Hushed, so like the Darkness. It creeps among the trees. Vague and pale of power. Like distant memories. At first, not seen, unnoticed. A vague cool morning light. More felt than seen, never keen a stir of breeze at night. Then it’s there, a breath of air at once how it should be, With opened eyes, and lighter skies, new worlds for you to see. by Sarah Lynn Morgan

The Unicorn's Gift      Part Five

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      It was the cold that woke him: a damp cold, which seemed to have settled inside as well as out.

His consciousness returned, much more slowly than it might have from mere sleep. The uncomfortable feel of the wet grasses on his arms and the damp leaves under his fingers was something of a shock. He struggled to understand it in vain, even as his semi-conscious body contracted about itself, seeking any small protection from the cold.

His shoulders were already shaking with uncontrollable shivers, as he pushed himself up from the ground, and realized with a fright that he was still unable to see. His eyes were not working, and his head felt dizzy and stuffed with down from crying himself to sleep. Somehow, he managed to find the slip of cloth that he had tucked under his vest, and began to gently dab his sore eyes and nose as if he might clear them.

Drawing his knees to his chest, he leaned dizzily against the damp bark of a tree that was more felt than seen, and wrapped his arms about them tightly. He tried to look around, but it was very dark. At first, he tried again to wipe his sore eyes with as much pressure as he could manage, but it was to no avail. He still could not see. For a moment, he felt a terror begin to rise from the pit of his stomach, but then, just as quickly, he realized that the Moon must have set. He had been here for hours, he thought miserably, as he pulled his shaking arms tighter. No wonder he was so cold.

Calmer now, he tucked his head down to his knees, and began to rub his arms and legs vigorously, in an effort to fight off the worst effects of the damp predawn cold. Soon, he felt the worst of the cramps beginning to go out as he worked blood into his limbs. Somehow, he managed to stand, with one hand reaching blindly for the tree for support, and the other tucked tightly around his middle to fight the cramps the movement caused in his stomach.

Looking hard, he was just barely able to discern the closest trees in the weak starlight that filtered through the high clouds and trees above. Syna began to move. He took a several uncomfortable and unsteady steps knowing he must move to warm himself, and that he must do so quickly if he were to get back to the fire tonight. However, he had only taken a very few, before he was stopped by a bush that he had taken to be the clearer path between the trees.

He tried to look once more about him in hope of finding his direction, but even standing it was only darkness he could see.

He turned and began to walk slowly once more, before almost as quickly stumbling into another bush that halted any progress in the direction where he thought the path must surly be. Pulling back, Syna strove in vain to see anything that might help him. He just had no idea where he was, and could not even see to move between the forest trees and shrubs closest to him.

It was a feeling that was too novel to Syna to be really frightening. He had spent his childhood traipsing about this end of the valley, and in all that time, he had never been lost. He knew instinctively that this was only temporary, since with the coming of first light he would be able to glimpse the hills and know exactly where he was. Unfortunately, that also meant spending more long hours in the cold and damp. So, it was with more irritation than fear that Syna began to search carefully about for a way out from under the trees.

Going with his hands outstretched to protect his face, Syna began to seek around to find what might be a path by feel. He knew, that this far from the village or farms down in the valley, he would have to be careful. All of the paths up here would be made by animals, and would certainly have low branches overhanging them.

Several times, as he protected his face, he was caught by surprise as his skirt caught on some twig or root; but, he was moving slowly, and he carefully backed away each time to avoid any further damage to his clothes or person. It cheered him to realized that although he had to be much more conscious of how he moved in the long skirt, lifting it over roots and such, that he found the enveloping garment much warmer than breeches now that he was moving about. He was also thankful for the vest, which held him tightly about the middle, and allowed him to slip past many of the cloying branches. A fleeting thought amused him that this was the very reason he had tried the clothes on in the first place, at a time that seemed so long ago.

Surely Syna made his way to what seemed a narrow path that offered a much easier progress. For a few moments, Syna toyed with the idea of just sitting, and waiting for the morning, but just as quickly realized that this would only bring the cold in closer; so, he began to move along the path with the same care. Very soon the thinner forest canopy that lay above it was allowing just a little more of the dimmed starlight through to the ground before his feet.

Perhaps a full turn of the glass later, he came to a sharp turn, which was marked by a large boulder. Syna paused here to rest, shaking his head. On seeing this, he now fully realized why he could not pick out where he was, because he had certainly never been here before. The place was too unique to be forgotten.

Looking up, he could only see a few of the brightest stars through the high thin clouds; but not enough of their familiar patterns to give him any clear direction. There must be enough high clouds overhead to hide most of the dimmer stars, he told himself. About all he could tell for sure, is that he must be in the upper part of the valley that contained many smaller hills, because if the land had sloped strongly in any one direction, he would have been able to put the lower slope to his left, and head home. Where he was, he could only find smaller slopes which rose and fell in all directions as he wandered in the darkness. He was amazed to find that was much farther from home then he first realized. He shook his head in wonder, at the thought he could have run so far.

Sadly, that thought lead his mind to brush the fringe of the memory of why he had run in the first place. Even so many hours later, his mind recoiled from those thoughts like a careless hand from a hot kettle; so, focusing on where he was, he pushed the thoughts aside and began moving along the path once more.

He was unsure of how long he had walked, because mind and legs were so tired from running himself to exhaustion even before he started wandering down these rabbit paths. Also, his condition left everything just a little dreamlike, and even though his sad heart had been telling him to rest for some time, now his mind was beginning to agree. The fatigue in his muscles, overused and sore from the cold that had invaded them earlier, were telling him how badly he needed to rest.

He was feeling much warmer though, even if he could not yet see a dawn in the sky. It looked as if it would be a much warmer day, which he welcomed. Reluctantly, he decided he could still walk just little further.

He was thirsty. He had to press on in the direction he was already going. He had yet to pass any of the streams that he knew to cross this part of the valley, so to turn back, or to sit was to continue to be thirsty. Therefore, slowly, he continued in search of a path he might recognize, and water he could drink.

Even so, he didn’t last very long. He was tired for so many reasons that he was losing count; so, Syna sat himself for a moment on a fallen log. He could see well enough now to make out some of the breaks in the trees above; the sky was just growing lighter. He was so grateful that the welcome day would bring an even more welcome warmth into the valley, even though he was now no longer as cold. If it were not for the soreness of his legs, and the weakness in his arms, and a lack of any restful sleep, he would have been quite comfortable.

Strange, he thought, because he had felt no wind that might have heralded a change in the weather. The change must have come in the night, while he was sleeping he concluded, even as he allowed his head to rest back against the tree. There was no other reason it would be so much warmer now, his mind mused vaguely.

Reaching down, he pulled his skirt about him, for comfort, and gave a slight chuckle as a funny thought popped into his head. In an hour, he might very well have to climb a tree, to find out where he was. He now fully understood why girls seldom like to climb trees. Laughing still, at the image of himself trying to climb in the long green skirt, he brushed his hand over his legs, absently pulled off a stray burr that his fingers found there.

Leaning farther back, hoping to find more comfort for his sore muscles, before he had to move again, he tried to think of the last time he had climbed a tree at all. I was probably the time he had fallen out of the tree, down near the stream, but he was not sure. It was so long ago, he could not seem to remember...

 
 

 
 

     Down in the valley, his father’s eyes carefully scanned the tree lines that surrounded his small farm. As small as it was, he could have wished for it to be smaller still.

