Sorceress

Chapter 31

We stay silent for a while, watching the languid, sleepy movements of the elves on the barren landscape. Soon, I notice myself watching Finn, more and more mystified by how good he has been to me, when I would have thought he would be the most bitter faerie of all, after the way he is treated by the other faeries.

"You are disgusted by me," I frown, confused,

"What do you mean?" I ask. He stretches out a clawed hand, and I instinctively jump back,

"You see what I mean?" He lies back on the stone, laughing to himself, his silver hair spread out on the rock behind him. I wonder how long he has lived with this, thinking that everyone flinches at the sight of him- his face looks like he is no older than twenty winters, but it is unlikely that he is twenty winters old being an elf,

"How old are you?" I query, cautiously looking for his reaction, hoping that the pained look on his face will leave,

"Three hundred and thirty winters old, my mother was half elvish and half Celt. You saw her grave when you were staying with the runaway slaves," I stare into the heights of the sky,

"That was your mothers grave?"

"Yes- I didn't know her, my father says that once the Tuatha De Dannan found out that she had given birth to a changeling, and that my father would not give the baby away, they insisted that she would be outcast. My father didn't want to outcast her, but it was either do that or induce another war like the one a thousand years ago, when the Tuatha De Dannan fought against the elves and lesser faeries. So... my mother was outcast, and adopted by one of the Northern- Southern tribes. Northern- Southern tribes used to guard The Ravine before the rumors of Vikings made them move South. Being half mortal, my mother died after seventy years. My father never stopped caring or watching out for her; when her adopted tribe went to war against another tribe, he secretly sent warriors to help her, and look after her," Finn stares at his body, "And it is my fault. I just wish that my father had abandoned me somewhere, like the Tuatha De Dannan insisted. My father put a spell on the lagoon- where the faeries live- that if I am close enough to it, I will look acceptable, but when I am away from the lagoon, or when I go into the water itself, then I return to my other state,"

"Is there no spell to change you permanently?" I ask, but Finn just shakes his head morosely,

"No, it would require the Tuatha De Dannan to combine their powers with my father, and they will not do that, the only spell that can change me completely would be one to make me mortal."

"Is there any other way?" Finn laughs,

"Why do care so much?" I sit up, looking deep into his grey eyes,

"You are unhappy, and you are a good person- one of the few that I know that are still alive- so you deserve to be happy," Finn stretches his hand out again, and this time I do not flinch, as he clasps his hand in a brotherly way over my shoulder, "I know that a sorcerer or sorceress are nowhere near as strong in magic as the Tuatha De Dannan, or the elves, but is there anything they can do?" Finn contemplates this,

"Unless they were half Tuatha De Dannan, no."

"But there must be one out there?" Finn sighs,

"My father has been looking for the last three hundred years- I don't think that there is, and anyway, if you don't mind about my appearance, then I don't, so let's enjoy this moment- take every step in life one at a time,"