied. “And you are right, I am hungry.”

They walked past the Obelisk, heading into the opposite direction than Cassie and Hazel arrived the day before. The streets were once again bursting with activity, people trading wares and exchanging services. Heads turned towards them and children hovered near as the three past by. Apparently the news got leaked out and all of Stonehaven knew who they were and what they were doing. Cassie blushed uncomfortably, the teasing she endured at school made her uncomfortable when people looked at her for long periods of time.

They entered a small cafe made of wood and mud. Hazel explained to her that the sign above it’s door read, “The Horsefly.” They grabbed a table, carved from a stump of a large tree, near the window letting the sun warm them.

A barmaid floated over to them, a feather and pad in hand, “Hello, welcome to The Horsefly. What can I do ya for?”

Hazel became the undesignated spokesperson, “We will have 2 bowls of porridge and this little one here,” he pointed at Stick, ” would love some berries and Flax leaves. Oh and three glasses of water, please.”

The faerie noted their emblems as she took their orders, “Okay. Got it. Coming right up and she darted off to the kitchen to place their order.

While they waited, Hazel retrieved the map from his pack and laid it out on the table for all of them to see. He started explaining the route they were going to take pointing to Stonehaven first and then to two more towns. Vertley, where he hoped to stop and rest the first night and then to the second, Greycliff. Finally he pointed to their destination, the silver mountain. Hazel explained that it was 20 miles from Stonehaven to Vertley and luckily, most of the terrain was flat forest. Greycliff sat at the bottom of the mountain and it was from their that they would have a long, steep climb ahead of them.

Their porridge and berries arrived and Hazel put away the map. The faerie floated each bowl and plate down in front of them. Cups of water appeared from thin air and filled themselves full with water. They thanked the barmaid who flew off to attend to the rest of her customers.  During breakfast they keep the conversation light, sharing their thoughts about the previous night’s festivities. Stick entertained Cassie and Hazel, babbling on about Eleric and the massage he had given her as personal farewell present. She also promised them that when they returned to Stonehaven, Elric would give them all massages.

They left The Horsefly a bit fatter and more energized. Hazel lead them through Stonehaven, back to the tall wall and gate. The gate looked exactly like the other, with two ogre guards standing next to their posts. This time, when the three of them passed thru the gate, the ogres stood at attention, their pikes standing tall and proud in their honor.

Once again farmlands stretched outwards from the town. Green grass and trees and red vegetables filled the spaces between farms. They walked down the past, Stick humming songs for them to pass the time. Occasionally dirty dressed farmers stopped what they were doing and looked up as the three past by their land. Some waived at them, others nodded solemly. When they passed the last farm, they paused for a moment. Cassie drank from her canteen and looked back at Stonehaven. “Fare thee well, Stonehaven. Fare thee well,” she thought, “I will see you soon. I promise.”

The land continued to spread out in the valley. Every now and then a few trees and bushes appeared. The ground grew soft beneath their feet, and soon they found themselves traveling alongside a brook. The water glistened in the sun, sending foamy bubbles up into the air as the water hit rocks lodged in the ground.

“If you look closely, you can see the goldmuppies swimming down river towards that waterfall,” Stick explained.

“Oh yeah, and this time I will not make you cross a big, scary waterfall,” Hazel chimed in.

Cassie laughed, defending herself, “I did not mind. It neat. And I did not say it was scary.”

Bushes grew close to the brook and as they walked further into the day they grew taller until golden leaved trees flanked them on both sides. Their branches shimmied in the wind that swept past them, sending them into a cascade of sound. The forest they had now entered was filled with these trees. Their roots digging deep into the soil and running towards the water that sustained them. Occasionally Cassie saw smaller blue and red trees clumping between the long canopies of the golden trees. It felt like summer but the amazing color of the landscape made it look like some small child’s color concept of what autumn was to be like.

They paused twice more during the day. Once to have lunch, by the brook, where they ate jerky and berries and drank water. They refilled their canteens with the fresh forest water as well. While Stick sunned herself on a rock, listening to the sounds of water, Cassie stuck her hand into the river, sprinkling the little faerie.

“Hey! That is cold,” Stick called out, rushing down to the water poised in retaliation. Hazel offered no help as he enjoyed the small war between his two friends.

They paused a half mile from Vertley. The sun casting late afternoon shadows over the trees. Traveling all day wore Cassie down. Not wanting to disappoint Hazel, she pushed herself. A bit too hard because her body stung and hurt all over.   Somewhere nearby a twig snapped. Immediately Hazel dropped his hand to the hilt of the knife on his belt, his eyes scanning the area from when the sound came.

Cassie stood still, her eyes also darting around. Stick moved back into Hazel’s pack, preferring to keep her little body out of danger.

“Show yourselves,” Hazel challenged the forest. Laughter answered his call. They had been followed. Five green bodies dropped from two nearby trees.

“Bandits,” Cassie whispered, rushing over to Hazel. But she was not fast enough for one of the faeries grabbed her and pulled her into his chest. The creature smelled horrible, as if it had not taken a bath in months. Cassie held her breath and tried hard not to throw up. It smelled her, snorting loudly as he did it.

“Let her go!”

The other four faeries surrounded Hazel, prepared to fight. They looked at each other and then back at Hazel and laughed.

“No. I do not think so,” one of them said. From the looks of his colors and size, this was the leader. They did not have wings and their black hair grew straight and tall, cropped into spikes at the end. They wore pants but had no shoes or shirts. Knives were also tucked into each fae’s pants. “We know she is not from here. She smells differently, right Juklak?”

The faerie holding Cassie snorted again, “You are right boss. This one don’t smell like anything I ever smelled before. Tastes different too.” He licked Cassie’s neck. She kicked a foot back but missed.

“Let her go. You do not want her, trust me,” Hazel said, trying to think of some way to get them out of there without having to fight. They were still too far from Vertley to call for help. Suddenly an idea popped into his head.

The boss continued to taunt, ‘You are out numbered. And our weapons are much stronger than your tiny blade. I do not think you are in any position to demand such things from us.”

“Boss,” the third one chimed in over the laughter, “I wanna slit his throat. Can I? Can I? Then we can take the girl and sell her. I am sure we can get a lot for such a strange being. If she is as intelligent as she is limber, she may fetch a good slave wage.”

“Silence. Did I ask for your opinion,” the Boss turned towards the now cowering faerie, “No. We will kill him, all right. And I will take the girl and sell her, no trade her for wine and money.” He reached for his knife.

“I do not think you want to do that,” Hazel started, faking a cough. “You are right, the girl is special. But I really doubt she will fetch you much money or ale.” He coughed again, spitting phlegm onto the ground. “You see, she is a carrier of the plague.”

Their eyes widened at the statement. Juklak pushed Cassie hard from him and put his hands to his mouth, his nails ripping into his tongue, “You are not joking,” he said. “Gawd! And I licked her skin, I am a gonner for sure.”

The Boss held his ground, Hazel hoped the green man was as stupid as the others who backed away from Cassie. She walked over to him. Hazel coughed some more.

“You fools, do you really think she carries the plague? Look at her…” but doubt clouded his eyes. Hazel coughed some more, dropping his knife to the ground. He started shivering and held his sides tight, “Oh gawd. Stop. Oh the pain.” He reached out his arm to the Boss, “Help me.”

Cassie walked closer to the Boss, “If you do not leave now and let me get this poor boy to the town, he will grow sicker and vanish. And you will be next.” Cassie kept walking towards the green faerie. Terror crept over his face and he ran off into the woods, calling out for his cohorts.

Laughter came from Hazel’s back. Stick was howling with laughter, “Oh goddess, dear me. Hazel that was a bold and smart move you pulled there.”

Cassie helped her friend from the ground and hugged him. “Yeah good one. Thanks for saving me. Again.”

“I am just glad I did not have to fight them. I doubt I have enough energy to take on the lot of them. And I am sure they were not alone. Come on, let’s get to Vertley before anything else happens.”

The sun had just set behind the mountains, the last remaining rays of light lingering over the Vertley. Unlike Stonehaven, all the homes in this town were made of mud.  The buildings were circular and only level tall. Roofs made from the large golden leaves capped each home. What also set these homes apart from Stonehaven was that at the center of every home, a the tall stock of a golden tree grew upward, covering each domicile with their canopy.

Small fires had been light outside. More green faeries huddled close to some of the fires, tending to kettles and pots filled with food. The smell of stew and freshly baked bread filled Cassie’s nose. Her stomach rumbled.

A green faerie approached them. He stopped and stared at the silver medallions. “Oh my, you are here. We have been waiting for you.” He pumped Hazel and Cassie’s hand and gave Stick a finger to hold as well. “I am Mac, leader of this little village. It is a pleasure to have you stay with us.”

“Thank you,” Hazel said. Cassie nodded as she was too tired to speak.

“I trust you had a safe excursion?” Mac asked. Hazel told him about their unexpected visitors. “Most unfortunate. I am sorry they picked the wrong folks to heist. They are outcasts of our society. Having taken to a way of fighting that is far from our peaceful existence. I am sure they will not  bother you anymore from you have told me. Heck, they may never come back here again either.”

Mac lead them through the village. Green men and women followed them as he proudly talked about his village. He then stopped at a clearing, a small table had been set up. Two candles flickered, the only thing of interest. “I apologize for our humble accommodations. Like I said, we keep to ourselves and tend to eat in the burrows.”

They sat down around one of the tables. Two green fae walked over and set plates in front of them. A bread bowl filled with a starchy soup sat in the middle of the plate. A spoon carved from wood sat besides it.

“Thank you ladies,” Mac said. “That will be all. Enjoy your meals.” The two women bowed and walked back to their homes.

Mac bowed his head, saying a few words to honor the meal. Then he picked up his spoon and pushed it into the soup. Hazel tore off a bit of bread and handed it to Stick who happily accepted it and started eating. Cassie also put her spoon into the bowl and started eating.

At first, she thought they were going to eat yet another meal in silence, but then Mac put his spoon down and started asking them questions. He was full of questions, wanting to know where Cassie came from, what she saw, what her world was like, how the three of them met. Sometimes he rambled off two or three questions at a time, making it hard for the tired Cassie to remember what she was saying as well as what he asked.

Hazel intervened, “Mac, this stew is wonderful. Can you tell us how you made it?”

Mac stopped and blinked, “Well, the recipe is quite modest actually. We use water, of course, for the broth and then cut bark from the trees and tublars from the ground. The bread, well we have grain imported for that.”

Cassie thought Mac was modest. He seemed more interested in their stories than sharing any knowledge on his people and culture. She figured that it was just apart of their culture, and kept secret. When they had finished eating, Mac took them to a large bonfire. In the middle a fae stood, waving his arms while he told a story. Children sat at his feet, entranced. They sat down as the storyteller finished his tale and then clapped. In a gesture of thanks, Stick stood next and graced the whole village with her voice. She sang a rowdy bar tale first, the men shouting out when asked, in return to her lyrics.

After that, she calmed the night down by singing a ballad sung in her native language.  Cassie thought the language sounded like two chickadees singing their springtime songs. When Stick finished, everyone cheered and thanked her for her voice. The fire raged on and the faeries broke into small familial groups, speaking in hushed tones about the daily chores.

Cassie leaned against Hazel’s feet, the fire lulling her into sleep. Stick had crawled up in his lap, and had fallen asleep as well. Mac walked over to them, “If you would like, I can show you where you can rest for the night.”
Hazel nodded, carefully scooping Stick up into his hand. She shifted, lost in dreamland and relaxed. “Cassie,” he whispered. “Come on. Mac’s gonna show us our beds.” She rubbed her eyes and stood. Luckily their burrow was close to the bonfire. It was smaller than the others. Three beds surrounded the perimeter, three lamps sitting on three tables, giving them light. They thanked Mac and got ready for bed.

Cassie slipped under the heavy blanket. The mattress was not as soft as the one at the Obelisk, but her body did not care. She fell asleep to the sounds of Stick and Hazel snoring in their own beds.

When Cassie woke the next morning both Stick and Hazel were not in their beds. She looked across at Hazel’s bed, it had been slept in, as the sheets were messed and pulled back. His boots were missing as well. Warm air circulated through the small hut, but the strong smell of sleep and sweat clung to the air. Cassie sat up in the bed, and grabbed her boots. She pulled them on her feet but did not lace them up. She was more concerned with where her friends went and why they did not wake her up.

Someone had been in the hut while she slept. A platter sat next to the lamp on the little table next to her bed. Sitting on the platter was a pitcher made of wood, a wooden bowl, and a towel that was ragged. “I guess my wish for a nice warm shower and bath today are outta the question,” she said to the pitcher. She stepped over to the pitcher and poured some of the contents into the bowl. Water fresh from the brook poured into the bowl. She dipped the cloth into the water and sponged herself off. The cloth felt like wool, and was rough against her skin.

“Oh hey. You are awake,” Hazel’s voice came from behind her.

She dropped the cloth back into the bowl, “Just woke up and was going to go look for you two. Have you been awake long?”

“Only for a few hours. Since we do not need as much sleep as you do, we decided to let you sleep in. It looked like you needed the extra sleep.”

“Thanks,” she said, a bit disappointed that she missed out on the sunrise.

“We have been talking to Mac. He is quite the character. During breakfast I showed him the map and what I thought was the best route. He suggested a different way to get to Greycliff. One that will have us there by lunchtime. He also mentioned that he had heard rumors of a hermit in the mountains. No one knows who, apparently no one has seen this being in years. But it looks like the books and seers were right.”

Cassie smiled at the hopeful news, “That is great. And yes, Mac is one interesting guy. He seems more interested in us and our stories than in telling us about himself and his village. I do not mean to sound negative, but you know me Hazel. I am very curious about your world and they seem very secretive.”

“I do not know much about these faeries. We do not see many of them in Stonehaven. But we know that are peaceful, tree spirits that prefer solitude and inner meditation to the city lifestyle. They are 100% self sustained, keeping small farms of tublars, and some herds of trabbits for clothing and cloth. Occasionally, one or two are born with a worldly curiosity and those fae end up being outcast, like the Bandits we saw last night. Usually, however, they are not that mean.”

“Thanks. I will keep that in mind the next time Mac speaks to me. Speaking of which, can we go outside? I have not been outside yet and there is so much I want to see.”

Hazel parted the cloth door, allowing Cassie to walk past him. She squinted in the bright morning light. The village appeared different, more calm, in the daytime than it did at night. No one was in sight, leaving the place silent as a ghost town. Cassie figured that they were tending to the trabbits or out pulling tublars. Mac emerged from a nearby hut and quickly walked over to them.

“As yes, you are finally awake,” he said, patting Cassie on the shoulder, ‘I trust you slept well?”

“Yes I did, the bed was comfortable and the blanket warm. Thank you for sharing your village with us.”

He waved his hands, “The honor is all ours, milady. Are you hungry for breakfast? I do apologize for not having sent for you sooner, but your friends were quite animate about allowing you to get a full rest.”

Cassie nodded, “Yes I am a bit hungry. But you do not need to go out of your way to feed me, I can always eat some of the rations we brought with us.”

“Nonsense,” Mac replied. He lead them back into the clearing where the table still sat. He pulled a chair out for Cassie and then ran off to another hut. She looked around her, taking in the scenery. It looked like they were sitting at the foot of their mountain, for it was very close and tall. Taller than she originally thought. She hoped that the people in Greycliff could tell them exactly where the hermit lived. She hoped that he did not live at the very top of the mountain. It looked like it would take a week or two to scale it. And she was not ready for that.

Mac returned from the hut with a plate topped with fresh berries and a square patty that reminded Cassie of an egg omelets. He set the plate in front of her and gave her a fork. Unlike the night before, Mac allowed Cassie to eat her meal before asking her some more questions. Again, she tried to answer them to the best of her ability, embellishing her answers with details that delighted Mac’s mind.

Sometime later, Stick appeared. She had been off stripping bark from some trees and gathering roots to refill her portion of the food in Hazel’s pack. She hopped on the table, smiling a hello at Cassie, and listened to the tales that were spoken. They left awhile later, allowing the food to settle in Cassie’s stomach first. Mac and a few of the other villagers waived goodbye as the three set off for Greycliff following the instructions to the short cut Mac gave them.

She wondered where Hazel and Stick were. Neither one of them had bothered to visit her in the room she was staying at. Of course, she was trying very hard not to let her overactive imagination get the better of her. Pushing thoughts of them being locked away in some dark dungeon, a madman hovering over them holding pliers ready to rip their wings and limbs to shreds. She shuddered, dismissing the thoughts and pushing them as far back into the corners of her mind as she could.

It continued to be silent when they got back to the side door of the Elder’s Chambers. Cassie held her breath, fearful of what was happening on the other side of the door. Celan paused before pushing the door open and winked. Fear gave way to shock and excitement when Cassie saw what awaited her on the other side.

Long tables occupied a third of the floor. Cassie was not sure how they got them all there, either by faerie magic or hard work and effort. Hanging above each table, suspended by no wires or strings, were lots of candles. Their flame flickered illuminating the room with a soft but bright glow. The walls had been decorated with boughs of ivy and pine. The whole room smelled of incense and flowers. A table runner of purple and black, beaded at the ends, spanned each table. Vases of flowers and pine boughs decorated the tops of each table as well. Silver and gold silverware glinted from the light of the candle.

About 200 faeries were seated at the tables, talking and making merry.  Each and everyone was dressed in their finest garments. Some wore no clothes, their bodies pained with bright colors. The sight of it all  amazed Cassie, there were creatures seated before her that even in her wildest dreams she would never dared to think existed.

The Elders were seated at a special table placed directly in front of their thrones. They too also had their finest clothes and robes on. A cat sat next to Innowen. Cassie thought nothing of it, except that there were two soft and puffy wings extending from the cat’s back. When the door opened, revealing Celan and Cassie, all heads turned to face them. Their voices stopped mid sentence as well. It stretched and yawned as Innowen bent down to pet it. Everyone stood up at the same time, and clapped and cheered as she walked into the room. Cassie had never seen anything like it before in her entire life. Her face flushed bright red as she was not sure she deserved all the attention. Even Celan was grinning and clapping.

Atim walked over to her. He placed his arm around her shoulders, “You look beautiful. Just like a faerie princess.”

“Thank you,” Cassie said. “But all this cannot possibly be for me?”

He nodded. “It is. Not only is our formal greeting to you, but it is also to thank you for all that you will do for us. All your help.”

Cassie felt flustered. She opened her mouth again, but closed it. She saw movement out of the corner of her eye. Something was rushing at her fast.
“CAAAAAASSSSSSSIIIIEEEE!” the tiny body screamed. Stick was running full speed towards her.

Cassie bent down to the ground, her arms stretched out, and braced her body for Stick. The little faerie, fully grown, came only up to her knees. And yet, as tiny as she was, she was still able to knock Cassie back a bit when she reached her friend.

“Hey, Stick,” Cassie said, hugging the tiny faerie gently. “I missed you.”

“Me too. I am so glad that Hazel found you. You had us very worried. We had no idea where you went or what happened. One day you were there and then the next, you had disappeared. Talk about some magic!”

Cassie smiled and laughed, “Well, I will tell you all about it when we got time.”

“Oh right,” Stick said, growing blue with embarrassment. She had forgotten that she was surrounded by 200 of her peers and looked up at Atim. “Sire, please forgive me. I was excited. It has been awhile since I got to see Cassie.”

Atim looked down at Stick, “That is quite alright little one. I understand. How about  you show the daughter of Adam to her seat?”

Stick nodded, “You bet. I can do that. Come on Cassie. You are going to love this!”

Cassie looked at Atim, who nodded. Stick practically dragged her to her seat. They had placed her at the head of one of the tables. Hazel sat to her left. He was wearing   a formal suit of all black leather, the pants tucked into the boot tops. His hair had been combed back and Cassie felt her body temperature raise. He looked very handsome. She never realized just how handsome he could be. She smiled at him and he smiled back.

Then he stood from his chair, stepped behind her chair and pulled it from the table, “Milady,” he said. It was a sincere gesture and if the room had not been filled with so many well dressed fae she probably would have giggled for this was a side of him she never saw.

