What a difference a day makes, turning into a girl, reuniting with Abigail and saving Deputy Summers and today I sit under ‘Father Oak’ trying not to cry.

In my dreams, I walked through an ancient forest beside my mother as she tells me the true names of the objects we passed. I learned of ash, oak, and hawthorn. I learned the true names of beasts and flowers. Elements came to me, spoke of their names and I became one with them and them with me.

Dreams of my mother faded replaced by male Morgan dressed in a Tuxedo running down a hallway in a school I had not seen before. I know I am supposed to be somewhere, but I can’t find Abigail. Music that I heard off in the distance now swirled around me dragging me into another corridor and through a large door. Maybe I am supposed to be at a dance with her.

“Princess you’re late.” A tall man looking like Greg Kincade greeted me warmly at the door then arm in arm escorted me to the dance floor. My clothes changed with each step. Garbed in the purest white, my long gown flowed behind me in a long train. Flowers adorned my hair along with a beautiful silver tiara sitting on top of my head. Dancers bowed to me. I was worried I couldn’t find Abigail.

“You won’t find her in time.”

I looked up startled my escort now replaced with the Fae who kept making duplicates of himself. Unable to resist he pulled me into the center of the room right into a butcher’s yard. People who had just greeted me now lay bloodied on the floor in mangled heaps. Goat girl and a pale-skinned man twirled about the room in a wild dance around Sapphira.

I tried to move towards her, but another Fae grabbed my arm, a grey skin youth with tattoos all over his face. He pushed me into the center of the room. “He is ready for you.” Looking up I faced the Redcap swinging his pike at my head, I couldn’t move.

Opening my eyes, I found myself on my bedroom floor. Confused and a little upset I stumbled into the bathroom to find the experience already becoming ordinary. The day was not improving as I remembered that my clothes no longer fit. Now becoming fully annoyed I made my way downstairs looking for breakfast. Underneath I wore one of my sister’s sports bras. Abigail’s advice was correct as usual, it was more comfortable. I thought maybe Abigail would help me shop however the thought of actually buying a bra didn’t help. I stepped into the kitchen in quite the foul mood. Rebecca still at home started immediately, and for the first time in my life, I struck back.

“You look upset Pumpkin.”

I looked up from the book I wasn’t even reading. Sapphira stood next to me leaning on ‘Father Oak.’ Her childlike image replaced with a young woman dressed in modern looking clothes.

“I had an argument with Rebecca. Seems she was embarrassed that the Police called her at work yesterday.“

“The Police?”

I explained the whole situation, from when I woke up yesterday to helping with Deputy Summers. Now the words poured out, my dreams, my nightmare and everything else. Sapphira took a seat next to me and pulled me close as I started to cry. I couldn’t help myself at least I was able to keep it from raining.

Leaning back, she brushed my hair from my face. “You’re telling me you have never had a fight with your mother before?”

“No, not really I would always retreat into my room and my books. She made me so angry Sapphira, and I lashed out. I could feel her emotions, and I used them against her. Finally, I threw into her face that the only time she has ever really cared for me was when she thought my face was going to be plastered on the back of a milk carton. I then stormed out of the house and ended up here.”

“You forgot your purse.” She said gently with a smile on her lips.

I started to cry again in frustration. She gave a little laugh then held me some more. “You know you’re going to have to apologize to her Morgan but why cry about a purse.”

I took a deep breath. “Just one more thing, Abbs actually picked out a nice purse from my sister’s closet. The problem is that I think it’s a nice purse.” I sat up and looked at her. “If I am really a girl, why was I a boy? You said a princess disappeared but I obviously when I came here I wasn’t a girl. Was it necessary to overly complicate my life?”

“I don’t know Morgan. When you were handed to your Guardians, you were a girl. I asked around and from what I learned is that your appearance in Skogshaven is a complete surprise. A very pleasant surprise to be sure. No one actually thought you were alive.”

I sat back a little shocked. “I don’t understand.”

Sapphira frowned. “I don’t know the whole story.” She reached over and held my hands. “According to rumors, your Guardians were killed, and you were missing. I am guessing that everyone thought you were dead.”

“So Rebecca isn’t my real Guardian.”

Sapphira laughed, “No Pumpkin, she has no power in her at all. Your Guardians would have helped you adjust in this world and the Fae Realm. They would have offered you protection until you were ready. From what it sounds like the Queen is now working overtime to make sure that you can protect yourself. I have no idea how you ended up with the Rynders.”

“So someone else could have cast an enchantment on me to turn me into a boy?”

Sapphira smiled. “Morgan, you had so many enchantments placed on you I didn’t know where to start. I told you it was a mess. Most of the enchantments interfered with others, while others were failing,. Why they did that to you? I don’t know.”

I drew my legs to my chest there was a lot to think about.

++++++

Deputy Sherriff Cindy Rose stood behind her patrol car, reached into the trunk and pulled out an H&K Assault Rifle. She wasn’t alone. Two other officers stood in front of her, grabbing weapons out of their own patrol cars. Such an arsenal seemed a little excessive in a small town, but she was thankful they had it when it was needed.

“Make sure that you're kitted out correctly, these are bad people we are dealing with let’s not take any chances.”

