After the Party (Spirit Walks Part 7. Blood Red)

The dining experience of Auberon’s hall lived up to his grand claim. Sama certainly had not had a meal like it before; but it went beyond just the food. The stone walls of the high-ceilinged room were lit by floating spheres of flickering white flame that cast a clean, white light across the space. A luxurious soundscape was created by the thoughts of an old faerie who sat cross-legged on the floor with his eyes shut tight, as if in meditation.

The table was shared by Auberon’s knights and many other faeries who were introduced to her with impressive titles, like Princess or Duke. The food was served by butterfly-winged faerie girls who fluttered in and out with food and drink.

Sama had a vague idea of what she was eating, but when she asked, all she was told was a list of improbable ingredients featuring sparkly bits of nature and dew drops picked from the first opened flower of the morning. She had half an idea that Auberon was teasing her, but she just couldn’t be sure after she had literally paid for her dinner with a smile.

The drinks hadn’t felt alcoholic, and indeed, Auberon had said they were not, but by the end of the meal she was feeling more than a little tipsy. As the evening progressed the conversations began to blur, and eventually faded as she slipped into sleep.

A warm shaft of light was sitting on her arm when she awoke in a fabulously cosy bed. The bed felt so good she took a moment more to stretch out and savour the pleasure of it. She eventually sat up and had a good look at her room, which was simple but spacious, and felt of sparse elegance.

At some point she had ended up in a long white nightgown of a wonderfully soft fabric. She didn’t remember how that had happened, but didn’t stop to dwell on it, instead changing back into her own clothes. She was pleased to see they still included Auberon’s forest-green cloak. She stroked it affectionately before throwing it around her shoulders, and then went to look for him.

She was directed outside by a trio of hand-sized flying faeries, and found him walking through a garden.
‘Auberon,’ she called, and ran to him.
‘Good morning Sama, how did you sleep?’
‘Wonderfully! I don’t remember getting to bed, but I’d had a great night.’
‘I’m surprised you look so well, considering how much you drank.’
‘Yep, that’s me, tough as nails. Particularly when it’s only flavoured water.’
‘Yes, but the intoxicating effects usually upset people if they have too much the first time.’
‘You said they weren’t alcoholic.’
‘That’s correct, no alcohol. But the herbs they do have in them can have quite a kick.’
‘Okay, whatever. A night’s sleep was all I needed to recover.’
‘A night? No, you’ve been asleep for a week.’
‘A whole week?!’ Sama squealed. ‘Why didn’t anyone wake me up?’
‘It’s always that way after the Hunt.’
‘You told me the sprites would have a body made for Gabe after we’d had dinner and a rest.’
‘Yes, and the dinner and rest would last a week. It always does after the Hunt, which gave the sprites time to work. I thought it worked out well.’
‘You knew it would take a week, right from the start?’
‘Of course.’
‘And you decided not to tell me?’
‘I didn’t think it was important.’

Sama growled in frustration, feeling her affection for this tall faerie fade to annoyance. ‘So is Gabe’s body finished?’
‘It should be by now, but let’s find out,’ he said, and extended the crook of his arm for her to hold.
She sighed in resignation and slipped her arm through his, letting herself be led towards the obnoxious sprites and her brother’s ghost.

Sama found herself back in familiar territory as they neared the sprite’s workshop, recognising the doorway she came in the day before. No, she corrected herself, the week before. For a moment she wondered whether time had been flying past in her own world, and whether she’d return to find her friends all old or dead, and that decades had passed for each day spent in Faerieland. Too late to worry now, she decided, and watched Auberon knock on the door.

The sprites opened the heavy timber door and motioned for them to stay where they were.
‘Auberon,’ said the closest sprite. ‘We sensed when you would arrive, so timed our work accordingly.’ Then he turned into the room and yelled, ‘Right, let ‘er rip!’ A humming sounded, and sprites could be seen busily mixing potions, waving wands, and wielding car jumper cables.

Sama craned her neck for a better look, not sure what she was watching. With a crackle of electricity and blue wand bursts, a shimmering person sat up on a table.
‘Gabe!’ Sama yelled, and started forward, only to be blocked by the door-sprite.
‘You won’t make it, so don’t try,’ it said in a high pitched, but gruff voice.

Gabe was still sitting, but moving his arms and hands around in excitement. His ghostly glow was fading as he unclipped the jumper cable clasps from his toes. He saw Sama and laughed happily, hopping off the table and walked to the door on slightly shaky legs.

He threw his arms wide for a hug, and Sama embraced him violently. ‘Wow, you’re cold. C’mon, let’s get out into the sun and warm you up.’
Gabe flinched and stayed still. ‘Sun? I haven’t seen it for so long that I don’t know if I’m ready yet.’
‘That’s cool. We’ll stay here and I’ll warm you up.’
‘Mmm, warm. You’re so warm Sama, and I don’t know why, but you smell so good.’
‘What?’ she said, pulling back from him in surprise. She watched him lying in her arms with his eyes shut, and thought his face looked subtly wrong. This one had a different feel to it. The lines of his face were missing, and he was pale. But the body had just been created, and maybe that’s how it works, she thought.

Gabe’s mouth opened and leant towards her, and she saw that he now had enlarged fangs and seemed intent on taking a piece out of her. She shoved him away and lept to her feet.

‘Vampire?! Your maggoty sprites made him a vampire body, Auberon?!’

On to part 8.

Constructive criticism welcome.

© 2008 Damian Herde

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Tags:

dark, fairy, wild, spirit, arts, sprite, vampire, knight, hunt, walks, faerie, fae, oberon, samhain and auberon