Fayne and the Rebitur

Rani's favorite Elven tale.

Once there was an Elven girl named Fayne. She lived in the woods near the great mountains and loved to go swimming in the creek. Fayne loved all the creatures of the woods, the cahrid, the fachyns, even the porcupines. There was one creature though that she did not love. That creature was the Rebitur.

 

Now the Rebitur was cunning, more cunning than most other creatures, and would call to Fayne from its perch high in a sycamore tree. “Come sit under my tree little girl. There is much shade here and the flowers smell so sweet.”

 

But Fayne was not fooled. “I will sit under your tree, for then you shall gobble me up!”

 

Every day Fayne would venture into the forest and pass the sycamore tree on her way to the creek. Every day she heard the Rebitur calling out to her. Each time it asked she answered the same, not pausing or thinking about it.

 

Then one day the Rebitur tried to be crafty. It put fresh fruit under the tree in a large basket and waited for Fayne. “Come sit under my tree little girl and eat some fruit.  It tastes so fresh and wonderful.”

 

Fayne paused for a moment as she passed by. The fruit did look good, plump and juicy. But she shook her head and kept on walking. “I will not sit under your tree, for then you shall gobble me up!”

 

The next day the Rebitur tried something else. It put golden trinkets under its tree that it had taken from a wandering merchant. Then it waited for Fayne. “Come sit under my tree little girl and take some gold. It will make you richer than a thousand queens.”

 

Fayne stopped and stared at the gold. It could buy her many things; of that she was certain. Thoughts crossed her mind of what she wanted and for a moment she thought of taking the gold. Then she came to her senses. “I will not sit under your tree, for then you shall gobble me up.”

 

So the Rebitur fumed for a whole week about how it could not trick Fayne. Then one day it thought of something, a dreadfully awful scheme. It put an enchanted black diamond under the tree and waited for Fayne. “Come sit under my tree little girl and take this magic gem. It will make you more powerful than all the queens and kings in the world!”

 

Fayne stopped walking and looked at the diamond. It was shimmering under the tree, even in the cool shade. The magic in it was obvious and tempting to her. She thought about touching it, maybe just for a moment to see if the power the Rebitur spoke of was true. At last she sighed. “I will not sit under your tree, for if I do you shall gobble me up…”

 

“I will not,” said the bird. “It is yours if you want it.” The Rebitur left its perch and vanished in the trees leaving the black diamond underneath the tree.

 

Fayne stood still staring at the gorgeous gem. “I should not touch it,” she told herself. Still she did not leave. As she stood she felt herself wanting nothing more than to touch it until nothing else was on her mind. “The bird is gone. I will touch it once then be gone.”

 

Fayne walked under the tree and picked up the diamond. It pulsed in her hand, and in her mind she could feel the enchantment working in her body. Each muscle felt strong and her mind sharp. A new world of possibilities opened before her eyes.

 

“Crye crye!” A loud screech broke her thoughts. Fayne tried to run but it was too late. The Rebitur swooped down, jaws open, snapping at her. She dropped the diamond, which shattered on the ground. The Rebitur tore into her flesh, ripping her head clean off and eating it whole. As her body fell the Rebitur flew at it, slicing it to pieces with its sharp talons and gobbled it up, every last bit. Then it flew back to its perch and waited for someone else to come along for it to trap.