A/N Second Chapter in two days, more to come this weekend.
Twenty-Five
Musical Miscalculation
Ashley peered out into the cold November night just as Toby Disapparated, leaving only a sudden flurry of snowflakes in his wake.
On the downs of Salisbury, icy rain plummeted down into large, muddy puddles as Merlin hurried into the protection of the Twilight Arc surrounding Stonehenge.
"How bad was it? Did the Arc itself fall?" Merlin asked.
"I don't believe so, Master Merlin, only the portals themselves fluctuated," Eric explained quickly.
"Who was on duty at the time?"
"I was, sir," Francis said, pulling his parka back slightly so that his face could be seen. "One moment everything was fine, the next the portal suddenly starting expanding at an alarming rate, and then finally it snapped back to shape with a strange flash rippling along the surface. It reminded me of a rubber band being stretched then snapping back."
"A very astute observation, Pyther, in some ways that is exactly what just happened. The shift between the two universes is still creeping larger, despite our best efforts," Merlin said, studying the portal carefully. "Everything seems stable here, but it would be foolish to think that nasty ripple didn't have an affect somewhere else. Organize as many members of the order who are willing and able to check any and all portals in the area to make certain that they remain sealed."
"Yes, Master Merlin," Eric said with a solemn nod. "We'll do what we can to make certain they stay closed." Merlin sighed softly, shaking his head.
"We are truly only putting spackle on this to smooth out the cracks. But if the foundation isn't fixed, it won't be long until the cracks their way through again," Merlin murmured.
"Any word of them yet?" Eric asked quietly.
"Albus has not been able to contact them from where they are, but he is on the lookout for them reaching his end. Still, I wouldn't be surprised if they aren't bound for trouble, especially now," Merlin admitted.
"Why is that?" Eric asked with a frown.
"Because, Eric, this problem is hardly one-sided. As diligently as we are watching the portals and stress on this side, I would be quite surprised if anyone over there is paying attention to them at all," Merlin said solemnly.
It took a pure act of bravery for Severus and Jennifer to pull themselves out of their tent and into the menagerie of Sidhe races pouring through the camp and the forest city the camp had somehow been transported to while they slept. Severus looked futilely for Whimsy in the crowd to demand an explanation, but dozens of curious faeries and elves had swarmed into the camp hoping for free entertainment and none of them were turned away. Some of the actors were giving anecdotal accounts of their travels, while others attempted monologues or gave hints about the upcoming play.
"What are you?" asked two fairy maidens with brightly colored wings, hovering up to their height in apparent fascination.
"We're humans," Jennifer explained with equal interest, the two girls laughing in response.
"But there are no such thing as humans! Is there?" one of them asked.
"Perhaps they're just acting like they're human," the other suggested.
"I'm afraid we're not actors at all. We're just waylaid travelers," Jennifer explained with a smile. But despite that, she noticed that they were still drawing a crowd… or at least she was. Severus had somehow managed to slip away during the questioning and was actively wandering through the camp looking for Whimsy. Finally he saw a multitude of bright wings beating wildly and on a hunch went over, unsurprised to see Whimsy standing in front of the ladies and holding up his hand in apparent protest.
"You will see us soon enough, we are performing right after the wedding! Surely you're coming!"
"Everyone is," one of the faeries agreed with a giggle.
"Apparently whether they want to go or not," Severus said crisply, and Whimsy looked up with surprise.
"Ah, this is a guest of mine, Severus, a fellow musician… and he has the most curious technique, too…"
"Never mind that, might I speak with you for a moment?" Severus asked impatiently.
"Of course!" Whimsy said, smiling at the ladies. They floated only a few feet away in the pretense of giving them space, but Severus didn't miss the fact that all of them were poised to listen in. "How can I be of service?"
"I was wondering how we got here and how exactly my wife and I get back to the road. I wasn't expecting the entire camp to move on us overnight; in fact, if we had known, we probably wouldn't have stayed," Severus said.
"I thought you would be pleased, sir! It's true we are a bit far from the road now, but we are ever so much farther south, and even though it is a bit difficult to get back on the road from here, I assure you that our relocation has cut a couple of days off your journey at the least," Whimsy said.
"If that is so, we're entirely grateful, Whimsy, that is definitely good news. But we really ought to be getting back on the road as soon as possible…"
"You must stay for the wedding at least, it'd be very impolite for you to leave now!" Whimsy protested. "There will be a fish bake for sure, and of course our play, and really since you have so much more time, I'm sure you can spare a few more hours."
Severus knew he had no hope in explaining to the bard that a few extra hours did matter, especially if they had moved so much farther south as Whimsy said. Resignedly, he went off to find Jennifer to give her the mixed news, only to be directed by someone to move further in. Apparently, she had already wandered out of the camp and over to a town whose houses and shops were either situated inside hollows of giant trees or in cottages made of stone and straw-like reeds. Tables were set up in the center filled with complimentary food and drink, while the shops had small vendors filled with party favors of different kinds. It didn't take long for Jennifer to find herself a plate, and then settled down on a stone bench beside a bubbling wellspring in the center of town. Severus shook his head and walked over, frowning at her disapprovingly.
