[Authoress's Notes: Obligatory chapter before I get to the really juicy stuff.
[Thanks to everyone who's been giving me reviews! You make me happy! And to everyone who doesn't review… you make me sad. :(
[Random aside to Kristen: ragazza
[Read on!]
Chapter Seven
"Bring this woman to evil for your good"~~The Merry Wives of Windsor, III.v., Falstaff
Puck flitted through the forest. "The Great Lady is going to be very disappointed if I don't find the girl," he said to himself. "Though what this necklace is supposed to do…"
He had been searching Kavran for weeks on end, it seemed. Granted, he had taken frequent stops to bully tailors, annoy artisans, and bother shepherdesses. He was Chaotic of alignment, after all, and could not be expected to keep his attention focused in one place for very long. He doubted Chaos herself could concentrate so hard. But he had been gone for a while, even by immortal standards, and Chaos was bound to notice his prolonged absence sooner or later.
He was somewhere between the mountains and the river when he stumbled across a girl sitting in what appeared to be her front yard. She was pretty enough, but not the sort of maid he usually liked to torment, and would have taken no further note of her had she not shifted to one side and caused the strap of her bodice to shift a little, exposing her collarbone. "Say, now…"
He darted a little closer, to try and get a better look at the girl. "Vilariat!" Sure enough, etched on the front of the girl's shoulder was Chaos's mark, penned in a bloody red. "Now… how to go about this…"
Cassadraine was sitting on her front stoop, enjoying the gentle morning sun. She released a small sigh as she looked up at the white fluffy clouds which were drifting over the cerulean sky. Any day now, aymas… The aymas were drilling Etien for information, regarding where he was from and where he'd be taking their niece, and when he intended to have her safely back home. Mostly Selma was doing the questioning, and Tessan was doing the sitting aside and snickering.
Suddenly, much to Cassadraine's surprise, there was a strange little man dressed in some strange sort of red fabric standing in front of her.
In the blink of an eye, Cassadraine had whipped a dagger out from her left boot and was holding it threateningly at the man. "Who are you and how the hell did you wind up on my front yard?"
He just smiled. "Peace, good lady. I mean you no harm."
"I'll just bet."
"Easy, easy… my name is Robin Goodfellow."
Cassadraine blinked. "The faery?"
Nod.
"Prove it."
Puck snapped himself out of existence again, reverting to fey form. He dashed three circles around Cassadraine, leaving a trail of scarlet dust in the air, and then resumed human form in front of her. "Believe me now?"
"Sure… why are you here? Shouldn't you be off curdling milk?"
"Actually, I'm here on a mission.
From…" He hesitated. He wasn't sure he was supposed to tell the
girl he was sent by the Goddess Chaos.
"From your Mother." There. That wasn't a lie, and it wasn't the whole
truth, either.
Cassadraine stood up quickly. "My mother? But—my mother's a… a…" She looked down into her hands, running her thumb over the edge of the blade still clenched in one. "You must be mistaken. My mother doesn't know faeries. My mother's a whore."
Puck just smiled. "Perhaps. Perhaps not."
"What do you…"
"It's not important."
Cassadraine narrowed her eyes. She didn't like being cut off, and she didn't like being made fun of, and something in the spirit's eyes told her he was enjoying a little joke at her expense. "Look, why are you here?"
"To give you something."
"What?"
Puck reached into a pocket on the inside of his garment and pulled out a leather cord. Hanging from it was a red gem, sparkling and shining, refracting the morning sun into a thousand slivers of crimson light.
"Ohhh…"
"You like it?"
"It's… it's…" Cassadraine didn't know
how to describe it; words failed her utterly.
It's part of me… it belongs with me… I have always had it, though it
was not here… I must have it now!
"It's beautiful beyond thinking!
Give it here!"
She was expecting some kind of a protest, but the faery held it out for her. "Take it, then. It's yours." Cassadraine reached out and grabbed the necklace greedily. She inspected the golden clasps for a moment, toyed with the gem itself. "A gift from your mother."
Then he grinned. "Aren't you going to put it on?"
Cassadraine looked at him, wide-eyed, then over her shoulder at the house. She wasn't sure her aymas were going to approve of her taking jewelry from strangers. But then she looked at the red stone again, and there was no decision to be made. She simply had to wear it. The gem called to her, seemed to whisper her name. She could see her eyes reflected in it, but modified, gold and glowing. This is what I've been seeking…
She unhooked the clasp and fastened the necklace about her throat.
There was a flash of red light that filled the entire surrounding space, and a piercing howl which echoed far into the distance. Cassadraine seemed to see flames dancing before her eyes. When her vision cleared, the yard was normal, but Robin Goodfellow had disappeared.
"Cassadraine? Cassadraine, what's happened?"
Cassadraine quickly tucked the red gem into her bodice, hoping her aunts wouldn't notice it. "What do you mean, Aym Tessan?"
"I heard a noise."
Cassadraine shrugged innocently. "Must've been the wind…"
~~*~~
Chaos was in the middle of a smashing game of wizard's chess when She suddenly looked up, startled by a thought which had entered her mind. "She's back!" She exclaimed aloud. The demon She was playing with looked more than mildly startled when the Goddess leapt up, moved a bishop, shouted, "Checkmate!" and dashed out of the room.
"She's back! I've got her back!"
"Indeed, My Lady."
Chaos turned around. "Puck, you should know better than to sneak up on me."
"Most humble apologies, Greatest of the Goddesses, Mistress of Fire and Flame, Lady of—"
"Skip the formalities, Puck." Her eyes gleamed with interest. "Did you do it? Does she have the Necklace?"
Puck gave a mocking bow. "My Lady, how could You ever doubt me? I delivered the Necklace to Your Daughter, and she is wearing it even now."
