Private Tales Wake up sleepy head

[Baise]

Three ravens flapped loudly and came to perch on the ruins of an old wall. It might have been the demarcation of an ancient settlement or the wall or a single hall. The landscape had reclaimed so much of the land it was hard to tell.

"Caw!"

A small boy emerged from the treeline, skipping a path that avoided the muddiest patches of ground.

"Jude!" Called a soft voice.

Baise emerged from the trees. He was not dressed in the usually drab and heavy clothing of an explorer. He wore colourful, light fabrics that floated around his slender frame.

"Dad?"

"They haven't looked properly yet so wait for me. Tiberius, Vaspien and Fabrice!"

The three ravens looked down at them.

"Go and look around for anything dangerous properly please."

The three often had to be promoted when they needed to do work. Another round of flapping, a few loose black feathers carried on the breeze and the three ravens vanished into the ruins.

"Just because no one in the town had heard of this place does not mean something else hasn't made a home here."

"Like a troll?" Jude seemed more excited than concerned.

"Like a troll, hairy and smelly and looking for a child sized snack. Wait here," Baise laughed. Jude had his ways, but Baise would never put his adopted son in any more dangerous than was necessary.

He avoided trouble whenever he could and not always for their own safety.

"Dad, can I go play over there?"

Baise turned to look the way that Jude was pointing. The ground rose up into a hill, but he couldn't see any dangerous loose rocks.

"Just stay where I can see you."



Jude happily pottered away on his little legs. He was old enough to have a sense of danger, but remained young enough that he typically ignored it.

He found a particularly good stick. It was just the right size that he could hold it one hand and dry enough that he would swish it back and forth. He struck the ferns that clung to the slope.

As he walked around the bank, he realised that the curve of the land hid an entrance. The rock jutted up at an angle to form a cave, but the mouth was hidden from Baise's view.

Jude glanced over his shoulder just once. He checked that Baise wasn't watching and darted into the shadows.

 

[Amaryllis]

Away from the troublesome lands of the fae and their impish habitants, a massive grizzly bear lay curled against the soft earth, hidden inside a cave that was nestled against the foot of a small hill. Her breaths were deep and slow, and her golden brown fur bristled gently with every one of her small movements. In the dim light that shone through the entrance, the bear’s dark claws glinted ominously, but despite her fearsome appearance she looked rather cosy and almost…cuddly.

Inside the cave, the scent of moss and dry soil filled the air, mixing ever so slightly with the smell of the nearby pinewoods. Lost to her slumber, Amaryllis’ dreamt of nonsensical things: forgotten spells, the fluttering of butterfly wings and streams of purple water that ran up into the sky.

The princess of the summer court only attended a few duties, and often preferred (day-)dreaming at the border of the fae realm to the company of her own people. Amaryllis wasn’t dismissive of her kind, she simply had other ways of showing responsibility and they welcomed her regardless.

Her rest was disturbed, however, by the sound of faint footsteps entering her sleeping place. Her ears twitched, and Amaryllis slowly opened her eyes to catch the silhouette of a young child standing at the cave entrance, its small body bathed beautifully in the glow of the afternoon sun.

Amaryllis adored humans, and especially the young ones, so this was a delightful surprise. Giving her heavy body a good stretch, the bear rose from her position and shook off dust and debris before approaching the boy, giving him a gentle nudge with her wet nose.

Hi there. Do you need help?

Since bears couldn’t speak, Amaryllis simply whispered those words into his mind.

Outside the cave lay the scattered ruins of a long forgotten civilisation. This place had been abandoned by humankind for some time now, and Amaryllis hadn’t expected to meet anyone here. In fact, this was one of the reasons why she frequented this particular cave for naps. Perhaps the child had gotten lost?

 

[Baise]

Hi there. Do you need help?

No. But thank you!

The boy's voice cut back across the path she had laid to speak into his mind.

"I'm Jude," he then said out loud.

He didn't seem at all afraid of the bear. He stepped to his left and then to his right to get a good look at her.

Jude looked like a normal boy. He felt like it too, across the faint ripple of ley magic in the air. Yet he was unafraid and had spoken back to her without a thought.

