Once Again: A Modern Fairy Tale Ch. Two

He who is Immortal, a near god, looked up to and sought for wisdom: A title strongly encouraged in some realms and yet not entirely correct. I concede not correct at all, in every Dream I do eventually die.

Eventually...

~ Clay of Glennferry





Chapter 2



April 26, 2009

He could feel her eyes on him. Her furtive glances and outright stares had been growing for weeks. Unable to ignore her any longer he sighed.

"Speak."

Dropping her eyes briefly she then spoke with boldness.

"Clay, you have got to stop this nonsense. Just talk to us. We want to know what it is you know. How can we help when you keep us so blind to the truth?" Daisy brushed her auburn bangs out of her eyes with a gentle swipe before shaking her pointed finger in his direction.

His eyes flashed, he knew she saw the anger. He fought to overcome his emotion with humor by lifting a one-sided smile before dropping it. In the same moment he caught her hand in his vice-like grip. He knew that were he Human she could have read his emotions more clearly, yet Elves practice the art of stoicism. He hoped serenity exuded from his demeanor, yet he knew very well that his eyes spoke of inner pain.

"Very well, gather the others and I will explain my concerns."

He had no intention of revealing all his concerns, but it was time. Time to act before something terrible happened to Mara.

***

May 7, 2009

Mara wandered aimlessly down a quiet side street, near downtown Seattle. Her thoughts were focused on her photography class. Her final project was due in three weeks and she had no idea what direction she wanted to go with it.

"Well the assignment said it should be unique and representative of nature in the city," she spoke out loud with a clear, whispery voice. "Nature in the City-- nature, natural, hmmm," she sighed.

She brightened when she noticed the old Laundromat was being renovated. It had been sitting vacant for several months. With interest, she sat down on the nearby bench and watched as workers carry plain cardboard boxes into the building. Curiosity piqued, she wondered what kind of business it would be. Mara always had her camera handy, so she began shooting a few pictures to document her day. The beauty of the men alone was enough that no one would blame her. They were dressed in nondescript khakis and t shirts, but the long flowing hair of the first guy shone in silky waves like water on a black sea. Mara felt like it was a banner signaling, 'look at me!' The second worker was equally attractive with hair nearly as long, it brushed just a smidgeon past his shoulders. She loved the angle of the sun and the way the light hit on his golden hair, he seemed to simply glow.

Soon enough her bus arrived. As she sat near a window and looked out on the scene one final time, the one she dubbed Mr. Sunshine looked over at her and smiled.

***

Watching over Mara with Clay, Daisy noted his tenseness. This was it, the trigger he had been waiting for. Even so, Daisy had to admit she found the Fairies quite attractive. Not that any Human could tell they were Fairies, they had upsized from their normal six inch stature to assume Human form. Yet they did not mask their magical powers since Humans cannot see it anyway. The two males looked nearly identical except one was a golden haired Purple, and the other one was a Blue Fairy with silky black hair, which reminded Daisy of her first horse when she was a child. Neither manifested their wings though. She sighed at the memory of her horse, earning a dry glance from Clay. She opened her mouth and snapped it shut, admitting perhaps it was the beauty of the Fairies that caused the sigh after all.

A crowd of commuters queued up, effectively blocking Daisy's view from across the street. But it was just as well since Mara's bus arrived. Collecting her backpack Mara rode to the Safe Harbor Retirement Center, where she worked part time as an assistant to the activities director. It was an uneventful evening and soon she returned home to have a late dinner and get some sleep, before doing it all over again. Daisy sometimes wondered what Mara would think if she knew that invisible companions, or disguised attendants, were guarding her day and night.

***

"Friday," Mara said, as she brushed her hair in front of the mirror. "Today I have to turn in my idea for photography, and I have a math test. I hate math!"

Hastily she applied a pale pink blush to her smooth white cheeks and then a light skiff of brown eye shadow to highlight her blue eyes. "No time for mascara, I might miss the bus," she sighed, as she quickly left her room.

"Are you talking to yourself again?" Jill quipped.

Jill rented the bedroom suite across the hall. They shared the house which Mara had inherited from her favorite great aunt.

"Not any more than usual," Mara replied, grabbing an orange and a granola bar. "What are we doing tonight?"

"A block party to welcome in our new neighbors!" Jill answered.

She shimmied and threw in a few dance steps to emphasize music and fun. Jill reminded many of Lucille Ball. She was always trying to match Mara up with the guys in the neighborhood, with nearly the same comedic effect. Mara simply was not interested.

"I didn't know we had new neighbors, but it sounds fun," Mara responded.

With a shrug she went out the door. Mara walked half a block to the bus stop on the corner, but she was early, so she walked on down the street to where the old Laundromat was. "Just to check on their progress," she mused.

