Ride of the Palfoys

Woke this morning to the sounds of dragon hooves thundering through the glen. The Palfors were chasing those from my Lord Dayan's clan. I hid in the bushes to see if I could see what was going on. There were five of the others chasing two....it was my Lord Dayan and his brother Farr. They were ahead yet their steeds looked tired, the Palfor's beasts were much fresher.


I worried for my Lord but didn't feel I could intervene. Witch Marriya had told me not to intervene in the human's destiny otherwise I could bring untold Karma back to myself, not to mention cause a major disruption in the fabric of space and time.

Yet I had to do something....I decided to stick to the rules and not use my magic....well I only used a little....once I had seen my Lord Dayan and Farr ride clear of the thick blue bracken I used the pit-creating spell.


I remembered the words my grandmother had taught me when I was but a girl and would go hunting with my grandfather. A huge pit appeared within the bracken and all five Palfor's and their scaly beasts tumbled within.


Their screams of anguish didn't move me an inch, all I could think was that my Lord, my love, was safe. For now anyway.


The Palfor's kin came to their aid at dusk. They had taken their time I thought, perhaps they were taken up with the cheif's son's wedding? I hear it is only a few days away now. Poor Moralie.....to have to wed a Palfor, yet our kinsmen wish to be bonded, to stop feuding between us.


I wonder.....once we are bonded with the Palfors will I be allowed to wed Lord Dayan? I shall worry about that when the time comes, the most important thing is will Lord Dayan wed me? Can't really answer that one seeing as he has met me not in the physical world....only in Arrowsmoot. So....my next move...is to engineer a meeting.....

Royal Wedding

Moralie Maynor wed Pys today so now she is officially a Palfor! She isn’t happy about this but the fact that she is now regarded a princess by wedlock has made up for it. She says she finds Pys attractive and is happy to lay with him but that she will never love him as her heart belongs to one man and we all know who that is.

Poor Dyne, he is devastated now that Moralie is wed, the fact that Moralie has promised to carry on with their loving in secret has not made Dyne feel any better, he whispered to me today that he intends to bed every female from here to Magforth…and could he start with me! I laughed and gently but firmly reminded him that I was in love with a human and would give myself to no-one but him.

The big shock came during the wedding speech! Moralie’s Father offered his ‘virginal’ daughter to the son of the Chief Palfor, assuring all that his daughter was still intact! Me and the girls gave each other worried glances, apart from Morna who positively laughed out loud!!! (She herself has bedded too many to count, including Moralie’s new husband, so she has nothing to snigger at! )

I think she is jealous that Pys chose Moralie instead of her….but perhaps if Morna had kept herself pure then Pys would of wed her.

I took Moralie to one side during our visit to the ladies chamber. I asked her whatever would she do about the fact that Psy thought her intact?

Moralie pulled her jewelled handled blade from her garter. I didn’t quite see the significance of this and asked her if she was planning to murder her new husband in his sleep? She laughed and said that during lovemaking that night, at the moment of her husband’s entry into her, she would cut the fleshy inside of her thigh, as close as she could to her womanhood.

Passion would dull her husband’s senses so he would be unlikely to realise what she had done. She would then pretend that the bleed from her thigh was indeed her virginal bleed, and thus prove to her husband that she had indeed been intact before him.

I worry for her that she pulls it off. She would shame all her relatives if it were discovered she were not a maiden. Especially as she had been given to the Palfor Chief’s eldest son. Retribution would be demanded and the Palfor’s price is high.

I thank the gods I shall not have to play the same trick when I wed. I intend to stay a maid until the day I lie with My Lord Dayan….if that day ever comes…..I can but dream until then….

Fertility Magik

My sister came to see me today, she was very upset as she is still not yet with child. She has only been wed four months, that’s not a long time, but she is desperate to produce a son for her husband. She begged me to do the fertility spell with her.

I hesitated at this, as the spell does not always produce fertility in the way expected, but she pleaded, in the end I gave in. We danced in the circle and sprayed golden liquid on the little honey plant.

Finally she is to sleep with the rose crystal under her bedding for three nights. Let’s hope her union will be fruitful in the way she desires. The spell is a powerful one.