"Do try the fish, Severus, it's positively lovely, even if it is a bit early. Isn't this a marvelous place? I feel like I'm the center of a city and yet in the deepest country all at the same time," Jennifer said in appreciation.
"Yes, it's interesting, but I think it's more important that we get back on the road, don't you?" Severus said.
"Yes, I quite agree, Severus, but I'm not going to leave on an empty stomach, especially if we're trekking all day. It'll be easy enough to sneak away once the festivities start; that way we won't look too impolite for leaving," Jennifer suggested.
"Perhaps you have a point," Severus decided. "Let me go get a plate of my own, then after we finish we can start making some subtle inquiries on where we need to go."
"All right," Jennifer agreed. "But maybe we ought to fill up the basket while we're here?"
"Not a bad idea either," Severus agreed, going over to the tables.
Other than an abundant assortment of fish, the rest of the fare were things that Severus would have expected from the middle of the deep woods; roasted venison, tubers, fragrant mosses and leafy herbs, a variety of nuts and small berries, and a luscious variety of different sorts of mushrooms, many of them mixed together to create savory combinations with the different sorts of fish and meat. The only bread was flat and hard but had a nutty taste that Severus decided was rather pleasant after a test of it, and overall, Severus had to admit that this seemed to be a much healthier meal than what he had been eating lately. The fact that Jennifer was eating heartily for a change was enough of a testament in his opinion, so he settled into an acceptance of the situation and followed her lead by taking a seat beside her. "Curiously large selection of fish, isn't it?"
"Yes, I wonder if we're near the ocean?" Jennifer asked.
"Well, the fish are small, and I didn't see any translucent fish or shellfish, so I would guess that it's all freshwater," Severus mused.
"That's lovely. Everything is so unspoiled here, isn't it?" Jennifer said, taking a deep breath. "The air is clean with a hint of moss and leaves on the breeze, birds are out of sight and yet their song accompanies the wind in the distance…"
"And yet you're homesick, is that it?" Severus said.
"Silly, isn't it?" Jennifer said.
"No, not really. I want out of Oz just as much as you do, I can assure you," Severus said, turning his attention to his plate.
"I miss the children…I miss the school… and to be perfectly honest, I miss the every day struggles and traumas and all the insane situations we get into because of our station and reputation…."
"Am I understanding you correctly? Are you implying that our current situation isn't dangerous enough to suit you?" Severus said, staring at her in disbelief.
"I suppose in a way, yes," Jennifer decided.
"Yes, well, thank you, but I have had enough in the way of adventure, and I think you have had a way of downplaying the danger we're actually in on this trip," Severus scowled.
"And you have a way of exaggerating it," Jennifer replied.
"Exaggerating it?" Severus gaped.
"Not to mention the fact that we've been in constant danger for so long you don't know what else to talk to me about. We don't normally spend this much time together outside of school, after all," Jennifer decided.
"Yes, which makes me wonder… is it the pregnancy making you so eccentric, or have you been getting this way for a while?"
"Eccentric? Me? Well isn't that the cauldron calling the kettle black…"
"Do you humans always go on like this towards each other?" someone interrupted. The two of them looked over to see a wood elf standing with dirty plates in his arms, looking at him expectantly.
"Only when we've been married over thirty years," Severus said curtly, handing over his plate.
"Oh, I see, that does explain it! Congratulations on your recent marriage," the elf added politely. Jennifer laughed heartily at that before excusing herself and handing her his plate.
"Might I ask what race you are, since you know ours?" Jennifer asked.
"I'm a daoine, m'lady," the elf bowed.
"A daoine sidhe? Oh, but the Danaan people were that… at least they are considered so where we're from," Jennifer said.
"Goodness, no, m'lady, the Danaan fae live in the highlands. Only dwellers from the Forest of Spirits can be considered a part of the spirit of the forest," the elf explained.
"I missed something there, I think," Jennifer decided.
"I believe what he is saying is that the word 'sidhe' in their language simply translates to spirit, Jennifer, and therefore all creatures within the forest are considered an extension of that spirit," Severus said.
"Correct, m'lord," the wood elf said. "Did you enjoy Lady Caithwyn's banquet?"
"Yes, very! I am very fond of fish, and there are so many here!" Jennifer said enthusiastically.
"The fishing is quite good here, but of course, one must be very careful not to fall into the river," the daoine said.
"I should say that's true everywhere," Jennifer chuckled.
"By the way, while we have your attention, I don't suppose you happen to know the way back to the road? You see, we're hoping to leave right after the wedding," Severus put in.
