A Spritely Conversation

Uri was quite hesitant about approaching the sprites. He could tell they didn't like him, or anyone for that matter.

The most interaction he had with them was to borrow a cord to tie up his trousers. They only gave him one to make him go away.

The Sprites were distant kin of the fairies, but even the season-bringers did not find favor in the colorful creatures' eyes. No one knew why.

"We will never know unless we try," Mairwen had brushed aside the elf's concern.

Smoothing her hair, the princess put on her brightest smile. She might not be able to see well in the darkness, but by the way the Sprites had subdued the Serpopard, the little beings had much better vision. 

'I need to put my best foot forward.' 

Unwilling to let the woman go alone, both Eira and Uri followed tentatively behind her. One person approaching was a risk, but three...that could be downright dangerous. 

By the time Mairwen made it close to the Sprites, they had finished restraining the serpent-like cat and he moved off to a different location. The sudden incoming of the monster had interrupted their meal. The group hunkered down to finish the task. 

The princess watched their skin glimmer in the random streams of light that poked through the branches overhead. The sprites glistened brighter than any precious gem and their colors were just as varied. It was like looking at a living mine. 

'Oh!' Mairwen was so entranced, that she nearly bumped into a sleeping creature that she mistook for a boulder. It rumbled and lifted its head. The shaggy hair covered its eyes as it stared at her.

Mairwen froze.

'It's not bound. That must mean the Sprites don't see it as a threat, right?' 

The creature opened its mouth, and rows of razor-sharp teeth gleamed in the darkness. It growled. 

'Not a threat to them, but it could still be one to me!'

Taking a step back, the princess narrowly avoided tripping. She only hoped the creature was not a fast runner, should it choose to attack, 

As one, all of the Sprites looked in her direction. Hundreds of eyes gleamed at her from the darkness, lit with an internal light. Their stares bored into her.

But just as Mairwen thought they would let the large furry creature end her, one of the Sprites—one more fiery red than the campfire they had doused before coming over—gave a low whistle. 

The creature closed its mouth and went back to sleep. Heaving a sigh of relief, Mairwen gave the ruby creature an appreciative nod. 

"Thank you." Mairwen managed a curtsy even though her dress got caught on one of the branches. All of the sprites cocked their heads to one side at the same time. None of them moved.

'That is unnerving. Are they just so familiar with one another that they are in sync or are they having a conversation at a level I cannot hear?' 

Renat had told Mairwen that some animals seem to make sounds that humans cannot register. Perhaps the group was talking about her, and she had no idea. 

Uri stepped into the shadows and spoke in a soft, soothing voice. The princess wasn't sure what he said, but by the tone, it was to let them know she meant no harm. 

"They don't understand human-speak, remember?" he reminded her gently.

'Of course!' the princess suddenly felt silly. "I only know a little of the ancient tongue."

The princess had studied a bit, but not as much as she could have. Getting married and then finding out the world was ending had put a halt to her academic pursuits. 

"Hello," Mairwen tried her best pronunciation.

A purple sprite walked up to her. He responded with the same greeting. Slowly, the other Sprites filed in beside him. Though quite dim in the darkness, a mirrored rainbow formed on either side of the purple sprite as each color took a place in the crowd. 

Relieved that the interaction had gone well—or at least not ended with the minions attacking—Uri stepped in. "If I may, Your Highness. I think I should translate as we planned."

"Good idea." As much as Mairwen would have liked to deal directly with the monochromatic creatures, a middleman was probably for the best. With her luck, trying to say 'Will you work with us' would have come out 'I want to murder you firstborn.' "Thank you, Uri."

"I still think this is a little crazy," the elf answered, "but give me the words."

The princess paused as she looked down at the purple Sprite. "Are you working with the Harpies?"

"Wow, you went straight to the point, didn't you? No pleasantries." Uri clicked his tongue.

"They likely wouldn't translate well anyway…" Eira came to her mistress's defense.

The elf shrugged and spoke to the Sprite. In unison, all the creatures spat on the ground. The purple Sprite made a strange gesture with his hands, which caused Uri to choke.

"What?" Mairwen swallowed.

"Suffice it to say, the Sprites and the Harpies are definitely not allies." Uri winced.

A quick back and forth revealed that the sprites were among the first trapped by the Harpies in their madness. In the spirit of self-preservation, the Sprites had developed their system to restrain the wilder creatures from feasting on them. They had been trapped in the prison for weeks.

"Would they be amenable to working with us to get out?" Mairwen felt like it was a mutually beneficial proposal.

The Sprites all spat again.

"Is that just how they communicate?" The princess felt some of the spray the second time but managed to hide her disgust.

"It's their way of disagreeing." Uri spoke with the purple Sprite before translating again. "Basically, they don't work with anyone except other sprites, and sometimes not even then. They don't want to work with a filthy human, no matter how nice you seem."

"I…don't even know how to take that…" The princess had to work not to let her face show emotions.

"What do you want me to tell them? We can look for help elsewhere." Uri knew of a few others in the prison who might actually be of assistance.

"Tell them that I understand. Working against the Harpies is not easy, and I really just wanted to see those ladies' faces when the lid was lifted off this basket without their consent. They obviously don't expect us to all revolt against them at once. I will return to my original plan and without them instead since they do not want any credit…" Mairwen nodded slowly.

Uri furrowed his brow, "You want me to say all that?"

"Please?"

As the elf repeated her words in the ancient tongue, the sprites' body language changed. Their thin, mothlike wings slowed and their back straightened. They looked poised to pounce.

The purple fairy scowled.

"He says you cannot trick him. He advises you try to lizard lady over that way…"

Mairwen shuddered. 'Lizard lady?' Images of the Abominations flashed through her mind, but she pushed them away. Curtsying, the princess turned to leave.

"I am sorry it did not work," Eira fell into step behind Mairwen. 

"Maybe it didn't," the princess responded. "But at least we know we cannot count on them. I wish digging out was an option." 

"We have no tools and the branches are too thick and intertwined," Uri sighed. He had spent a lot of time studying the ground and walls when he arrived. 

"We will gather whoever we can and make our move as soon as we can. The longer we wait, the more likely the others are to find the nest and put themselves in danger to save us." Thinking of her husband and brother, Mairwen quickened her pace. "Now, where exactly is this lizard lady and do you think she will help us?"

"I don't know. She's been scraping at the ground since she arrived." Uri rubbed the back of his neck.

Mairwen set her jaw in a determined line. "It's worth a try. If not, we will try the next and the next. If no one will help, I'll do it myself..."