The Dark Muse watched me from across the clearing, glowing like a copper beacon in the dead of night. Her red lips smiled with the grace of a lazy cat, looking smug when I hesitated to play a song for her on the fine mahogany violin she put at my feet. The terms of the agreement were simple. If I could out play my sister, who the Dark Muse kept in the Between, a space in the veil that rested between the mortal world and faery, then she would release her. Up to this moment I led everyone to believe that I had no musical talent.
A thousand years ago my father passed away. His name was the Pied Piper. As his son I had inherited his gift of playing the most beautiful songs that man ever knew. So beautiful that I could control animals and summon them to do my bidding. My father was better than I. He was the first, the original piper that would always play the most beautiful melodies ever created. When he passed I swore that I would never play another violin again. It was because of me that he died. I was the one who just had to play that song. I was the one who ignored his warning. It's all because of me.
The trees around us swayed in the crisp breeze of the fall. Leaves were red and orange, mimicking fire in the bronze light that radiated from Leanansidhe. Beside the marvel woman stood a contrast. A dark man whose skin was pale as snow and long hair was as black as death. The definition of absence of color. It was the Prince of the Unseelie Court. The man who would take me and my talents back to his queen so I could play for eternity. Sage knew that I possessed the talents of the Pied Piper. He was waiting to see if I would reveal myself for my sister.
Sage had placed my sister in the Dark Muses care. He could not outright take me. If he did then I would never play. I would rather die than play for someone who was keeping me prisoner. Sage knew it. And I had my aunt protecting me with wards. The wards would only break if there was a more powerful druid or if I played again. Since it was hard to find druids who will cross each other without good reason Sage decided it would be easier to get me to willingly play.
My sister's name was Melody. She wasn't actually my sister but she mine as well be. Ever since she turned five I had been with her and her family as an adopted orphan. We had live together for years. Part of the reason why I liked her so much was because I saw something of myself in her. Brash, vindictive, and a complete wild card. It was amusing to watch her make the same mistakes I had made while learning to play the violin. She was amusing, yes, but was I willing to risk my freedom for her? Was Melody really worth spending an eternity with the Unseelie Queen?
I look down at the violin on the golden case. It already nearly sing with a note of its own, calling for a true master to pick it up and rip and saw at it's fine strings. This was even better than my old one. My old violin was oak. This was a faery wood. Something I didn't recall the name for but I knew that faery wood only added to the sound of tune and fineness to the song. This was a gift, to play such an instrument.
Silently, I turned my back on both the violin and Leanansidhe. She could keep her violin and my sister. I swore to my dying father that I would never play again. And I won't. No human was worth my freedom or a breakage in my oath to my father. They could stick their faery word games where the sun does not shine.
The smell of rotting leaves entered my nose. Crows cawed in the distance, seeming to warn of death and misery. The silence of the moment left as I melted into the trees and vanished from sight. As I got further from Leanansidhe and her unnatural light I began to move faster, trip over roots and taste salty tears. They had embarrassed me by manipulating my oath and feelings. Damned fae; they're good for nothing but trouble.
Well I'll just have to better, wont I?
She has not seen the last of me. Not by a long shot. Leanansidhe may have won this round but I will get the girl back. I will not play the violin to do it. I will wither take Melody back or I will destroy Leanansidhe for the trouble she has caused me. And I'm going to take Sage down as well. If I don't he will just keep pursuing. Next time he could have her at sword point and order me to play. The only way for her to be safe and for my oath to be upheld is to end the chase.
I'm going to war. Just like old times. Just like the time my father was killed because of me. It was a long time ago. The Salem Witch Hunts. The Catholics held my father captive because they knew who he was. They thought because he was so powerful that someone would come to his aid. So I did. And I brought an army of animals. When we clashed they had suffered high casualties. They were not prepared to fight animals. They were expecting to fight humans and druids. But before I could save him they killed him. When I got to his dead form I swore I would never play the violin again, and took his flute.
The flute was going to be my weapon of choice. I was going to take a better approach. Before I start having people eaten alive I'm going to negotiate. If that fails I'll attack and break her free. I'll have to be quick. Because the longer she's in faery then the more her memory will be faded and distorted. I just hope she hasn't already gone mad from being in the between for so long. Because if she did then how would I explain this to her family? How would I be able to tell them that I dragged their only child into something they believed to be nonexistent? How can I tell them that I failed? They would never forgive me. Or believe me. There's nothing that I can do but break her out. Her mental state is up to faery and her. All I got to do is make sure she gets out.