AN: I am sooo excited for this! Mistilas and I are so enjoying writing Faelas and mystery maiden's story. This chapter is Faelas' POV 😊 We have marked in <> where we have put extras in the comments.
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I drank her in, hands cupping her biceps, steadying her. Her hair was brown and streaked with gleaming gold and silver, not green, but her wondrous eyes were green. My heart was thundering. After everything, all those weeks at sea, I was finally here, with her...
Belatedly I realized I was naked. That could have felt embarrassing, but it didn't. I felt safe with her. When her gaze lowered, a curious fascination lit her eyes. A jolt rode down my spine and wrapped around my hips, invoking a sweltering flush in my 'wî at the same instant that she quickly averted her gaze. A heavy, hot tingling lingered, one I had felt often when I thought of this maiden. It thrilled me, and I craved more of it.
Just then, I felt Luna jostle her face out of the pack at my back. "Rawk! Can I get out of this accursed sack now?"
The maiden jumped in surprise, and I rubbed her arms soothingly. "Fear not my lady, that is only Luna."
"Only Luna!" Luna huffed from the pack. "I'm the only one in this expedition with any sense, silly."
"Ah, my apologies, Luna," I grinned, "I did not mean it like that. It's been... a long journey, and... well, let us say feathers are ruffled."
I surmised I should not say more at present. Galadriel and Luna alike had warned to proceed here with caution, and out at sea I had already learned firsthand how varied the reactions of men could be, and their ability to bury their empathy. Though this lady felt different from the others, that much was certain. Her heart was fully alive, fully aware, just like my own. It seemed a wonder she was not a fae.
"Wh-who... is Luna?" The maiden stammered, eyes darting around.
Without further ado Luna hopped out of the pack and took to the air, soaring gracefully about our heads.
"Oooh!" The maiden cooed in delight, her cheeks rounding at once in a wide, dimpled smile. She stared at Luna for several wing beats, mouth agape, then she called, "Hello!"
"Greetings!" Luna returned, swooping around and around, reveling in flight after being cooped up inside the safety pack.
At Luna's word in the common tongue, the woman started with surprise, her pink lips forming an "o." But she followed Luna's flight with rapt attention, the smile spreading over her face again.
"You know English!" She exclaimed. "Wow! It's, it's nice to meet you Luna!"
"English?" Luna asked, and I wondered what this was as well.
"Yeah, like, the language?" The maiden prompted.
"Ah!" Luna replied as she rode the wind, which sounded much like 'caw!' "Yes, yes! I know the language of those who go on two feet."
The maiden stared open mouthed, and I could sense her mind reeling with awe. "Oh my goodness, that's... amazing!" She squealed at last, her voice filled with excitement. "I've always wanted to talk with a raven," she glanced at me, eyes wide. "Wow... This is so amazing!" She gushed.
Her manner of speech was strange to me, and she emanated a bubbly excitement. I watched her eagerly with a new kind of fascination that filled my middle with swooping thrills and my 'wî with a prickly heat that confuted the cold winds.
Yet, still clasping one of her arms in my palm and fingers, I could feel her body shivering. As the effects of being a merperson wore off, I too was feeling the chill of my wet hair and skin in the cold dusk. The sun was waning over the darkening land which rose above the beach. "My lady, I am called Faelas. What is your name?"
"Oh. I'm Tess!" She smiled. Then her gaze flicked swiftly over me, and her cheeks tinted pink again. "But, are you ok? Why were you out there in the storm? I'm sure it's not safe, I mean, it's too cold, and there are riptides. Nobody goes swimming here right now."
"Ah," I hesitated. "'Tis a long story." And indeed it was. "But I could use a cup of tea, perhaps with the milk of oats, have you any?" My mouth watered at the thought. But then a mote of concern spiraled through me. At Elrond's house it was said that some humans had begun to drink the milk of mothers past infancy, most odd indeed.
Her eyes went wide and a brilliant grin dimpled her cheeks. "Have I any!? I'm obsessed! I have ricemilk too. Ooh! Are—are you vegan too?"
"Vegan?" I blinked, tilting my head, brows furrowing. "I... have not heard that word..." I licked my lips, wondering if I should pretend what things mean. I did not want to appear naive in this new place.
