Fairy Thief (35 page)

Saffron lay sprawled in the tube. She looked at the powder-blue sky, and the towering forest of trees that surrounded them. She sat up. Untouched snow carpeted the quiet land. She closed her eyes and raised her arms heavenward, in a luxurious stretch, then looked at the others in the tube.

Orji was lying on his stomach. He held her eyes and smiled at her.

She couldn’t help but smile back. She rolled over to him — right across a grumbling Tai and squirming Wo, and landed on Orji’s back. She placed her hands over his eyes, and kicked at his legs, while she screamed, “Ya! Ya!”

Orji clenched her thighs under his arms, and stood up, with her on his back. He growled like a bear.

Saffron, her hands still across his eyes, kicked at him and egged him on.

“
Okay, sweetheart. But, if we run headlong into a tree, it’s entirely your fault.”

She made a ‘pffft’ sound. “What’s another tree?”

He started to run — fast.

Saffron screamed, cried, and laughed all at once. When Orji was about to crash into a tree, she let him loose and fell to the ground.

It was too late for Orji — he ran into the tree anyway.

Saffron howled with glee.

Wo and Tai were disgusted by the two silly humans — as if they were two small children watching their parents share an amorous hug. That ride down the mountain was so cool — and those fools had to go and make everything weird.

Wo started to walk away, crunching in the sun-sparkled snow.

Orji walked over to Saffron and helped her up. The snow was falling harder. He brushed crystalline flakes from her sweater. A flake landed on her nose and stayed there, not melting. He brushed that away, too.

She gave him a smirk.

He shrugged and let her fall back down.

“
Big baby!”

“
You have snow on your ass.”

Saffron jumped to her feet and followed the others through the woods.

Birds accompanied them as they walked. Deer and rabbits came to greet them from the thick, snow-covered brush. A gnome ran up to Saffron with a heavy, wooden plate of treats and warm cider in little, wooden cups.

Orji raised an eyebrow and looked at Saffron with a question in his glance.

“
How should I know? I don’t have the best track record with gnomes, so I’m just as surprised as you are….” She gushed over the little gnome and thanked him profusely —never had they been greeted so kindly in any of the realms.

It was a good day. They spent their time hiking out of the foothills, and onto flat, wooded terrain, which shone bright with snowdrifts and squat bushes of dark green ivy. Several creatures came to greet them and wish them well on their journey. By dusk, even Orji was completely entranced with the land.

All the inhabitants of the wood — enchanted and unenchanted — helped with camp preparations. Little green men, who called themselves, ‘Tree Keepers,’ promised to introduce Wo and Tai to fairy tribes, where they could question about their fugitive and abduction victim.

This was the most posh camp the four had ever experienced. They were encircled by trees. Sunlight streamed down and made everything glow. Saffron envied the rabbits who sat in the afternoon sun, and soaked in its heat. Each traveler had a tent of his or her own — tents made of bright-colored silk, like peony, daffodil, and periwinkle. Inside each tent were hordes of plump pillows and silk-lined blankets, all piled on top of beds that rolled when sat upon, as if they were waterbeds. Each individual tent was scented as well — vanilla, evergreen, and clove. Warm baths were had down the path, in a small pool that was fed by hot springs.

Saffron frowned; she couldn’t feel the heat of the bath or smell the sweet tents….

“
Watch yourself,” Wo bit out. “We are guests here — show respect.”

“
You should take a bath in those waters anyway, Saffron. Maybe the ritual of it will soothe your mind — bring back memories.” He moved an errant red curl off her plastic cheek.

Saffron gently pushed his hand away. “Aww, you just want to see me nekkid!”

Orji smiled and put his hand over his chest. “Ya got me.”

In the evening, the camp was lit by hundreds of fat candles. The animals of the forest loved to play, loved attention, and vied for the traveler’s audience. Elves, sprites, gnomes, and local fairies stopped by for a bitter beer and nuts.

Saffron and her friends were held in high esteem by the inhabitants, as if they were celebrities. It was a big change from being on constant watch for hostile beings. For once, they all sat back and enjoyed themselves.

They heard stories from the elves, about an ancient war fought against an evil that had come from within the earth. People, animals, and magic folk alike fought a bloody fifty-year war before they were finally able to overcome the beast. Now, for the last one hundred years, they had all lived together in perfect peace and harmony.

Orji was amazed. This was the very first and only realm where the inhabitants could say as much — that they were totally happy with each other and getting along. He was mystified. He wanted to know how this could possibly be. He asked them for answers —maybe one day he could go back to his own land and help end the murdering and plundering that was going on there at this very moment. He understood fighting for one’s rights — but by the gods, he was sick to death of death

Saffron listened enrapt as well, for her Earthrealm could use the lessons of peace.

Tai and Wo agreed with everything the elves said with an eye on Saffron, and an ‘I told you so,’ air of superiority — as if she alone were responsible for the warring of men.

Saffron toasted a family of badgers, then begged off from the party and made for her tent. She was ready to sleep for a million years.

***

Orji sighed. What was he doing? What was he doing here, with this unhinged and bewitching girl? He watched as she bestowed a family of badgers with the most angelic smile. His heart leapt to his throat – he wanted to follow her into that tent in the worst way. What was he doing?

He had set out on this mission with one simple goal — to help the girl to help himself. His father hailed from the Earthrealm, and Orji needed to find his father’s people. He knew the odds weren’t very good, considering all the time that had gone by…. But still, he wanted to find his father’s people — his people. Did he have half-brothers and sisters? He wanted to know! What he didn’t want was to want this girl. It wouldn’t take too much to lose her, and that was something he could not bear — losing another loved one.

