“I mean, really what is this egg and who are you? What do you want from me?” The last part of Andrew’s question rose in pitch with his mounting fear. Andrew was getting desperate. Despite the feelings of power flowing through him. He knew them to be false. Not his own, but loaned from the egg. He knew that things were going totally crazy right now and nothing was making sense. He didn’t really have the emotional ability to deal with it. He wanted to run back home, or maybe just to sit and cry. He really couldn’t take it all in.
The egg pushed more of that golden glowing stuff into him and he started to gather himself, to gain control again, but it was a slow process. Willow continued to speak through his distress and somehow he heard her. Each statement more outlandish than the one before.
“Andrew, I know this is not easy for you, and while I appear young to you, almost girlish, I am not young at all. I am as old as this forest and even as long as I have lived, I expect to live much longer because of the Guardian rangers and the Custodian knights and my duty is to the forest and all pathways leading to Faelare… I am trying to make this simple. Let me see... where to begin? Okay so.. the Custodians are in charge of preserving the forest and the sanctity of Faelare… Against all threats, including from within the realm as well as without. The time has come that you meet the call and learn your place. One amongst many and yet so pivotal as the only human representative in this region. Your bloodline has been our boon for generations.”
“Failare?” Andrew was able to inquire. The pronunciation not quite making sense. “Like Failure? but with an “air” at the end?”
“Faelare, Fae.. lare young man, the land of the Fae and the forest folk. Have you never heard of it? Fae are called Fairies by some but we are not limited to that concept. Our fold ranges from Elves, Trolls, Goblins to … Dryads.. Centaur, forest folk and many many more.”
Andrew shook his head. “Nope, never heard of Faelare, although I have read a few stories with Elves, Trolls and Goblins and such.” At least he could answer something. Forest folk? Faelare? It sounded so fanciful, and yet here he was. Wait, did she say something about bloodline?
“Now as I was saying, Faelare is the realm preserved by the forest. The Custodians are part of the protective enclave of our realm and attend to threats of the forest and folk of Faelare….”
Are you like.. umm like a dryad?” Andrew thought this made the most sense since Willow .. well, she was named after a tree and she had bark for skin. Unless… “…or are you a Tree Ent?”
”Are Tree Ents a thing? and what do you mean bloodline?”
Willow sighed. “Dearest, sweet boy. Please just hold your tongue for a few moments while I lay out the situation. There is some formality involved. There always is when you deal with the Fae, and I need you, please, to stop asking questions until I’m finished. Is that understood?”
Andrew nodded. Inside he was near to bursting with energy. He could hardly keep still. His feet fidgeted, his fingers flexed. His mind was like a galloping horse. Every word she uttered conjured things he could barely comprehend and the overload of sensations of the world around him nearly drove him to his knees.
And yet somehow he managed to contain it all. Barely constrain it within him. Instead, he managed to sharpen his focus. Within his mind, his emotions became distant things.. mere suggestions as rationale took over and he began to process what was being said, what was being offered.. no not offered, given, because of his blood?
That didn’t make sense. None of his family were even vaguely interested in forests. At least none that he knew about, except for cousin Billy down in Texas who seemed to enjoy spending time in the woods, but certainly not protecting them? Last he heard, Billy was hunting everything he could find to extinction. He remembered him for a cruel boy and not out for preserving anything. Andrews thoughts raced on while Willow continued…
“You will be required to make an oath of service upon reaching your majority. Until then you will squire for Sir Steggs and learn what you can. Sir Steggs was a very close friend of the last human Custodian Knight, and he will be gratified to impart his wisdom to the worthy Heir.”
“Umm,..” Andrew tried to interject, to interrupt, but Willow held up her hand to stall him.
Then she continued by saying something that completely and utterly blew his mind.
“We desperately need to form the balance again, and perhaps your father would have understood. However trust me, we did not induct you into the order without due consideration and plenty of evaluation. The Egg is never wrong. Yes, and despite our agreement to bring this offer to you only when you come of age, we had no choice and our agreement stipulated that fact. Now in return for your sacrifice I pledge a boon to you and your family instead.
The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
Willow then chanted a rhyme that seemed to radiate with magic.
Far and away, Let all beings say
To bargain with Fae
Always recite,
without malice or blight
the following turn of phrase:
Fair weight, fair gain.
Fair slight, fair pain.
This is the way of the Fae.
