Silver Rose

A Human Life

Mara quickly found out that a human wife had less freedom then a single woman. She had to learn how to do all the cooking, cleaning, and sewing. She had to know how to take care of the livestock and the farming. She had to know what she was doing when buying at the market. She had to be able to manage the house, the inn, and the pub.

Mrs. Ranley taught Mara exactly how everything should be done (and expected everything to be done in that exact way. When Mara became very good in these skills she did it however she felt like. Mrs. Ranley didn’t like this, but Mara didn’t care as long as it got done.) Now she was expected to stay near the house unless going to the market or visiting other married women. It was indecent for her to go see Keinan at his manor. Even though people talked, she still went to see him sometimes (although she did wait a few months before venturing to do this).

She didn’t care what people said about her. Doustan and Mrs. Ranley scolded her for traipsing around the countryside at night, and visiting a bachelor alone. Everyone thought they understood her and knew what was best, but they didn’t even know her family’s name, much less who she was as a Fauye and as a person.

Doustan was 17 when they married, so she figured that he’d die in 50 years. So what did it matter what the humans thought? She’d be gone in 50 years. They couldn’t hurt her. But she was wrong. They found a way to get to her through her children. Before she was born, people said her firstborn was probably Keinan’s child. Mara denied it and told people (who tried to whisper behind her back) that a servant was always present when she visited Keinan. But people wanted to believe the worse was true. They only stopped talking when her daughter came out with the same blond hair, nose and ears as Doustan. In fact, the only thing the girl didn’t get from the Ranley family was her feet (which were peculiarly small). Mara didn’t sense anything magical about the baby. As she grew, Mara was certain the girl had no magic since she also seemed to have inherited the slower Ranley brains. She named her firstborn Ameryl.

A year later, her second child, a girl named Nianna, didn’t have magic either. Neither did the next girl (Julietta), or the fourth daughter (Azale). But Mara suspected that the fifth might when she gave the baby girl a rattle that changed into a rock in the girl’s hand. Mara got out the magic book she took from the Fauyen world when she left and tried to find something to repress magic. In the end she settled for putting an amulet around the child’s arm (which, when she got older, was made into a necklace). This daughter’s name was Maurette and Mara kept a close eye on her.

Mara hoped Maurette was the last child. After all, she had never thought it was possible for a Fauye to have more than two children. But then she remembered it was the late Mr. Ranley’s wish that she have many children. In her eyes, five children was a lot. But unfortunately the wish didn’t think so and she had four more children, all girls. In the end there were nine Ranley daughters. By the time Mara finished having children, the eldest, Ameryl, was 14, the second, Nianna, was 13, then Julietta was 11, and Azale 10, and Maurette was 8. The next, Latrine, was 5; then Hanna was 4; Safie was 2; and Jassy was an infant.

She never had any sons and she was glad. Everyone wanted her to have sons and (since she was very upset that she had to labor for so many children) she was satisfied that they always turned out to be daughters. It was her little way of getting back at everyone. The wish never said there had to be a son.

Of course, Doustan was very disappointed in not having a son. Mara felt sorry for him, but not sorry enough to have another child. As soon as she went a month without having any pains from an unfulfilled wish she knew she wouldn’t have to worry about having anymore Ranley children.

She kept the other part of the wish to “be prosperous” by using magic to make the crops and livestock healthy and strong even in the worst seasons. She also made the Silver Rose the most popular inn in the village of Wedimell, even though there was only one other inn.

Mrs. Ranley died three years after Mara’s last child was born. Currie and her sister had long been married and for the first time, Mara was the mistress of the house. Although, she and Mara had gotten along, Mara was glad Mrs. Ranley was gone. Doustan was a complete mama’s boy and did and agreed with whatever Mrs. Ranley said even if it meant embarrassing and undermining his wife. Now, Mara could finally run things, including raising her children as she saw fit.