He’d been shocked when he went to check on his child, as he did any morning that Syna was not up before him, only to find that his bed had not bee slept in. The front door was opened, possibly from the wind; but it was the hearth, cold and untended, that caused the very chill of its stones to sink into Bryan’s heart. Never before had Syna failed to tend it upon rising, or before going to bed.

Now, his eyes scanned, defeated by the brief wind that had come in the middle of the night. He could see no path where the child passed through the taller grass of the fallow fields to his north, nor through the crops in the lower and south fields. The path alone, showed him a clear indication, but the topmost steps that his son had left there had been those that faced the cottage as he’d come home last evening. Those footprints, and a partially crushed flower on his doorstep, were the only indications that his only child had been there at all…

 
 

 
 

     Absently, Syna reached up to brush something away from his face when he was startled to feel something fluttering there. He lifted his head quickly in a fright, to look around, even though his eyes were dazzled by the much brighter morning. He could see that the sun was now just above the hills on the side of the valley.

He had fallen fast asleep.

Surprised, he began to shift, absently looking for the cloth that he had held in his hand while resting himself. Another movement out of the corner of his eye, quite near his head, startled him once more. Quickly he turned, but saw nothing there.

Looking carefully in that direction for a few moments, he tried telling himself that he shouldn’t have started so; but then strangely, there was nothing there that he could now see. He would have seen a bird fly away, or heard a squirrel or other small animal, but there was nothing. He looked all around for a few moments while he told himself it was just because he’d had so little sleep; before looking down once more to find the cloth where it had slipped out of his hand as he had so soundly slept.

Pushing himself up, for the second time that morning, he stretched, very thankful again, that it was so much warmer here in the lee of the hills that made up the top of the valley, and that he felt much clearer for the deep sleep; minus of course a few spots where a root or a branch had dug into him. He slowly continued moving his limbs as he surveyed the edge of the small clearing where he had slept the early hours of the morning away.

Rubbing his rear, he stretched some more, he began looking about himself more intently. Even though he knew no one else was there, this was second nature, because he had a need he had to take care of rather urgently. Weather he had passed the night on his comfortable bed, or on an uncomfortable log, did not really seem to matter, he mused. So quietly, as if not wanting to disturb the forest any more than necessary, he made his way a little way off the path, until he found a place that offered some privacy, and there he gathering up his skirt a little, and squatting down behind a rock.

Feeling better, he stepped back into the edge of the clearing, as his body gave a quick shiver in relief. He smoothed his skirt with a sigh, and began checking it for any damage he might have done in the light.

Suddenly, yet another swift movement in a tree ahead of him caught his attention once more, as it too seemed too near his head. Awake, and alert this time, he thought he caught a glimpse of movement, but because he was looking toward the brightness of the morning sun, and all its many brilliant reflections off of the dewy morning leaves, he could not be sure weather it had real or simply his dazzled eyes.

Feeling a little uneasy now, he continued looking about himself as he moved around a little in an effort not to stand in one place too long. He could see a little way off in the trees, that there were birds and squirrels dashing about; all seemingly unconcerned with his presence as long as he kept his distance.

He smiled. That at least was not unusual, as the smaller animals near his home would often come right past him as he sat under a tree, or scurry near his feet as he moved about. They always seemed to know instinctively, unlike the other boys in the village, that he would never harm one of them. It was a mild amusement to both ha and his extended family.

Now, he could easily see now how beautiful the clearing was, with little white, gold, and lavender flowers scattered liberally in the short grass. As he took it all in, it seemed increasingly silly to have felt so ill at ease in such a place on such a warm sunny morning; when to be lost in the unfamiliar woods in the cold of the darkest night had caused so little.

Gathering his courage, he told himself that no one in living memory had been harmed by an animal in this valley. In all his years, he had never feared to walk wherever he wished here, day or night. So taking his skirts in his hands, he moved out into the clearing, to see if he could get his bearings better, chiding himself not to be so childish.

Once there, he could tell that the forest on the other side of the glade was sloped down and away from him, even though he could now clearly see it did so toward the tall hills that surrounded the valley beyond. Now he knew his direction Thus, it was, with a new sense of relief that he paused to listen to something else that was just coming to his notice.

Down the slope he was facing, he could just hear the sound of a stream through the trees. Smiling that he would now be able to take care of his last most pressing need, he began to move across the glade and into the trees on the other side, to follow the sound of the water.

Facing the sun as it was, the slope was even warmer than the clearing, and still clear enough to offer him an easy walk down to a little pool that was fed by a fall that was no taller than he.

Looking carefully about, he had yet see sign of danger of any kind. Animals were drinking freely including several deer on the other side of the pool, which had stopped to watch him. There were no thorny or poisonous plants that he could recognize. Thus, sighing, he continued confidently to the margin of the inviting pool. Standing there for a moment to check the surface, he could see that there were fish also, which meant that this stream must be one of the ones that ran all year, feeding the river farther down in the center of the valley. They also told him it was clean.

Kneeling carefully on a dry spot, he washed his hands, and then lifted a little to his lips to take a little taste.

The water was sweet, and cool.

Gratefully, Syna knelt fully, and began to lift handfuls of water to his mouth, where it quickly eased the thirst and some of the cramps in his stomach, which he had hardly realized were there before they began to fade quickly as he slowly drank. He wondered why he was so thirsty, but guessed it was probably from his long run, and from crying so much in the night.

It seemed silly, he sighed as he looked about this beautiful place, to have behaved so childishly. But still, the pain… He knew that he would have to face that once he got home, but he was beginning to feel as if he could. He had never meant any harm, and surely his father realized that.

Thoughtfully, he pulled the scrap of cloth out from where he had tucked it away, and now that he had drunk his fill, washed it off in the pool - much to the interest of a large fish that had slowly glided out of the depths to watch from a distance. Syna smiled back at the nosey old thing.

Now damp and clean, he pressed it into his eyes, which were still a little sore, and sighed gratefully as the cool cloth soothed both them, and his head.

Slowly, Syna dragged the cloth about his face, and neck, cleaning the last of the awful night from his skin, pausing only to wash and wring the cloth out several times in between. Then, once more he pressed the cool cloth to his eyes, and rested his face there for a long moment, allowing his head to clear itself further still of the turmoil of thoughts that had chased each other about his mind since Jada had walked up behind him yesterday.

Kneeling in this quiet place, he could not have told anyone how long it had been since the boys in the village had cornered him behind the blacksmith’s shop, where he had gone only to retrieve the tools his father had needed so badly.

He reminded himself to go and thank the smith before going to the Inn that night, for it had been he who had come to investigate the boy’s laughter, and Keely’s angry voice; just as it was he who had sent the cousins packing. Syna had been so frightened, and felt so hurt that they would take such obvious pleasure in tormenting him, that he had simply lowered his head and taken to the road home without saying anything to anyone. It was very unlike him not to acknowledge the kindness, but even now he would have trouble speaking of it, because his torment came from the fact that such acts of kindness were all too often necessary.

Finally, he slowly slid the coolness of the cloth down to his nose, but as he opened his eyes slightly, he saw that same movement that had startled him before. Only this time, it was not out of the corner of his eye, but reflected in the surface of the pool that he saw it.

The movement was not all he saw.

