The Tale of the Huntress

24. Pixie Dust

Later that day, a different soldier came to Nova to escort her back up to the deck. He took her silently through the crowds of working men before they came to another door. He rapped on it once and a woman with bright red hair answered. Her eyes peered around the edge of the door and upon recognizing Nova as a prisoner, she fully opened it to her. "You, get out."

The strange woman pointed at the soldier with a look of annoyance on her face. It was strange to see someone standing up to the soldiers on board but he retreated quickly though the woman was hardly intimidating at a staggering 5 feet tall. Once the door was shut behind him, she looked at the huntress up and down before spinning her around to examine everything.

"Oi, what did you do to deserve such a beating?" She hissed in repulsion at the dried blood and slightly infected wounds covering her back. Nova let herself be guided to a makeshift cot consisting of a table with padding on top of it. The woman laid her on her stomach as the huntress watched her with sharp eyes.

"I kneed the first mate in the jewels," came her simply reply. As she was about to place her hands on her back, she grabbed her sides as a laugh tore through her tiny body. The lady wiped a fake tear from her eye before putting a small hand on Nova's shoulder.

"You are now my favorite person on this damned ship," she finally said. "I am Maylen by the way, and you are?"

"Nova."

"Pretty name. I've never heard it other than in astrology books though," she replied thoughtfully and then unlaced the strip of material that covered a bit of her wounds. Nova lay still on the table as to not cause herself unnecessary pain while Maylen placed gentle hands on her back. She winced slightly but tried to keep her back relaxed as a salve was rubbed into her cuts.

"So you like science then? I myself haven't studied anything other than herbs and remedies," Nova said to keep her mind off of the burning sensation and keep a conversation flowing.

"I love all types of books. We don't learn much about the outside world in Fae tribes so when I left my village, I figured I might as well study all that I could." Nova's eyes turned slightly to see the girl standing at her side. She had the features of a human, and though Nova had never encountered a Fae, Maylen was not what she imagined the race to look like.

"You are Fae?" Came her voice filled with disbelief. Maylen paused in her work to shrug her shoulders forward. All of a sudden a breeze was present in the room and a glow of white shimmered in an outline of wings that sprouted from her back.

"This is more of what you expect right?" Nova nodded to her question as the wind died and the glowing wings folded back down to fade into her back. Maylen turned and flicked her hair over her shoulder to reveal the intricate white etching that went from her shoulder blades to the bottom of her spine. "Not many have the chance to meet a Fae and live so consider yourself lucky to have an encounter with me," she winked before returning to her wound mending process. Idle chatter came between the two as Nova was bandaged properly. Once finished, Maylen stood back and admired her work.

"How did you get stuck on this ship Maylen? You seem much too smart to be captured by these idiots," Nova remarked. The Fae snorted at the comment and picked up a wet cloth to wipe the excess salve from her hands.

"They are idiots that is for sure but I am employed under Captain Kros. Where he goes, I go," she said simply. Nova blinked in confusion, swinging her legs off of the table and stepping down from it gently to grab her discarded top.

"Employed by him? I didn't know women were allowed-"

"I can do anything a man can do," all kindness shown was gone from her voice and the whites of her eyes were black with anger. Nova felt a jolt of fear at the demonic stare but didn't let it show.