"The wedding party is bound to run late, you'd be better off waiting until morning," the elf advised. "But it is simple enough to get to by simply following the river and heading south…"
"Which river where?"
"The Pison river, sir, just over there… you can't miss it really, it's quite broad," the daoine explained. Severus furrowed his brows.
"Thank you very much for your help," Jennifer ventured when Severus suddenly seemed at a loss for words.
"At your service, m'lady. The Lord Minwyll and his daughters hope that you enjoy the festivities," he said with a gesture similar to the one Whimsy had offered them before wandering off to collect more plates.
"Something wrong, Severus?" Jennifer asked as he scrambled for his pockets.
"I am certain that Pison was one of the rivers that Redleaf warned us to avoid," Severus murmured, taking out his notes and quickly scanning them. He paused and immediately paled, a bit reluctant to even read it. "Pison, a wide river near a bridge with tall stone walls on either side. Cursed with a spell that causes any creature or person who comes into direct contact with the water to turn into a fish."
"Now there's a rather nasty spell, isn't it?" Jennifer said, and then it hit home what she might have been eating and put her hand on her stomach. "Oh…I don't feel so well."
"For some reason, I am suddenly starting to sympathize with Bael's aversion to fish," Severus admitted with a grimace.
"And yet none of them seem bothered by it, do they?" Jennifer said with annoyance.
"Probably see it as natural selection, I suppose…"
"Well, I've had my fill of it…"
"Yes, well, obviously, we both have…"
"That isn't what I meant!" Jennifer snapped. "What I meant was… let's just get home, Severus."
"Does that mean you're finally motivated enough to wish my magic back to me now?" Severus asked in a low voice. Jennifer hesitated.
"Yes, maybe, but not until we're safely away from these people and back on the road, Severus," Jennifer said.
"Fair enough," Severus said, looking around. "Let's go see if the acting camp has emptied out to the point that we can grab our things and make our escape."
The two of them quickly got up and made their way through the colorful crowd that seemed even more fascinated with two humans than they were of them. Several times they were stopped and asked questions of curiosity before finally making it back to the camp. As Severus hoped, many of the actors had already cleared out, although a few still lingered, apparently hamming it up in front of some interested fairy maidens who were hanging around to be impressed by them.
But as they were heading towards the tent, Severus heard his name and paused to see two of the musicians he vaguely recalled meeting the night before walking over with instruments in hand.
"There you are, Severus! Could you show us that trick with the wood and string again?" one of them asked, holding up an instrument again.
"Yes, we were telling the ladies about it…"
"Don't you have a play or something to do?" Severus reminded him.
"Well, yes, but Whimsy has already gone ahead to set up and isn't likely to be looking for us yet. We have time for this," the second said. "I don't suppose you know something other than that mindle song you kept playing last night?" Severus made a face.
"Perhaps I know one or two…"
"Severus?" Jennifer murmured questioningly. "I doubt they'd be interested in Silent Night…"
"There's always the Brahms…"
"But you promised you'd never play the Brahms again!" Jennifer said with surprise. Severus turned and stared at her.
"Not once did I ever promise anybody that I'd never play the Brahms again," Severus said defensively. "I simply swore to myself I'd never attempt it again, that's all," he amended, Severus shaking her head knowingly. "Never mind that. Would you go back to our tent and get my instrument? I'm sure it'll only take a moment."
"Right," Jennifer said with a nod, understanding the unspoken request that she get the rest of their things as well. "You're not going to ask me to stick around while you try to play it, are you?"
After getting a dirty look, Jennifer decided to dodge it by hurrying back to their tent, minimizing everything she safely could and stowing everything as compactly as possible. Casting an invisibility spell on the satchels, she carefully slung them over her shoulders before finally picking up the violin and bow and walking back out to them, smiling enigmatically.
"There we are, thank you. Did you find it all right?" Severus said casually.
"Yes, I believe I have everything you need," Jennifer said, holding out the violin and bow.
"That will do, thank you," Severus said, putting the instrument to his chin and raising his bow. But he got no more drew the bow across for a few opening notes when one of the musicians paled and put a hand across the strings. "Oh, surely it isn't that bad already…" he immediately protested.
"No, listen! Listen to the wind! Something is amiss!" the musician explained, tilting his head. Jennifer watched in surprise as the two musicians paused to listen, but was even more surprised to see Severus doing the same thing and with the same intense expression on his face. In fact, as Jennifer looked around, she noticed a great many of the other elves had stopped what they were doing as well. There was a sort of hollow song to the wind, and it was rather chill, but to Jennifer it simply reminded her of the winds in the late autumn before the first snowfall.
"You're right, there is something wrong," Severus said with certainty, glancing over at Jennifer's puzzled expression. "I'm simply not quite sure what."
"Perhaps we ought to be going after all," said one of the musicians. "We have a better chance of finding out what's going on in Lord Minwyll's grove."
