Faerie's Call

A Deal For You My Love ( I )

Babies are supposed to be born crying. When my friend Fauna's sister had her baby, it cried. So when my little brother was born silent and staring up at the ceiling papa called for the midwife. She took one look at him and shook her head sadly.

     "Bury it behind the barn," she warned as mama wailed behind her "And place a stone over the hole."

For three days the town talked about the misfortune, how unlucky my family was. Papa kept staring in the cradle at that motionless thing and Mama continued to wail miserably while tossing and turning in her sick bed. Her breasts were swollen with milk that this baby brother shaped statue would not drink, it gave her fever. All the while I stood at the door in my muddy outside shoes and thought 'what can I do to help?'. When I asked papa barked at me to feed the chickens and bring Ms. Lowry three silver coins for some bread. So I did.

The town spoke in whispers in light of this well known tragedy, but I still heard the chatter of other girls my age who had not yet learned the art of gossip.

     Pansy Lowry was loudest with her fiery freckles and give away snort "That's why my mom never said my name until after I was born! Not even to my dad! And even then, they always put the iron mobile above my head!"

     "My papa made a special basket so I could sleep in the bed with them." Harriet chimed in shyly "So the fae couldn't take me away."

I cleared my throat and they all turned, eyes widened as if I was a faerie myself. Perhaps this would teach them that others could hear them as they spoke but girls are silly creatures. 

     "You're blocking the bakery." I noted to them, pointing to the door they were all huddled in front of. Pansy gave me a nasty leer as if it wasn't her who was just badmouthing my family and stepped toward me. She was a few inches taller than me and thick necked so she resembled a toad. And since she was older than me she would be married soon, if her papa could convince anyone to marry her before she was old and gray.

     Her breath smelled of mint and sausages "You're gonna have to get bread elsewhere; the midwife says you and your lot are cursed by the faerie folk. Says your mama got your little brother stolen by bragging so loud that the Fae king himself stole him to shut her up."

A rise of cackles from behind her and a little crack in my heart. But I wouldn't let them see just how much their words bothered me. Sticks and stones after all. So instead of saying something nasty back I turned on my heel and began to walk back home, breadless and a little bit sad. I knew the real reason papa was so upset was because now he would have no one to run the farm after I was married in a few years. When I tried to promise that I would never get married and I would stay here and feed the chickens and goats with him, he scoffed and told me to grow up. That it was tradition and if we didn't have tradition we might as well be animals. But when mama got pregnant he smiled for a long time. "A son. Finally a son." he would say as he rubbed mama's belly. I would watch from the hall and smile at how excited they were. That's all I really wanted, was for them to be happy. Maybe mama was just so happy that she said his name on accident.

I came back to the wailing but this time papa wasn't in the room, just the changeling and mama. After seeing me she sat up and tried to calm herself. Even in this state she was very beautiful. Naturally slim with a round face free of any marks or blemishes and dark hair to frame it along with evergreen eyes that made people do a double take. Even now that her eyes were puffy and red from sobbing and with her hair matted around her shoulders from sweat. She beckoned me over and I set my basket down before going and sitting by her side. Her hands that used to brush my hair from my face now clutched at my own like a vice. Mania danced in her sunken face twisted from grief and anger.

     "Take it. " she hissed, her nails digging into my knuckles "Take it and burn it in the hearth!"

My eyes trailed to the cradle and my throat felt tight. How many changeling stories had I heard where the human mother mistreats the faerie child and is horribly punished? That wasn't going to fix anything...and after all it was still a child, right? I took my hands away and walked away from my seat, reaching into the cradle and lifting up the little thing. Of course it was beautiful but it was very clearly not human. It almost resembled my mother in looks, except that it's eyes were black and far too intelligent to resemble anything close to a human baby. He didn't blink either; only stared at me as if waiting for me to do what was bid of me and throw it into the fire.

But I couldn't. And I knew that if it stayed here any longer it would be in danger.

Picking up a blanket I tied it across my chest securely before slipping the fae boy within it. I didn't answer mama when she yelled and demanded to know where I was going. Instead I left the house and took a deep breath, making my way into the quickly darkening forest. I needed to give him back before papa did what the midwife said, or mama threw him in the fire or maybe even in the oven. Maybe if the faerie saw how kindly he was treated they would give my brother back to us. The deeper I walked into the forest the more sure I was becoming of my ever expanding plan.

*****

     "Feels like we've been walking for a long time hasn't it?" I asked looking down into the sling. He only continued to stare at me.

The moon was high in the sky by now and it seemed to be getting quieter except for the sound of rushing water. Soon that was all I could hear and we came to an almost unnatural clearing. A small waterfall poured crystal clear water into the pond beneath it, where I could see various fish swimming to it's surface as if to greet me. Blue flag iris and bulrush grew all around almost and it was oddly peaceful here. There had to be fae living around, it was just too beautiful and serene. I took the changeling out of the sling and laid him against  the soft grass, brushing any other leaves out of the way."

     "How do I call for your family hm?" I asked offering him a faint smile.

Perhaps I shouldn't be talking to a faerie baby. I knew he wasn't going to speak but it did feel better than staying silent. And I had absolutely no idea what I was doing...So I laid beside him. In a way he was like the perfect little diary. He didn't judge and talking was much better than writing. It did feel nice to talk to someone who didn't talk back or try and shove their own emotions or opinions down your throat. I was beginning to grow very fond of his company and I turned my face and took his little hand.

     It was soft but cold to the touch "You know, my papa and mama are going to be really relieved if I get the baby back. But...I'm a little sad. We had a lot of fun when I was little but as I got older, they became really distant. I'm not a boy so I can't keep up the farm...and when I marry I won't see them as much. That's why I need to get my brother back.....I don't want them to be all alone."

     "How noble."