After she left, I was exhausted, magik always drains me. I went to my favourite place in the glen, by the river, and I saw him! He had stopped to water his horse.

I so wanted to make myself seen but the magik needed to cross over was just too strong, I had used so much earlier with the fertility spell, I could do nothing but watch.

Funny though, he turned to mount his horse and for a second I thought he looked straight at me, as if he could see me! Of course, this is impossible.

Unless I take human form, he will not see me. Yet he looked straight at me? My heart was beating as it never had before, then he turned and mounted the mare and rode off.

I so wanted him to see me, I was willing it. I like to think he may have seen my outline or on some level sensed me. I spoke to Witch Marriya of this but she confirmed it was impossible as I had thought.

Almost all humans cannot either see, or sense us. But Witch Marriya did tell me of a small minority of humans who are able to perceive us, there are some that posses sight into our world. I like to believe Lord Dayan possesses the sight, but Witch Marriya says he does not.

Never mind, next time I shall be stronger and not weak from fertility spells and I shall make myself seen. I cannot wait for that day!

Up to her old tricks

I am so cross! Morna crossed over today and met with Lord Dayan! Not only she she break the rules by meeting Lord Dayan, she took a new born baby cat across with her! (This is totally against our rules and she knows it, she will be in much trouble for endangering the animal.)

I declared my love for the human in the circle more than twelve months ago, I swore this in front of our chief and the blessing was given for me to pursue this union.

How dare Morna step in and humiliate me in this way? She says it was just an innocent meeting and that she had crossed over purely to find fireflys for her invisibility spell, but I do not believe her.

She has lain with most of my friend's husbands and objects of desire, she seems to have a desperate need to be viewed as attractive by every male. I am soooo cross with her.

However, no harm has been done, thank goodness, Lord Dayan showed no interest in Morna whatsoever, in fact he seemed pre-occupied with something and was quite stand offish with her.

She says she cannot understand what I want him for and why don't I settle for one of our kind? I told her to mind her own business and if she was so desperate for a husband, to go find one of her own, rather than enticing everyone else's mate into her arms.

I told her It shall take me a long while to trust her again and that she had better not 'accidently' bump into My Lord Dayan again!


I plan to cross over myself tomorrow and I pray my Lord is not as indifferent towards me as he was with Morna today!

Horror of Horrors

Today I prepared to cross over. I wore my white silk robe with my light brown tie sash. I love this garment, it used to be my Mother's and rumor has it she enticed my Father whilst wearing it. I hoped it would bring me the same luck in love as it had my Mother.

Just as I was preparing the spell to make my wings invisible, Slade Palfor caught me and demanded to know what the hell I thought I was doing. He quite forcefully grabbed my arm and raised his sword to me!

I demanded he let me go and I reminded him that there was now peace between his clan and mine, since the royal wedding of Pys and Moralie had taken place. He loosened his grip on my arm but still demanded to know my reason for being in the dark forest.


I couldn't tell him the truth....I didn't want the Palfor's to know exactly when and where I crossed over neither did I feel it were his business to know I was pusuing a human male as mate.

So I told him I had come to gather the magic moss that grows along the wall surrounding the dark forest.

I don't know if he believed my story or not but he let me go, but not before looking me up and down in the most alarming way. He looked as if he wished to devour me for breakfast.

To be honest, if I were not so smitten by the human Lord, I would consider Slade Palfor quite attractive, but of course, I would never look at another man that way, least of all a Palfor.


Finally I managed to slip away from Slade's prying eyes and I found myself a secluded spot in which to perform the wing invisibility spell and cross over to third dimensional Earth.

It was a smooth and pleasant crossing as always. I'd never had any trouble shifting between the dimensions as some of my friends had. I found myself by the lake where Lord Dayan often stopped to water his horse, this was the spot I had envisaged as I crossed. The weather was warm and sunny, as it had been last time I was here, only I was viewing from the other side before.

Now I was actually here in his dimension, I could hardly contain my excitement. I knew I only had a few hours with which to complete my objective, that of finding Lord Dayan. I slowly made my way along the banks of the river and over to the land owned by the Danane Clan. Lord Dayan's clan.