"Yes, you have a point," Severus agreed, and then stepped over to Jennifer to put his instrument away.
"It sounds like a very good time for us to get going, then," Jennifer said, handing him a bag.
"Perhaps," Severus said, but Jennifer saw clearly that he was still mulling the situation over.
"You're afraid that whatever is going on might be something we'll just run into," Jennifer said.
"This forest has a different sort of…vibe… compared to Tir Danaan," Severus murmured. "In a way, it reminds me of the Galapagos Islands back home; cut off from the country, it has developed into a very symbiotic community with a vast variety, and yet at the same time, they are quite codependent on one another. Therefore, if something major is amiss in one part of this forest, it is likely to affect all of it. I think it would be wisest to play it safe and find out what is going on."
"Fine, then let's go after that," Jennifer said insistently.
"I don't want to get stuck here any more than you do," Severus reassured her, turning to follow the crowd back through the town.
They passed into a grove of trees, where a large crowd of faeries and fae, nyads, dryads, and other sidhe spirits and races all mingled together, whispering intently to each other. It seemed that there truly was no central palace at all, only a simple dais of stone where stood a throne of reeds and three less ornate chairs. Three sidhe women of curiously green complexion and white flowers in their hair sat in those chairs, the one with the sourest expression wearing the most elaborate of gowns spun in glassilk. Apparently, the bride was none too happy about this unexpected disruption. An elven man with bark-brown skin and mahogany hair stood in the center, busy consorting with several female faerie couriers. Every now and then another would fly down to join them until finally two hurried in from the direction of the wind. Finally they seemed to disperse, and he stepped up to the edge of the dais looking out solemnly onto the crowd.
"It would seem that something has happened to the Lily Sisters of Lesser Moors, just past Shackle Bridge. Their pond was found empty," the lord explained, and a murmured started in the crowd.
"Empty? But where else would they be?" someone asked.
"They have disappeared," the lord said, and the murmur grew.
"But we were there, sire. We camped past by there just yesterday morning and heard them from the road," Whimsy protested.
"He's right, they were there yesterday," Jennifer agreed. The lord focused in on her, and then looked over at the man who was gently pulling her back.
"And who are you and how do you know this?" the lord asked.
"We are strangers here, Lord Minwyll," Severus began.
"Obviously, or I would not have asked," the lord pointed out.
"They are travelers from the northern lands, sire, and my guests," Whimsy said with a flamboyant gesture.
"Oh? They don't look like Danaan either, do they, especially one with the black hair…"
"We're human, Lord Minwyll," Jennifer explained, another murmur breaking out.
"And they wear a symbol of our alliance and service to the Seelie Courts," Whimsy pointed out, nodding to Severus expectantly. Severus held up his hand, showing the ring.
"I see. Very well, then I'll question you no further on the matter, other than to ask for confirmation that you know the Lily Sisters that I speak of," Minwyll said.
"I can't see anyone else fitting that description," Jennifer said. "We must have passed that only a few hours after the troupe had. I heard the singing on the road and became curious and snuck over to see them and listen a bit."
"You were lucky then that you were not seen," Minwyll said. "They are not kind to those who disturb them."
"No, we gathered as much, so we listened for a moment then went back to the road," Jennifer explained.
"I see. Well, as servants of the courts, I must take you at your word, of course…"
"Hold your judgment, Lord Minwyll!" called out a powerful woman's voice. The crowd seemed excited if not a bit panicked as a tall woman appeared from the shadows, wearing a glistening green gown that fell all the way to the ground, dragging behind her as she walked.
"Who is that?" Jennifer asked to no one in particular.
"She is known to most simply as the Green Lady," Whimsy said with a dark expression. Jennifer gazed at him curiously, wondering about the fact that the faerie didn't like her appearance there at all. In fact, he felt it a bad omen for the marriage.
"Jennifer, look down," Severus said under his breath. At first she wasn't certain what he was talking about, but she followed his gaze to the ground. Finally she saw them; the footprints trailing in the Green Lady's wake were that of cloven hooves.
"These strangers are not to be trusted," the Lady said solemnly.
"Yes, and neither are you," said Minwyll curtly. "What do you know of the sisters disappearance? For your dwelling is also close to their pond."
"It is. I was at the river when I heard their strange cries silenced, so it did not take me long to wander over and see what was amiss. The pond was empty but strangely rippled, and lily pads were scattered out far beyond it as if there had been a sudden storm. And then I saw it; a curious array of light that hovered over the edge of the pond with dark cracks upon its surface," the Green Lady said. Jennifer glanced at Severus worriedly as another murmur broke out.
"Demons," Minwyll said grimly.
"Perhaps," said the Green Lady, a strangely frigid tone in her voice despite her calm expression. "But I believe it was more likely that it was in reality a doorway to the Otherworld, and they have been transported into it." Another eruption broke out as the crowd began to discuss the matter with raised worried voices that made Jennifer want to step back a bit.
