Fickle Faeries

In order to pass through the Fae Woods and return home before the attacking army, Alissa must make an appeal to the Fae, what will be asked of her in return and what will she be willing to sacrifice?

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Alissa grunted as she nearly tripped on a root, the 'trail' she was being led down seemed little more than a small game trail rather than something intended to be used by humans. Solid footing was hard to come by and her bulky armor didn't help matter either.

Not that her guide seemed to mind, the little satyr Fae creature bounded along, almost constantly calling out "Follow the path, follow the path!" If a rather grating sing-song tone. Alissa had nearly tried to get him to stop it, but just as she opened her mouth to speak she found that she was no longer on the trail, fortunately Alissa was able to catch up thanks to the little fae's sing-song repetition so she held her tongue, and made sure to pay more attention and avoid further distraction.

The Fae Woods might seem innocuous from the outside, but all manner of strange, powerful and frightening creatures called it home so people with any sense avoided it at all costs. Even those foolish enough to tempt fate never delved deep before turning back or winding up lost or

worse.

Unfortunately Alissa and her group had no choice, they had just barely managed to rescue Prince Amarus from the Tyrant's kidnappers, the prince was wounded but not severely, so he wasn't at risk of dying thankfully. Unfortunately he also wasn't in any shape to travel long distances.

Normally that wouldn't be a problem, the outer edges of the Amarus Kingdom were perhaps a little rough and tumble but they'd have had no problem getting to the capitol. Unfortunately the Tyrant had started to march his army towards the Amarus Kingdom as soon as he'd gotten word that his kidnappers had succeeded, and if Alissa was to return the Prince to the capitol in time to rally the defenders, they would need safe passage through the Fae Woods.

They had made camp a little way within the forest, they fashioned a makeshift flag of parley in the hopes of seeking an audience with someone who would grant them passage through the woods. Dusk had barely fallen when a Doe-headed Fae stepped out from behind a tree as if suddenly appearing. Alissa had explained their need to the creature as it cooked its head to the side eerily.

"I cannot grant you passage." It declared, turning its gaze upon each of Alissa's group before returning to Alissa before continuing, "You alone will be guided to the Fae Council and they will decide your group's fate."

The others started to object but Alissa waved them back. "I am this group's main warrior and the rest must tend to the Prince, can you guarantee their safety while I am gone?" Alissa returned the Doe-faced Faes steely gaze, her face hard with determination to see this through.

It nodded after a few seconds, "We will see to your group's safety." It announced as six more doe-faced fae stepped out from behind assorted trees, these fae were armed with bows and other assorted weaponry. The Prince's temporary safety secured Alissa left to delve deeper into the Fae Woods guided by the small satyr.

That was over an

hour

ago and Alissa's optimism had started to wane when suddenly she nearly stepped on the satyr as it stopped moving. Looking around Alissa noted this area of the forest seemed to be home to some very large redwoods and they had stopped right in front of a small gap between two large trunks.

Looking down at the satyr it held its hand up, opening and closing its hand as if it were a child wishing to hold its parent's hand. Alissa saw no reason not to do so and squatted down in order to reach. As she grasped its hand Alissa was suddenly overcome with a wave of vertigo, as if she had suddenly moved without moving. A headache threatened to form but Alissa closed her eyes and mentally centred herself to overcome her body's reaction.

When she opened them again she found herself in a grand hall, the little satyr now gone. It seemed as though the room had been

grown

, many types of plants and trees that Alissa could never hope to name grew and intertwined across the room, giving it colour and texture unlike anything she had ever seen before.

Along an arc of the hall were a dozen chairs of varying sizes that nonetheless let all the occupants sit at the same height. Each one seemed to have been grown and shaped from a different type of tree and each was decorated with a specific type of blooming flower.

Most curiously though was that most of the chairs were empty, in fact of the twelve before Alissa only

two

were occupied, one on the right near the centre and one on the left about halfway to the edge. The chairs were all of equal height, but given how the chairs closer to the centre were decorated with more flowers than those closer to the edge signalled some form of seniority?

Alissa mentally chided herself for not paying more attention during assorted meetings regarding the Fae, she was a warrior and there were many in the kingdom that were better suited to such fraught negotiations but Alissa was here now and had to do the best she could.