She sat in the chair as he pushed it up to the table. He then picked Stick up and placed her on the table. There was a tiny place setting complete with a thimble sized glass for her to drink from. Stick bowed at Hazel and sat down.

Atim walked back to the front of his table and cleared his throat. All the eyes in the room turned towards him. “My esteemed friends and colleges, we gather here today to welcome and celebrate the coming of Cassondra Brown, daughter of Adam. She has traveled from afar and has agreed to help us search for a cure and end the dreaded plague that has struck our world.”

A few voices murmured as some of the faeries strained their necks to get a better view of Cassie. She sat motionless and watched closely as the Elder spoke.

Atim clapped his hands. “May the festivities begin,” he announced, taking his seat on his throne once more. The room erupted in cheering as server faeries walked into the room, one by one, carrying platters filled with sweet smelling food. Cassie’s mouth watered. She had never seen anything like it. Plates of fresh vegetables and fish and soup and salads materialized from nowhere on the tables. Celan walked over to Cassie and laid a plate piled full with roots and berries and a purple fish meat. Cassie thanked her as Celan gently placed the plate in front of her. Cassie wished that Celan was seated next to her, enjoying the party with her instead of serving her. But the faerie winked and looked happy to serve.

Hazel also received a plate as well. “You will enjoy this. The fish is from the coast and it is rare for this time of year. The fishermen go way out, beyond the islands in search of their spawning grounds.”

“It all looks so good. I am starved,” Cassie replied, placing an Celtic embroidered napkin in her lap.

An elderly fae sat on Cassie’s right side. During the feast, he spoke to her of his lands to the North and about the damage the plague caused to his lands. His tales, broke Cassie’s heart and she found it hard to eat the meal. More and more plates arrived, as the fae ate. Stick had a plate of greens and roots before her. She slurped the roots as she ate, which humored Cassie.

“So we leave tomorrow,” Hazel said. “Stick and I have prepared packs for our trip and we have lots of jerky and fruits to last the trip. We also have clothing and ropes to keep us warm for when we get to the mountains.”

Cassie nodded, “Do you know where we are going? Have you been there before?”

“I have been around those areas, and know of a few towns we can stay in and ask questions. But I have never gone into the mountains. At least not alone. We consulted a map and have planned the fastest and least dangerous trip. Do not worry, we will be fine.”

“I always feel safe when I am with you,” Cassie said, reaching for a goblet that was filled with a thick red liquid. She took a sip and the sweet, sticky taste warmed her lips. “Wow. This is good. What is it?”

The elder faerie leaned over, “‘Tis Elderberry wine. The best of any Stonehaven cellar. Drink it slowly, least it all go to your head.”

Cassie never had any alcohol before. So she drank it slowly, fearing that it would go to her head and make her sick.

Midway through the feast, Bridget stood. Once again the hall filled with silence. Even the faeries serving and clearing the table stopped in honor and respect. “I wish to make a toast.”

Everyone, including Cassie, Hazel and Stick, raised their goblets.

“To new friends. And to old ones who could not be here with us to feast. May we all live long lives and celebrate the magic. May the fallen never be forgotten.”

A chorus of voices rose out, “To new friends. To the fallen.” Goblets touched goblets ringing out.  Then all was silent as everyone sipped elderberry wine.

Servers cleared the remaining plates of food. Cassie felt warm, fat with food. “That was delicious,” she said. “I do not think I can eat anything else.”

Hazel laughed, “Oh but this is only the beginning Cassie. You have desert to eat. And watch.”

Once again, plates materialized in front of each faerie. Instead of being filled with roots and meats, they contained sweets of fruits and chocolates and pastries. Creams and donuts and cake appeared across all the tables.

“Oh my god, it looks soo good. But I have no idea on where to begin.” Cassie said, her eyes darting between each plate.

Stick stood up, “I can help you choose.” She wandered around the table pointing to a pastry, jubilee of fruits and a piece of cake. Each item she pointed at then disappeared from its position. Appearing on an empty plate sitting in front of Cassie.

“Hey, thanks,” Cassie said, staring down at the mountain of sweets.

Hazel put his finger in some whipped topping, “mmmm… i hope you save some for the rest of us, Stick!” he teased. Everyone at her table broke out into laughter. Cassie thought Stick was right, the tiny fae definitely knew which sweats were the best.

The gentleman leaned back in his seat, a belch escaping his lips. “Excuse me,” he said raising his napkin to wipe a speck of cake from the corner of his mouth. “My that was a great feast! I cannot remember the last time the obelisk had such amazing food.”

Cassie nodded. The food was definitely hitting her bloodstream and her eyes started glazing over. Atim stood once more. “One more toast,” he called out.

Again glasses raised high in the air, poised.

“To Cassondra, daughter of Adam. May the gods smile and bless you and your travels. May you find information that may lead to curing the plague.”

With those words, everyone stood from their seats. They raised their glasses higher in the air. Cassie blushed and averted her gazed downwards, keeping seated in her chair. “To Cassondra,” the room roared. Hazel looked at Cassie, his eyes filled with love and compassion. He bent down, and whispered into Cassie’s ear, “You better say something before they go crazy.”

She nodded. Cassie rose from her seat once the room calmed down. “Thank you, thank you everyone. For your warm welcome and generous hospitality. While I cannot promise you that I know a cure exists for this evil plague, I promise you I, we,” she looked at Hazel and Stick, “will do our best to gather information that can be helpful.” She then raised her glass, “A toast, to you. My new friends.”

Cheering erupted from the floor as her words were met with another round of goblets clinking together. Cassie sat back down in her seat once more.

“Well done,” Hazel teased. Cassie playfully slapped his arm. “So what next?” she whispered.
As if he heard her words Atim clapped his hands again, “Friends we are not done yet. For the night is young and there is still much to celebrate. Please turn your attention to the floor before you and watch the finest dancers in all of the realm.”

Everyone turned their heads and attention to the back of the room. Cassie had to stand up in order to see what everyone was looking at. There in the back, were six faeries. Some stood, holding pipes and strange guitar-keyboardish instruments. Others sat, hunched over large handmade wooden drums with animals carved into their bases or with tiny drums precariously poised in their laps. It was a band. Cassie leaped up and down, she was finally going to hear the music from Hazel’s world.

They were all dressed like medieval court jesters. Two of the members had tall poofy hats on their heads that slouched down over their eyes. The hats were brightly colored, in black and red and orange with beaded spirals and moons and stars woven into them. One was holding a hand pipe while the other held the strange stringed and keyed instrument. They also wore white poet’s style shirts tied with a belt over a pair of baggy, bi and tri colored pants. The faerie with the pipes wore purple and pink pants while the other’s were green and blue and red. Another faerie, had a feather stuffed into her hair, standing almost three feet from her head. The plumage from the feather was an inch thick and changed chameleon colors from purple to green. Cassie was not sure what she had on. It almost looked like she was not wearing any clothing at all. More swirls and spirals and stars covered her body in bright colors. Without having gone forward and looking at the two closely, Cassie figured that it was either body paint or some sort of tattooing.  Another faerie wore similar body paint or tattooing but had her hair standing spiked up with green and red ribbons tied to the tips. The fifth faerie, a male also had his hair spiked and ribboned, but what he wore almost sent Cassie into major giggle fits. The rest had ribbons woven in and out of their hair which was spiked or tied in knots positioned at weird angles on their head.

The last wore what appeared to be a real human ballerina tu-tu. He also held a set of hand pipes although his were smaller than the other player’s set. Cassie quickly covered her mouth with both hands after identifying what that was. She did not want to be rude but the humor of seeing a man, human or fae, wearing a traditional female costume sent her body into spasms of laughter. Hazel turned at her when he saw her place her hands over her mouth, “You okay?” he asked, leaning over and whispering in her ear. She turned her head, her hands still covering her mouth and nodded her head empathically. She still was unable to speak without breaking out into a fit of giggles.

Once she finally regained her body, Cassie removed her hands from her face. She inhaled deeply, casting out all remaining thoughts of laughing. She then looked over at Stick who perched on top of Hazel’s shoulders. Cassie wondered if her tiny little friend was going to go join them at some point during the night and sing her madrigals in front of the crowd. Stick smiled back at Cassie and nodded at her. It was almost as if she read Cassie’s mind and knew that she was going to ask Stick to sing for everyone.

The lead, who ironically was wearing the tu-tu, stepped forward. He looked around at the gathering and paused. Almost ten seconds passed and then breathing deep, he stretched his arms out wide, “Ladies and Gents, Sire.” his deep baritone voice boomed. “Welcome. We are The Fabulous, Gobble Ratchet and  Clanking Chains Band. Proud entertainers, fine musicians and merry makers. And we, the members of The Fabulous, Gobble Ratchet and  Clanking Chains Band are here to put on a musical show the likes you have never seen before.”

As the faerie spoke that last line his eyes crossed the room over and met with Cassie’s. It was for her benefit that his troupe were here and he knew it. Her face beamed with child-like amazement, her mind wondering what was going to happen next.

“And we are here to party. So, if it please the Court, we would like to decree that for the rest of the evening that everyone has a good time. That everyone makes merry, dances, sings and enjoys the performance,” he cried out, his voice booming over everyone. Atim clapped his hands and nodded, sealing the decree and making it official. The room exploded with sounds of applause and howling. Cassie  also clapped her hands, ready to see what the troupe could do.

A steady beat rose over the cheering voices. Thump, thump, thump, following the sound of a heartbeat. The two drummers on the floor shook the room with their beat. Then the fae holding the hand drum started beating a faster, higher rhythm,  snap, bang, snap, bang bang, snap, bang. This went on for about two minutes. Cassie watched the fae around her, many had their heads bowed low, their eyes closed, swaying to the beat of the drummers. The elderly fae, returned to their seats and admired the ruckus from as far away as they could, However, their bodies could not escape from the music, for their feet had all started tapping to the large sounds of the drum beats.

Then the unexpected happened. All the Chamber lights went out. Cassie hopped, a bit startled at the loss of the light. Just when her eyes began adjusting to the dark, two glowing balls appeared. They glowed bright green. Slowly, moving to every other beat of the heavy drums, they started to spin. Their tempo soon quickened, matching the faster and higher pace of the smaller hand drum. As the balls swung faster and faster the color of the spinning balls also changed, going from a neon green to bright orange. It was the last color change when Cassie realized something about the spinning balls. They were now on fire.

Cassie stepped forward towards the light. It mesmerized and captivated her. They spun tall, then grew short, making intricate circles around one another. Then, they snapped back to being long and wide and then they wove figure eights, all the while never missing a beat. She wanted to see who was behind the dancing, spinning balls of flame. Hazel followed, Stick still on his shoulder. The balls leaped and moved, their unseen faerie carrying them around the dance. The drums, continued to weave their hypnotic beat.

As Cassie crept closer she heard the whooshing sounds. The balls floated above an invisible head, one circling high, while the other circled around in front of the body. Magic was not causing the balls to spin, chains were. The balls were attached to chains and someone or something was holding them. And yet the glow from the flames did not expose the mystery dancer. It was like it did not exist at all. That it was Darkness itself holding onto those chains. Cassie was in awe.

Then suddenly, she heard more whooshing sounds behind her. She spun around and saw a second set of glowing balls appear, attached to another set of chains. These balls glowed bright blue and changed to red flames as they spun faster and faster. The first spinner walked over to where Cassie stood. They spun the flames around her, close but not close enough to catch her hair or clothes or skin on fire. Then they danced around her. Their fingers weaving trails of lights over and around and away from her. She felt like she was being bathed in a glow of flame, cleansing her and birthing her into a new world. The balls spun faster and faster as the drums continued to beat, climaxing in a flurry of sound. And then, when she thought she could not take it anymore. The balls burned out. Leaving everyone in the dark again.  The drums absolutely silent. The song had ended, leaving Cassie breathless.

The audience started clapping and the candles relight themselves with a small poof sound. Cassie rejoined the members, still trying to understand what had just happened. The lead faerie stood forward again, and winked at her, “Ladies and Gents, Sire, we now would like to invite a court favorite up from the audience to sing a tale of love and sorrow. Hazel, would you be so kind as to bring your companion, Stick, up in front, we all would appreciate it muchly.”

Hazel nodded and grabbed a nearby chair. He walked over to where The Fabulous, Gobble Rachet and  Clanking Chains Band stood and set the chair down. Then he crossed his right hand over to his left shoulder. Stick hopped from her perch into his hand. He lowered the pixie down into the chair. “Thanks,” she chirped.

The hand drum started beating out a slow dum, de dum, de dum beat. Both pipe players tapped their feet, getting used to the tempo and then they started playing a long and sorrowful melody. Five bars into their song, Stick closed her eyes.

More melody passed and then a high soprano voice rose from the little faeries chest. Stick started to sing. Instantly, Cassie recognized the song, it was one of her favorites, One Tin Soldier. While she did not want to hog the spotlight she also found herself mouthing the words while Stick sang the song.

“Listen people to a story
that was written long ago,
’bout a kingdom on a mountain
And the valley folks below.
On the mountain was a treasure
Hidden deep beneath a stone,
And the valley people swore
They’d have it for their very own.

Go ahead and hate your neighbor,
go ahead and cheat a friend.
Do it in the name of heaven,
you can justify it in the end.
There won’t be any trumpets blowing,
come the judgement day,
On the bloody morning after
One Tin Soldier rides away.

So the people of the valley
sent a message up the hill,
Asking for the buried treasure
Tons of gold for which they’d kill.
Came the answer from the kingdom,
With our brothers we will share,
All the riches of the mountain,
All the treasure buried there.

Now the valley cried with anger,
Mount your horses, draw your swords
And they killed the mountain people,
So they won their just rewards
Now they stood before the treasure
On the mountain dark and red
Turned the stone and looked beneath it–
Peace On Earth, was all it said.

Go ahead and hate your neighbor,
Go ahead and cheat and friend,
Do it in the name of heaven,
You can justify it in the end.
There won’t be any trumpets blowing
Come the judgement day,
On the bloody morning after-er,
One Tin Soldier rides away”

When the song ended, Cassie had tears in her eyes. But she was not the only one. Several other fae were also in tears. Lovers wrapped their arms around one another holding onto the love they shared. Again, everyone clapped as Stick bowed and turned to praise The Fabulous, Gobble Ratchet and  Clanking Chains Band and the lovely accompaniment they gave her.

Stick hopped down from her chair. A few fae gathered around Stick in admiration, shaking her tiny hand in praise. The band lead whisked the chair away as the band broke out into another set of songs. While most of the older fae still sat at their tables listening to the music, enjoying a night of partying, some of the younger fae took to the floor and started dancing to the music of The Fabulous, Gobble Ratchet and  Clanking Chains Band.

The music died down once more.  “Whew-ie,” The Fabulous, Gobble Ratchet and  Clanking Chains Band lead called out to everyone, “you faeries sure know how to party. You guys keep dancing like this, we can play all night long. However, we think a small break is in order. So go back to your tables, grab a goblet, fill it with Elderberry, and watch as we continue to entertain you.”

People scattered off the floor, heading back to their seats. Cassie picked Stick up and placed her on her shoulder. Then she and Hazel wandered back over to their seat.

“Boy, am I ever thirsty,” Stick said, grabbing the thimble and downing the rest of her wine in one big gulp.

Cassie nodded, “Me too. I have not danced like that in ages. I wish that tonight would never end. It has been a long time since I have had this much fun.”

Hazel smiled, his eyes still showing a glint of sadness behind them. Cassie noticed how silent he had been. She dragged her chair over to him and sat down. Playfully, she bumped into him, “Hey! You! You have hardly said anything all  night. What is on your mind?”

He leaned into her, “What? I can barely hear you over the music?”

Cassie looked up, The Fabulous, Gobble Ratchet and  Clanking Chains Band started playing some strange stringy tune. It sounded as if it had come from the Middle East. The hand drum strummed a strange 3/5ish beat. Standing on the dance floor were 3 faeries. They wore bright red turbans, gold and silver pins decorated with bells clasped the turbans tightly. Two of the women wore half-top choli shirts, with only one long sleeve extending past their fingers. The third dancer wore no shirts. Her small perky breasts bare, save for small circular hoops hooked thru each nipple. Small bell charms dangled as the dancer shimmied her torso. All three dancers’ bottoms covered in similar costumes. Layered skirts, a black gauzy see-through skirt sat on top of a deep, blood red skirt that twirled around their bodies when they spun. Underneath the skirts, the topless dancer wore black harem pants made of a soft and velvety material. The other two wore similar harem pants but instead of being black, theirs was red.

They wore paint on their faces. Black lines and swirls wove in and out in patterns on their cheeks and foreheads. Tiny gemstones decorated the space between their eye brows, where their third eye sat. Thick rings sat upon their fingers, sometimes reaching up to the first knuckle. Short and long necklaces dangled from their necks. Cassie thought the whole ensemble looked rather heavy for their bodies to handle.

Leather belts with spike studs hung loose around their waists. Tiny gemstones were glued to where their bellybuttons should have been. Cassie felt it odd that the human-sized faeries did not have any belly buttons. She wondered how children faeries got born. Were they made, appearing out of nowhere? Or brought to their parents by some stork? Perhaps they were hatched coming from eggs lain in nests made from fabric and wood? She made a mental note to herself to ask Hazel or an Elder before she departed from this world.

Cassie turned her attention back to Hazel, whom she caught staring at her from the corner of her eye. Again she leaned in close, “I said,” she started, “You look lost in thought. You have not said much all night. What is on your mind?”

He nodded and shrugged, “I did not think I was acting anything out of the ordinary. I am sorry. Yeah, I have been thinking about our trip and route. But honestly, I am enjoying just being here with you. And watching.”

Cassie put her hand on his shoulder. She opened her mouth and started to speak but was suddenly whisked away from her seat. One of the dancers pulled her from the chair and out onto the dance floor. Cassie attempted to pull away as she protested but it was no use. They had her out on the floor and they were moving her body to their moves.

Hazel moved out of his chair and wandered over to a corner of the room. His eyes followed Cassie across the floor. He could tell she wanted him to come rescue her once again but he made no attempt to do so this time. He was amused and wanted to see her suffer it out. Everyone started to cheer and laugh as Cassie struggled to mimic their moves and dance. Her face turned bright red but as embarrassed as she felt, she was laughing and having a good time. And that made Hazel happy.

When the dance was over, Cassie skipped back over to him, “So much for my knight in shining armor. How come you did not attempt to rescue me this time.”

“First time is free, but any subsequent rescues are going to cost ya,” he smirked. “Besides, who said you needed to be rescued. You looked like you were having a great time out there. Not bad for a first attempt at that dance.”

Cassie’s eyes sparkled. “Oh, really? Do you think you can do any better? I would love to see you try and dance like that!”

They broke out laughing. “Yeah, well, you just be glad I do not wear dresses or skirts. Hairy legs, after all, you know. Not the sexiest thing.”

The Fabulous, Gobble Ratchet and  Clanking Chains Band struck up once more. However, they slowed down the pace this time, the pipes carrying the audience into a waltz. Couples filtered onto the dance floor. Even the Elders Atim and Bridget stood up and wandered onto the dance floor.

Hazel looked at the floor and then over to Cassie. He stood in front of her and then bowed, “Would milady care to join me in a dance?”

She extended her hand, “Why sire, you honor me. Of course I would love to dance with you.”

He took her hand and led her out onto the dance floor. She put her arms around his neck and he lightly wrapped his around her waist. They smiled at their youthful awkwardness, trying rather to enjoy the night. Atim winked at them as he spun Bridget into a dip. The young couple smiled back at the Elders. Cassie stepped forward, closing the gap between her and Hazel. She paused. And then she stepped closer still. Cassie was not certain whether or not Hazel took no notice of her small actions or he welcomed the closeness. Then she took the ultimate risk.

She moved her body as close to his as she could. She was not looking at Hazel, instead she turned her head to the right. She placed her head on his chest. The leather was warm, from having been warmed all night long with Hazel’s body heat. It was not cold as she expected it to be. Through the layers of clothes, she could her his heartbeat. It was strong and steady, beating a bit faster than she would normally imagined. She smiled, hoping that his elevated heart rate was due to the fact that she pressed her face into his chest. Closing her eyes, Cassie hoped that the night could go on forever. She felt safe, hugged by his arms, standing so close to him. There was no where on her world, his world or any other imagined worlds she  wanted to be.