"It isn't as if our world is as bad as all of that," Jennifer said to Severus.
"I doubt they'd want to be in our world any more than we want to be in theirs," Severus murmured back, then noticed that the Lady had turned to watch them, apparently having heard at least part of what they had said.
"I happen to know the human universe well, for I myself dwelled there for a time," the Lady said.
"There are still stories about your kind in my world," Severus acknowledged.
"My kind? I am the only one of my kind," the Lady said coolly. "But your kind are many, and there are few other than perhaps those beyond the Wall who are more barbaric or cruel. Humans have slaughtered many from this world, treated them like animals, harvested their bodies to make use of their magic, forced them into slavery, raped and manipulated faekind to steal their magic…"
"You are speaking of events that are hundreds of generations removed from ours," Severus interrupted. "Our time does not flow the same as yours."
"Severus is right, things aren't like that now. Humans have changed," Jennifer agreed.
"Have they really?" the Green Lady said, and Jennifer suddenly found the satchels torn off of her and phials scattered about between them, a number of them glowing strangely. "Then why is it that within each of these glowing phials contains something made from the body parts of faerie kind?" she challenged them. Severus grimaced as the crowd began to react, but Jennifer immediately raised her voice to be heard above theirs.
"Now that is not fair! You do not know what you speak of!" Jennifer snapped. "Most fairy dust is gathered by simply harvesting it off of the right type of flowers, and although it's true there are other things we use from creatures that originated in your world, it is not from those of higher sentience like yourselves. We are speaking of pixies and sprites and redcaps and other hostile creatures who would otherwise do nothing but cause harm to humans, and honestly are no better than vermin…"
"So, we are vermin, are we?"
"Oh come, now, be reasonable, really! It'd be no different than you harvesting monkeys or apes and no less distant a relative than they are to us," Jennifer argued.
"Is that how you justify your cruelty to us?" the Green Lady asked.
"And just how do you and your people justify your own cruelty, fishing out of waters where you know that what you're eating might have been one of your own people once," Jennifer pointed out.
"Did you not eat from the banquet yourselves?" the Lady challenged her.
"Yes, but we certainly wouldn't have, had we known," Jennifer said.
"Jennifer, we are not here to defend, nor account for the crimes of humanity," Severus said. "As for our own actions, we were led here by chance, and had no knowledge of anything happening to those sidhe from the pond until now."
"He lies, Lord Minwyll. They do know something of this portal, and they were the last to see them alive and well. Perhaps the humans were running low on certain races and decided to come here for their 'harvesting.'"
"If that portal had a broken appearance as you say it had, they very well could have ended up anywhere," Severus said curtly. "And if there is a strain on the portals in this area, you would be better off spending your time making sure there aren't any other ones around and secure them before anyone else turns up missing."
"Perhaps there is something in what the stranger says," Minwyll decided. "Couriers, go scout the forest for such doorways in the air, but take care not to get too near yourselves if you should find one. I also want two of you to go to the guards near the barrier to make certain everything is well."
"Barrier?" Jennifer repeated questioningly.
"The demons have taken over the ocean waters between here and the demon mainland when they conquered the merpeople," Whimsy explained softly. "The Sidhe Forest was about to be overtaken before the barrier went up."
"They are only attempting to lead you astray, Lord Minwyll," the Green Lady said. "Their concern is nothing but a ploy to cover the fact that they were the ones to call the portal to destroy them."
"Come now, what possible motive could we have had for such a thing?" Severus said.
"Jealousy, perhaps?" the Green Lady ventured. "After all, the sisters are quite beautiful. Perhaps your wife didn't like the reminder of how plain she is."
"I am what?" Jennifer said. Severus let out a soft groan. "Well, at least I have normal legs and not some perverse mix of a Fae and a satyr, or is that demon blood we're seeing?" Jennifer challenged her hotly.
"It is demon blood," Whimsy agreed. "The demons exiled her to your world, then she escaped and begged for sanctuary here."
"You mean even the demons didn't want her? That takes talent," Jennifer said.
"I was too civilized for them," the Green Lady said crisply.
"Too civilized or too power hungry? Knowing Lilueth, she probably just didn't want to competition," Jennifer said. The Green Lady squinted.
"I wouldn't be surprised if she wasn't truly exiled at all, Jennifer," Severus said. "I think it is much more likely she was sent over there to spy on the Danaan, then when they returned her, she made her way over here to do the same."
"How dare you make such accusations? You have no proof!" the Lady snarled.
"No more than you have proof that we did anything wrong," Jennifer said.
"Then we will settle this with divine proof! The gods shall decide who is right. I challenge you to a contest of judgment!" the Green Lady said, pointing at Jennifer. But Severus quickly intervened, stepping in front of her.
"Hold! Hold, I don't know what this contest is of yours, but we are not playing along," Severus said.
