#fae cod

You were certainly an oddball in the village—a young, unmarried woman living on the outskirts, rarely coming down. Always polite, but with strange speech, you filled village children’s heads with stories: toadstools, fairies, the fae—your silly obsession. It was aggravating for villagers to see young bachelors dance with the imaginary creature in your head, then the respectable men of the village. So why be surprised when you weren’t invited to the summer solstice? Hell, you were snubbed. You wore a white dress you decorated yourself, embroidered with expensive yarns that swirled into summer flowers. Baby’s breath was woven into your hair like a goddess. Yet, everyone turned away. The elders and wise ones whispered as you walked and couldn't be bothered to hide their distaste. The sweet taste of wine dulled the sting as the elders who raised you turned away. At least the wine was sweet.

When the evening sun started to set, and the wine buzzed in your limbs, the dancing had started. The young bachelors and bachelorettes paired off, moving to dance together with flirty smiles.

“No one will dance with you.”

“What?” You hadn't approached anyone, entranced by the warm sun and town’s flowers. Wine strengthened your cozy feeling. Despite cold shoulders, the air—and your stomach—remained warm. Erik, a young man, approached your corner.

“Why don't you go dance with your fae?” He had sneered, grabbing the attention of his fellow ruffians.

“My- what are you talking about?”, you had stuttered, fingers gripping the half-full glass.

“All you do is care for the fae- so go.” He smiled, stepping forward into your space. Walking closer and closer till you found yourself blindly backing away, further from the celebration.

“Maybe when you fix your head, you'll be welcomed back.” His pack stood behind him, cackling like dogs. As if they didnt just push a young, inebriated lady out into the night.

Time seemed to stand still as your body carried you home. Your shoes were lost somewhere in the long grass, leaving you barefoot as you walked home, drinking from the glass you had left with. Body swaying as you took in the summer heat, dropping the cup near your door as you ventured into the woods. Face a light red and chest heavy as their words and actions swam in your head. Dizzily mixing with your understanding, following  the fireflies that laced the woods.

A shallow hiccup left your lips as you venture deeper, vision blurry, as you pass trees and end near the glistening pond.

It was hicccup, so small that you had barely realized it left. Didn't see how the small glowy pixies gathered. Weightless hands coming close with comfort you unknowingly deserved. You had always left even the smallest nymphs some sort of offering.

Your skin prickled as the feeling of coldness brushed over you, yet the whine and mockery laced your blood too much for you to truly not notice the shiver.

“Why are you out here?”

“They threw me out.” A small sob left your lips, too gone and drowned in yourself to know who you spoke to.

There was a scoff, and a presence of something cold grew near you. Ice fingers lifting up your head to face the illusion named Simon.  “They  threw you out?”

A nod

“Why did they throw ye oot, bonnie?” Another voice asked from somewhere in the dark. It was crackly, like a crow. Your eyes scanned up, catching the figure perched in the tree, his legs kicking. The sight caused a snort to leave your lips, a smile breaking across your faces. Maybe you had gone mad, too driven by alcohol and desperation to think properly who you were talking to exactly.

“How did you get up there?” You had mused, letting tears lick down your cheeks. Drunkenly tilting your head up, accidentally bumping into Simon. The man in the tree cocked his head to the side, in a similar way that the crow always did when it visited you.

“Enjoy a good climb now an' then.” He hummed, jumping down from the tree with ease and strolling up to you.  He wore a pair of worn brown pants and a grey tunic. A brown satchel-like bag hung attached to his hip, and a hooked knife was strapped to his side. Black feathers and shiny-looking stones were tied to the handle. He crouched near you, a charming smile on his lips. Up close, you could see how his joints and the area near his hairline seemed blackened, fading into his natural color. And now his mohawk seemed to have feathers woven into it. “Now why ya out here, Bonnie? Ain’t it the summer solstice?” He hummed, nudging Simon away, his fingers brushing the now-dirty hem of your dress. “Looks like ye got all dolled up, so why ant a pretty thing like chu dancin?” There was a hum from Simon as the question was asked again.

“They kicked me out-”

“We know that-” Simmon hummed, moving you gently to rest against his shoulder, saving you from drunkenly swaying into the pound.

“They said I spend too much time with the fae.”

Silence

“Ah, and they don't think the fae are real, do they? " Simmon hummed, looking down at your red cheeks and teary eyes. You gave a short nod.

“Well,” the other man let out a heavy, silent breath. “Seems lek ignorant blunts, aye Ghost? " Another grunt, from Simon, or ghost.