"Oh," Lady Tess appeared surprised and a bit discouraged. "You haven't? It means plant powered, you know, eating the thousands of plants Earth gives us..." She smiled nervously, a glimmer of hope glistening in her verdant eyes.
"Ah!" I exclaimed, a grin playing about my lips as comprehension dawned. Tess is perfect. "Aye, of course, all my family and I are this way. Plant powered." I grinned wider, immensely pleased to have found a kindred spirit. Then I bit my lip, hoping I had not disclosed too much. Galadriel had said to be secretive at our destination. Was I not supposed to mention my family?
Lady Tess's eyes widened and she bounced up and down. Her demeanor had already been friendly and energetic but now pure excitement radiated off her, her positivity calming my nerves and endearing her to me even more.
"That makes sense," she muttered, her eyes almost descending back down at my groin, before quickly darting back up. She bit her lip, cheeks a riot of pink. "Since... You're so..." She cleared her throat. "Healthy! Like all the vegan athletes in The Game Changers."
"The Game Changers?"
"Oh, you haven't seen it? I'll show you later! It's saving soooo many lives, both humans and other animals, and especially dudes, so they don't get all heart attacky and impotent." Her eyes almost flickered down again and her cheeks now put red roses to shame. "You know? Clean arteries..."
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"Ah, so you know the art of healing!" I exclaimed, smiling to put her at ease.
"Yes!" She seemed grateful to have more to discuss. "I have gone to many nutrition symposiums. I also majored in sustainability." She paused only briefly, barely taking a breath. "Sooo... Are you not from around here?" She queried quickly. "Since, I think most people in this state know about veganism. I mean, there's a dozen restaurants right nearby."
"Ah... Well," I hedged, "That is a long story. But the short of it is no, I am just..." I trailed off, unsure.
"Is English not your first language? Are you on vacation from another country? You sort of have an accent," Lady Tess observed, smiling encouragingly as she wrapped her arms around herself.
I smiled back. On vacation from another country sounded as good an explanation as any. "Aye, I am," I agreed, thinking bemusedly that it was indeed the truth. Any day away from Adamion's studio was a vacation indeed.
And what a thrilling one it was. While my sea adventure was far from pleasant, this certainly felt wondrous. However, as I let my eyes drift over her, I considered where we might warm up and have that tea. Shall I start a fire and make camp, or does Tess have an abode nearby? Would we snuggle for warmth? The idea was appealing.
"And Luna came with you?" Tess asked, peering curiously at the flash of obsidian still swooping above. "So, were you just out for a swim? Do ravens swim? You're a really great swimmer, are you like a pro or something?"
I frowned as Lady Tess's teeth began to chatter. "That is a long story... But you are freezing. Do you have an abode, where we might warm ourselves?"
"Oh, yes. It's a little ways away..." Her eyes almost darted down my body again. "I'm so sorry, I don't have any dry clothes here, but I do at home..."
"No matter, I do," I said, chastising myself for not thinking of it sooner. Poor Lady Tess had come into the ocean after me and now she was freezing. I felt her eyes flick over me as I knelt and drew my pack from my back. I drew out my blanket and cloak. The cloak I draped around myself and I offered my blanket to Lady Tess. "Please bundle up," I urged.
"Wow! It's dry! Is that waterproof bag?" She asked, shrugging out of her drenched coat. "How did this whole blanket fit in there?!"
Shivers wracked her curvy form as she stood in only a small sleeveless slip of a tunic and loose leggings that were covered in a pattern of... were those pumpkins... with faces? And black cats? Memories of coziness and... loneliness... clung to the garment.
I blinked in surprise. Just like on the nightmarish boat of misguided men I had confronted during my weeklong adventure at sea, physical objects were steeped with the memories of those whose lives touched them. It was a more subtle new ability compared to the exciting talents of wielding elements and shifting form, so it had almost gone overlooked as I journeyed thus far.
But now as I grew accustomed to my other powers I found I was discerning much more of the history of material things. And there were so many more things that were not of nature here. When at sea I could sense it all as a confusing clamor in the distance, but now that I was ashore it felt much nearer.
"Aye," I answered, my gaze still roving over her curious garb and her full figure until she swaddled herself in the blanket.
"Thank you," she said, and our eyes met. "I feel much better. Ok. Follow me!" She cast her gaze skyward. "Luna, you are welcome too!"
"Why, thank you Tess," Luna squawked as we headed up the beach. "Such a polite lady."
