AN: Not sure if this really satisfies me, might come back and edit it some later. Writing Leanansidhe is tricky, and fae, in general, is quite a bit more challenging than I expected.
Chapter 10:
Alexandria's eyes narrowed imperceptibly, even as her body hung frozen, floating centimeters off the freezing snow. A single crystal snowflake drifted down and landed on her exposed breast. Almost seeming to amplify the sudden silence that seemed to permeate the mountainside.
Leanansidhe was tense, the slightest of slight quivers on her back leg, helping to poise her in the perfect stance to spring away, to dodge an attack. Alexandria mused then, this was something that the Leanansidhe thought would provoke a reaction, but why?
She considered the creature before her. Her first thought, of course, flew to the biblical Garden of Eden, after all, she seemed to be in some kind of strange world where myths walked amongst men. Vampires, fairies, Leanansidhe, Jenny Greenteeth. However, why refer to her as a child of Eden's Garden?
This phrase was not applied to the Warden beside her so it meant something else than human unless it was a general term used by the inhuman creatures that dwelled in this world. As soon as Alexandria's mind reached this thought, another spun away, what if this creature was talking about something else?
The idea that it was a title that seemed to apply to her and not to the Warden implied that there was something different between the two. The only real difference seemed to be parahumans. Thus the Garden of Eden…
If Alexandria had less immaculate control over her body she would've twitched bodily in sudden realization. Was this creature alluding to Cauldron? In an extremely roundabout, metaphorical way, Alexandria could sort of see the deceased power-giving flesh of Scion's counterpart as some morbid Garden of Eden.
After all, its death brought true knowledge of the Enemy.
More importantly, this was merely an allusion that the Leanansidhe seemed to be making, it spoke more of fishing for information rather than actual legitimate truthful knowledge. Still, Alexandria considered her response. Still, she could be vague and symbolic in kind.
"The flesh was vile, was it not?" She spoke aloud, finally responding to Leanansidhe's question. Her question was poised, similar to Leanansidhe's own question, in an almost rhetorical tone. A tone that hinted at double-speak, and layers within layers. It was a question that was clearly worded as a test. She answered as if Leanansidhe's question had been a code phrase, and Leanansidhe clearly noticed.
Something dark flickered behind Leanansidhe's yellow eyes before yellow gave way to green. No, Alexandria sighed quietly in her mind, Leanansidhe had been only guessing at something which still was not clear.
"I will deal with you, muse," Alexandria continued, recognizing that Leanansidhe was either unwilling to reveal that she did know more, or was unwilling to reveal that she had been outplayed.
Leanansidhe smiled again, "Knowledge in place of safe passage? Is that what you wish to offer?"
Scowling Alexandria regarded Leanansidhe coldly, before replying, "Do you have the power to bar our passage? Or do you overstep your authority?"
Leanansidhe cocked her head to the side, stepping closer softly over the drifting snow, now she was barely a dozen paces away.
"I am second within Winter," Leanansidhe spoke, amusement clear in her voice. The way this was said implied some hidden facet that Alexandria had just revealed, and it grated on her to have given something away. A hound up upon the cliff's face growled, the sound carrying down to Alexandria. Still, this was exceedingly valuable information. She wasn't dealing with just the border patrol, but with somebody that apparently if they were to be believed, had legitimate sway within this state.
Alexandria could, she supposed, go to war with the entire state. No, she had been surprised by even one of the vampires. Leanansidhe had dealt with several. While she doubted Leanansidhe could actually deal with her, or even that the hounds could bite through her invulnerability, she had innocents to protect.
In other, more recent, circumstances she may have dismissed them as acceptable collateral. At this point, she had no reason to be overly antagonistic, especially when she really didn't have a clear reason to be so.
"What kind of knowledge would you ask of me?" Alexandria asked, her firm voice carrying easily through the still abating gale-force winds.
"Perhaps your Name?" The Leanansidhe spoke sweetly, seeming to savour the words, rolling the syllables. Alexandria almost considered saying yes, and then giving the same response she gave to Jenny, but something stilled her. The emphasis Leanansidhe put upon name, made it mean something more than just a pseudonym, and she had already realized names held some kind of hidden power here.
"No! Don't!" Alexandria's pixie wailed, suddenly tugging on Alexandria's hair. Alexandria raised her hand, easily plucking her diminutive friend from the air and held her securely.
"Do not mistake me for a fool," She replied, letting just the slightest touch of derision enter her voice, just enough that the Leanansidhe could pick up on it. Not enough to encourage outright anger.
Leanansidhe's eyes gleamed and she approached closer again, covering half-a-dozen paces before stopping, examining Alexandria with a sharp gaze.
"Something else then?" she spoke easily, and Alexandria seemed to notice then the way her red lips pursed almost lewdly as she ended her sentence. It was a simple action and shouldn't appear suggestive, but it was. Alexandria very pointedly did not deign to react at all.
"A favour?"
Alexandria might've accepted. Favours were always somewhat of a nebulous concept anyway. However, she noticed the way her companion, the Warden, who had been pretty panicked throughout their brief exchange. He shakily drew in a sharp breath of surprise, tinged by fear.
Leanansidhe regarded her for a long moment, "These thralls then…?"
The Sidhe softly smiled. Softly smiled with a mouth of suddenly jagged teeth above too red lips.
This whole conversation was filled with landmines, it seemed. Giving names was dangerous, giving promises seemed equally dangerous. Her little fairy friend whimpered, and Alexandria released her from her grip, where she spirited back to hide in her hair. However, it seemed clear that Alexandria needed to exchange something and she really didn't have anything to exchange.
"I will answer one question of yours, Leanansidhe," Alexandria declared suddenly, opting to try and retake control of the conversation. This was a dangerous game she was playing, and knowledge seemed like it could potentially be the least harmful outcome.
"Truly?" Leanansidhe seemed to start in surprise if the extremely minute twitch of her incarnadine eyebrows was any indication. Slowly, a malicious expression crawled across the Sidhe's face.
Alexandria quickly hastened to add, almost sensing the danger inherent in that moment "I will reserve the right to veto any question… if it is harmful to me or others."
Already she was having second thoughts, after all, she had an awful amount of hidden secrets. Her closets, as some would say, had hundreds of bodies. Slain in the name of the greater good.
A little voice, deep in the darkest recesses of Alexandria's mind whispered, you've made a mistake.
"Thrice said and done?" Leanansidhe broke the silence. Out of the corner of her eye, Alexandria could see the Warden shaking his head trying to get her attention without attracting Leanansidhe.
Alexandria ignored him.