#I have the little presets I have set up that are just the barest bones of the story

[1nksta1neddesk]

A Court of Readers and Dreamers

Chapter 3: Rule #1, Magic

Word count: 2420

The next day I sat waiting in the house, twirling the pommel of a hunting knife in my fingers as my leg jumped up and down under the table. I had sent the pelt with Nesta into town, knowing she would catch a fair price even with the cheap skates that frequented the market. Elain had gone with her, intent on browsing the wares.

So that left me, sitting next to my father who stared at me with a pinched expression. I had found a piece of scrap cloth, drawing out a map of snares I had set up early in the morning with a piece of charcoal from the hearth. I knew Tamlin took care of the Archeron’s with copious amounts of riches, but I did not know how long those riches would take to be delivered and until then my family still needed to be fed.

But the map had been done hours ago and I was forced to stare at the chipped paintings of flowers and vines I had painted one summer when Elain had gotten me those 3 tins of paint, claiming she remembered how I used to love painting as a child and how the summer was so prosperous I should take time for the arts again. I had smiled, thin and pressed as I tried to restrain the tears that Elain took to be glee.

I had gone into the woods that night and slept in a tree, needing time to settle my soul that was writhing in pain as my mind raced with the full and complete realization that I had taken the place of that little girl Elain was trying to comfort, that there was no one who could truly know me in in the entirety of this world.

That had been years ago though and now I had my brows knit in concentration as I contemplated how I would get back to my own world. I still had not come up with an answer for that as my father spoke to me.

“Why didn’t you go to the market with your sisters?” he asked, hand coming up to massage the creases forming between his brows. I jolted, startled by the words before answering.

“They needed a day out of the house without me breathing down their necks,” I said, sighing before letting my back slouch against the chair, “ and I did not want to go to the market, I already have a headache”. It was true, my head had started to pound the moment I was left with my thoughts. He grunted and accepted the half-truth, eyes focusing on a small piece of wood I had brought in for him that morning to carve.

My leg went back to jittering for a while before my father turned to me again and suggested I take the energy outside, it was disturbing his focus. I saw myself out, deciding to chop more wood as the stack had dwindled to twigs after a long night. The movement of the ax did ease the anxiety tightening in my gut, worried the curse hadn’t sought its claim on me as the hate in my heart had not been targeted towards that male.

My skin itched as sweat accumulated underneath the jacket, hair prickled at the back of my neck as a cold wind caked snow into my hair. The sisters came back to the house a few hours later, the sunlight turning golden as I brought in the pieces of wood, settling them in a stack by the hearth and rekindling the fire that had fallen to smoking embers. I let Elain rest while I cooked dinner for the night, needing to move as the time drew nearer and nearer.

The family ate, Elain and Nesta chattering about some girl they had run into, and how she thought someone’s son was going to ask for her hand soon. I thought to the original story, how Tomas Mandray was to ask to marry Nesta, how I had dissuaded the possibility of that marriage through the years. I had brought up time and time again the fights I heard coming from the house while hunting, the bruises we could all see blooming on the poor woman’s cheek the next week at market.

I let my mind wander, sitting back in the chair as I chewed on a piece of gristle that had ended up in meat. The night grew darker, the gold sky turning blush pink and violet before dark indigo took over. I was half asleep in the chair, facing the door, knife held loosely in my hand as I waited. Someone, most likely Elain, had taken my plate. My father and the sisters moved toward the fire, warming themselves as much as possible before they had to sleep through another cold night. My feet already ached with the cold as I still sat in my chair, waiting and waiting and waiting for that-

A roar shook the house as Nesta and Elain screamed, scrambling towards the far wall of the house as the door came crashing in. Puffs of white snow flooded in around the beast, gold fur already laden with ice as he growled.

I was standing now- somehow having placed myself between the High lord and the cowering girls behind me, their father slowly dragging himself in front of them as well. The three of them hid behind me, as my grip on the knife tightened. Now that I saw the fae lord I knew the blade would be no more than a thorn in his side if I ever sunk it there, but the blade wasn’t to defend myself or my family. It was an act - a scared mortal woman trying to fight off a beast after killing his kind.

He reared, creme underbelly being revealed as his claws sliced through the air, muzzle dripping with frothy white saliva as he yelled, “MURDERERS”. I heard my father go to move, to beg the fae beast for my life, but I put out my hand to stop him, barring him from moving forward before the maw opened again to roar the accusation again.

The girls still begged, even as my father crouched next to me, peering up at me with eyes that seemed conscious for the first time since that creditor had appeared. “We didn’t kill anyone!” Nesta wailed as she shifted Elain farther behind her.

I looked the beast in his eyes, clenching my fist yet again as my palms had grown damp with sweat as I tried to calm my heart.

“WHO KILLED HIM?” he yelled again, spittle landing on my arm as I raised my hand.

“I did”, it was a statement, no denying the life I had taken as Nesta and Elain yelled out at me, asking when I had killed a fae. I waved my hand at them, shushing them for a small time as Tamlin snarled at me again.

“You lie to spare them”, his growl served to cover his shock and I could almost hear the hope undercutting it all.

“You can look at them and think they can take down a Faerie? Combined, they can barely take down a tree” I spoke, stepping further forward, closer to those dripping jaws.

