A Favor
Come away, O human child!
To the waters and the wild
With a faery, hand in hand,
For the world’s more full of weeping than you can understand.
~William Butler Yeats
“You know, we really shouldn’t be out here.” Nissa ducked under a honeysuckle bush as she followed closely behind Dani.
“There are a lot of things we really shouldn’t be doing, but we seem to do them anyway.” Dani held up a limb for Nissa to pass.
“What exactly are we looking for?” Nissa stopped next to her companion who stood at a fork in the path.
“A cat.” Dani looked from one trail to the other.
“A cat? Like a regular house cat?” Nissa sniffed the air; something not unlike her was nearby.
“A magickal cat, I am assuming.” Dani decided that the left path was the one to take. It looked far less ominous than the other.
“And Liam knows you are out here?” Nissa kicked at a rock with her hoof.
“Stop asking so many questions. You were the one that wanted to come.” Dani scanned her surroundings for something that might jump out at her—literally.
“I just want to know that this is ok for you to be doing.” Nissa caught up with her.
“Because not all of us are as free as you?” Dani cast a sideways glance at her familiar.
“Not what I meant, Dani.” She huffed, crossing her arms.
“I came out here for Tam Lyn,” Dani spoke but didn’t direct her attention to Nissa. She was skimming the treeline for anything out of the ordinary.
“Tam Lyn? That knob; asking you to come out here all defensele—” Dani cut Nissa off with one look.
“Really; defenseless? Is that how you view me?” Dani chortled, “He knows damn well that I am probably the best equipped for this job.” She began walking again and Nissa followed, her hooves clopping over the packed Earth.
“And that job would be?” Nissa drew out her last word.
“I told you; looking for a magickal cat,” Dani responded absentmindedly.
“Good grief!” Nissa threw her arms in the air dramatically.
“Tam Lyn needs to feed again. He hasn’t since he fed off of me when he first arrived at the Hedgerow. This cat is going to help me with that.” Dani took her rucksack from her back and plunged her hand inside, fishing for something in particular.
“Considering it has only been two months since he last fed, how did he go so long under the library without it?” Nissa didn’t understand.
“I think it had something to do with the entrapment spell; kept him immortal somehow. He didn’t need to feed, or not as frequently. It must have been some very powerful magicks at work.” The two had come to another fork in the road, this one with three separate paths to choose from.
“I bet it was Unseelie.” Nissa clucked.
“It was Hermetic. Regardless, he knows of some faery cat out here in the West Wood that is said to sell and trade spellwork. Apparently, this cat can conjure up some sort of creature that can sustain Tam Lyn indefinitely.” Dani decided on the middle path and kept walking.
“Really? I’ve never heard of such a thing.” Nissa scoffed.
“Honestly, I don’t understand it either. How on Earth can you have a being that regenerates its energy without any sustenance to sustain itself? Tam said it doesn’t have to eat, drink, or sleep. It just is. And it has unlimited essence for him to feed off of; no human blood required. I can’t wrap my head around it though; energy transfer just doesn’t work that way. You can’ just keep giving without replenishing or you’ll die.” Dani wasn’t sure that this magick cat was even legitimate.
“You’re talking in terms of science, dear. Magick and science are very similar and based on the same theories, but there are vast differences.” Nissa redirected Dani as she blindly wandered down the trail, almost catching the toe of her boot on a root. `
“Of course there are.” Dani skipped around a fallen tree and came out on the other side to a dead stop.
“Another fork? Who made these bloody trails?” Nissa growled.
“Faeries. What do you expect?” Dani chose the one on the far right and Nissa sighed loudly before following.
“Being with Orin has made you whiney; does he wait on you hand and hoof?” Dani poked Nissa in the shoulder.
“My attitude has nothing do with Orin. I just smell a rat in this whole situation.” Nissa turned her nose up in the air.
“A cat, actually.”
Nissa screamed, startled by the surly voice that greeted them out of thin air.
“Ipswich?” Dani called out. She couldn’t see anything, but she could smell him close by. The scent of rotting moss and catnip hung low in the air.
“I don’t see anything.” Nissa was crouched, knees slightly bent as she readied to attack.
“Because I don’t want you to.” The voice rang out again. It was closer this time, but the duo still couldn’t see anyone.