"Oh, Puck, I could kiss you! I won't, of course, but I could! She's mine again! Now, to give her some…"
"My Lady!"
"What?"
"I would be cautious."
Chaos gave him an irritated
look. "You are cautioning me?"
"Great Lady, she is not the Daughter you knew.
She still has many elements of the Chaotic about her, but I was
watching… Your Sisters really did a number on her…"
"What are you saying?"
"I'm saying it might be wisest to… monitor her thoughts for a while first, before delving in and trying to communicate with her."
Chaos hesitated for a moment. "Of course! I was just going to say that! You didn't let me finish, Puck!"
"Apologies, My Lady, most sincere and unworthy apologies…"
"Shut up."
~~*~~
"I still think we used tae much blue ink…"
"Oh, nonsense."
"Three bottles, Life?"
"It was necessary."
Life and Nature had been keeping up with Cassadraine and Etien, down on Kavran. "They seem to be getting on quite well, don't they?"
Nature nodded. "Aye, tha' they do…"
"But… is it just me… or is she acting…"
"It's nae just ye."
As the two Goddesses looked down, they could nearly see the change in Cassadraine. Her aura, which for seventeen years had been an aureate glow, was beginning to take on a strange reddish hue, as was her hair, oddly enough. It had only been a few days since she had met Etien, but she was acting differently. For one, she was showing untoward interest in the man. Yet it was not this but a newfound mean streak, a touch of cruelty in her words which worried Nature and Life. And the Goddesses were not the only ones to notice.
"Tessan, do you think maybe we were wrong about this—"
Tessan waved a hand to silence her sister. Twilight had fallen, and she knew Cassadraine and Etien were coming up the front walk. About this man? Tessan finished for Selma. No, no, I don't… I think it's something different…
But… I mean, this new behavior of hers… it did coincide with his arrival…
Coincidence.
There's no such thing, and you know it.
Well, I don't think it's his fault.
Cassadraine was laughing when she and Etien entered the house, but it was not the light, merry laughter to which the aymas were accustomed. It was darker, heavier, and testament to the changes within her.
Etien had been gaping at Cassadraine all day. He knew he should have been paying stricter attention to his work, but he couldn't help it. The brazen female was utterly captivating. He managed to pay attention when she was explaining the territory to him, though; she truly did know every nook and cranny of the region, every hollow tree, grassy ridge, and rocky chasm.
Cassadraine had spent the majority of the past few days with Etien. He pitched a tent in the Aymas' backyard, ate breakfast with her in the morning, and then they set out in the morning. Often they did not return until long after the sun had set, but the Aymas kept dinner warm for them. Then Etien would retire outside, Cassadraine to her room.
On this particular day, however, when Etien went to his tent, the aunts stopped Cassadraine short of going to her room. Tessan was giving her a cross look. "Cassadraine, a moment."
"What?"
Tessan set her jaw at the way Cassadraine was snapping at her. "We're a bit worried about the way you've been acting lately."
"Oh?"
Selma bit her lip. Tessan, this isn't our Cassadraine. Not our little girl…
I know, Selma, I know. "Cassadraine, what's wrong?"
"Nothing."
"You're sullen," Selma prodded. "And short-tempered. That's not like you, dear."
"What d'you know about what's like me?"
Tessan crossed her arms. "Young lady, we've raised you for seventeen years, I think we know—" She cut herself off mid-sentence. "What's that?"
"What's what?"
"That. Around your neck."
Cassadraine's hand flew to the pendant about her throat. "A necklace."
"Well, we figured that much. Let me see it." When Cassadraine hesitated, Tessan's fingers shot out and grasped the leather cord lightly. She pulled the red gem from where it had been hidden inside Cassadraine's tunic.
"Oh!" Selma gasped. Tessan!
I know, I know, I… Tessan shook her head. "Cassadraine, where did you get this?"
"Nowhere special."
"Cassadraine, right now! This is important! Where did you get this?"
"A faery gave it to me!" she snarled, impressed with herself for telling the
truth in such a way that surely her aunts would think it was a lie.
Instead, Tessan and Selma just exchanged glances. You don't think…
Oh, I wouldn't put it beyond Her.
With one sharp yank, Tessan snapped the cord off of Cassadraine's neck.
"Hey!"
"Cassadraine, you don't know what you've gotten yourself into."
"It's just a necklace, Aym Tessan."
"Let me guess," she said, grasping
the red gem tightly. "This faery… took
human form. Red garments, I'm
guessing. Dark hair? Gold eyes?"
Cassadraine gaped. "From your
slack jaw, I'm going to assume I'm right.
Cassadraine, this necklace is dangerous."
"But why?"
"Because…" Tessan was at a loss.
Tessan, should we tell her?
How can we?
She ought to know… if she's to protect herself, she needs to know…
And admit that we've been lying to her for years?
I think so.
Tessan looked at Selma, then at Cassadraine, then sighed. Soon. We'll tell her soon. We've got to think of a way to do it… discuss it between ourselves first.
Selma nodded. "Cassadraine, dear, it's been a busy day for you, I'm sure. Go to bed now. We'll explain everything in the morning."
Amazingly, Cassadraine nodded and obeyed. The defiance was fading from her already, which, though comforting, only augmented Tessan's fears about the necklace's origins. She uncurled her fingers and gazed down at the crimson stone resting in her palm. "Oh, Selma… how do we protect her against a Goddess?"
[A/N: I'm out of school now, so updates should be more frequent and chapters should be better.
[Next time… what happens when Cassadraine and Etien start spending a *lot* more time together. ::cough cough:: What's Tessan going to do with the Necklace? And is Chaos going to let her get away with it?
[Review! Please! I'll love you forever!]