He had just begun to draw in a large breath, to blow his nose before washing the cloth out one last time, when he saw it reflected more clearly than ever. Well, them really: for along with the movement, he could clearly see a pair of eyes…

For a moment, Syna thought he must be wrong, but all his instincts caused him to freeze into immobility. The Eyes that were looking down at him, he knew in an instant, held intelligence. They were far too small to be a person, but far to wise ever to be mistaken for an animal either. Slowly, between the little ripples on the pool, Syna could see the little creature lean closer down the branch where it sat above his head, as if sniffing in his direction. Then with a suddenness that was breathtaking, the little creature jerked itself partially behind some leaves, and froze into an unmistakable immobility of it’s own - as it stared directly into the reflection of Syna’s own eyes.

For many beats of his pounding heart, which couldn’t have been very long at all, neither of them moved. Syna could see in the creature’s face and eyes clearly, that it was useless to pretend that he did not see it too; nor, was there any way to turn quickly enough to catch a better look at the creature. He fretted uncertainly, as it’s reflection shimmered again slightly on the surface of the pool. Eventually, Syna managed to swallow, and without moving his hands or body any more than absolutely necessary, the slowly began to turn his head toward where the creature was sitting.

Slowly, and fearfully, his eyes turned up and to the side. Even as he did so, his mind was telling him that there would be nothing there, save for some small bird perhaps, but the pain in his chest bade him to move ever more slowly. Finally when the branch was in view, he began to straighten his back even more slowly. At first, he saw nothing, but then finally located the spot he had seen reflected in the pool. A slight movement gave away the eyes that were still there. They were close enough to be just beyond his reach.

Syna could not help the shiver and start that rushed through his body. Nor, could he help the second one, as a thrill of the start rushed back up his center, when the creature darted back behind a branch at his unexpected movement.

Now Syna could also see dark spots floating about his field of vision, and he realized that he had not breathed since first seeing the eyes. He needed to breathe, so he did so many times as slowly as he could before the dark spots swimming before his eyes began to fade.

When he caught his breath, and was breathing more normally again, he managed to find a small voice inside of himself. “Hello.” He said barely above a whisper, as calmly as he could, “Please don’t be frightened. I will not harm you. I would never harm anyone.”

Even as he said this, he was telling himself that he was behaving in a foolish manner. Nothing out there, especially a small animal no matter how strange, could understand him. So what if he had never seen, nor heard of such an animal before. Talking to it as if it could understand was to play the fool. Even so, Syna could not bring himself to move more than slightly, as his eyes scanned the nearby branch for any sign of movement.

He had almost decided to shift, when he spotted them again. Several yards away from where they had disappeared, the creature was peering at him once more from behind another clump of leaves.

Slowly, taking a breath, Syna forgot all sense of foolishness. This creature was looking at him in a way that no animal ever had. His heart told him to speak just as if he were meeting another person. “There you are.” he said softly, as he felt the smile spread itself across his face in wonder at having found the creature again, and realizing that he was not just seeing things that were not there. The creature was quite as real as anything else around him.

“I’m sorry if I frightened you, little one.” He said as kindly as he could, forcing himself to look away at the rag he held in his hand to fold it. “I did not realize that this was your home…” He said as he very slowly tucked the still damp cloth under his vest bottom in the cord that held his skirt, all the while praying that the creature would still be there when he looked up again.

“I didn’t mean to trespass here, and disturb you. I only needed a drink.” He smiled again, as his eyes began to slowly rise up once more. “You see, I lost my way in the darkness last night…” His speech faltered, as he once more looked into the creature’s eyes. It was still there. “I was so tired from walking; I fell asleep in your beautiful little glade.” Syna continued as kindly as he could, before pausing to smile in what he hoped was a most friendly way he knew how.

“Well, I’m sorry you are so afraid. I’m bigger than you, but really, I would never hurt anyone just because they are so much smaller than I am.” He continued to try and reassure the creature that had not moved, but somehow seemed to be listening to every word he spoke. He certainly regretted the little frown that he felt reach his face when he’d said that.

“If you like, I’ll just go. I promise I won’t even tell anyone where you live. I wouldn’t do that either.” He said, realizing that the creature was very shy, and might appreciate this — especially since it was true. Syna had already decided deep down inside, that he would tell no one of the creature, or it’s whereabouts. He hardly needed the scrutiny.

“I do wish that I could see you better, and that you weren’t so frightened of me.” He sighed, despairingly. “I have to get up now.” He continued softly, and nodding his head slightly. “I don’t want you to fly away, but my legs hurt like this.”

Syna paused to watch the little creature in silence once more, which seemed to be looking him over now, as he knelt still on the ground.

“OK, don’t be frightened.” Syna said, and tried to slowly lift his body away from the ground, with his tortured leg muscles. He wanted to look at the ground, to assure the creature it had nothing to fear because he was not staring at it as if he intended to capture and eat the little thing, but he simply could not take his eyes away. To his great surprise, the creature did not move, and seemed to understand that he was just going to stand.

“Well, that was brave of you.” Syna said in a more natural voice, pleased that the creature did not flee, but now worried if he should try to back away. Unfortunately, the pool was at his heels, so he would have to move toward the creature to reach the glade, even if he had wanted to move away from the remarkable little being. So he did the next best thing. He slowly turned his back to it, as he brushed the grass off of his skirt.

He did not turn back for several moments, yet when he did it was in the same place - still watching. It was the most amazing thing he had ever seen. Thus, in the end, he just stood there, his hands carefully folded at his belly, and looked back at the creature for many long minutes.

“I’m afraid that I’ll scare you some more, if I move.” He said again calmly. “I do wish that I could see you though.” He said this, simply voicing the thoughts that were running through his head at the moment. He was quite startled when in response the creature stepped out from behind the leaves, and taking several steps down the branch toward him, it knelt down to continue to look at him with a frank interest.

The creature walked on two legs! Syna could see that quite clearly now. It had two arms, and large shimmery wings, somewhat like a dragonfly’s on its back, and… Most remarkable of all, the creature had clothes! It was wearing a green vest, that hung loosely about its body, and below that what looked like a short skirt that was a darker gray.

Syna could not believe what he was seeing. This was no creature. It was a little person. Just as suddenly, he realized that although he had never seen anything like it in the forests about his home, he had indeed heard of one many times. In the stories that his mother used to tell him when he was a child: stories about knights and princesses, dragons and wizards, trolls and… Fairies.

This must be a fairy. He never even considered that they might be…

“I’m Sorry.” Syna breathed. “I really did not mean to frighten you...”

In a movement that was almost too quick to follow, the fairy leapt into the air, and flew over to the branch that was only an arms reach away. Syna held his breath, in shock.

“Fairy folk do not fear big people.” It said in a soft and lilting voice. Syna was too shocked to move, as the little one leaned closer as if it were going to share a secret with him.

“Big folk knock, and pound about,
All much louder than fairy shouts.

But Shout if you will, they will not hear,
For big folk cannot use their ears.

Nor smell, nor see like fairy kind,
cause big folk might as well be blind.

So fear no big folk you might meet,
a fairy’s wings are fleet.”

And with that, the little creature once more darted closer, and leaned far from the branch toward Syna, now obviously sniffing the air.