“Well, then,” Dani muttered under her breath, palming the iron dagger inside her jacket.
“Who sent you, Halfling?” The surly voice called out. It was now much farther away.
“Tam Lyn did.” Dani dropped the name in hopes that there would be a positive reaction.
“Haha, that ’ole goat? He’s been away for ages. Some say the Unseelie sold him off to the Mortals.” The voice was right up front now. Dani watched as a rather large, shaggy cat materialized in front of her, his stripy ginger fur bristled.
“He’s out and we happen to be really good friends.” Dani stooped forward, tapping her foot. She didn’t have to bend down very far, however; the cat had to be almost a meter tall.
“I meant no disrespect; Tam Lyn and I were quite fond of each other. What does he need? Women, blood, a new identity?” Ipswich laughed, rearing up on two legs as he walked over to a large willow tree. From behind it, he produced a small wooden stand and set it out in front of the trail. He was surprisingly anthropomorphic for a cat.
“Uh, not quite; he needs something else. He lives with mortals now.” Dani watched as Ipswich folded out the doors of what she could now see to be some sort of cabinet and ducked down to rifle through his things.
“Mortals?” Ipswich bumped his head on one of the cabinet shelves.
“He’s safe with us. There are a few fae type beings living at the Hedgerow.” Dani tried to peer around the cabinet, but Ipswich flicked something and a canopy unfolded atop it.
“Ah, the Hedgerow. There are a few fae allies in that community. They come and see me every so often.” Ipswich popped his head up and placed his front paws on the surface of the cupboard.
Dani didn’t dare question who; it wasn’t time for that. She came for something very specific, and if the transaction went well, maybe she could come back and talk more later.
“So, what does the knob need?” Ipswich clicked his claws on the wood.
“A Vitality Orb.” Dani wasn’t even sure what that was.
“Seriously? Tam is going to give up the other ways of feeding?” Ipswich cocked a furry brow.
“He can’t feed off the blood of anyone because no one knows he is an elf, and he can’t go around boffing everything either.” Dani thought it was pretty clear.
“This is not some simple task, young lady.” Ipswich pointed at her.
“Dani.”
“Dani, yes. Well, like I said…no simple task. I have to make a decoction if I don’t already have the right one, then infuse that with some other herbs and bits of things and finally, we would have to get a rather sizeable chunk of bloodstone.” Ipswich’s grin was smug.
“I can handle the bloodstone, you can see to the rest.” Dani waited patiently, arms crossed.
“Payment first.” Ipswich thrust his paw out and wiggled his fingers.
“About that. Tam Lyn was wondering if he could possibly—owe you.” Dani was wary that the cat wouldn’t agree.
“Of course he does. Not this time; I may have let it slip in the past, but things are harder now. This kind of stuff is illegal and I have to be compensated for my time.” Ipswich came around the cupboard and propped himself up.
“Right. Of course.” Dani tried to think quickly. What could she give him when everything that wasn’t natural was scarce?
Of course...
“What is your favorite stone?” Dani tilted her head to the side as she asked the question.
“Like gems? I am rather fond of tiger’s eye. I love the gold and the fine little bands.” The cat pinched his fingers, squinting his eyes.
Dani crouched down in the moist Earth and plunged her hand deep into it. She could feel the roots of the Willow tree and sense the tingling of the mineral particles just below her fingers.
When she extracted her hand, a large tiger’s eye obelisk was enclosed in her fingers.
“How is this for payment?” Dani dropped it with a thud atop the cabinet.
“How in the hell?” Ipswich picked the chunk of stone up from the surface, his paw dropping slightly with the weight.
“Don’t question it; as you said, times are hard. You have payment, now may we get the product?” Dani may have been an anxious mess on the inside, but she wasn’t doing half bad with her negotiations.
“Uh, yes. Of course.” Ipswich eyed her warily for a moment before bustling around the cabinet and continuing his mad search for what he needed.
“That was close.” Nissa leaned into her, both of their backs to the large ginger cat.
“I don’t think he would have hurt us, but we definitely wouldn’t have gotten what we needed,” Dani spoke out of the side of her mouth. She noticed that they were actually in a circular clearing where the moss still grew bright green, spinning in a spiral to the center.
“Maybe not, but faeries are very particular.” Nissa insisted.
