Chapter Six

Rowan was an early riser. He liked to walk the city streets while they were still quiet, before the daily crowds of workers began filling the sidewalks with the rush of human commerce. It gave him an opportunity to work his spells uninterrupted. Often he met the shyer Otherlings along his path. The sprites adapted to streets and alleys would be stirring through the salty mists hunting mice or bugs for breakfast. On the cusp of dawn he’d often be joined by Dimrud, a Finbat of advancing years and one of Rowan’s oldest friends.  The elderly Finbat wasn’t as spry as he’d once been, but his furred neck crest still stood out proudly.

‘Tis a lovely morning. Fine fall weather.” Dimrud flew alongside Rowan. His long leathery wings nearly brushed Rowan’s shoulder with each flap.

“Looks like a break in the rain today, ‘tis true.” Rowan replied. The two old friends went two blocks in companionable silence. Then Rowan sighed, remembering what the rain had brought to his door yesterday.

“Sounds like heavy thoughts, friend.” Dimrud observed.

“Are you ever lonely, Dimrud, what with all your kind gone from the world,” Rowan asked.

“Now and then, aye, now and then.” Again they covered several blocks before either spoke.

“I’ve met a girl,” said Rowan.

“A wizardess? From where,” asked Dimrud.

“Not wizard, no. A mortal.” Said Rowan.

“Oh dear,” replied Dimrud. “Oh dear.” More blocks passed. The streets were getting lighter. Paper delivery trucks were unloading on corners they passed. Several trolls passed them, singing out their good mornings as they headed to breakfast. As the two friends reached Pike Market, vendors were setting up shop, calling between stalls. The rich aromas of fresh fish and strong coffee mingled.

“Well, I’m off to roost. You're always in my thoughts, old man,” said Dimrud, and the two hooked pinkies, Dimrud flying at a crazy angle to meet Rowan's hand. Flying low over the market, Dimrud snagged his morning meal from the fish mongers cart. Then he flew into the sunrise and was gone.

Rowan sighed once again. Memories of Jessie welled up inside him like a bubble, a thrill of uncontrollable anticipation. Tonight he would see her again, this time in her world. The planned date was his precious secret, but overshadowed by doubt. This was forbidden, he knew. Yet surely something that felt this right couldn’t be wrong. Illianna wouldn’t approve. Still, what harm could this innocent friendship cause? The bottom line was, he was going to do it. It just had to be alright. He wouldn’t let it be anything else.

It was a restless night for the fairy queen. When dawn finally peeked through the bushes surrounding her bed, Illianna gave up her fight for rest and rose, grateful for the reprieve.  She was anxious to check on her charges today after yesterday’s fright. Shivering in the morning dew, she shook her wings and lifted, joining the dawn light with her own radiance. Her wings were a-shimmer with shifting rainbows, like oily puddles reflecting light, opalescent and iridescent. She filled the sky. A barely visible change in the quality of light revealed her presence as a hint of someone, or something. 
Leaving the parkland, she silently glided above the city skyline. She watched as the fairies rose from the flowers, the trolls popped their heads from alley dens or under wharves, and the shapechangers, sleepy from a long night’s hunt, sought their beds. In the city streets, she saw Ambra head for the marketplace to filch a bun for breakfast and the sprites put a shine on the vendors fruits before helping themselves. It was a peaceful, clear fall morning, with the scents of ripe apples and baking bread. She watched as Dimrud flew out of the city for the day, his fish held tightly, the weight causing him to dip and rise, dip and rise with each flap of his wings.

Without warning the peaceful scene below her erupted into chaos. One of the vendors began to scream and flail at his cart from which issued a most unholy squeal. Illianna flew lower to investigate. She saw as one of the lesser sprites, Tom Waddin if her memory served right, slip from the man’s grasp. He raced down the street and slid down a storm drain before the stunned human could give chase.

The illusory peace of the morning evaporated like the dawn fog from a meadow when the sun arrives. Those humans had nearly captured him! There was no time to waste; this crisis was worse than she had feared. She should have gone to Rowan last night. If little Tom had been hurt the burden would have been her own. The thought was unbearable. She turned her flight east and south. She must see Rowan right now.

“Rowan, there is something wrong with the web,” she said as she stepped into the shop.

“Good morning, Illianna. What are you going on about?” Rowan smiled at the fairy queen, too full of his own thoughts to see how upset she was.

“I just left the outdoor market and…”

“I was just there too! We must have just missed one another,” he interrupted.

“Yes, well, I saw one of the sprites--Tom Waddin I think—“

“Probably was Tom,” Rowan chuckled. “That boy is nothing but mischief.”

“Rowan will you listen to me,” Illianna said with exasperation.

“I am listening. What’s the matter?”

“While I watched a vendor caught him! He managed to wriggle free, but how did the man see him?”

“Are you sure? That kid is quite a trickster. He may have done it on purpose, just to stir things up.”

“You should have heard him squeal. I’m sure he didn’t plan it. And there’s more.” Illianna hesitated, unsure of the right words to say to win Rowan’s cooperation. “Last night, I followed the girl when she left here.”

“You what! You mean Jessie? Were you spying on me?” Rowan was no longer so lighthearted.

“I told you I was worried. We are forbidden human contact. You know that.”

“Illianna, I’m careful. I’m not a child, and I didn’t seek this out. But I see no harm in it.”

“Let me finish. She saw me. Not only her, but a woman with her also.”

“That’s impossible! They must have just seen an impression, probably they thought the light played tricks or clouds…”

“The other woman called me an angel. I felt exposed as never before, not since the wars…” Illianna hated remembering the dark days when humans turned against Otherlings, the days before the mask was drawn down.

“I think you are being dramatic. Today we’ll spend the time strengthening the web, I think that’s a good idea, but don’t get paranoid. All that’s needed is a bit of focused care. We’ve often had to mend things. This is no different.”

“I hope you’re right." Illianna paused for a moment, considering Rowan. "Do you plan to see her again?”

Rowan turned his back on Illianna. “What does that have to do with anything?”

”Rowan, be reasonable. No good can come of this liaison,” she said.

He turned back to her, his eyes turned steely cold. “That’s where you’re wrong, my queen. Something already has. She has given me joy and eased my loneliness. She has reminded me that there is a great deal of life yet ahead of me. Nothing evil can come out of Jessie. She is not a problem. So leave it alone.”

For endless seconds they stood, each staring at their best friend, their worst enemy, their life-long partner. “Very well. I will leave it. I pray you are right.” In silence they began the rituals to strengthen the veil. Joining hands, they invoked the mother earth, Gaea, to protect and nurture all in peace and harmony. They thanked her for her love; for food and shelter, for sun and moon. Then it was time for Illianna to fly, weaving and draping as she went. And time for Rowan to conjure and cast, brewing strong spells to strengthen her work.

Before she left the shop, Illianna turned to Rowan once more. “Rowan, you took a vow, centuries ago, to protect us. Pray remember that.” Without waiting for a reply she pushed the door open and flew to her work.

He stiffened and turned to the work before him, grimacing in frustration.