Amythest dreams

Chapter Twelve:

Esper was as bright of a personality as she was in reality. Iredesa found herself enjoying the company of her quicker than she would have thought. The whole time they walked to where they would be meeting Jara and Rennyn she flitted back and forth, lifting strands of Iredesa's hair, telling jokes and asking questions. "Why are your eyes that color?" She asked, floating around Iredesa's head. Iredesa shrugged, uncertain of what to say. " I honestly have no idea. I was born with them. Some say that I am cursed. Although, what curse nobody can say. There were some that had said I was a witch or a changeling...Or even half Fae." Kallan's head snapped to her quickly. "Half Fae? Interesting..." He looked like he wanted to say more but he didn't. Yet she had a feeling that he and Esper were having a conversation privately about her. She continued, wanting to know what they were saying. " But that would be impossible. My mother was human. So was my father. Plus... Im pretty sure that I would know if I wasn't human. And the Fae haven't crossed the border in a hundred years. Except you." "That may be true. But there were some Fae that chose to stay on the human side of the border. They gave up their immortality for love. So hybrids are a possibility. But the bloodline would be diluted. At best you'd be a quarter Fae. Possibly less..I would have to rule it out however. I sense no Fae blood in you." The further they went the more odd everything seemed to look compared to the human world. It was as if magic had seeped into every single living organism. At one point Esper had a laughing fit when Iredesa about passed out from a spider the size of a kitten. Esper simply landed upon its back and used it silk web to tie around its neck and ride it like a horse for a few minutes. She also saw more pixies in the trees. They never said anything. They just looked at her with their black eyes and carnivorous grins. Some were eating bugs or birds. Other were just sitting there. Iredesa felt those were more worrisome. If they were already eating they might not eat her. Or so she hoped. "When and where are we stopping for dinner?" Iredesa asked, eyeing the pixies apprehensively. She would prefer to not be their dinner if she could help it. "Iredesa. They won't hurt you. At least not while you are around me. They may be called the free folk but this is my families kingdom. I am their prince. You are safe. As long as you don't wander off away from me anyway." She gulped, inching towards him a little bit which caused Esper to laugh again and almost fall off Kallan's shoulder. " I forgot how fun humans can be Kal."

 "Hush Esper. To answer you question Iredesa. We are going to stop about three miles from here. Jara and Rennyn should be waiting for us at the spring ahead. Now that we are in Puerr Terra I would prefer to have more people around to watch camp. I am their prince, but that doesn't mean that we should be careless. Ember very well may have her people searching for us." " Her royal bitchness would have to be stupid to openly come at you on our turf Kal. But then again. She is stupid. So maybe you are right in your assessment to have us with you." Esper said, her head tilted in thought. It was close to dark by the time they finally made it to meet up with Rennyn and Jars. Kallan stopped before approaching, reaching out with his mind to alert Jara and Rennyn to their arrival. He nodded, confirming that it was ok to continue, and walked out to a small soring where two male Fae sat calmly. The first thing that Iredesa noticed was the wings upon who she assumed was Jars. She remembered that Kallan had said he was Foletti and they had white wings..The wings on him were massive. Even set against his back they towered over his head. He looked like what angels were described as in books. He was a beautiful mocha colored male, bald, and with piercing eyes the color of sand. He was tall, much taller than her and Kallan over all. He wasn't a bulky man, yet she could see that he had muscles for days. He wore no shirt, his wings clearly the reason. His facial hair was meticulously groomed. Rennyn however, was a man that screamed brute strength and power. He was all muscle, looking as if he had been carved from granite. He had jet black hair that was shaved on each side and the middle tied up into a loose bun. He was tan and had tattoos upon him. His eyes were a chocolate brown that, when laid upon her, looked to be full of both mischief and danger at the same time. He was probably the most handsome man she had ever seen, next to Kallan. Kallan must have heard her thoughts, because he scoffed and muttered, "Of course she'd find you attractive Rennyn." Rennyn smiled, a crooked smile full of s*x appeal, causing Iredesa to go a deep shade of embarrassing crimson. "No need to be shy Desi. Can I call you Desi? You and I are going to come to know each other quite well." His voice dark and like softened leather and spice. Smooth, with just a little bit of a kick to leave you wanting more. Yet Iredesa was having none of it. He might have looked like a God, but she didn't want him calling her anything. " It's Iredesa. Not Desi. And yes. I said you were attractive. But in my personal opinion of men, the more attractive they are, the dumber." She was inwardly yelling at herself. She'd just insulted him. A Fae that screamed power. God's she was the dumb one. Esper found it hilarious, this time falling off Kallan's shoulder, howling at Rennyn's expense. "Oooh Renny. She told you didn't she? I like her. She is going to fit in perfectly. " Rennyn c****d his eyebrow, looking at Kallan questioningly. Kallan nodded, which let her know that they were talking about her again without her being able to hear it. 

