Ok so to tell you all the truth I had almost given up on this story, and I should be working on sooo many others but you lovely reviewers as always have encouraged my continued work on my story, so keep reviewing.
Sorry about all the craziness, I know I switch from like third to first person and I keep switching Shea and Shay, and not to mention all that grammar stuff. I'll keep that to a minimum as I continue, Okay now that that's settled onward with individual reviewer stuff!
Mousewolf: Thanks, sure
The Ninja who wanted to be...: Thanks, okay
crystalsprings: Thank you, not a problem
Midnight-Moonlight: Thanks Silently hopes that you mean her story and not just Tithe which is obviously awesome.
Lady Delerith: Thank you, I tried. Okay well for this Is the seer old question you have to jump into my head a little bit cause its a tad complicated. The seer is both young and old because she has the wisdom of her ancestors and a preternatural logic that only comes with living a long life, but she is actually about 16 or 17. Does that make sense? I'm never sure if people can get what I am blabbering on about. And to tell you the truth I dunno if I am gonna kill off Kaye or not... don't tempt Fate my Lady.
Okay now thats thats taken care of Keep reviewing and enjoy the next installment of, Tithe II: the Seer.
The grove smelt distinctly of apples. Trees were blooming and swaying in a gentle breeze. Shaye had mixed feelings about this place. Sure everything was perfect, blissful, but underlying that exterior something lurked, silently, beneath the greens of spring. And it wasn't even that Shaye had any particular loyalty to the Unseelie Court as opposed to the Seelie. That wasn't it at all, as a Seer Shaye had learned to trust people and not courts. Her Seer instincts pulsed with magnified hatred. It annoyed her senses.
It was a good thing that Roiben and Kaye let her accompany them. Shaye surely saw things that they did not.
Manners dictated that Kaye and Roiben had to wait for an audience with Silarial, Shaye peered at the faeries who danced and ate and drank to the music of the trees. The intense rush of music and the stench of rich apples began to sicken her. She wasn't sure why until she stole a glance at Roiben. He was repeatedly rubbing and snuffing at his nose. Shaye knew she had pried enough, but she couldn't resist just know a litte more.
Shaye tugged her belt pouch open and found her Bright Eye powder. Discreetly she put just a pinch on her tongue and spread some over her eyelids. The powder shimmered a bright red as the Seer's raw magick quickly activated the powders own hidden power. Not for the final and trickiest part. She needed something of Roiben's, something real.
Shaye scrutinized the back of her sovereign. A sudden well of pure love exploded into her gut. What was that? Shaye wondered. That was new and... oh. Shaye smiled in realization.
She still could feel Roiben's emotions. And this one was powerful. The ignition of this emotion became evident when Shaye saw Kaye's hand move across Roiben's back. It provided just the opportunity Shaye needed as Kaye's long fingered joints tangled themselves in the shimmering pewter locks. Strands of which floated lazily toward her. She swept them up into her spells web.
As she weaved her magick, her eyesight blackened. And a vague pain swept across her being, physical and mental. Her inner eye swept across the vision she was experiencing, Shaye examined the hands of a tree spirit. The tree spirit had refused to grant the Unseelie Court her gift of seeing the future. This was before Roiben had gained the throne. No Roiben was a knight in the service of the former queen Nicnevin.
Shaye felt another sharp pain course through her body as the Knight Roiben struck the tree woman with his sword.
Sticky sap ran down like blood onto the tree womans, legs and arms. Roiben was speaking, but Shaye couldn't hear him. The torture of the tree woman went on for many slashes. Shaye flinched and twisted in sympathy with every stroke. Knowing that her own pain was mild compared to that of the tree woman. Shaye felt a tear run down her cheek as the tree woman in her vision said, "It is you who are dying."
As the vision faded and the tree woman fell to the cold and forgiving earth Shaye smelt the sap of the tree woman. And the last of her leaves and fruit. Apple. It sickened her as she imagined it must have sickened
Roiben.
Shaye's eyesight returned. Kaye and Roiben had not noticed anything odd, but now that Shaye had seen this sad event she had no desire to be in the company of the Seelie revelers. She carefully hid her anxiousness to depart the grove beneath her years of Seer training. She remembered Anga, her mentor and fellow Seer, saying that presentation was everything for a Seer when she taught her how to hide what she thought and felt from her face.
By now Shaye was ready to do away with manners and just find the wolf eyed child and be done with it all, but she was aware that this little entrance they were about to make was going to be very important in Faery diplomacy.
"She will see you now," said a page, in green and gold livery, who was half fox, half faery.
The three Unseelie outsiders followed him, Roiben stood before the Queen while Kaye and Shaye curtsied, Kaye's curtsy was a bit ruder and not as low as her station demanded whether Kaye did this out of ignorance or spite Shaye did not try to guess, but Silarial only sneered slightly and brushed it away from her thoughts.
Her composure regained, the Queen spoke. "To what do I owe this... pleasure... Roiben."
Shaye didn't know the whole story, but she was plainly shocked at the informal manner that the Queen was displaying. Surely Roiben deserved to be treated with respect? Or else the already feeble treaty might be threatened.
Kaye must have been thinking along the same lines because she clearly said, "His Majesty." with a look of hate radiating from her face. Roiben put a hand on her shoulder. It was a brief touch, but it calmed her.
Silarail, it seemed, was completely ignoring Kaye.
Months ago while Shaye was in mandatory Seer seclusion a truce was forged between the two courts. The original tithe over the solitary fey had been broken and although the two courts had their own disagreements the were forced to join forces to stop a common threat. A rebel faery group had attacked both courts without rhyme or reason.
Although most of the fighting was over with, the truce was still being held up as a precaution. Shaye had no information whatsoever on the personal battles between the heads of the two courts.
"Your majesty, Silarail, I trust you are well?" Roiben said, with the most polite voice her had. The queen merely nodded in agreement. "I am glad. I do wish to speak with my sister, your Majesty. It is a matter of urgency so I know you will excuse my rush to speak to her."
The queens eyebrows rose "How I wish I could grant your request, but Ethine is not here with my court."
Shaye could feel Roiben's face contort into greif, surprise and rage, She hoped that Kaye could soothe him without any words being spoken, Shaye saw what the other two had not. And now she could prove that it would be worth it to include her in this adventure.
