Hedge Witch of Juran

Grayscale shadows ushered them into the forest clearing with intricately woven branches and vines soaring into the sky. Distracted from her mission, Filomena’s eyes traced the sweeping archways and braided rosettes gracing the towering trees, drawing her eyes to the glittering stars and the crisp crescent moon. She had never seen such deliberate craftsmanship within nature. Her very understanding of the Wild Fae balked at this architecture.

Her escort cleared his throat softly. Filomena flushed with embarrassment when she caught hundreds of eyes echoing the imperceptible glow of the Fae willing to bring a human to this Court. She stepped closer to Rhys and focused on the twisting solid shadows forming a throne.

An old bearded Fae stepped through those very shadows. “You do not belong here, Prince of the Dawn.” The harsh whisper drove a deep cold spike into Filomena’s soul, halting her steps. All of her instincts urged her to run.

“I come as a peaceful envoy for the Hedge Witch.” The white knuckles around his sword hilt betrayed Rhys. Filomena spared a thought of apology for asking this of her lifelong friend. He had no wish to be within the stronghold of his opposite where he was weakest. “She has a matter to discuss with you, Shadow King.”

“Discuss? With a human? Pah!” The king leaned forward, drawing tendrils of shadows from the throne behind him. The reflective glint in his inhuman eyes sent shivers through her bones. “That which you wish to discuss is not yours to determine.”

Filomena forced her feet to plant one after the other until she stood within an arm’s length of the powerful ancient. The rest of the Court remained hidden within the darkest shadows, revealed only when the faint innate glow of the Light Fae caught in their eyes.

She had come this far. A horde of living shades would not stop her.

“Your Court has broken the Covenant of Sanctuary.” Filomena gave her voice strength beyond her petite stature. “I granted a Fae in need of aid the Sanctuary requested. Your Court stole that Fae from my territory.”

“That one you claim to have granted Sanctuary is not Fae and is not governed by our Covenants.” The leader of the Dark Fae stepped back, the thick taut wires of shadow pulling him into the throne. “You have no purpose here,” he drawled.

Filomena scowled. How dare this creature tell her what her purpose was! Gnarled anger crawled up from her core. “Then I will make it my purpose.” From her pocket, she removed the braided wreath of twigs and grasses used to store her blessings. The King of the Shadows and Prince of the Dawn recoiled at her brandishing the protection charm. “This will be complete at dawn,” she warned. “As will others I’ve placed within the caverns and abandoned mines. At dawn, all Fae will be banished from those hideaways.”

“Foolish girl.” The King stood abruptly. The shadow tethers snapped and whipped around seeking their anchors. “The caverns belong to Shadows!”

“Then honor the Covenant.” Filomena stood firm with the wreath of rosemary held aloft. Tied into the stems were beads and feathers holding her spells. She had begun these the night the strange Fae had stumbled into her blackberry brambles requesting, without hope, for shelter from the dawn. “I am the Hedge Witch of Juran. The Fae made the Covenants with the practitioners who preceded me. My obligation is to protect those who seek me out. That includes those of the Fae. Or have you forgotten the ancient promises?”

Rhys tentatively placed a hand on her shoulder. “Perhaps you are going too far. We are not forgetting the Covenants.”

“You have not. I am not convinced these Shadow Fae care about the Covenants.” Filomena lowered the protection charm designed to ward against the Fae. Her thumb rubbed the amethyst serving as the focus of her desires.

The old King stepped back into the animated shadows of the throne. The grays had been growing softer and ever brighter as the discussion continued. It did allow Filomena to recognize greater detail in the king’s bearded face. Compared to humans, the Fae were near immortal. The King of Shadows may have lived at the time the Covenant had been established. The male Fae was nearly skeletal and his well-groomed hair was nearly pure white. His attachment to the throne as a source of his power suggested how he had lived for so many centuries.

“You are challenging powers beyond your understanding.” The King refused to admit wrong doing for any of those in his Court.

Filomena let a smile slip onto her lips. “Perhaps. Though do you really want to risk the loss of your caverns for a single Fae?”

Narrowed eyes shifting to the east where the sky was no longer absolute black unmasked the Shadow King’s dissolving confidence. “He is no Fae. He belongs to no Court. He is a murderer and will be punished as such.”

“Then I will speak for him in his trial.”

“There is not time for that, Hedge Witch. You have made that impossible. Halt your charm and return at midnight.”

“Return Izel to my protection, honoring the Sanctuary, and then I’ll halt the charm. Or hold your trial now and have the neutral party of the Dawn Prince be the judge.”

“Neutral?” The king sneered. “You and he are of the Day. There is no neutrality there.”

“The Light Courts are not an ally of the Hedge Witch, same as you. Izel is of no Court. Cursed to suffer within the Light and cursed to find no home in the Dark.” Rhys stood taller, his grip on his sword hilt relaxed though remained ready. “I will hear this trial and determine if your accusations hold true.”

The watchful eyes from the shadows of the woven cathedral had gained humanoid shapes. The eerie reflective glow diminished as night came to a close. Their chattering whispers were as wind in the leaves. Present but unformed. The king locked eyes with one of his Fae in the crowd and motioned to the plot of soil at the foot of his throne. A pool of shimmering inky reflection of the starry sky formed with two elongated shades dragging the condemned Fae from the unknowable depths of the shadow.

The Fae gasped and coughed in the cool morning air.

Izel remained trapped on his knees in the shadows behaving like tar. The same magical material encased the Fae’s arms. When the coughing fit subsided, the imprisoned Fae twisted to take in his new surroundings. Filomena stepped forward, hating the sight. That motion caught Izel’s attention and he craned his head back to see who was sneaking up on him. “Filomena,” he sagged against his bonds. “You weren’t supposed to come.”