"No?" the Green Lady asked sweetly. "To refuse a contest of judgment is the same as admitting one's guilt. Are you that eager to see your wife exiled?"
"Exiled? Not death?" Jennifer asked curiously, ignoring Severus' attempts to keep her back.
"The barrier is so close to here that exiling is much more convenient," Whimsy tittered.
"Would someone please shut that bard up? This is a serious matter," the Green Lady said.
"If there is to be any sort of contest of judgment, I will be the one competing," Severus said firmly, glancing over at Lord Minwyll who was watching the confrontation with a stoic expression. "For even though neither of us had anything to do with the accident at the pond, the weakening of portals is something that I do know something about. In fact, all this nonsense is doing nothing but preventing me from going about my business fixing them, so for the benefit of all, I would rather get this over with so we can continue on our journey."
"So be it, although your feigned confidence will get you nowhere," the Green Lady said. "We shall have a contest of magic!" Severus grimaced.
"I have no magic," Severus said crisply.
"Then the contest will be swift," the Green Lady said with amusement, pulling up her sleeves.
"I protest! Lord Minwyll, really, please say something! A contest of judgment must be on equal ground for it to be valid," Whimsy argued.
"I concur, it must be a skill they both have," the lord said.
"A contest of wit, perhaps?" Severus ventured.
"Oh no, Severus, then it would be the Lady who would be outmatched," said Whimsy, ignoring the fierce anger the Green Lady was directing towards him. He snapped his fingers. "I have it! You have a skill with music, do you not?"
"Um…."
"Let us have a contest of instruments! The wedding party shall bear witness and help determine a clear winner if there is any question, and by the grace of the gods, the true nature of their intentions will be revealed to us," Whimsy said.
"I don't suppose a trial and jury system composed of evidence, witnesses and logical deduction ever occurred to anyone here?" Severus asked acidly.
"Very well! I shall accept the bard's suggestion," the Green Lady said with a thin smile that Severus decidedly didn't like. "Do you accept the challenge, human? Or are you ready to see what lies on the other side of the barrier?"
"Jennifer, hand me my bow," Severus said evenly.
"Now, let's not be unreasonable, you do need a few moments to warm up!" Whimsy protested. "My lord, please!"
"Very well, you may have a few moments first. It will give us time to clear the dais," the lord said.
Jennifer quickly gathered up her potions and satchels before hurrying to catch up to Severus and Whimsy, who seemed to be heading towards the refreshment table.
"Your wife has quite a tongue on occasion," Whimsy commented sympathetically. "You must play your best, my friend, because I do not think I'm exaggerating when I say that your exile in the demon lands is likely to be much harsher than what the Green Lady's would be."
"Severus?" Jennifer called out. Severus paused so that she could catch up to them. "This is a terribly bad idea…"
"Would someone please tell me something that I don't already know?" Severus said irritably. "I don't suppose you have any Liquid Inspiration in there?"
"How could I possibly have guessed we'd need something like that?" Jennifer said.
"I didn't bring any either," Severus admitted.
"Here, Severus! Try my 'liquid inspiration,'" Whimsy offered, handing him a frothy mug. Severus peered in dubiously. "Drink up, Severus!"
"I am supposed to be warming up," Severus pointed out.
"This is warming up, at least it is for most musicians," Whimsy said with a wink. "You'll play better if you're calmer."
"I won't play better if I can't remember what I'm doing," Severus said, intending to take only a sip. But Whimsy helpfully put a finger on the bottom of the mug and raised it insistently.
"A healthy sip," he coaxed.
"Whimsy, please, do leave Severus alone, this is quite serious," Jennifer protested. "He needs to be at his best."
"Precisely," Whimsy agreed. "What are you going to play?"
"The Mendelssohn, what else? At least I know I get half the notes right half the time," Severus said.
Noticing the cleared dais, Severus handed the mug back with a nod of thanks and then took the violin from his worried wife, gazing at her fixedly for a moment so that she could read him before walking towards the stage.
"There's nothing to worry about, Jennifer," Whimsy said cheerfully in an attempt to comfort her. "That Mendle Song is his best piece, after all."
"Yes it is," Jennifer said distantly. "I just wish he actually knew how to play it." Chuckling softly and giving her a reassuring pat, Whimsy walked her towards the front of the audience to watch.
The Green Lady pursed her lips as she stepped up on the dais, glancing at her panpipes and then towards his chosen instrument.
"A violin. How quaint," she said, putting down her pipes and then pulled out a similar instrument from the folds of her green dress.
"Do you also keep a piano in there?" Severus retorted grumpily, tuning his instrument.
"Are both you quite ready?" Lord Minwyll asked when he returned to the dais.
"I seriously doubt extra time is going to make a difference at this point. Let's just be done with it," Severus said. "After you. Ladies first."
