Whispers in the Wind
Cathy Collar
She was clothed in the colors of dawn, hues of orange, peach and pink. She smelled of rose petals and was crowned with a head of glorious, fiery red hair. Cat-green eyes met the world giving it a wicked, challenging glare. She turned and looked at the mortal pursuing her. Smiling beguilingly, she sat down by the pond. The mortal, Daniel her new victim, followed like a puppy bewitched by her magical beauty.
“Do you love me, Daniel? She whispered, her lush lips close to his ear.
“You know my heart belongs to you.” Daniel gazed into her emerald eyes. “You must never leave me!”
His hand extended to touch her hair. She slipped just out of reach.
“Not yet, my love.” She said.
Dayinaira waved her hand and the young man sat motionless in front of her. Just one touch and his soul would be hers. The beauty sighed. Being a Lhiannan Shee was not always so easy. One would think that the most powerful Enchantress of Fay would have everything she ever wanted, but they were so wrong.
She sat studying her prey. He was so young, maybe twenty-four or five in human years and quite handsome with his wavy black hair and deep blue eyes. It was such an unusual combination for a human. Did she really want to steal his youth and life away? She wasn’t in need of substance right now and it did seem like such a waste.
She needed to think. Dayinaira wandered into the beautiful, rich forest. She inhaled the scent of the fresh spring flowers. Finding a wild rose she threaded it into her hair. What she wanted was someone to love her. Truly love her, not because of her enchanting charm or beauty but because of who she was. Picking a daisy, she plucked at the petals.
“How will I know if he loves me or he loves me not?” She asked as each petal floated to the ground.
Behind the trees, silently watching, the Glanconer, Conquestia listened. His tanned muscular body blended with the forest. His ebony eyes intensely studied the beauty before him. This was not the first time he had found himself staring at her from a distance. What was the matter with him? He was a Glanconer, a Love Talker. He could woo any woman to his bed with just a few sweet words whispered in her ear. But no, he told himself. Even if he could charm Dayinaira with his sliver tongue, which was doubtful because of her own magical powers, that was not what he wanted. He wanted her to see the man in him, not the Elvin charmer.
So many times he had watched her walk away from her prey. The joy of the game had left her as it had him. After thousands of years, one grows weary of the same old thing. Yes, they both needed mortals every now and then for substance, but the pure pleasure of the taking was gone. The question was how could he approach her without her being suspicious of his intent? Could they maybe fill the void in each others life? He had to know.
As he watched she rose and returned to her prey. He followed closely behind.
One more intense look at the young man and then her sweet song filled the air. She put him to sleep without touching him, leaving him with a whopper of a headache when he woke up, but still alive and unharmed.
As Conquestia watched, Dayinaira dissolved in a mist of teardrops and floated off on the breeze. This time he didn’t follow. He needed to think this conquest through. One mistake and Dayinaira would not give him another chance. He returned to the place where the daisy petals now lay on the ground and sat on her previous perch pondering his problem.
“Twiddle Dee and Twiddle Dare. Why are you in such despair?”
Great, thought Conquestia, it’s Duprey. Just what I don’t need right now. Normally he would be happy to see the Amoral Fairy, his old friend and accomplice, but not now.
“Go away Duprey. I am not in the mood for company right now.”
“You mean not in the mood for my company, don’t you? I’m sure you wouldn’t send the beautiful Dayinaira away if it were her disturbing your thoughts. Get over it man. She’s an Enchantress, and one of the most powerful fairies in Fay. She kills her lover, not like you and I who simple have our fun then go our merry way.”
“And why do you care, Duprey? You thrive on the pain of others. You should be eating this up. Isn’t that what you live for? Bringing young women up to the height of euphoria, then reveling in the fall when you pull the rug out from underneath their hearts. Go away. I despise you right now.”
“Oh, come on Conquestia! You can’t seriously be thinking of trying to out charm her are you? Man, that would be suicide. You might never recover! Let’s go find a nice pretty little mortal. That will make you forget all about Mistress Death.”
“Don’t call her that! You don’t know her like I do. Just leave me to my thoughts.”
“Fine. Your loss. I saw a real ripe beauty enter the woods near the glen. I’ll just take her for myself. Pine away for what will never be.”
