The Queen of the Light Forest

Chapter 4

I get to the clearing and sit down on the dock. I lay my sword down nearby. I slowly take my shirt off to examine the bruises. I throw my shirt over with my sword. I look down and swear. My whole torso is black and purple. There is not one part that is my original skin color. I hear a noise behind me and stand so quickly that I almost fall off the dock. I regain my balance and look at who came into the clearing. I quickly go and reach for my sword.

It's the Fae. The same Fae that was in the clearing this morning. " This morning feels like weeks ago." I think as I look at the man in front of me. He takes a step forward. I get in my defense stance with my sword up high. His hands instantly go up.

"I just want to help." He says in a deep silky voice. Not a voice that has been yelling at people with anger but being in charge. "Here sit, I have some salve that can help. If you would like." He moves a little closer very slowly. It's like he is nearing an injured animal.

That makes me try to stand a little taller but the pain is too much to that I do the exact opposite and I fall to the ground instead. Just as I think I would hit the dock I feel a hard hand cup my head. He tries to move me into a sitting position but I whimper in response. I'm pissed off at myself, that I am being weak in front of this man. I yell at my body to move but it refuses. I finally get to a sitting position and say, "I'm fine."

He chuckles. It sounds amazing to my ears. " If you were fine you wouldn't have fallen to the ground just now." I roll my eyes at his comment. "You should get rinsed off before you put the salve on." He says while trying to get me to the edge of the dock to put me in.

I hold still making it extremely difficult and ask, " Why?"

"Because if you don't, those bruises are going to get very sore very quickly."

"No, not why get me in the water. Why are you helping me?"

His face scrunches up, " Why not help someone who needs it?"

"Maybe because you don't know me, or the fact that I am a different species. Maybe because my species wants to kill all of yours off." I raise both my eyebrows in question

"Ah yeah, that." He looks a little sad while thinking. "Well the way I think about it, as long as I don't try and kill you and you don't try to kill me then it doesn't matter. In fact, as a token of my respect for you, I shall tell you my name."

"What will your name give me?" I have heard stories about how if you get a changeling's name you can summon the changeling anywhere at any time but nothing about Fae's names.

"Oh, you thought I was a Fae." He laughed, I mean full-out laughter. "I am not Fae, though I might seem like it. I am not, I am changeling and I know you've heard about us."

"Prove it," I say crossing my arms. If he was going to give me his name then I would need proof it would work.

"Alright, only if you can sit up without falling over." He smiles as he lets go of me. I roll my eyes again. "Alright, what animal would you like." He looks over at me from a few feet over.

"A bird, but not any bird. I want a bright blue bunting bird." My favorite bird. They would always come around when I was alone in the tree house.

"Good choice." He says as he turns around and in a flash, he's the exact bird I wanted.

He flipped over to me as if saying "See it's me."

I smiled "So you really are a channeling"

He nodded still in bird form.

"Alright, you can change back. You still need to give me your name and help me into the lake."