Witch

6. Queen of fairies

Eleanor closed the water mirror the moment crying sound announced little Sybil is awake. She turned back to the tent and just now she noticed that the night is being slowly lifted. They were talking a few hours. Eleanor was mentally slapping herself for forgetting the time when she talked to Azriel. She liked to talk to her but the reason she decided to stay in this place longer was to refill her powers and get rest. And right the first night she had time to sleep she spent it talking with her sister about the past.

She went back to attend little witch and was praising Moon Goddess for Sybil to be such a sleeper. She only woke up every three to fours to eat and shortly after she was deep asleep again. The time between feedings was already prolonged by one hour since the first day. At some point, Eleanor was disappointed that she couldn't play with her more but welcomed this sleeping schedule due to the travelling. It is much easier to travel with the sleeping child.

Since her original plan already failed and Eleanor didn't want to increase the length of her trip much more, she decided to sleep now and directly after to continue her way back home. She will spend anyway more than four days in the forest before they will be out of it and arrive at Sky Haven, the only one city housing people from both realms.

Don't understand it wrong. Humans with magus didn't fight each other you could even see there is respect among them all, but the human child is in danger growing with the magus kids and the magus kids could create calamities in the mortal villages and cities and the history would repeat itself.

***

Dismantle the camp was easy for Eleanor. She removed and folded all the canvases and placed them safely to her pouch. After collecting all her stuff, placing the harness and saddle back on Alistair, burying the rest of the fish she didn't finish, she went back to small ball curled inside the moon silk, lifting Sybil up and tied her again gently with scarfs, close to her heart.

Before leaving the clearing she turned last time, bow slightly and sent a quiet pray and blessing to the forest for hosting them.

She was travelling a few hours and the sun disappeared below the horizon a long time ago. The forest changed, felt different, buzzing with life and energy. Her skin was tingling just from the contact with air residing here, bringing the chill down to her spine. Trees were taller here, growing more densely not leaving any space for the moonlight to reach the ground.

Priestess took out from her pouch small bottle with yellow sweet sticky nectar and every few meters she stopped Alistair sticking the small branch inside the bottle without breaking it, leaving the branch covered with this nectar. As she was continuing this action along her way the energy of the forest changed. The tingling she was feeling before become more warm and pleasing.

She repeated the steps until the bottle was completely empty and not long after a small flying creature appeared right in front of her eyes. A human-like body with the bird claws instead of feet. Her skin light shade of brown, wings like of those of butterflies darker than the colour of her skin and with smart chocolate eyes staring right into Eleanor's ones. As she was hanging at the air, the wings working hard keeping her steady making the air around whirling, made this little creature fight her curly hair trying to put them back behind the ears.

Eleanor couldn't hold her laugh anymore and started to chuckle out loud. "You think it is funny Elie?" The small creature frown and charged closer to Eleanor now pointing her tiny finger to Eleanor's nose. "Stop laughing!" she shouted angrily at Eleanor now placing both of her hands on hips taking a defensive position.

"I....I am....sorry Aeriel." Eleanor tried to answer in between her laughs trying to catch her breath. "You were so cute to fighting your hair off your face." Tried to reason with the little fairy.

"Hmph. You are being rude." The little fairy turned her back to Eleanor but stayed still at the same place.

"Alright, alright forgive me your highness. I am deeply sorry for making fun of you." Eleanor's voice sounded serious but the corners of her mouth were still wide with a smile.

Eleanor slightly poked the back of little fairy since she still didn't move or make any movement. "Come on Aeriel. You can't be angry all night with me. Plus you know I already told you a long time ago to tie your hair when you are flying." Eleanor was still gently poking her friend carefully to not hurt her since the difference between their size was enormous. Aeriel was pretending to be angry until she heard a defeating sigh from Eleanor. This was enough gaming with her big friend like sister turning around and hugging her cheek while giving her a loving kiss. " All forgiven Elie." was the only thing she managed to say before she registered movement under Eleanor's clothes.