“I know that I don’t have a ton of field experience with this, just seven years or so unlike your thousands—.”
“Hundreds. I am relatively young.” Nissa scoffed at Dani’s assumption.
“Whatever; either way, I may be new to this physical interaction, but I’m not daft.” Dani tapped her nose.
“Alright. The elixir is done, now I just need the stone.” Ipswich called out from behind them.
“Excuse me, Nissa.” Dani flexed her palm at the ground. It rumbled a bit before a croquet ball sized crystal burst forth from the mossy ground.
“You’re getting better at that.” Nissa was proud.
“I’ve been trying to teach Evan, but that hasn’t been working.” Dani’s response was sour.
“We’ll talk about it later.” Nissa steered her back around to Ipswich.
“What a fine specimen.” Ipswich took the bloodstone and set it out on the surface of the cupboard. He then picked up a tall glass bottle full of an amber liquid and poured its syrupy contents on top of the stone.
It began to glow in golds and greens, every marking in the stone split with light before it went dim. A faint calming hum could be heard in the air, coming from the enchanted orb in front of them.
“Now you just have to feed it to a Pixie.” Ipswich handed the bloodstone to Dani, “Though I don’t know why you made it so large.” He scratched his fiery mane with one sharp claw.
“Because no one told me I was going to be feeding it to something, let alone that that something was so small.” Dani held her fingers slightly apart in front of her face for scale before snatching up the stone.
“Well, I can fix the size issue. Hold your hand out please.” Ipswich tapped the back of Dani’s hand.
She obeyed as the cat withdrew a crooked branch from inside the cabinet, polished and wrapped in twine. He flicked it twice before tapping the orb. It shrunk immediately to the size of a gumball, but still just as gorgeous.
“Anything else I can help you ladies with?” Ipswich rocked back on his heels, his furry arms behind him.
“Where can we find a Pixie?” Dani shrugged. It was something she had yet to cross paths with.
“They are everywhere now. All went bad; annoying little buggers. I just eat them, but some keep them as pets. They really are everywhere, but generally in hiding. They aren’t affected by iron, so that won’t keep them out of the Hedgerow. You might possibly find them in your horse stables.” Ipswich began closing up shop as he rambled on.
“Thanks for that. And I just make them eat this?” Dani held up the small bloodstone orb.
“Slather it with marmalade first; they can’t resist the sweet stuff.” Ipswich winked and slowly faded away into the trees.
“Well, that wasn’t weird at all.” Dani whistled as she pocketed the gem and turned heel.
“That’s nothing, Dani. You’ve only ever seen us through the Veil, but sometimes reality is stranger than fiction.” Nissa caught up with her friend.
“It sure is stranger than anything I have ever read.”
“Did you get it?” Tam Lyn rushed the door as Dani entered Liam’s cottage.
“Well, most of it.” Dani held out the marble-sized stone.
“That’s it!” Tam Lyn exclaimed, plucking it from her hand.
“Did you know we have to feed it to a Pixie?” Dani took the crystal back with an accusatory tone.
“We have to what?” If Dani hadn’t been so irritated, she would have thought Tam Lyn’s quizzical expression was quite cute.
“Feed it to a damn Pixie like some faery snack. Ipswich said to cover it in marmalade; they love the stuff.” She chucked the stone back at him.
“Well, that’s odd.” Tam Lyn plopped down in Liam’s armchair.
“Ipswich said something about the Pixies possibly being around the stables. What’s that all about?” Dani perched on the arm of the chair and leaned into Tam Lyn. She had become rather fond of him in the last few months.
“Pixies like horses. Love to ride them about and tangle up their manes. Iron doesn’t affect them either.” Tam Lyn put the crystal in his pocket.
“So I’ve been told.” Dani stood and stretched.
“Where’s Nissa at?” Tam Lyn asked, kicking his legs up over the arm of the chair.
“Where do you think?” Dani stood by the front window and peered through the curtains, people were starting to file in for dinner.
“The love birds. It’s rather cute, actually.” Tam Lyn chuckled.
“Yeah.” She agreed quietly. It was endearing and she was glad that Nissa had found someone just like her, but it had gotten quite lonely. Pete and Shannon had been spending more time together, Liam was off with his henchman fortifying the Hedgerow, and Evan was completely wrapped up in LeAnna.