 

[Amaryllis]

Oh, thought Amaryllis. How curious!

Many would consider it unwise (and unsafe) for a human child to garner the attention of a fae, but Amaryllis was different than most of her kind – innocent and playful, much like the child she’d just spoken with.

She couldn’t speak in her animal form, but seeing how Jude wasn’t frightened at all, Amaryllis decided to continue speaking to him through his mind. Maybe she also did this to see if he could do it again.

I’m Ama, she introduced herself and rather than just allowing for him to take a look, she turned this way and that way alongside him so he could see just how fluffy she truly was. And this is where I nap. I don’t mind sharing this spot with you though, if you’d like to stay a while.

He seemed ordinary, and while Amaryllis didn’t sense anything particular about him, she also wasn’t really looking for something. The fae princess was surprisingly casual when it came to human encounters, and perhaps it was because she did not know their kind as well as her own, that she never suspected any harm. If anything, all of her encounters with humans had gone well and were sometimes even forgettable.

You’re very small, she noted eventually. Did you come here by yourself?

 

[Baise]

"Wot? Into the cave?"

Jude turned and looked behind him.

"Yeah, but my dad's not far. He'll tell me off when he sees I walked too far." Jude seemed delighted, rather than worried about this fact.

He took a step from left to right, admiring the bear as she moved around.

"You're so big and fluffy!" he exclaimed. "Do you have any bear friends?"

 

[Amaryllis]

I do, Amaryllis said matter-of-factly, but none of them are here right now. It’s true that the fae princess occasionally hung out with actual bears. She found them to be endearing and good company, much like the boy she was with right now.

When the child mentioned his dad, the fae-bear wiggled her small, round ears and gave what could be interpreted as a nod of approval. That’s good! It’s dangerous for children to wander around by themselves, she thought and nudged the boy with her wet nose before giving him another sniff. Amaryllis wasn’t too concerned about the father of the child, but knew from experience that most humans didn’t exactly feel safe in the presence of a grizzly.

Amaryllis pondered for a moment, before eventually coming to a conclusion.

If you think I'm so fluffy, then you may pet me, if you’d like.

Most people would want to pet a bear, if given a chance. Perhaps even the father could be convinced this way!

 

[Baise]

Jude laughed. He reached up and ran his fingers through the fur around her cheeks. His laugh became a gleeful giggle.

"Jude. Step back slowly."

The voice came firm and slow from the entrance of the cave. Jude jumped and turned around sharply.

"But dad, this isn't a bear!" Jude protested.

Baise wore an easy smile. It did not reach his eyes. His gaze was fixed upon Amaryllis.

"I know. That's why you need to come back over here. Right now."

 

[Amaryllis]

What a precious child, thought Amaryllis. The summer princess adored children, and this one was especially endearing. When Jude’s small hands reached up to ruffle her fur, the bear let out a satisfied grunt, leaning into his touch.

The two shared a wholesome moment, until a firm voice echoed from the entrance of the cave. Amaryllis wasn’t surprised to see Jude’s father standing there to collect him, though she couldn’t help but feel a bit disheartened at how quickly their time together had ended.

The bear lifted her gaze, and if she could smile, she would have at the sight of Jude’s reaction to being called back. Despite the boy’s protests, Amaryllis nudged him gently with her snout, urging him toward his waiting parent.

Go on, sweet boy. Listen to your father.

Amaryllis sensed no threat from the man, but his aura felt... off. He seemed dissatisfied, though the reason eluded her. Tilting her head, the bear settled herself properly on the cave floor, watching him closely.

If you know, then why are you worried? she asked Blaise.

 

[Baise]

Caw!

Fabrice cried out from Baise's shoulder.

Jude made a small disappointed sound and stepped back.

"That's it now," Baise encouraged. He stayed at the entrance to the cave until Jude was by his side.

He looked to Amaryllis.

"I'm worried because every promise made by a faerie is just a challenge to do harm whilst still bound to your word."

He tried to keep the hurt from his voice for the sake of Jude, but he didn't do very well.