Mara had been able to see Keinan less and less with each child. By the time she had Maurette, she didn’t see him at all. He rarely went into the village since he had servants to take care of any business that had to be done there. Mara often wondered if he were mad at her for marrying Doustan, but she didn't want to know. So he lived his life and she lived hers and the years slowly passed by.

---------------------------------

Witch.

They dubbed her the Ranley witch, too afraid to let her first name passed between their lips. Her neighbors no longer came by to borrow a cup of sugar. People moved to the other side of the road when she walked about. And they whispered. They blamed her for droughts, floods, thunderstorms, the king’s high taxes, spiders, any food that burned, any deaths, any births that weren’t boys, and accidents. Then a bad harvest was reaped across the land because of too much rain. (They blamed her for that too.) And the people had a very hard time paying their taxes and if they couldn’t pay they were thrown in prison or hung. Now they whispered that if they got rid of her, they would have peace again.

She should have known, but the thought never occured to her. The last conversation she had with her parents came rushing back to her. Her mother had said that aging was something of the human world. Mara noticed that her friends or husband aged. But she saw them so often that she didn't realize how much they were changing. She may never have known if they hadn't noticed that she never changed.

In human years she was in her fifties and a grandmother; and yet she still looked like young blushing bride. For some reason, the humans were afraid of her youthful appearance. Mara couldn't understand. Once Fauyes reached adulthood they stopped aging until they died.

The humans couldn't understand why she couldn't age and Mara had no explanation (at least not one she wanted to give them). So they said she was a witch and she let them.

Now they no longer whispered, but talked freely about her. She didn’t care when they said to her face. She just silently walked away. But she couldn’t stand it when they said it to her children.

Mara was changing the linens in a guest room one afternoon, when she heard yelling outside. Pillow in her hands, she walked over to the window which faced the road to see what was going on. On the road stood a group of boys in their mid- to late teens. They were circled around a girl.

“Where’s the witch?! Where’s the witch?!” They shouted at her.

“Leave me alone!” The girl screamed.

“Get away from her!” Another girl, Safie, ran up to
the boys and hit one of them in back with her fists.

Two boys grabbed her and pushed her inside their circle.

Safie stood beside her sister. Jassy took her hand.

“If we can’t have the witch we’ll take both of ya instead!” One of the boys shouted. The rest yelled in agreement.

Mara squeezed the pillow in frozen horror. They were going to hurt her babies, her youngest babies.

“Hey!” A male voice shouted. “Stay away from them!”

Another boy ran up to them. She recognized him as Landon, a young boy who was sweet on her Jassy. Four of the boys grabbed Landon and pushed him to ground. Jassy screamed. They began to hit and kick him. The other three turned to her daughters. Suddenly, Mara’s brain turned back on. Still clutching the pillow, she ran out of the room and down the two flights of stairs. Bursting through the door, she rushed up the walkway. Then she stopped. The girl’s screams and the boy’s taunting filled her ears. She watched as one boy shoved Jassy and pinned her to the ground. Safie looked up and saw her. Mara looked into her daughter’s terrified eyes as a boy’s arms flung around Safie’s waist and lifted her up. Then Mara closed her eyes and did the first thing that came to her.

She opened her eyes and saw Safie fall to the ground. Jassy, whose arms had been covering her face, slowly brought her hands down. The girls looked around confused.

“Quick! Grab them!” Mara ordered.

She wretched the pillow out of its case and caught a toad as it tried to hop away.

“That’s one,” she said placing it in the pillowcase.

She grabbed another who sat on the road looking dazed. Jassy sat up and screamed at the sight of the toad on her stomach. She jumped up and sent the toad flying into a rose bush.

“I’ve got two and that one was three. Get the other four!” Mara ordered handing the pillowcase to Safie.

Mara went over to the rose bush. Thrusting her arm into the bush, she felt around for the toad. She winced as thorns stabbed her flesh. She pushed her arm deeper and felt the thorns scrape her skin. Finally, she felt the slippery flesh of the toad.

