Light and the Night Sky

Lirael

Daphne lit up her hands for the fae man for a long while until her head began to scream, it had to be overuse but she likely couldn’t stop or he would get angry. So, she continued as he paraded her around the room, showing her to all of the fae present. Many were either disinterested, disgusted, or displeased with the fascination the fae had with her.

Her head began to really swim when the door swung open with a bang, the man with amber eyes came in with a glower. He met her eyes for a moment before looking down at her glowing hands then at the fae besides her. His voice boomed with words she definitely didn’t know but understood what he meant. The fae, High Fae Lord Lirael, was chiding the other fae for what he was doing.

Looking at the fae beside her, she decided he had to be a young fae. If was how he acted like a child. But how old was he really? There was more talking but Daphne looked at the faces around her, they were not afraid but instead guilty? At least this lord was not a cruel one.

That increased her survival odds. Is that why Hecate sent her here of all places?

“..light come!”

Startled looked up at the lord Lirael, he was staring directly at her. She knew the words were not English but felt like she understood what they meant. She nodded and walked toward him slowly, when he growled quietly, she walked faster. The growling was likely their sighing. When Daphne was at his side, he turned and walked out of the room stalked down the hallways until they were in a small room with a table with food on it.

The fae, Lirael, sat in one of the chairs and stared at her. When she didn’t move, her lean frame completely unmoving, he snapped his fingers at her and pointed at a chair. He spoke again but the words didn’t translate. She frowned at him and sighed. Pointing to her chest she said “Daphne.”

He blinked at her, then motioned chair saying more words.

Shaking her head, she pointed at her chest again. “Daphne.” Slower this time, but not in a condescending tone.

For a moment he watched her, thinking through something before slowly speaking. “Daphne.” He looked like he was tasting her name, so foreign in his mouth. “Daphne.” He said it again but this time lower, sending chills down her spine.

In response, she smiled and nodded. She walked over to a chair on the opposite side of the table and sat down. She met his gaze then, pointed at him. He understood and said “Lirael.” While pointing at his chest.

Smiling, Daphne spoke. “Lirael.” It was small, but it would have to start out small, until she could understand more of their language. She had to survive.

He motioned to the food in front of them and made a gesture like eating, smiling she nodded. Slowly she reached out and grabbed a bun, looked up at him and he nodded. He really did bring her here to eat. So that is what she did, though to her surprise he sat there and watched her.

When she was finished, though she did not have much, she sat back and nodded.

Lirael then pointed at her and said “Hecate.”

Surprised she nodded slowly, searching his face for any indication of how he felt about the Goddess or how he knew where she came from. He stood then, walking up to her, and grabbed her sleeve. Tracing the serpent design with his thumb, he said “Hecate.”

Looking down at her dress she slowly began to understand, she was dressed as a symbol of the Goddess of Hecate. He recognized the meaning. Looking up at him he waved to follow him. She couldn’t judge his thought; he was a bland sheet but if she could then he was trying to figure out who she was and why she was dressed with the symbols of the Goddess. Was she invading, was this a ploy?

She followed him slowly, until she was brought to a room that could only be considered a shrine to Hecate. That was why she was delivered here; he was one of her followers. Hecate believed that she would be safe with a follower. So, did Lirael believe she was a nun for Hecate?

Looking at the intricately carved designed statue of Hecate, surprisingly close to her image, Daphne looked back at Lirael and smiled. She pointed up at the statue, “Hecate.”

Something crossed his face, but it was gone so quickly that Daphne was not able to decipher it. Before they could have more of their one-word conversations, he walked pass her and to the door they came through. He shouted something to the fae outside then turned to her. He motioned her for follow. “Daphne.”

She was then confronted by a female fae that had the features of a cat but was definitely humanoid. The fae bowed slightly to Lirael and after they spoke for a moment, she looked at Daphne with little interest but nodded and guided her away from the fae lord.

All the way to a bath.

Daphne was stripped naked, thrown in an inground stone tub and scrubbed at for far too long. It was like she was covered in filth that she couldn’t see but they could and it need to be cleansed. After being redressed in a different deep red dress, hair dried with what could only be magic, then trussed up and a way that kept it out of her face.

The woman was then dragged back to the shrine, shoved in and then locked in.