We'd assisted pixies twice before. They were well-known for being either demanding and generally unpleasant or submissive and apologetic, and nothing in between. They were harmless though, and if you knew what to expect it was easy to be tolerant. Besides, being small in a dangerous world couldn't be easy, flighted or not.
Grim had moved out of the way to change form, and rejoined us as we assisted two pixies down. They were just higher than my knee, and immediately took flight once released, hovering slightly above than us.
"What a fine mess this is! Do you know how far away we are from the palace? Go on a honeymoon, everyone said. You'll have a splendid time, everyone said. And here we are, abducted by criminals, our wings spelled for days, and now to be eaten by a dragon!" The smaller of the two cried at the other.
"I don't eat pixies, actually," Grim said mildly. "For the record."
The second pixie smiled at us apologetically, touching the angry one's arm. Their aura was pale green from embarrassment. "Forgive them, it's been such a hard week. I'm Cosmo, he/him, and my lovely spouse is Calypso, they/them. I implore you to take no offense; they're overtired and as you can imagine, under enormous stress."
They snatched their arm away. "Don't make excuses for me," they scolded. The burnt orange of annoyance radiated from them but it was largely overshadowed by deep fear. "And how was I to know the dragon wouldn't eat us? That's what dragons do."
I could hear Grim's mental long-suffering sigh and intervened. These two seemed to be no exception to the two-kinds-of-pixies rule. "Are you in need of assistance to get home?" I asked more politely than I felt. My head throbbed.
"We very much are," they said, dabbing at their eyes with a tiny lace handkerchief. "This has been a terrible honeymoon."
"Lorali," I heard Sylvie say, and turned my attention away from the bickering duo. "Look." She pointed inside the metal bars.
A smaller cage was in the middle of the large one, and inside it was a bird the colors of fire, asleep on a perch with its head tucked under one red-orange wing. "Is it...?"
Her face showed her own awe. "A Phoenix," she said reverently.
"Fighting a dragon makes a bit more sense now," I admitted.
Grim stepped inside, a thing I didn't care for much. "She's heavily sedated, that's why we didn't even sense her." He fiddled with the latch so that the door swung open, but the rare creature didn't move. "We'll take her like this until she wakes." He climbed back out and handed the cage to me.
"They dart her with the tranquilizer at daybreak and again at dusk, poor thing," the helpful pixie supplied. Both of them had pale green skin and bright clothes; his black hair worn in a ponytail while his partner's was a vibrant teal and elaborately adorned with small jewels. "Such a magical creature, so rare. She'll awaken soon, bless her."
She did, after we'd flown for half an hour and found a safe clearing to set up camp. We all watched as she revealed her head and blinked sleepily at us for a few moments.
Quincy, who had found us upon landing, was extremely interested in her. "Hi, I'm Quincy," he told her, hopping toward the open cage that was not much taller than him. "Baby you're a fiiiire bird," he belted out in a high voice, ruffling his feathers and waved his tail so she could see all the rainbow hues underneath, wolf-whistling. "And what's your name, purdy lady?" he drawled.
The Phoenix hopped from the perch onto the ground, and immediately soared into the nearest tree. "My name is Faerasria, but you may call me Faera," she told him demurely in her silken voice, Old Magic emanating from her as it did from immortals or ancients. "I must away, but know you all have my eternal gratitude." She lifted into the air as the setting sun stroked her feathers with a fiery glaze, pausing to circle us. "You may accompany me for a time, should you wish."
"Boy oh boy, do I ever!" he said in a goofy voice, immediately lifting off to join her. "So long, farewell, so sad to see me go! Good bye Dinah, good byeee," he called to us and we all watched as they flew together into the sunset.
Our reverence was interrupted. "All of these talking birds are giving me a headache," the pixie named Calypso said. The two of them hovered just above our heads. "Thankfully they're leaving," they added, adjusting an emerald in their coiffure.
I half-laughed. "Phoenix and Quark birds are pretty rare," I pointed out. "One might even feel honored to meet them in their lifetime."