“Gottcha!” she cried as her hand wrapped around it. She pulled it out and came over to Safie who was frantically trying to catch a feisty green toad.

“How many have you caught?” Mara asked, placing the rose bush toad in the pillowcase.

Safie leapt in the air to pounce on the toad she was after only to grab a handful of dirt instead.

“Only one,” she answered moaning.

Jassy ran over to them.

“Here! Here! Take it! Take it!” She squealed.

Mara opened the pillowcase and Jassy threw the toad in it. Then she waved her hands in disgust.

“Then there’s only two left.” Mara said.

“I’ve got it!” Safie shouted.

Proudly, Safie placed her difficult toad in with the rest. Mara looked around.

“Where’s the other one?” She asked.

“Landon!” Jassy shouted.

Landon slowly crawled toward them with his hand gripping his left side. Jassy dropped to her knees at his side.

“Landon, oh, Landon,” Jassy cried.

Landon collapsed on ground. Safie ran over to them. Together the two girls gingerly turned Landon on his back. Mara tied the pillowcase with a tight knot. She walked over to where Landon lay and set the case down.

“i'll get the doctor!” Safie said.

“No,” Mara said, “stay where you are.”

Mara walked in a circle around the three. Then she turned around once. She sat next to Landon.

“Move your hand, dear,” she said to him.

Shakily, Landon moved his hand away from his wound.

“Oh no,” Jassy sobbed at the sight of the blood.

Mara pressed her hands together. They warmed up until they were hot.

“Do you trust me, Landon?” Mara asked.

Landon looked up at her, and then he looked at Jassy’s wet face and back at Mara’s.

“Yes,” he whispered staring straight into her eyes.

A trickle of blood streamed from the corner of his mouth. Mara smiled at him for reassurance. Her hands glowed with warmth. She placed her hands on the wound on Landon’s side. Landon jerked at sudden flow of heat. Mara’s hands glowed white hot. Landon ground his teeth together. The girls shut their eyes as a blinding light rose up from the wound area. In a moment the light disappeared and Mara’s hands returned to their normal flesh tone.

“Mama, what did you do?!” Safie exclaimed.

Landon wiggled. He pulled his bloody shirt up. Nothing on his white skin made the slightest suggestion of a wound. He sat up. His fingers gingerly touched the area. He looked at Mara in amazement. Mara touched his face and smiled.

“That was the worst of your wounds,” she said.

“Everything else can be healed easily. But first we must take care of these toads.”

Mara and Jassy began helping Landon up. Doustan came around the bend whistling.

“Papa!” Safie shouted running to him.

Doustan continued to walk as if he didn’t hear her.

“Papa!” Safie cried, as he walked past her.
She reached out her hand and grabbed his arm. Doustan wrenched his arm out of her grasp. Startled he looked around him. Eyes wide, he quickly made a dash for the inn.

“What happened?” Safie asked.

“Oh yes,” Mara said, “I made us all invisible. No one can see or hear you. I didn’t want the neighbors to see. Now we must quickly get into the woods. Safie, grab the bag with the toads.”

Jassy helped Landon as he limped along and they all followed Mara down the road toward the Drihagee manor. Half a mile from the inn, they came to the woods and Mara went into it. They walked in the woods for 15 minutes until they reached a small glen. Mara motioned for them to stop. Landon and Jassy plopped on the ground. Safie stood next to them clutching the bag to her chest. Mara walked in around the glen in a circle. Then she took the bag from Safie and put a sleeping spell on the toads. Then she turned to Landon.

“Alright, let me see the rest of those wounds.” Mara said, kneeling next to him.

In a few minutes not even a scratch was left on Landon’s body.

“It’s as if I were never touched!” Landon exclaimed.

“Then… then this means you are a witch,” Jassy said.

Mara laughed.

