It was a fairy! Can you believe it! I should have guessed that someone is playing pranks with us tonight.
Of course I realized it all only ten minutes later, after my breathing came back to normal. You actually can be proud of me, not a single scream of horror had escaped my mouth. But I was shocked. Anybody would be shocked if they'd turned around and face to face bumped into a cunning face of fairy. Some of them are quite pretty, even beautiful, but there's such a kind of fairies, scary and cruel. They're having fun while playing savage jokes with human. People are walking in the woods on well known paths, but got lost and wandering around for hours and days. They panic and lose their nerves and eventually some of them die of exhaustion. Those who had survived were found wondering around one small spot of land. They sincerely thought that were lost deep in the forest. And couple of fairies was giggling in the bushes all the time. That was fun for them.
And face of those fairies reflects their tricky nature. Sly smiles and small winking eyes on round pale faces are common for all of their kind. For people they even look alike. For those who are familiar with magic world they are actually alike as well.
So, I was shocked. Seeing big green eyes so close to mine made me fall on my back. The little creature was a size of a baby. It tilted its head and said something with a squeaky voice.
"I don't speak elvish. Sorry." It was all I managed to say ten minutes later. Creature was sitting on a rock now, curiously looking at me. I also was looking at it. Of course I've seen fairies and elves back at home, but they were not interested in human at all and didn't contact with us much. I've forgot about my travel companion. The fairy said something again.
"Alright. No matter what you say…" I nodded. The creature scratched it's head, it was very funny gesture. It didn't look dangerous at all. But I knew the legends and stories about how sly those guys were. I was trying to make up a spell or anything that can help us.
I lifted my hands so fairy could see it.
"I mean no harm to you little one…" This little one can be a hundred years old. Stay calm, don't move sharply.
I got on my feet. Think. Think.
In stressful situations all I can think of is food. Food!
Come here little one, get some food… Slowly I reached for my bag and got out a small piece of flat cake. While I was doing it, fairy was pointing his sharp fingers at me. His fingers were twisted in some kind of sign, I think if the creature considered me dangerous some ancient elvish magic would hit me. I wonder why he hadn't performed any craft on me already.
I handed a piece of bread to fairy. It suspiciously looked at it, then straight in my eyes. I shivered.
"I mean no harm. Do you understand?"
The creature tilted it's head.
"Of course you don't."
Unexpectedly fairy jumper and grabbed a piece of bread from my hand. It took him a couple of seconds and fairy was sitting on the stone again. It sniffed the piece and sneezed! Sneezing fairy looks funny. I hope sneezing fairy won't turn into an angry one!
"Eat." I got another piece and put it into my mouth. "Like this."
I'm sitting in the middle of a forest and showing a fairy how to chew a flat cake. Marvelous! Thanks Goddess, Gawaine doesn't see it. He would have laughed at me…a lot.
Meanwhile, the fairy licked a piece of bread and then bit it. Next second it spit the food out and sneezed loudly. With the second sneeze it fell from the rock.
Am I turning into fairy enemy number 1? Kids, remember never to feed fairies with bread. It looks like they are allergic…
The creature was shaking it's head violently and screeching constantly. Why the hell Gawaine isn't up yet. So much noise should wake anybody! I hope he's not…
I remembered how savage fairies can be. Gwaine! I ran to him and shook his shoulder. I hold my breath so not to scream if he was…
No. don't think of it.
The man was quite cold and slept like a dead. His hand clenched the sword hilt tightly. I laid him on his back.
"C'mon on, wake up…" I started shaking him. He didn't react. I felt fear slowing my mind. The sudden silent attracted my attention. I turned around slowly. Nobody. The fairy's gone. May be it went to clear it's nose and wasn't going to come back anytime soon?
Ha ha…very funny.
I looked back at Gawaine. He looked as if he was dead.
Oh, Goddess, bless me.
I closed my eyes and pressed the hands together. Same thing I did every time I healed people. I usually tried to see what the problem was, at first. Now I saw…no, it's more like I felt that Gawaine's heart was still beating. The man was alive but charmed. In such a deep sleep he could spend all his life and wake up as an old, very old man a few seconds before his death. Unless I could help him. There's no difference whether you're healing magical or natural decease. I sat on the ground right next to his body. I took one his hand in mine, closed my eyes. The charm was enmeshing his head and chest. That means fairy had chosen to bind his major qualities – strong mind and kind heart. He was helpless against that charm. I concentrated on the power junctions of a charm. It similar to unbinding the kitten that'd played with threads. I was in a hurry because the fairy was still somewhere near.
My hands were manipulating with threads of natural power, which requires a great deal of concentration which was rudely interrupted by the noisy creature dragging me to the ground. I heard it's voice but it was too late. I hit my back on the ground.
OUCH!
That was just the beginning. I couldn't see the fairy but felt it's magic coming from the tops of trees. I sent there a wave of energy that actually turned into a wind. A strong gust of wind. Next second something lifted me up and dropped. Now I fell on my front side. Some invisible power pulled off my hat.
Perfect. Now I can't see anything because of my hair!
I got up and turned. Nobody was around. O looked up and heard a happy giggling. It's in trees. Somewhere there…
if I concentrate then I could feel it's location… OUCH!
Something pulled up my hair. Now I got really angry. I hate when anybody touches my hair… I felt like my whole body was burning and I sent this heat into the spot where I felt a presence of the fairy. I fell on the ground, again and finally heard a scream full of pain. Sorry little one, I'm quite peaceful person but same time a short-tempered one. I got up on my feet and spread my hands casting a spell, showing that I'm not an ordinary mortal.
"get out of here, by the name of the Goddess! " The fairy was gone. I felt extatic.
I love magic…I love using my powers… feels like blood is running faster….
My euphoria was cut by a short gasp. Gawaine! I totally forgot! I fell down on my knees and put one hand on his chest. A wave of warmth covered my body. The charm was almost gone but, I think, leaving the fairy did something to it. And now it was hurting the man. I could sense his pain and horror, he was half conscious.
"Hold on," I whispered to his ear "I'm here."
I don't even know what I did to release him. The charm was fading away and eventually dissipated. Gawaine opened his eyes and stared right at my face. I was breathing heavily and smiling nervously.
"…beautiful…" he breathed out one word as I realized that he saw me without any cover. He saw me.
Next second I stunned him with a spell.
