White light

The sand whipped up into her eyes even with the shelter of the rocks and Leiara huffed as she scrubbed her eyes trying to clear them and see. Across the other side of the plateau was the city. The dome reflecting the early morning light and making her already sore eyes ache.

Leaning on her staff Leiara watched closely and was rewarded with the domes security doors opening and a heavily armed party trudged out towards her hiding place in the rocks. The Leader scanning of to her left as if looking for someone before movement in the rocks signalled the approach of another group and the confirmation of her fears. And when the Dark elf separated from his black suited guards to shake hands with the mayor of the city she sighed and began mentally preparing the report to her superiors. But as she turned to leave Leiara heard mention of a name she knew all to well and a place that was never far from her heart and froze. That was the reason for the early morning meeting? Her?! Her heart began beating again at a hundred times the pace and she looked at the now empty space and narrowed her eyes “no….”


The first light of dawn was just beginning to show through the trees, casting mottled shadows on the ground and the seventeen-year-old girl that was drawing water from the well in the centre of the clearing. The folds of her royal blue dress crumpled around her as she sat absorbed in her task. Her long brown hair was bound in a tight braid and it fell well down past her waist, at least if would have if she wasn’t hanging up side down over the crumbling edge of the well. She grunted with the effort of drawing the full pail and slipped a little further over the edge of the well, her feet braced against the stones of its base. She squeaked as the stones beneath her crumbled a little more and she was forced to heave backwards in order to stop her fall. This however, only pitched her the other way. She drew a sharp breath as a strong hand covered in an elvan glove wrapped around her waist and another caught the bucket as it fell from her hand. She turned her head towards her rescuer her face bright red from embarrassment.
“Hey, careful now”
She looked deep into his face, Teo` had the elegance that all Fae’s posse. His ears tapered up high and were adorned with earrings that glinted as he moved, shinning through his snow-white hair. He was a lot taller than her, and of medium build making Jael, who had always been thin and rather small for her age, appear tiny in comparison. His features were made more striking by his blood red eyes and amazing smile. She had exhaled sharply as she saw his face and turned her head away wriggling out of his arms.
He merely smiled at her, making no effort to release his grasp “Morning Jael”
“Is it really Teo`?” she said her voice ringing with sarcasm. She turned her head back to him; her face still flushed, she bit her lip and steeled her blue grey eyes to gaze into his blood red ones. “Are we done here?”
“Yep. Unless you’re planing on falling in again….”
“I didn’t fall in Teo`!”
“Ahh yes that’s right…. you fell out, and that’s soooooo much better” he smiled down at her and twisted around to place her back on her feet.
She stood and began dusting her clothes down “Jackass”
He saluted and walked back towards the village carrying the water.
She sighed again, frustrated at him but she gathered herself and followed him all the same.