The waltz continued for a few more minutes. Cassie rested her head on Hazel’s chest the entire time. If anyone watched them, Cassie did not care nor did she see them. She kept her eyes closed the entire time. It was as if they were the only two in creation, no one else but the music of the stars surrounded them.

The music stopped. And Cassie felt her mind rush back into her body.  The room, the smell of candle wax, elderberry wine and body heat flooded back into her senses. She lifted her head off his chest, a draft of cool air turning it red. They stared into each other’s eyes. Hazel broke the silence first.

He bowed, exaggerating every inch, “Thank you very much Milady. T’was a wonderful dance.”

She could not help but to giggle. “No, no, no. Thank You.” And then she attempted a flourished curtsey of her own. Her body jerked into position and she quick rose back up.

“So, you thirsty or hot?” she asked.

“You read my mind. Yes, my throat is a bit dry and I really could stand to go outside and cool off. This outfit is not exactly cool ya know.”

Hazel extended his right arm outwards. “After you.”

Cassie smiled and took the lead. They wandered in and out between dancing couples and groups of faeries chatting. Cassie looked around for Stick but did not see her. She figured that the little faerie had either left or gone off to go talk to some of her other friends. She was not even sure she would even be able to spot Stick with so many tall faeries around her. She lead Hazel back to their table and chairs.

She half expected her goblet to be empty but instead it had been filled back up with more wine. She grabbed the cup and turned around, looking for Celan or any of the other servant fae. But no one was around, not that she could see through all the bodies. Either they were touched by faerie magic and refilled themselves when they sat empty for a time or Cassie just was not as observant to the servants.

They sat in silence, drinking their wine, re-hydrating their bodies while watching everyone around them enjoying themselves.

“You know,” Hazel began, “the way they are carrying on, you would not dare to think anything bad was going on. I mean look at them, their smiles, their energy.”

Cassie nodded. She looked around. Not a spiky color appeared anywhere. The room swelled with red and green and orange and yellow happy colors. Even the notes floating from the instruments played by the members of The Fabulous, Gobble Ratchet and Clanking Chains Band seemed to be filled with happiness as well. It was hard for her to imagine that anything bad could befall such a loving and magical place. She wondered if this was what was bugging him all night.

“It will be okay, Hazel,” Cassie said. “We will figure out what is going on. No matter how long it takes, we will hunt a cure down. I promise, I will do everything that I can think of to help you and everyone.”

She smiled at him, but it did not seem to lighten his weight. She touched his back, above his wings, and rubbed it. “I promise Hazel. I mean it.” His wings fluttered a bit as she touched his back. The movement made Hazel look like a dog who upon being scratched wagged his tale. He smiled at her.

“Thank you. So want to go check out the terrace?” he said.

Cassie blinked, she was stunned, “You mean the Obelisk has a patio?”

“Well, kinda. Come on I will show you.”

They both stood. “Oh wait. Hazel do you think we should let Stick and the Elders know where we are going?”

“Stick knows that we will be okay if we leave. Besides, we will all meet back here in the great room tomorrow anyways. I am sure she is fine. I know there are quite a few suitors she is teasing and stringing along tonight. She will be fine.”

They made their way out of the side door into the obelisk hallway. When Hazel stepped into the hall, the torches flared up, casting more light for them to make their way. The sun had long gone down, and the windows flooded the room with a soft white glow. Walking around the obelisk was more like traversing a maze. The stone black walls made everything similar to one another and Cassie had no idea which way they were going and where Hazel was taking her. She also was not able to gage the size of the floor, as it seemed a lot larger on the inside than when she saw it from the ground.

Hazel led her to a set of double doors. They were made of glass and had Celtic knots etched into it. He threw the doors open and they were both greeted by a very cold blast of air and moonbeams from the moon.

“Ahhh, much better,” Hazel said. He stepped onto the terrace. “Come on Cass, this feels so good.”

Cassie followed, shivering. The cold and fresh air did feel good but she still felt a bit too cold standing outside in her dress. She walked over to the railing where he stood. Both his arms sat firmly on the stone surface. His red curls waved in the breeze.

“Check it out,” he said. “The moon looks so close to us that you can almost reach out and touch it from here.”

She followed his gaze. The moon was full and huge. Hazel was right, it did seem like they could reach out and touch the rocky surface. Either it was an optical illusion produced by the dark or the obelisk stood taller than she imagined. She then bent over the railing, looking down upon the town. They were too high up in the air to hear the sounds coming from the streets. Smoke slowly meandered upwards from many of the chimneys. Lights from the buildings cast strange shadows over the streets, shifting as the faeries inside moved around. The busy streets had quieted down, only a handful of people walked along the cobblestone. Cassie was able to make out small dots as they moved between the shadows and lighted lamp posts. The light from the posts appeared green and hovered.

“Hazel, I meant to ask you earlier today but did not have time. When we entered Stonehaven I saw those lamp posts, but no candles or bulbs. So what casts the light over the streets?”

“Oh yeah. That is right you do not know about those yet,” he said. “They are will-o-wisps. A family that lives here in town, raises them for that purpose. They go out into the swamps and forests west of Isorak and capture them. Will-o-wisps do not seem to have any intelligence, as far as we can tell. And they are relatively rare around here. So we handle them with care and treat them as honored pets. Their glow has lit the streets as far as I can remember.”

“Are they placed there at night and then removed?”

“No, like I said, they are trained. I am not sure if they sleep during the day or just hang out in some corral. At night, right as the last rays of sun fade over the horizon, the family releases them and they float right into the lamps. Maybe they stay put all night because the lamps offer them safety from predators while they eat? I am not sure. But in any case, when they feed, they cast off that greenish glow.”

“Neat,” Cassie said, hoping that they would be able to see the will-o-wisps up close before they had to leave in the morning.

She shivered again. Hazel saw her body tremble in the cold. He pulled his eyes away from the town and moon and stepped behind her. He then wrapped his arms around her, embracing her whole body. Cassie welcomed the warmth his body gave her and eased into him. The only sounds they could hear was the wind slowly moving past them and the calls of a nigh creature flying high above them off in the distance.

“You warm enough now?” Hazel asked Cassie.

“Mmm-huh. Thank you. I feel a lot warmer now. I cannot believe how cold it is now when it was so warm this morning.”

“This is normal for this time of year. Then again, where we are heading, it will get a lot colder. But do not worry, Stick and I packed warm clothing, boots and a parka so hopefully we will not grow too cold. We will rest at some towns along the way and when we hike into the woods we have wood and some stones to keep us warm.”

Cassie looked up at his chin, “Stones? How are stones going to keep us warm when it is cold and snowy out?”

“These stones are magical. All you have to do is say the activation word and they begin to heat up and they stay hot until you say the word to turn them cold again. Anytime anyone travels to the cold lands they take these stones with them. I have heard stories of men who did not take them with them and regretted it when they found themselves in a cold place without the ability to make fire.”

“Right on. I should take some of those back to me if I ever go home,” Cassie joked. “Do you know how much money I could make selling those to people? I would never have to go to school again, or work. I would be really rich.”

Hazel giggled with her, “Yeah right. I am SO SURE that the Elders would just sit by and do nothing while you take a pocketful of stones back to your world.”

“It could happen. You never know what can happen.”

“Yes, this is true. You do never know. Okay, I feel better now, do you want to head back in?”

Cassie pulled away from him, “Sure. We should go back inside. Someone might have noticed that we are missing and wonder what happened to us.”

Hazel held the door open for her. Cassie slipped past him and waited for him to join her in the hallway. He stepped backwards and closed the doors, making sure the wind could not blow them open again. They made their way back to the Chamber Room. As they got closer to the room, the music from The Fabulous, Gobble Ratchet and Clanking Chains Band grew louder. The party was still going on.

No one notice that the two returned, much less that they left for a bit. The older Elders had retired for the evening. The two chairs stood empty. Cassie caught a glimpse of Innowen dancing with a group of faeries. She had a smile on her face and it was hard for Cassie to believe that someone so young could be an Elder for a Clan.

Stick found them first, “Hey you two, where did you run off to? Been looking for you guys for awhile now.”

Hazel and Cassie sat down on the floor against the wall, “It got hot in here, I needed to cool down. What is up? Did something happen?”

“Eh, not much actually. Everyone’s been dancing and drinking and having a good time. I was not too worried but after I took off to go talk to Eleric, I lost sight of you both.”

Stick hopped over to Cassie and sat in her lap. “So Cassie, what do you think of all this?”

“I am loving it, Stick. It’s incredible, amazing, magical, surreal. Never in a million years would I have thought that I be at a faerie party, much less standing in your world.”

“Yay! Parties are the best here. The food and wine never stops coming and there is always music, song and dancing. We tend to celebrate lots here. And I like to think that having you here, counts as a reason to party,” Stick said, wiggling her body.

“So what have you been up to, Stick?” Cassie said. “Hazel here says that you are a regular flirt!”

Hazel threw his hands up in front of his body, “Hey, do not look at me like that Stick. You and I both know you have a thing for a pretty face, or a pretty body.”

Stick frowned at him and then laughed, “Yeah, well. I cannot help it. So much eye candy around here, gotta amuse myself somehow. Besides, you two seamed preoccupied with one another and I did not want to disturb ya.”

It was Cassie’s turn to frown, “I hope you did not think I was purposefully ignoring you Stick. Hazel wanted to talk and I could not see you any where. I am sorry.”

“It is no big thing, Cassie. Like Hazel says, I found my own form of entertainment for the evening. Now if you two shall pardon me, I must get back to Eleric. And do not look so bummed out Cassie, I will see ya tomorrow. And we will have lots of time to chat and catch up on the road.”

Stick stood and hugged Cassie, “Thanks for understanding Stick. Now go have your fun. We will definitely chat tomorrow. Have a good night.”

Stick put her hand to her forehead and threw a mock-salute. Her body rocked to the music as she spun around. She was soon joined by another faerie her size. Cassie assumed that this as Eleric. He was bald and also did not have any clothes on. His skin was blue and contrasted with Stick’s brown body. They greeted each other by nuzzling noses and then hopped off to enjoy the night.

“Stick is so cute,” Cassie said as Stick disappeared. “I really do hope she does not think I ditched her. There is just so many things to see and stuff that I sorta feel overwhelmed. And then there is you, Mr. Worrywort.”

“Huh?” was all Hazel said.

“Like I said, you are so worried or worked up over something tonight that you barely seem here at all. Are you sure you are okay?”

Hazel nodded. While it was true that he was worried about the plague and what could happen to his world if it continued spreading, he also had something else on his mind. Something completely different.

He was thinking about Cassie.

She had always left him captivated. From the moment he met her, even till now. He wasn’t sure what it was about her. But he thanked the Gods for that day when he first met her. He had been wandering through the east woods and found himself lost. Somehow he had wandered through a portal and in the forest where she was playing. Back then there were a lot of portals, doorways that connected his world and hers. So it was very easy for someone from his world to walk through one of them and into hers if they were not careful enough or paying attention to where they were going. He rarely watched where he was going, preferring to focus on the trees and the land. It was much more interesting than staring at his feet.

But somehow, he found himself in a very different forest than he originated in. Unfortunately, the same portal that lead him into her world, did not offer a way back so he had to wander around in order to find another way back to his own world. Hazel was young and the elders of his clan had not taught him the necessary spells to transport him to and from the worlds yet.

The fur  and pine trees and aspens intrigued him. They were static and green, holding themselves to a single shape and color. When he spoke to them they did not return many thoughts back, which he thought was incredibly rude. He was in the process of asking one pine when instead of receiving an answer from the tree itself he heard a voice speaking.

“We will travel the world,” it said. The voice was high pitched and had a accent that was different than anything he had heard of in his world. “All aboard! Toot, toot. Fare thee well, little boat. Bye bye.”

He followed the sounds, creeping silently across the forest ground. He avoided all the dry stick and leaves decomposing on the soil. Finally after a few minutes he heard water accompanying the voice. He was near a stream. Hazel climbed a nearby tree, keeping himself hidden. The last thing he wanted to do was to be spotted and captured. The clan elders warned them not to be captured. The stories of the tiny fae being trapped in school-girl books between pages or having their wings pulled off by boys or adult scientists looking for proof of their existence. He shuddered at the thought of loosing his beautiful wings.

Through the leaves of the trees, Hazel looked around. Cassie was hunched over at the water’s edge. She was tiny and could have very easily passed for a faerie if she had wings on her back. But she was not. Her hair was long and red, and had been braided into a single braid. Two beads hooked together holding the braid in place. She wore a green t-shirt with strange markings on it and a pair of blue jean shorts. She was barefoot, her shoes having been tossed off sitting next to a tree. A good sized pile of pinecones piled up besides the girl.

Hazel perched in the tree. He knew that where one human was, there would be more. And he did not want any trouble. Nor did he want to be spotted. So he sat still and waited, figuring the girl would move on or leave when called for. Minutes turned into hours and no one came or called. The girl continued to stay at the river bed, occasionally leaving to gather more pinecones. Sometimes she hummed strange songs to herself. Something inside Hazel stirred and he felt compelled to step forward and met her. He felt sadness, for someone so young  to be left alone for so long. If she had any friends they would have been gathered at her side.

A small part of him told him to leave, to slowly back away and get out of there before he was caught. He shook that feeling off as he climbed out of the tree. He then crept around behind her. And continued to watch, until she turned around.

“Hello. I’m Cassie,” she said smiling. And those words forever changed Hazel’s life. The few hours that he spent that first day, floating pinecones down the stream, listening to her tell him stories from her head, made him aware of the wonder and life that humans carried. It was true he had not been given a name yet and even after Hazel returned to his own world, he kept that name, accepting nothing else.

It took him only two hours to find another portal back to his own world. When he got back to his town, he refused to tell the elders where he had gone. He was afraid they would banish him from ever returning. And he did promise Cassie that he would be back the next day.

Hazel taught her many things when they got together. When she told him how easily it was to see colors and the hidden, Hazel knew she had been born with the gift of sight. Not many humans ever learned how to use that talent. It usually disappeared as they grew older. Therefore, Hazel took it upon himself to teach her how to develop it so she could use it to benefit her life and her world. First he taught her what the colors meant. And then he showed her how to change her own colors at will. Hazel was shocked at how fast Cassie learned each lesson and adapted to the new ways of seeing the world.

He also showed her how to see the colors from music as he played his pipes for her. Once she got the hang of seeing the colors, she would ask him to play for her hours at a time. And he would oblige. He loved playing music and watching her trance out. He would play long after his fingers and lungs and mouth tired.

He also taught her about the trees. He pointed out the differences between sick trees, those that had parasites on them, or copper illnesses growing in them and on their leaves, and healthy, happy trees that got enough sunlight and nutrients from the soil. He taught her how to respect them, by sitting under them and thanking them for all the gifts they gave her. Every time she picked a leaf, or a pinecone off them she would bow her head down in reverence and mutter a few words of thanks under her breath. Finally, Hazel taught Cassie how to speak to them.

It was the hardest thing he had to teach her, taking almost an entire year to get her to get used to their voice appearing inside her head and of their accent. Finally there came a day, when she started speaking to a pine, Cassie turned to him and said, “How rude. Did you hear what he just demanded from me?”

There was nothing Hazel could do but to laugh and hug her. Of all the trees, she liked talking to aspens and the droopy weeping willows the best. She tended to shy away from the pines and furs, “because they are gruff and do not like me at all” she said.

She also taught him about her world and her people. He learned about cars, and planes, weird machines that carried people from one place to another. Seeing those big metallic birds in the sky saddened Hazel. Humans were no different than his people. It was like they were apart of his race long ago but lost their ability to carry wings on their backs. And when that happened they also lost their belief in magic and all things fanciful. He tried to think about what it would be like to live without magic, without seeing unicorns run freely in the fields. But he could not. He could not survive without those things.

Their friendship grew and when she started attending “school” during the days, it was hard for Hazel to focus. He had grown close to her, when they were together he protected her. If anything came to harm her, he would have done anything to stop them from doing any physical or psychological damage to her. He hugged her tightly on the days she would rush out to the forest, tears streaming down her cheeks telling him how the others her age laughed and teased her. She refused to tell him who they were, because she did not want to cause any trouble or have him get caught. Anger swelled inside him. He hated how her world treated her gifts and talents, she was touched and they should have honored her talents.

As the years past, the brotherly feeling of protection gave way to something closer. Underneath that tough but soft boyish exterior, his heart warmed him. It beat fast when he and Stick would sing their portals open, to enter her world. She would throw her arms around them, her whole body smiling when they materialized from their own world. She had a smile that could melt even the coldest heart. And when they left her standing, he longed to bring her with him, take her away from her world and into his. Her world was a cold and mechanical world. A world that did not allow for the childlike wonder that she had within her. It was a world that did not even appreciate her gifts, her talent. At least in his world she would be respected for her gift. But it was against the rules. As it was, he was breaking the vow his race took so long ago. He thought nothing of it at the time, but his clan elders allowed the friendship to grow. While he wanted to question that decision he let it go, least they take it away from him.

The day she did not show up, Hazel panicked. Rage and fear pumped through his body. He and Stick searched for hours looking for Cassie. Images of her body laying broken somewhere or impaled on a tree branch filled him mind. They searched until sundown that evening, when it started getting to dark to call out or see her. Stick was tired, but Hazel refused to leave.

“Hazel, let’s go. I am getting cold and I do not think she is coming. Did you hear me? She’s not coming today?”

He refused to admit it, but Stick was right. There was nothing else he could do but to wait until the next day, and hope that she would be there waiting. Days grew to weeks and each day they would return to “Their” spot. And each day, Cassie did not return. Hazel waited. And waited. And waited. Stick grew tired and after five days of not seeing their friend, she stopped going with Hazel.

“I have too many things to do here,” she would say, excusing herself. “Besides, I know you will tell me when she returns.” Stick had always been more of a carefree fae than he was. She was prone to going off on her own and finding things to keep herself amused.

Two weeks passed before Hazel finally gave into the idea that Cassie no longer was coming. Either she grew up, and had no more time for him or Stick or their childish games or something happened to her and she had to leave before giving them any message or sign. Hazel hoped it was the later but tried hard not to dwell on it. The plague came two days later, the message requesting human assistance followed shortly. In a way he had the plague to thank for bringing them together again. For if the Elders of the world had not sent out the message, then he would not have received permission or help to locate his lost friend. It gave him hope.

The seers saw Cassie locked inside bars. Her colors were muted and faint, but they did see her. They also saw Cassie constantly watched, surrounded by other humans. In order to get at her, he was going to have to use magic so he would not be spotted. The seers taught him how to slow time so he could slip in and get her out. It took him two days to master the spell and perform it just right. It also took the seers that long to be able to coordinate just the right moment to teleport him into her location.

He was not afraid of going back to her world with so many people. Hazel just wanted to help her, to get her out of there and back to where she could be normal. When the seers showed him what she looked like to them, it chilled his bones. It was like they had ripped her gift out of her body, like her soul had been separated from her prescience. It made him retch. He vowed to free her and bring her back to the Elders.

When he appeared in the Commons, everything was silent. The spell he carefully rehearsed two days before worked like a charm. A small smile crept over his face as he walked into the Control Room and waved his hands in front of the nurses sitting in their chairs. No one moved. Not even one flinch. Hazel contemplated repositioning one of the frozen bodies so that their coffee cup, frozen in hand, would spill into their lap. But he did not have the time to do so, and quickly went from room to room searching for Cassie.

The moment he saw her, felt her arms around him, was when he realized he cared more for her than just friendship. He never wanted to lose her again. He relaxed under her arms, spellbound. If they were not in such a dangerous place he would have spent all night with her arms wrapped around him. Unfortunately the spell did not last long. And then, here she was. In his world. Finally. Hazel silently vowed to the gods that he would never allow anything to happen to her again, the things she told him about that place she was in were worse than having his wings torn off.

