grins and passes out cookies to readers Thanks for the hits, and please review, its how I know I'm doing well. As usual I don't own anything, but if I owned Nuada he'd be shirtless all the time...smirk

A life-singer, a rare being who can sing life from dust, heal with a single note, or sing one into the arms of a peaceful death. Among the Fey they are uncommon, but once in a millennium a human singer is born. Rare as blue pearls, cherished by the Fey as it is a reminder that the mother has not forgotten them among the humans...

A Dojo somewhere in New York...

A young woman goes through Sword katas. Her movements are not those of any known martial art or derivative. The patterns are ancient, and from another place and time. Whirling swords with hearts of cold iron coated in Mithril silver, deadly as to even make the wind bleed. A man balding man in a bad suit and tie watches, trying to get the young woman to listen to his offer.

"...Ms O'hara, I do not know why you won't take up the B.P.R.D.'s offer." He said, watching her slice through a large bamboo pole. "We could use your talents...you would have assistants...and would only be behind..."

One of those deadly blades was at the knot of his tie, eyes as green as the hills in Ireland burn holes into him.

"...Listen Myers, or what ever your names is, my answer is no...My skills or gifts are not for sale, to anyone..."

He gulped, scraping his Adam's apple along the tip.

"But..."

"But nothing, now get the hell out of my Dojo..."

The blade twisted and split the knot, making the tie fall to the floor. Myers gulped again before turning and trying not to flee from the room, near forgetting his shoes.

Seeing him gone, "O'Hara" held both blades in one hand while the other rubbed across the back of her neck. This had been the fifth time in as many weeks that the B.P.R.D. Had tried to recruit her. After what she'd heard through her contacts in both the human world and among the Fey they were trouble. She knew it in her bones when she heard of the Forest God dying.

"...We are of one blood..." She whispered, a phrase she'd heard her Elvish teachers where fond of using. "How I wish more humans understood that..."

There were times she hated being human, with how hollow-hearted humanity had become...how much had been forgotten.

She turned her attention to cleaning her blades, it had been drilled into her enough. She paused as she always did, remembering the man who had taught her to weld them a decade ago.

"How brief love..." She said, "I still miss you, my beloved..."

She missed the man who had trained her, even though he'd vanished one night. He returned just as suddenly when she found herself pregnant shortly after his first departure. He vanished again, months later, with their child. That had been nigh ten years ago, when she first made a life for herself outside of the enclave.

"The past is the past..." She said returning to her blades. "And today shapes the future..."

She looked down the length of the blade in her hand. These blades were Fey Killers, the exclusive weapons of The Royal Guard of Bathmora.

She cleaned them carefully, remembering standing at the forge as they were made for her. A gift from King Balor for singing for the birthday of his daughter, Nuala. It had been sad news to hear of the Old King's death at the hands of his own son. She had heard much since then, including the tale of the army.

"...A foolish endeavorer by a foolish prince..." She said. "Patients would have served better..."

She looked at her distorted reflection in the blade, how unlike her elvish counterparts was she. She sighed and turned her thoughts to what would come in the next few days.

She was near finished cleaning her blades when she heard footsteps behind her, she'd closed the Dojo for the day to collect herself before heading to the Enclave for Samhain to sing for minor Fey Nobility. She enjoyed the attention to an extent, but usually withdrew into the forest for days afterward. She turned, not looking from her blade, half expecting another human before her.

"The Dojo is closed," She said, finally looking up. "And I don't give..."

She was surprised to see a short, stubby man standing there, his hand out. In it was a small round disk of Mithril. She tightened her grip on her sword before the man spoke.

"Healer come...Troll Market, Goblin Market..."

She was a bit puzzled, it was usually one of the more human looking fey would come and request or one of her order would send word.

"For who..."

"Be told when come to market..."

She did not like this, as she was often told before hand who and what she was being called for.

"Who shall I meet there?"

"Golden orb, speak to innkeeper, be told from there..."

She frowned. "Safe passage?"

The stubby man placed the sliver disk in her hand, she knew the crest upon it.

"Goblins..."

"Come to market..."

"I will come...when..."

"Thirteenth hour..." The man said and scuttled into the shadows, gone.

She shook her head, "I do hope this isn't a noble trying to claim me for his household again, I should have put the last bastard's head on a pike as a warning..."

She headed up to her her apartments above the Dojo.

Meanwhile in the Goblin Kingdom...

Sara watched Jareth pace back and forth. The decision to summon the young healer to the market had been a mutual, but Sara's going alone had been hers. He could understand that it would be better if she said she was consulting a healer in preparation for another child rather than to come treat a broken man, but he was very protective of his Queen.

"...She did not say no." Sara said. "If both guilds agree, it will be her choice to take the contract."

He would have rather damned the Guilds and sent goblins to acquire the young healer. It had been Sara's reminder that they wanted the young woman there by choice rather than force.

"Let me send guards with you, the market in New York is not a safe place." He said. "Especially after the incident with the troll..."

"I will be safe enough." She said. "Do not worry beloved, I will not leave the tavern and I can summon Ludo or Hoggel if I need help."

He frowned, he knew enough that Sara could defend herself. He'd seen to that personally shortly after their marriage. Even knowing this, he was not comfortable with letting his queen out of his sight, even for the few brief hours it would take to request permission from the guilds.

"...It will only be a few hours of mortal time." Sara said. "We have forever..."

He smiled, pausing in his pacing. "...Its only forever, not long at all."

She came up and kissed his cheek, "...I will return with the healer, just make sure there is someone here for her to heal..."

Jareth nodded, he would do his best to keep Nuada at least confined. Sara turned and slid out the door, leaving him to see to their "guest".