“You still have me, you know.” Tam Lyn was at Dani’s side, rubbing her arm.
“But you and Cassia—.”
“Me and Cassia nothing. We have fun together, but we know what we are. I’m still here for you regardless.” Tam Lyn leaned in and kissed the back of her head.
“This won’t make me drop my knickers, Tam.” Dani shot him down.
“Not trying this time. I’m serious.” She could hear the truth in Tam Lyn’s words.
“Thank you.” Dani turned into Tam Lyn and nuzzled his chest. Even though she wasn’t going to let him do anything, she couldn’t help but show him affection.
“Careful, girl. I like that.” Tam Lyn’s voice rumbled through his chest.
Before Dani could rebut, the front door opened and Liam walked in with Wren and Wesley in tow.
“Dani, you’re back. How was the West Wood?” Liam dumped his bag on the kitchen table and came over to throw an arm around her, pulling her from Tam Lyn.
“Fine. Found what I was looking for.” Dani smiled.
“I hate that we only have a few Rowan trees in the Hedgerow. Most don’t want to venture out for anything.” Liam went to the icebox and pulled out a glass bottle, popping the top with his belt buckle.
“I don’t blame them. We brought back plenty of the berries and didn’t even run into trouble.” Dani fibbed. She and Tam Lyn decided that trying to get Liam’s approval on this little venture would have been futile.
“Good. You should go wash up; dinner is being served as we speak.” Liam rolled up the sleeves of his long johns.
Dani nodded with a slight smile and slipped out to wash up before dinner.
Dani sat at her favorite table; the one in the corner farthest from the food stalls where no one ever sat. She knew that Nissa was out on a picnic with Orin and she probably wouldn’t see her until early morning the next day. Part of her wanted company, but she mostly just wanted to be left alone.
“Dani!” Pete’s gruff voice met her ears. She turned to see him striding towards her, Shannon right behind him.
“Hey, Pete.” She forced a weak smile and went back to picking at her greens.
“Liam said you went out into the West Wood alone.” Pete sat next to her and set his tray down while Shannon slid in across from him.
“Nissa was with me. Berry picking.” Dani could only say so much considering that Shannon practically knew nothing.
“Well, I’m glad you made it back safe. Things seem to be pretty quiet lately.” Pete bit into his dinner roll.
“It was a bit quiet out there. Didn’t run into anything dangerous, though.” Dani noticed that Shannon’s usual gawking stares had been replaced with a smug turn of the head. She wondered what that was all about; not that she really cared what Shannon thought about her.
“Good. It will save us some grief on this next run.” Pete tore a piece of chicken off the bone.
“Another petrol run? We are going to have to find a different energy source because this is getting ridiculous.” Dani was shocked that their fuel was dwindling so quickly.
“We keep telling Liam, though half of what we get isn’t really good anymore, he wants to run everything dry first.” Pete rolled his eyes.
“I know he does.” Dani popped a blackberry in her mouth, “Where’s Evan?”
“I checked on him before we came down here. He and LeAnna were talking about something.” Pete just shrugged.
As if his name was a cue, Evan wound his way through the throngs of people waiting to eat their meals, LeAnna right next to him.
At least he had been truthful with Dani; he said that he would drop everything for LeAnna and he did.
Anessa was but a mere memory when Evan saw her. Even though his first reaction was one of panic and disbelief, he quickly settled into having her around.
LeAnna had recently moved into Evan’s caravan and if he wasn’t out on assignment, he was by her side. Dani had tried to set up training with him as a way to jointly control their powers, but something almost always came up.
“Hey-oh, Petey.” Evan ruffled Pete’s hair as he sat down next to him on the opposite side of Dani.
“Good evening, mate. What you been up to?” Pete nudged him with his shoulder and kept plowing away at his food. LeAnna sat down next to Shannon, whose face now lit up at the sight of her.
“Just trying to get my shit together before this next run.” Evan began his own meal.
“When are you leaving?” Dani asked and for the first time, Evan realized she was there. He leaned forward to get a glimpse of her; a somewhat sad smile crept across his lips.
“Friday, so we have a bit under a week. He wants us to inventory what we have first, go through all the supplies, and then set out for more. He’s letting us use the truck again; longer stint. I’m not looking forward to this.” Pete wiped his mouth as he spoke.