He looked at Cassie sitting in the gown the Elders had made for her. She looked stunning. The time spent at Blackwell may have caused her to grow up a bit but Hazel still saw the child in her brown eyes. But yet, he was afraid to tell her what he was thinking. They came from two different places, two different worlds. She would grow up and be forced to live a mechanical life, away from her stories and play. They would mold her into something cold, and she would forget him. But he could never forget her. He reached out with his hand and touched her cheek. She was real, still sitting there. His skin felt the fire of her gift inside her face. She was touched. And so was he for knowing her.

Hazel had fallen in love with Cassie.

They hung out in silence, watching the others dance and laugh, their bodies melding into the wall behind them. Hazel wondered if this was going to be one of the last grand parties held at the Obelisk. That is, if they failed. He pushed all doubt and negative thoughts aside, least they jinx their task.

Cassie started playing with her hair. She had the braid twisted around her fingers. Her eyes drooped and Hazel could see she was growing tired. The food, the drink and dancing worked its charms around her and she grew sleepy. Hazel stood, and stood in front of her.

“Come on Cassie,” he said, holding out his arms to help her off the ground. “I think that we should probably head to our rooms and try and get some sleep before we need to wake up and be on our way tomorrow.”

Cassie nodded, “Can we go find Innowen and tell her we are going to bed now?”

“If you feel it is necessary, yes. We can do that.”

Standing, they scanned the room for signs of the Elder faerie’s crown and gown. Cassie spotted her first, “Hazel, across the room. Over there. Follow me, come on.”

She weaved in and out of the dancers again. It was late in the evening however, there were still a good 100 people in the Chamber Room dancing and making merry. Innowen was chatting and weaving to the music. Cassie stood next to her and waited for a break in their conversation.

“Elder,” she began, unsure of the proper way to address her, “I am tired and think I am going to go to bed. You know, get some rest so I can feel 100% ready to begin the trip tomorrow. Thank you again for this wonderful feast and party. I have never seen anything like it and never had anyone done all this for just me.” She waved her arms gesturing around the room and decorations.

Innowen nodded, “You are quite welcome. This is the first time in many years that we have had a son or daughter of Adam grace us with our presence. I am glad you had a good time. Now feel free to take your leave and go to bed. Celan has laid out some bed clothing for you and some travel clothing and suitable shoes for you to wear tomorrow. You have had a long day. If Hazel does not know what room you are in, he can call for Celan to lead you back.”

Hazel nodded acknowledgement that he knew where she was staying. “Do not worry, I can guide her back safely.” He winked.

They waived and wandered back through the Chamber’s side door. Cassie yawned and placed her hand over it, “Ooohers. Excuse me. I must be more tired than I originally thought.”

“You do not need to apologize to me,” Hazel said. “I know I pushed you hard today with all the hiking. I am so used to walking around these parts that I forgot that you had not been given much exercise in that place.”

“Yeah, it was not exactly like being in the woods back home, where we would climb trees and run and play tag,” Cassie shuddered.

Hazel nodded. They stayed silent the rest of the way to her room. The door was closed when they got there. And there they stood, not knowing what to do or say next. That awkward silence hanging thick in the air around them. Neither one of them wanted to leave. To end the night.

“So, here we are,” Cassie said.

Hazel laughed, “Yes. Here we are. So, um, I guess I should head to my room and let you get some beauty rest.”

“Yeah. I guess so.”

Neither one of them moved. They continued to stare at each other, their eyes locked.  Hazel glanced over his shoulder to his room down the hall and then back to Cassie. He ran a hand through his hair.

“Well, uh… my room, is just down that way,” he pointed to a random door over his shoulder. “So yeah, feel free to knock on it, if you need anything. Anything at all. Just, uh, knock.”

Cassie said nothing, but looked over his shoulder to where he pointed. Her hand reached out for the doorknob. She paused before opening it and said, “Okay. I will. I promise.”

She took a step closer to the door. Hazel put his right foot behind him, getting ready to go to his room. He stopped. “This is stupid.” he thought.

And then he leaned over, and placed his lips softly on Cassie’s mouth. They were warm, covered with just the faintest hint of elderberry wine and smooth. When his lips connected with hers, he felt her body tense up and then relax. Hazel felt his wings flutter behind him. Her eyes were closed, as were his. Hazel let the kiss linger for just a few seconds, and then he pulled away.  She opened her eyes, and stared at him. Her face flushed bright red, her hand still wrapped loosely around the door knob.

She pursed her lips, and then closed them. The kiss left her speechless. She had no idea what to do or say next.

Again, it was Hazel who broke the silence, “Yeah, well, um…” he cleared his throat,  and felt the rush of blood enter his face. “Well, I will just be over there… if you uh”

But he was not able to finish what he was going to say. At that very moment, Cassie pounced him, wrapping both her arms tightly around him. He hugged her back, attempting to make the ferocity of her embrace, but could not do it for fear that he would break her. He pulled one arm from her grasp and swung open the door to her room.

The room was warm inside, the fire having been tended and kept light throughout the night. The sheets on her four poster bed had been turned down. Exposing a silk bed sheet covering the mattress. A nightgown, made of linen and gauze, laid on one side of the bed. A pair of custom boots, with a hard sole, sat unlaced in front of a lounge chair. A long-sleeve poet’s shirt and black pants had been carefully laid across the back of the chair.

Cassie continued to hold onto Hazel. They clumsily walked over to the bed. “Cassie, come on. You will have to let me go sometime tonight so you can get some sleep.”

“No I do not. I can sleep just like this,” the muffled response came buried deep from his chest.

Hazel laughed and patted her hair. “You may be able to sleep this way. But I cannot.”

He carefully pried her from his chest. She looked small and fragile and a bit sad. “Hazel,” she began. “Can you please stay with me. Here, tonight? I know I would feel safer with you here. That and I just do not want to be left alone.” She bit her lower lip, anticipating his answer.

Hazel backed from the door, and sighed. Truth was, he did not want to leave either but he also was not sure how proper it was. “How about this. You get ready for bed and I will stay with you until you fall asleep.” He felt it was a fair compromise and it satisfied the fear he had of them being caught.

She looked up at the ceiling, weighing the request, “Okay. It is a deal.” She grabbed the nightgown off the bed and wandered into the bathroom and shut the door. Hazel sat down in the chair, next to the fire. The flames danced and leapt off the wood as it consumed it. The sound of water splashing in a basin interrupted his reverie. Five minutes later, Cassie, with her hair down, brushed and her face washed clean emerged from the bathroom.

“Thank you,” she silently said as she crawled into the bed opposite him. He walked over to her, pulled the covers over her and then kissed her once more on the forehead.

“Sweet dreams,” he said, going back over to the other side of the bed to rest his eyes.

Cassie snuggled deep into the bed. She wanted to snuggle close to Hazel but decided against it. She did not want to press her luck, after all. The softness of the bed and Hazel’s breathing lulled her deep into sleep soon after.

Strange dreams filled her mind that night. Cassie dreamt of a big cavern. Snow caked the entrance, but light flicked from inside the cave. Someone was inside. Cassie looked around her. It was dusk, and the sun had just started to descend behind the mountains. A few snow-dusted trees stood thin and short. Cut by the powerful surges of wind blasting at them from being high up in altitude. It was cold but Cassie did not feel cold herself. She had on a warm parka, fur lining a hood. She was alone, Hazel and Stick were nowhere to be seen.

“Stick! Hazel?” Cassie called out cupping her hands to her face. She waited as her words echoed.

Nothing. Silence. And then the wind picked up.

Cassie hugged the hood of her parka closer to her. She headed for the mouth of the cavern. The walls were smooth and white, and bare. Who ever lived here did not write anything or made no attempt to mark the walls with writing. The sweet smell of sage and incense filled her nose and she trekked further back into the cavern, allowing her nose to guide her to whomever lived inside.

Small crystalline formations littered the ground of the cavern. They were few and spread out and were not large enough for Cassie to trip over. But they were clear and Cassie caught tiny fragments of herself and her body in them as she made her way. Visions of old hags and witches with warts filled her mind with suggestions as to who lived in the cave. That is, if the inhabitant was a woman. If it were a man, he was probably old and wizen, his beard dusting the ground. Or maybe he was old and hairy and dirty and missing teeth. She hoped that whomever it was, was not someone old and dirty with missing teeth. Cassie shook her head clear of such silly images.

The smell grew stronger and soon Cassie was able to see smoke drift from several incense sticks.

“Hello, anyone there,” she called out into an empty room.

A fire complete with cauldron sat on a fire burning in the middle of a room. Hand made shelves lined a wall above a make shift bed. Holey blankets hastily drawn over the mattress. No one answered her calls.

Cassie wandered over to the bookshelf. Five thick handmade tomes lined the tiny shelf. The books were well used and had their pages spilling out from between their covers. None of the books bore a name. To the left of the books, sat a tiny little inkwell with a long purple quill capping the bottle.  Who ever lived here, lived alone and spent most of their time writing and making spells.

“Hello?” she called out again.  Yet again, the cavern stayed silent. The only sound creeping into it was the wind rushing quickly past the opening in the cave.

Fear and curiosity started getting the better of Cassie. Her heart started beating faster, and louder. As if it were trying to escape from it’s spot in the middle of her chest. Although she was not warm, she pulled the parka closed, hoping that it would muffle the sound it made. It seemed very loud to her. She sat down on the bed, as it were the only elevated place to sit. The room, with it’s sweet smells, did not feel or seem horrible. Cassie tried to relax.

Minutes past. Still no one came. Cassie grew tired watching the flames jump and dance around the bottom of the cauldron. Several sticks of incense burnt themselves out. Cassie wondered whether or not to be polite and light some more, but she had no idea where the owner of the cave stored them. Fifteen minutes past. The shuffling started. Slowly and muffled at first.

Someone was coming down from the opening. Towards her. Excitement pushed adrenaline through her body. Her heart beating so hard it made her chest move. She was finally going to see just who lived in the cave, in such modest accommodations.

The shuffling grew. Cassie stood up and positioned herself behind the cauldron, using it as a natural barrier in case the person did not want unwelcome guests. She was also using the light from the fire as a flashlight so she could see all the details of who was coming down the path.

A hooded figure wobbled in the distance. Cassie could make out human like features but that was all. Their face well hidden by the hood. The figure finally arrived and stepped out from the shadows. Indeed it was human, for no wings appeared on it’s back or fluttering beneath the cloak it was wearing. Cassie could tell it was a woman, for it had two small mounds growing from the chest. It stopped across from her. Nodding in acknowledgement of the uninvited guest.

Cassie held her breath and did not say anything. The woman had a thick woolen cloak, brown and damp from weather. Small moth eaten holes appeared sporadically in the fabric. Some of them had been sewn sloppily extending the life of the cloak. Brown boots, well-worn, peaked from the bottoms of the cloak. The toes of the boots looked thin, giving Cassie the impression that the woman did not make many trips into the nearest town or have anyone to send into them when she needed certain items.

The figure continued to stand, saying nothing, the hood still masking her face. Cassie held her breath, slowly inhaling and exhaling only when she could hold the air in her chest no more. She forced her body to relax and her heart to slow it’s rapid thumping. The woman slowly lifted her arms to her face. Long white fingers, nails trimmed short, grasped the edges of the hood. Cassie was finally going to see who the mystery host was. She widened her stance, preparing to bolt in case she needed to make a fast getaway.

The hood moved back giving a silent whooshing sound. Long brown hair tumbled from the hood first. Flecks of grey specked it as well. The woman had lived here in seclusion for a long time. A tinge of sadness filled Cassie’s heart, as she could not understand what could drive someone to live a life of a hermit.

Then she saw the color of the crone’s eyes. They were brown, like hers. Cassie gasped as recognition filled her body. She was not looking at some new person, she was looking at herself. What she had become. Fear took over all her senses and she screamed out in tears and pain.

Beyond it, grew more mountains. And yet more peaks grew towering upwards from the valley now appearing just below them. The mountains were rocky, and appeared grey. Huge slabs of stone sat jagged from their peaks. The valley appeared a patchwork color of greens, the occasional grey stone littering the countryside. Small buildings sat randomly in between the different patches of color. Farms, lots of faerie farms covered the valley. But that was not all that was down there.

It sat in the center of the patchwork land of farms. It was huge, and round and it grew straight out from the land. An obelisk. It was carved into a point and while it grew straight out of the ground, it was not grey like the other pieces of stone scattered about the land. It was black and its dark form rose high above the valley. Windows and shapes had been cut from it. Cassie had never seen anything like it in her life. It wasn’t as tall as the skyscrapers in Portland but for being made completely out of a natural stone, it was impressive. A wall surrounded the entire city, dividing the city from the patchwork farm lands. Shorter buildings, some long and thin, other fat and wide surrounded the obelisk. Cassie thought that some of the buildings seemed to be placed and built out at odd angle taking up every available space inside the city walls. These smaller buildings also appeared to be made of the grey stone. Smoke drifted from the chimneys of the buildings that had fireplaces.

They had arrived at Stonehaven.

Hazel smiled at Cassie, “It should not be long now.”

“About how long you think it will take us to get from here to there?”

Hazel looked at the sky once more. The sun was almost directly above them. “Not that much further, I would wager. Besides, it is all downhill from here. Come on, let’s get going.”

The trail they were on changed. It grew wider. The stretch between each side grew from being able to fit one person to being capable of carrying two moving cars side by side. Cassie felt like she was traveling down a primitive road. There was no warning that the trail was going to grow from being a small, foot-worn groove in the earth with grass and plants growing in and out of it to a smooth, well shaped roadway. Impressions left by various creatures and wheels appeared frozen in the in the dirt, aged by years of rain and snow.

Standing side by side they continued sauntering toward the stone town. Hazel slowed the pace down a bit. It was almost as if he felt better about having Stonehaven in sight. His colors smoothed out and softened. Cassie could tell that he was no longer in an very alert state of mind.

Natural gravity helped them finish walking the hill quickly. The road widened with each step. The obelisk, still off in the distance, grew taller. Soon, they found themselves standing at the edge of two farms. Small plants, neatly arranged in tiled rows, stretched out to Cassie’s left. From the way they were carefully planted into small rows hoed by some unseen beast, she guessed that this was a vegetable farm. Miniature light green tree tops grew up from the soil, marking the tips of the bounty. A puff of wind picked up, sending the tops waving back and forth in the air. Five feet off to their left a faerie farmer kneeled at the ground. She stared at them, pausing from her work.

Red, yellow and green colors bundled her head in a protective turban. A broach displaying a scarab held the wrapped fibers tight. Curly locks of gold hair dripped out from under the turban, dripping wisps of hair over the faerie’s shoulders. White pearls of sweat beaded her forehead, the physical badge of hard work. Her face was tanned, having spent long days working in the sun. Smudges of dirt powdered her face. Her grey eyes expressed a warm welcome. Her lips pursed but they made no sound or words. Her chest expanded, filling with air, as she caught her breath.

Green, loose fitting shirts layered her delicate frame. Her wings overlapped one another, laid tucked behind her back. The way they sat almost made her appear human. Her legs were covered in leather like pants and her feet were bare. She held the bush of a freshly pulled vegetable in her hands, gently cradling it as she brushed off the dirt. It was round and looked like a tomato that had been buried. It probably could have been too, if tomatoes grew underground and were blue. A poorly woven basket made of vine sat next to her, filled halfway with the strange fruits. Her house, made of stone and capped with grass stood off in the distance. Only a second or two passed and the faerie turned away from Hazel and Cassie, placing the vegetable in the basket and moving down the line to the next one.

More neatly crafted rows dug outward to their right side. Brown columns had been dug into the ground. Dark green vines were planted around each post. As the sun and soil gave them strength, the plants grew upwards, deftly scaling the shaft. When the plants ran out of vertical climb, they didn’t stop growing. Long strands of cord decorated the tops of the columns, connecting the space between each pole.  When the vine could not climb up anymore they extended outwards. The weight of the vines caused the cord to bow toward the middle. Huge leather like blades of leaves grew out from the vines, appearing at strange angles. Small tendrils of roots grew from the bases of some of the leaves, securing them to the rope. Clumps of round, red berries grew between the huge leaves. The structures appeared to stretch outwards for miles. Cassie was not able to see where they ended and the next farm began.

The farm changed to either side of them every half-meter or so. Each grew a different fruit or vegetable. Each with their own peculiar display and orientation. Fences separated each farm’s property, some made of wood, others of stone. There was a herd of sheepish animals in one farm. Their fur was brown and grew long and shaggy, wooly looking. They gathered in small groups. One or two larger creatures and a few smaller ones. One beast with a horn stood away from the others. His was not eating. Instead his eyes, placed on either side of his head, scanned the countryside and sky. He seemed to be their leader and was protecting the heard from enemies. Two lone beasts had left the heard and wandered close to the fence to where Cassie and Hazel stood. Their long necks stretched over the stone fence. It seemed as if they were grazing, looking for better grass on the other side. A long pink tongue shot out from one of the creature’s mouths. It flickered and flailed along the ground. Where Cassie thought they were eating the grass, she now could tell that they ran their long tongues over it, searching the dirt for insects or other small morsels of food. Their eyes blinked sideways, chewing whether their tongues placed back into their mouths. The horned beast bleated and the two loners pulled their heads away from the fence and galloped back to the herd.

Small rectangular stone markers had been planted every meter or so along the street. Strange markings carved into the face of each one. The same symbol was carved at the top of every one. It looked like a crown with a circle enclosing it. Beneath it were lines. As they got closer to the gates of the town, more marks appeared. Cassie thought that they looked like mile markers, ticking off the distance to reach the gate.

The farmlands stopped. Replaced by a tall, smooth slab of stone. Dead ivy roots grew along the wall. Cassie could tell that they kept the wall clean of anything that could grow on it. Anything that could provide a faerie or enemy with stable foot holds to enter the town unwanted. Guard posts appeared at the top of the wall, three for each direction. An additional guard post sat on either side of a gap in the wall. They reached Stonehaven gate.

Two ogres stood at the posts, their chests encased in heavy chain and plate mail shirts. Long, muscular hairy arms hung to their sides, their hands poised near the hilt of the gigantic swords each had sheathed to a belt. They wore metal helmet, obscuring their eyes so Cassie could not see them. The colors surrounding them were guarded, shifting from trust to suspicion. They stared blankly at Hazel and Cassie, their eyes tracking their every move. They were ready to strike them down into oblivion at the first sign of aggression towards the town.

Cassie stared at the ogres as Hazel escorted her past the stone blockade into Stonehaven. Thick hinges rounded each side of the wall, tucking two giant stone slabs behind them. A tall tree husk leaned against one of the doors. It was stripped of its bark, its white meat stained with years of use and weather. Two more ogre guards stood at each gate, prepared to close the door if they needed to.

The dirt road ended at the gates. Once they walked through the wall, it turned into cobblestone. The single road grew out to their left and right as well as continuing straight ahead. Buildings lined the road everywhere Cassie looked. Most, if not all the buildings in Stonehaven, were made of the same grey stone as the wall that surrounded the entire town. Each building was unique in its design, identified by the style of roof that capped it. Very few of the buildings stood at a single floor. As far as Cassie could tell each building had at least two or three floors. Some had more and Cassie found herself growing dizzy as she tilted her head upwards to see it all.

A wide variety of materials went into enclosing each building. Straw and mud seemed to be the favored material, fashioning rounded building tops with fat pitches. Others had steep pitches and were framed with wood. Clotheslines stretched between some of the upper levels, marking the telltale signs of residential rooms and floors. Clothing tied to the strings, flapping in the breezes drying. Faeries and mythical creatures were everywhere. If they were not sitting and talking, they flooded the streets, walking, riding or flying. It was like Cassie was living out her best dreams all at once.

While the town was not as big as Portland, it had a strange metropolitan feel to it. Weird and wondrous personalities filled the city. Each person appearing stranger and more unique than the next. A small blur of red flashed out of Cassie’s peripheral vision. She turned her head, trying to catch up with the flash. Small winged faeries the size of Stick floated in and out of open doors and windows. A group of five small faeries playfully chased each other, darting in and out of the streets and between the buildings. Smiling, she turned her attention back to street level.