A small crooked smile pulled at her mouth. She was lying to herself, but wasn't ready to admit it. The smile that Mr. Sunshine had given her the day before as the bus pulled away was still playing vibrantly in her mind.

***

Clay and Daisy were still on duty, ever vigilant in their quest to ensure Mara came to no harm. It was an assignment given to them by Princess Tigerlily, before she passed over into the next realm. An assignment each of the six had pledged to keep for as long as Mara lived.

Shuffling up the street in disguise neither looked true to form. Daisy normally wore her shoulder length hair up in a high ponytail, her default clothing consisted of a whimsical princess dress cut short, more like a tutu, to allow swiftness while running or ease in climbing trees. Today she was dressed in burgundy leggings and a dumpy long sweater. Her hair was uncombed and dulled to a drab brown. Clay preferred to merely age rather than modify his appearance, except of course when he chose to be an animal. So he retained his decidedly thin frame and six foot four inch height, grown old he stooped and sported a raggedy yet still silky soft beard. His long, nearly white hair he conceded to shorten, so it merely fell to his jawline. Of course neither exposed their Elvin ears. Transformation of ears being one of the very first lessons Elves learn as younglings.

Mara rarely ever noticed the people around her. At times Clay would catch her staring at him when he sat opposite her. Then she would smile and, oh how he wanted to reach out to her and tell her everything. Instead he'd nod gruffly and look away. Clay felt a tugging at his heart as he sat each day staring at her perfect face. The set of her jaw or tilt of her head could have set him weeping had he allowed it. Often he turned away to survey the perimeter, merely for relief. Yet never for long. He missed that face!

Watching her all these years had been his pleasure, an assignment he took seriously. But now that his memories of past Dreams were surfacing he felt conflicted. He loved her, had always loved her from the day she was born when he had held her in his arms. But now she was a woman, nearly twenty-one and not yet awakened to her true identity. Presently he had choices to make.

Everything hinged on who would reveal the truth to her.

***

Aerrvin had chosen Seattle for his quest. His sister, the future Fairy Queen, had gotten married before him, even though she was younger, and now she demanded that he get on with providing their parents with the first grandchild. He had held off for a decade, but she had turned up the pressure. The prince felt forced into agreeing with his cherished advisor Bronwyn when he had pointed out that Aerrvin was nearly one hundred and ninety years old and certainly mature enough to marry.

Bronwyn the Brownie, felt no delight with Aerrvin's choice to woo a Human, but he was merely a servant and advisor to the Prince. Thus Bronwyn found himself working in back of the store arranging supplies with his wife, Button, while Aerrvin and his companions decorated the front.

"Hey, Aerrvin she is out there again," Gareth called. "She has her camera too. Why do you think she is The One?" He raised his hands gracefully for dramatic effect.

"Magic," Aerrvin replied in a rich Irish accent.

"Oh, no that is not fair, nor allowed," Gareth accused. "Compulsion is strictly forbidden. Isn't that right Jaera?"

"Yes, but I don't think he used Compulsion. Did you?"

As red-haired Jaera hung chimes on hooks attached to the ceiling, while balancing with decided grace on the topmost step, she turned to face Aerrvin with a laughing smile; one more suitable for an imp. She awaited his reply.

"No, of course not, I am high-born and well-schooled. I used an old spell I learned from my Great Grandfather before he Faded, great is his memory, anyway it simply lets one know when someone is thinking of them, as well as what their emotions are. Quite useful among... say... friends and enemies," Aerrvin paused to look pointedly at Jaera.

He didn't really hold a grudge against her, but as younglings Jaera had tried several times to get Aerrvin in trouble with their teachers, especially Master Groban.

"It only works on those in whom I have an interest, be they friend or foe, and they must be within twenty spans of me."

"Limited, but useful," Gareth murmured. "Will you teach it to me?"

"Later, she is thinking about me, and she is pleased."

The young Fairy Prince smiled, then, picking up a chime, he went outside to hang it on the new post the Brownies had made for that very purpose. Above the post was a sign advertising the name and nature of the young businessman's new venture.

***

Mara rejoiced when she saw the craft supplies in the window displays. Then again when seeing the name of the store, "The Craftsman's Majick. Perfect, that's precisely what we need! Now I won't have to go to the mall to pick up supplies for work!"

Quietly for a change, she wondered if her worker really worked there, or if he was just a delivery guy. Then to her surprise and delight he walked out, glanced at her with a secretive smile and hung up a wooden wind chime. The wind blew his golden locks up off his collar and the chime sounded sweet and mellow.

"Beautiful," she marveled as the bus arrived.

"Now why didn't I take a picture?!" Mara whispered on the crowded bus. "Oh, I've got it! My final project will be about the effects of wind in the city. I'm glad I only have two classes today. I can't wait to get started!"

Her seat mate nodded absently. She'd sat with Mara before.