Chapter 8: Caged

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With the slightest gesture, Auberon uses his magic to dress his 'guests' as he deems appropriate for their conference. Though it is disconcerting to find himself suddenly clothed like a fairy, Riain is determined to go along with Auberon's whims, putting aside his own pride for the sake of all their peoples.

"Don't eat anything," Shayeleigh whispers, touching Riain's arm as he reaches for the fruit laid out before them. Dragons normally eat only meat and the flame fruits grow only in their gardens, but it has been a full day since his last meal, and even these simple fruits tempt him. "Fairy food is enchanted," Shayeleigh explains, "Any who eat it are bound to the fairy that feeds them."

Riain growls, a low rumble. "Listen, fairy, your tricks do nothing to foster peace."

"Surely, you can understand my---"

Auberon stands suddenly, gesturing for silence as he listens to something none of the rest can hear. "Ico," he says after a minute of quiet, "Something has happened. I feel...she was frightened, hurt. it's gone now."

"Is this some trick?" Riain asks, rising from his seat.

"No trick," Auberon says, meeting the dragon's gaze, "Something has happened to Ico. I must go find her. Will you help me, dragon?"

Riain's hand balls into a fist, "I don't trust you, fairy. Aymeri would never let any harm come to Ico."

"Nor would I, dragon. But harm has come to her. I must find her. And since she has once again gone somewhere where I cannot sense her, I need your tracking skills."

Riain looks to Shayeleigh, who nods at him. "He's not lying, my love. I ask that you go with him. And I will come too."

"Thank you, Shayeleigh," Auberon says, "I would appreciate your help. You can keep your dragon in line."

Riain growls again, louder and more menacing, "No, we don't know what we'll find out  there, Shaye. Stay here where it's safe."

Just outside his magically constructed house, Auberon stops to consider their situation. They don't where to begin their search.

"The only time Ico had ever been out of my reach was while she was in the dragon's nest," he muses, speaking more to himself than to his companion, "Perhaps she'd tried to escape and the dragons recaptured her?"

Riain has done all he could to tolerate the fairy's smug superiority and air of command, but the accusation that his brothers may have harmed Ico is more than the dragon can bear. He lashes out with a punch that sends the surprised Auberon flying to the ground.

"I am a dragon, never forget that," Riain says, his voice controlled and steady.

Auberon looks up at the dragon with a wry smile. "Thank you for the reminder," he says. He could, of course, remind the dragon of his own considerable power and bring him to his knees in pain, but there isn't the time for these games. They must find Ico.

"Ico was never our captive, she came to us, following Aymeri," Riain says, helping the fairy to his feet, "And I know my brother would never allow her to be harmed. If they were out searching for me..." he stops talking as he considers the possibilities. Tensions run high between the nests as they females gather in council to talk of war. Hayder attacked him on sight; if a group of males like him found Aymeri outside the nest with Ico, if they had managed to fight and defeat his brother, Ico could very well have been taken to another nest, could have been, as Auberon feared, captured by dragons. "We should search where Shayeleigh killed Hayder," he decides, assuming that his brothers were out searching for him.

The unlikely pair head off in the direction Riain suggested, but are stopped suddenly by a bird that lands on their path.

"Shayeleigh," Riain says, kneeling to offer her his arm. She cannot speak in animal form, but Riain knows the mind of his love. "If you must come, I cannot stop you," he says, "Just, stay by me."

"Her trail just stops here," Aymeri says. There are other scents here, not Ico, not fairy of any kind, nor of any beast he recognizes.

"Are you certain she has not betrayed you?" Emrys suggests.

"She wouldn't," Aymeri says, expressing more confidence than he feels. She'd sent a message to the other fairies once, he thinks, perhaps she took this opportunity to flee from him back to her kind..."No," Aymeri decides, "She wouldn't do that, I'm sure of it." She loves him, he knows that to be true, without question.

"We must search for Riain," Emrys insists, "With or without your fairy."

"Brother!" Riain cries out in joy when they come upon Aymeri and Emrys on their search.

Aymeri pulls Riain into his arms "We feared the worst, brother. It is more than good to see you unharmed."

Riain has not seen his father since he came of age and left his mother's nest to join Tearhne's.

"Is that...her?" Emrys asks in wonder, sensing the magic in the bird riding his son's shoulder.