Carts lined the lower levels of almost every building. Colorful banners hung from their canopies, describing each vendor, giving names and prices to their wares. A blue faerie dressed in a gown of gauze stood haggling with a dwarven faerie over the price of a bundle of fruit. The taller fae wanted a cheaper price while the short man shook his bearded head. The dwarf stood on a box, allowing him to see into the eyes of his taller customers. Cassie smiled at the sight.

A cart crossed in front of them. Pulled by a small donkey. Another dwarf sat on the wooden cart, reigns in his hands. Bales of red hay filled the back of his cart. The donkey bobbed his head up and down, his tiny feet stretched to their limits as it pulled its owner and wares down the cobblestone. Hazel allowed the cart to pass before motioning Cassie to cross the street.

They headed straight down the middle road. Cross shaped posts hung suspended by faerie magic in midair at each cross roads. A diamond shaped lamp made of black iron metal topped each post. No glass sat between the lamp’s frame and there was no wicks inside the lamps. Cassie wondered how they worked without the aid of fire to light them. Pieces of stone, two-holes punched at each center, hung around each post. Words had been carved into each stone, written in the same strange language that appeared on the posts outside the town. Cassie figured that the marks told the citizens what each names of the street were.

Boards and stone slabs marked the names of each business and building. Some had pictures on them, others did not. Cassie peered into the window of a tavern. Well-endowed faerie women carried large platters filled with food and mugs around to each table. One slammed down a pitcher of foaming liquid as a sly customer from another table grabbed at her backside. She whipped her head around in annoyance, her mouth forming words back at the surprised faerie. He stuck his hands into the air with a feigned look of innocence on his lips. The whole room roared out with laughter.

Two small children huddled down a dark alleyway. One of them had long black hair tied back into a ponytail with a piece of thread. A silver ring pierced through his pointy left ear; it was clear that he was older than the other one. The other had short, shaggy green hair. Their clothes were old and torn and not well mended. A small loaf of bread sat on a unwrapped piece of cloth between them. Their eyes followed Hazel and Cassie as they passed by them. Their colors appeared subservient and tired. Hazel reached into another pouch and flipped a few coins at them. The boy with the black hair continued to watch them as the younger one rushed out to collect the coins. It was Cassie’s first glimpse into the town’s darker side. Just like any other city or town, Stonehaven had its fair share of poverty and homeless.

Hazel led Cassie thru the streets. He obviously knew where he was going. There was no way that Cassie would have ever known where they headed let alone on how to get back to the gates. They twisted down a few side streets and larger busier streets. Then Cassie found herself staring at the obelisk.

It was black. And very, very smooth. Like glass. But not shiny or reflective because no shadows or reflections were cast in the stone. Cassie could not see herself in it. It was solid and did not appear that anything could live or be inside of it. Another ogre guard stood watch at a small building set in front of the obelisk. Cassie wondered what he was guarding as there was no door to be seen in sight. She wanted to walk around the perimeter of the obelisk but figured that it would be a waste of time and effort. She was sure that there was no physical entrance, like a door, placed anywhere around the stone.

She threw her head way back. Standing on the ground, up so close, she was not able to see any windows or doors cut further into the stone. No balconies or outcroppings appeared from the rock either. She figured that the whole thing had been enchanted with powerful faerie magic and that was the only way to gain entrance inside the building.

Hazel walked over to the guard and said a few words. The ogre looked at Cassie, nodded and stepped towards the obelisk. He drew his sword and tapped the stone. Once, twice and then three times. Nothing happened at first and then Cassie heard a rumbling.

Six feet up and four feet across from where the stone met the ground a slit grew from the obelisk. An orange glow spilled out from behind. A rectangular chuck of stone slid downwards, exposing a portal in the stone. The ogre returned to his post and nodded for them to enter. Hazel grabbed Cassie’s hand and they entered together, side by side.

They found themselves standing in a long hallway. Tapestries hung from the walls, touching the floor. Some of them displayed portraits of important faeries and elders. They were dressed in elegant costumes and their faces painted with outrageous patterns and tattoos. They rarely smiled and in all cases they had their wings stretched outwards, showing the beautiful markings. Other tapestries exhibited scenes of stories or historical events. Some were outlandish battle scenes, complete with blood and beheadings. Others depicted weddings between two houses. Cassie was impressed by the long history of the world.

White marble with swirls of black composed the floor. It was smooth and reverberated every step they made. Torches hovered by the walls, the flames from the fire dancing bright red colors. Cassie wondered if they were going to end up having to climb lots of stairs to get to the Elder’s chambers. But the hallway did not lead to a staircase; instead, it stopped at another wall. A old faerie, with a long white beard stood next to the wall and pushed a hidden button.

A section of the wall faded, replaced by a small rectangular box. It was an elevator. Another torch floated near the ceiling and the faerie pointed at them to enter the box. The wall reappeared behind them. The elevator walls were also covered in tapestries. No control box appeared embedded in any of the walls, not that Cassie could see. Her body swayed as the elevator leaped into action. It made no sound as it climbed the inside of the obelisk. Cassie had no idea how far off the ground they were. The trip only took a minute and the elevator stopped.

The wall faded once more and a hand appeared motioning them to step out. Hazel went first and assisted Cassie next. She stared at the faerie next to Hazel. Her mind did a double take as she realized that she was staring at the same old faerie with a long white beard who had helped them into the elevator. Somehow he had beaten them to the top of the obelisk just in time to help escort them out. He winked an acknowledgement as she passed him.

A rock embedded curtain hung before them. The stones sparked in the torchlight as the curtain pulled back exposing a large cathedral. Three hand carved chairs made of oak faced them. Sitting in the chairs were three faeries. A woman sat on the left. Her silver hair was braided and she wore a simplistic crown woven from thin oak branches. A small, round piece of jade was set in the center of the crown. Wisdom and age heavily wrinkled her face. And yet her blue eyes sparkled, defiant with youthfulness. An amulet of Celtic designs hung around her neck on a silver chain. It was the only piece of jewelry she had on. She wore a long plain, green silk dress. Brown, leather slippers adorned her feet.

Another woman sat off to the right. Her brown hair hung long and straight tumbling down over her shoulders. A deep blue streak painted a braid that started on the right side of her head crossing her forehead and then hanging down to her chin on the left side of her face. She also wore a crown woven from an oak branch. A purple stone, flecked with golden stars sat in the center of her crown. The woman appeared younger. If Cassie could guess her age she was maybe ten years older than she was. She wore a deep purple and black dress, the sleeves fairing out beyond her wrists. She also wore the same amulet around her neck. Two rings pierced her right ear while the left had only one ring in it. Rings also wrapped around the thumb and ring finger on her right hand. She wore black slippers.

The middle chair was occupied by a middle-aged man. He also wore a oak woven crown, but it was bare, no stone had been set into his. If one was to be set in it at all. His hair was short, black and speckled with grey streaks. His skin was brown. A third eye appeared in his forehead. It was cloudy and white and Cassie could not tell if he could even see out of it at all. It looked broken. Lines of worry etched into his forehead. Cassie could see he was concerned about fighting a sickness to which there was no known cure. He wore a white tunic, perfectly sewn so that none of the seams showed. A black leather jerkin covered the white shirt, its collar embossed with the same Celtic designs that hung on charms around the women’s necks. He wore black tights, the bottoms tucked into the tops of his calf-length boots.

“Please come inside,” the faerie in the middle called out to them.

Hazel gripped Cassie’s hand and they stepped forward into the room. Hazel stopped and dropped to his knee, “Sire, I have found her as requested.”

“Rise child,” he said.  Hazel stood. “And introduce us to your companion.”

“Sire, my Ladies, i would love to present my friend to you. This is Miss Cassondra Brown,” Hazel announced, gesturing both his hands towards her.

Cassie did not know what to do, so she bowed to each of them. “It is a honor and a pleasure to be in front of you.”

The woman on the right waved at her, “Rise, daughter of Adam. We have much to discuss.”

Cassie nodded her head. Everyone seemed so serious and formal. She guessed that if she had come at another time the Elders would be less formal.

The man spoke once more, his center eye blinked, “Hazel, please leave us, we would like to speak to Cassondra alone.”

Hazel bowed once more. “It is okay Cassie. You are safe with them. I will be outside waiting for you.” He placed his hand lovingly on her shoulder and leaving Cassie alone with the three Elders.

“Allow me to introduce myself and these lovely Ladies behind me,” the Elder began, signaling for the other two to come forward. “I am Atim, Elder of the Dragonwind clan.”

He waived his hand towards the Elder at his left, “That is Bridget, Elder of the Phoenixstone clan.”

Cassie waived. Bridget folded her arms over her chest and winked.

“And this young Lady to my right is Innowen, the Elder for the Ravenflame clan.”

Innowen waived, “Hello.” She snapped her fingers and a table and four chairs appeared nearby.

“Please sit down. We have much to discuss,” Atim said. He continued speaking as they sat, “Do you know why Hazel brought you here?”

Cassie nodded, “Well, I do not know the full details but he told me that there is something wrong. That someone or something is making the faeries here sick.”

The Elders looked at one another and nodded. “You are very astute, Cassondra,” Bridget said. “Yes, we have quite the plague and mystery on our hands.”

Atim took over the narrative, “It started about two months ago. On the outskirts of the continent. A ship had come in from the Western countries carrying cargo. One of the men on board fell ill days before docking. The fishermen and townspeople were stumped. They had never seen anything like it. Their shamans did not recognize it either.”

Atim cleared his throat before continuing. “They wrote to us describing the symptoms.” A scrap of parchment appeared from thin air. Tri-lens reading spectacles appeared on the table. Atrim placed the spectacles on his face and began reading from the letter.

“Sire, we have not seen anything like this. Ever. The plague begins as such. First the afflicted contracts a fever. A fever never that never breaks. We tried placing blankets over them and fed water and healing potions to them, but they continue to shiver and sweat. Their body temperature never cools to normal. After a three or four days of this, the afflicted’s skin breaks out in a rash. None of our known salves, potions, charms or healing chants seem to clear the constantly darkening red spots on the skin. Our immune system seems to completely dissolve  the second the plague enters the body.”

“On the fifth day, the plague morphs. The rash develops large, red scabs all over the skin. They do not itch or bleed at first, but after 4 hours after the first appearance of the scabs the afflicted twitches and cries out in pain. They complain that their body is afire, and if methods of restraints are not employed then they rip at their skin with hands or claws. If the afflicted has wings, they too become diseased; giant holes appear in them at this time, the skin’s thin membranes drained dry of all liquid substances.”

“We found that by the time the rash starts it is a wise idea to sedate the afflicted.  This way they do not claw and rip apart the flesh on their skin as soon as the scabs appear. Shortly after their appearance they begin causing pain, they ooze with green pus. The afflicted’s body hair begins to fall out at this time as well. The scabs continue to grow, feeding on the flesh and bone of the afflicted, wrapping them in a strange cocoon of pus, hair and skin. The afflicted remains in this position for three more days, unable to move or eat or speak. At this point, we cover the whole thing in a thin layer of pain-free healing salves, hoping that the person trapped inside does not continue to suffer in pain. Whether or not that salve has any effect is unknown, it just feels like the most compassionate thing to do.”

“The third day after the body is surrounded in the cocoon, the unthinkable happens. We were not present at the time it happened to the sailor brought to us, as it was night time and every one had fallen asleep. But that next day, when we sent someone to check in on him, the whole thing had vanished! Not a trace of the body, cocoon or even any waste products left by the plague remained. It was as if the poor soul never existed at all.”

“Once after we knew we were dealing with something new, we isolated the afflicted far from the rest of the port. We limited all contact, allowing only the afflicted’s immediate kin, two shamen, myself and an attendant to keep watch. All in all there was no more than five people near the afflicted at any given time. We also secluded the ship’s crew, confining them to their ship. Food was magically transported in and out of the two locations.”

“Two days before the afflicted vanished, I spoke to the crew aboard the ship. I questioned the captain and the closest friends and mates of the afflicted. Where did the ship dock to? What cargo was it carrying? Did the afflicted disembark the ship when it docked? What did he eat, or go? Did he frequent any brothels? The ship’s manifest did not list anything out of the ordinary. The ship had just returned from a small island off the coast. They traded fish and herbal and papyrus supplies for silk and tomacco plants. The plague did not seem to have come from the island or any contaminated cargo.”

“I examined the crew as well. No one exhibited signs of the plague. No one complained of any illness or fever. They were concerned about the afflicted, of course; and wanted to know when we would lift the restriction placed on them and their ship. Men had families they wanted to see, the ship had two more coastal deliveries to make. We kept them separated for five days and found no further evidence of the plague. At that point, we had no choice to lift the ban and let them go free.”

“News of the afflicted’s death spread rapidly. We burned both hut and any personal effects from the afflicted’s room aboard the ship. We hoped that in doing so, that would kill the plague. But we were wrong.”

“A week passed, and all was well. Then two more people started showing the symptoms of the plague. One was an ogre, the other a herder beast. They died the same as the first afflicted, two weeks after the fever started.”

“Sire, we fear the worst. This plague seems go undetected. We cannot tell how it gets transmitted from one body to the next. We have seen 10 cases of this in our town alone. And it is spreading. Rapidly. Two days ago, men from the southern towns arrived, spreading tales of the same plague symptoms we have been dealing with here. All attempts at creating a cure or diving where this horrid plague originated have failed.”

“I write this letter in the hopes that maybe one of your shamen or seers has heard or seen news of this plague. And that a cure can quickly be manufactured or found. Let this parchment also serve as a warning to the lands inland and west of us. I fear that they too shall fall to this plague soon. Do not fear, I am quite certain that our blessing and cleansing rituals have removed any trace of contamination or plague that this paper has been in contact with. ”

“In any case, please advise us. Tell us what we should do and supply us with any medicine that you may have to help us fight this.”

A tear rolled down Innowen’s cheek. “We received this parchment just days after the death of the first afflicted. We do not know of how many others have vanished due to this plague, but we do know that it has turned inland, spreading among the surrounding towns.”

Atim removed the spectacles from his face. They and the parchment disappeared, returning to wherever vault they resided from. “We called the seers, shamans and mystics from all reaches of the world to the obelisk days after we received the letter.  There must have been fifty men and women gathered here. Representing all the various races and clans.”

“We read them the letter. And asked for their council. Giving them a week to divine, commune and read the ancient texts for any sign of this plague. What it was, where it came from, who unleashed it against us– if possible, and most importantly, how do we cure and protect ourselves against it.”

Bridget spoke next, “They came back to us after deliberating for quite some time. They choose a spoke-seer to address us three, telling us their methods, providing names of the texts they consulted and summarizing their findings. The poor seer, I could tell she was frightened beyond belief. I was not sure if she was terrified at what we could do to them if they failed or of the grave situation in general.”

“Once she finished her summary, she stared at the ground. All the texts, all the gods, their divination tools said nothing about this plague. They, too, were at a loss for an explanation of what was going on and how we could stop it from spreading. Knowing that we would be disappointed with their answer, she offered one possible solution.”

“That’s where you come in,” Atim stood. “We have been separated from the sons and daughters of Adam for quite some time now. While our two worlds border one another and in some cases mix, neither one of our kind knows the other is there.”

“This brave seer, suggested that a solution could be found among a son or daughter of Adam. It was a long shot suggestion but it was also the best suggestion we heard. So we gathered everyone up once more, and had them seek out energies of people that we could enlist their help. But their search turned up nothing. It seemed like our only salvation turned into a dead end.”

“We even sent out announcements to the towns, calling forth anyone who had contact with the sons and daughters of Adam, to step forth and assist our search,” Innowen added, “Your friends Hazel and Stick came from their homes upon hearing our announcement. They came to the obelisk and told us about you. How they met you, what you were like. They even told us about your special gift of seeing colors.”

“We called a few seers forward and they listened to Hazel and Stick speak as well. Some divined your essence into the cards, others watched your friends describe you. All the seers came to the same conclusion, your connection to Hazel and Stick and this world may provide us with an solution to this plague.”

“We asked them to bring you to our world, before us,” Bridget spoke. “They told us that they lost touch with you. They had gone into your world and could not find you where you normally hung out with them. So once again we turned to the mystics. Luckily for us, they found you.”

Cassie nodded and smiled, “I am grateful for all your help in getting me out. I was sent to a not-so-happy place, where they dulled my sight and kept me away from them. As it stood, there was no way for me to get a message to Hazel and Stick, telling them what was going on. If I knew that they were going to take me, I would have tried to run away.”

The Elders looked at one another and nodded.

“I will be honest with you. I am not sure how I can help you and your world, but I shall do anything I can to help you out. It is an honor to be chosen and I can only hope that I am able to do something. And to live up to your expectations.”

Atim stood from the table and walked over to Cassie. He placed a rough hand on her shoulder, “All we ask is that you do your best. The three of us have given it some thought and we think we know what you can do to help.”

Cassie relaxed her shoulders, “Great. I would love to hear them. When Hazel told me what was going on, my mind drew a blank on how I could help you. We have no disease, no sickness matching the symptoms you describe.”

“Well, we consulted many of the ancient texts as well. We found a passage in one  book that  chronicled a tale of a hermit who lives in the mountain peaks just beyond Stonehaven. No one has ever climbed to the top of the mountains to verify whether or not the story held truth. We think that if there is such a hermit, and if they are still alive, that maybe they can provide us with some insight into a cure to the plague.”

“Cassondra, daughter of Adam, we would like to send you out to investigate whether or not someone does live at the peak of those mountains and find out if they know anything about this plague.”

Cassie blinked, startled, “I do not know my way around your world. Can Hazel and Stick come with me? I will do as you ask, but without their help I will get lost.”

Bridget laughed at her question, “Cassondra, we would not dare think to separate you from your friends. Of course they will venture out with you. We have already talked to them and they are preparing for the journey.”

“Okay, then. I will do it. I will go seek out this hermit and see if they have anything to say. But what happens if they do not know anything about this plague? What next?”

Innowen averted Cassie’s piercing stare, “We do not know. We will figure something out when the time comes. Do not worry about things in the future that you cannot control.”

Cassie started to smile, but before she could even get a smirk out, her stomach rumbled. Rather loudly too.

Bridget laughed out loud, “Oh my. That is one hungry stomach! Pray tell, when was the last time you had anything to eat?”

“Hazel cooked some blue eggs before we started hiking early this morning ma’am,” Cassie said. “I know I am rather hungry but I did not want to be impolite.”

“Child, it is us who have been rude and impolite,” Bridget spoke. “We have already eaten our noonday meal but in our rush to speak with you we forgot our manners. We should have offered you something to eat. A snack at the very least.”

Bridget clapped her hands.  A small servant faerie appeared from a door to the right. “Yes, my Lady?”

“Selan, please escort our Guest to her room. Make sure she is comfortable and has everything she needs to clean up before the festivities.”

Cassie though, “Festivities? What festivities?”

But Bridget only winked at her. “Cassondra, daughter of Adam. We extend to you the hospitality of the Obelisk. We have already made arrangements for you to spend the night here. And you do not think we would send you off without celebrating your arrival first?”

Cassie grinned. “Thank you my Lady. Now that you mention it, I think a bath and a bit of some rest will do me good before eating.”

She stood up from the table, “I also wanted to thank you all for getting me out of where I was. And for the honor of allowing me to help you and your world. I do hope that I do not let you down.” She nodded to each Elder, who also nodded in return.

The faerie waited for Cassie to follow behind her. “Right this way milady.”

Cassie giggled. She thought it was incredibly funny as she did not feel quite like a Lady. At least not yet. “Maybe in a few years,” she thought.

Selan lead her down the side door of the Elder’s Chambers. Into another hallway. The walls were still smooth and the floor was still made of white marble swirled with black. Touches still floated in the air, the fire glowing dimly, casting shadows along the bare walls. They walked next to a window carved out of the obelisk. Cassie wandered over to it. She wanted to see how the faerie world looked from being so high off the ground.

She placed her hands on the windowsill. It was smooth as silk. Not even any bumps or roughness from where she presumed someone had cut it with a knife. While it surprised her a little bit, in a way she should have also known better.

