As Shana sat in the pub enjoying her roast beef, she thought back over the last week. There was the rush at work to get projects reassigned temporarily, someone to look after her apartment and her mail. Joanne was against Shana taking this trip at all, never mind by herself, but then Joanne was like that.
Ireland! Shana had always been entranced by the Emerald Isle & anything related to it. At home she had books about traveling there, sites to see, the history of the country and the lore surrounding some of the customs. That didn't even begin to describe that delicious accent! It had taken 5 years to save up the money for the trip, including having to take a leave of absence. Despite all that, Shana knew it would be worth it.
None of Shana's friends shared her passion for this beautiful country, so the thought of spending months exploring the country did nothing for them. Shana didn't want to share her wonder with strangers, so she decided that she would go by herself. So far she hadn't regretted a minute of it.
The cities were bustling and confusing, much like any North American city. The towns were a little quieter, but there was still a little bit of an intense feeling. To get the true feel of the country, Shana had opted to go to remote villages not usually included in the tourist routes.
This was her first village & the people here had accepted her with open arms. The landlady at the B&B fussed over Shana like a mother hen. The barkeep at the pub watched over her when she came in to make sure none of the locals got overly friendly. Each shopkeeper watched out for her when she was near their establishment. While Shana knew they meant well, she began to feel a little closed in. Back home she was pretty anonymous – here she was almost like a celebrity.
Mrs. Connors, the landlady, regaled Shana with stories of the old ways & fairie folk in the evenings. Shana was often warned that if she decided to go into the woods, she should not stray to far. Also she should look out for fairie rings (rings of toadstools) and fair faced strangers – these were dangerous & would do her harm. Shana always smiled and agreed to be careful, but she never believed the stories. These were a superstitious people, and Shana was a modern woman.
Finishing up her meal, Shana motioned the waitress over. She paid for her meal including a hefty tip for the hard-working woman. Calling her goodbyes, she headed out the door into the moist night air.
The sky was a deep shade of midnight, and the stars were small bits of bright contrast. Shana was paying more attention to the beauty of the sky than she was to where her feet were taking her. It was only when the trees came into view ready to block out the sky that she realized she had left the main road & didn't know where she was. Shana could hear the soft sounds of music, a guitar and what might be a flute along with some other instruments she couldn't identify. The music was coming from inside the woods and she began to follow the sound. This wasn't the first time she had heard it and she always assumed that it was local teens in the woods having fun.
At first Shana thought she would come across the players within minutes, but as she continued to walk the music also seemed to move. After what felt like an hour, but was probably half that Shana realized two things – 1 that she was hopelessly lost in the forest, and 2 that the music had stopped.
"Hello?" Shana called out.
A brief trill of the flute was the only reply to Shana's call. Shana took another couple steps forward and called again. This pattern repeated itself a few times, each time the flute would play a little longer. Thankful that she had eaten, Shana was never the less getting tired. Not to mention becoming a little scared.
Long ago Shana's eyes had adjusted to the dimness within the trees, so the change in the light attracted her attention. Giving up on following the music, Shana decided to head for the light. To her surprise she came into a small clearing with a small mound in the center. Thinking to get her bearings, Shana walked towards the hill planning to climb to the top & look around. As she approached, she became aware that she was not alone.
The delicate faces seemed to glow faintly in the starlight, as if they were lit from within. Shana stopped in her tracks, unable to move and unable to look away. One of the females approached her, and smiled.
"Hello, my name is Aria" she said.
Shana smiled in response. "I am Shana" she replied.
A slight sigh passed through the assembled folk. Shana heard nothing but Aria.
"Please come and join our celebration" Aria invited Shana.
Aria moved forward and gently took Shana's hand in hers. Shana expected it to be cool, but it was quite warm, as if it had recently been held up to a fire. There was no fire, no food, no tables and no chairs. All that Shana could see was Aria's friends.
Aria led her to the hill, on the far side from where she had entered the clearing. She guided Shana to sit down, then moved in front of her and began to play. Entranced Shana watched for hours as they played music and danced, flowing gracefully between the steps. Every now and then one of the fair folk would bring Shana a drink of water with herbs that helped to keep away her tiredness. Eventually however Shana did succumb to her exhaustion and laid back on the sweet grass surrounded by the beautiful music.
In the morning Shana awoke very rested and relaxed. She was also feeling quite amorous & wondered if it had anything to do with the herbs in the water. She stood up and brushed herself off before looking around. There was no evidence of the celebrating from the night before. Looking back Shana could see the grass was crushed where she was sleeping, but in a matter of hours that too would disappear.
Before Shana could take a step, Aria appeared from the far side of the hill and behind her was a man. His features were similar to Aria's – pale skin, high cheek bones and lips of a deep pink. Most striking of all were his eyes – they were a deep blue that seemed to draw Shana right out of herself. Aria's eyes were a shade of violet that Shana had never seen before.
"We are glad you are still here" Aria said. "This is my brother, Arost."
Aria & Arost stopped before Shana, and Arost bowed slightly. Shana noticed something she hadn't noticed the night before and that was how good they smelled. Like musk and amber with a hint of clover for sweet. A heady mix for her, and she could feel herself growing moist between her legs.
"Come, we have brought you something to eat and drink to start the day" Aria said as she once again led Shana to sit on the hill.
Without argument Shana sat down. Aria knelt in front of her and placed the fruit, bread, cheese and water in front of her. Arost sat next to Shana, not touching but very close. Shana's breathing began to increase.
For the next half hour Aria and Shana talked while Shana ate. Arost simply watched them. Without Shana realizing it Aria had moved closer to her over that time, so that Aria was kneeling at Shana's thigh. When this dawned on her, Shana stopped talking.
After a moment of silence, Arost reached down and picked up a slice of peach. Shana watched as his hand brought it closer to her mouth. The fruit's juice was dripping off his hand and landing on her legs. She opened her mouth to accept the fruit, looking over at him. The desire in his eyes told her she was lost. They stared at one another for a moment before his head came down to claim her mouth.