“I’m not a witch!” Mara said. “A witch would have to use a potion to heal and it wouldn’t heal as nicely either. And besides, a witch is a human and I’m not human at all!”

The three youngsters looked at her in horror.

“Oh dear, that didn’t come out right,” Mara said to
herself. “Well, actually I’m part human, but only a very tiny bit. You see my father’s great-great-great—“

Safie, Jassy, and Landon glanced at each other in astonishment and confusion. Mara sighed.

“If—if you’re n-not a human… w-what are you?” Safie stuttered.

“I’m—I’m a fairy,” Mara said.

Silence dropped upon them. Insects flew about, but they couldn’t hear them with the invisible veil covering them. Mara anxiously peered at each of their faces. She desperately wanted their acceptance. She feared the rejection from her children. Azale had outright disowned her as her mother; and although Julietta had never said anything, she rarely came around even though she only lived two blocks away. Latrine and her family lived in the city of Felia 30 miles away from Wedimell. Hanna also never said a word, but her suspicious eyes and cold shoulder betrayed her. Hanna had left to be a governess to a family in Akinsis, the capital of the country, a year ago. Ameryl and Nianna didn’t even know because they hadn’t come back since they first left. And Maurette had left Wedimell years ago. No one knew where she was.

Now Mara had only her two youngest daughters. They still stood up for her when others put her down, but Mara knew it’d be a matter of time before they joined everyone else. She woke up each morning expecting them to disown her that day. She decided, as she turned the boys into toads, that her only chance to keep their love was to tell them the truth.

“I am a fairy,” she said again.

“A fairy?” Jassy whispered.

Mara nodded.

“But if you’re a fairy, why don’t you have any wings?” Landon asked.

“Wings? I don’t have wings because I’m a Fauyen fairy. Gommoth fairies and Riea fairies have wings.” Mara said.

“You mean there are different types of fairies?” Landon asked.

“Of course. Just like there are different types of humans and elves and every other kind of being.” Mara said.

“But I thought there was no such thing as fairies and elves and… and other strange, unreal things.” Jassy said. “Wasn’t it you who said they didn’t exist when Papa would try to scare us with stories of ogres and trolls and evil fairies.”

“First of all, I didn’t like how everyone portrayed fairies. Either frivolous magical beings who only lived to cavort, play, and grant meaningless wishes or who only want to hurt others by placing spells on them. That is not how real fairies are, except Gommoths who actually enjoy granting wishes. And I only said they didn’t exist to protect you. I was afraid that if I encouraged the idea of fairies in your minds, then you might actually begin to have fairy magic.”

“Magic!” Jassy exclaimed. “You mean I have the ability to do magic?!”

“I don’t know… you’ve never done it before,” Mara said.

“But I might?” Jassy asked.

“Maybe. But Jassy, please don’t try. Magic can be very dangerous if you don’t understand how to control it.” Mara said. “And I don’t want you to end up like me and be condemned as a witch when you’re not. It’s better to never even think about tapping into it.”

Jassy looked disappointed. Mara stroked her face.

“I’m sorry, dear, but it’s for your own good,” she said.

“So you’re really a fairy. A real fairy,” Landon said looking at her as if he’d never seen her before.

Mara nodded.
“Jassy?” Mara said. “You don’t… you don’t hate me now, do you?”

“Hate you? No! Mama no, never! I wouldn’t hate you even if you were a witch.” Jassy said smiling.

“I’m so glad you’re a fairy instead, though. And this makes me half fairy. How do you like that Landon?”

“I like it… a lot,” Landon said smiling at Jassy.

“Safie, you haven’t spoken a word,” Mara said looking at her other daughter, “what do you think about this?”

“I—I hardly know what to think,” Safie replied. “It’s so overwhelming. We never knew anything about your family or your life before coming here… I always thought it was so bad you didn’t want to talk about it… I never imagined… this.”

“I know it’s sudden,” Mara said.