"Fascinating custom, but I do not think the slight disadvantage that comes with going first will matter in this case," the Green Lady said confidently, stepping up to the middle of the dais.
The Green Lady glanced out to the crowd, quieting them with her cool gaze before finally putting the bow to a string. What emerged was a sound so pure and sweet that Jennifer felt a lump in her throat. Every note was perfect and the pace was devilishly fast with a melody that seemed timeless somehow… and unobtainable. It was flawless to the point that no human could possibly duplicate it, let alone match it. How could they possibly win now? Not a single mistake was made, and Severus was definitely an amateur at best. It seemed to Jennifer quite hopeless to even imagine, and she began to wonder if the best thing wouldn't be just to make a run for it while they still could.
But when she looked over at Severus, Jennifer was surprised to see a different expression entirely. He was intently listening to the Lady's performance so intensely that Jennifer couldn't manage to catch his eye. His expression was neither worried nor resigned; rather, it was quite critical to the point that Jennifer began to wonder if he was catching a flaw in the performance that she was not. But no, Jennifer had always had a keen sense of pitch, and not a single flaw had been made. She made her way over to the edge of the dais, and this time, Severus seemed to notice her, crouching to hear despite his eyes never leaving the Green Lady's performance.
"Perhaps we should go," Jennifer suggested quietly in his ear.
"Go? And turn into wanted criminals?" Severus asked.
"Better that than what's going to happen if you lose, Severus," Jennifer hissed.
"So confident on my playing skills, are you?" Severus challenged in a low voice, but was obviously unoffended. If anything, he seemed quite calm.
"I wouldn't be willing to bet our lives and our child's life on it, no," Jennifer snapped.
"Call it a 'calculated risk,'" Severus said, and was rewarded with a dirty look. "Allow me to play, and we'll bolt straight after if you like. But I think it's time you gave me the benefit of the doubt on something, especially since I've all but won the thing."
As Severus stood back up, Jennifer found herself blinking in disbelief, somehow managing to work her way back over to Whimsy just as the crowd gave a round of applause for the Green Lady's performance.
"What sort of drink did you give Severus before he went up there, Whimsy?" Jennifer asked suspiciously.
"Just some Pixie Beer, why do you ask?" Whimsy replied, but Jennifer just shook her head and looked back over at Severus who was giving the Green Lady a slow, unenthusiastic applause.
"I take it that was the best you could do," Severus ventured.
"Is that some sort of statement of ego, or is that bravado speaking?" the Green Lady mused.
"Neither, it is my honest opinion. I found it cold and dull, and moreover, you entirely missed the point," Severus said. "A violin is a human instrument. Its development, its…perfection… has taken generations of humans, all dedicated to making it better. Many spent their entire lives working on it, and every one of them made their share of mistakes… some of those mistakes or oversights lasted generations. It is a work in progress, just as our music often is. Some of the best pieces ever written stop short; never finished because its composer died, a victim of mankind's mortality. But that is just as much a part of a human instrument as the wood it is made from, the spells cast upon it, and the music created for it. Your music lacked that mortality, Green Lady, and without that sense of urgency, the true sense of time passing… the music meant nothing. I shall demonstrate," Severus said, lifting his bow.
Jennifer had to force herself to keep her eyes open, chewing a bit on her lip as she braced herself for the first sour note. But much to her surprise, Severus opened quite strong; and before she knew it, her eyes were wide and her mouth open in disbelief as he proceeded to play the piece as it had been meant to be played. It sounded as good as when his portrait at Hogwarts played it; better, Jennifer admitted gleefully. His appearance was much more ruffled than the portrait's ever was, and his hair was unkempt over his brow. His black eyes were sharp and filled with a determination, a determination that poured out through his music, signing out like a wave of emotion that was normally reserved for Jennifer alone.
But now it was being funneled into his playing; and Jennifer began to clearly see that it was being used to make his case. Everything at stake for themselves and for the future; everything they had worked for all those years and now found themselves separated from; and every bit of their anxiety over the presence of time was woven into the piece until it finally seemed to take a life of its own. Never had Jennifer known Severus to improvise on his music; he had always preferred to play the notes as the composer intended them to be played. But somehow, Severus had come away from the piece altogether until he seemed to be his own composer, accompanied only by the wind. It had picked up a great deal since he had started playing, the low moan very much sounding like a soft voice caught on the wind. Perhaps she imagined it, Jennifer thought, feeling a curious shiver run through her as the wind began tugging at their clothing.
Finally, Severus drew his bow across to signify its end, dropping off so abruptly that Jennifer could hear only the sound of a soft wind chime in the distance. A moment later, the crowd suddenly seemed to burst to life all at once with a roar of overwhelming support, while Jennifer somehow managed to find her way into his arms, laughing and crying in disbelief at the same time. Whimsy was soon to follow behind her, offering a bow and a gesture of respect towards him.
"You can't truly think that he played better than I did! Mine was perfect!" the Green Lady said ferociously.