“I killed it, left the body in the woods because it would have been too heavy.” I let him mull over the words, hoping he would only see the truths that smoothed over my real reasoning.

“Did it attack you? Were you provoked?” He asked, nails digging deep gouges in the wooden floorboards.

“No, he attacked a deer that I had been about to kill- we were about to starve.” Another half-truth as his eyes darted to the dirty dishes that still held remnants of the venison, though he could surely smell it still lingering in the air. He looked back at me, green eyes locking with stormy blue ones as he growled.

“The treaty between our lands demands repayment, a life for a life. Any unprovoked attacks on faerie-kind by humans are to be paid only by a human life in exchange.” The lie would have worked if I was Feyre, it did work on her, but I would not cower in the face of a man who I knew put the weight of his court’s lives on my shoulders.

“Then let Prythian claim my life.” I said, words measured as I tried to block out the sobs coming from behind me, small whispers of ‘Feyre, no’ making my heart ache as I still stood ramrod straight in front of the beast. Those green eyes darted around my face, trying to see further into me than I was willing to bear.

“Willing to accept your fate so easily, mortal? To die at the hands of a fae?”He huffed, still peering at me. The white puff of moist air warmed my face as I peered up at him.

“I did not say I was willing to die, I said Prythian may claim me, not you” My chest was drawing tight, making the words come out strained as I tried to keep steady breaths and failed. Another hot huff of air from his muzzle heated my face a degree, and I could almost sense a hint of pride at a mortal twisting his words.

“For having the gall to twist the call of the treaty, you may stay on my lands. Live there for the rest of your mortal days and forsake the human realm”

My father spoke again, not heeding my glance and hand as he croaked out.“Please, good sir—Feyre is my youngest. I beseech you to spare her. I- She’s all we-” I shushed my father before he could continue, turning to him and grabbing his shoulders as I spoke, “I either die here or I can go- I set traps and I have a map-”. Tamlin cut me off with another roar, impatient prick.

I turned back to him as I set my shoulders, “ When do we leave?”

“Now” he snarled out as he turned and left into the snow. As soon as his hind legs left the door, Nesta was grabbing me by my shoulders, shaking me as she shouted into my face.

“You stupid girl! You just gave your life to that Thing”, her words were nearly as guttural as Tamlin’s snarls as she continued, “-without you we- and you will die over there in who knows what gnarly manner-tortured and strung up to be made a spectacle.” My neck hurt from being shaken so violently as Elain wrapped herself around me, sobbing into my shoulder as she pleaded.

“I made a map of snares, you will not starve, and would you rather have had me gutted here? I can survive over the wall.” I tried to soothe their worries as my words were truth, as much as I could give them. My father had managed to use his cane to stand next to us, Nesta pulling Elain away from me, dragging both of them into the room as he moved toward us.

I rubbed the back of my neck awkwardly as I knew Nesta was trying to protect me, and as I turned to leave toward the door my father caught my arm and looked into my eyes.

“Live, on the other side of the wall. If anyone can, it would be you Feyre. You’ve-” A snarl from outside cut him off as I drew him into a hug, the first hug I had ever shared with the man.

“Goodbye, the map is in my drawer in the bedroom, talk to old Jacob up the road, he will show you how to reset them” I left for the door, grabbing the patchworked jacket before -

“You were always too good for here, Feyre. Too good for us, too good for everyone.” He called out again, leaning against the wall that connected to the room the sisters were cowering in. “If you ever escape, ever convince them that you’ve paid the debt, don’t return.” I smiled meekly as I stepped into the snow, patting the door frame as I left.

Tamlin stood outside, looking toward the woods before snapping his head toward me when the first bit of snow crunched under my raggedy boots. He started towards those woods I had used to stay alive and train for this day. I rushed to follow as his long legs made his leisurely pace a small jog for me. White puffs of air left my nose every time I exhaled.

I nearly tripped over a few sticks as we went further and further into those dark woods. Several minutes passed where my feet grew numb before the shining white coat of a mare appeared beside a tree.

She lowered her neck, long and corded with muscle as he motioned for me to get into the saddle. I had never ridden a horse, though I had seen many people in town using them to pull carriages or to travel back to their homes. I grabbed the saddle and tried to haul myself up, foot catching on the stirrup as I struggled. It was a long minute that left me flushed with embarrassment before I was able to throw over my other leg, panting as I finally sat in the saddle.

The mare set into a steady trot, following Tamlin through the dark forest. Her body radiated heat that warmed my legs, and I savored it as I leaned down to brush her side. The night grew deeper as I kept the position, soaking in the heat as snow collected on my hair and back. Every few minutes I would check to make sure I could still see those spiraling antlers and gold pelt, just to make sure I was not dreaming as I pinched my leg every time I saw the huffs of breaths as we went further and further into the woods, toward the wall.

“What’s your name?” I called out to him, it would be complicated to explain if I said his name without him ever telling it to me. A low growl shook some light snow from its place upon the branches.

“What does it matter to you, girl?” He didn’t even look back over his shoulder as he let out another growl, conversation clearly over. I went to ask another question, but the ringing taste of metal filled my mouth and I couldn’t resist the pull towards a dark sleep.