Syna could see its eyes now. Larger than a humans eyes, for its size, they filled the little creatures face. They were also the most remarkably shiny copper color that Syna had ever seen, and seemed to shimmer with a light of their own. Thus it was, that Syna saw them clearly when they darkened suddenly, and the fairy darted quick as a blink back to a higher branch

At first, Syna did not speak, as the little creature was once more studying him intently, as if it now feared him. Then in confusion: “I’m sorry.” Syna Said. “What did I do? Did I frighten you again?”

The fairy did not respond for a moment or two, and still staring at him with darker eyes that seemed to have doubled in size…

“You are a Human child?”

It asked this most suspiciously, not moving at all, and clearly not happy. It stared for a time before speaking as if more to itself, than to Syna “You are a human, I know that smell, but something’s amiss, I can tell.” The creature said more softly.

‘Oh, please no. Not you too.’ Syna thought, as the pain that was suddenly growing in his chest threatened to take away his ability to speak at all. “I’m a person, just like you are, but I’m not a child anymore. My name is Dyre, but everyone just calls me Syna.”

The fairy then flew slowly with caution, down to a branch that was even closer to Syna, and a little lower than his head, allowing him to look again at the fairy closely. After a few moments, it spoke to him again in a clear voice.

“My eyes can see the smallest star;
      A child I see, for child you are…”

The fairy then paused to watch him unblinking for a moment, and then leaned closer to sniff him some more. Syna was afraid to blink too.

After some moments of the little creature looking at him, and as Syna watched with held breath, it slowly cocked its head far to one side, and it began to smile brightly once more. Syna could see that its eyes had also begun to shine even more brightly than they had only brief moments before.

“OH!” The little creature said to itself, in the most human gesture that Syna had yet to see, which caused him to laugh.

The little fairy actually laughed a little too, before it once more took to the air, only this time popped down right to Syna’s nose, to stare into his eyes as it breathed deeply of his scent one last time. Then turning it’s back, giving him a good view of its wings, which were six in number, it flew more slowly, but still quicker than a bird, back to the branch.

“Not all I can see, is as it appears,
for a human child, still new in years.
But there’s no mistaking, one pure of heart,
even so young, yet to find her part.

But Sadness too, I see in thee,
of pain and sorrow, enough for three.
But, fear not, little human, and fairy friend,
The sadness you feel we’ll soon forefend.

So cheer little human, and lighten your heart,
Thy burdens be mended, ere ever we part.”

Syna actually giggled at the little song. It seemed so silly for the little creature to speak in singsong, whenever it seemed to be telling him something important, but it also seemed to be because it was enjoying his company. At any rate, there was no mistaking it’s intent, as it suddenly flew to a rock that lay just on the edge of the pool, and gestured for him to seat himself there, as it then flew down to splash for a moment at the surface of the water.

When Syna was finally seated, the fairy walked over to where he sat, and seated itself on a smaller rock facing him.

“My name is Syna.” He said again. “Do you have a name?”

The fairy looked at him strangely for a moment, and said matter of factly “You said your name was Dyre.” It looked at him for a moment, almost suspiciously even though it’s eyes never dimmed. “I have heard tell that you humans use many names for yourselves. At least I like this one, better than the first. Syna is pretty, and speaks like a verse.”

Syna was about to try and explain when the creature asked.

“Were there two of you?” The little fairy sat a little straighter.

Syna was shocked. “No.” Was all he managed to say, when he realized that the creature in fact knew the meaning of his name.

“Who gave you these names, or did you take them yourself?” It asked, peering at him in open curiosity.

“Dyre is the name that my mother gave me.” Syna said softly, the pain of thinking about her, creeping into his voice despite his best efforts. “Syna is a name that some of the people in the village gave me when I was about nine turns.” He finished, with a pain of another type causing his stomach to tighten even more.

The fairy just looked at him for the longest time, and he unwilling to explain further, just allowed it to look on in wonder.

“We fairies too, think of children as gifts. We do not often get them, as you humans do.” The fairy said cocking its head to the side again, and pausing for a moment. “Why don’t you like your name? Is it because you are special, that they gave you this name?”

Syna just stared, not knowing what he could say; but the fairy seemed to know that he would not speak, and so continued to answer the question itself.

Countless are the humans, who walk the earth,
Many are good, but many are worse,
But in others still a fairy finds,
Blessed with souls that are gentle and fine.
To others they meet, they are giving and kind
These are the most like fairy kind,
So trust in these others, wherever you find
Their light is a hope, for all our kinds.

Syna was still struggling for some response, a struggle that was in vain when the fairy looked up at him again.

“I do not think much of the sounds, men call themselves, but I think your name is pretty. Do they call you that, because you are so pretty too?” The fairy asked.

Syna could feel himself blush, a little. “Thank you,” he said, “I think you are pretty as well. No. They called me that…” How could he tell her what it was like? Why was this little creature able to dig so quickly into the very parts of him that felt as if they had been torn apart? “They call me that because I don’t think they understand me, and I upset them.” He said feeling helpless and ill. How could he tell this little creature what people were like? “I don’t really know why.” He finished helplessly.

The fairy, stared for a long moment.

“I am older than all but the oldest trees.
I have seen the world over, forest and sea.
I have lived through many an age of men,
and I have even called a few of them friend.

But the ways they are silly, seem to be without end,
I can not abide by many of them.”

It continued very seriously.

“I want you to try to be not so sad,
I see in your heart, one would sooner be glad.
I think you are pretty, and know you are kind,
even people must see this, with the passage of time.”

Syna just nodded, and looking at the damp earth at his feet, mostly so he would not have to disagree with the little fairy. Still, he could feel a need rising in him to weep, and might even have done so, had he not already cried himself out that very night. He liked the little creature, and did not want to disagree with it in any way. In his heart, though, he knew that people like Chandi, and Bram would never see him as anything other than something to be despised or tormented. Casually, he reached for a stick, and wrote “Syna,” in the mud, to stare at it there.

The fairy cocked her head, and leaned far over to watch. “What are those symbols? Is that ‘letters’?” The fairy asked, bright with curiosity.

“Yes,” Syna said, pointing to each letter with the stick. “This is my name S-Y-N-A,” he intoned, only then realizing what he’d written

The little creature looked at it for a moment before it spoke. “I have seen this,” it intoned in a breathy whisper, “but not very often. Most of the people do not know this, I’ve been told.” it finished looking up at him in question.

Syna nodded, at the little fairy looking up at him for confirmation.

Then suddenly, the little thing sprang to the same patch of damp earth, and drew a curious symbol there, before looking back at Syna. “Can you tell me what this means?” It asked quickly.

Syna looked at the symbol, but he had never seen it’s like, and could make nothing at all of it. Sadly, he shook his head, at which the little fairy looked up at him in complete disappointment; and in another very human move, it walked back over to the rock it had been sitting on, and plopped itself down in disgust.

“Where did you see that symbol?” Syna asked, but the little creature just shook it’s head, and otherwise ignored the question.

With a little sigh, it looked up at Syna again, before using its wings to lift itself into the air to hover right before Syna’s face. There it slowly turned itself about, as if it wanted him to see all sides. Just as slowly, it dawned on Syna that there was an odd smell. Very nice, but unlike anything Syna had ever smelt before. It was an aroma that filled his head, and made him feel a little dizzy and lightheaded for a few moments.

On seeing Syna’s expression change, the little fairy stopped its pirouette in mid air, and hovered there, grinning at him. “This is how fairies know our kind, and how I can see your heart, and mind. I can tell you in humans, their smell is more faint, but in fairy’s their essence is stronger - don’t faint.” It giggled, and then backed away a little.