"Do you mind not talking about me in your weird mind link thing?" She asked, glaring at Kallan. " Little raven, you don't want me in your mind, don't want me in their mind, is there any thing I am allowed to do that will appease you? Other than the obvious?" He asked, giving her a look that let her know exactly what he was talking about. She blushed again, sending another look from Rennyn and a surprised look from Jara. Esper just laughed again. She seemed to enjoy awkward conversations.

Iredesa was furious at him. What they had done together was meant to be private, just between them. It hadn't even been a full twenty four hours and already he had broadcasted it to his friends for them to poke fun of. "I can assure you PRINCE Kallan that you appeasing me is the last thing on my mind." This set Esper  into a fit of giggles that left her hiccupping. " Kal, *hiickk* You really *hiiiick* shouldn't test her. She has *hiiick* spirit and fire to her." 

Suddenly Iredesa felt a pressure in her head and she realized that Kallan was trying to communicate with her. She opened the imaginary door that she had built in her mind and allowed him in. " Iredesa I apologize. I seem to have angered you." She mentally scoffed. " If you don't know what has angered me does your apology even count as an apology? They have no business knowing anything about the intimate parts of my life. And as my soon to be husband, as well as the man that I will be sharing my bed with, that extends to you. You may be Fae but I am not. s*x is not something that we share in the open with each other." He looked, for a moment,  embarrassed. "Forgive me little raven. I forget myself. I will not again use what we do as banter." She nodded, closing the door into his metaphorical face. 

Kallan blinked, clearly taken back by the sudden departure. "I really don't like when you do that Iredesa. Getting thrown out of that cute little head of yours can be rather painful."

Jara spoke for the first time since they met, his voice sounding like feathers in the wind. "She pushes you out of her mind? Even as a human?" Kallan nodded, looking at Jara questioningly. She could tell that Jara was communicating telepathically, which only pissed her off more. Suddenly Kallan spoke aloud. "Jara, out of respect for my soon to be wife, don't hide what you have to say.  She is right that she should be included when it comes to questions about her."  Jara nodded, looking at Iredesa with an apologetic face.

"Of course.  My apologies Princess Iredesa." Iredesa blinked, taken aback. "It's.. I'm. Iredesa. Please. Princess seems so. I'm not." Words escaped her. Esper laughed again. "You broke her Jar Jar."

"As the betrothed to our prince, by all rights of Fae law, that makes you our princess. But as you wish Iredesa. I was telling Kallan that it is very rare that a human is able to put a block up and hold it at all times. Even more rare to be able to throw them out without it causing serious strain on their strength. I find it odd that you are able to do so without any sort of blow back. Even Fae are unable to do it as smoothly as you have unless they train endlessly for years to master the art." 

"I don't know what to tell you. I simply didn't want him in my mind so I got him out of it."  She shrugged, unsure of what to say. She didn't want to think too hard on the fact that they were baffled by her ability to keep Kallan out of her head. She was just thankful that none of the others seemed to be able to get in to it.

"As much as I like to stand around and just stare at each other, can we maybe get some food or something? I am famished." Esper said, fluttering down to the ground. Iredesa nodded, her stomach suddenly growling at the reminder of food. "There is a salmon and clam chowder that we have been cooking for the last few hours. There is also some fairy bread. And Jara made some of his peppermint and jasmine tea. He figured you could use it after the journey to the human lands." 

Kallan and Iredesa made their way to the kettle that was set up next to a small picnic area. The stream in the background and the trees surrounding the small clearing made for a gorgeous backdrop and Iredesa was more than ready to sit down. Even if she was more than a little nervous as well. Suddenly it seemed all too real for her. She was in the Fae realm, surrounded by beings much older and much more powerful than she could ever fathom being, and was less than a week away from being in the inner city of Tiernim. Inside the castle of the Kingdom she would soon have to call home. It was more than a little daunting and she didn't really know what to say or do. So she sat and quietly watched as the people around her embraced each other in relaxed joy and passed around bread and bowls of steamy chowder. Kallan handed a bowl to her that she gladly took and dug into with gusto. 

