I walked by the library on my way to the range. Freydis stood at the door with her arms crossed and a scowl.

  “Do you really think I’m that stupid,” she snapped.

  “What do you mean?” I asked. “I didn’t say anything.”

  “I can sense when you work a spell on me. Especially one as vile as that!”

  “What? I didn’t—”

  She took a sharp step forward. “You really thought I wouldn’t notice? Moments after asking me directly for those… those irreverent books!”

  I sighed. “Freydis, all we did was read.”

  “Liar.” She pointed a trembling finger at me, though her stance wavered. “There’s no use in denying it—I felt it.”

  “Felt what?”

  Her lips pressed into a thin line, as if choosing her next words carefully. “You—made me feel strange.”

  “Strange?” I smirked. “Like… warm? Tingly? Maybe a little excited?”

  Her pointed ears burned red. “No!” she snapped, voice cracking. She took a step back, suddenly unsure of herself. “I mean… not in that way!”

  “I think I get it now.” I crossed my arms.

  She scoffed. “To think you have the audacity to try your magic again as I challenge you out here in the open. You won’t overpower me outsider.” She leaned in.

  “Wait, you think I’m casting a spell right now?” I gave her a knowing smile. “I’m really not.”

  “Huh? Why are you smiling like that? I don’t-” She looked down.

  “Don’t worry Freydis. I’ll take good care of the books, just for you.”

  “What? No!” she blurted. She looked around, as if searching for an escape. “I mean—good. You better. I mean—just stop it!”

  “You look real cute when you’re flustered.”

  She inhaled sharply, eyes widening. “Don’t say things like that! Go away you fiend! Don’t talk to me!” She practically cwed at the tch, fumbling with the door before vanishing inside.

  I chuckled to myself as I made my way to the archery range.

  ***

  Several youths were lined up firing arrows at a row of targets. Saoirse’s green form, tall and lithe, stood out from the rest. She was instructing one of the younger students.

  Once she noticed me she approached, walking with a slow grace. Instead of her steward’s robes she wore a high-leg bodysuit that revealed her hourgss shape, high waist, and rge full breasts. How could a steward look like that? Her short hair enhanced the sharp features of her steely gaze.

  “Welcome Jethro” she said in a cool voice. “I’m afraid you’ll have to come back ter if you want to practice.”

  “I’m actually looking for you, steward,” I said with a slight bow, unsure exactly how to properly address the stewards in public. “I was told you could help me with a leather project.”

  “I see. What would you like me to make?” she said, returning the bow.

  “Uh…” I looked at the students. “Can we step away for a moment? It’s of a personal nature.”

  “Certainly.” Saoirse led me to a grove of yews near the archery range. “We’ll have privacy here.”

  “Thank you,” I said. “I’m um… I need you to make me a colr.” She didn’t react so I continued, “and an arm brace. They need to be sort of magically linked with these symbols.”

  I showed her the knots drawn in the Power of Mastery.

  “Oh, I see.” Her face slipped, revealing a split second of surprise before collecting back into stoic inquiry.

  “It’s for strengthening my bond with Lavendu.”

  “I’m familiar with the concept. I’m happy to help.”

  “Thank you steward. Would it be too much to ask you to make five colrs with the same symbols? All connected to the same arm brace.”

  She gave me a sidelong gnce. “It’s no trouble. Leave the book with me and I’ll have them done tomorrow. You can find me here.”

  “Thank you steward,” I said with another bow. “I really appreciate it.”

  She bowed back. “Jethro, will you simply call me Saoirse?”

  “No problem. Thank you Saoirse.”

  ***

  With no book and Lavendu off on her own I had a free afternoon ahead of me, so I took the time to wander about the vilge. I introduced myself to vendors and shoppers in the market.

  News does indeed travel fast in Itán. Nearly everyone I talked with already knew about my ambitions to learn magic and my connection with Lavendu. No one outright mentioned the sexual nature of my studies, but a few winks and raised eyebrows gave me the impression there was plenty of talk of that as well.

  For lunch I ate roasted trout and garlic potato. I also got a bit of raw fish to feed to Cinder. We sat and listened to a singer which nearly put me to sleep with his lovely voice.