It took Syna’s head several minutes to clear. When it did, he blinked at the smiling fairy and before he could think, said. “Goodness. Your name is very pretty too!” which caused the fairy to smile and giggle at him again. “That is something.” Syna said shaking his head in wonder at the powerful effect.

“You smell pretty too!” The fairy said, and blinked and smiled at him so strangely, that it made him feel quite odd as well. However, then the Fairy continued. “Humans can’t smell the human smell. It’s sad really, only parts can you tell. The part that you can’t, tells what lies deep inside. That’s why some humans, have parts that they hide. No fairy could ever be sad or untrue, or harbor a grudge, or be hurtful to you. All that we are, a fairy knows well. With just one smell, can all else tell.”

“Fairy’s don’t lie, or hurt, little human, because they don’t need to. If we are unhappy about something, or angry, or sad, our kind knows of it as soon as we ourselves do. You have no need to be sad by my words, I’m already sad enough for you.”

Syna nodded to himself, as he began to grasp how it would all work. It was a system where they would not lie, nor would they ever hide anger from each other, so that it would fester to the point that they had to make up hurtful names for each other. The other fairies would always know exactly how the others felt. It was a level of empathy that would tend to prevent one fairy from ever enjoying hurting another, as humans do. He envied them.

Finally he asked, trying to direct the conversation away from such a painful subject. “Is that why you were sneaking up on me as I slept…, because you like my smell?” He asked, unprepared for the fairy to practically fall off of its rock laughing at him.

“NO! young one.” It said with great mirth, before it bounded up to his shoulder, and actually settling on him for the first time, reached behind to gently tug on the bow, that had somehow survived the night unscathed. “I have never seen a fairy’s wings, on a human child, such lovely things. I saw on your head, just resting there, and wished to see, so strange but so fair.”

With that, the fairy gave the bow a playful little flip, and touching Syna’s face briefly, hopped back down to its rock.

“OH!” Syna said out loud. “You kept flitting up behind me, because you wanted to see my bow.” He finally understood.

The fairy gave him a smile, and nodded enthusiastically at his understanding.

Putting his hand up to straighten the bow, Syna asked smiling. “Do you like it?”

The fairy nodded again. Then it spoke another of its own queer questions. “Do you like it?”

Syna started to giggle at the silliness of the question, but then he realized that it was not a silly question at all. Smiling down at the fairy, he felt the same sense of calm that he had felt when he had been confronting the children, and he realized that he could answer their questions, not in fear of judgment, but rather just for understanding.

“Yes. I do like it. I like it very much. It belonged to my mother, and I miss her so, and it makes her seem closer somehow. However, it’s more than just that, I think it’s pretty too. It makes me feel…, pretty too.”

The fairy began to giggle as she nodded her head at him. It was an infectious and wonderful sound that caused Syna to giggle too, a little of which was at the silliness that had led him to feel ill at ease answering such a simple and direct question.

“I love this bow.” He said, reaching up to feel it resting on the back of his head.

“I’m going to get one too!” The fairy said, surprising him yet again.

Then standing up, the little creature said “When you speak to me, in your human tongue, you may call me ‘Aida’.” Then without further warning, it smiled very brightly, and leapt into the air, and flew over the bank of the pool. Hovering there for a moment, as if looking for the proper spot, began to dip itself quickly down to splash about on the surface of the water. Then to Syna’s amazement, it shrieked out in laughter as it raced up into the air just moments before the big fish leapt completely out of the water after the fairy.

Then no sooner had the fish fallen back onto the water, than the fairy was down at the surface again, this time closer to the bank, kicking and splashing here and there on the surface of the water. Then just as before, the fairy squealed with pleasure, as it once again darted away just before the big fish leapt for what it thought would be an easy meal.

Aida raced around Syna’s head, and shouted, “Get ready!” As she once more dashed back to continue her dance on the water’s surface to torment the grumpy old brook trout.

Syna was almost too shocked to move, when the big fish landed half out of the water at his feet, but did somehow, and managed to throw the fish further up the bank where it continued to flop about for a few minutes in it’s rage at having missed an easy meal of tasty fairy.

“Breakfast!” Aida said. “We call that Fly Fishing. Wait here and I’ll bring you what you need.”

Some minutes later, Aida returned with a small, but serviceable knife that looked like it was made from an obsidian stone, and a clear piece of quartz, that when held to the sun, in a certain way, created a spot that began to burn. A short time later, they were eating a roasted brook trout, which Syna long remembered as the best he ever had.

 
 

 
 

     The sun was fully up, but it was still very early when Calum looked up to see a very worried Bryan standing at the front door of his inn. “Is Dyre here?” he asked without preamble.

All at once a feeling of illness took the Quiet innkeeper’s stomach, and that of his wife, who had just entered from the kitchen. Dear God, he thought. Please not another one.

“Bryan.” Calum said. “I walked him home to the foot of the path to your farm. Didn’t he make it home?”

The horror that the innkeeper felt at not having walked the boy to within site of his home was manifest on his face. If the child had come to harm, he knew he would never be able to face his friend or his wife again. He had just never thought that there was any danger away from the village. What if those boys were on the path? Anger and already begun to rise up in Calum, even through the fear. If they wanted to catch Syna, the path would have been perfect for an ambush; perfect for them to waylay the lad for revenge.

Bryan spoke, fortunately, while Calum could still think reasonable clearly. “No Calum, Syna got home all right last night. He was fine when I went to bed. He was missing when I got up this morning.”

“Did you argue?” Dara asked appearing in the kitchen door, for the first time her fear for the child moving far enough aside for her to find her voice.

“No.” Bryan said. “He was upset when he came home. He thought I was mad, but I wasn’t,” Bryan stopped, as if trying to explain to himself, rather than his friends. “He asked me if he should change, and I was about to tell him that that was up to him, when he also asked me if I wanted him to leave.” The emotion in the man's voice was unmistakable “I was upset…”

Dara could feel tears sliding from her own eyes, let alone those she saw glittering in Bryans.

“I was upset that at the thought I might loose him too; so, I hugged him, and told him that I would never want that. I sent him off to bed, and had planned to talk to him in the morning, but when I got up, he was gone.”

Dara felt her legs go, as she landed in a chair near Calum. Instinctively she grabbed for Calum. “Calum. You have to find him!”

“I will, my love. Try to be calm, now. I’m sure he is ok.”

“Who is, OK?” A voice asked quietly from the stairs.

“Syna,” Calum answered Jada, who he had turned toward, to see him watching them from the bottom of the stairs, “the boy who served in the tavern last night.”

“The boy who…” Jada looked at the man for a moment. “You mean Dyre?”

“Yes.” Calum said, flatly. “Some of the villagers call him Syna, because…” Calum did not try to explain. How could he.

Bryan was the only one who understood why Jada had stopped to stare at him without speaking anything further. Bryan did not care. All he cared about was to find his son… Nothing else mattered…

“Dara,” Calum said softly, “send Keely to The Elder. Tell her not to be worried, but send her. Bryan and I will gather the stable hands, and some horses, and we’ll head out to look for him on the road. You tell Keely to tell The Elder that they should search in and near the village. We’ll check the road, but he has to send men out to the fields — as many as he can find.”

Dara nodded, before speaking. “Check at Ladd’s That Chandi woman may know something.” She said, even as she headed out the kitchen door.

