Isle of the Faeries

Out of the Frying Pan

Sidhe mentioned: Will-O'-the-Wisp - The Will-O'-the-Wisp appears as a flickering, wavering, glowing light low to the ground near marshes, meadows, and grassy hillocks. These golden lights which are seen glittering enticingly and compel mortals to follow them, often off the edges of a cliff or the depths of a marsh.  

Breena

      We come to a massive fallen tree right in our path, it is too huge and slimy with a strange faintly glowing moss to climb over. I head to the right of it and Kean heads around to the left planning that we will meet in the middle.

      An embarrassing squeak escapes my mouth just passed the roots of the tree when my foot plunges into a cold, clammy peat bog. I pull my foot back and take a step back instead only to find that the bog is behind me as well. I spin around trying to see through the mist and darkness, my heart starts to race as I realize that the fallen tree and woods are no longer behind me, instead all I can see is a treacherous peat bog.

      I take a few deep breaths trying to calm myself, the island is playing tricks on me. Peat bogs can be dangerous and difficult to maneuver through and in the dark unfamiliar territory one wrong step and the earth could swallow me up. I yell out for Kean but I get no response. Gritting my teeth I look around hoping to find a stick or something that I can use to prod at the ground before I step but I don't see anything useful.

      I try to bite back a panicked sob that threatens to break free from my throat. I'm painfully lost and now I don't even have Kean with me. I close my eyes, take three deep breaths and count to ten. When I open my eyes I almost shriek at the glowing ball of yellow light floating in front of my face.

      Slowly it weaves to the left and right; my eyes locked on it. It's about the size of my fist and lights up the area immediately surrounding us confirming what I already know, the forest Kean and I were wandering through has disappeared.

      The light starts bouncing up and down in front of me and I know that I should ignore it but I can't quite remember why. "What do you want little light?" I ask it quietly.

      It doesn't respond, it just drops to the ground and begins moving away from me. "Wait little light," I call out following right behind the pretty glowing orb. My finger burns beneath the ring and something in the back of my head warns me that I probably shouldn't be following the light but I can't help myself. I plunge off after it stepping exactly where its light touches hoping it doesn't lead me to my doom but after a minute or two even that fear fades.

Kean

      When I get to the other side of the tree Breena is nowhere to be seen. I call her name softly circling the tree trying to quell the anger and panic that is rising within me. Thinking that maybe she somehow slipped by me I start forward not even bothering to stay quiet anymore as I call her name. My only consolation is that I know Ciná won't do anything to her while I'm still wandering around lost; he's too proud and cocky for that.

      Pricker bushes tug at my clothes and etch narrow scratches into my skin as I crash blindly forward fueled by anger and fear. Cussing I trip over a log right into another thorn covered bush. Completely frustrated I pull my knife from my belt and hack away at the bush to free myself from its grasp. Once free I double over hands on knees taking deep breaths.

      I hate October thirty first more than any other day of the year. It is the day that the Sidhe are at their strongest and Keepers are at their weakest. After winning the last race of the season I was exhausted and ready for bed, now I am drained and ready to drop. But I straighten up and start forward again, I will get Breena and her sister out of here alive.

      I haven't even taken five steps before something scuttles across the forest floor right in my path tripping me. Before I can register what is happening I have stumbled right into the edge of a fire lit, circular clearing.

      My eyes dart around the clearing locking first on the limp unconscious form of Fiona Rowan tied to a stake on the other side of the clearing. I grind my teeth together and let my eyes wander over the rest of the clearing. A roaring bonfire is in the center; sparks licking at the stars – I have no idea how I did not see it earlier – and before the roaring flames is Ciná standing with his arms wide open grinning at me.

Breena

      I skip after the little light trying to catch it with a smile stretching across my face. It flits just five feet in front of me but I can never seem to catch up to it, it is always just out of reach of my fingertips. I stumble over an unseen root, when I look up after regaining my balance the light is gone and I am left in the dark.

      It takes a second but I recover from my disappointment and realize my stupidity in following the Will-o-the-Wisp. It could have easily lead me into a deep dark pool or over the edge of a cliff and I would have skipped along happily after it without a second thought. I shake my head and look around at my surroundings.

      Behind me the marsh that I crossed stretches out, swirling mist rising ominously from the murky mud, in front of me is a band of trees, I can see the glow of fire just beyond their dark, skeletal boughs. I bite my lip, I am pretty sure this is it; whatever is beyond those trees is what we came here for. I am sure my sister is behind those trees along with a powerful Fey.

      I creep forward unsure of what to do, I had relied on Kean to come up with a plan but I am alone now. I crouch down and peek through some bushes into a clearing lit by a huge bonfire. The fire throws off so much heat that I can feel it fifteen feet away. My vision goes red when I see Fiona unconscious and tied up not far away to my right. However it is the scene to my left that almost makes me blow my cover the man who gave me a letter for Kean standing before Kean who is restrained by several Fey.

      I stop myself and try to make a quick plan but fear and anger cloud all rational thoughts. I see a knife that has been haphazardly tossed aside close enough for me to grab while sticking to the shadows. Fiona starts stirring to my right and a desperate, foolish plan starts to bloom in my head.

      Before I can second guess myself I creep forward and snatch the knife blocking out everything else going on in the clearing. Once I have the knife I slip over to Fiona unseen. "It's Breena," I whisper in her ear, "stay still, I'm going to get you out of here." She nods and a tear slips down her cheek but besides the fact that she is bound and gagged she appears unharmed.

      I crouch down behind her and slice away at the bonds. I keep one eye on the man who's back is towards us. "I'm going to untie the gag but you can't make a noise," I whisper working the knot in with my shaking fingers, not trusting myself with a knife so close to her face.

      When the bonds fall away I pull her through the bushes and wrap her in a hug. I let her sob into my shoulder for a minute before I pull back, we don't have a lot of time. "Fiona," I whisper, "you need to listen to me, I know you're scared and probably confused but I need you to be brave now. I have to help Kean, there is a boat on the shore of the island, I want you to walk straight that way," I point through the trees, "and when you get to the boat I want you to start for the shore. Do you understand?"

      She nods and hiccups, "Yeah, but what about you and Kean?"

      I highly doubt that Kean and I will both make it out of this but I don't tell her that, "We'll be fine, don't worry about us just get to the boat, and take this," I hand her the three iron rods that are in my pocket. She nods and takes off sniffling into the trees and my heart sinks to my gut.

      I sit staring after her for a moment until a pained yell snaps me back to the situation at hand. I creep to the edge of the clearing again. Ciná stands over Kean with a knife glowing like a hot coal in his hand. Kean is panting still held down by the three Fey spitting blood out of his mouth.

      Even in the warm glow of the fire his face looks grey and gaunt. He has several bruises and a few cuts that appear to be smoking. I have no idea what to do. Ciná says something that I can't quite make out but it makes Kean yell in anguish, dread settles in my stomach at the sound.

      I begin to creep forward hoping to take them by surprise.