Of the two Fae sat before her, the rightmost one was the most...imposing, Alissa assumed it was at least 7ft tall, given it seemed to be some form of dyrad it was hardly surprising. Though it was difficult to discern whether it was a tree-shaped humanoid or a Humanoid-shaped tree. Its hair was little more than a series of vines grouped in a series of bundles and loosely braided and wearing only a simple beige tunic.

The Fae to the left was smaller, possibly slightly shorter than Alissa herself but her rabbit features made it hard to tell her exact height. Her tall rabbit ears were covered in short light brown fur, though her face looked very human. As Alissa's gaze moved lower the fae's her rabbit features became more prominent, her wide hips and thighs ending in powerful looking rabbit legs. She only wore a small embroidered vest, her short fur growing in about halfway down her stomach provided some form of modesty at least.

Adjusting from her awkward squat to bowing down on one knee Alissa hung her head as she addressed the two fae. "Greetings, I am Alissa, Royal Guard of the Amarus Kingdom, and..."Alissa began but was interrupted by the centermost fae.

"You need not be so formal Alissa, as you can see only the two of us out of the entire Fae Council were able to attend this summons given the short notice." The dryad waved their arm towards the only other council member, "Fortunately for you and your group your request is not one that requires

full

Council approval." the dryad informed her as she rose to a standing position.

"You may address me as Stonebark, I tend to the forest's largest trees and ensure their health and growth." Stonebark informed her before motioning towards the other fae, "And this is Maple Surefoot, she oversees our livestock and farms." Maple nodded, concluding the introductions.

"Now our scouts already told us who you are and your goals within these woods, it is unusual for anyone to even think of asking for passage, let alone directly seeking full parley." Stonebark's tone seemed more inquisitive than suspicious, as though they had been presented with a puzzle to be solved.

Alissa took a deep breath and mentally centred herself quickly, she truly wished to avoid causing an issue here. "It is as the scouts said Stonebark, we managed to rescue the Prince from his kidnappers, but with his injuries and the Tyrant's forces' head start the only way for us to return to our kingdom prior to it being destroyed is to pass through your forest." Alissa did her best to pay respect and lay out as many details as possible as she re-explained the situation.

Stonebark's gaze was stiff, Alissa found it difficult to discern any emotion from their face as they contemplated her words.

"If your Kingdom is incapable of defending itself without its prince, should it not be destroyed then? Is your Kingdom so dependent on a single individual?" Stonebark's tone was not accusatory but less inquisitive now. Alissa had to answer carefully, she pondered her options for a moment before answering.

"Our Kingdom

is

more than capable of functioning without the Prince in it's regular day to day activities, but preparing for war and countering an assault is something difficult to practise for, requiring the direct oversight of leadership." Alissa countered. Stonebark leaning back into their chair as she spoke, were they enjoying this?

"So what have we to gain from allowing your group passage, we have no allegiance to uphold with your kingdom." Stonebark back stated flatly, Maple nodding her own head. Alissa sighed mentally, she recalled an old...companion, he was the very talkative type, bombastic and grand in all he did. Ultimately they were a poor match and she hadn't seen him in close to a decade, but he said something that had stuck with her ever since.

"Ali, stop trying to explain yourself, you'll get nowhere like that." he admonished her, "When someone expects you to make

them

care for some cause, they care little for what

you

care for, they are only interested in why

they

should care." He'd explain, and Alissa's assorted dealings in the years since had always proved him right.

Alissa stepped forward, adopting an aggressive stance, "Because the Tyrant will not settle for the Amarus Kingdom, he means to conquer all peoples." Alissa dipped into her anger, thinking of all those the Tyrant and his people have killed, maimed, or worse. "And those he cannot conquer? Those who resist? He decimates them, first the people, and then the land, both for his own enjoyment, and to set an example for any other who don't submit to him." Alissa glowered at Stonebark as she laid out the dark truth of Tyrant.

Alissa relaxed her posture, "You are of course correct in that we do not have a proper allegiance, but you need not an allegiance to protect yourselves from future turmoil." Alissa exhaled deeply, letting the tension flow from her body.

