9 Star Child (9)
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They cloaked their magical presence as deeply as they could, unsure of how they knew to do it, but knowing only that they could. As simple as breathing.
They arrived at the edge of the valley spotting the girl and the gelding near the cottage and waters edge.
They stalked, closer and closer until the girl was only a few yards away.
Hiding behind a bush, they felt the immense magical power radiating off of the girl as she went into the water with her clothes.
They could see her from behind as she pulled at her clothing to remove them, then pushed her clothes back and forth in the water and wrung them out, intermittently. This was no girl. This was a woman.
Long chestnut colored hair clung to her waist where it was wet and her skin resembled amber, gold and light brown but glowing from within. She had generous curves that would make the valleys of Pulchra envious. Muscles that were taut in her arms, her back flexed and relaxed with her movements.
They couldn't take their eyes away. Watching as she bathed with her back to them, they realized that they could suddenly see color. The color of her skin and hair, the color of the trees and water.
Staring at the woman and seeing her was like fate. Seeing her, everything about her, was soothing to the mind. Her sense of joy and relaxation filling the valley in a palpable magic aura reflecting her mood. The beast had not realized that it could see color because everything about it made sense, it fit into the world of reality and consciousness like a jigsaw piece. That she was glowing like the sun, that her hair flashed shades of red and brown and black in the light was as natural as breathing. She was meant to be seen this way.
It watched as she laughed lazily with the other two creatures, as she prepared herself for bed, as she sang a lullaby to herself and the others before falling asleep mid-song.
It could sense a kindness in her. A light that it craved. Her smile sending shockwaves through the long quiet and abandoned corridors of its soul. Her voice echoed off of the walls of its mausoleum of a heart.
How long had it been since they had been able to see the colors of the world?
Something had changed.
They slowly turned and left.
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Caeli woke the next morning to the sunshine streaming in through the window next to the bed. She sat up sleepily and looked down at Aurum in her lap. She lightly touched his head and smiled down at him. It was strange that she had been surrounded by people her whole life and yet this was the least lonely she had ever felt.
She lightly stroked the top of Aurum's head and he raised it to look at her.
"Good morning.", she said smiling down at him. The snake smiled back, the best that he could, and stretched out of the circle he had been sleeping in. He moved to the side of the bed and looked at Caeli.
"Are we staying another day? I quite like it here.", Aurum said softly and thoughtfully.
"I should talk to Brego first but I'd like to stay another day. I like it here too. It's so peaceful. It's the most at home I've ever felt in my whole life.", she said with a lump in her throat. "It almost seems familiar somehow."
Caeli quickly turned her head to look out the window that was allowing the sunshine to come through. The window next to the bed faced the way they had come from when discovering this place. She could see the pond and the hill on the other side. In comparison to her home town this was paradise.
Her home had been flat, good for farming and raising livestock but not for much else. The villagers had cleared all of the trees in the area to make room for their homes and animals. There were no trees until you made it to Cheshire Wood and that was almost two miles to the forests edge from the town.
Caeli had always taken the time to walk to the forest in order to escape the village, but even then she would have to return home. Return to those who were frightened of her. To those that, apparently, loathed her. It was as though when the dragon attacked, the villagers had finally been justified in all of their whisperings about her.
All the times Caeli had been able to discern their true intentions, all the times she had turned away dishonest suitors, and every time she had a thriving garden when others were failing, had all built up to that one moment.
She knew that she was considered strange by her neighbors but she had never expected what happened after the dragons attack on the village. Once the villagers became hostile, she knew that the town had never been her home.
It had hurt to leave what few friend she had of the Folk, especially the spirits. Spark, Crag, and Drop came to mind and tears welled in her eyes. They had been so kind, teaching her the old ways, from when humans and Folk had lived in harmony, when spirits were welcomed in homes and in return they kept the house sturdy and strong or tended the plants. They were her only friends.
Caeli suddenly felt something brush her cheek. Startled she looked down at the snake.
Aurum used the tip of his tail and wiped away the single tear that tumbled down Caeli's cheek.
It made his small heart ache to see her this way. He had watched her master the Cheshire Forest, come face to face with its spirit, seen her travel days on end with no complaint. It was shattering to see someone so strong of character be so hurt. This woman, who had came to his rescue for no other reason than to help him.
"Miss Caeli, I'm very sorry. For whatever is causing you pain, I am sorry.", the snake said quietly looking out the window with her.
There was a long moment of silence before Caeli scooped the snake up and held him to her chest. She gave him a gentle squeeze in her arms.
"Thank you Aurum.", she whispered.
The snakes whole body felt red-iron hot.
He cleared his throat.
"We should probably make sure Brego did alright through the night and see how he feels about staying a few more days.", the snake said shakily.
Caeli smiled at him and nodded before setting him back on the bed. She stood to put on the rest of her clothes and tie her hair in a loose braid.
She walked out of the cottage and was surprised that the gelding was not standing in his usual spot. Looking around, she called his name and went around to the back of the cottage.
He was no where to be found.
Caeli felt panic begin to rise in her chest. She did her best to subdue it's rising. Perhaps he went for a walk, maybe he found a spot with better grazing than right next to the house.
Or perhaps he had been taken, or even killed by the dark entity he had sensed days prior.
Caeli took a deep, shaking breath. She continued to shout his name when suddenly she saw movement on the other side of the valley.
It was Brego. She released a lungs-full of air.
The gelding approached them quickly and slowed as he got closer.
