The Fifth Nightmare

The Trainers

Estrilda POV

I watch the four Fae males as they stand in front of us.  Looking us up and down as if inspecting livestock. When the Fae who wanted to kick Aldwin Approached me I hid behind my brother away from the towering male. He too was handsome as all Fae were but he wasn’t as attractive as I found their tattooed companion. His hair was more honey colored and quite a bit longer than the other males, his eyes were the same inhuman purple. The male gives me a nasty grin and tries to step closer. Aldwin stretches out his arm to protect me tucking me behind him. The tattooed male grabbed the aggressor by the shoulder. “Boon enough. Leave the girl alone.”  He pulled the warrior away giving me a once over before pulling Boon away.

Daeda stepped forward. “How do we wish to pair up? My lords?” She asks addressing the warriors, she was trying to appease them and diffuse the tense situation.  One of the other males steps forward the one who had laughed earlier he flashed a goofy grin at us. His wide uneven grin was kind and friendly, the kind that didn’t make me want to cringe and hide. He wasn’t as muscular as the others but he was tall and thin. He still had a strong build but it didn’t share a flame to the strength his companions displayed. “I am Forrester, the snarky one over there is Boon.” The rude one flashed a wolfish grin at Daeda and snapped his teeth. I stepped forward surprising the males and my siblings and gave an animalistic growl at Boon. Aldwin snatched me back behind him while I still growled behind him. I locked eyes with Boon almost daring him to approach one of my siblings again. “I am so sorry about that, I don’t know what’s gotten into her recently. She has been overly aggressive lately particularly with strangers and especially with males.” Said Daeda to the Fae. Flashing my teeth aggressively at Boon. In all things considered I was rightfully entitled to the way I acted from the aggressive male, the strange situation, and a recent horrific experience. I felt I rightful deserved to be protective of my siblings. Especially in front of Fae males.

Fae were different than humans simple as that. Fae live longer and are a lot stronger than humans. To top it off they were blessed with mates. Or what they believed they were blessed with. A mate is a Fae’s soulmate, so they say. Often both mates are Fae but on the rare case they can be mated with a human. Like my situation. I had been taken by a Fae male; he had told me he loved me told me he would do anything for me. I love him so dearly, I still do. Until he decided my human body wasn’t enough and started to harm me. Needless to say, I slit his throat and watched him drown in his own blood. All while it slowly killed me from the inside after all, I still love him. He had done unspeakable horrific things to me and I will always love him.

After his death I sank into a depression. When my siblings came to check on me they were so devastated by what was left of me they stayed with me to try to help me. They didn’t know about my mate or what he had done to me and they didn’t need to. I was doing just fine on my own. I had been trying to fix the rights in my town and avoid my own darkness by trying to eliminate the other commoner’s problems. My siblings hadn’t wanted me to be alone in the streets at night, so they joined me. We used our combined gifts to make our fleshy monster in the hopes it would scare away the evil of the streets. It worked quite well until we were caught by the palace guards.

  The tattooed male cleared his throat before he stepped forward facing Daeda. “I am Terrowin and the other male is Fain.” The other male, Fain raised his hand in a slight wave. A thick scar ran through his lip to his cheek highlighting his sharp cheek bones and it made him more attractive, his hair short like the other Fae warriors but his eyes were brighter almost excited at the events that had transpired today. Now more at ease I settle down and sit in front of Aldwin no longer growling at the Fae in front of me.

Forrester stepped forward, “If it is not too forward of me to ask, I want to train Aldwin.” He says looking almost shy in the action. “I think we will get along.” Aldwin steps around me with a nod heading to the Fae and stepping to his side, stopping to pat my head on the way to his new trainer. They were splitting us up I would be alone with one of these men. I shuddered at the thought. Boon stepped forward. “If that the case I want the little pup who growled at me.” He said stepping closer to me reaching to grab me. “I don’t think so.” Daeda said in a tone that said don’t f**k with her. She snatched Boon by the ear. “You’re with me Honeycomb. You can thank me later.”  She released his ear when he stopped resisting. “Don’t you ever do that again you birch.” He growled out at her. She tutted but otherwise ignored him. Terrowin huffed and silently sat a few feet away on the floor looking quite at ease. I glanced slightly over at him my eyes following the trails of tattooed ink up his arm. I avoided his gaze my eyes tracing his markings. Fain walked calmly over to the twins careful not to disturb them but nodding at them politely.

“This will do. I say we get them situated into rooms and perhaps get a meal in them? Training tomorrow?” Asked Fain from where he stood next to the twins. “The Queen said to give you the room next to your trainer and then give you a tour.” He made a gesture for the twins to follow him as they left through a hallway to the East. Boon turned and left to a hallway to the North, not checking to see if Daeda was following. Aldwin gave me a thumbs up before being tugged down the West corridor after Forrester.

Terrowin hopped swiftly to his feet and glanced to southern corridor before offering me a hand up. I pushed myself off the floor ignoring his hand before turning and walking toward the southern corridor. He went to move beside me but I flinched away so severely he didn’t try to get as close again. We walked in silence down the halls only hearing the occasional closing of a door or the constant sweeping of my cloak against the floor. The Fae glanced down at me “So little one, what’s your gift?”