La Compte du Zefelle Beaumayn
Translated from the French by E Fletcher
Once upon a time, in a very far off and magical place called Montreal, there was a young girl named Sofie Labelleheure. She lived with her maman et papa in a beautiful old house in la vielle Ville. She was very fond of picture books and fairy stories and poetry. This was very appropriate, for, although she didn't know it, her family was a long line of kinnain. The blood welled up stronger in some than others, producing strong gifts, but never, in the history of the family being in the area (and they had come from France at the founding of Port Royale) had a fae been produced. The other fae in the area kept a close eye on the family, since eventually, they reasoned, the law of averages would win out, and in the meantime it was useful to have such a strong family of kinain around to help.
Indeed, when little Sofie was very young, it seemed that she might have some strong fae blood of her own. She awoke in the middle of the night, crying for her maman, saying she had had a horrible nightmare about faeries coming to take her away in the middle of the night, and cut her open, but not let her die, and keeping her in fairyland forever. Her maman comforted her by saying she was sure that her petite could handle and big bad faries with a punch in the nose But there was a frightened look in her eyes when she said it, and ever since then had a sprig of fresh rosemary hanging in Sofie's room.
One day, not long after that, an old man in a cloak leaning on a walking stick came to speak with her parents. He was very mysterious, and said only, "Keep an eye on this one, I sense that she may be the one" Sofie had no idea what this meant, and her parents would not tell her. She had not even seen the old man for what he was, a Satyr. He looked at her as he left, and said "Here, take this, I think it will serve you well." Handing her his walking stick, he left. What no-one knew, not Sofie or her parents or even the old Satyr, was that he was not the only one who had seen Sofie in a vision. An evil Count of the Shadow Court, Compte Matisse du Lacnoir d'Alil, had also gained news from his court soothsayer (and who she was I do not know, but they say she walked always in shadow, and let no one she her face), that Sofie was the recipient of a great destiny, and could cause great harm to his evil.
And so, in the night, just before her thirteenth birthday, he sent monsters to capture her.
By means of faerie magics, they crept unseen through the streets. They entered her bedroom window by befuddling it into opening. And through a powerful glamour did they disguise the sound of their footsteps to the pacing of a cat. And so it was that Sofie was unaware of them until she woke to the chloroform rag being slapped over her mouth. Before she fell unconscious, she thought she saw the forms of the two men abducting her resolve into wiry, golden skinned, tangle-haired point-eared goblin men. But that must have been the chloroform.
She slept, and dreamed of fairies.
When she awoke, she was in a cave, chained to a rock. But it was a very odd cave; it was not as dim as it should have been, and not as dusty. As she looked around, she noticed that the fireflies zipping around were actually tiny sprites, straight out of a faerie book, and the men who had captured her were indeed the goblin men she had thought she saw. There was also a buzzing feeling at the base of her skull, like listening to notes pitched to high to hear. Startled, she realized the truth: Faeries had come in the night and stolen her away to Faerie Land, just like in the old stories! There was a nagging voice at the back of her mind that told her that they were not goblins, but were something else, but she couldn't remember the name of them that minute. The two goblins (or whatever) had not noticed she was awake and were talking to each other. She closed her eyes and listened.
"Yeah, but are you sure it's safe, I mean, bringing her here? I mean, she's mortal, won't she go mad?"
"Don't be daft, she's faerie blooded, they turn out alright, long as ya don't leave em in the dreaming too long."
"But we don't know how long she's gonna be here, do we, the Count never said, and I for one don't like."
"Hang on, I think she's awake."
For indeed, Sofie had been so frightened at the thought of staying here forever and going mad, that she opened her eyes wide, and they caught her.
"Ha ha, my duck, tremble, for we've got you now! We can't kill you, for we're bound to guard you, but that doesn't mean we can't have a bit of fun!" And, saying so, he pulled a wicked long knife out of his tunic and advanced towards her.