Before them the village panned out in the clearing, and even though it was so early in the morning, there was activity everywhere. The streets were full of the villagers busily going about their business and many turned to greet them as they past
Jael stopped to talk to Mira and her daughter Leith as they past them. Mira was Teo`s sister and fifteen years his senior, an age gap that was not uncommon among Faes who have longer life spans than humans. Mira was Teo`s opposite in many ways; Teo` had his fathers looks, the white hair and blood red eyes, Mira had her late mothers, her hair was jet black and fell well past her waist and her eyes were almost azure. And her five-year-old daughter was almost a carbon copy of her mother. Teo` suddenly realized that Jael no longer followed him, and doubled back. The girls ceased their conversation as he approached. Then Mira began to giggle. Teo` blushed slightly, though he wasn’t sure why. Mira smiled knowingly at Jael and then went back into her house to continue her chores. Jael walked a few steps then swayed gently. She rubbed at her forehead absently and then took a deep breath closing her eyes as she breathed out.
“Hey, you ok?”
She opened one eye to look at Teo, then upon further consideration she opened the other and nodded.
“I’m fine” she dropped her head and stalked past him into the house. Letting the door shut in his face. She jumped as over at the table Olden pushed back his chair.
“Chief Olden, you scared me”
“So long you have lived here my foundling, and still you call me ‘Chief,’ ” he laughed sadly. “Were you out alone?”
“Yes I made a break for it and snuck off by myself!” she thought better of this when she looked at his face so she shook her head and continued “ I wasn’t alone, Teo` was with me.”
Olden relaxed a little but he still scowled at her. “Don’t go out alone. DO YOU UNDERSTAND??!”
Worried that she had upset the old man she creased her eyebrows and bit her lip. He laughed again, happier this time.
“Enough of that, where is Teo` now?”
As if on que Teo` pushed the door open and struggled through with the heavy pail, water splashing the ground by his feet as he did so.
“ Good morning Teo`, working hard?”
“Of course father” Teo` tried hard to look believable. Behind him Jael stuck her tongue out and rolled her eyes. Olden narrowed his eyes at her. Then nodded curtly to Teo`. “I’m presuming you have more work to do Teo`” he shoved a crumpled letter further into his pocket and turned and headed up the stairs.
Teo` sighed and turned to Jael, “Where do you want this?”
She jagged a finger over her shoulder “There will do”
He unceremoniously dropped the pail where she indicated. “Seriously, Jael what’s wrong with you?”
Jael turned to face the stairs where Olden had disappeared a few moments before. Her mind flashing to the scared look on his face as she had opened the door alone and the relief that flooded over it once Teo` followed her in, not to mention that strange conversation before Teo`’s arrival. Her eyes clouded as she wondered what it meant. She shivered unconsciously.
“Nothing” “Really I’m fine.”


Olden sat down heavily on the bed. He had to be more careful. She was a smart girl, any unusual behaviour on his part and she would not rest until she knew what was going on. He smiled. She’s as curious as a kitten that one, she had learnt a lot in the few years that she had spent with the village. He had been very uncertain about her upon her arrival. She was still very ill when Leiara and Teo had arrived, Teo carrying her in his arms wrapped in his cloak, her bare limbs hanging gracefully down her pale skin blistered from the heat of the crash. He had decided to return her to the desert and leave her for the unumans to find, but then she had opened her eyes, and he had found himself unable to turn her away.

She had quickly integrated herself within the society. She possed the Faes completely reverence for nature and she had quickly learnt the many customs that allowed her to fit in, and when her ears were covered she was indistinguishable from her Fae peers, she dressed like them, had learnt their ancient language and now the only thing that set her apart was her lack of fighting skill and her pitiful knowledge of Fae magic, but that wasn’t her fault, the elders had decided to allow her to stay but forbidden her to learn the magic, and to her credit she had stuck to it even though she could have easily convinced one of the more rebellious Fae children to teach her. Teo` for one, Teo` believed that she should be at the very least taught to protect herself and had offered Jael many times all of which she had refused.

He worried about Teo` sometimes. He had the mind of a warrior at all times but when it came to Jael, she seemed to encourage him to follow his heart, and his heart was preoccupied with her. He often wondered whether or not Teo` would have fought to protect her if the council had decided to execute or banish her when she arrived all those years ago, or if he would now if the situation arose. Olden answered the last question himself, of course he would, so would he and just about everyone else in the village. She wasn’t weak, far from it she had a very strong spirit and fire within her, but everyone naturally wanted to protect her. Olden attributed most of that to her personality but in honesty a measure, however small, had to be attributed to her inferior species.

The gap between the two species had been bridged somewhat by her arrival and the lessons she had taught them. Some had resisted her at first, but she always got her way. She had many lessons within her and often shared them at ‘unusual’ times or by unorthodox methods. He laughed recalling some of her previous educational sessions. His smiled faded as his thoughts returned to the letter he held in his hand. So they were finally coming. He sighed. There was no other choice; the unuman would have to learn to fight like a Fae.