It was the story of his life. Love somebody — lose them. Love somebody — lose them. He felt he was cursed — everybody he loved either died or disappeared.

He had been so silly when he met Saffron. He told himself she was the way back to the Earthrealm — she was just what he needed. Load of crap, he muttered to himself. He didn’t need her to get to the Earthrealm. He had never needed her for that. Eventually, he would have found a different way. He needed her for something else entirely. Something he couldn’t face then, and couldn’t face now.

He thought back to that day. The day they had met. He saw her appear in the war-torn street like an incandescent light — her fiery hair flying about her head as if it were a live, whirling-dervish entity. High cheekbones; large, dark eyes. Long, graceful limbs. He had wanted her instantly. Just looking at her standing five yards away had heated his blood to a boil and it bubbled as it pumped through his veins.

He smiled wistfully. It wasn’t quite like that anymore. With his body gone, animal urges were only a memory. It unnerved him. When he had been a complete physical man, he had placed great importance and great pride on his physical prowess. Now that it had been so long, he had to constantly reassess what made him feel proud.

He still had his strength. Sure — it wasn’t in muscle, but in manner. He was a confident man, and wise enough to know that his confidence was his ultimate strength. He had his intelligence; that was power too. But, he had this other power surging in him — this constant pull for Saffron, and towards Saffron. It was something that grew stronger every day. He shuddered.

He couldn’t toss her aside. No matter how he wanted to, no matter how she infuriated him — and she did — she infuriated him till he thought he’d rip his head from his shoulders. And it wasn’t amusing that she loved someone else. Still, he could not leave the girl stranded. For the love of aliens, he was screwed.

***

“
I’m going into town by myself.” Saffron said this matter-of-factly, as if commenting on the weather. She didn’t look up from her chore — she was going to start the campfire for breakfast. She laid small twigs one on top of the other, and acted like nothing out of the ordinary had just happened.

Orji, Tai, and Wo exchanged startled glances, followed by suspicious looks.

Orji ran his tongue over his teeth. “Saffron, you don’t have to do that. I can….”

Tai jumped to his feet, spitting like an alley cat. “Yes! Yes, she does, Orji! Let her go. She needs to start pulling her own weight!”

“
What?!” Saffron shrieked.

“
What?” Orji frowned at the fairy. What the hell was in Tai’s craw, now? Could they not rise on a beautiful morning, after a wonderful night with friendly people, and be happy with one another? Apparently not. As usual, Wo was quiet, but observant.

“
Oh, you heard me! What the hell do
you
mean, Orji? Very nice acting, very believable confusion.” He pointed a sharp finger at Orji. “You know exactly what I’m talking about.” He threw down the stick he had been whittling since dawn.

The rabbits laid their half-eaten beets on a stump table and backed away. A deer and a fox sprinted away with their tails between their legs.

“
Great! You ass! There go my first restaurant customers!” Saffron threw a whole bunch of sticks in the fire pit and scattered all of her hard, kindle-stacking work.

Orji sighed. “Tai, get it off your chest — but keep your anger to a minimum; you’re terrifying our oh-so-generous hosts.”

Tai spit on the ground. “AAaaaak! Just let the girl go, Orji!” He crossed his arms over his chest and grumbled low in his throat. “You’re not helping her, you know. You aren’t helping her with her irrational fears by coddling her all the time.”

Orji was aghast. “I
do not
coddle her!”

Wo puckered his lips as if he was going to whistle, then rolled his eyes and looked over his shoulder at nothing.

Orji caught him. “What, Wo — you disagree?”

Wo winced and tugged at the base of his earlobe. He shrugged.

Orji commanded, “What?!”

Wo spoke very quietly. “You’re letting your feelings for her stunt her growth. She’ll never be able to grow if you keep sheltering her so.”

Orji had cringed, and his shoulders shot up when Wo said, ‘feelings for her.’ “Aaaah! Shhhh!” Orji hissed. He looked around for Saffron, but she had long since disappeared. “Wo! Don’t say stuff like that!” He frowned hard. He crossed his arms over his chest, and wouldn’t make eye contact with anyone. “Because it’s not true. And you know her —she’ll take it the wrong way, do her ‘high-and-mighty-miss act!

Wo giggled. “She’ll do what?”

Orji shrugged. “You know — get all pompous and everything.”

“
Because you love her.”

Orji looked downright downtrodden. He nodded. Then he shook his head violently. “No, no, no, no!”

Tai was completely miffed. He rolled his tongue around his cheek and glared at Orji. Then he looked around the camp. “Too bad, we’re arguing about this for nothing.” He swirled his finger around to indicate the entire camp. “She’s already gone.” He smirked at Orji.

Orji ignored him and stalked off into the woods.

***

Saffron marched through the woods. She passed the steaming bathing pool. She stopped and glanced back at its warm, beckoning waters. She shrugged. They weren’t in a rush — may as well have a bath before the big trek into town. She stepped out onto a rock that hung over the pool. Water pixies shot down from the trees and offered to help her bathe by pulling off her clothes. Saffron squirmed and tried to push them away. “No. No, no. No, thank you.”

Their laughing was like glass wind chimes as they persisted.

Saffron willed herself to calm down and graciously accept the pixies’ help.

As soon as her clothes were removed, she slipped into the warm water, lay her head back against a smooth-contoured stone, closed her eyes and sighed. She only imagined the warmth of the water, only imagined the smooth, soft flow of it. She took comfort in the sound of the water and let its simple song lull her.