"Shayeleigh," Riain says, "This is my sire, Emrys."

Auberon watches, bemused by the affection displayed by these fierce creatures. "Are you Aymeri?" he asks of the one Riain called brother, "I would speak of Ico."

Aymeri steps closer to the fairy, "She was looking for you," he says, "We found the place where Riain was injured, and knew he'd been with a fairy. Ico went ahead, believing the fairy would have brought him to you."

"Shayeleigh brought Riain to us, but Ico never followed. I felt her distress not an hour ago. And then, nothing."

"Nothing?" Aymeri asks.

"The same as when she was in your nest, dragon," Auberon says, "Some magic keeps me from sensing her."

As far as Aymeri knows, only dragons have that kind of protective magic over their nests. "I told her it was not safe to be out alone," he growls, his anger directed at himself. "I should never have let her out of my sight."

"You will find that fairies are not so easily caged, dragon," Auberon says.

"These are the creatures that took Kern and Tegar?" Tor asks in disbelief. Tracking this one was difficult, but once found, she was easier to take down than even a deer. How could such a pretty, fragile thing take two of his best hunters?

"Don't be fooled by her pretty face," the Spirit Talker says, rising to face the hunters, "They are creatures of great magic, and can steal your soul just by looking into your eyes."

Uvie sits quiet and unnoticed as her mother weaves tales of horror to frighten the hunters. Even she doesn't know how much of her mother's stories are true, and how much is concocted for effect, to impress the hunters and keep them under her sway.

While the Spirit Talker is engaged with the hunters, Uvie sneaks closer to the captured creature.

Whatever falsehoods her mother may be weaving for the hunters' benefit, Uvie is certain of the truth of the creature's magic. She touches its face with one hesitant finger, and feels the current of energy pass through her. The creature is powerful and beautiful, like the great cats, her mother had warned her, but even more dangerous. Uvie is not afraid as she gently prods the creature, hoping to wake it from the drugged slumber inflicted by the poison from the hunters' arrows.

So entranced is she by the creature, Uvie doesn't notice as the hunters depart from their hut.

"Uvie!" her mother shrieks as she turns to find her daughter inside the magic circle.

"Do not go near it," she admonishes, "With one look, it can steal your spirit, make you its slave!"

"So you say," Uvie retorts, "But you don't know. You've never even seen a creature like this before."

Her mother slaps her across the face. "Do you doubt what the spirits tell me?" she hisses, "I am the Spirit Talker! My visions are true!"

When Ico awakens, she finds herself in a strange place, in the presence of two strange creatures, not unlike her in form, but not fairies or dragons. Like the beasts of the land, they are not magic. Whatever they are, they sleep, and Ico means to take advantage of their slumber to leave this place they've brought her to, to find Aymeri and resume their search for Riain and Shayeleigh.

But as she steps to the edge of the circle of stones she stands in, a magical force stops her.

As she tries to counter it, pushing forward, it pulls her back with great force.

Uvie wakes at the the strange creature's cry of pain as she falls back to the ground.

Heedless of her mother's warning, Uvie once again enters the circle, and fearlessly looks the creature in the eyes. Her mother may be frightened of it, but Uvie is more curious than afraid of the unknown.

These creatures are not made of magic the way fairies or dragons are, Ico realizes, but they have use of a magic of their own, and have trapped her within it. Quickly, she grabs the wrists of the one who approaches her, meaning to put a glamour on her, make her remove the spell that holds her prisoner here.

Uvie breaks free of the creature's grasp and flees the hut, dashing out into the night's darkness. Her mother will be very angry if she discovers how close she came to falling under its spell.

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Special thanks to Heaven for allowing me to use Uvie, a spare from her Avendale Legacy . I was touched by Uvie's search for fairies in the legacy, and always wanted for her to find them. (Uvie's mother is also an adult version of the teen Uvie offered by Heaven)

I also wanted to note that I am aware that I've given these cave people far greater technology than they would have possessed, with metal pots, bow and arrows and what not. But, I am somewhat constrained by what I can find in the game and CC. Not much is for the Stone Age, not surprisingly, lol. Lots of medieval stuff, and even some Bronze Age things here and there, and I have to make do. So, please excuse the anachronisms.