It was single handedly the best chowder she had ever eaten. The saltiness of the fish and clams was well balanced out with the creaminess of the chowder. There were chunks of potatoes that tasted earthy, but in a way that made her want to eat more. There were hints of wild garlic and chunks of mushrooms. Even small balls of onions that exploded in her mouth with a burst of flavor. Never before had she ever tasted anything so amazing in her life. "This is delicious. I have never had anything quite like this before." She said, dipping it into the chowder and moaning again at the flavors that exploded into her mouth.

"The butter comes from the Crodh Sithe. And Rennyn has a natural talent for fishing and netting the best sea food. This spring happens to run off into the Aberdeen River, so it is naturally a salt water spring. As a result, salt water fish are very common in this area."

"I never really understood why they call it a river. It's not a river. Rivers are freshwater and The Aberdeen is salt." Rennyn said as he spooned a  bite into his mouth. She could easily tell that he loved the water. HIs skin was tanned and many of the tattoos portrayed sea creatures. The biggest one being a squid that started at the base of his hands and swirled around his arms and disappeared into the sleeves that bulged around his biceps.

"It's because it use to be a river. One would think you would have spent more time reading the history of our people Rennyn." Kallan scolded. Rennyn only smirked, clearly not put off by Kallan and his scolding. "What do you mean?" Iredesa asked, very interested to learn how exactly a river turned into a sea.

"Well the story says that over a thousand years ago, there was once a Fae named Ikrid who had fell in love with a Fae gypsy woman named Loriana who lived across the river from him. He would visit her every chance he got, traveling across the river a three times a year. He would spend a month battling treacherous storms and mermaids, as well as other terrible sea creatures, just to spend one week with her. His love was so great for her that he had planned to move away to her land when he saved enough fortune to give her the life he felt she deserved. Sadly he was unable to visit for one year due to a sickness that had taken his mother. When he went to travel to her after his mother had recovered he found that she had been wed to another. So great was his sorrow that upon his return to his homeland, the tears that fell from his eyes cast a spell the whole way home that changed the water to salt water. An eternal ode to the pain that he felt and the love that he lost." 

Rennyn rolled his eyes. "I fear that you put too much stock in our peoples stories. Tears that changed the water." Iredesa personally had to agree with Rennyn, but found that the Fae were capable of anything so she wasn't quick to dismiss the story as fiction. "It's a lovely story regardless." She said before Kallan could speak. 

Before long the sun began to set and they all set in around the fire. Kallan began dishing out the sleeping order, leaving Iredesa out of the line up much to her relief. She was exhausted, plus she didn't think she was quite ready to guard against whatever lay out there. But she would make sure to tell him to put her in rotation for the next night. She was not a damsel. She knew how to shoot a bow and could hold her own with a sword. He had yet to see her in action, but she was certain that she was decent, even by Fae standards. 

Kallan pulled out his tent as the others spread out, Rennyn agreeing to take first watch. Figuring there was no way for her to get a bath, Iredesa asked if it was safe for her to stand in the water and rinse of at the least. He looked a t Rennyn, who nodded  and said it was safe so she stepped into the water. Surprisingly enough it was fairly warm. She scooped the water up, slowly wiping the days grime off of her. It was salt water so she steered clear of her eyes and knew that if she didn't put some of her oils on her when she got in the tent her skin would dry out. Her clothes were soaked by the time she was done so when she entered the tent she stripped down and put on fresh ones after applying oil on her body. She took the clothes and laid them out along the edge of the tent and got ready to curl up and sleep when Kallan walked in.

"I was just laying down."  She said quietly as he undid his shirt. " I see that." He said as he steadily loosened the ties. She gulped as he slid it off and loosened the tie to his hair. It cascaded around his shoulders, the black tresses looking like the night sky against his pale skin. " Relax little raven. I don't mean to do anything too exhausting tonight. I just figured that I would get a little more comfortable while sleeping now that we have seen each other more intimately." He c****d an eyebrow as her eyes locked onto his chest. "Are you listening at all to me or do I need to put my shirt back on?"

"N- no." She said, tearing her eyes away from it. "Of course not." He chuckled and leaned down, placing a small kiss on her lips. He whispered slightly as he pulled away. "As much as I would love to repeat what has happened between us I fear that Esper and the others would get no sleep having to listen to us. Plus, I wouldn't want to exhaust you further and make it to where you couldn't travel tomorrow."

She blushed, nodding softly as he pulled away and stretched out on the cot beside her. She curled up next to him, sighing at he warmth of his body. A part of her hated the fact that she liked it so much. Yet another, even bigger part, of her seemed quite content to be by his side. It had been one week and somehow she felt as if it had been longer. She fell asleep pondering what that meant.