The air was cooler from being so high off the ground. It smelled fresh, like it had just rained. She shivered a bit, and zipped her hoody up. First, she looked all the way out towards the horizon. She was facing the opposite direction that she and Hazel had come into Stonehaven. The window gave her a good view of the mountains she and her friends would be visiting in the next day or two. They were tall, easily 14,000 feet tall, her mind guessed. Twin snow-capped peaks rose out from the ground. The terrain looked unfriendly, rocky and not at all friendly. It would be a hard trip to make. Cassie hoped that her body was up to the climb and said a silent prayer to an unknown god that everything would work out fine.

Farmlands lead the way from Stonehaven into a few hills, and then into the mountains. From her best estimate it would take them a half day to a full day to reach the foothills. She was not sure how long the hike up the hills and the climb up the mountainside would take them. All in all she wagered a couple of days by foot. While part of her wanted the exercise and hike, a greater part of her hoped that the Elders would teleport them to the mountain tops, saving them some time. Of course, once she was there at the top of the mountain, she had no idea what would happen next.

“Trying to locate a hermit up there is going to be like looking for a needle in a haystack,” Cassie frowned. “I have no idea where one could live or survive up there. I just hope someone can give us some useful directions and information. After all, who knows if this faerie really exists?”

She leaned out the window, looking straight down. A wave of nausea and vertigo washed over her. Stonehaven extended outwards from the obelisk for about two miles or so. Brown hay colored roofs and grey cobblestone roads was all she saw.  She felt like she was staring straight down into an ant colony. Cassie was shocked as she thought the town was a lot bigger than that.

Celan stood silently as Cassie paused at the window. “Thank you for allowing me to stop and look out the window,” Cassie said to Celan.

The faerie nodded, “You are most welcome. I know how you feel. The first time I came here and saw out the windows, I was mesmerized. We are very lucky to live at the center of it all. The world is so gorgeous.”

“Have you always lived at Stonehaven,” Cassie asked. Celan did not look a day older than Cassie. The faerie was stocky and had dreadlocked hair, colorful ribbons braided in them. She wore a long brown overall dress, with a white shirt underneath. She wore no shoes. Her wings were smaller than normal, and twitched every few seconds.

“I was born here. And I will most likely die here as well. I do not mind it, my Lady. Stonehaven is my home. Besides, I have no real desire to travel. I have too much to do in this town as it is.”

Cassie smiled. “I know what you mean. Before coming here, my parents really did not do a whole lot of traveling. I wish I did not have to leave here so soon. I would have loved to stay a few weeks just here alone. Boy do I wish I had my sketch book and journals! Just think of all the things I could capture and draw.”

The faerie smiled at her. She liked how open Cassie was, “Not many people have come to Stonehaven in the past few weeks. Word of the plague has spread rapidly and it has a lot of people worried. I have heard rumors that some towns will not allow strangers to enter their gates.”

“Really? Wow.”

“May I ask you a question?” Celan ventured. “You do not have to honor it, if you do not like.”

“Go ahead and ask,” Cassie replied.

“Is it true? I mean, are you really going to try and see if you can find a cure to end this plague? Have you seen anything like it where you are from? I have never met a daughter of Adam before. Please forgive me, but I am very curious.”

“Well, I guess it is true. To be honest, I have never seen anything like it. Nor do I have any idea how I can help you. But I will try my best,” Cassie laughed. “No it is not a problem at all. My world is similar to yours, except we have things called cars and television and other weird machines. Tell you what, when we get back I will tell you all about it. Does that sound like a deal?

Celan smiled. “I would like that very much. Maybe one day I will get lucky and meet a son or daughter or Adam myself. And maybe I can travel to your world to meet them and see where you live.”

Cassie nodded. “You would be surprised. It is not as beautiful as your world. I mean, I like it just fine, but there is so many new and different things here. My world does not have the same uniqueness that I see here.”

They stopped at another door way. Celan grabbed onto a stone door knob and pushed the door open, “This is your room, milady.”

The room was cozy. A fire burned from a grey marbled fireplace on the right wall. Across from it, was the biggest bed Cassie ever saw. The frame was cut from black marble, which looked very uncomfortable. A green and blue and purple hand woven patchwork quilt hung over the bed. The headboard had the same Celtic knot work chiseled into it. Soft pillows littered the bed. Draped over the top of the bed’s posted was a piece of sheer black cloth.

A metal frame chair, covered with a soft padding sat next to a large window. Next to it was a marble slab table, the top fitted with glass. A white glass vase sat on top of the table, gigantic purple flowers tumbling out of it. They smelled like lavender and roses mixed together. More tapestries hung on the walls, displaying geometric patterns and intricate Celtic knot work.

Celan entered the room and walked over to another door. She opened it, “Milady, your wash room is in here. There is a basin filled with warm water and we have some smelling salts to wash your hands and face. If it would please you, can I draw a bath for you?”

Cassie thought about that. A bath sounded lovely. “Oohers. Um, sure. I mean if it is not too much trouble. Of course, I could always do it myself.”

“Tis no problem at all,” Celan bowed. “Tis part of my job. I do not mind at all.”

The sound of rushing water entered the room. Cassie wandered over to the bed while the tub filled. She spread her arms out to their sides and then free-fell, dropping onto the bed. She cringed as she expected the bed to be hard as nails. Instead it enveloped her body, hugging her in a sea of comfort.

“I could really get used to this,” Cassie told herself. “I may fall asleep if I am not too careful.”

“Milady, your bath is ready.” Celan called to her from the bathroom.

Cassie leapt off the bed, somewhat embarrassed by her childish actions. She went into the bathroom and was greeted by the smell of lemons and oranges. A white stone bear claw bathtub sat in the middle of the room. Steam rose from the water. Celan had placed a towel next to the tub, for when Cassie was finished washing herself.

Cassie removed her clothes and placed one foot into the water. Despite all the steam rising from the tub, the water felt perfect. She eased herself into the water, which started it’s own magic by relaxing Cassie’s body. All the previous day’s worries, the tension and muscle burn from their hike rushed from her body, out into the water. Cassie dipped her hands into the water, scooping a handful up. She pushed the water over her face, washing the grime off. And then she closed her eyes.

She stepped out of the bath and toweled herself off. Her body no longer felt sore, and smelled of the oils Celan had placed into the tub. She turned to look for her clothing, but they were no longer on the floor.

“Hmm, that is odd. I could have sworn I dropped my clothes next to the tub,” she thought. “Celan, you did not happen to see where my clothes went to?”

“Yes, Milady, they were dirty so they got sent to be cleaned. You will find some suitable dining clothing laid out on the bed. I do hope that it fits you. Please let me know if you need help in dressing yourself.” Celan then walked over to tend the fire, turning her back on Cassie so she could disrobe and clothe herself.

Cassie walked out into the bedroom. Laying on the bed was the most beautiful gown she had ever seen. It was purple and embroidered with Celtic designs around the collar. The back of the dress required someone to lace it up, as tied together with black ribbons. A silk black undershirt laid next to it. A pair of black Chinese-style slippers sat on the floor.  Cassie touched each garment with her hands. They felt very smooth, and were expertly made so that she was not able to see the seams.

She dropped the towel and lifted the black shirt over her head. It fit perfectly. The sleeves ended in a poet’s style poof. Then she lifted the dress over her head and discovered that it too fit perfectly. Either the faeries knew exactly what her size was or they used magic to conjure up her clothing.  She tried to tie the back of the dress and found that dexterity had failed her. So Celan helped tie up the ribbons in the back of the gown.

“Is there a mirror handy,” Cassie asked. “I have GOT to see what i look like.”

Celan nodded and waved her hands, “While I may have limited magic, I think i can create something for you to see how beautiful you are. However, may I suggest we braid your hair first?”

“I would like that a lot,” Cassie replied, smiling wide.

As Celan braided her hair, Cassie told her some more about her world. Of how she met Hazel and Stick, her parents and what she filled her days with. Celan listened to every word she had to say, asking questions about the stuff she did not understand. And when she was done braiding Cassie’s hair, she said a word in that strange faerie language. Mists swirled in front of Cassie and then solidified, giving off a reflective surface.

Cassie did not recognize herself in the mirror. Celan had braided her hair into one single braid with a strip of leather tying it fast. Her pale face had regained color since she arrived to the world. Her lips looking full and red and healthy. Even her eyes appeared alive again, no longer clouded by the drugs they once forced into her. She looked mature, wizened and not at all the little girl she thought she once was.

“You look beautiful. Just like a princess,” Celan said.

“Wow,” was all Cassie could mutter as she slipped into the soft black slippers. They also fit perfectly, which still surprised Cassie when she knew they would have.

“Everything is all ready. Now if you would follow me once more, I think there are a few people who are absolutely dying to see you again,” Celan said heading back towards the main door.

“Get a grip, Cass,” she said to herself. “There are no such things as monsters. Nothing is out there. And even if there was, it is probably just someone on the night staff.”

A shadow appeared. It grew and crawled up the wall. Someone was coming. Cassie held her breath, gripped by fear.

“What do you mean, there are no such thing as monsters? Then it stands to reason that if they do not exist, then neither should we.”

Cassie sat straight up in her bed. She knew that voice. It was Hazel’s. And he was standing in front of her, leaning against the doorway. His deep voice was music to Cassie’s ears. She was saved.

“Hazel!” Cassie exclaimed, throwing off the covers. She jumped the bed and threw her arms around him. “I am so happy to see you.”

“Same here kiddo. Sorry it took us so long. We had no idea what happened, it was like you dropped off the face of Gaia completely. Stick had to go to the elders to get them to help us locate you. And it was no easy thing either.”

“They give me drugs. They cloud my head, and took away the visions and colors. I haven’t felt whole since mom and dad left me here. I’m not crazy. You are real.”

Hazel had not changed. His hair still messy and red. He wore black leather pants and his trademark white shirt. His eyes smiled, Cassie could tell he was happy to see her.

“So, where is Stick?” Cassie said. “And how did you get in here?”

Hazel smiled mischievously. “Ah, me lass. Faerie magic. ‘Tis the same thing we used to find you. Now come on, get your stuff, we do not have much time. Faerie magic may be powerful but it does not last too long.”

Cassie looked around her room. There was not anything she really needed. The books could be replaced. While she wanted to bring Bramble, she decided that wherever they were going was no place for a teddy bear. She went to her chest and grabbed her hoody and shoes.

“Will Bramble be okay if I leave him?” she asked Hazel.

He laughed. “Ah Cassie, you may be older but the child within you still exists. Yes you can leave Bramble here, he will be alright. As will the rest of your things.”

Cassie’s face flushed. She felt embarrassed for asking. But she joined Hazel. “So now what,” she whispered.

“We walk on out of here,” Hazel said.

“But won’t they spot us? We have to walk past the Control Room and I am sure there are two nurses sitting there waiting for us.”

“Boy do you have a lot to learn still. After all these years and you still doubt me?” he grabbed her arm and pulled her out into the Commons. The room was silent. Nothing moved. There were no sounds.

Cassie turned her head towards the Control Room. It was empty. No nurses, no Doctors. Nothing.

“But, but, there is always someone there.” Cassie muttered.

“Time is not what it always appears. You are right, there are two people in there. But they will not bother us tonight. They cannot even see us. We are moving faster than they and their monitors and equipment can detect us. Like I said, faerie magic is strong, but this doesn’t last a long time.”

They quickly made their way past the Control Room and down the elevator.  Cassie did not see a single person as they walked out of Blackwell. The heavy doors to the entrance of the hospital flew open; hitting Cassie with a blast of cold air in the face. She stopped moving.

“Come on, it’s not that much further,” Hazel said turning towards her.

Cassie stood motionless. She did not say anything. Instead she closed her eyes, and inhaled deeply. She was free.  Her body shivered. It was cold outside. But it was outside. No windows, no bars. Free. The cold air filled her lungs with a renewed sense of purpose and when she was done exhaling all of the stale, hospital air from her body, she reopened her eyes.

She walked briskly, catching up with Hazel and they walked past Blackwell into the garden. He held her hand as he guided her past the building and out into the trees. The pines reminded her of the forest back home. They headed deep into the trees, away from Blackwell. Away from people.

“Hazel, it’s getting cold. How much longer?” Cassie said, shivering.

“Not much further. The gateway is just over there.” He pointed towards a great oak. It stood tall, the moon casting a halo over it. A ring of mushrooms circled its trunk. The marks of faerie.

“Enter the ring and sit down in the center.” Hazel said. “Don’t say anything unless I tell you too. Do not be afraid, I will be right here. Next to you always.”

Cassie nodded. “Where are we going?”

“To meet the elders. I am taking you into the Realm.”

Cassie gasped. She never dared that she would enter Hazel’s realm. Faerie tales told stories about people wandering into the faerie realm. They stumbled in without knowing, many lost their way, swallowed by the world. Others, like her, were lead in by the fae. Some of them returned. The Brothers Grimm were such lucky people. Others, remained, becoming servants.

That Hazel wanted to take her into his world, made Cassie feel loved. She trusted him and somehow knew that nothing bad would befall her. She closed her hoody tight around her chest and sat down in the middle of the ring.

Hazel followed her. He reached down and pulled a set of pipes from a pouch. It was smooth and white. It seemed to be made of bone or a very light colored tree wood. He took a corner from his shirt and wiped the pipes clean and then softly covered three holes on top of the pipe with three of his fingers. He then rested his thumb on a hole appearing on the bottom of the pipe. Hazel drew air into his lungs and placed the pipe into his mouth.

Ethereal notes danced from his pipe into the air. Cassie watched them as they floated like bubbles from Hazel’s pipe. It was a sound she had never heard before. It was deep but windy, as if someone had taken the sounds from a violin, harp and flute and squished it down into his pipe. Hazel continued the song, the notes surrounding them. Calling forth a mist from the ground. The mist swirled, like smoke from a pipe and grew thicker. And thicker. Until Cassie was not able to see anything around them anymore.

“More faerie glamour,” Cassie watched as the trees and cold and night sky faded out of view.

Hazel stopped playing. The magic faded back into the dark. They arrived, wherever here was. Hazel lovingly slipped the white pipe back into its pouch. Cassie looked around. She could make out the tree shapes in the dark. It was still night time, and the moon cast halos everywhere. But even with the soft glow of the moon Cassie could tell she was somewhere else now. The oak that was behind them was still there. But in addition to the pines, willows also surrounded them. The air was warmer,

“Welcome to my world,” Hazel said. He helped Cassie to her feet. “As much as I’d like to take you to the Castle now, it’d be safer if we head out with first light.”

“Nope. We are somewhere they cannot get you. But that does not mean this world is free from things that want to hurt you. We have predators here, and there are bands of thieves here too. However, this is a protected grove so we should be safer here than if we were to start traveling.”

Hazel wandered over to one of the willows. He tugged on a branch and lifted himself into the tree. Cassie watched the tree rustle a bit, bending under what little weight the faerie had.

“What are you doing?” she asked him.

Her answer was a soft thud. Something hit the ground. “Well,” came from the tree, “I came prepared. You did not think we were going to just sleep outside, under the stars without tents or bedrolls now did you?”

He dropped to the ground and picked up two bags. “Here, one of these is for you.” He handed her a pack. “There’s a sleeping bag inside. While it may not be as cold here as it was where we just came from, it will get cold soon.”

“Thanks,” Cassie said, reaching into the bag. Her hand touched the softest fabric she had ever felt. “What is this made of? I have never felt anything quite like it before.”

“Um, unicorn fur and maybe cat? I doubt you ever will.” he said, “I did not make it. One of the town’s seamstresses did.”

After she unrolled the sleeping bag under the oak, she helped Hazel gather lose tree branches to start a fire. It took him a few minutes to get a nice blaze going. Cassie stared into fire, thinking about how fortunate she felt to have Hazel as her friend. The flames danced in her eyes, lulling her back to sleep. She looked up once more and saw that the moon had gone behind some trees, it too, was getting ready for bed.

As she laid down, and snuggled tight in her roll, she turned to him. “Hazel,” she said, “thank you. You do not know how happy i am that you found me.”

Hazel stuck his arm out and patted her back, “Anytime, princess. Now go to sleep. We have some hiking to do tomorrow.”

Cassie screamed. Flames shot out around him and her bed. She tried to move, but found herself tied down. Handcuffs strapped her arms and legs to the bed. The bed leaned against a wall, giving her a clear view of the room. The walls had no windows and there was no door in sight. She was trapped! The stench of human feces and blood filled her nose. She felt like she was going to throw up, the bile warm and thick in her stomach.

Fred and Beth chained to the walls, their gowns stained with blood. Heavy metal collars hung around their neck. Beth was drooling, her head patched with stitches. But they had changed her. Someone had taken some TV antennae and buried them deep inside her head. Fred rocked. His mouth was covered, screwed shut with a piece of metal over it. They were moaning.

Doctor Livingston bent over here, a huge syringe in his hand. Neon green liquid filled the syringe, and dripped from the largest needle Cassie had ever seen. A forked tail wagged behind him and he had lizard legs. Horns grew out of his silver hair and his moustache was all twisted, growing out into points. He cackled as he bent over her. “Time for your medicine, little one,” he said. Her eyes widened as she tried to escape from the daemon and needle. Before they did to her what they did to poor Beth and Fred. She did not want them to take her away, turn her into a drooling mess.

Cassie bolted straight up her sleeping bag. Sweat beaded her forehead and she had a death grip around the top of the sleeping bag. Her heart was racing. “Hazel,” she screamed.

“What? What is it? I am right here,” he said. He placed an arm on the bag.

Cassie looked around. Her eyes darting around. It took her a minute to realize that she was not at Blackwell and that Doctor Livingston was not there. She was outside, in a forest. Their campsite was seated at the tail end of a meadow, nestled between two groves of trees. The grass was lush and green, speckled with clumps of white and purple flowers. The sun was beginning to rise. Dusting the tops of the trees and mountains in the distance with paint-strokes  of red and orange colors. Hazel sat next to her, fear and concern in his eyes and mouth.

Embers glowed dimly from the fire pit. The memory of their daring escape came back to her. She was free. Somewhere that they would never find her. She gulped and forced her body to calm down, “Nothing. I guess. I think it was a dream. I dreamt that I was back at Blackwell, and the Doctor wanted to do horrible things to me. He had this needle. It was huge. And they had already cut into poor Fred and Beth. Oh Hazel, it was terrible.”

Hazel looked at her. His friend had grown a bit older since he last saw her. She was still as thin as any faerie and her skin was soft and pale. Her hair was darker, redder than he last remembered it. The nightmare left her face flushed and even paler than the rest of her skin. Whatever they had done to her at Blackwell, terrified her. Her voice, shaken, still contained that childlike quality that drew him to her at first. “It’s okay. You were right, it was just a dream,” he said, trying to help Cassie calm down.

“I never want to go back to that place. It was horrible,” Cassie shivered and relaxed her body. He nodded in agreement.

“Well, if it were up to me, you would not have gotten there in the first place. Next time, if there is a next time. We shall be more careful with who you tell,” his eyes scolding here for having been so free with whom she had told about him and the faeries. “Hopefully the Elders can help you and keep you out of there.”

Sadness entered his eyes, leaving no trace of the scolding. His colors changed. Even Hazel’s wings folded and seemed heavier. Cassie knew something was wrong.

“What is it Hazel? What do you mean, if there is a next time? There is something you are not telling me.”

She got out of her sleeping bag and sat next to him.

“Well, it is why you are here,” he said. “I mean, once we found out where you were and what they did to you, of course I had to get you out, but that was not the only reason.”

Her heart shrank. So there was another reason. Her knight with gossamer wings had another reason for freeing her. She desired the storybook rescue, but should have known better. “That is okay Hazel. So what is wrong? You know I will do whatever it is you and your Elders ask of me, no matter what.”

“Well, I wanted to wait fro them to tell you. But you know me too well, and you sight is strong. Our world is sick, Cassie. We are dying. There is a plague out there and it is slowly eating us away. One by one. No one knows where it came from, or who set it free. But we are losing people.”

“The Elders do not even know what is going wrong. They sent for their most trusted and powerful seers. For days they scryed. For days they asked the cards and planets for guidance. While they have never failed us before, they came before the Elders after three days. No one had answers. No one had a cure. But there was one young seer, who came from the Coastal plains. She said that it was Mortal and only a Mortal would recognize the plague and find the cure.”

