Chapter 6 #2
“My late wife loved the ocean. She enjoyed it so much, we made a habit of traveling there often. We camp on the sands and make a fire. There are lots of little things the girls enjoyed. Moire was always most at peace when she could sleep with the sound of the waves and the smell of the ocean. So ah take them still. Malmuira loves this trip. Ah’m sad she couldn’t join us. Siusan will be happy to have you here.”
“Ah’m glad. Ah’ll be happy to help.”
“She’ll fare well enough. Enjoy yerself. Have ye been to the ocean before?”
Mazey shook her head. “Nay, ah never got to go. Ah know it’s not far, but the only traveling ah have done was from my old clan to this one.
My maither could never take me far. Ah’ve always dreamed about going though.
Malmuira told me stories about the things found.
It fascinated me. It sounded like another world.
Like the one wee fairy folk come from.” She felt silly telling him her thoughts.
He was far too mature to entertain dreams of fairy folk and fantasy.
“Ah agree with ye. Ah read the girls stories about fairy folk and the land north. Ah told them of the Tuatha De Danann and their mischievous spirits.”
Siusan interjected. “Tell us of the Tuatha, faither.”
He laughed a good belly laugh before he agreed. “All right wee’un, ah’ll tell ye about the fairy folk, but ye have to make sure ye listen good. Ah’ll ask ye to tell me about the story later.”
Siusan nodded with a serious expression on her face. The magical sound of his voice transported Mazey to another land.
Many years ago a king wished to have a child of his own.
His wife, though the fairest woman in all the land, could not conceive.
Desperate for an heir to his kingdom, the king appealed to the faerie that lived to the islands north by sending word to them on the foot of a bird.
He begged them to grant his request and promised whatever they wanted in return.
Little did he know, the faeries would hear his request and grant it.
Late one evening, sleep eluded the king He dwelled on his childless existence when his wife roused with a start.
She felt a bairn leap in her womb. She explained to the king she must be with child.
It overjoyed the king. In his excitement, he forgot his appeal to the faerie folk.
He thought perhaps it luck his wife could produce an heir.
But the Tuatha de Danann did not forget.
The king offered anything for the heir. They planned to collect their reward.
After the child was born, the father noticed things he could not explain.
The child, although born of the mother, looked nothing like the father.
His ears were pointed and teeth sharp. After a full season with the boy, the king saw his eyes change color to a violent purple. The next day, they were back to normal.
He suspected the Tuatha granted his request for an heir.
He appealed to the faerie folk once again.
The message he sent this time just asked the cost they demanded for the birth of his heir.
He sent the message to the North Islands on the leg of a bird and waited many days, before he gave up.
Perhaps the faerie folk were not involved.
Just before his son’s first birthday, the king slept a fitful night.
Unable to sleep, he arose from his bed to look out the window where a frightful sight accosted him.
A faerie hovered outside his window. “Ye’ll pay us now, we collect.
A reward ye promised upon yer son’s neck.
We’ve taken our price and happy we are, for with yer son we’ll rule from afar. ”
Frightened and trembling with fear, the king ran to the room where his son slept.
The cradle that held his son earlier in the evening, was empty.
In his place were two small rings that glowed deep crimson.
The king took the ring, careful not to touch it with his skin and put it on the mantel.
Days later, his wife took her own life. Beyond despair at the loss of her only child. She left the king alone.
For many years the king halfheartedly ruled the land.
One night he walked into his son’s room, just as he always did.
He glanced upon the mantel at the rings.
The rings glowed emerald green. Forgetting the curses fairy folk often placed on objects, the king grabbed them in his bare hands and slid them onto his finger.
He heard a flapping sound, a crash and suddenly through the window a man fell onto the ground.
When he stood, the king recognized his son.
But where human traits should be, there were faerie.
His own son was not his son at all, but a halfling.
Out of fear, the king drew his sword. Before he could attack, the son took his life.
He ascended the throne and ruled the land, always under influence of the faerie folk.
And thus the tales of Evil King Dramoner were born.
Baile finished his story and stared at Mazey. “What do ye think?”
“A babe lost and all the deaths. Not a happy tale, is it?”
“Most stories told to us are not happy. They teach us lessons of humility or to be careful. Many times they are warnings. Ah don’t see how that is bad.”
“It’s not bad, but wouldn’t it be better to tell stories that are happy?
Stories of love, or joy. This world is sad enough without sad stories too.
Ah think stories should create beauty, not chase it away.
” She was overstepping, but wanted him to see what she did.