What happened then, I will not say, but she never could walk very fast after that, and she couldn't run at all. What I will say, though, is that in the middle of their torture, she remembered the dream she'd had, and her mother's words. And from somewhere far away, she drew amazing strength. There was a great roaring in her ears, and the wind (wind? In a cave? Ah, but it is true!) started to blow fiercely, and the goblin men (No, Spriggans, a voice from the back of her head said) looked afraid and one gasped ".the Dragon". Sofie could see no dragon, but she certainly felt as angry as one, for she knew now, knew, that these were Thallain, monsters, and her deadly enemies. She slipped her bonds and grasped her staff (which had appeared from nowhere) and struck both the spriggans smartly. They grew enraged, and swelled up to twice their height, at which point she slipped easily between their legs and off into the night. Somehow she had known (remembered) that they would do that.
How she found her way back home she will never know. But when she did, it had changed. The colours were brighter, fiercer, and she realized that she was seeing it as faeries see it, for she was one now. Oh, but that was foolish, she had always been one. She remembered fighting thallain side by side with bold pisky and pooka knights, she remembered the trail, and being imprisoned, and the long nights waiting for freedom, for she knew it would come, for she had seen the star.
And Zefelle Beaumayn, newly arrived to earth from her cell in arcadia, looked up into the sky, saw the dark star pulsing with its evil light and realized what had happened. She said a quick prayer for the soul of Sofie Labelleheure, and thanked her for her memories and body, for she knew what kind of arcadia she had condemned herself to.
She braced herself, entered the house, and said "Maman, I need to go to New Orleans, right away." And somehow, her mother understood.
Some time later, after her two year fosterage (during which many long letters had been sent between Montreal and New Orleans), she returned home again, only to say goodbye after another three short years.
"I am sorry, maman, but I have seen where I must go. The entire house is having visions about this city, and how the dark kin are strong there, and they have no Beaumayn to help them. I love you, and will continue to write you, but they need me very badly."
And Madame Labelleheure cried for her little girl, so much older now at 18, and sent her away.
And Zefelle, who loved her family as dearly as she had when she was Sofie, set off for The Queen City, Regina, where Queen Laurel would hold court that Beltaine.
Translated from the French by E Fletcher
Once upon a time, in a very far off and magical place called Montreal, there was a young girl named Sofie Labelleheure. She lived with her maman et papa in a beautiful old house in la vielle Ville. She was very fond of picture books and fairy stories and poetry. This was very appropriate, for, although she didn't know it, her family was a long line of kinnain. The blood welled up stronger in some than others, producing strong gifts, but never, in the history of the family being in the area (and they had come from France at the founding of Port Royale) had a fae been produced. The other fae in the area kept a close eye on the family, since eventually, they reasoned, the law of averages would win out, and in the meantime it was useful to have such a strong family of kinain around to help.
Indeed, when little Sofie was very young, it seemed that she might have some strong fae blood of her own. She awoke in the middle of the night, crying for her maman, saying she had had a horrible nightmare about faeries coming to take her away in the middle of the night, and cut her open, but not let her die, and keeping her in fairyland forever. Her maman comforted her by saying she was sure that her petite could handle and big bad faries with a punch in the nose But there was a frightened look in her eyes when she said it, and ever since then had a sprig of fresh rosemary hanging in Sofie's room.
One day, not long after that, an old man in a cloak leaning on a walking stick came to speak with her parents. He was very mysterious, and said only, "Keep an eye on this one, I sense that she may be the one" Sofie had no idea what this meant, and her parents would not tell her. She had not even seen the old man for what he was, a Satyr. He looked at her as he left, and said "Here, take this, I think it will serve you well." Handing her his walking stick, he left. What no-one knew, not Sofie or her parents or even the old Satyr, was that he was not the only one who had seen Sofie in a vision. An evil Count of the Shadow Court, Compte Matisse du Lacnoir d'Alil, had also gained news from his court soothsayer (and who she was I do not know, but they say she walked always in shadow, and let no one she her face), that Sofie was the recipient of a great destiny, and could cause great harm to his evil.
And so, in the night, just before her thirteenth birthday, he sent monsters to capture her.
