Offerings

Leaf continues to move through time, searching for her family, and finds that she is becoming a legend.

5.

Offerings

 

Llaiannileaf sang twice more, once at a Spring Equinox, where again the tree was covered with gems and jewels.    She took a ring that seemed to be of gold with a red gem set into it, and as she sang her Kindred Song, she sensed that a group of humans were gathered -respectfully- at the bottom of the hill, listening to her.   

Her last song, before her voice finally betrayed her, was late at night at a Fall Equinox.    A three-quarters full moon gave generous light to the hillside.      Apparently the humans had waited in the evening for her arrival and had finally gone home or to some camp a distance away.    The tree was clothed in all sorts of offerings.   

Jewelry and Gems, fancy swords and daggers of iron with bejeweled hilts, food wrapped in bright cloths, and even some brilliantly colored hooded cloaks all waited for her inspection.

From the craftsmanship, she could tell that some time had passed and that the people were growing more civilized.     She even found, amidst the offerings, a very old, beat-up shotgun.   It was a weapon from a long-ago time, before terrible war had nearly destroyed the world.    It had been lovingly maintained for centuries, probably passed down through the descendants of the original owner, until, in spite of their diligence in maintaining it, the gun had broken.   Perhaps there was no-one to repair it now.   

So they had offered it to her, probably thinking that somehow she offered some sort of protection to them.    Maybe she was their fertility goddess or the one who made their crops grow.    She hated the thought that they worshipped her, but was touched by their sentiment.  

Llaiannileaf selected a brilliant red cloak from the offerings and as a sign that she had seen the others, wrapped the old gun carefully in a lovely purple cloak, used a bejeweled belt to bind it, and then set it on a branch of the tree.    She pinned the cloak with one of the silver broaches from the offering hoard and as the last notes of her song ended, she again faded from this time and place.

 

***

 

The many appearances and songs had wearied her.   It was a strange feeling for Llaiannileaf, for in the place of the Sidhe, there had been no exhaustion, at least not like that within this human world.

As she slowly reappeared in another time and place, she knew that she had to find someplace safe and warm to sleep.   The peacefulness of this current time seemed to comfort her, but her mind wondered about Finola and her child.

That would require one more jump, forward through time once again.    She debated just finding a barn or cave where she could sleep undisturbed, but the human girl and her baby kept coming to her mind.

She could find shelter with them - if they did not fear her too much.    Was it to risky to try?    Her eyes blurred with weariness as her mind wrestled her options.

Suddenly she found herself shifting through time.    She had unconsciously sent herself forward by thinking too intently on Finola and her child.

Leaf pulled herself out, aware that she had moved much further forward than she’d hoped.   It had been, for her, only a moment; the length of two breaths of air, but she knew she had passed the time frame about which she had thought.

Rubbing her eyes, she looked around.    It was still night here, and the coolness of the air told her it was autumn again.    There was no moon this time and dark restless clouds filled the sky.   

She glanced at the tree of offering, her Sidhe eyesight nearly as keen in pitch blackness as it was in the sunlight.

It was bare of any jewels or objects, except for a single necklace hanging from a low branch.    Llaiannileaf brought forth a small orb of arcane white light to examine the item.    It shined pleasantly in the fae light.    It was a cross, finely crafted and quite beautiful, of white silver.   In the center of the cross was a faceted green gemstone that had been carefully mounted onto the ornate necklace.

It was a religious symbol, the symbol of the Creator God.    

 

Leaf was drawn to the lovely necklace and slipped it off of the branch of the tree.    Never had she worn a religious item, but she placed this one around her neck.    It was longer than the cruder necklace that had been offered in an earlier time, yet they seemed to greatly compliment each other.

The older one hung shorter and clung closer to her neck, while the cross necklace hung lower, against her chest.    Both seemed to be crafted in almost the same style, though the later one had been more carefully made.

Llaiannileaf found that she loved them both and wondered if the same person had placed them there.    But how many years separated the two necklaces?     She looked down the hill and after glancing around for a few moments was surprised to see apparent change.

At the bottom of the hill, the thick underbrush had been completely cleared away and a large stone building had been constructed.

It was almost perfectly square (as best as she could see) and seemed strong, yet humble.    At one end was a tower perhaps three stories high with a bell mounted at the top.    A bell tower, she mused, recalling her father’s tales of churches in the worlds he had visited.

 

This structure did not look like a church to her, so though she was exhausted, Llaiannileaf shifted through space and reappeared near it.

What she had thought was a solid structure was actually four tall stone walls surrounding other buildings within the protective ring of the walls.     The tower stood at one end, next to a large arched gateway.   It wasn’t a castle or fortress, of this she was certain, for there were no arrow slits or battlements on the wall.

Curious, she shifted through the wall and into a courtyard on the other side.    Several humble buildings filled most of the yard, with the remainder of the space taken up by a garden plot that had recently been harvested of crops.

No-one stirred as Leaf crept around the courtyard, examining the buildings.   Most seemed to be some sort of dormitory, with very few windows all along the way.    In the very middle of the courtyard was an equally humble, but beautiful, chapel.    

 

A monastery, Llaiannileaf exclaimed to herself after a few minutes pondering.    She sneaked around the quiet courtyard and found a stable near the back wall.    Moving so quietly that none of the cows, sheep and chickens heard her, she shifted inside, and then climbed a ladder up to the loft, which was mostly filled with fresh hay for the upcoming winter.

Leaf smiled, for it would be her bed for the night and she wrapped her cloak around her and nestled into the hay, disturbing a couple of mice.

She was too tired to be apprehensive of being discovered and within a few moments the girl had fallen into an exhausted sleep.

 

Reviews

[Dhaye]

Hmnn...nice chapter.
Your faith in God is reflected on this chapter. :)

[Eddie Davis]

Thank you, Dhaye.