There seemed no movement by the little straw huts or by the training grounds. In fact, the Danane Clan's homestead seemed deserted. I hid behind one of the straw huts and peered around the side of the hut for a better view but I could see nothing, no-one.

It was then that I heard the sound of drums coming from the large central yurt, it seemed that all the Danane people had gathered together in there? For what reason?....only a death, birth or marriage would be an important enough reason for the humans to gather together this way, even on those occasions there would always be some clansfolk remaining in the homestead.

I crept nearer to the yurt. All that could be heard was the sound of one man talking and the occasional cry of an infant. There was a hole in the cloth of the yurt and through this I peered. The sight that greeted me filled me with absolute horror.....it couldn't be!

The priest stood at the front of the gathering and a pretty young maiden kneeled before him. She was dressed in a wedding gown and her new husband, Lord Dayan Danane, took her hand and helped her to her feet. He kissed her gently on the lips and she looked into his eyes, obviously besotted with her new mate.

I turned and ran as fast as I could back to the edge of the Danane's land. I sat by the lake and tried to gather my thoughts as I wiped the tears from my eyes.

My Lord Dayan, the man I loved, the man I had chosen as mate, had just married another. Whatever was I to do now?

Healing powers of the Sun

I have been so upset these past few nights, I have not been able to bring myself to do anything, no chores, no meeting of the women, I couldn’t even rouse myself from my bed.
My kin are worried but I told them I was sick and they believed my lie.

Pys came over yesterday with his brother Slade whilst I was tending the goats. I had finally managed to pull myself out of my slumber, but I looked dreadful.

Pys had come to tell us all the good news, that Moralie is with child. There were rumours that this all seems rather quick after the wedding and Dyne (who you would expect to be devastated by the news) is walking round with the biggest smile on his face.

Either he has fallen for another (and I haven’t noticed him with any other female recently) or he has something to do with Moralie’s speedy conception. If she is thinking to trick Pys Palfor into raising a child sired by another then she is playing a very dangerous game! Women have been stoned to death for less before by Palfor blood.

Not that I care for the tribulations of my fellow kin right now, what care I if Moralie has a string of young sired by males other than her husband? I have lost everything since I saw my beloved Lord Dayan take another for wife.

Whilst Pys was announcing his impending fatherhood to all and sundry, his brother strode to the goat pen gate and leaned upon it, staring at me. I pretended not to notice but after a while his presence irritated me for all I wished for was solitude.

In the end I could bear it no more and challenged him as to why he was wasting time watching me tend goats while he could be helping the men build the new children’s yurt or chopping wood or some equally important chore.

“I choose to watch you,” was his infuriating reply. He might be attractive (not that I notice any male right now) but he is the most annoying Palfor of the whole bunch. I feel nothing but contempt for him and told him so.

To my surprise he laughed! Why he finds my thinking him a boorish brute with no brains, funny, I do not know, but he stayed a good while longer, just staring at me. I wished I had worn something a little more modest but it was so hot.

I had on a very thin blouse with nothing underneath, I fear it had become transparent in the heat and this is why he preferred to stare at someone feeding baby goats that do honest work. The thought brings a blush to my cheeks.

Anyhow, it did me good to look after the goats in the sun it was just what I needed. One can never underestimate the powers the sun possesses when it beams its happy love and warmth onto those who are sad. I made sure I chewed from the flaxseed plant that morning as well and this would have drawn the sun’s rays all the closer.

I have decided no more lying in my den but up early with the lark from now on. I will never be truly happy without my Lord Dayan by my side, but I can at least try to acknowledge life instead of burying my head under the furs and sobbing.

So, a new me I hope. I shall take each sunrise and sunset as they come and see what the days bring…..

Oh such embarrassment

Oh embarrassment of all embarrassments, shall I ever live down the shame?

All I was doing was bathing...the stream is beautiful, such cool inviting waters on such a hot day.

I know we are always told to bathe with our vests on but I needed so desperately to feel the water against my skin, against advice I removed my vest and bathed naked. I didn't think anyone would see me, least of all the boorish Slade Palfor! How was I to know he was hunting in the woods today?

I was given to believe that everyone was gathering for Moralie's fertility blessing and that I would neither be missed at the blessing, nor disturbed during bathing. Oh how wrong I was!