Cassie listened carefully, “So how come you chose me? There has got to be others. People more prepared for this than me?” She was afraid. The entire race of faeries, this world, rested in her hands. It scared her more than anything Dr. Livingston and Blackwell could ever do to her and her mind. “But what if I fail?”

“The Elders discussed it. At great length. This may surprise you Cassie, but not that many people know about us. Again, we asked the seers to divine a chosen one. And the cards picked you.”

“But what if I fail?” she repeated.

“Stick and I will be by your side at every moment.” Hazel ventured. “We know this place better than anyone. And we know you. We volunteered for this.”

She blushed. She was almost ashamed for feeling so terrified. After all, Hazel had place lots of confidence in her and the ability to solve his people’s sickness. She wondered just how much of a hero he made her out to be in front of the Elders. And hoped that she could live up to their expectations. “Well, it does beat staying at Blackwell and having to take all those drugs.” She smiled.

Add in more about sleeping.
“Time for breakfast,” he said. Cassie helped by gathering more wood. Using flint and steal, Hazel reignited the fire as Cassie dumped another pile of logs next him. Hazel gathered up some berries and pulled some eggs and a iron pan from his pack.  They were blue with white spots and they looked like they were made from leather. Cassie had never seen anything like them before. She doubted she ever would. Mentally, she made a note to remind Hazel to tell her from what bird those eggs came from; she was sure they were not from any normal chicken. He cracked the eggs on the edge of the pans. They were more fragile than they looked and out came some whitish goo but no yolk. Despite their strange appearance, the eggs cooked just like normal eggs, and soon a sweet aroma filled the air. Her stomach rumbled.

“Mmm breakfast. Sounds good to me,” she said, putting a berry into her mouth.

They ate in silence. Cassie continued to look around her. The trees gave off a sense of familiarity and otherworldness. It was as if she was back home but it had shifted somehow to a different time or place.  Pines stood proud and tall, creating a dark canopy. Fat oak trees stretched their branches wider than any oak Cassie saw. The willows hunched over, their branches bent, extending long slender wisps down to the ground. In the distance birds called out to one another, their songs harmonizing, and cheerful. The sky was a deep shade of cobalt blue, hardly any clouds appeared in the sky. The air was clean, not a hint of pollution existed. Cassie heard no cars, no voices other than the birds and saw no buildings appearing over the tree tops. And while she knew she was not anywhere familiar, she felt right at home.

“So how long will it take for us to get to wherever the Elders are,” she said finishing her eggs.

“We should be at Stonehaven by mid-day,” Hazel said looking at the sky. “So we should probably start walking.”

Cassie nodded.

They broke camp and started heading North. Hazel stepped out into the meadow, setting a brisk pace. Cassie felt out of shape as she tried to keep up with her friend. At the pace they were going, Cassie was not sure that she would have the energy she would need to listen and talk to the Elders when they got there. They crossed into another grove and started to climb a hill. She wanted to tell him to  slow down, that she tired easily and wanted to take some time to memorize her surroundings. She had the feeling that this was going to be the first and only visit to Hazel’s world. And if that were true, she wanted to savor every moment.

Eventually, the hill got the best of her. “Slow down, please.” she pleaded.

Hazel turned and looked at her. “Oh sorry. I did not mean to go so fast. I just have a lot on my mind.” He slipped his pack off his back and reached into it. He pulled out a blue flask and handed it to her. “Here, drink this. It is water.”

Nodding her head in thanks, she gulped from the flask. Fresh, cold water streamed into her mouth. She capped the flask, handed it back to him. “I understand that Hazel. I just have not been very active lately. They did not let us get too much exercise.”

“What a shame,” he said, an impish grin crossing his face.

She laughed, “You are so mean!” And stuck out her tongue.

Hazel pointed out the names of a few mountain peaks as they hiked. Two were long and pointy. They almost reminded her of Witches hats and she giggled at their names, Twin Hats. Both peaks were dusted with snow. She nodded with each landmark, amazed at how vast his world was. She didn’t think it could be so big. Their trail wove in and out of the forest, mingling with patches of meadow.

A noise startled them from their right, coming out from the edge of a forest. Hazel stopped and placed a hand on his pouch. His body went tense. Cassie held her breath and stood close to him. “What is it?” she whispered in his ear. He did not respond, his eyes searched the forest.

Hazel tracked the movement, then relaxed. He pointed a finger. Cassie traced its path to the brush. A white figure stepped out from behind the ivy and trees. Cassie gasped. A young unicorn buck, stepped out into their clearing. She grabbed Hazel’s shoulder.

“Is that what I think it is?”

He nodded. She almost pinched herself. She never thought she would be standing face to face with a real live unicorn. The two friends stood motionless, Cassie was afraid that if she moved, it would be gone. She wanted to savor the moment for as long as possible.

The unicorn stared at Hazel and bent its muzzle to the ground. It began to chew on a piece of purple clover. His horn gleamed pure golden, the hair on the unicorn’s back untouched by dirt. It glowed brighter than any star in the night sky. Magic dripped from his body. Hazel caught Cassie smiling out of the corner of his eye. a warmth filled his body. He enjoyed watching her, seeing how she reacted to every new wonder his world offered her. He would have invited her to his world sooner, had he been able to. The unicorn finished munching on its snack, glanced up once more. Then without hesitation, it ran off, leaping back into the forest.

Cassie relaxed her body. Childish excitement got the better of her and she jumped up and down, clapping her arms. “Oh wow. Oh wow, oh wow, oh wow. That, he… was amazing! Can you believe that? I actually, saw, a unicorn.”

Hazel smiled. He was torn. Part of him wanted to give Cassie all the time she wanted to explore his world. But he knew that time was not on their side and if they waited for too long more and more faeries would fall ill. He was a bit impatient to move on, “Just wait till you see Stonehaven. There’s lots more amazing things for you to see there. I hate to say it but we gotta move on, Cassie. The Elders, they are eager to meet you.”

They continued down the path. Cassie had fallen in love with the faerie world. The land was wild, untouched by humans and their destructive ways. It reminded her of what her world must have been like before mankind started forcing Nature to do their will. Strange animal sounds called and whistled from everywhere, even far off in the distance. Everything felt alive. Even the air, stirred, teeming with life. She knew that Hazel wanted to get back to Stonehaven as fast as he could. So that they could speak with the Elders and figure out how she could help heal his friends.

The path continued it’s steep ascent up the side of a hill. Hazel made sure to pause every now and then to give Cassie time to stretch her legs and catch her breath and drink some of the water from the flask. Trees surrounded them, thick and dense and it was all she saw. Vines and ivy wrapped around the huge trunks. They grew straight up in the air, blocking her view of the sky and sun. But it was not cold and she was thankful for that.

An hour passed. The trees started to thin out, marking a pause in their ascension. “I’m looking forward to going downhill,” she thought, adding, “That is, if we in fact do indeed go down this hill.”

The sounds of water gurgled near. She listened to the water but kept her eyes trained She thought it was impossible that a river, or stream could be so near without snow to feed it.

Hazel stopped, “Did I mention that we will have to cross a waterfall?”

Her eyes widened. “A waterfall? But where and how.” Cassie looked up from the ground. The path stopped going uphill. It flattened out and then dropped off from the other side. It appeared to be a dead end.

“Just on the other side of that flat area,” Hazel pointed. “Do not worry, it is safe. We use it all the time.”

She nodded. And climbed the last few feet to the flat part. There on the other side of the path was the most spectacular waterfall she had ever seen. She was standing just above it. Not even the waterfall at the bottom of the St. Helens Ape Caves could top this one. The water was blue, purple bubbles rose from where the bottom of the falls met river and ground. The river, carved a smooth tube from the land. A tree stump lay across the top. It was covered in yellow and green moss, the roots frozen straight out, gasping for air, displaying the battered remains from where it was lovingly torn from the soil it once called home. A hole appeared in the ground, marking where the tree had once stood proud and tall. She guessed that the tree died from natural causes, it’s ghost of a shell making a natural bridge for the faeries, carrying them across the fifteen foot waterfall.

Cassie looked down to the bottom of the falls. The water roared as it hit the ground forming giant waves, foam spitting at the tops. Purple bubbles pushed outwards from the foam, the byproduct of the water hitting the ground with such force. She stared at the water, something moved beneath the surface. At first she thought it was the golden color of the sun’s rays hitting the water just so. But as she squinted, the golden color took form.

Hundreds of tiny gold fish hopped in and out of the bubbles. Their fins wiggled and waved as they jumped from water to air, floating. Seconds later, they splashed back down into the water leaving no wake or ripples. The fish seemed to be interested in the purple bubbles. One would leap into the air,  float near a bubble, pop it with their mouth and then fall back into the water. Then another one jumped and started the process all over again. Every now and then two fish leapt into the air at the same time, their bodies colliding. Their scales mingled in a friendly way, as if the fish were acknowledging one another, greeting them in a fishlike fashion. She could almost hear them laughing under the roar of the water. It was as if they were playing a game, using the bubbles as their balls.

“Hey, what are those fish doing?” she asked.

“Those are goldmuppies. They live at the bottom of the falls. They eat the bubbles, or whatever gets captured inside of them.” he replied.

Cassie nodded in acknowledgement. It was the oddest thing she ever saw. She wished she had her sketchbook with her, or a camera, so she could take pictures of them to study for later.

“Cassie, come on,” Hazel called to her. He was standing on the edge of the tree. “Are you going to need my help?”

Cassie scrambled over to him. And looked over the edge of the waterfall. It looked like a good ten to twenty feet drop down to the bottom.

“Uh, uh… yeah. Actually now that you mention it,” she started. “I think i may want some help getting across this.”

Hazel bent down on one knee and extended his arm out to her. She reached out with her hand and grabbed a hold of it. With a small jerk he pulled her up on the log. The log shifted a bit under their combined weight. But it held.

“I guess it is too late for me to tell you not to look down,” he asked.

Cassie smiled and focused her attention on him. “Yeah, I guess so. I am fine as long as I focus on you. Just do us a favor, okay?”

“Anything. What?”

“Do not slip and do not fall,” she said, ushering him to start walking.

Hazel carefully and slowly walked across the log, helping Cassie avoid the slippery moss and wet bark. He hopped off the log and then turned to pick Cassie up off it and onto the ground with both his arms.

She giggled as he did it, “You know, it has been a long time since anyone did that for me. Thanks.” They watched the goldmuppies feed for a few more minutes before heading down the hill.

The trees were not as dense on this side of the hill as they were on the other. Cassie was thankful that they were going downhill. Childhood songs filled her head and she started skipping, playfully bumping into Hazel. The sun was almost directly above them and Cassie’s stomach reminded her that it was nearing lunchtime.

Smoke rose off in the distance. It was too thick to be naturally made, so Cassie presumed they were getting close to their destination. The trees shrunk, to shrubs and bushes and then to grass. They walked out into the open. Hawk-like birds circled above them, reminding Cassie of the hawks dancing outside her window. And then she looked outwards. And gasped.

This discovery left her mind envisioning floating boats down the stream to the Columbia river, and then westward to the ocean. Cassie set out to gather pine cones to fashion more boards from. After giving each one a mast and sail, she gently place them into the stream, and watch them carry her hopes and dreams and tiny people to the river. She waved as the little boats moved further away, bobbing up and down in the water.

A shadow darkened the area in front of her. It was not time to go back inside, so she looked up to see where the new shade was coming from. A boy stood behind her, watching her.

“Hello. I’m Cassie,” she said smiling.

The boy walked towards her. “I don’t have a name.”

Cassie closed her mouth. “Don’t be silly. Everyone has a name. You have to have a name.”

“Not where I come from they don’t. The lucky ones do. But I don’t have one yet.”

He sat down besides her, resting his arms on his knees. Cassie watched his every movement. He was tall and thin and a few years older than she.

“Well, if you’re going to play with me, you gotta have a name. So I can call to you.”

The boy smiled. “What makes you think I’m here to play with you?”

“You’re watching me. And sitting next to me. Which tells me, you’re here to stay for awhile. It’s okay. You can play with me. I don’t mind,” she said.

The boy’s smile widened. “Well, then,” he started. “I guess you’ll have to give me a name. Since I’m here to play with you.”

Cassie smiled as she stared at him. His hair was wild and un-brushed, growing out at odd angles. It was hazel nut brown, a lighter shade of the color of the boats she floated. His eyes were purple. He wore an oversized green shirt. The seams in the shirt were not straight. It looked like he had made it himself. He also wore a pair of leather pants, with more uneven stitches and a few uneven pockets sewn on. The shirt was cinched at his waist by a belt. Two bags dangled from the belt. He wasn’t wearing shoes. A pair of wings grew from his back. Shiny incandescent wings, fluttering in the wind.

“Hazel,” she said. “I’ll call you Hazel.”

Hazel stood and bowed. “Hazel, huh? I sorta like that. It matches my hair.”

Cassie giggled. He reached over and grabbed a pinecone. They continued to talk and float pinecone boats down the stream. When her parents called her for dinner, Hazel told her he’d see her tomorrow. She ran home that night, excited to for the night to end and the sun to rise. Hazel, at least for awhile, was kept as a secret.

Her other friend, Stick, came later. It was about 2 months after Cassie met Hazel when she appeared. Unlike Hazel, who was person-sized, Stick was tiny. She was long and thin and her skin was brown. She was also bald. She looked so much like a real tree branch that Cassie almost thought she was. And as such, she started calling her new companion Stick. Stick was too small to have wings. She rode on Hazel’s shoulder. Cassie immediately liked Stick and wished she could take her home with her.

Cassie loved hanging with the faeries. They had many adventures together. Hazel taught Cassie about the trees and world around her. She learned what plants were good to eat, how to make a fire and what animals lived in the forests behind her house. Stick had a beautiful voice She knew lots of songs and sung almost constantly. When she sang, Cassie saw the colors the sounds made. She spent hours watching Stick sing.

They created all sorts of stories and imagined lots of adventures. There was one time when they battled a red dragon. Hazel dubbed Cassie his princess and vowed to  always protect her. He had even made a crown for her of daisies he picked. Cassie told her parents all about Hazel and their adventures. When they asked to meet him, Cassie looked at the ground.

“He doesn’t like adults,” she replied. “He’s too scared to visit.”

Cassie’s parents were concerned with their daughter playing with someone they never met but allowed her to play outside. Even if they forbid her to play, Cassie would have continued to hang with Hazel and Stick. When school started, Cassie saw less of them. She hated school at first because it took away daytime for playing. She tried to tell her schoolmates about Hazel and Stick but they laughed at her. In time, she stopped trying to fit in with them. That was fine to her, she had Hazel and Stick. They were always there. Waiting for her in the woods after school let out. They would never tease her or call her names.

Then one day her parents took her to see a doctor. They drove into town, Cassie watching the world change outside her window. It went from a forest of trees to a forest made of steel and concrete. She didn’t like the city very much. She preferred the forests and always dreaded going into town.

The doctor’s office looked like a large windowed castle. It was black and had very few trees outside. The landscape was sculpted, not very wild. She pictured her parents as pirates. They had broken into her forest home, killed her parents and took Cassie to be sold into slavery to a horrible old man who wanted nothing more to lock Cassie up and starve her to her death.

He was unlike any doctor Cassie ever saw. There was no waiting room, no nurses, and no shots. When her name was called, the three of them were ushered into a room that had a sofa and chair.  They sat down on the sofa. The room was cold and felt like a prison cell. Cassie shivered.

Certificates of all types hung on the walls. Cassie thought to herself that this doctor must be very good considering all the awards he had. She never asked her parents why they were there.

A tall man wearing a white shirt with a dark blue tie and slacks walked into the office. He was no more the three-headed monster with scales and a long lizard tale than her mind made him out to be. He had a halo of blue surrounding him. Cassie wasn’t sure he could be trusted. But felt safe as her parents were there with her. “Hello, I’m Dr. Livingston.”

He shook everyone’s hands, giving Cassie a small nod of approval. He then sat down on the chair, pulling out a large yellow pad and pen. “So Mr. McKay, can you tell me what is going on?”

Cassie swallowed hard and glanced at her father. He saw her out of the corner of his eye and smiled. “We’re here for our little girl, Cassie. She’s been having problems at school and she doesn’t seem to make friends easily.”

He paused and looked at Cassie once more, “She’s told us about some friends she has. But we’ve never seen them. When she was younger, we thought they were people she imagined. We live so far away from her school that we figured she made them up to have someone to talk to. But she insists they exist, even now.”

Cassie stayed silent through the whole conversation.  She wished she could make herself invisible. She felt betrayed and wanted to run off. Instead she shrunk down in the sofa, trying to make herself small and unnoticeable. The Doctor listened to everything Mr. McKay said, taking notes.

“I see,” he said. Then he turned to Cassie. “So Cassie, what do you have to say?”

And that was how Cassie met Dr. Livingston, her psychologist. She had been going to see him for an hour each week after school for over a year. For most of the sessions it was just her and the Doc and his yellow notepad and pen. She would do most of the talking and he would listen, asking questions occasionally.  Sometimes he asked her parents to join their sessions, watching how the three of them interacted. If they ever saw the Doc without her, they didn’t tell her, keeping Cassie in the dark.

A few weeks after Cassie turned 15, her parents took her out to lunch. It was the middle of summer, so school was a few weeks away. The loving pink color that always surrounded them swirled and spiked with black. Cassie knew something was up. It was a Thursday and her parents never took time off from work to just take Cassie to lunch. Especially to a sit down lunch at her favorite restaurant, The Hob Nob.

The Hob Nob was a 50′s style malt shop. They had the best sandwiches. Cassie was a vegetarian. Hazel had told her what people did to the animals to make as meat and it made her sick. So she swore off meat all together. So she had a garden burger. And a chocolate malt. Both her parents ordered meat sandwiches. They questioned Cassie’s switch in diet but didn’t press the issue.

“Are you going out for the Lights this year?” Cassie’s mom asked her. The Lights was a special vocal group at the high school  Only the best vocalists got nominated for a spot in the 16 piece group. Being nominated wasn’t enough. You also had to sing in front of the Choir and two current members of the Lights group.

“Not sure.” Cassie responded. “I know Mr. Green nominated me and wants me to try out, but I’m not sure I’m good enough. My voice wobbles when i sing alone.”

“Well, it’d be a great opportunity to meet girls and have friends your own age, ” her father retorted.

Cassie nodded and smiled. They refused to give up hope that she’d start meeting friends from school. Neither one of them understood that the years of teasing left Cassie scarred and disinterested in making friends with them. She would rather spend time with Hazel and Stick. Cassie wanted to spend time hanging out with Hazel and Stick. They never teased her.

They ate lunch and discussed various other topics. Upcoming movies they wanted to go see, books Cassie read. They even discussed football. Cassie’s father loved football. While Cassie wasn’t interested in sports, she spent time with her dad by going to the local games. The mood darkened when the waitress brought them the checks. The colors around them, peaceful once again through lunch, spiked and swirled with grey again.

Cassie caught her parents looking at one another. The gut feeling that something was up returned. She was well aware they were keeping something from her.

“Can we go to the bookstore before going home,” Cassie asked. She had just opened the door to her parents green Subaru Outback. The door’s interior beeped as her parents looked at one another. “More secrets,” Cassie thought. She had the feeling she was not going to like where they were taking her next.

“Sorry sweets, but we can’t. But we’re not going home just yet,” Cassie’s mom said.

“Oh. Um, then where are we going?” She sat down in her seat and pulled the seatbelt over her chest. It clicked louder than usual.

The radio, playing her father’s favorite 50′s station, lept to life as the engine started. “Mr. Sandman, bring me a dream,” it cheerfully sang. Her father turned the radio. It clicked as the power died.

He cleared his throat. Cassie knew he was getting down to business and waited patiently for an answer to her question. “Dr. Livingston called yesterday. The results of your blood test came back. They worried and concerned him. So based on what he said, he make a request that we take you to Blackwell. He assures us it’s nothing permanent. You’ll only be there for a little while, just long enough for them to finish their tests and see what they can do to help you.”

