Once Upon A Fae

Chapter 5

"It may be that the satisfaction I need depends on my going away, so that when I come back, I'll find home."  Rumi

Chapter 5

Faith released a weary moan as she held her back. Kneeling with a rag in her hand, she studied the floor she had just washed. The light oak hardwood floors gleamed in the soft light the newly cleaned fireplace was giving off. The sun had begun to drop beneath the horizon and was shining brightly through the freshly scrubbed windows. Faith rose slowly to her feet stretching her sore muscles along the way as she headed to the also sparkling clean kitchen to begin the evening meal.

Along the way she grabbed two year old Jaden from the playpen she had set up in the corner. At breakfast, Zypher, the man that had driven on the trip here, had introduced Faith to the seven children she would be taking care of. Along with Rafe, Alex, and Jamie their was also Lincoln, who was the eldest at eleven, Eric and Mike who were six and seven respectively, and then the energetic ball of laughter Jaden who had just turned two and had only arrived on Creche lands a month ago.

Faith's main purpose here was to take care of the young and the house. This included cleaning and making sure that meals were ready not only for the young but also for the team leaders that resided in the main house when they were not on a mission.

She had never got to have her discussion with the boys about her heritage because directly after breakfast they had been directed to their lessons and had not even been given leave to return for lunch. So as she began dinner she softly hummed a Fae song her mother had taught her while she decided what she was going to tell the boys in her care.

Dmitri  felt exhausted, and every one  of his over 900 years, as he approached the door to the Creche main house.  All he wanted to do was find something edible and then sleep for about a week.

The smell of something had him drooling before he had even got the door fully open. Dmitri's exhaustion lifted as he dropped his kit in the entryway and followed his nose towards the kitchen.

He was not sure what to think of the scene before him. Six months ago, when he and his team had left on their mission, the house had been just as it had been for the past sixty or so years. Dark and quite, the way he liked it. Now as he stood in the entryway looking into the kitchen everything seemed to sparkle almost like a prism. The small colorful female that was standing at the stove was singing as a babe cooed along with her. And if that wasn't enough the smells coming from the stove were enticing him to enter into the brightness and leave the darkness of the hall.

Dmitri hesitated, should he enter or just go to his quarters. He could always eat later. As he vacillated on his decision the sounds of laughter and running feet echoed down the hallway as the six young entered and headed to the kitchen.

"Faith, we're home, what's for dinner?" Jamie yelled as he ran up to her and threw his arms around her waist.

Faith smiled at his ready affection and overabundance of  energy. As everyone else entered the room they also greeted her with smiling faces and hugs.

"Well I didn't have a lot to work with so its pretty basic tonight, just Chicken Noodle Soup. But I promise you all something special as soon as I can go to the store."

There were cheers from the boys at this.

"How long til its ready" asked Lincoln looking hungrily at the pot boiling on the stove.

"It will probably be ready by the time everyone has their showers I would think. I'm positive it wont be any sooner than that."

Faith answered laughingly. All the boys groaned at the veiled order to go shower. They all had smudges of dirt on their faces and hands along with grass stains on their clothing, but lunch had been so long ago and nothing but sandwiches that the team leader that had been training them today had brought.

"But Faith..." the boys began to whine.

Faith cut them off with an indulgent smile and a laugh.

"Now no whining, Everyone get cleaned up and when you get back I'll have everything on the table. Plus if you get ready for bed now instead of after supper we will have time for the story I promised you this morning."

The boys whooped and ran from the room thundering up the stairs in excitement at the thought of the story they would have before bed.

As the boys ran from the room Faith looked up at the male who she had sensed in the shadows.

"That goes for you too. Go clean up and dinner will be ready when you get back down."

Faith smiled at the male and then returned to her humming and stirring as if there had been no interruption at all.

Dmitri had been stunned at the level of noise the young had made as they entered the kitchen. It had never been like this before he left. He was almost positive that the trainees had all been serious and well mannered when he had last been in residence.  What could have happened to change everything so much?

And the female had spoken to him in a tone he had never heard before. He felt a strange ache in his chest, almost as if he had been kicked in the sternum. Ignoring the ache and the female, Dmitri picked up his gear and headed to his quarters to shower and change. He couldn't wait to eat.