The words had power and presence to them. A sense of gravity that made the previous words and their meaning impact on Andrew in a deep and considered way. He knew what it all meant and with that knowing came a price of painful realization, it also stunned him into the silence that Willow was asking for. At least for the moment.
How had his father known about this egg? Why had he never shared anything about it? Was the pain coursing through him a feeling of betrayal? Yes, perhaps it was, on some level. And yet Andrew knew that until a few days ago, he was hardly in any sort of condition to be responsible. In a way he felt like he was growing up. Way too fast in his humble opinion, but he needed to get the next question out before Willow continued.
“You knew my father?” He whispered it, but the urgency of the plea, the depths of the need for knowledge came through his empowered words and he saw Willow pause from what she was about to say as she took a moment to look at him.
The pleading in Andrews eyes was spilling over and even someone not familiar with humans would have seen that this question needed to be answered.
“Yes dear Andrew, I knew you father well. He is the one that forbade us to interact with you until you reached your majority, but events have a way of dictating what is necessary. And while we had an agreement, something we Fae hold above all things, the time has come to exercise the subcontract that allows us to communicate in an emergency. Trust me, I would not be doing this unless it was necessary.”
“But my mom, does she know about you? What will she say?”
“A good question Andrew and one we would rather not find out. Suffice it to say, we have promised your family a boon. One within our considerable power, so she will be well compensated. Besides, I will not allow harm to come to you while in our care. So please speak the words and let us be done.”
“Which words? I’m confused?” Andrew was having a hard time with all this official talk, but his mind was catching on and now he thought of how his mom would react to this situation.
“Are you saying I should accept to become a squire and join these Custodian Knights? Im not even grown yet?”
“Your father said he would prepare you, but it seems he did no such thing. I am at a loss to explain everything to you in the short time we have, but I believe you should trust the egg. It is the conduit by which we can communicate and the vessel that will bring you to the right level. Don’t doubt it and always follow your instincts. That is my advice to you.”
Andrew saw the sincerity of her words and felt the connection with the egg. Now more strongly than ever. So much for regulating his contact with it. It seemed it was a part of him now. He took Willows advice and asked the egg directly.
“What do you think I should do? I mean I want to be a knight and all, and I know to be one you have to be a squire first, but I have school and I can’t leave mom. Do you think this is a good thing?”
The egg pulsed twice. Filling him with a sense of purpose, and he suddenly knew what his answer should be, in fact what his answer MUST be. Andrew began to recite the verse:
“Far and away, Let all beings say
To bargain with Fae
Always recite,
without malice or blight
the following turn of phrase:
Fair weight, fair gain.
Fair slight, fair pain.
This is the way of the Fae”
Willow, who now definitely seemed like an ageless being, looked at him intensely, waiting…
Andrew took a deep breath and continued, “Yes, I accept the position of Squire, however I also demand a boon above and beyond the one agreed to before, because after all it is my life and my world that is going to change.” He looked hopefully at Willow’s surprised face, which then turned to a radiant smile. Andrew knew that "boon" meant favor and having open ended favors with fairies was always a good thing. Kind of like a Genie, but not so expansive and usually limited by a number of rules.
“You learn quickly young Squire and yes this addition is within my power to grant. Your service for two boons then. One to the family and the other to you. Accepted and now seal the deal with a shake of hands.”
Things were moving fast, but it was in a direction Andrew wanted to go. Fate, it seemed had massive plans for him and he could barely contain his excitement.
Andrew reached out his hand, feeling the strange texture of Willows skin, rough against his human skin and yet supple. He marveled at the contact until..
“OUCH!” he zipped his hand away, but too late. A small prick of blood oozed out his palm to mingle with a drop of green fluid. He looked at it pearling and mixing with the green drop in his palm, then turned to Willow, eyes full of accusation. She didn’t look at him, instead focussed on his hand. They both watched as some of that glowing golden stuff seeped out his hand and soothed the sharp sting and seemed to compress the two fluids together and force them back into his hand.
Willow then looked at him. A radiant smile filled her ageless face. She completely ignored his accusing stare and pronounced the deal signed in blood. Andrew saw her own palm glinting with a drop of his blood. It too was absorbed into her skin by a silver light.
It was too much for Andrew and his eyes rolled back and his world tunneled. The ground swept up to meet him at a rapid pace. His last thoughts, “Im never going to make deals with Fae again” were soon lost in the fog of his mind.