“Sounds like the village got a bit too comfortable, dontcha say, Johnny?” he hummed, a cold hand resting over your warm skin. The feeling was welcomed and appreciated, considering the heavy sensation the alcohol made you feel.

“what ye thinking, Si?” Sleep seemed to sink into your skin, and you unknowingly fell into Simon's side, feeling the skin morph into the creature he really was. Large cloaked arms picking your drunken form up.

“Bring 'em home and tell Price and Gaz that it’s time to start the offering again.”

“Blood?”

The old dessert had been covered in such a thick layer of frosting, so sugary and sweet that it had been impossible to taste the earthy mold. It was a cruel joke, one you did not know was being played on you. To give you a small tea cake that was so old that the mold is what made it soft and moist. The thick frosting covered the white and green that bloomed throughout the once-spongy dessert. It was a decadent treat, regardless of how small it was. The dessert would’ve cost months and months of savings, so this was a gracious gift. Maybe all that goodwill, all the work you did to keep the village safe from the fae, had finally paid off. Maybe the village finally saw you as a friend, not a stranger or a threat. Maybe… maybe they finally accepted the truth, that the fae were real. Nativity, or something everyone could claim you had

***

Two hours had passed, and the sun seemed to be hiding behind the clouds as it set. The sky was a beautiful pink, stretching out like arms and wrapping around the fluffy clouds' beautiful whites. You couldn’t help the giggles that left your lips; you were accepted by the town, and the world felt so gorgeous, so peaceful. The birds' songs swayed with your dress, and the wind carried your feet further into the woods. And somewhere along the way, you lost the thin shoes you were wearing. Bare feet moving and dancing on the soft mossy paths, lungs full of fresh spring air. The forest seemed more alive, opening its arms as the weeping willow branches reached toward you. Your mind creating the outlines of a dress that curved and danced along with your own steps.

Fae watched from the trees, both intrigued and humored by your state. Their human girl seemed to be somehow high, as if she had drunk straight fae wine. Yet the smell of sweet wine didn’t linger on you. And your eyes had some sort of clarity that wouldn't be present if you had. However, you bowed and danced with the spirit of the willow trees, as if you could see it. Allowing the branches to graze your gold-adorned fingertips as you reached up and spun.  

Konig watched in kindred fascination, eye following your dress as it twirled. It must have been the one you were working on. It was a darker fabric with carefully embroidered flowers and leaves. The ones you would study and collect from the woods. One flower near the hem seemed unfinished, with a small string hanging from it.

Time seemed to go by faster than it should; 20 minutes felt more like an hour. The world felt beautiful and seemed brighter. Knees pressed into the cool moss and grass of the pond. Your mind wandered as you let your fingertips graze the warm water. Watching the swirling ripples. Not realizing your body swayed, you were nearing the rim of the pond when the hand that danced with the ripples went elbow-deep. A gasp leaving your lips as some creature below took your sudden entrance as a sign of offering, of food. Clawed, webbed hands grabbed your wrist in an attempt to pull you under. The yellow eyes seem to multiply with your hazy mind. The sharp teeth formed a glasglow smile of sorts. A sharp terror of breath left yolu as your heart stuttered.  The jaws opened, surrounding your wrist, ready to crunch the bone before another hand wrapped around your bicep and pulled you away sharply.  Body shaking and mind tearing itself apart as you caved yourself into his figure.

“Are you okay, kleiner Bär (little bear)?’

“I-I almost.. Holy… I'm…” Your voice sounded so strange to yourself, warped and odd.

“You are okay now, Liebe (Love).”

You hadn't even realized your eyes were closed till you opened them,taking in the figure. Tall and comforting. Your mind warped to make the large antlers on his head almost cave in to hold you closer. A silent sob left your lips. “Wh-what happened?” you sobbed. The forest now seemed to contort into long, spiked arms that reached for your flesh. You caved yourself closer to the towering figure, head pressed to his chest. A robed arm wrapped around you, cloaking you in warmth.  Time finally seemed to slow more as what felt like hours of frightful sobbing was near minutes as the figure comforted you close. Hushing you and slowly wrapping another arm around you.

“I’ve never been so…so… careless.”

“Shhh it Iz okay kleine Frau (little wife).” He comforted. “Something bad has happened to your beautiful head.” And a large warm hand placed itself there, brushing away your hair.

“The fae?” You ask through bubbling eyes. Tears now appear not out of fear but despair. You had tried so hard to be kind to the fae, to at least partially be favored, so something like this would never happen.

“Nein, my dear, iz a zickness of your village.”

A hiccup and then another full sob.

So they had not accepted you. They had likely poisoned you in hopes you would not walk out of the forest. No, that was too extreme… but…