Talako surprised her by not taking her away from the village for training.
Stamping down her initial protests, he assured her that her abilities would remain hidden. Mostly hidden. "Sookie, they already believe you hold mystical powers. The healings you did while I was away ensured that." She didn't detect any censor in his voice, and perhaps, just under the neutral tone of those words was even the barest trace of pride.
"Okay, yeah, maybe they think that a little. But I also made a show of using herbs and plants."
Now those gorgeous lips turned up in a mocking grin, "A poor show." Fighting words, but his tone was playful, "My people are not idiots, Sookie. At one point you used willow bark to 'heal' a very deep cut. A bit of bark isn't going to seal up a deep cut several inches long that's gushing blood."
"It would help with the pain and perhaps bring down a fever though!"
His eyebrows raised as he fixed her with an incredulous stare, that damn mocking smile still on his face.
"How do you know about that anyways?"
"Aside from the dozen people that told me about it last night when I returned, I also saw it in the little girl's mind. She still has moments of awe when she looks down and sees smooth skin."
Made sense. Sookie hadn't picked up any such thoughts from her, but she hadn't really been around her since the incident either. As to the powers of willow bark, Sookie was a product of the twenty-first century. She knew aspirin was somehow derived from it, but that was about the extent of her knowledge of natural remedies. Well, that, and a paste made from baking soda and water could go a long way to soothing a yellowjacket sting. Not that it mattered here as there weren't boxes of baking soda lying around.
"Alright, I know folks around here are open to, um, mystical things. I just don't want it to be too obvious, okay?"
"Our practice will be very unobtrusive." Great. Says him. Though there was a warm feeling of comfort here in this village, she still felt eyes upon her during the day. Having grown up in a small town, she knew it was just par for the course for any newcomer entering a tight knit community. Throw in her pale skin and displays of magic, and it would be downright strange if they didn't watch her.
"Okey dokey, what amazing feats of Fay magic shall we perform today?"
"We're going to distribute goods," Talako stated mildly, gesturing to several bulging knapsacks on the floor.
"Um. Okay. What are we really going to do today?"
Smiling again, he replied, "We really are going to hand out goods, some items I received in trade while I was away. Also, you are going to conduct scans on people. You're going to practice identifying those with even minute traces of Fay blood."
Completely fascinated now, she stared at him. "There are others besides you?"
"Yes. I told you my father was Fay. But my mother also carried Fay blood, though it was mostly dormant. Perhaps the only time it manifested was when my father first saw my mother and hand fasted with her. Fay can only connect like that to another Fay. This village, they are my mother's people. Somewhere back in time a Fay fathered at least one child here. That blood is diluted now, but still detectable among a few."
Sookie was listening to everything he said, but a small bit of her awareness had split away and was stuck on part of Talako's words. Fay can only connect like that to other Fay. Something inside of her felt a gentle sadness. Gran had betrayed her husband, Sookie's grandfather, because of her love for a Fay man. Finton had appeared out of the woods, beautiful and ethereal. Gran hadn't been able to resist, and they'd created two children. Just lust then and no magical connection?
"Sookie, it is not our place to judge those who have gone before."
"Damnit, stay out of my mind!" She was angry that he had invaded her privacy again, even if her mind was loud and leaky. But she was even angrier that his words held a certain wisdom. Gran was gone now. Finton too. Who was she to look back over the decades and judge? Then mental dizziness hit as she realized that here, in this time, Gran hadn't even been born yet.
It was too much to take in, if she allowed herself to give it any thought.
The day was just beginning. She was wasting time and energy. Time to get a move on.
"Look, Talako. I'm sorry about yelling. But I really do need to know that my mental space is my own, otherwise I'm going to go crazy."
Nodding at her words, he handed her a cup of Ohoyo's herbal tea. "I apologize too, Sookie. I truly am trying to stay out. But you can be very loud, lass, especially when something is…," he seemed to struggle for the right word for a moment before continuing, "is meaningful to you."
Giving him a tentative smile, she said, "Okay then, guess we're even-steven. Tell me how this Fay scan thing works." She didn't have to be a mind reader to know the expression 'even-steven' was new to him, but he seemed to understand her sentiment well enough.
"You shared that you've been to a Fay realm? Around pure Fay?"
"Yes." And it wasn't an experience she cared to repeat anytime soon.
"I've never been out of this realm, but I have encountered pure bloods. They're unmistakable, as I'm sure you know." Nodding, she waited for him to continue, "Those like us, those with different amounts of mixed blood, we feel a little different. When you first met me, what do you remember?"
Since her first thought involved indecently tight pants, she sure hoped he was minding his manners and not reading her mind. "I couldn't read your thoughts. But I didn't notice right away because of everything going on." And she couldn't resist, "Also I try not to intrude unless it's necessary."
"Okay, so the second time we met, by the river…" was it her imagination or were his pupils getting all big and darkly delicious again? "you knew then you couldn't read me."
"Pretty much. And not much has changed."
"Did you notice anything else? Feel anything else?"
His tone was serious enough that she paused, giving it serious thought before responding, "No, nothin'. I guess last night, when I woke up while you were still sleeping, I felt something. Some sort of hocus pocus."
His eyes lit up and said enthusiastically, "Yes! That was Fay instinct. It works best when you are relaxed and not mentally blocking its energies."
Giving a sigh, she managed, "So today I'm going to go sit out in the center of the village, help you give stuff out to folks, try my best to relax and not notice the way people stare at me like I've got two heads, and 'read' them to try to figure out who has Fay blood."
He borrowed her words, those baby blues of his twinkling with amusement, "Pretty much."
Smartass.
A/N~ A big thanks to artzannie25 for her encouragement and enthusiasm. You rock!