~ I think you have impressed her too much, ~ I quipped silently to Luna. ~ You are making me look poorly. ~
In my mind I sensed Luna's amusement just as she giggled in raven fashion from above. ~ From what I witnessed, I don't think that's possible. ~ she replied silently, but when I inquired her meaning, did not elaborate.
~ All right, keep your secrets, ~ I grumbled.
I could sense Tess's aura as a mix of utmost confusion and delighted awe. I felt safe with her, and that was a comfort more than I could say. I'd been parted from my sister and friends. I knew I had gone through just in time... Just as I dove into the whirlpool, I had felt the portal close beyond the tips of my toes. The others had no time to follow.
And too I sensed, stronger now, what I had sensed ever since passing through the whirlpool gate. Disease... pollution... despair... percolating in the air, arisen from more frightened auras and poisoned bodies than I had ever sensed before. Ever I sought to let go, remembering my parents' words to build strength for the time of action. It was easier now as I focused on Tess beside me. Thank Arda for her bubbly aura.
Sand dunes passed under our feet and in the twilight I could descry hundreds of odd lights arrayed across the land in the distance. It must be a great seaport, I thought, following Tess onto a curiously flat, smooth lane. What country have I washed up on?
<GUESSES!?>
We strode on, and I clutched the cloak tighter as the night's temperature kept dropping. Luna soared overhead, acrobatic in the velvet night. The stars appeared strangely dimmer than ever, and I shivered.
Then it occurred to me to check the lay of the land. But... the topography was distorted... Something was very wrong. The number of things not of nature scattered on this land mass seemed fathomless. So few pockets of nature remained. The land itself felt ill. Choked. Imbalanced.
A tendril of unease curled in my gut before I firmly once again set my worry aside, instead filling my mind with thoughts of tea and of Lady Tess.
A strange structure, like a rectangular box with odd fixtures and appendages stood ahead under a grove of maples and oaks. My eyes trailed up over the graceful boughs as Luna alighted in one. Yellow, red and orange leaves danced in the sea breeze. How odd. It was just late springtime ere we set sail in Círdan's ship, not much more than two weeks past.
I grew aware then of bizarre sounds humming and rumbling from ahead and to each side, the vibrations entering me through the soles of my feet. I flicked a side glance at Tess. Throughout the walk I could tell she peeked at me often, and now, as I caught her, she blushed.
Lady Tess was from this place, and she did not seem concerned by the rumbling, so I said nothing, simply smiling at her. She blushed even more, seeming pleased.
We approached the perplexing box structure across a peculiar court of gray stone. It was a pretty pale silvery gold in hue, like the sheen of winter grasses when the sun is low. It appeared to be a sort of metal. A foot taller than my height, 'twas raised off the ground by round black contrivances at both ends. One end was tapered and glass rectangles were inset along the upper half. Some sort of windows.
As I circled the structure once, I noted that the round black contrivances were four in number, suspending all corners so the box stood above the ground. They reminded me of the wheels of a cart, a device sometimes used in both Imladris and the Woodland Realm to push a large array of fruits or other supplies by hand.
The whole thing baffled me, but I sensed the lingering aura of Lady Tess here. Is this her abode?
"It's not much, but she's home. Meet Sylvan." Tess chirped as I returned to stand beside her.
I watched her fumble in her pocket and I heard the jangle of metal. "Oh thank Fae," she muttered, the words steeped in relief.
Thank Fae? What?! Does she know about the Fae? Who else knows? Nervousness rattled through me, fizzling my nerves.
A set of small metal things jangled in Tess's hand. They appeared to be keys. She inserted one in a little hole in the metal.
A loud, terribly unpleasant sounding horn blared somewhere nearby, and I jumped, reaching for my pack where my weapons lay. From a tree branch overhead, Luna squawked in alarm.
~ What was that?! ~ Luna's thought-speech echoed in my mind.
"Are you alright?" Tess asked, meeting my wide eyes with a look of concern.
"What was that?" I asked, trying to keep calm as I took in the fact that Tess's only concern was for me. I reminded myself again that Tess lives here and she would know what was and was not a threat.