It wouldn't have been so mortifying had Slade seen me whilst modestly covered by the water, but to spot me as I walked out of the water towards my clothing hanging on a nearby branch, for my full naked form to be seen by him, Oh I cannot bear the embarrassment!

He did not turn his gaze away as a gentleman should but boldly looked me up and down with that awful hunter's stare of his, as if I were his prey!

How he infuriates me!

He keeps running into me lately but this is the worst meeting of all. My father, brothers and male cousins would surely challenge him to the death if I told them how he did not avert his eyes. The fact that he is now brother-in-law to Moralie and shall be uncle to her child does not matter. He should have turned away when he saw I was without a vest.

Oh the shame of it.


I shall not tell my father however, for much as I hate Slade Palfor, I am done with bloodshed, I have seen too much. Besides,Slade is a formidable opponent and has as many kin as I. Who is to say it would not be my kin slain?

I shall keep quiet of this event, is it worth having blood on my hands because of a stolen glance of my body? I am to blame for this, not my family, I should have heeded warnings and swam with my vest on. The fact that the vest is there to protect us from the biting fish and not male glances is by the by!


You would think also that the rude, hateful man would keep histongue in his head after witnessing my nakedness before him?

But no, he had to speak to me! How dare he speak to me. I never want to speak to him again.


“You should be more careful maiden. You are lucky tis I that came upon you and not a man of less honour who may have taken your virtue after witnessing such a sight.”


Well, can you believe the cheek of the man? I tried so hard to ignore his comment, I really did, but I could not...


“I doubt Sir, that there is a man within any dimension miles from here with less honour than you. A man with honour Sir, would avert his gaze.”


I quickly pulled my petticoat over my head and decency was established again, much to my relief.


“A woman with virtue would swim covered my Lady. Why you almost put me off my hunting today and where would we be without a beast at the blessing tonight?”


I blushed to the roots of my hair then. He is right of course, I should have worn my vest. But the delights of the swim would not have been half as pleasurable.

I knew I should pay for my foolishness but presumed it would be a fish bite that would bring my karma and not the blatant stares of Slade Palfor.

I could not help though, one last retort, and that shut him up once and for all.


“I'm so very sorry that my womanly nakedness has put you off your hunting and the thought of your meal tonight Sir. Perhaps you should miss the feast altogether! "


and with that....I walked away.


I didn't look back but I could feel the fuming anger emanating towards me as I left him. Good. I hope he stews on my jibe all night.


Now everyone is feasting, celebrating merrily and giving prayer for the seed to grow in Moralie's fertile ground. A new child, sired by Palfor blood, unites our clan. This is much to celebrate.


Slade Palfor provided a huge male hog for the feast, enough to feed everyone twice and still have leftovers for the dogs. So he wasn't put off his hunting after all?

Confusion

My cousin Shellia came to visit us today; it was wonderful to see her. She went away to live with the dragon tamers after she was chosen as bride for the Chief dragon tamer, Raylan Defro.

The fact that she was utterly besotted with him didn’t go unmissed by any of us and although we were sad to see her go, at least she was leaving with her soul mate and not a husband she despised.

She bought with her a happy brood of offspring, conceived and raised in love. Her eldest boy Raylan is almost six moons old now and shares both his father’s name and image. Terra, her beautiful daughter is now five moons old and such a little darling and the baby, Katharyn, is just adorable.

Why I almost felt broody myself at the sight of her and that’s most unlike me!

It was wonderful to see Shellia so happy and with such a delightful family and handsome husband. I told her how lucky she was and of course she said she praised the stars, sun and moon every day for her good fortune.

I commented on her lovely young ones and she surprised me by announcing she was already carrying their fourth child! Both Shellia and Raylan were delighted she was pregnant again so quickly after Katharyn’s birth and hoped for another son this time.

I asked Shellia what it was like being with the same man for seven moons and do the lustful feelings die down at all? (stupid question seeing as she is carrying her husbands fourth child!) she answered with a giggle and confided in me that the night-time activities between them just get better and better!

Then she asked me who I had my sights set on as surely my father will be expecting me to consider marriage shortly.


I then confessed everything to my dear cousin. Thank heaven for the trustworthiness in some; I have always been able to share my deepest feelings with my dear Shellia.