"What are you hiding there?" Aeriel's voice changed to a curious one as she flew down where the scarfs were tightened. Eleanor motioned by hand for Aeriel to move farther and swiftly jumped off the horse. She sat on the thick warm grass and gently untied all layers to free the child sleeping inside softly placing her on the grass next to her.

"Meet the new member of our family. Her name is Sybil." Eleanor spoke quietly to not wake up Sybil yet. Since the last encounter with shadows in the wasteland, she enchanted the scarfs to catch all the sounds to make sure Sybil has a quiet place to sleep. But now since the scarfs are away she lowered her voice.

Aeriel was sceptical watching the baby but hearing her name she frowned to Eleanor. "El! Are you sure about that?" Her voice was full of concerns.

Fairies don't live long immortal life same as witches in one body. Fairies are creatures of nature. Nurturing and growing the area they were born to. Fixing and healing whenever it is needed and because of that giving away a huge amount of their life essence. They can't absorb it from livings back as it's against their own nature and their small body can't replenish all they are giving away. So sooner or later they deplete their life essence to the point when their existence is endangered. When the fairy feels her life is almost gone she chose the tree or flower and plant a seed giving away her last drop of life. As the seed is growing, creating a new life and blooming, a new fairy is born at the end of this process. They are born with the memories of their previous life.

Sybil started to move most likely because of the constant buzzing of energy around and tingling on the skin caused by the fairies' energy and magic. Aeriel looked away from Eleanor down to awaken baby without even waiting for Eleanor to reply. At the sight of Sybil's eyes, Aeriel gasped. "I see" was the only reply she gave flying down closer to the child.

"Hello Sybil" Aeriel was racing with the small hands which tried to catch her and at the same time poking the nose and cheeks of the baby to encourage her for another catching attempt. "You want to catch me?" Her voice changed into gibberish continuing this little game.

Eleanor was lost in her thoughts again not paying attention to her friend playing with the baby. 'Am I sure? What if she really is my late sister. The eyes. Power. It never occurred among us before or after my sister. Those belonged just to her until this child' her mind was swirling with dozens of question for which she had no answer yet.

"El!" Aeriel shouted to Eleanor right into her ear which brought her back to reality almost jumping up from her place from shock.

"Are you alright? Like five minutes I am trying to talk to you." Now Aeriel was really worried about her friend.

"Sorry. Yes. I guess." Eleanor tried to collect the rest of her thoughts. "I think I am just tired. Last few days I use a lot of my energy."

Aeriel flew back up to be at the same level as her friend's eyes checking carefully her features. She was right. Aeriel could see the exhaustion in her face. Her normally soft green eyes now with dark circles, her full red lips completely dry shouting sick and there was still slightly visible burn on her forehead around the moonstone.

"You should stay here for the night El. We will take care of you." The air around Eleanor changed again as Aeriel was releasing her powers and was calling for more fairies. The air became so light and warm, it didn’t take long for Eleanor to slide into the dreamland leaning on the tree not even fighting this warm feeling taking away her tiredness.

Aeriel flew higher connecting her forehead with the bark of the tree, channelling her powers to the core. Shortly the ground started to move as the roots were repositioning itself carrying sleeping Eleanor softly more down to the centre of nearby trees. The other fairies meanwhile took playful Sybil to another place as queen of fairies cast veil of mist covering all area like a blanket. Four more fairies connected with other four trees standing around the sleeping Eleanor and were also channelling their power through trees. The veil connected with each of those five trees were glowing like the night sky filled by the millions of star, moving slowly from the edge to centre as the energy was pouring inside the magical blanket. The moment the energy of fairies connected in the middle of the veil, shinning dust was falling down upon the sleeping priestess, drop by drop replenishing her almost depleted powers, healing her in the process.

Aeriel turned to her friend last time sending her caring smile “sweet dreams my dear” wished before her and the rest of the fairies flew away to take care of Alistair and Sybil.