A Faerie Flies

In the morning when Fallon checked on the Faerie, he looked dispirited. Fallon had forgotten to protect him from the midday sun, the time when a Faerie rests. They first found some fresh Anschloss leaves and Bebe prepared a porridge of berry and leaf which she set in the Faerie's cage. He ate a bit, then lay back down in the cage. Bebe asked Fallon, "I don't hear him making a sound. Is he all right?"

Fallon made a high keening sound to get the Faerie's attention but it didn't respond. Fallon looked closely into the cage. "Even his wings don't look as shimmery. I don't know enough about faeries. Anyone?" Fallon looked at the group, then at Alithea."

"I'm not a faerie doctor," she said. "That is Altiss. She knew the faeries. So did her mother."

Drindl reached forward, unlatched the door to the cage and reached in to grab the faerie with his unbandaged hand. It was so unexpected that Fallon did not react in time to stop him. Drindl threw the faerie into the air. "He needs to be free!" Fallon expected the faerie to fall to the ground but it recovered in mid-air and flew away. "See, he was fine all along." Drindl smiled.

Fallon turned on Drindl. "You stupid bantam boy! The Faerie will tell Altiss and Sarten where we are!" He turned to Alpen. "If he were my bantam, I would…" He left the rest unsaid.

Bebe looked anxiously to Alpen, who held his sword still in its scabbard. He brought the flat side of the blade down on Drindl's bandaged hand and he screamed with the pain. "Musth or no musth," he barked. "Young or old. You endanger my eggs, my partner. You're lucky I don't cut your hand off."

Drindl bent forward, holding his injured hand, and turned away from the group. Blood trickled from the bandage that covered the now reopened wound. "All my good work," Alithea said to Alpen. "It's just a few more days."

"If he doesn't get us killed," Alpen said as he set the sword in its place on the travois.