Chapter 8
JESSAMINE
Sorka dismissed all of the beast fae females who had been embroidering and stitching a great many garments when I’d arrived.
“I think some privacy is needed,” she said to me when they left.
“I appreciate that.”
It was obvious the other females didn’t like my presence. And while I understood them mistrusting a stranger, a light fae at that, I wished they didn’t dislike me so much.
“May I stay, Mama?” asked the sweet-faced girl with two horns curling prettily out of her chestnut hair.
“No, my sweet.”
“Oh, please, please—”
“I don’t mind,” I interjected. “Bes will need to get measurements for my hands to make my gloves.”
“Yes, she’s right, Mama,” she said, her orange eyes wide and pleading, brown freckles dappling her nose.
“Alright then.” Sorka gestured for me to follow her to a wooden frame where many garments were hung on pegs. “I may have something that fits your height, but I believe we will have to make adjustments to the bodice.”
She wasn’t being impolite. I’d already noted that the beast fae females were built taller and more delicate-boned than the males of the clan. They were slim, while I was a more full-figured female.
“Let’s see. This one may be just the right length. I added a fur trim to the rounded neckline for extra warmth.”
At home in Morodon, I had dressed in fine silks with detailed embroidery of water lilies and sea creatures.
The weather was temperate, so we never needed to dress for warmth.
By the time I got to the Borderlands, I’d already traded my finer gown for a practical one.
I acquired a few more in the same simple, homespun style with a working woman’s bodice, changing my chemise daily and washing my few dresses twice a week
But this was something I never imagined wearing.
The entire dress was made of a soft hide dyed a pale green, with the inside wool lining being a deeper shade of green.
There was the softest brown and white fur lining the scooped neck all the way around.
More fur trim ringed the wrists of the long sleeves.
The dress was one piece, but the skirt was sewn in different panels than the top.
“I just finished this one a few days ago. I’m very proud of it.”
“You should be. How did you get the hide this color?”
“The leaves of the elderberry tree are ground into a paste and when added with deer tallow, it not only dyes the fabric, but softens the hide further.” She pointed to the fur.
“This here is from a mountain hare. I am able to gather all of my resources in the spring and summer. Then I spend autumn and winter sewing and embroidering, teaching the others in the guild who work here.”
She began to loosen the laces at the back of the gown. I wasn’t shy, so I undressed quickly, untying my apron first then undoing the lacings of my bodice. After setting those on a worktable, I slipped my dress over my head, noting that Bes was staring at me.
“Beska, don’t be rude.”
The pretty girl quickly ducked her head and looked at the floor.
“It’s okay,” I laughed. “I imagine you’ve never seen a skald fae before.”
She lifted her head and shook it. “You don’t have horns. And your skin is so white. Your hair as red as a summer plum. And your hands are weird with the skin in between your fingers.”
“Bes! Do not say such things. She may think us rather strange as well, but she isn’t pointing it out.”
I smiled at Sorka then held out my hands for Bes.
“You can look at them if you want. The skin there is very soft but tough.”
“Why do you have it?” she asked.
“Some say it is part of our heritage from our ancestor, the sea goddess Nemia. We have it on our toes too. It does help us to swim. I am a very fast swimmer,” I bragged with a wink.
Bes’s eyes widened. “I don’t know how to swim. Would you teach me?”
“Sweetheart, you know very well we cannot swim in the winter,” chided her mother.
“But in the summer, she can teach me. When we return to Vanglosa.”
Sorka and I shared a knowing look. I would be gone by summer.
“It will fit better without your undergarment,” Sorka suggested, nodding to the chemise I still wore.
After I pulled it off over my head, now naked except for my boots, Sorka held the dress open for me lower to the ground.
“You can step into it and I’ll tie the lacings at the back. We’ll see if I need to adjust it.
I slipped into the dress, sighing at the luxurious feel of the lining against my skin. “Your wool is so soft. It's not rough at all.”
“Thank you. We take great care to create fabrics that are durable yet comfortable.”
Yet again, I had to chastise myself. Though I’d never given much thought to the beast fae who lived so far away from Morodon, when I’d been found by Redvyr, I wondered about this clan of his.
When I saw that they lived in tents, I assumed they might live without any luxuries at all.
I was wrong. Here I was standing in perhaps the most beautiful, well-made gown I’d ever worn.
There was even a delicate stitching of ivy along the neckline, enhancing the beauty of the design.
“I don’t think there will need to be any adjustments at all,” she said as she tied the lacings in the back. “Does it feel too tight?”
“No. It’s snug, but very comfortable.” I gazed down at it, noting that my bosom pushed up a bit at the rounded neck, but no more than it did in the bodice I wore before. “It’s so beautiful.”
When I turned to look at Sorka, Bes gasped.
“It is so pretty on you. Mama, it’s like you made it for her.”
“Indeed.” Sorka smiled. “It seems Ivenzel guided my hand for you, Jessamine.”