“I don’t blame you. Even though things have seemed a bit on the calmer side lately, I don’t trust it.” Dani shook her head.
“I agree with Dani. Ever since—since you and Liam encountered those Spriggan, it has just been dead.” Evan whispered, conveniently leaving out the destruction of Anessa. Everyone still thought that she had run away distraught and they wanted to keep it that way.
“Almost two months of quiet. It’s as if my life was normal again.” Pete scoffed, downing a whole glass of water.
Dani was listening to Pete and Evan’s conversation, but she couldn’t help noticing the one that Shannon and LeAnna were having. Shannon was scooted all the way up against LeAnna and the two were whispering back and forth. She tried to tune in her hearing so she could listen to the exchange…
“I’ve never—” Shannon’s voice was so quiet that Dani really had to listen over the talking of the men.
“Me either, but I’ve always wanted to.” LeAnna giggled and placed her hand on Shannon’s thigh.
“Dani? What do you think?” Pete’s voice broke her concentration.
“About what?” Her head was a little foggy. What could the two women be talking about?
“About other alternative forms of energy?” For a second Dani got to see that usual smile that Evan tossed at her when they were speaking each other’s language. He knew she’d have some good ideas.
“There are other ways, like what I did with Cassia’s sewing machine and all the others, but it takes time and man-power. There are always things like diesel, but we’d either have to convert the machines we have or find new ones. Solar power is also a possibility.” Dani shrugged. She was still eyeing Shannon and LeAnna who were now giggling at one another.
“Either that or we go dark. We take it back to before electricity was even a thing and we use fire. I’m not really sure.” Dani wanted to say more, but she was too busy watching Shannon and LeAnna rise up from their bench.
“Where are you two off to?” Pete smiled at Shannon.
“Just going out for a walk. Maybe having some girl time.” LeAnna flashed her smile and instantly everyone melted. Everyone except Dani…
She had her arm looped through Shannon’s as the two stood hip to hip.
“Have fun. Pete and I have to finish our inventory and then maybe we can all go to the bonfire later tonight.” Evan smiled at LeAnna. Just the act made something twinge in Dani’s gut.
“I know you have to help keep this whole place going. We completely understand.” LeAnna’s fingers were now laced with Shannon’s discreetly by their side, but Dani noticed.
She blew Evan a kiss as the two women walked off towards the motor homes.
“What are you doing this afternoon, Dani?” Pete bumped his hip into her with his question.
Dani nudged him back, “I think I want to go see Cass. We have a few more machines to finish and then I have to help Tam Lyn with something.” She sipped at her tea.
“You and Tam have gotten close.” Pete wiggled his eyebrows. Evan cleared his throat loudly in response.
“It’s nice. I never knew others like me. He’s Kin to me.” There was a bite to that last word. Evan partially understood the Kin concept; he knew how Orin and Nissa were…he knew how he and Dani were. But he had seemingly tossed it aside for a mortal woman who barely gave him the time of day, even though she was right by his side.
“Well, watch yourself. I see how he looks at you. Can’t say that I blame him, but I’m spoken for.” Pete joked.
“Funny. I stay on alert around him, but I think he is getting to the point where he understands how I feel.” Dani pushed her plate back.
“Does Liam know how you feel?” Pete may have acted like an idiot, but clearly, he was very observant.
“How I feel about anything is none of anyone’s concern. Whether Tam likes me—”
“Or Liam.” Pete tried to keep a straight face.
“Or fuck all likes me; that is on them. I have not been very receptive of Tam Lyn’s affections, and I have no idea how Liam feels about anything. It doesn’t matter either way; not looking for love right now.” Dani’s voice spoke in accordance with her brain, but her heart had a different idea.
“We all need someone, Dani.” Pete was serious for a moment.
“I have Nissa and Cass. I’m good.” Dani objected.
“You know what I mean.” Pete was stern.
Dani just rolled her eyes and sat there quietly.
“Yeah, well—sometimes things don’t work out that way.” Dani smacked her hands down on the table and stood up.
“Thank you for the good company, gentlemen, but I am off to convert some sewing machines.” She nodded slightly and brushed past the two men. She wasn’t going to sit there and have that conversation with Evan present. She still wasn’t sure why it all made her so upset either.