Beauty in a story transported a dreary life to something magical.
“Ah want to know the stories ye speak of.” The way his eyes crinkled told her he was teasing her.
“Ah dunno. My maither always told me stories about love and people living happily. She sang me songs that made me happy and helped me sleep. When life was sad or broken, ah told myself these stories again and ah sang the melodies. Ah plan to tell them to my child.” Mazey took a swig of water from the skin hanging from her saddle.
Siusan listened to the conversation. “Maze sings me songs. Her voice is sweet.”
Baile smiled over at Mazey. “Sing us a song then, lass.”
Mazey blanched at singing in front of a crowd. The guards in the rear and Gohrich in the group's front could hear her sing.
“Aye, Maze, please sing.” Siusan’s squeaky voice melted her resolve and Mazey sang a song from her past.
“Aye, ah’ll sing, but ye have to promise not to poke fun at me for it.”
Siusan and Baile both nodded solemnly, the same look mirrored across their faces. Mazey never thought much about her voice, but it seemed to find the right notes and had a rich melodic sound that soothed Siusan when she was sad or sleepy.
Ah never found love when ah looked,
Ah only ever found it the once.
When the light of the moon shown down,
Her beautiful eyes aglow.
Her name was more beautiful,
Than stars ah had seen in the sky.
But only the once that ah looked,
From tops of the clouds she did fly.
The moment that her eyes met mine,
Ah knew it was love at first sight.
Ah’ll never forget the way she smiled,
When ah repeated her name so sweet.
Her hair was made with moonlight,
Her voice a melodic streak.
If only ah’d asked her to stay,
But then ah’d not have a dream.
She left the next morning awake,
Before the sun had arose.
She was an angel of the loch,
Ah’ll never forget her face,
Ah’ll love her where’er ah go.
Siusan clapped her hands together in delight, and Baile beamed.
The guards even let out a whoop or two. All the attention given to her thoroughly embarrassed her.
The sun was up high enough now they must be able to see how pink her cheeks were.
She adjusted the sling that held her arm to her chest, and ignored the stares she got from Baile and Siusan.
“Ye know, that’s not a happy song either,” Baile commented.
“Ah think it is. Perhaps not for ye. Yer woman loved ye forever. For me, ah think it is better to love once and find joy, than to go years with no affection or adoration.” She closed her eyes and imagined what it would be like to find love.
Siusan interrupted her thoughts. “Faither, ah need a rest.”
Baile nodded. “Aye, little’un. Ah think Mazey needs to stretch her legs.”
“She looks like she does,” Siusan agreed.
Mazey smiled at them both. They were so much alike when they spoke. “A walk sounds lovely. Ah’m sore on this horse.”
“May ah walk with ye, lass?” Baile asked, politely.
Mazey headed away from everyone so she could stretch her legs. She liked the quiet solitude after so much talking, but Baile accompanying her sounded like a good idea.
“Aye ye may. Ah hope ah didn’t sound foolish when ah spoke of love.”
“Nay, ye didn’t sound silly. Ye sounded hopeful, which ah find refreshing. Ah never thought of love that way. Ah’m greedy with time. Ah want all the time with the woman ah love and ah don’t want to miss a moment.”
He stopped walking and Mazey followed suit.
He stood a full head taller than her. His lips looked soft and his eyes were intent on hers.
She held her breath. It felt like something would happen.
Baile reached over to Mazey and ran his finger down the side of her face, the same side that healed from her injury a while back.
She kept her eyes on him, fighting the urge to look away.
She loved the soft tingle that followed the wake of his fingers.
She closed her eyes, relishing the caress.
His hand moved to the back of her neck and she opened her eyes.
He leaned in slowly and brushed his lips across hers.
A warm sensation spread through Mazey, running its way down her spine and into her belly.
He pulled her gently into him and folded her in a warm embrace.
She sighed in contentment, allowing herself to relax and revel in the warmth of his body against hers.
For a moment, she felt joy. It felt like nothing she ever experienced.
“Do ye feel that?” Mazey asked him quietly.
“What, lass?” His voice was a low growl that sent goose bumps down her arms.
”Ah dunno what to call it—peace?”
The way he smiled at her, answered her question. “Aye. Peace.” He kissed her again.
On the way back to the camp she felt a sense of loss.
She wanted him to continue to kiss and touch her.
It was time to admit to herself how much she wanted him.
She could tell by how his body reacted, he wanted her too.
He was the clan chief though. She was a poor servant. She had no right to want him.