  A group of children asked me to join them in a game of battenball. I was horribly rusty at it. Struck out every time, but I did make a crucial catch that turned the tide of the game.

  “Hey go easy on me,” I said to a woman chuckling at me from the sidelines. “I haven’t pyed in a long while.”

  It was the same fairy with the big green eyes and long flowing hair. Not like the deep green of Saoirse, but a bright, slightly bluish green. She wore a tight leather bustier that revealed much of her pale skin.

  “It’s not that,” she said. “I didn’t know grown-ups still pyed kids’ games! That’s so cute!”

  “Children’s game? Battenball is the sport of the aristocracy.”

  The fairy ughed harder.

  “I’m not joking,” I continued. “Massive crowds fill stadiums to watch the pros where I come from. A skilled battenball athlete is among the most honored heroes.”

  “It can’t be,” she said, still ughing.

  “It can.”

  “Well that certainly sounds like an interesting tradition.” She finally managed to stifle her ughter.

  “My name’s Jethro,” I said, holding out my hand.

  “Meliss?,” she said as she pced her hand in mine. Her big green eyes glistened at me.

  “I, uh… don’t have any pns this evening.” I swallowed, suddenly aware that this was the first time I had ever asked a woman out. “Would you like to go for a walk?”

  “A walk sounds nice,” she said slowly, maintaining an expression of friendly indifference. “Where would you like to go?”

  “Great! I uh… well I’m new here. Why don’t you show me around a bit.”

  “Alright. I know just the pce.”

  Meliss? led me out into the small forest surrounding the vilge. Fiery orange and golden yellow leaves zily fell in the quiet cool of the evening. We exchanged stories of our respective homes. I focused mostly on my childhood as I had noticed most talk of life in the workhouses really darkened the mood of these normally vibrant people.

  “So you’re a fairy right?” I asked.

  Meliss? looked at me, askance. “Yes,” she said slowly.

  “Sorry, it’s just I’d never met fairies before I came here. I’m not even sure how I know.” Her wings weren’t unfolded, so I had no obvious clue—except maybe that her green hair and skin were lighter than the Sidhe.

  “Oh right I did hear humans are the only people in Castletún nowadays. We must seem awfully strange to you.” She frowned.

  “Strange, yes, but in a wonderful way. You’re like a magic person.”

  Melissё ughed. “Well that’s a strange way to put it but you’re not wrong. Fairies are mostly spirit, unlike humans and elves. That’s why you can sense what I am.”

  “And who are the elves?”

  She raised her eyebrows. “The elves are sort of in between human and fairy. They’re more spirit than humans, but still mostly physical.”

  “Are there many of them here in the vilge?”

  “Yes, it’s easy to mistake them for humans, but their pointy ears are a dead giveaway.”

  I thought of Brinna the barmaid and Freydis the librarian. Then I realized this date was a little mundane so I thought I’d try my hand at a little flirting. “Are all the fairies as pretty as you Melissё?”

  “Wait—are you flirting? Oh no. Oh no, Jethro.” Meliss?’s eyes went wide, her hands flying to her cheeks in exaggerated horror. “I think… I think you might be terrible at this.”

  I opened my mouth to argue, but she was already giggling and shoving me back. “Come on,” she teased, skipping ahead into the woods.

  I chased her through the trees until we came to an outcropping overlooking a rge ke in the valley below.

  “It’s beautiful,” I said as we sat down on the rocks.

  “It really is,” Melissё said. “It’s nice to show this pce to someone new. Almost like I’m seeing it through new eyes.”

  We sat in the quiet evening for a while, taking in the soft warbles of the birds and occasional calls from an owl. Cinder showed up and paced between us, accepting pets and purring loudly.

  Melissё broke the silence, “Is this a date?”

  I almost blurted out something like, ‘I hope so!’ in shock at her blunt question. But I caught myself and paused to take a breath.

  “Do you want it to be a date?” I asked, looking her in the eyes.

  She waited a moment, smiled, then nodded saying, “Alright.”

  ***

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