Cassie’s eyes watered up. Blackwell was an asylum. “So that’s why they took me out to lunch”, she thought. “It’s sorta like my last meal before being locked away. They think I am crazy.”

Her heart swelled with feelings of anger, depression and betrayal. “How come you didn’t tell me this before? And just how long is a little while? Don’t I get a say in all this?” She started crying. Cassie knew her parents had made their decision and there was nothing she could do to get out of it.

“There is nothing wrong with me. I am not crazy. Why do I have to go. I don’t belong there. Please don’t make me stay. I’m not crazy,” she pleaded, all the way to the hospital.

She was crying even when they got to Blackwell. “How can you believe them and not me? Do I look crazy to you?”

Her parents kept silent. Cassie’s father did not even bother to turn the stereo back on. The drive through the city and back up into the woodlands was eerily silent. Cassie’s mother pretended she didn’t hear Cassie speak, and she averted her eyes every time Cassie tried to look at her in the rearview mirror. She kept closing her eyes, avoiding her daughter’s pleading eyes. Her hands twitched, but kept folded in her lap. Cassie sensed that her mom didn’t believe Cassie belonged at Blackwell any more than she did. Of course, her mother didn’t say it. No parent wants to admit their only child has mental issues.

Her father did all the talking when the car pulled into Blackwell. His arm hung around his wife’s waist supporting her as she began to cry. No one asked Cassie how she felt. The nurse at the Check-in counter gave her parents a clipboard filled with papers for them to fill out took the clipboard and began to complete the forms. Both her parents avoided Cassie, her face frozen in shock, horror and fear. Cassie felt like she wasn’t a person at all but an object who could be easily given away. Once here father finished with the paper on the clipboard he slid it back to the nurse. The exchange, as small as a gesture as it was, marked the end of Cassie’s freedom as she knew it. She felt like a knife stabbed her heart, taking her soul from her.

That was the last time she saw them. Her parents left the hospital as another nurse led Cassie into an examination room. They performed one last medical checkup before taking Cassie on a whirlwind tour of Blackwell.

“Blackwell was founded in the early 60′s as an alternative care system for people with mental disorders,” the nurse began. Cassie barely listened to her as she spoke. Instead she choose to look around at her new surroundings. The buildings were brick and ivy grew up the sides of the building walls. A manufactured sense of calm filled the inside of the hospital. Not a single person wandered around the halls. Cassie pictured they were all locked away, hidden in rooms somewhere. Where no one spoke to them at all.

It was just as calm outside as it was inside. The hospital had a garden where residents got supervised time outside. No one was outside when they showed Cassie the garden. Cassie like the garden, the trees and flowers and grass reminded her of the forest behind her home. Seeing the Gardens gave her hope when the only thing that surrounded her were bars.

Everywhere she looked, she saw bars. And stations. Blackwell was designed to keep people inside. It created a barrier between the residents and the rest of the world. Thick, black bars covered every window. Even the windows themselves were made of unbreakable plastic. Stations were placed around the building and outside. And there was a Blackwell employee at each station. The complete and total lock-down made escape impossible.

The nurse led Cassie to the elevators. She pushed a button and they stepped into the metal box. A bar above the doors marked off each floor. Cassie watched the numbers change as the box climbed floors. The bar stopped increasing at 3. Cassie panicked. She wasn’t sure what to expect on the other side of the doors. Horror movie images of crazies wearing straight jackets, muttering in strange languages and hitting their heads against the wall sped through her mind.

The doors opened, Cassie stepped onto the juvenile ward floor. Again, the floor looked peaceful. No one was in sight. Two benches sat placed on each side of the elevator. A door appeared straight down a small hallway.

The door led to the Control Room and beyond that was the Commons. “Welcome home,” the nurse said, taking Cassie into the Control Room.

And while she didn’t want to believe it, Blackwell became her home. The second day Cassie was there, she was introduced to drug therapy. She refused to take them at first. She knew that if she took them, they would cloud her visions. And she wanted no part of that. If Hazel and Stick were out there, she needed to be able to see. But she was not able to fight them off so they forced them down her throat.

Ken walks over to Cassie. He sticks out his hand. Two pills sit inside her cup. One is small, round and powdery white. This pill helps her focus so her mind doesn’t wander so much. It also keeps her calm, so she doesn’t disturb the other residents. The other pill is larger. It’s also green and oval in shape. That one takes the visions away. Cassie reaches out and takes the cup.

“Thanks,” she says to Ken, placing the pills in her hand. The other nurse stands besides Ken, offering Cassie a paper cup filled with water. Keeping her eyes on the two nurses, Cassie takes her medication. She hands the cup back to the nurse. They wander away, leaving Cassie to digest her medicine.

Her body relaxed as the drugs entered her blood. Time seemed to slowdown and stop altogether. While she was aware of what was going on around her, she was unable to react. Her vision shifted. The world and the bright, vivid colors that once filled her eyes, swirled. She blinked. The lights dimmed. Even though she was inside, with all the halogens in the room turned on, things grew darker. The colors faded and vanished in one blink.

She looked in the mirror. She didn’t recognize the face, the hollow eyes staring back. While Blackwell imprisoned her body, the drugs bound her spirit.

Cassie touched the window. “Where are you guys? Are you out there? I can’t see. They took my eyes away. If you are out there, send me a sign. Tell me that you are there and can get me out of here.” If she could only get the drugs out of her head. Free her eyes, and see again.

The wind died down and the sun began it’s decent into night. Cassie knew that dinner would be served soon. Cassie didn’t want to leave her window. It was the only connection to the outside world she had left. Two hawks circled above the garden. Cassie pressed her head against the window, following their every movement with her eyes.

They soared in a wide circle. Their wings stretched full. One of the birds dipped, swooping down towards the ground. Cassie’s heart beat faster, fearful that the hawk was not going to stop. That it was going to crash into the ground instead. Her heart beat the time in seconds. Two… three…four and then it pulled out, and beat the air hard with it’s wings.

The second hawk caught up with its mate. They circled once more, flying closer together than they were. And the dance started over again. Cassie envied their freedom, their dance left her feeling energized.

“Cassie, time for dinner.”

Ken stood next to her. She frowned, took one last look at the hawks and pulled herself out of her chair. The others were already seated and began to eat. Cassie pulled up a chair to the table. The tray had steak and veggies. She pulled out her napkin and fork and placed the meat on the napkin.

“I told you, I don’t eat meat.” Cassie said to Ken. “Isn’t there some way that I can get a full meal served to me without any meat?”

Ken shrugged, “You should be happy you get food that looks like what it is. In some places, they don’t get food this good. But I’ll see what I can do for you. Okay?”

Cassie nodded. “Thanks.”

The Commons was silent as everyone ate dinner. It did not bother Cassie one bit as she did not want to speak. Once dinner was over, Ken returned, the medicine tray filled once more. More pills.

Cassie felt sick to her stomach. She was tired of Blackwell and their pills and the doctors and their discussions and theories. She was not sick. But no one believed her.

“May I be excused,” she said, handing the empty cup back to Ken. “I’m tired and I do not feel very well. I would like to go to bed now.”

Ken looked at his watch, “Well, I suppose it is okay. You do realize you’ll be missing the movie we were gonna show on TV tonight?”

She nodded. “Yeah, that is okay. I am not too big on TV anyways.” She stood, grabbed the empty tray and put it on the service rack. Then she turned once more, looking at the rest of her roommates. Most of them were either still eating or being cleaned up. Beth was not able to feed herself, so most of her meal would always end up on her face and shirt. Cassie questioned why they never gave her a bib to wear. “Prolly too cheep,” she guessed.

She then walked into her room. It was small and modest. It reminded Cassie more of a prison cell than a place of her own. The walls were brick and painted white. And bare. The room was big enough for a small bed, dresser for clothes and a small desk and chair. Everything was attached to the wall, so that the person in the room was unable to move anything to block the door. Two days after they left her at Blackwell, Cassie’s parents mailed her a package filled with approved personal items. Her green comforter, black sweatpants, a few of her favorite books (the covers torn and the pages bent from wear, having been read over and over again), Bramble, her teddy bear, and a journal to keep her thoughts and stories in. The books decorated the top of the dresser. The journal sat on her desk, unused.

Cassie loved to write, but since Blackwell had no privacy and she felt uncomfortable writing about Hazel and Stick and what adventures they had. She worried that Dr. Livingston or the nurses would get a hold of her notes and use them against her. She did not want to stay at Blackwell any longer than she could.

Before going to bed, she touched each one of the things her parents sent to her. Memories associated with each item flooded her head, sending pangs of loneliness and betrayal through her fingers. Bramble was the last thing she touched. He sat on her bed. When she slept she held onto him tight, snuggled in a ball.

“Sweet dreams, Bramble,” she said and closed her eyes. Sleep came quickly, dreamless. The drugs, also blocked Cassie’s ability to dream.

The old chair is well padded. Its brown vinyl, now faded to a pale tan, is worn smooth from years of sitting in. Cassie shifts, her weight causing the leather to squeak and groan. Her legs, now drawn up and folded under her body, protect her from the rest of the room. She’s not uncomfortable, but she’s not comfortable either.

The sun peeks out from the clouds. Cassie allows what little light trickles through the thin window pan to warm her. She knows that it’s cold outside. It looks as cold as she feels sitting inside a temperature-controlled room. And she wishes she could be out there to feel it. This is the magic of autumn. When leaves turn colors and the temperature stays cold long after the sun comes out to warm everything up. The wind taps on the window, teasing her, calling her name, “Come out Cassie, come play in the magic.” Cassie shifts her weight in the chair, feeling left out, and closes her eyes.
She imagines becoming free. Her feet push her body outside of the room she’s locked inside. Her heart races, quickened by the adrenaline, as her eyes focus on the goal ahead. The two white hospital doors. They hold the key to her freedom. Her feet move swiftly across the white floor.  For her, getting to them feels like an eternity passing before she even gets close enough to feel their smooth surface. Finally, she stretches her arms forward, palms facing out. They hit the door with a resounding “thunk”. The muscles in her arms contract and then expand with force. The doors explode open, freeing her from the cage, and from the horrid moments that trapped her inside.

Cassie escapes out of the hospital. Instead of more hallways and doors, she finds herself outside. It’s warm and bright. The sun warms her skin, easing the goosebumps on her arm back to sleep. The trees bud with new flowers and leaf buds. She looks around at the flowers blooming. The hostas tall and green. Then her eyes lay upon them.

Standing there beneath the tall trees and next to the hostas are her friends, her wonderful friends. Hazel, with his long crazy hair and impossible purple eyes, smiles wide and calls out her name as he extends an arm to her. Stick is there too. She rests on his shoulder, standing tall, her blue arms waving and cheering. Behind them, standing at attention, waits a giant army of creatures, all sizes and shapes. As soon as Hazel and Stick cheer, they, too, begin raising their weapons and banners in salute.
The sounds of cheers fade into one long solid monotone noise. An unseen clock wails out from the walls. Static to Cassie’s ears. She turns as the double doors swing and part open. No Hazel. No Stick. No one comes through to save her from distress. Just another orderly wearing nothing but white, white, white. This one carries a white tray with many tiny white paper cups filled with cocktail mixes and a splash of water. Cassie sighs once more as the orderly in white walks over to her and waits. It’s drugtime.

Cassie hates the drugs and the buzzer. She doesn’t like her time being monitored and tracked all the way down to the second hand on a clock. She looks up at the orderly in white and takes the white paper cup with the white oblong shaped pill and the two small round white ones. She cocks her head and then dumps the contents of the white cup onto her tongue. The orderly checks Cassie’s mouth and gives her another white paper cup with water. Cassie quickly drops the pills under her tongue and chucks the water down her throat, cool and pure. She feigns swallowing and the orderly smiles. Cassie thinks that they force the smile a bit too much.

The orderly leaves Cassie and she returns to the world outside. Watching the colors move and blend for a bit longer. She knows that she needs to wait a few minutes before asking to take leave to the bathroom. There she will spit out the drugs that stifle her mind, take away the colors, and her dreams. The window pane ripples as another gust of wind slaps against it. With it, Cassie feels her mind returning to her body, the drugs no longer having any real effect on her chemistry. It’s a small win and she hopes that no one realizes she’s been dumping drugs down the drain.

It’s almost time to go to the bathroom. Cassie focuses her eyes on her reflection in the window. Her brown hair hangs and drapes over her shoulders. She pushes a long strand out of her face and concentrates into the deep blue eyes that seem lighter than ever. Her skin, pale from not getting enough sun, seems almost as white as the walls and doors. The hair slides slowly behind her ear. Cassie frowns and goes to find the attendant that will get her into the bathroom.

“Permission to go to the bathroom,” she says softly to a woman seated with her back towards Cassie. The Floor Guardian, who’s also dressed all in white, reading from a book with a white cover and white sheets, nods, “You have five minutes.” Cassie turns and heads towards the bathroom in her Pod.

She thinks about all the fancy names Blackwell gives to their rooms. To give them personality and make people like her feel right at home. It doesn’t work, of course. Cassie spits the drugs into the toilet and waves as they flush down the pipes. Cassie thinks that naming rooms is dumb but keeps her thoughts and secrets to herself.

The whole hospital has six floors. Each floor looks identical to one another. The only thing that’s different are the kids and adults caged inside. Each floor has it’s own Commons, the big open room with windows, where Cassie spends most of her day. They eat meals, participate in group activities, and have “Free Time” all in the same big white room. The floor in the Commons is made of unordinary white square tiles. White walls with white frames of white images cover the walls. The tables have white Formica tops and the plastic chairs are white and horribly uncomfortable. A white sofa sits in the middle of the room, facing a television set.

Seven doorways lead from the Commons. Six do not have doors. These foyers lead directly into each resident’s room, known as pods, with a bathroom set between the two. Tread-worn white carpet covers the floor inside each doorway and the walls are all painted white. Nothing sits on the walls inside each room, no pictures or art or personality. Cassie hates not having a door to her room. But Blackwell does not care what Cassie thinks she should have.  She shares her doorway with three other residents. One is her roommate, and the other two share an identical but opposite room across from her room.

Floor Guardians watch them all the time. One of them sits inside the Commons and is there to immediately assist a resident. Cassie hates this as she likes to be alone and have her own space. She also doesn’t like being watched all the time, even during free time. She feels like a prisoner, even though she has not broken the law. She feels like she is less of a person here than she would be considered on a street outside.

The last door in the Commons doubles up and leads to the outside. This door leads to the Control Room and it’s always locked. Only Blackwell’s Staff can go in and out of the Control Room. Doctors and nurses sit at desks behind the window. Observing the residents, taking notes of conditional changes.  Cassie has only seen this room once when they brought her in. It too is also white with a white bookcase and white binders facing out. White folders sit on the shelf, faint outlines of letters forming the names of each resident on the floor. The Control Room also stores the drugs that Cassie takes twice daily.

Cassie gets permission to return to the Commons. The Floor Guardian replies without looking up from the white cover on her book. Cassie turns her head to the Control Room. Three people sit in comfortable white chairs. Two hover over files and one fixes their eyes on a television monitor. Someone is sitting in the padded room today. Cassie’s eyes don’t rest on anyone she recognizes. She’s thankful for her Doctor appears out for the day.

Five residents share the Commons with Cassie, although the floor can hold a total of twenty-four residents. They are all roughly the same age but she feels like she has nothing in common with them at all.  The only other thing that ties them together is the  label and condition their doctors gave them. A young boy with curly red hair, Fred, sits on the sofa. He’s rocking. No matter what he was doing, Fred rocked. Cassie guesses that he rocks back and forth all night long while the drugs prevent him from dreaming. Even though the Floor Guardian has him facing the TV, his eyes stare off in the distance, vacant. Cassie tried to talk to him once, but he never responded and Cassie felt that he was not all there. So she stopped trying to talk to him, or anyone for that matter. Next to him sits a girl, her tangled hair as wild as her eyes. She’s drooling. Her eyes held, glazed over, by the white light coming from the TV. Her name is Beth. A small line of drool pooled from one corner of her mouth down to the shirt she was wearing. Beth never made an attempt at wiping it from her face. Cassie wondered if she even knew it was there.

Cassie doesn’t like what they show on TV. The pre-approved programs Blackwell receives from satellite are old and crappy. She’d rather be writing her own stories or telling them to Stick and Hazel.  Cassie watches the Beth and Fred. Her gaze moves from her peers to the TV.
The TV was making silly cartoon sounds but nothing appeared on the screen, at first. Cassie rubbed her eyes and refocused them on the screen. White blurbs flash and flicker across the screen without rhyme or reason. Cassie blinks again as color slowly returns into the image, bringing the action into focus.

People were fighting. Huge flowing fabric banners depicting royal family crests sway in the wind. A banner with the head of an Eagle carrying a olive branch wavers in the distance, its bearer having issues keeping the banner aloft in the blowing air. Suddenly a creature wearing dark grey armour falls in front of the banner bearer. Bright red blood pours out of wounds on its face and body. An arrow with green feathers sticking out from it’s back. The banner bearer frowns, tears streaming down his face, holds his position. He cannot lose his post, lest morale under the name of the Council fall. He’s unable to do anything for the dying soldier but call out to the healers on the battlefield. More creatures fall. The battle is not going well.

Blackwell’s surround sound speakers let forth an earth-shattering cry. It sounds like a cross between a elephant and cat that has been cornered by a dinosaur. Cassie watches as the scene shifts to the air. “There it is,” cries out from an unknown camera holder as a large blob with wings beating hard dives back down into the army below it.
Fred mutters out loud something that is a cross between the noise Cassie just thought she heard and a laugh. The images she once saw on TV have since been replaced by a horribly out of color image of a mouse and cat. The mouse sits on the right side of the screen, running towards a hole on the left. It’s being chased by a cat, waiving a giant mallet. Cassie watches as the mouse, always the mouse, reaches the edge of the screen and escpes into a dark hole. The cat, unable to slow down in time, runs into the wall. Fred mutters the disturbing laugh once more.

“Stupid cat,” Cassie mutters as she climbs back into her chair. Cassie shakes her head, she’s seen the show before. She watched it ever Saturday morning, silently before anyone else rose. Blackwell never showed anything new. It was all mostly old stuff. Every now and then, on special occasions they got to watch something new. Of course, it was never really anything truly new, just more recent old stuff. Stuff that Cassie had also already seen. But those occasions were rare. Instead, Cassie preferred her chair and window. What went on outside the room was far more interesting.

Movement off to Cassie’s right catches her eye. Susan paces back and forth. Unlike Beth and Fred who now sit perfectly silent and still, each in their own world, Susan was a constant blur of motion. Even with all the medication they put her on her body required motion. Susan’s taller than Cassie, more than a foot tall and has a thicker build. Cassie watches as Susan occasionally twitches while each foot carefully measures out the distance from one another as she paces. Her mouth opens and closes, faint words barely audible. And random. Random words, spoken passionately but without meaning. Cassie can never tell if Susan is really talking to anyone. Cassie tried to ask her about it once. But her voice sent Susan into one of her episodes.The nurses shoved Cassie aside as they sedated her companion. Cassie hasn’t said anything to Susan since then. Not that she had any desire to speak to anyone left.

Cassie doesn’t see the last resident on her floor. He’s not in the Commons and not in his Pod. His name is Mike, and he’s the floor’s newest acquisition. Mike was admitted to Blackwell two days ago. They sent everyone to their rooms when he arrived. He bit two staffers and kicked and screamed. It took four people to hold him down while they took him to the Padded Room. He’s been there ever since.

Cassie closes her eyes again. She’s dreaming of being outside again. Of course, when she closes her eyes, it’s always a dream of somewhere other than Blackwell. Stick and Hazel are with her and they laugh as they jump into the leaves. Stick hums a madrigal. Cassie tosses a handful of leaves at Hazel. It covers him, making him look like a fuzzy bear. He smiles and playfully tosses a pile back at her. She laughs, enjoying herself. But Cassie is not laughing today. She wondered where Hazel and Stick were and what they were doing. With luck her friends were having more fun that she was.

“Do they even miss me?” she whispers into the window.