The Fairy Whisperers

The fairy whisperer

Having the wind in your fur might be the best feeling in the world. That's what I was thinking as I whizzed through the tall forest trees just outside Settlement, where the Sasquatch civilisation has made its home.

I could feel my eyes, starting to sting and water. That's how I knew I was going really fast. It felt good to stretch my muscles on my own after a long mission. I am a hunter. They say that a long time ago when there were only a few of us, all Sasquatch used to hunt. But over time we figured out that it was more efficient for small, specialised groups to go out to find food for everyone else. So that's how it is was now. If you were fast enough and strong enough, you were taught the art of the hunt and recruited to join a troop.

My troop and I had gotten back from a two-week hunt in the early hours of the morning, the longest of my career so far. The mission was successful but our mentor had told me I didn't have as much stamina as the rest of the lead hunters yet. I needed to intensify the training I did in my own time.

I saw a figure hunched in the bushes. There wouldn't be any creatures that big wandering around so nearby. It had to be someone from Settlement.

There was something strange about it. Whoever it was, it looked like they had... wings. Big ones. I slowed down and approached cautiously. A small female was crouched down and had her hand held out. A fairy was perched in her palm fluttering its tiny wings and uncharacteristically at ease. She mimicked the little squeaking sounds it made.

I stood and watched the scene from behind a tree for a while, confused and transfixed. She put the fairy down and fidgeted with something on the floor. I peeked my head further out to get a better view but the fairy caught my slight movement and was startled off, alerting the girl to my presence. She looked at me with eyes wide and the panic of someone caught in the act.

I came out from behind the tree and walked the rest of the way towards her. I guessed she was about my age. She was almost half my size, her body underdeveloped. Next to her, I was hulking. Her fur was trimmed very short, stylish, with a few patterns in it. It suited her. She was pretty. Hunters like me couldn't really do that kind of thing. We kept our fur shaggy to keep us warm on missions, making me look even bigger.

I stopped a little distance away from her and smiled my friendliest smile.

"Hi, I'm Jane." I said. "What are you playing?" I assumed it was some kind of game, though definitely not one I had ever played before. I could now see what was on the floor in front of her was miniature shelter, just like the ones in Settlement, but it was fairy sized.

"I'm pretending to be a fairy." She was looking at me like she was baiting me, waiting to see my reaction.

I nodded. "I like your wings. Can I touch them?"

She nodded and I came closer to put my hand on the "wings". We both watched as I took the end of the thin, papery wing between my fingers. She'd tied twigs together to make a frame and filled it with leaves treated to make them soft and pliable and sewn together. It looked like she'd used some berry juice to make designs on them a pale reddish colour.

"These are amazing. Did you make them yourself?" I asked.

She smiled and nodded proudly.
"Do you like fairies too?" she asked.

"They make a nice enough snack, I don't like them enough to dress up like one," I said and laughed. The way she glared quickly had me swallowing my chuckle, but not before she was standing up to leave.

"Wait," I said, going after her. "Sorry. I didn't mean to offend you," I said.

She stopped and turned back to me with arms crossed. She looked at me in the eyes but didn't say anything. A long silence stretched out between us. I was wondering if I should say something when her eyes very slowly wandered down my body and back up again. I was surprised and confused at being so keenly assessed by her. As a hunter, I was used to this. Being watched, tested, scrutinized. I even did it to myself. But it felt different to have her do it. It felt like she was looking for something else entirely and I was curious to know if she would find it.

"Jane, despite that insensitive and comment, I have a good feeling about you. You could be the one." She smiled to herself. "Yes, you are perfect."

"Perfect for...?" I said utterly lost.

She looked me dead in the eyes, serious as can be.
"If you are up to the task, you and I are going to learn how to speak to fairies."