“Come on.” Calum said to Bryan. “Lets check the road,” and walked out, guiding the other man by the arm.

Behind them Jada stood for a moment alone, before also heading for the door to the stable…

 

 

      Syna was sitting in the sun, and watching the little fairy bath herself in a small puddle, warmed by the sun, at the margin of the pool. For all he could see, the little fairy was very much like a human. More so than Syna had expected, as she first took off her clothes, and quickly washed them out in the larger pool before moving herself over to the puddle.
.
Fascinated by the little tunes that she sang to herself, Syna was worried that Aida might resent his staring, but he simply could not take his eyes off of her. Then again, he would occasionally get that funny feeling in the pit of his stomach, whenever the fairy glanced over her shoulder, to see that he was still watching her every move.

Whenever she did this, Syna somehow felt that she must know exactly what he was thinking. It took him some time, no doubt due to his sleeping on a log, but it finally dawned on him that this was almost certainly exactly what she was doing.

Looking down in his embarrassment, at the small clothes lying on the petals of a flower where the little fairy had laid them to dry, Syna suddenly felt as if he were the one who was naked.

Looking up again, she had stopped bathing, and was watching him with a knowing smile on her face.

That was the look, he thought. Why did he feel so queer when she looked at him that way? He continued to wonder, even after she had turned away to slid herself farther into the puddle, before dipping herself fully under.

She had looked at him that way, off and on all morning. When she first told him he was pretty, and then when she had lead him into the woods, where she had shown him some plants that they had used as herbs for the fish. As he collected the ones she pointed out, and then later as she oversaw his washing of them in the pool, he would often see her staring at him with that smile. The one she had used when she had told him she thought he was pretty.

Finally, the little fairy lifted itself out of the water, and leapt into the air just a foot or so off of the ground, and shook itself so vigorously, that Syna felt a drop of water hit him from may feet away. Syna laughed in spite of himself, and even thought he was trying to show as much polite indifference as he could muster, but he realized by the fairy’s own laughter that he had no need of concern. Then in a rush, the little fairy flashed out toward the other side of the pool, where the fall was splashing softly into the water there.

It was far, but it looked as if the fairy had rushed into the fall itself, only to pop up from the surface of the pool at it’s foot.

In a few moments only, Aida came back sputtering with the cold of the water from the falls, and did the little shaking trick again, only twice has hard. It must have felt good, because she giggled once more, right along with Syna.

Then to his surprise, she did not make a move toward her clothes, but rather, she flew into the forest, only to return a few minutes later with some flower petals, wrapped in a leaf. Then, moving to a stone that lay in the sun, she dumped the petals in a little depression there, before laying the leaf across them. Then, she quickly lay down on her stomach, crossing her arms under her cheek, and drawing one knee up, and leaning toward her side. For several moments, she just lay there, smiling, and staring at Syna, before she finally closed her eyes, and went to sleep.

For a long time, Syna did not move, or make a noise; but, in the end he too did have to settle himself into a more comfortable position. His last thoughts were that he would have to start home soon if he were to get to the Inn on time. He also wanted to see his father, who he had long ago begun to worry might be fretting over his absence.

Mercifully, he did not fret very long, because the warm sun very swiftly overtook his exhausted mind and tired muscles once more. Syna did not even see when Aida’s eyes slid slowly open to smile at him as he lay on his side in the sun in a deep, fast, and restful sleep; before she herself once more closed her own eyes again.

 
 

 
 

     It took no time to cover the road, and the area to either side. Calum and Bryan road quickly to the foot of the path, while Liam and the stable hands followed along on foot to more closely search. By the time they had reached the bottom of the path that lead to Bryan’s farm, the older men had already searched the path and the lower fields for Syna once more, still to no avail.

Bryan was grateful to find that the stable hands had been joined at some point by his by Ladd, who upon his arrival, assured Bryan that Syna had not been seen by any member of his family since lunch the day before. Ladd also told him that he had taken the time to search the outbuildings of his farm. He had even sent the little ones to check in all their favorite hiding places to be sure that the boy was not hiding there. Ladd was quite sure, that Syna had not been anywhere near there during the night.

Bryan nodded, wordless to Ladd, his gratitude for his old friend’s help clearly on his face, just as he clearly took no comfort in the news that Syna had yet to be found. It was a look that caused the other men to turn to look outward, as if they might yet find Syna standing somewhere near them in the fields nearest the road.

“I think we should check the cottage, again.” Bryan said finally, attracting the gazes of the men around him once more. “He may have come back by now, and if not, we can get some water, and something to eat.” Bryan himself paused to look around, before turning to Calum. “If Ladd is willing, I think he and I should begin to search the forest, but I’d be grateful if you’d take the lads back to the village. If…” Bryan’s voice paused, as if he’d forgotten to breath..

“Sorry.” He finally said. “If someone has…” Bryan struggled to voice his worst fear. “Ladd and I will begin to search around the cottage and into the forest. We know it best. If he is there, then he may be hurt, or sick. I don’t really believe that, because he’s so at home by himself, all alone in the woods. If he left in the night, or if someone… Well there will be some sign. And if he is hurt, we will find him quickly enough.”

Bryan paused only long enough for both Ladd and Calum nodded in agreement.

“Calum, you know the villagers better than I.”

It was untrue since they’d both spent their lives in the valley, but Calum knew it was more likely because Bryan did not trust himself to question certain of the village folk just then.

“If you could go back and help them search there.” All the emotion was still clearly there, but he was able to master it. “If someone has hurt him, I’m sure you will be able to find him quicker than I will, and between Dara and yourself, you’ll know what to do. I’ll be along to the village, once I’ve made sure he’s not been near the cottage.” Bryan reached out and took Calum by his upper arm. “Does that seem fitting to you?” he finished, by seeking any help his friend might give.

Calum just nodded, to Bryan, and traded a quick glance with Ladd, before he reassured the man. “We will find him, Bryan. It’s not like…” Now Calum paused too. “It’s not like the last time. I’m sure we will find him. I don’t think that anyone would really harm the boy, not with you and I, or some of the elders still walking the earth. You should put that thought far from you, even thought, I promise I will make sure to head over to Bram’s grandfather’s place as soon as I get back. If they know anything, then we’ll know it too; and, damned quickly. I promise you that.”

Then the smith spoke for the first time, and as he always did, he spoke his mind plainly without equivocating. “I’ll go with Calum. I want to be there when he talks to Bram, and his fool of a cousin. I don’t share his belief that they are afraid to do something bad. I’ve known them since they were nothing, and I think that they are too stupid to think that far ahead. I don’t think they had the opportunity, mind you, given that the boy was with you last night, but I’d like to be there anyway.”

Bryan thought that there was more behind the man's eyes, and for a few moments he almost wanted to ask, but the darkness that he saw in the mans eyes frightened him. There wasn’t much, beyond the welfare of his family that was capable of frightening, Bryan, or The Smith. In the end he just nodded and gratefully clapped his hand on the man’s shoulder. Turning to Ladd briefly, mounded his horse as much from having nothing more to say, as to get on with the search. One of the stable hands, handed Ladd the reins to Calum’s horse, and Ladd quickly followed Bryan up the forest trail.

 

 

      When Calum turned away, he found that the smith had not waited, but was already headed back toward the village at a respectable pace. When Calum caught up to him, and fell in beside the man, it took him some time before he turned his head to return the stare that Calum was giving him.

