Elemental Witch: Child of the Earth (Part I)

Feysha

Shelby let out a slow breath as he paced in the small receiving room that separated the hallway of the Keep from the room where his guest lay, trying to calm his torrent of wild thoughts. The seconds ticked by slowly while Cavin sat at the small table talking lowly with Lady Amiya, both of whom looked as worried as he felt. 

Only moments before, one of his runners had brought them word that Sir Benchan and Lady Reyani had returned through the private gate at the back of the Keep, escorting a Feysha that was quite possibly more frightening than the one they had already met.

"Cav..." Shelby glanced towards the door upon hearing the sounds of movement approaching, as the old hall echoed easily through the rooms. It wasn't much, but it  gave them enough warning for Cavin to stand up and take a step forward before the door opened and Benchan stepped in, allowing himself only enough pause to bow his head to them, his expression firm.

"M'lord, Regency, stay out of the way." There was cold warning in his voice but Benchan didn't seem frightened, just tense, as he walked across the room and opened the door to the bedroom.

Behind him walked a man that appeared to be more of a wild predator than anything remotely human, features decidedly feral, movements predatory and effortless. It was hard for Shelby to let his mind settle on where one step started and the other finished. He was less human than Verana seemed and she had seemed inhuman enough for their comfort. 

The man's teeth bared slightly, showing off the viciously pointed canines as his cold blue eyes scanned the room. The man's nostrils flared as he scanned over the three of them and he almost seemed ready to snarl, when his gaze flicked to something over Shelby's shoulder.  The Feysha stopped, tilting his head to the side. "Sword Keeper. You better be worthy of that blade. Your ancestor, for whom it was forged, was a great man."

Shelby took in a slow breath, nodding as he let those musical but dangerous words wash over him. "It is my life's goal to be worthy of my family's sword."

Amusement flashed over the creature's features at those words and he let out a chuckle that almost sounded like a purr, shaking his head. "It does not belong to you. You belong to it. You are its Keeper, you keep it safe, you use it... But its purpose is peace, it was forged to seal the promise of your entire Kingdom. And it will leave you if you turn your back on it"

"Lord Senchalneeria, she's sleeping inside the bedroom." Benchan murmured softly, pulling the attention of the Feysha from Shelby to the room beyond. The relief allowed Shelby to let out a breath he had not realized he had been holding. The Fey nodded and strode into the room and Benchan closed the door behind the stranger, allowing for some privacy.

"We're probably going to need to help him move her. I don't think he's going to want to be here long." Reyani said gently from where she had entered the room and moved off to the side. She was still wearing her riding outfit of breeches, loose sleeved shirt and corset, her staff on her back, standing confidently as she looked around the room. She looked comfortable in what she was wearing, far more so than she ever looked wearing a dress. 

Benchan nodded in agreement. "I get the odd feeling that the only reason he entered Keepsal was because he would move heaven and earth for that woman in there. He's also none to happy about her treatment at our hands and I think the rest of his clan weren't either."

"Am I completely wrong... in realizing that Verana is more human than we give her credit for?" Cavin asked suddenly, glancing around the room. "Don't get me wrong, she's not but she is more than him."

"No, not human." Reyani said softly, shaking her head, "and we've already been given the warning about talking further on the subject. Its none of our business."

Amiya murmured thoughtfully glancing to her friend, "I think we're lucky they chose her to speak with us and we best remember that as friendly as she is, she's precious to them."

"She's precious to us all." There had been no noise, no sound of the door opening, nothing. Without any warning,  Lord Senchalneeria was standing beside Benchan who looked as if his heart had stopped beating when he realized the Fey was beside him. "She is precious, but this is her Path. This is why she exists. She will be fine, she is sleeping but she will wake up and need to eat after dawn sometime. If she can make her way out to us by then, she should. But don't let her back into that Garden."

"You're leaving her here?" Cavin asked in surprise, squaring his shoulders as that unnerving gaze turned to him. "She's welcome. It's just, we assumed you would want her with you."

Senchalneeria considered his words for a long moment before shaking his head. "No. The only way a Feysha will leave this Keep is by walking out the same way they walked in. It would upset too many people otherwise. And interest the wrong ones."

"What do you mean... wrong?" Benchan asked, frowning at the Fey who remained standing beside him and Shelby wondered at his man's nerves, to stand so close to something so predatory. 

"I know the scent of every single one of you. I know what you sound like and what you look like. I could find you on a summer breeze from across the island, if need be." Senchalneeria said simply, offering that same nonchalant shrug Verana used frequently. "But there are too many others for me to differentiate out there. I am comfortable with you knowing that she is fallible, because you know that if you try to use that weakness against her, I will do something about it."

"Ah. A fledgling sort of trust..." Benchan cleared his throat uncomfortably, giving the group of them a pleading look to leave the statement stand as is. Shelby tempered his indignation at the threat, swallowing it on behalf of himself and his King, though the Feyshan man turned to look at him as if he had given it voice. After the span of a few breaths, Senchalneeria merely smiled.

It seemed his man at arms knew more about the Feysha than Shelby had realized and tucking that knowledge away for later, he nodded. "She is safe here. She is under the King's peace and as my guest, my protection."

"I see." Senchalneeria continued to watch him a moment longer before finally nodding his ascent. "I must leave. If she doesn't return in two days, I will be back. Keep her windows open, the fresh breeze will help."

And with that, he turned to the door out and strode across the room with that feline prowl that was as deadly as it was silent. He was followed by Benchan who bore a slightly harried expression on his features as he tried to keep up. 

When the door had closed behind them, Shelby let out a slow breath. The reality of what had been said earlier hit him, causing him to glance up to the roof before closing his eyes in fear. " If my ancestors made an oath on this blade... If humans swore an iron oath to the Feysha...."

Cavin made a soft noise of agreement, his voice soft. "I know, Shel. I know."