“Does Papa know?” Safie asked.

“No. And you must all promise never to tell him or
anyone else.”

“Why?” Jassy asked.

“Because, I never wanted Doustan or anyone to ever know who I really was. It’s better this way. Now promise me.”

One by one the three promised to never tell anyone about her true origins.

“But what about our children?” Safie asked.

“You don’t have any children. And if you do, I suppose you could tell them if it were absolutely necessary. And by necessary I mean if they could magically manipulate things or if they could save the world with this knowledge. Both of which are very doubtful. If neither of you displayed any magic then your children probably won’t either.”

They nodded. They became silent as everyone became wrapped up in their own thoughts.

“Mama?”

“Yes.”

“Do your looks have anything to do with being a
fairy?” Safie asked.

“Yes. Once fairies reach young adulthood we stop aging. We live for hundreds of years looking and feeling like 20.” Mara said.

“So what happens now? Everyone else thinks you’re a witch. I think even Papa is starting to believe it too. They’ll burn you at the stake if we have one more bad year.” Safie said.

Mara nodded. She knew this was true. Fairies died prematurely by magic not fire, but if her father could be killed maybe she could too. If she burned that would be it. If she didn’t burn the people would be terrified. Then they’d try to hang her or behead her or torture her to death. Or worse, they’d suspect her daughters of being witches too and kill them.

“I can’t stay here,” Mara said.

The girls gasped. They flung their arms around her.

“No, you can’t leave us!” They cried.

Mara put her arms around them both.

“Don’t cry, my darlings,” she said. “I’m not leaving today. But I will have to leave soon.”

The girls sobbed harder. Mara’s watery eyes spilled over and she joined them. When they could cry no longer, they clung to each other.

“My girls you must be strong. You must always remember that you are the daughters of two of the most powerful fairy families in the world. Their strength is your strength and nothing in this world can get the best of you. Life will be unexpected and hard, but there is always some good out of it. With coarse thorns comes a lovely rose. If you always look to the rose you’ll be content, maybe even happy. I must confess that at first the idea of marrying your father was repulsive to me. But then if I hadn’t, I never would have had my beautiful little girls.” She kissed them both and gave them a tight hug.

The sun was beginning to set. They all stood.

“Landon, come here,” Mara said.

Mara took Landon’s hand in her left hand and
Jassy’s in her right.

“I know you two love each other, am I right?” Mara asked.

Jassy and Landon grinned at each other.

“Yes,” they said.

“Good. Jassy, you’re 15 now, that’s old enough to be married. Landon, do I have your word that you will take care of my Jassy?”

“Yes, I will,” Landon said.

“Then you have my blessing on your marriage.” Mara brought their hands together so that Jassy and Landon clasped hands and Mara’s held both of theirs. “Your love will last forever and bind you stronger than blood. You marriage will be long and joyful. Your children will be your heart. They will be strong and loving and will find love just as you have from generation to generation. Forever you will be.”

Mara let go of their hands. Landon and Jassy grinned from ear to ear. They let go of each other’s hand. As they did, two gold bracelets fell to the grass.

“What’s this?” Landon asked stooping to pick them up.

“Fauyes wear Bond Bracelet as a symbol of their love. I can’t duplicate the Bond Bracelets but let those bracelets represent your love as the real ones do.”

“Thank you Mama,” Jassy said, “they’re beautiful.”

“Thank you Mrs. Ranley we will wear them always.” Landon said.

They slipped their bracelets on and began whispering to each other.

“I suppose we had better be getting back,” Safie said.

Mara hugged Safie.

“I have a gift for you too, Safie,” she said. She took the necklace her father had given her off. it glistened in the sun. She held it out to Safie.

“It looks like here is something inside the pendent,” Safie said.

“I know,” Mara said. "I'm not sure what it is. A friend of my father's gave it to me. He tokd me it was the birthday gift my father made for me and that was all."