"Birds are still birds," they said with a wrinkled nose. They turned their attention to their partner. "And pray tell me what squalor we'll be forced to endure this eve in the form of bedstead? We'll no doubt have to lie on the dirty ground." They put their hands over their face.
"We could take you back to the cage," Grimmer offered quietly, albeit slightly dangerously.
Grim. Maintaining patience in the face of ungratefulness wasn't his strong point. Luckily they hadn't heard him. They're traumatized, be kind.
Oh I am.
The second pixie, Cosmo, patted his spouse's back nervously. "I'm sure it will be fine, my dear, and we'll be home before you know it tomorrow, safe and sound."
I took pity on them. "I'll set you up a nice, soft, very clean bubble tent. Temperature controlled," I added, figuring they would be less critical if they were comfortable. "Might even be able to get my hands on some satin sheets, a down pillow or two." I set about making this happen, dipping into my spare room to see what I had.
A crystal washbasin even, I sent to Grim, and felt his smile.
This mollified them and both pixies deigned to land.
I got out a child-sized bubble tent, which inflated on its own, and found a lush, velvety rug for it. A thick mat would serve as their bed, and I located the best linens I had access to. Small pillows were easy to come by, and within minutes I had it set up for them. "Your majesties," I said gesturing for them to go in.
"I'm going to find us some food," Grimmer said, rising in to the air with a great flap of his wings. "Not pixies, in case anyone was wondering," he added over his shoulder.
The small couple approached the shelter, eyeing it dubiously. "Go ahead, my darling," Cosmo said, taking their arm to help them inside and stepping in after. "What a pleasant surprise, so cozy."
"This is...fairly tolerable," Calypso allowed, which I figured was high praise.
By Cosmo's obvious relief, it was. "Thank you so much," he gushed, bowing at us. Gratitude radiated from him in pale orange waves. "So kind," he added, fussing with the pillows to make Calypso more comfortable as they lounged back. "Very thoughtful. We do appreciate it so."
"We'll let you two settle in," I said diplomatically, turning back to set up my and Sylvie's tents.
She was gathering sticks and small branches for the fire, and already had a decent pile going. Her pointy ears showed with her hair up and they were so cute I almost got caught staring.
Try to focus on the tents, Grim teased me from nearby, where he'd already caught three prairie hens.
Try to focus on your hunting, I sent primly. Don't worry about what I'm doing.
His mental laugh rumbled in my mind. Oh I know what you're doing, catching feelings, that's what you're doing.
If I catch any feelings I will put them straightaway into the fire, where they belong. Which of course wasn't true at all, as he knew, because when I fell for someone I fell hard. Not that he could talk.
Oh yeah, uh-huh. Into the fire, right.
Sylvie came back to drop another armload of wood and began to arrange it, kneeling in reddish dirt. She'd found some plants that we didn't recognize and added them to the birds Grim returned with while they cooked, creating a mouthwatering scent.
Are you actually contemplating trying a new food? Grimmer sent. He would eat anything but I liked only a handful of things. You must be in love.
Shut up, anything that smells that good must be worth trying.
Feebur whined for some as she offered me a spoonful, her guard up but her expression giving away her nervous anticipation.
I raised my eyebrows. "Wow, this is delicious."
Will wonders never cease, he sent. Trying and liking a new food.
Maybe if you hadn't failed all the cooking classes I'd be interested in more food. Neither of us had bothered with the optional domestic courses and we both sorely regretted it at times.
Touché.
"Thank you, I'm glad you like it," Sylvie said, putting some into Feebur's tin dish. She brushed a stray hair out of her face, leaving a smudge from the back of her hand, and that time I did get caught staring when she looked up.
I smiled a little like a fool and looked away quickly, shaking my blue blanket out so I could meditate. "Care to join me?"
"I've spent enough time in quiet contemplation to last me the rest of my life," she assured me, making a face. "So I'll pass, but thank you."
I really should have thought of that.