Teo` walked around behind Jael and placed his arms around her. Joining his hands over her stomach.
“Jael” he spoke softly to her and placed his head down onto hers resting it in her hair.
“What’s wrong?”
Jael tensed a little at the forwardness of his sudden touch.
“Nothing” “I’m fine” she tried to sound happy.
He blew warm air gently over her head as he sighed at her response.
“Liar”
She turned around to look into his eyes. “Teo`” she shook her head a little “Please”
He looked down at her and she turned her face away. He slid his hand to her cheek cradling it in his palm. Jael bit her lip and tried not to cry, but she couldn’t contain her tears and they slid down her face where one fell against his hand.
“Tell me Jael”
She shook her head miserably. She hadn’t felt so alone for such a long time. Olden sounded as if he didn’t trust her, or want her within the city for that matter.
Teo tilted her head towards his and pressed his lips to hers. Jael stiffened then relaxed against him drawing a deep breath when the parted.
“Whatever it is Jael. I’ll always be right here, beside you” and he pressed himself against her once more.
And although her body responded passionately in her mind she recoiled from him. ‘No Teo` tomorrow, I’ll be gone’.

Dawn broke and the village began to stir. Olden steeled himself to begin the teaching the unuman the legacy of the Faes. It hadn’t taken long to convince the elders that the ban on her learning magic should be lifted, especially after he showed them the letter. They all understood what it would mean to her, they knew that without the knowledge of the Faes she wouldn’t stand a chance. They were all nervous, but they trusted her and they knew that this was the right path. Olden pushed open the door to her room. It was empty but he wasn’t surprised she was often up early. She was probably at the well or out in the village preforming some other chore. He walked out and down into the kitchen. A breakfast was laid out on a cloth. Olden put a hand to it and drew his hand back suddenly. The food was stone cold. She had made it hours ago. He was still staring at the food when Teo` threw the door open
“Jael?” his voice was tinged with hope but the fear and uncertainty was still very evident. “Morning father” “Is Jael here?”
“No Teo`. Is she not in the village?”
“No. No one has seen here since last night” “Where is she?” “I knew I shouldn’t have left her alone”
“What?”
“She was…. upset. She was rattled yesterday morning, she almost passed out on the way home. She’s been having a lot of headaches lately, but she wont have the healers look at her” He bit his lip and forced himself back to the topic at hand “ but after we came home…. I don’t know, she was scared I think. Strange thing is she looked really lonely”
“Oh no. She must have thought………..go after her Teo`”
“Go where?”
Olden dropped his head into his hands “I don’t know” “Why don’t you try going to…”
Olden stoped mid-sentence as someone began hammering on the door. “Master Olden” “Teo`, we’ve found her”
Teo` and Olden rushed out into the street. Jael was cradled on a rickety old cart bleeding from several wounds to her face and arms her breath came in short bursts ragged and every few seconds it was stunted forcing her to gasp for air desperately. Her dress and cape were torn to pieces, deep wounds on her skin. One of the elder war chiefs threw the body of a black clad man with eyes stitched shut before them.
“Those bastards are getting closer every day Olden, I say its time we wipe them out” but before they could discuss the matter further Mira rushed forward and began pounding on Teo`’s chest.
“Why weren’t you with her??” “Damn it Teo`, you’re supposed to take care of her”
Teo shrugged her off and walked over to Jael. He ran his hand down her face and closed his eyes as if he was in pain. Lifting her off the cart he cradled her close to him and carefully carried her into the house. The door banged shut behind them ringing through the silence, before long Mira and the witchdoctor slid in after them. Olden turned and addressed the massed crowd.
“Back to your chores, double the guard on the gates” Olden steeled his gaze on the man at his feet before he kicked it off the step “ And Get rid of this THING” before he walked back into the house and began a week long vidual at her side until she regained consciousness.


** Thanks for reading! I don't normally post my stories but one of my lovable but totally crazy friends suggested it would be a great way to become a better writer (and then harassed me into it)! So let me know what you think