"And mine was never meant to be," Severus said. "I only meant to make a case for our innocence without insinuating that I have ever been perfect. A human's legacy is to spend one's life correcting one's mistakes and trying to attain a perfection that we cannot. I wouldn't want to be perfect, thank you very much, because there is very little to learn from it, and I am an educator by trade, after all. If it is all the same to you, I am much more interested in getting on with our journey before any more portals open up. I am quite concerned about this recent event with those sisters, and I feel it is more urgent than ever that we press on."
"You may leave without consequence. Even had my people not been so overwhelmingly enamored with your performance, Aepheri's blessing upon you also bears witness to your cause. She would not aid you unless she thought you were in the right. The judgment, therefore, is in favor of the humans, and you, Green Lady, will finally be returning from the spawning grounds from whence you came."
"Oh no, there's no reason to do that! It was just a misunderstanding, really," Jennifer protested.
"Yes, I agree with my wife in this. It is too petty a matter to condemn someone to the demon lands," Severus agreed.
"Spare your pathetic human self-pity!" the Green Lady snapped angrily.
"We call it mercy," Jennifer said.
"I do not need your charity whatever is called! We do not change the rules in our world as you humans do in yours. I will follow my fate and go willingly through the barrier, for whatever cruelties lie beyond are nothing compared to the torture I have faced living in this forest over the years," the Green Lady said acidly.
"So be it! Guards, escort her to the gate, and be certain that she makes it to the other side," Lord Minwyll said.
"As it suits you," the Green Lady said coldly. The Green Lady herself led the way, since neither escort seemed much inclined to lay a hand on her as they walked.
"She went rather willingly, didn't she?" Whimsy said, breaking the silence after they had left.
"Too willingly," Severus said. The lord turned and glanced between them, before nodding solemnly.
"Her intentions here have always been questionable," Lord Minwyll said quietly. "And although in her own ways she has also done things to help the forest and its people, I can say that no remorse goes with her passing across the barrier. But come, let us continue with more pleasant business! I still have at least one daughter to marry off today, and although I want you both to feel no obligation to stay for the festivities, you are more than welcome, Severus."
"Thank you, but we must press on if possible, Lord Minwyll. That such a portal would harm your people is troubling to me and the sooner we get to the southern lands to report these events, the better," Severus said.
"Then know this. You have my protection while in the forest, and no Sidhe under my guidance shall trouble you further," Minwyll said.
"Thank you," Severus said solemnly. "Then if we might know the fastest way back to the road, we will take your leave."
"My lord, I would be happy to show him the way," Whimsy offered immediately. "After all, it would seem that your guests are already entertained for the moment."
"So it would seem," Minwyll said with a twitch of the lip. "Let us delay no further! Assemble the wedding party!"
"This way," Whimsy said and led them through a crowd that cordially stepped out of their path. "I shall show you to the river; you must be careful not to drink from it or bathe in it, for it is the Pison River."
"Yes, so we've gathered," Severus said dryly.
"You have been such a good host to us, Whimsy. We cannot thank you enough," Jennifer said.
"It was worth it to see the Green Lady put in her place, and by a human no less!" Whimsy said, laughing at the thought of it. "You know, Severus, I think you would have stood a chance at winning even if you had played as you did last night; much of your audience fears her, and I'm certain the idea of being rid of her would have inspired them to applaud in your favor."
"The thought had occurred to me that they might do so, yes," Severus admitted.
"Yes, but then you went and stunned us all with your skill! My fellow Sidhe will be telling the tale for ages to come. It might even start a new fancy for that instrument of yours!" Whimsy added with a chuckle.
"Oh?" Severus said, glancing at the violin he was still carrying and handing it out to him. "Here, I'll leave this and the bow to you then, for your hospitality and support, and in return perhaps you'll use it to spread more 'fancy,' as you call it."
"Accepted," Whimsy decided enthusiastically, taking the violin with a flourish. "And over here is your river!" he said, pausing along the banks where several fisherman had tied full fishnets up to a dock to dry before they pulled them in. "You must stay on this side of the river until you reach the lower ford where there are stones laid out for you to cross over upon. It will be the last river you cross until the canyon, but there is a well along the way that is safe to drink from."
"I have it marked," Severus said with a nod.
"Thank you again, Whimsy, we wish you the best," Jennifer said.
"May your path be easy and free of further delays," Whimsy said in reply and then watched them as the two of them made their way down to the riverbank to walk along the rocks.
"Free of further delays? That does sound like wishful thinking," Severus mused.
"Now, Severus, really! Must you always be so pessimistic? You heard what Lord Minwyll said," Jennifer reminded him.
"Yes, but I know better than to let my guard down now. We are not home yet by any stretch of the imagination, and can be little doubt that conditions with the portal are worsening," Severus said. "I only pray that nothing more dangerous than those sisters has made it through."