I told her of my Lord Dayan and the fact that I witnessed his wedding to another after crossing over. I also told her of my utter hated of the insufferable Slade Palfor and I begged her not to tell my father and brothers of his looking upon my nakedness unashamedly that day he stumbled upon my bathing.

Shellia then suggested I had hidden feelings of desire for Slade Palfor which were manifesting themselves as hatred and that I was not admitting my true feelings to myself!
Well, I can tell you I was well and truly taken aback by these suggestions. If it had been anyone other than Shellia saying such things I would have challenged them severely.
However, Shellia would never say such things if they had no credence.

I asked her whatever makes her think these absurdities and she said that it was this way with her and Raylan before they became betrothed. I had no idea of this, I always thought love were a simple thing.

You see the mate you desire, fall in love and declare him your soul mate…then you marry and that’s it. Of course this has not been the way with me. My Lord Dayan is obviously not my soul mate else he wouldn’t be wed to another.

But is my soul mate Slade Palfor? The thought brings a shudder to me. I cannot for the life of me see any truth in the words spoken by my cousin today on this matter. Yet….in retrospect I admit, I do find him physically attractive and maybe I might enjoy myself somewhat if I were to share his bed for a night.

Is this enough though to suggest I may have deeper feelings than this? I find the man utterly repulsive and highly annoying as well as being an attractive male. These confusing feelings are driving me to madness and my cousins words have created thoughts of disarray swirling through my brain.

She suggested I should consider Slade Palfor as future husband! I asked her if she had been chewing from the Kava root for breakfast for she was sounding truly mad!

Now she is settled for the night, in the spare yurt with her husband and young brood and I am alone, I find myself contemplating all she said. Could there be just the tiniest grain of truth in the words she spoke?

I remain befuddled, confused and disheartened. For if I do have feelings for Slade, if he is my soul mate and future husband, why did I get things so wrong when I fell in love with the human Lord? I do not understand this, the emotions I posses are beyond my comprehension.


Analysis of them would only serve to bring a headache on I feel. Therefore, I shall go to see the wise witch Marriya tomorrow and confess these troubles to her, maybe she can see something in her crystallised glass that would give me an idea of my own emotions and of the future closest to me.

Until then I shall try to stop thinking of all this and join the others around the fire. The music is too entrancing to stay away and the night is young, I am young! So, to join the revelry and think of my feelings for Slade on the morrow and not before.

The mating tree

My last born sister has shamed us all. She is a youngun and has not reached the age where lovemaking is allowed, yet that did not stop her cavorting today with Donni Palfor, the younger brother of Slade.


Had myself or Moralie caught her, we could have dealt with it without fuss but it was my mother that found them canoodling like newly-weds in the branches of the mating tree. My mother was furious and marched a tearful Lalli-Ly to my Father's yurt.

My Father was not pleased at this intrusion from his daughter or my mother as he was entertaining his new wife-to-be. Both my mother and his second wife Dayla had been told to steer well clear of him for thirteen moons while he spent undivided time with his chosen third wife.

My mother dealt with all this, she knew my father had multiple-wife status and she honored my father's wishes, however Dayla was beside herself with grief and jealousy at the arrival of the younger bride. Father's mood was already soured due to Dayla's whining and when this new interruption came in the form of Lally-Ly all the tribelands could hear his bellow.

He demanded Donni Palfor be banished from Arrowsmoot for a hundred moons and Lally-Ly had her wish magik removed from her wings, the worse punishment of all for a faery girl, how was she to cross over to the human realm now?

It fell to Slade to conduct the banishment spell and it was for this reason he approached me.

“I would wish for your Father to reconsider Donni's banishment. It seems, although young, that he has deep feelings for your sister. He says he loves her and is asking for permission for a betrothal to take place. Surely your father will see reason if you talk to him Layna, everyone knows you are his favourite child. He will listen to you.”

I eyed the man suspiciously. Why now was he being nice to me?

“My Father will not reconsider Slade. My sister is not of love making age. Your brother has committed a sin, he must be punished. There is nothing I can do.”

“Please Layna. He is my youngest brother, no more than a boy. He would not cope with banishment. I would gladly take his place if that would appease your Father.”