By means of faerie magics, they crept unseen through the streets. They entered her bedroom window by befuddling it into opening. And through a powerful glamour did they disguise the sound of their footsteps to the pacing of a cat. And so it was that Sofie was unaware of them until she woke to the chloroform rag being slapped over her mouth. Before she fell unconscious, she thought she saw the forms of the two men abducting her resolve into wiry, golden skinned, tangle-haired point-eared goblin men. But that must have been the chloroform.
She slept, and dreamed of fairies.
When she awoke, she was in a cave, chained to a rock. But it was a very odd cave; it was not as dim as it should have been, and not as dusty. As she looked around, she noticed that the fireflies zipping around were actually tiny sprites, straight out of a faerie book, and the men who had captured her were indeed the goblin men she had thought she saw. There was also a buzzing feeling at the base of her skull, like listening to notes pitched to high to hear. Startled, she realized the truth: Faeries had come in the night and stolen her away to Faerie Land, just like in the old stories! There was a nagging voice at the back of her mind that told her that they were not goblins, but were something else, but she couldn't remember the name of them that minute. The two goblins (or whatever) had not noticed she was awake and were talking to each other. She closed her eyes and listened.
"Yeah, but are you sure it's safe, I mean, bringing her here? I mean, she's mortal, won't she go mad?"
"Don't be daft, she's faerie blooded, they turn out alright, long as ya don't leave em in the dreaming too long."
"But we don't know how long she's gonna be here, do we, the Count never said, and I for one don't like."
"Hang on, I think she's awake."
For indeed, Sofie had been so frightened at the thought of staying here forever and going mad, that she opened her eyes wide, and they caught her.
"Ha ha, my duck, tremble, for we've got you now! We can't kill you, for we're bound to guard you, but that doesn't mean we can't have a bit of fun!" And, saying so, he pulled a wicked long knife out of his tunic and advanced towards her.
What happened then, I will not say, but she never could walk very fast after that, and she couldn't run at all. What I will say, though, is that in the middle of their torture, she remembered the dream she'd had, and her mother's words. And from somewhere far away, she drew amazing strength. There was a great roaring in her ears, and the wind (wind? In a cave? Ah, but it is true!) started to blow fiercely, and the goblin men (No, Spriggans, a voice from the back of her head said) looked afraid and one gasped ".the Dragon". Sofie could see no dragon, but she certainly felt as angry as one, for she knew now, knew, that these were Thallain, monsters, and her deadly enemies. She slipped her bonds and grasped her staff (which had appeared from nowhere) and struck both the spriggans smartly. They grew enraged, and swelled up to twice their height, at which point she slipped easily between their legs and off into the night. Somehow she had known (remembered) that they would do that.
How she found her way back home she will never know. But when she did, it had changed. The colours were brighter, fiercer, and she realized that she was seeing it as faeries see it, for she was one now. Oh, but that was foolish, she had always been one. She remembered fighting thallain side by side with bold pisky and pooka knights, she remembered the trail, and being imprisoned, and the long nights waiting for freedom, for she knew it would come, for she had seen the star.
And Zefelle Beaumayn, newly arrived to earth from her cell in arcadia, looked up into the sky, saw the dark star pulsing with its evil light and realized what had happened. She said a quick prayer for the soul of Sofie Labelleheure, and thanked her for her memories and body, for she knew what kind of arcadia she had condemned herself to.
She braced herself, entered the house, and said "Maman, I need to go to New Orleans, right away." And somehow, her mother understood.
Some time later, after her two year fosterage (during which many long letters had been sent between Montreal and New Orleans), she returned home again, only to say goodbye after another three short years.
"I am sorry, maman, but I have seen where I must go. The entire house is having visions about this city, and how the dark kin are strong there, and they have no Beaumayn to help them. I love you, and will continue to write you, but they need me very badly."
And Madame Labelleheure cried for her little girl, so much older now at 18, and sent her away.
And Zefelle, who loved her family as dearly as she had when she was Sofie, set off for The Queen City, Regina, where Queen Laurel would hold court that Beltaine.