Smoothing my hands over my hips, I asked, “Who is Ivenzel?”
“She is our goddess of the hearth. A dark fae goddess. You have not heard of her?”
I shook my head. “I’m afraid my father only allowed us to be taught about the gods of the sea and waters. He was very strict and made sure our tutors kept to a limited study of only our part of the world.”
Sorka’s lips thinned as she gave me a sympathetic look. “I see. Well, while you are here, I am happy to teach you anything you’d like to know.”
“I can’t thank you enough,” I told her sincerely. “You’ve been more than kind and welcoming.”
“Lord Redvyr would be upset if I wasn’t,” she said. “But I am happy to make you feel at home while you are here. Let’s get your hands measured for the gloves, and I’d like to measure your feet as well. Those boots appear well-made, but they are likely not lined properly for warmth.”
“You are right. I thought my toes were going to fall off when I…when Wolf first found me.”
I sat on a stool, liking the way the ankle-length dress hugged my body, the lining making me feel warm and snug. Yet it wasn’t constricting, the skirt draping out for movement. My dress I’d bought in the Borderlands wasn’t nearly as comfortable.
“I’ll need to hold onto my old clothes for the end of winter,” I said while shoving off my boots and the thin stockings beneath.
“Of course. I’ll have them washed and set aside for you.”
“Here, Bes. I know you’ll want a good look at my weird toes,” I teased.
“They’re not terribly weird,” she said while gawking at my webbed feet, a blush coloring her cheeks.
Sorka and I laughed at Bes trying so hard not to look absolutely shocked.
“Where is this winter camp?” I asked. “Ghasta Vale?”
“A few days northwest of here, closer to the foothills of the Solgavia Mountains.”
“I don’t understand why you’d go farther north for winter.”
Sorka smiled. “Ghasta Vale is a special place. It is a deep valley between two high-peaked mountains. The valley is protected from the winds and most of the snows. There is a wide stream that provides fish, and the plains provide game. In these lowlands of Vanglosa, the snows can become very deep. But in Ghasta Vale, it is a kind of sanctuary.”
“It is warm there?” I asked, somewhat confused.
“Oh, no.” She laughed as Bes used a long carved flat stick with markings on it to measure my feet.
“But it is warmer there than here. And much less snow in the Vale.” She noted the length of my foot then Bes measured my hands and fingers.
“Besides, it is tradition. We are a nomadic people, and we thrive on the movement of the clan with the seasons.”
“Oh, Jessamine,” exclaimed Bes. “Wait till you see where the clans gather at the end of winter. It is a great celebration at J?hl Tundra, and it is so beautiful there!”
“I’m not sure I’ll be with you for that celebration,” I told her honestly. “I’m not sure how long the council or Lord Redvyr will allow me to stay.”
We all fell silent for a moment while Sorka stood and gathered my old gown and bodice. “Bes will let you know when we have your gloves and boots ready.”
“I appreciate that.” I folded up my chemise to carry with me, wanting to keep it to sleep in. Though I wasn’t sure where I’d be sleeping yet.
“And here you are. You must also have a warm cloak.” She pulled out a fur cloak with a hood, all in silvery gray, looking exactly like the fur I’d slept on Redvyr’s camp.
“Is this from a barga?”
Sorka wrapped it around my shoulders and tied the clasp at my throat. “Yes. Redvyr and the warriors hunt at least one each spring when they come out of their caves.” She stepped back and examined me with a satisfied nod. “It is tradition.”
I smiled. “The beast fae are fond of their traditions.”
“We live by them.”
I looked down at the dress and cloak and sighed. “Thank you, Sorka.”
She laughed. “I can’t believe that. A Morodon princess? You’ve likely been dressed in the finest gowns coin can buy.”
I couldn’t explain that while yes, they may have been elaborate and lovely, they weren’t created with such care for both beauty and warmth, a garment that nurtured while showcasing the finest craftsmanship.
“Trust me, Sorka. You have magick of your own.”
The woman’s bronzed cheeks darkened with a blush. “You are kind to say so.” She heaved a sigh, looking out toward the tent flap. “I imagine my seamstresses are tired of waiting. Bes, you take Jessamine back to Lord Redvyr. I am not sure where you’ll be housed.”
“Me neither,” I told her. “Well, Bes, will you show me the way?”
The young girl beamed. “Gladly.” Then she took my hand—my webbed hand—and led me out of the tent to find Lord Redvyr. Wolf was there, waiting for me.
“Come on, Wolf,” I called to him, though there was no need. He trotted alongside us, tongue lolling like he was happy to accompany us.
My heart twisted sweetly at Bes’s kindness and friendly gesture at holding my hand. I glanced down at the dear girl proudly leading me through the camp and realized I had an instant affection for her. And Sorka. Wolf, too. And dare I admit, even Lord Redvyr.
Lifting my chin proudly, I followed Bes’s lead, rather excitedly anticipating the clan king’s expression when he saw me in this dress.