Changeling

Chapter 1: In Which the Faeries Pay a Visit

Ingle was a small town on the edge of Broom Wood, almost in the shadow of the towering trees. The inhabitants were fairly ordinary people, excepting Hannah Green, the local healer.

It was such a peaceful place that some of the townsfolk had stopped really believing in the old stories, the tales of faeries and elves and ogres, all of which lived in Broom Wood. Even Hannah Green began to wonder why ther hadn't been a changeling in the town for atleat thirty-five years. Perhaps the faeries had forgotten them, a worthless little town at the edge of their vast forest, which no human entered in they could help it. Maybe they no longer needed to worry.
Even Hannah Green didn't expect what was coming.
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Queen Myanoko was in a towering rage; a baby had been born, and she was required to visit it. In the middle of the night, for goodness sake! Why did it have to pick this time to be born, anyway!

Cursing all babies, the woman put on her cloak and left for the new mother's house, which was, at least, in the capitol city, Flutra, followed by three armed guards.

The house was small and modest, round, with one floor, built mainly of stone in the typical faerie style. Myanoko raised her fist and rapped hard on the door with her knuckles.

A young male faerie opened it, his eyes widening as he recognized his guest, illuminated by the guards' lanterns and the light filtering through the windows and the doorway behind him.

"Your Majesty," he gasped, bowing. "You've come to see the baby?"

"Why else would I be here in the middle of the night?" she snapped.

The man didn't answer. Instead he stepped aside, holding the door open. Queen Myanoko swept inside, followed by on of her guards. The other two remained outside to guard the door, standing very still in the shadows on either side of the entrance.

The queen observed her suroundings. The house was low-ceilinged; Myanoko, who was of average height for a faerie, could just barely stand up straight. Inside were three spacious rooms. The front door lead to one, and a narrow hallway lead to the others. A fire crackled on one wall, with and armchair and a sofa in front of it.

On the sofa, with her face and hair damp and her wings removed and draped ove the back of the armchair, lay a faerie. She heals a small baby wrapped in a linen blanket.

"Your Majesty," she whispered, looking nervous.

Myanoko removed her wings and lay them across the chair, then sat down in it.

"What is your name?" she asked imperiously, glaring at the faerie on the sofa.

"Marlise of Flutra," she answered. "And my daughter's name is..." she stopped abruptly at a glare from the queen, who held out her hands. The male faerie, who had been standing beside Marlise, gently took the baby from her and laid it in the queen's arms.

Myanoko looked down at the baby, who had begun to squirm. It was definetly female, though it was on the small side. It didn't even have it's wings yet! Besides, it didn't seem to like her, the way it was wriggling and carrying on. Then the hair on the back of her neck stood on end.

She could detect a spark of magic. Not that standard sort that almost every faerie was born with, but the old magic. The power of the ancient royal bloodlines. This runty, squirming baby could one day become queen in Myanoko's place.
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Fredrick and Melinda Traggle were residents of Ingle.They, along with their two sons, Mardah and Kiel, and Eliza, Fredrick's unmarried aunt, ran the town bakery. They, like Hannah, were unaware of the strange events yet to happen, to them in particular.

It began when Melinda gave birth to her third child. The baby, to Melinda's great delight, was female. She had a little curly brown ahri, blue eyes, and was of average size. Hannah, who had helped with the birth, could detect no magical powers (which are far rarer in humans that faeries) and confirmed that she was perfectly healthy. After much thought, Melinda and Fredrick decided to name her Sirri.

Everyone in Ingle adored her, even Mardah and Kiel (though not as much as everyone else). They marveled at her friendliness, which was noticalbe even though she was only a month old. With a healthy new baby, a good harvest, and no suspicious activity coming from the forest, the townsfolk had never felt more lucky and secure.

It was a chilly night in late September, and the Traggle family sat in from of their fireplace, Melinda and Eliza knitting mittens and socks for the coming winter, the boys finishing their schoolwork, Fredrick writing out recipies in, and everyone talking and laughing and sharing the day's gossip. The only family member who was not persent was Sirri, lying peacefully in her crib in the shop at the front of the house. She slept so soundly that she didn't even stir when the from door began to creak open.
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