“I’ve seen you fight,” Filomena scoffed. “A murderer? Really? You barely know how to use a shield.” Izel gave a half shrug. His attempt to protect her had brought them to this mess.

The King motioned with his hand and the shadows rose around Izel. “My son is dead. The others have paid for their crime.”

Rhys surged forward. “This is supposed to be a trial, Alkix. Not an execution!” he yelled. A bright clarion. Exactly how Filomena imagined the first rays of light cutting over the horizon would sound. The Prince of the Dawn interposed himself between the Shadow King and the imprisoned Fae.

Filomena gripped the charmed wreath tightly, willing the sun to rise faster. The grays were more prominent, but there was still no color to the world. Her magic worked best at barriers. The space between the magical and mundane. The waking world was just beginning to break the hold of dreams and nightmares. That transition made dawn special and powerful.

“King Alkix!” she shouted. “I spoke to those who fled your Court along with Izel and survived. Your son attacked them as they sought refuge before sunrise. Within the abandoned mines. Not the natural caverns. If you continue with this execution, then you will no longer have the caverns or this clearing.” The shadows swallowing Izel halted. She had the Shadow King’s attention once again. The morning was supposed to be a time of peace. Shadows were supposed to be reflections of the world. This all burned terribly in her chest. “I am sorry for the loss of your son,” Filomena spoke gently, careful of the fragile balance before her. “But it was done in battle, not out of malice. And not by this one.”

“He trespassed,” Alkix said firmly, rooted to his throne despite the ever increasing contrast to his shadows.

“You cannot take away every shelter. The abandoned mines belong to the humans. The natural caverns will remain the territory of the Fae. You claim Izel is of no Court, then he and his kind will belong to the Boundaries. For that is all you have left them.” Filomena looked down at the Fae who had done the unthinkable and asked a human for help. In a just couple of days, they had become friends. The thought of loosing him tore at her heart. “Release him. Take the caverns. We’ll seal the breaches in the mines so they will not intersect. These are boundaries between our worlds and belong to me.”

King Alkix snarled, “You will die, Hedge Witch. Then there will be no one to hold your decree.”

Filomena frowned. “You had best become friends with your new neighbors. The next Hedge Witch might not be so forgiving. And you had best make your decision before the sun breaks the horizon.”

Alkix turned to the east. His face fell as he realized how little time he had to argue. With a wave of his hand, the unseen Dark Fae departed. Their absence was a breath of relief. A few brave songbirds began to chirp their welcome of the new day. “This conflict is eons old. Your solution will not hold.”

“It will if you choose to allow it.” Filomena raised the wreath again. The amethyst glistened in the reciprocating dawn shining through Rhys. “Release him.” King Alkix scowled and disappeared along with the tangible shadows.

Izel blew out all the tension of a condemned man. He relaxed into a more natural seated position, letting his eyes close. “You really know how to cut things close,” he whispered.

“My magic works best during the in between times and in between places.” Filomena shrugged and dropped next to her friend. “You are alright, aren’t you?”

“Yes.” Izel nodded. “My heart will stop racing as soon as we reach the abandoned mines.”

The Prince of the Dawn cleared his throat loudly this time. “Filomena, I hate interrupting reunions, but perhaps you should consider the banishing charm in your hand?”

“Oh! Right.” Filomena plucked the amethyst from the wreath and tore it in two. “There. Now none of them will trigger at dawn.”

“Excellent. For dawn is nearly upon us.” Rhys breathed deeply in the changing light. “Will you be able to find your own way home?”

“I'll be fine. Thank you, Rhys.” Filomena smiled brightly. The sky was finally bright enough for her to enjoy the twisting branches of the natural cathedral. “Go enjoy the sunrise. I’ll meet you later.”

Izel remained silent even after the Prince left. He watched the east as much as he watched her. “I shouldn’t leave you alone. Not after everything you’ve done.”

“You need to rest, Izel.” Filomena stood and offered her hand. “You are the worst fighter I have ever seen. Besides, it is only natural to help others who are forced to live between worlds.” Izel only looked up with his eyebrows pinched. She was just barely able to imagine the light purple hue of his irises. “What?”

The Fae chuckled gently and accepted her hand to stand. Izel did not pull on her much but was still shaky from his experience. “You had no idea who I was when I asked for Sanctuary just before dawn that day. I could have been a murderer as they claimed.”

“I don’t believe you have ever killed anything in your life. Much less used a weapon. And that magical shield you conjured to protect me? It was weak.” Filomena squeezed his hand tightly. “You survive by running. Though maybe now you’ll have a home.”

Izel bowed low over her hand and lightly kissed her knuckles. “So we shall. You make an excellent Arbiter, Hedge Witch of Juran. You have our gratitude and I will share your deed with our Arbiter.” He stepped away. The lingering look did not escape her notice as he slipped his hand from hers. “I look forward to seeing you again.” Izel glanced to the east once more. He did not have much time before the sun rose and with it came agony. Yet he lingered to be with her just a bit longer.

“Go.” Filomena shooed him away from the clearing. “You know where to find me.” With a nod, Izel flickered in the pre-morning glow and vanished from sight. She did not envy him and his kind. They were born of the Wild Fae and were cursed to have no place among them. Her place among the humans was not much different. She lived at the edge of the village where the brambles turned to an ancient forest. Belonging to both, but not truly belonging to either.

The chorus of the songbirds welcomed the expanding light that would soon guide her home.