"I scouted the area and the outside perimeter of the valley. I still do not sense any others in the nearby area. I think we would be fine to stay another day.", the horse said, as if it was no great task to span the great valley in order to ensure their safety. The horse snorted and nonchalantly went back to grazing.
Caeli found herself grinning widely. "Thank you Brego, Aurum and I had just been wondering if we could stay another day, I think someone deserves a special treat for their hard work so early in the morning.", she said theatrically raising a brow and giving him a smirk.
The gelding side-eyed her from where his muzzle was pressed to the ground. He rolled his eyes and continued as though he hadn't heard her.
Caeli went inside and then came back out with her hands behind her back.
"What are you doing girl?", the horse asked impatiently.
The woman started laughing excitedly and brought her hands out.
In her hands she held seven mint candies.
"I found them in the house. They're likely fairly old but I tried one and they are still sweet. I thought you might like some."
The horse looked at her hands and back at the girls face. He'd never had anything like this before. His owners in the village had occasionally given him a handful of oats but nothing like this.
"The Folk in the wood used to tell me that this was a favorite treat of many domesticated animals back in the day when humans and animals still used to work with and for each other.", she said smiling and speaking quickly in her excitement.
The horse slowly brought his muzzle to her hand and sniffed the candies gingerly. Glancing at her he brought his tongue out to scoop a couple of the candies out of her hand.
The candies were strange in his mouth, he crunched down on them and they broke into pieces. The taste of mint and sugar filled his mouth. He'd never tasted anything like it.
Throwing his head back and whinnying in excitement, Caeli began to laugh robustly.
"I'm glad you enjoy them. I'll set some aside to save for our journey once we leave here. Thank you again.", she said smiling at the gelding.
For the first time since the gelding had joined their company, the horse trotted around her in circles and nudged her with his head.
"Thank you Caeli, your kindness is unlike any I've experienced before.", he said softly.
Caeli slowly reached a hand up to his forehead and scratched under his chin.
"Well let's collect as many things as possible today, then hopefully we won't be caught traveling too long without supplies. At least until we find our next stopping place. I was thinking we could try and head west, make our way to the ocean. The almanac mentions a sea fairing village somewhere alone the west coast.", She said thoughtfully. "I found this satchel in the house, would you be alright to carry it if it were full Brego? I think then we could bring much more with us.", she asked the gelding, holding up a burlap sack with a roughly sewn on strap. The horse nodded.
The company of three spent the rest of the day foraging for anything they could take on the trip.
Later that evening, after they had eaten their fill of their findings, Caeli sat by the water enjoying the sights above her in the night. She had always loved the night sky and it's inhabitants. She used to dream of living amongst them as a child. Imagining lounging in the clouds and playing games with the stars in the moonlight. Wrapped in nights embrace, it had brought her comfort to think of how a cloud would feel wrapped around her body, or what it would be like to dance on the moon.
Caelis eyes suddenly felt heavy.
"What would it be like to live in the night?", she said to herself. To have the music of the evening animals all around? To see the world through the moons perspective, everything gilded with glistening white and shadow.
Caelis eyes were closing. Deeper and deeper she fell into a world where she walked on clouds, a place where she could dance with the stars, a place with the black and purple sky as her path and the moonlight as her guide.
She was asleep at the waters edge.
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The creature released a miasma from its body, it reached the snake and the gelding first, putting them quickly to sleep.
They saved the woman for last.
After the animal companions had fallen asleep, the creature walked softly towards the woman, being careful not to make any sound.
From here, they could hear her speaking out loud.
"What would it be like to live in the night?", she said softly to herself.
The creature stopped mid-stride.
It had been a very long time, although it couldn't tell you how long, since they had been able to understand another living creature.
For what had felt like an eternity, they had roamed aimlessly across the continent, blind with pain and anger from something they could no longer remember. The creature only knew its own torture as it scoured the lands for magical sources to survive. Consuming magical beings and items to sustain its life force, the creature was less than an animal, it was a tumultuous shadow with enough sentience to want to survive despite only ever feeling pain and loneliness.
And then they had encountered this woman's magical aura.
The shadow recalls that day well. Suddenly, drenched in her magic, they were able to think clearly.
It knew that it was in pain, and that they were filled with rage, but it could now form coherent thoughts when before it could only understand the all-encompassing feelings that engulfed them in an entirety that made it impossible to function at times.
That day, they became determined to find the source of the magic that had reinstated some of its intelligence and understanding.
As it had followed the woman, it continued to soak up her remnant magic. Extremely powerful but only visible to a trained and ancient eye, the magic continued to strengthen the shadow beast. Giving it more control of its own mind and body, until finally it was here.
"I am here.", the creature said quietly as it stared at the woman. The voice that came from the beast was low and rough, as though it had not been used for quite some time. It echoed onto itself like a hollow cavern.
"I can show you.", the creature said.
It walked out into the opening and slowly moved towards the sleeping woman.
Sitting beside her, the moonlight shone brightly on them both.
A long shadowy tendril slithered out of the creatures shoulder and gently pushed the hair that veiled the woman's face.
She was an angel. A fallen star. Heavenly beauty brought to the earth, entangled in flames and light. Her face a paragon of serenity in her restful sleep. Her long hair and dark eyebrows fanned this way and that. She was a fairy child asleep peacefully in the arms of nature.
She was like nothing they had ever seen before.
The beast felt a slamming in its chest. The feeling foreign.
It moved the tendril to her forehead and gently pushed in the center.
"Please. Please do not fear me.", the beast said softly. Begging. It's voice breaking with desperation and heartache at the thought.
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