Maybe Duprey was right, thought Conquestia. How do you enchant the most powerful enchantress in Fay without using magic?
Sighing, he picked up the daisy petals one by one. He stared at them as if they held the answer he was seeking.
“Fickle, fickle, fickle Fay. Don’t be dreary this fine day, for I have seen your heart and know, a way for your love to show.”
The promise whispered through the air and dangled before him on its invisible thread.
“Who are you and how do you know what is in my heart?”
“Who I am you need not know, just listen to my voice and go, to the pool of tranquility, and wait for the Lhiannan Shee.”
“Why should I trust you, when you will not show your face?”
“Fickle, fickle, fickle Fay, We could do this all of the day, but it won’t get you what you want, and then it will be all your fault!
The voice floated away on the breeze.
Well she did have a point thought Conquestia, it couldn’t hurt to go see what she had planned. Holding onto the precious petals, he vanished into the air.
Dayinaira watched the white stag and doe tenderly touch noses then bound off into the forest as one. Love was so easy for the animals. Not complicated at all. You see someone you like. You see if he likes you and then whatever happens was meant to be.
No charms, no acting, no false hopes. How lucky they were.
She had seen The Glanconer, Conquestia weave his charms around innocent young nymphs and mortals. He acted like he enjoyed each conquest, but she knew different. Through the years his touch was less enchanting. His words were less enticing. It was as if he was just doing it out of duty, and recently she had witnessed him pulling back before he had totally won the heart of his victim, leaving a place for true love in her heart.
He was such a handsome elfin man, so sure of himself and always gentle with his prey. She wondered what his touch, his kiss would feel like. His sweet lips pressed against hers. Their hearts beating in rhythm, pulsating with true love. Could he really love anyone? She would never know. He, like all of the other men of Fay, feared her. They saw her as a monster that brings nothing but despair and death. She would never find true love.
“Fickle, fickle, fickle Fay. Don’t be dreary this fine day. For I have seen your heart and know, a way for your love to show.”
The wind tousled her hair as the words swayed through the trees.
“Ye of wicked voice show yourself! Face me with your lies! No one knows what lies within my heart but me. No one dares get close enough to see.”
“Fickle, fickle, fickle Fay. This fairy doesn’t work that way. I know your heart, your very soul, The Knowing Fairy always knows. A tranquil place is where he’ll be, that is where he waits for thee. His fear is not of your touch. He fears that you won’t trust him much but, Fickle, fickle, fickle Fay, I’ve seen his heart in the same way. He wants your heart, but does not know, just how, to let it show. He feels you will see just the guise, and not the love that hides inside.”
“And why should I trust you, who will not show your face?”
“Fickle, fickle, fickle Fay, We could do this all of the day, but it won’t get you what
you want, and then it will be all your fault! The Pool of Tranquility, this is where he waits for thee.”
The words flitted away with a rustle of leaves. Dayinaira sat astonished by what she has just heard. Conquestia loved her? How could this be true? He had never even talked to her more or less shown any interest in her for the thousands of years they had shared this forest. The Knowing Fairy was wrong this time. He could not love her. He didn’t even really know her. Well the only way to get that insolent fairy straightened out was to prove her wrong and the only way to do that was to have a little chat with The Love Talker himself. With a flip of her hair she disappeared into thin air.
Dayinaira spotted Conquestia sitting beside the pool intently staring at something in his hands. What in the world was so interesting? She approached slowly. He didn’t move. He raised his head and met her intense emerald eyes.
“I think you left these in the forest.” He said. “I have been studying them and I think I have gotten them to answer your question.”
Dayinaira looked down at the crumpled white petals.
“And what question would that be?” she asked arching a brow and holding his ebony gaze.
“How will you know if he loves you or he loves you not?”
Dayinaira gasped burying her face in her hands.
“What magic is this that tears at my heart and messes with my mind?”
“A very old, old magic, Dayinaira, older than both of us, older than time itself.”
Dayinaira raised her proud head. “Well, since you are so clever, what is the answer to my question, Love Talker?”
“Just that my love, he will tell you.”
Her eyes again held his, her vulnerability no longer hidden.
“And what does he say?”
“He says,” Conquestia drew her into his arms. “He loves you with each and every petal.”