"We only require passage and a guide to the edge of the woods to the north, seems a simple price to pay to prevent turmoil in the future." Alissa trailed off, her point having hopefully been made convincingly enough. Stonebark and Maple exchanged stoic glances.

The seconds of silence are some of the tensest Alissa has ever dealt with and she nearly jumps out of her skin as Stonebark breaks out in a loud and booming belly laugh that resonated within the grand hall as they slapped the arm of their chair.

"Very good Lady Alissa!" Stonebark boomed, "Your bluntness and passion suit you well and give your words strength." The dryad's body language softened greatly as it laughed and celebrated. Leaving Maple to speak up.

"We've known of the Tyrant, but we are quite isolated, we only get bits of pieces of information from other fae and the rare traveller we accept within our borders." Maple shared with Alissa, the other council member also becoming much more relaxed.

"We can tell by your words that you are a warrior and are familiar with the Tyrant's methods in a way none of the Fae here are and we thank you for your insight." Maple bowed slightly.

Having mostly recovered from their blustering Stonebark speaks up, "We will grant your and your group passage through our woods and provide a secret escort as an added precaution." the dryad vowed.

"Just the two of us cannot provide any more than that right now. Though the Tyrant is something we will discuss with the rest of the Council in the coming weeks." Maple explained.

Alissa exhaled deeply, overcome with relief that she managed to convince the Fae to aid them. "Thank you Stonebark, Maple, Your aid in this matter will not be forgotten by the Amarus Kingdom, I swear my life on it." Alissa thanked them earnestly.

"We are but a portion of the full council, we cannot guarantee how the council will decide things in the future, but we accept your thanks nonetheless." Maple stressed.

"But for the immediate future, with a fae guide your group should be able to reach the northern edge of our woods within two days..." Maple began explaining.

"

TWO DAYS?!?

" Alissa interrupted, "Should it not take closer to five or even six days to cover such a distance?" Alissa questioned, amazed at the claim put forth by Maple.

Maple shrugged, "Perhaps if this were a

normal

forest, but the Fae Woods are magical in their own right, with one of our guides you will be able to take advantage of paths not findable by the naked eye." Maple elaborated.

Alissa averted her eyes in embarrassment, "Ah, yes of course, apologies for my outburst." she implored, a corner of her mind worried she might have just ruined everything.

Stonebark chuckled, "Think nothing of it Lady Alissa, you have clearly been under a great deal of stress and hardship recently. In fact, if our business here is concluded, I believe we can fetch your guide and have your group moving soon." the dryad suggested as they began turning in their seat.

Alissa shifted slightly, she had accomplished all she had come here for, she'd acquired them passage through the Fae Woods and even secured a guide and escorts, and yet...

"A moment Stonebark, I have an additional request I would as of the council, a more...

personal

request." Alissa announced as she dropped down to one knee again.

Stonebark turned back to Alissa, "A personal request hmm? What could you ask of us beyond what you have already?" Stonebark inquired, their curiosity obviously peaked.

Alissa raised her head, "It's for the Prince, as already mentioned, his physical injuries are not life threatening, but even accounting for those he is rather lethargic and finds it difficult to focus and rest. We believe he has been poisoned or drugged somehow, either as part of his kidnapping or as the Tyrant's agents fled our kingdom with him." Alissa recounted, pausing for a moment before continuing.

"We don't have any strong healers in the rescue party and so I would ask if you can provide some means to cure whatever the Prince is afflicted with." Alissa pleaded.

Stonebark grumbled under his breath, "Unfortunately Lady Alissa it is against our customs to use Fae magic on outsiders. We are granting you passage and aiding your passage but you and your group are still outsiders to the Fae Woods." Stonebark elaborated.

"I understand, hopefully with the aid of your guide we can return to the capitol quicker than we expected so that should be enough that our healers can help the Prince." Alissa acknowledged as she stood up again.

Maple coughed, "Stonebark, a moment?" she asks, proceeding to hold a hand up to her face as if she were whispering right into someone's ear. Alissa can't hear anything but she spots Stonebark nodding along as if he was hearing everything.

With a final nod Maple stopped whispering, clapped her hands twice, beckoning a small fae to step into the great hall and trot up to Maple's chair. Maple spoke to it quickly but quietly enough that Alissa couldn't hear anything. Then it trotted back the way it came.