"You father made this?"

“Yes. Don’t worry, most of the time it will look like a very dark red stone. But see, I will always be with you. At least that's how I feel about my father when I wear it. ” Mara said.

“It's so beautiful. I'll give it to my own daughter someday. And she can give to hers and you'll always be in the family.” Safie sheed.

Safie threw her arms around her mother’s neck.

“I love you, Mama.”

Tears slipped down Mara’s cheeks. She would always have Safie and Jassy, she would always have two of her babies.

“I love you, Safie,” Mara whispered.

“Croak!”

Mara looked over at the bag of toads.

“Oh I completely forgot,” she said.

She opened the bag and put another, longer, sleeping spell on the toads. Then she gently dumped them out of the bag. Standing, she turned them all back into boys again.

“Let’s leave,” she said.

“What will happen to them?” Safie asked.

“The spell will break in the morning. They’ll wake up very confused about the events that have taken place, magic does that to people. They may not remember what happened at all.”

They began to walk toward the road.

“That’s too bad. I want them to remember. I want them to know what happened so they’ll never do it again.” Safie said.

“Bits and pieces may come to their minds, but they’ve been under a toad spell, an invisibility spell, two sleeping spells and a return to original form spell. It’s just too many spells, too much magic in their systems for them to remember much more than chaos.”

“What about the one we couldn’t find?” Jassy asked.

“Pray that we find him, soon.”

“What happens if we never find him?”

“Then he will remain a frog forever.”

The boys awoke with the rising of the sun in total confusion. They went home and seemed perfectly normal. But three of them refused to walk on the road in front of the Silver Rose Inn for the rest of their lives. The other three hated going into the woods. They were all very uneasy when around frogs or sacks. None of them knew why, but some vague memory, like an old dream, tried to surface when they came near these places. The thought of the dream made their bodies feel as they were in chaos. So they found alternate routes to avoid these two places. The seventh toad/boy wasn’t found. Everyone guessed he must have run off in the night to make his fortune.

The day after Mara told the girls her true identity, Landon and Jassy announced that they were getting married in a week. It threw everyone off guard and no one knew how they were going to pulling it off. It would take at least two weeks to make Jassy a dress. But somehow on the wedding day, Jassy had one of the prettiest wedding dresses anyone had ever seen. Landon had handsome new suit, and they both had solid gold wedding rings. The town was baffled, for otherwise the wedding and reception were simple.

When asked, Landon and Jassy said they were gifts from Mr. Drihagee. Then the townspeople relaxed and smiled. “Of course it was Drihagee.” Mr. Drihagee attended the wedding, but when people tried to get his side of the story, he refused to answer. (Then the town started to whisper that he thought he was too good for them.

“He may be a proud man, but he’s just as old as us. We may not have land and money, but at least we won’t die alone,” they said.)
After the wedding, the town rarely saw old Mr. Drihagee. Safie, Jassy and Landon always smiled when someone began talking about the wedding. They were the only ones who knew Drihagee had nothing to do with it.

Somehow, Mara got her stubborn husband to give up his idea of passing the inn to one of his nephews and giving it to one of his daughters. Doustan was traditional and wanted the business to go to a male. After a week, Mara convinced him that Landon was as much a son of his as one from his own loins would have been. Put in that prospective, it was a silly idea to deny “his own son” his rightful property. So Doustan made a will so that Landon Hathers was to inherit the Silver Rose Inn and the Ranley land at Doustan’s death. Mara also made him add that if any his daughters were not married or didn’t have land of their own, they were to have a piece of the Ranley land to make a living on.

Doustan’s health was good. The business was doing well. Most of the Ranley daughters were taken care of in marriage and those who weren’t were making a living on their own. 17-year-old Safie was under the protection of her father, her brother-in-laws, and Keinan of the Drihagee. Everything was in order, everything was well.

“It seems my time is spent,” Mara said to herself one day. “I need to move on.”