“They are bad, those two, Calum.” He said flatly. “Stupid and mean, like I’ve seldom seen.”

Calum was a little surprised at the vehemence of the man, since he was usually as quiet and steady as anyone that Calum knew. Unlike Brian, Lad, and he, Liam had not born here. Rather, he had moved in while they were still fairly young men. All had quickly realized that he was like themselves were: quiet, honest, and strong. They had almost as quickly become friends.

Calum reached out his hand, to take the smith by the shoulder, and stop the man. “What is it?” He asked, unable to avoid the thought that the muscles in the man’s shoulder felt like the iron he so skillfully crafted..

The Smith would not look at him for a few moments, but when he finally did, he had a look in his eye that made Calum feel distinctly uneasy. “Keely told you about yesterday?” He asked, and watched Calum nod in response.

“Well I watched them for a few minutes before they knew I was there. At first I was sure your Keely would send them packing.” The smile on the Smith’s face never came close to reaching his eyes. “She was holding Syna back with one hand, because he was trying to protect her, bless him. All the while Keely was giving them all seven kinds of hell. She’s like a She wolf with cubs, that one, just like her mother.” The smith’s smile faded.

“Well, it just seemed to me that they should have cleared off, what with Keely there, and all.” The Smith shook his head, and then looked straight into Calum’s eyes. “But they just didn’t. All Keely’s yelling, and that Braun just staring at Syna, like he was some kind of trapped animal. Then they started in on…” The smith paled a little.

“Well they weren’t talking about just pushing Syna around. They were talking about him like some of those men in the larger towns talk about woman. Hurting them…” The smith went silent for a long while, looking down again.

It surprised Calum when he continued at all.

“Anyway, After I’d sent Syna and Keely toward your place, I talked to them.” He said with an odd emphasis on the word ‘talk.’ “I was sure that after what I told them, that they never go near little Syna or Keely again.

He was looking at Calum now, with eyes devoid of either humor or questions. “When Keely told me this morning, what they did to the boy at the inn last night…, and in front of almost everyone…” He could holy shake his head, even though his eyes now locked on Calum’s.

“That shouldn’t have happened Calum. They should have been too afraid to bother him ever again, but they weren’t.”

Liam turned to stare toward the village before he finished.

“Those two are bad ones, Calum.” He said, as he began to walk down the road again. “I figure it will be better if we both go. That way, when they start in with their mean and ignorant mouths, I can keep you from pulling their heads off before we find anything out. When they give me some of the same, you can keep me from pulling that Bram’s arm off, and choking to death with it.” All the while he spoke, Calum could see the man’s eyes never veered from straight ahead.

“And Calum,” It was the smith who reached out this time, “if they hurt that boy, like I think they are capable of, I’m going to hurt them.” Calum was too shocked to respond.

“I mean it!

“When my Elyria was so sick before she died, and that fool of a healer could do nothing but hurt her more, it was Syna who came to my place almost every day, to look after little Ella. It was Syna who brought Elyria stew, and later on, broths whenever Dara could not come - that being all she could eat.” The smith began walking again. “That boy has never done anything to anyone, and more good than most of the folks in this valley five times his age. If those two have hurt him, I’m going to have them over a limb…, no matter what Keene sayes.”

This time, when Calum stopped walking, the smith did not. The smith did not pause again, not even when Calum once again caught up with him and both men made rapidly for the village together, with the two stable hands following with the remaining horse well off in the field behind them. The Smith never took his eyes off the road.

 

 

      Long before they reached the cottage, Bryan could see a large grey stallion pacing about beside where the trail met the tree line above the cottage. Neither rider made any indication of stopping as they road straight through the yard, and up to the animal.

When they were closer, Bryan recognized the horse was surely Mr. Balderdash, the one that the herald had ridden. Looking about, the men dismounted, and walked up to the animal, which just continued to wander about this part of the trail, not eating, but sniffing occasionally.

“Hello, there, Mr. Balderdash.” Bryan said, “Why are you hear alone, old boy?” Bryan stroked the horse on the neck, causing him to turn and muzzle him briefly in acknowledgement, before once more turning his head, and continuing to nose around the bushes.

“He’s not alone.” A voice form the tall grass off the path to their right startled them a little, causing Ladd and Bryan to look briefly at each other with raised eyebrows. Both men began walking into the tall grass, and quickly came upon Jada, who was squatting down beside an exposed patch of earth, near a bush. Jada was not looking down, but off into the grass, as if he were lost in thought, and daydreaming. “He never wanders far,” he said absently.

“What are you doing here, Son?” Ladd asked him, not having met the man before.

“Same as you are, I suppose.” Jada answered him pleasantly enough. “I’m looking for Syna.” Jada stood then, and turned to face the men while absently brushing off his breeches. “Is there any word?” he asked, looking over at Bryan, who just shook his head slightly.

Jada, shook his head slightly, and turned his back on the men to stare once again out at the grass that bordered the forest.

Finally, Bryan could not stand the silence and asked Jada directly. “How about you, Jada; have you found anything?”

Oddly, the first thing that Jada reacted to was the tone in Bryan’s voice. It was hard to pick up in such a proud man as Bryan, but there was just a little hint of deference that had not been there the first time he spoke to the man. Of course, Jada, thought with some amusement, that there may have been other reasons for the man to have been acting a little oddly, at that meeting; however, Jada was sure of it now, and it made him a little sad. He much preferred meeting people who had yet to find out who he was. Very few ever treated him in the same way after they found out.

With a shake of his head, Jada looked down at the ground, and pointed. “I’m just not sure. I told Mr. Balderdash over there to find the girl, and he led me here. Nevertheless, he seems strangely reluctant to enter the woods to the north. This may be a print, but I can’t be sure, because if it is, she only caught the smallest part of her heel in the dirt, and the majority of her foot on the grass.”

“I’m sure that Mr. Balderdash is certain, though, and we often find ourselves searching for one person or another…” He said, as he turned to look back toward the north.

Kicking the dirt with his foot, he continued, with a distinct note of disappointment. “If she hadn’t been running, I probably could not have seen anything at all. Either way, the real problem is, that it has not rained here for over a week, and the print may be days old. I just can’t tell.”

Jada stepped to the side of the bush, and turned to ask Bryan “Was she wearing the same skirt that she had on when I saw her yesterday, do you think?”

Bryan was a bit taken aback at Jada’s referring to his son as she, but he suppressed any reaction to that as best he could; because, his only interest at the moment was in what the young man had to say.

“I think so. At least he was when I went to bed.” Bryan answered, now exceedingly curious. “Did you find something Jada?” He asked growing impatient.

Jada then bent to the side of the bush, and waved Bryan forward. “I think so. I can’t find much, but there is a funny color on these old bud scars on this side of the bush. I can’t find a loose thread, not surprising the way she sews, but from the look of the bush, I’d say there is some fuzz of the same color here at these tips. That makes it look like she was running, and dodged to the side to avoid the bush.” Then Jada stood, and stepping very close to Bryan, and raised his arm slightly up the slope toward a spot on the tree line, where the grass of the field had grown further up the slop amid the trees, almost like a little inlet on the shore of a lake.

“If you look there, it’s hard to see from the wind, but I am certain that something went this way recently. I can’t tell if it was a deer, or another animal, but it might have been her.” Jada said this, while guiding the older man's gaze, who nodded that he could see it too.