This time it was Maple who spoke, "Lady Alissa, as Stonebark just explained, we cannot use Fae magic on outsiders, but there is perhaps a way you may be able to help your Prince, though you will incur a cost that requires you to pay us a tribute of a sort." Maple informed her, Alissa saw that she was leaning forward slightly, she wondered if the fae was eager to see her accept and if Alissa should refuse, and yet...

"I would do anything to save the Prince, even if it meant giving up my life!" Alissa asserted forcefully.

Stonebark laughed heartily at Alissa's response, "Your determination makes your kingdom proud Lady Alissa, but we don't ask anything so dire from you." The dryad alieved Alissa's fears. "We merely ask that you ingest a special berry, one that is said to bless those who are pure with the means to help heal others." Stonebark attested at length, Alissa noted they were leaning forward now as well.

"It is a rare berry unique to areas inhabited by the fae, but even then it is rare and difficult to find." Maple lamented, "but we have harvested some of these berries and I have been working to grow more and try to extract it's full potential but they are difficult to grow, nor have we had any success with any of the fae that have attempted to consume them, but you offer us a unique opportunity, if you are bold enough to try." Maple was clearly goading her, they wanted her to try which left Alissa uneasy, in addition the way they were being vague left her concerned.

"What will happen to me if I am

not

blessed by this berry?" Alissa asked, she didn't want to question every little thing but she needed some answers at least.

"Nothing much, you will require a day or two of rest to recuperate but will otherwise be unharmed afterwards." Maple explained as Alissa thought it through. If there truly was no long term risk why not attempt it? Even if she needed to recover afterwards they'd

still

likely return to the Capitol days before they had assumed they would have by cutting through the Fae Woods. There was just one more thing...

"And what of the tribute you mentioned?" Alissa asked, turning to Stonebark who had initially posited the idea of a tribute.

Stonebark merely smiled, "We simply wish to be the recipients of the ability before you leave, though we are not injured or poisoned, the blessing you may gain can still invigorate those that are already healthy." The dryad's claim seemed innocuous enough, and to be able to use it to help the Prince later, and possibly others?

Overall it seemed worth the risk and the entire kingdom was at stake...

"Very well, I shall try one." Alissa stated as confidently as she could, trying to ignore the lingering doubts she harboured at the back of her mind.

"Yes! Excellent!" Maple explained excitedly, she moved to clap excitedly, quickling summoning a pair of small fae to come trotting into the great hall. One carried a small stand while another carried an ornately carved tray, upon which rested a steaming cup and a small covered serving dish. Once they set up the stand to Alissa's side and set the tray upon it they gave a short bow and trotted back out.

Alissa eyed the cup and covered dish dubiously, why the cup? Was the actual berry under the cover of the serving dish? Maple seemed to pick up on her thoughts as she watched Alissa.

"The cup contains tea brewed from the leaves of the berry plant, it seems to aid in preparing the body for the blessing, or at the very least it seems to make the recovery easier on those that have eaten the berry." Maple eagerly explained.

As she listened, some of the steam wafted its way to Alissa as she got down on her knees and it smelled...well she couldn't place it but it was almost intoxicating. Even just a whiff seemed to slightly sharpen her senses and made her feel more alert. As she reached out to grab the cup she felt its warmth even though the gauntlet, bringing it up to face she took in more of the alluring scent, she still couldn't place it but she found herself wanting more, to drink it and taste it fully.

"Go on then, you won't burn your tongue on it." Maple urged Alissa, leaning forward ever more in her chair as Alissa slowly brought the cup to her lips. She started with a small sip, not even letting a mouthful in. As soon as it hit her tongue sparks lit up her head. It was sweet and yet creamy in a way that was familiar without being able to say why.

As Maple said it was hot but didn't burn her, in fact her whole mouth warmed up as if she was on watch at the northern edge of the kingdom deep in the mountains and had just been served a hearty, steaming hot soup. Swallowing it led to the warmth spreading down her neck and diffusing into her whole torso, the tea seemed to just push away all the stress Alissa had been dealing with lately as she let herself fully relax for the first time in weeks.