She closed her eyes in prayer, she wished Dan were here. He seemed to know instinctively how to handle such things in a way they always turned out well. As Cindy prepared to close the trunk, memories of when she was a child flashed in her mind. Why does this place feel the same?

“Deputy Rose.” A young girl’s voice came from behind her.

Cindy turned to find Morgan Rynders standing there. She took a little step back. The young girl always made her a little nervous. Why was she here?

“Morgan, you shouldn’t be here it’s dangerous.” How did this little girl escape from those people and a professionally trained police officer couldn’t?

Morgan reached up and gently touched the Deputy’s face. “You have been there. Want to tell me about it.”

Cindy was shocked. She relaxed maybe this young girl did understand. The Deputy hesitated at first but then felt compelled to tell Morgan of her experience in the forest when she was a child. Brought up in town she knew the dangers of the woods, so she always made sure to stay on the paths. Unfortunately, when walking her dog one afternoon, the leash broke and without thinking Cindy chased the animal into the forest.

“I have been in many forests since then, but it was different. It was beautiful Morgan. I was a foolish little girl. I should have just waited for Rusty to run back out of the woods.”

Now totally lost, she became scared, as there seemed to be no way out. Something was also following her. Cindy could hear its breathing. Whatever it was terrified her.

“Stepping into a clearing, I sat down on a stump and began to cry. I knew I wasn’t going to see my parents again. I was positive the creature was a wolf and like in ’Little Red Riding Hood,’ it was going eat me. I don’t know how long I sat and cried, but when I looked up, there was a kind looking woman smiling down at me. She wanted to know if I was lost.”

Happy to see another person but a little afraid Cindy was relieved when the woman took her hand and walked her out of the woods. Back at the library, Deputy Rose turned around to thank the old woman, but she was gone as if she never existed.

“Amazingly, I spent two days in those woods. It didn’t seem like two days. Of course, Rusty came home without me, which was horrible for my parents. I tried to explain to my them about what I saw but couldn’t.” Deputy Rose looked at Morgan. “You’re the first person I could really tell my story to, isn’t that strange.”

“Deputy Rose, I need you to give me twenty minutes before you enter that home.”

“What you have to be kidding Morgan, it’s dangerous. We do not know what we will find. I assume the kidnappers are long gone but just in case.” Cindy stopped. “It’s about the forest isn’t it?”

“It is.” Morgan began to walk away. “Let’s say I could take away those memories.”

“No thank you, Morgan, I appreciate the offer, but they are part of me.”

The young girl smiled and nodded. “Cindy Rose, you have done us service, if you need our help, you just have to ask.”

Deputy Sheriff Cindy Rose thought that was an odd thing to say, but when she looked for Morgan, the young girl was gone.

++++++

Sile sat in the center of the dark room staring at a picture of an old man and women smiling in front of a group of palm trees. They seemed happy too bad they now lay in a pool of their own blood upstairs. Those of the Unseelie Court only believed in self, not others. She didn’t really care that they were dead, if you cannot defender yourself from the strong then you deserved your fate. Tossing the picture across the room, she growled.

Sile thought she had finally freed herself from the Orkneyjar sorcerer. Since the end of the last war, the Scottish vampire had prospered. In the big cities of Europe Unseen could disappear, live well and if need feed on society undesirables without causing problems.

No one had died from her hand for almost 50 years. It’s not that she cared if they died but it made her life more comfortable. Feed, take away their memories nice and clean. She could dance, enjoy the music of the time and have a lover or two if she wanted. Living with some of the other Unseen wasn’t an issue either, no one wanted to cause problems. It was not in their best interest. Now it was all over. She had such a lovely flat near the Seine. Maybe old lady Moliá¨re would place her belongings in a safe place.

A shadow moved into the room. “Did you feed?”

Sile shook her head. “They did not know how to dance.”

“No matter, the curse has been lifted. So the child has returned.” Eághan took a seat across from Sile. “You were right for me not to slay that mortal.”

It didn’t matter if the mortal lived or died. It didn’t. “Beware Eághan, she must have come into her power.” The sorceress couldn’t believe the curse he cast, raising the Sluagh, the centuries must have rotted his brain. They were uncontrollable.

Manfred entered the room pulling off a black leather jacket. “She is a whelp. We might need to move Eághan again, but this is better than the other house.”

“She still is of the blood Manfred, she might surprise you,” Sile said.

The Draugr turned to Sile. “Lass, with her Guardians dead she does not even know what she faces. She holds no true allegiances, has no allies. The girl must understand that her security is but an illusion. ”

Sile knew this was unwise, for what so Eághan can gain power, to use it because you can. Such foolishness, this was not the highlands of Scotland. Skogshaven was not an isolated village.

“What are you going to invite her for lunch, perhaps a cuppa of tea?” Sile asks dropping into her old Gaelic accent.

“Yes, I believe we can all be civilized Sile. Remember we do need her cooperation by force if necessary but if she does this willingly so much the better. Have Jabol meet with her. We will parley. As an Arbitrator, she cannot refuse. Plan the meeting in the spot of her own choosing. Say noon, to show that we are willing to meet her when our power is not as strong.”

Manfred laughed. “Eághan , do you always play with your food?”

Sile believed it was all hubris.
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