I sighed. Obviously Slade was being truthful. He would suffer the shame of banishment from the faery kingdom to save his brother. A noble gesture but one that would not appease my Father. It was not Slade's lips that met Lally-Ly's in the mating tree.

“I'm sorry Slade. My Father would not accept that, besides, you are needed here.”

“By you?”

What did he mean by that? I felt my cheeks grow hot and I averted my gaze from his.

“By the clansfolk.”

“I see. And what of Lally-Ly? Would you have her heart broken?”

I walked up to Slade and looked him straight in his eye.

“How dare you try to influence me by using my sister's heart? She is a playful child and your brother means nothing to her. She has wanted to kiss in the mating tree since her seventh moon. It was a game to her, that's all. Now leave my presence and pester me no more. Your brother will be banished and there is nothing more I can say on the matter.”

I turned to leave but he touched me on my shoulder,

“I would not be so sure of your sister's emotions Little witch. Not all the Fairway sisters are so willing to play games. Lally-Ly's heart is pure and she loves Donni, go ask her if you doubt my word. Perhaps you should not judge your sister as if she were you.”

I swung round then to face him but the anger left me when I saw true sadness in his eyes. I tried to merge with him while keeping myself cloaked but he had already cloaked himself. It was only guesswork as to the sadness there now, I had dared hope for a minute that his sadness might be to do with me and my seeming lack of interest in him, but that is mere foolishness. It is his brother that fills his heart and is the reason for his hurt and nothing to do with me.

“Very well. I will talk to my sister and see what she has to say on the matter.”

I turned and walked in the direction of Lally-Ly's hut.

'Thankyou.' I heard him whisper although whether he used his voice or his mind with which to speak his thanks I do not know.

Distortion

Today, despite the troubles with my family, I fully intended to visit Witch Marryia to
see what her looking glass spell could discover regarding my crossing over and my
unending love for Lord Dayan, but just as I had my Dragon ready to fly, my Father
came striding over towards me with a stern look upon his face.
"Layna!" he shouted at me even though I was no further than a unicorn's length
away from him, "I am not happy AT ALL about being disturbed during my
honeymooning period. I intend for a new sister or brother for you within the year
and how is this to occur if I cannot be alone with my new bride for five minutes! If
it's not that second wife of mine or your wayward younger sister it is now the problems with the time field.
"The time field?" I was most shocked at this. There have been no distortions in the
field since I was a babe. I was even more shocked at why my Father would see fit
to bring this to my attention and I told him so.
" Is this not a matter for the Council Father?"
He rolled his eyes as if I were a newling at Kindergarten.
"No Layna. This is certainly NOT a matter for the council. Not if you can see a way
to put right the distortion before we spin out of time. We have two sunsets at the
most Layna and you were the last to cross over. Did you bring anything back with
you?"

"Of course not Father I have been well trained in the crossings, I know the
procedures. Are you sure it was my transportation that caused the rift?"
My Father put his hands on his hips and sighed
"No we are not sure but it is almost always the last to cross that creates the
distortion. There are two eventualities that can create Time Field problems. One is
bringing something back with you and you assure me you did not."
I looked my Father squarely in the eye and fully de-cloaked so he would feel my
honesty.

"I did not. Not so much as a dragonfly. What is the second eventuality?"
"Strong emotion," replied my Father, "and as you so rightly pointed out, you are
well trained."

I closed my eyes. I did not even need to speak the words that sat in my mind. I
was de-cloaked and my Father was an adept in telepathy. I knew he could see everything that happened that day when I crossed over and witnessed Dayan's betrothal to one of his own kind.

"The fault is not yours," he said finally, "you could not be expected to remain within emotional balance once you saw your chosen wed another. "

"I should of known," I cried "I am at fault!"

I then did the unforgiveable. I turned and fled without my Father even dismissing me.

Tears blurred my eyes and I could not see where I was going. I ran and ran until I fell headlong into something. I realised the something was someone

when I felt strong arms around me holding me steady. I looked up into the dark green eyes of Slade Palfor. Could the day get any worse?

Impressum

Texte: Copyright Magenta Pixie and the Nine
Bildmaterialien: Stock Xchng
Tag der Veröffentlichung: 17.10.2012

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