The Magic of Rue

Ch 4: Trades

Rue POV

A Faery.

A faery is at my pond.

A faery covered in blood is at my pond.

Why is he here? I don't go near the fae of interrupt their hunts. I avoid them at all costs.

So why did a pale bloody looking one come to my pond?

I paused. Pale. Bloody.

Is he sick? Is he actually a customer not here to kill me?

Customers are customers right? If I can prove a faery trusted me then other witches will have to invite me to the next sabbath.

Slowly I swam back up to the surface, I popping out just enough to see the fairy standing at the edge, a decent distance from me. "You! Death Cap! Are you sick?"

He looks sick. His skin reminded me of moonlight, he must has lost a lot of blood to get that pale.

Or maybe someone poisoned him?

He seemed to be holding his side.

Can a sick fae hurt people? "Do you want to swim in my pond?" I offered meekly.

His lip curled in a sneer, bright yellow eyes burning into me.

"I infuse it with healing herbs! Its very clean! Great for the skin and body. It should put some color back into you soon death cap."

"Death... cap?" He rumbled out, blades strapped to him glittering in the light.

I swam back a bit, "y-yeah.. its a poisonous mushroom and its really pale.... like-"

I cut myself off, unsure how injured he actually is and if he would be angry.

"Like?" He rumble.

"You." I mumbled, "your really pale, are you okay? Do you have any blood left?"

"Very little of this is mine witch. I am here to commission you."

"Oh!" I exclaimed, he really is a customer! "How can I help you mr customer?"

He let go of his side exposing a large wound, "fix this. I was poisoned by a blade coated in dustflower pollen."

I kept my distance, looking it over, "dustflowers only grown in the faery realms." At least thats what I heard.

"Im not looking to grow one." He growled out.

"Right!" I squeaked, "uh why don't you have a seat on the edge of the pond, we can get u cleaned up and then take a look... I do require payment before I-"

His eyes narrowed at me.

"Half now?" I asked, "its not that I don't trust you death cap... but..." I don't trust him.

"What do you charge?" He asked, as if the entire thing was stupid and boring.

"Oh... I normally run on trades because I don't live near humans or anything like that so I don't require money."

"Trades." He repeated.

"I like your knife." I said, pointing to the smallest of several blades strapped to his thigh.

He glanced at it and before I could even blink it was flying at me.

I squeaked as it flew by, imbedding itself into a nearby rock.

"There. He deadpanned, half. Tell me the second half when you have done your job."

I struggled to pull the knife from the stone, holding it close as I approached him. "Okay.. let me see the wound."

He practically scoffed, "the knife wont help if i choose to kill you."

"Maybe im crazy but I don't think that's how you get help customer."

"No but it is how you get someone to use both hands instead of uselessly holding a knife." He pulled me out of the pond with one hand, and what seemed to be very little effort as I got close enough.

This was a terrible idea. I should have stayed in the pond until he died.

But a dead faery would bring just as much trouble as a living one. "Could you remove your shirt customer?"

He did, revealing his bloodstained skin.

"Thats a lot of blood..." I mumbled, "how are you alive?"

"Its not mine." He replied blandly.

Oh.

I balled my hands into fists to help stop the shaking as I stared at his wound. "It's still growing... They must have used a lot of pollen." They really wanted to make sure he died and this guy is acting like this massive wound and all that blood is nothing. "The usual method for dustflower will take several days."

He tisked.

"But i think I know how to get you fixed in a matter of hours!" I exclaimed, "its a work of my own. Ill start with the usual method and add on my extra... free of charge!"

He seemed suspicious, "you will show me what goes in everything and make it in front of me."

"Okay..." I agreed.

Even if he knows what it all is, the likelihood of him realizing I'm about to knock him out cold for my own safety probably wont dawn on him until its too o late.

"Start washing up here, i promise my ponds clean and good. Ill get my things for the spells!"

I could feel his eyes on me as I wondered away from him.

What do I do when he's passed out? Drag him closer to the gates to his dimension? He can't be that mad if i fix him up and try to help him go home...

Right?

I glanced at him scrubbing dried blood from his well defined arm muscles.

Maybe I should take a vacation somewhere after, just incase.