"Just a horn, it's ok, that happens sometimes. I prefer to park on the other side in the forest by the sanctuary where it's quieter but I was just visiting the beach. I'm really glad I did, I mean, I met you," she blushed, then looked at me curiously. "So are you staying at any of the inns? Or, couch surfing?" She asked, entering the metal box through an odd sort of open door. She beckoned to me.
"Nay," I murmured, following her in, wondering what couch surfing was, and hoping she wouldn't ask too many hard to answer questions. Luna swooped in and landed neatly on a little desk where she stood, preening her feathers.
"Watch your head," Tess cautioned as she closed the door. "Sorry the roof is so low."
I could just stand up in the structure, but I noticed I was at the highest point of the ceiling, the rest sloped down a bit and I would have to stoop.
A bed covered in soft seeming taupe and pale pink blankets was spread from wall to wall across one end. The other end, the tapered one, had two of what seemed to be unusually shaped armchairs, covered in a soft eggplant colored cloth, and a host of peculiar shapes and symbols I didn't recognize lined the front wall below the sloping window.
"What do you need?" Tess asked anxiously, standing, head ever so slightly bent, near the bed, peering up at me through a curtain of wet hair. She was shaking from cold. "Are you c-certain you're alright?"
"I am fine. But are you alright? You tremble so," I murmured, frowning. I wished I could unwrap her wet clothes and snuggle her.
"Yeah, autumn is definitely not the season for swimming," she smiled wryly. "Just a moment, I'll change into something dry."
I turned my back, opening my pack for my own dry set of clothes. So it was autumn. But... I was only at sea for a couple weeks... How was that possible? It was mid-spring when we set out from Mithlond...
My gaze landed on the many bizarre objects below the tapered window as I donned layers. A circular protrusion among many odd fixtures was held aloft in front of one armchair, while the other had much less in front of it.
Minutes later I heard a strange click and suddenly sensed a flare of fire. I turned to find Tess dressed in dry, olive green raiment that appeared quite soft and fuzzy, conjuring a tiny fire from a small device. Wait... Tess knows magic then? I thought in surprise. Or did a mage create a magical instrument?
She brought the fire unto a strange contraption that, when she pressed her finger to the side, made a whooshing sound. The fire surged and transformed into a blue ring.
Tess set a kettle over it. I sensed the water inside. She turned to Luna next, offering her a piece of bread, which she gratefully took and began pecking into right away. Tess watched her with awe a moment before turning to me.
"Would you like some food too?"
"After I have tea, thank you," I smiled at her warmly, and this seemed to make her flustered.
"Um," Tess said, drawing a fuzzy looking hood up over her wet hair. "What kind of tea do you like? I only have, hmm... roasted dandelion root, chamomile lavender, hibiscus orange, green tea, and pumpkin spice."
"Hmm. Pumpkin spice? That sounds splendid." I murmured. I watched as she filled a little metal ball with tiny holes in it from a glass jar of tea labeled "pumpkin spice."
Tess warmed her hands over the kettle and I went to join her. She blushed and seemed a little shy but she smiled.
"Are you still feeling ok," she asked, glancing down at my hands then back up. I sensed many emotions from her. She was mystified, clearly, pleased, excited, and also... attracted? "The tea will be ready soon."
I watched her, gently reaching with my ethereal senses for the lavender glow of her spirit. I beheld her strength, her kindness, her resilience, her determination... and also... loneliness. I softly brushed one of her hands with my fingers, and nearly gasped as I felt a spark of connection. I heard the soft intake of her breath, which quickened, and shuddered slightly as she seemed to try to keep it quiet just as I was doing. I slid my hand further, tentatively. She clasped my fingers with hers.
A shiver of heat followed the wake of her gaze. Fluttering filled my frame, stroking nerves which leapt and spiraled. And a great warmth in my heart bubbled up, oddly familiar, like it was always there. Our eyes were locked, and the emotion in hers filled me to bursting. Loneliness... Heartbreak... And a tiny glimmer of hope.
The kettle whistled, startling us from our trance. Tess turned a knob, effectively stifling the flames, and placed the little metal ball into the steaming water. The sweet scent of cinnamon and pumpkin pie wafted about the small space. Quiet settled in the absence of the whooshing flame, replaced by the soothing drone of crickets and the hooting of an owl.
Luna curled up quietly with her head under her wing on one of the armchairs near the wall of odd knobs. After the two weeks we'd just had, I couldn't blame her for wanting to rest. I was weary too. But the excitement of meeting the lady from my dreams kept me going.