“Either way, like I said,” Jada continued more carefully, “She was running, but I can't find anything that looks like she was being chased.” He said, now looking carefully at the older man.

“Why would she run away, Bryan?” Jada asked, not looking away from the older man, as if studying him.

Bryan looked pained, but not guilty.

Ladd spoke before either of them. “You do realize that Syna is a boy? Don’t you?”

Jada looked at the man for a moment, and nodded, before turning back to Bryan, waiting for an answer. It took a few minutes for Bryan to speak, but when he did so, his voice was strong and clear.

“My son has been having a hard time. Some of the villagers have not been as kind to him as he deserves. They taunt him because he is… different. They are the ones who call him Syna.” Bryan began to martial his thoughts, so he could get it out as quickly and as clearly as possible.

“Two days ago, he was cornered in the town by two of our local troublemakers. Syna did not speak to me about it, but ever sense then, he’s been acting a little strangely…”

Bryan hesitated for a few moments, as Jada’s eyebrows were doing an impression of two small animals trying to hide themselves in his hair. Bryan realized that to this man, it must be something of an understatement, but he continued just the same.

“Well, I’ve not spoken to the two young men in question, but from what little I can gather, I assure you that I will.” Bryan actually shrugged. “You see, Jada, we don’t get too many problems like that around here. Most folks realize that we have a good thing in this valley, and good neighbors to share it with.” Jada nodded, to show that he understood the situation here.

Bryan continued. “Well when Dyre was on the way home, it happened again.” Bryan just glanced at Ladd, without pausing. “One of the local women, said some mean things, and hit him in the head with a rock. Ladd here took care of that one, but I guess the damage was done.”

Jada still looked at the man, and even though he was sure he knew the answer; he had known since he saw the man with the girl… or, his child yesterday. Never the less, he felt it was important to ask the question point blank. “Did you punish her, in any way?”

Ladd began to answer. “Listen, young man, Bryan is not the type of man to…,” but a slightly raised hand from Bryan stopped him.

“Jada, I’ve never raised my hand to Dyre, nor have I ever had any reason to. That’s…” Bryan hesitated, but continued quickly enough. “That’s not my way. I can’t even remember the last time I’ve had to speak to him about anything, and even then I’d never raise my hand to him. Even if I were to punish him, how could I do so for what you saw yesterday? What should I have done to correct that?”

Jada nodded. He wanted to tell the man that he actually understood this, but that he had to have asked the question when it came to explaining things here to his masters. It was simply not a question of what he believed, but rather that he carefully confirmed any suspicion he might have whenever practical. That made him a valuable emissary. He simply did not know either how, or even if he should try to explain that. Therefore, he settled for a nod, and asked the other question that lay at the top of the list. “Does ‘he’ always dress like that?”

Bryan shook his head. “That’s my fault, Jada.” Which earned him a startled look from Ladd, more so than the one Jada gave him. “Since his mother disappeared, she…” he stumbled, “I mean ‘he’, has been taking care of things -- taking care of us really.”

Bryan looked down for just a moment, as if reviewing some scroll that recorded these events, so as to refresh his mind, before he continued.

“Perhaps I should not have expected such things of him, but he just took it all on of his own accord. I never really asked him. With his mother missing, well I thought it would do more harm to stop him and leave him with nothing to do, than it would to let him be. I may have been wrong, but I swear to you, yesterday was the first time I’ve ever seen him like that. I had found some of his mother’s things out, several times over the past year, but…”

Jada wanted to ask more about the mother, as he was sure that it would be critical, but for now, he needed to keep the man on track.

“You mean, when we brought you your Lunch?” Jada asked, for the first time genuinely surprised, and making no effort to hide it.

Bryan nodded.

Jada was openly amazed, and just pondered that for some moments while plucking his upper lip between two fingers and looking at the man, which allowed Bryan to speak again.

“You shouldn’t judge him to harshly, Jada. He’s always been…”

It was Ladd, who explained where Bryan could not find the right words.

“Jada.” Ladd said causing the younger man to look at him instead, “Syna has always been different. Most folks see no harm in the boy, including myself; but some, like my wife Chandi, who was the one who threw the rock by the way, do. Syna has always seemed more like a girl than a boy. He takes very much after his mother.”

It had come out more bluntly than Ladd had wanted, but it had come out clearly.

“The way he moves, and the way he acts. That’s why some of the old women in the village started calling him Syna. It was later that a few children, and childish adults started to taunt him with it.”

Ladd looked hard at Jada for a moment, then said, “Remember, he’s missing. When we find him, you can ask all the questions you like. You’ll find him very honest.” With that, Ladd began to walk across the field, to one side of the disturbed grass, leading his horse with him.

Jada looked over at the father’s face, seeing that he was torn between the need defend his son from a stranger, an inability to explain; even as he suffered the need to be searching for his son, rather than re-living the pains that had brought them all here.

To Bryan’s surprise, Jada stepped forward, and gently laid his hand on the larger man’s forearm. “Bryan, I don’t care how she was dressed. I come from the imperial court. Syna’s not the first young man I’ve ever seen that way.”

Jada smiled at an old memory, in spite of the seriousness of his thought.

“Or, for that matter old man, I can tell you that I’ve seen many of them. I can also tell you that I’ve never seen one who looked like Syna. When someone looks like that, then it’s more than just clothes. I think it was meant to be. I really had no idea, and I’ve seem far more odd things that any of you.”

Jada tried to smile now, to show he meant nothing ill by this statement. “I don’t care, Bryan. I too think that the only important thing is to find her, and to bring her back safe. Even the men who I work for will expect that I would help you.”

Jada had spoken with such sincerity, and honesty, that Bryan was deeply grateful, as his face clearly showed.

Jada continued now, turning back to the business at hand. . “The men in the village are questioning those two?” he asked curtly.

When Bryan nodded, Jada just nodded his head, and turned to watch Ladd searching in the field.

Bryan spoke softly. “They may know something. They’ve obviously gotten worse with him recently.”

“I saw that last night.” Jada said, and whistled for the stallion, which whinnied and began to walk back to Jada. “I think you should search in this direction.” He pointed out into the field. “If Syna is hiding nearby, you should be able to find him well before dark. I’m going back to the village. I’ve seen the type that we are dealing with, and I think that they may yet respond to reason, if we just ask them in the proper fashion. It’s in them that I’m most worried. If Syna is just upset, which is what I think happened by the way; she’ll come home soon enough. On the other hand, if there has been some mischief, we need to know it now, sooner rather than later.”

“I’ll go with you.” Bryan said, reaching for the horse behind him.

“I would rather you did not.” Jada said firmly. “You can do more good here, frankly. You know the area better than I do. I’ll only be gone for a few hours. It shouldn’t take me long. If Syna is running away in fear, I’ll be back in time to search further with you on horseback. For now, you should search on foot, and look for where she might have hidden during the night.”

Jada only paused long enough to be sure Bryan nodded, and was quickly mounted and galloping away down the path. His horse was fast, for one of his considerable size, Bryan thought; as he was almost to the trees lower down. Bryan looked out into the field to see Ladd watching him intently, and waiting. Bryan tied the horse to the bush, and with a wave, sent Ladd to search farther, as he himself moved up to the tree line, watching the ground for any sign that Syna had been there…

 
 

 
 

     -S.L.M.     

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