Tess gestured for me to sit on the bed, and in a few minutes she joined me with two large jars of hot tea with what she dubbed pumpkin spice ricemilk.
I let the tea suffuse my nostrils first then took a sip. "Mmmm," I groaned. The tea was transcendent, rich, creamy and sweetly spiced. I settled back against Tess's stack of marvelously plush pillows and let my eyes drift about the cozy space.
A portrait hung on the wall opposite, at which I cocked my head in surprise. The clarity of the painting was startling, as precise as real life. Moreover though, it was a likeness of an elf or more likely a fae, with long pointed ears. In fact.... He looked a lot like me, actually... apart from the mossy green hair.
"Who is that?" I asked, my stomach tightening, suddenly afraid of the answer. My heart yearned to court this woman and if that beautiful fellow was hers...
"Oh!" Tess smiled, giggling slightly. "That's Mistilas." She went back to sipping her tea.
"Who?" I asked, with a fizzle of recognition. That was the name that Lady Tess had spoken in my dream. "Sorry, I know him not..."
"Ohh! Do you not have that book, and movie, in your country? Quest of the Ring?" At my blank look, she added, "by J.M.B. Wolkien?
"Ah...no..." I murmured, cringing at my naïveté.
"Oh," she said, her expression more mystified than ever. "He is called the father of fantasy. He pretty much invented elves and fae, and did quite a good job of it. The stories themselves are masterpieces. Mistilas is the Elfae among the nine members of the Guild of the Ring."
She pulled something out of a drawer beside her. It was a rectangle. When it suddenly began to glow at her touch, I nearly dropped my tea. She showed me another portrait of the green maned fellow glowing out from the face of the strange device. She pressed a little sideways triangle at the center of the portrait.
I sucked in a breath as to my immense shock, the figure started to move! It reminded me at once of Galadriel's mirror. Was this a similar magic, then? Was Tess not simply a woman but indeed a mage or wizard?
"A lot of people have a crush on him, and the actor who played him, Aurelien Blume," Tess was saying, "He did a fantastic job, but I don't follow celebrities, and to me I have my own mind version of the character, something even deeper, based on what I've learned. He was not a very prominent character so I've filled him in myself..." she trailed off, a bashful smile dimpling cheeks quickly turning the hue of cherries.
"Ah," I blinked down at the device in amazement, watching the small, intrepid mossy haired figure bravely fighting a horde of snarling monsters that looked very much like orcs. I forced my stunned body to relax, striving to keep my staggering naïveté about this new land hidden. I reviewed what Tess had told me. "So, if I'm understanding correctly, Mistilas is a... personality from a work of fiction?"
"Yes!" She nodded brightly, seeming thankfully unperturbed by my strangeness, then glanced from the portrait to me, back to the portrait, then at me again. Did she think I looked like him? "He is much more than that to me, though..."
She set aside the glowing vessel of visions and went back to sipping her tea, apparently deep in thought. I took in her subtle facial expressions. Her aura was tinged with melancholy, and I wanted to stroke her cheek.
I pushed aside my perplexed thoughts of the glowing rectangle for the time being, though I wanted to examine it further and descry what type of magic it was. I wracked my mind for a conversation I could commence to learn more about this strange land. "Have you lived here long?" I asked.
"Oh, I'm usually parked on the other side, at the sanctuary. I just came to the beach. In fact..." A slow smile spread across her face. "You must be hungry, I know somewhere we can get a delicious meal this late! Lots of adorable animal friends there too! And you'll love the caretaker! He's soooo delightful!"
"Sounds wonderful," I said, gratitude billowing in my chest. I wanted to edge closer on the bed and enfold Tess into an embrace. She looked so cuddly with her soft curves wrapped loosely in the fuzziest looking cloth.
"It's settled then," Tess beamed over at me. "Let me bring you to Rada's Sanctuary!"
My lips parted as a massive, fizzy wave of shock shimmered from head to toe. My mind seemed to trip over itself as the words sank in. Rada's Sanctuary?
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AN: Oooooh! Exciting! please don't give anything away in the comments but guesses are fine. I'm so thrilled we are on a more or less weekly chapter schedule now. We are really enjoying writing out our real life experiences through our four main characters. 💖🥰
Featured Ardaling 💖 Thelma