Part 3: Questions

It had been almost a full day since I brought Aileen back to my lair. She had fallen dead asleep on the way back through the forest, exhausted by the stressful events of the night. The girl was now sleeping peacefully in a nest of pine needles and twigs.

Her formerly sickly pale skin now replaced with healthy porcelain and adorned with more freckles than I had seen the night before. Her hair was somehow more of a mess than yesterday, and looked as if a gremlin had taken refuge. She was bathed in Spring's light, but still curled to keep warm.

I watched from my part of the loch, bored of this dreadful stillness. Sadly, I could do nothing to ease my boredom for fear of gaining the unwanted attention of my fellow loch monsters. I had long resigned myself to caring for Aileen, and had decided to do so with my utmost ability.

The crack of a twig snapping alerted me to Aileen's awakening. She laid still for a moment before rising and rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. She looked around in confusion before spotting me among the water weeds.

".......Lachlan? Why are you a horse again?"

I snorted at her question. She was just so confused it was pitiful. I rose from the water, and shook the excess off before stepping back onto land. I walked over to the branch of a tree holding my pilfered human clothes, and transformed. I quickly pulled them over myself, not at all enjoying the sensation of the chilly air biting at my damp skin. I sat down next to her, lowering myself to her level, and handed her the last apple. She took a bite, and sat waiting for an answer.

"I am most comfortable in my original form. Being 'human' is secondary now, and does not feel natural to me."

".....oh." She couldn't seem to find anything more to say. Finally, she thought of something to break the silence. "Can I do magic like that too?"

"Transformation? No. At best, maybe a bit of illusionary magic. As a half-breed, the magic in your blood has been severely diluted, so you will never be able to master anything too complex." She looked disheartened at this, but perked up when she realized I had said she may have a chance at illusions.

"What does 'illusionary' mean?"

"Illusionary magic is where you change the way people perceive your appearance. Almost like transformation, but not quite." She was practically bouncing at this, and you could see she was thinking of all the possibilities.

"When can you teach me?!"

"When you are older. You aren't ready yet." Her eyes misted at this, preparing an attempt to sway my decision.

"B-but," she sniffled a bit for added effect, "but why not?!" She looked on the verge of crying at this point, and irritation started to grow within me.

"I have no obligation to teach one such as yourself. Be grateful I have taken you in, and am even contemplating the notion of teaching you magic in the first place!" She flinched, and what were false years mere moments ago, now rolled down her cheeks at my outburst. I took a breath to calm myself, then set about making her feel better.

"Would you like to see something?" She gave another soft sob before growing quiet, showing that I had piqued her interest. I looked around, and found an open pinecone. Performing a simple trick of illusion, its appearance rippled into that of a clump of emerald crystal. She let out a gasp of surprise, and looked at me in amazement. Answering her silent question, I handed it to her.

"See how it still feels like a normal pinecone? That's the power of illusion." She nodded, and handed it back to me, the pinecone returning to its true appearance.

I felt strangely proud that I had managed to cheer Aileen up. Perhaps the cause would be my normal diet. Only eating children, but never trying to make them feel better. It is a very ironic situation to think about.

My eyes traveled back to her matted hair, and noticed a few sticks and the like tangled in her curls. Hesitantly, I began, "Aileen? Have you had a bath recently?"

She shook her head no. It's no wonder she's so filthy!

"Then I suppose we should get to it." Without further ado, I pulled her shirt and undergarment off her, and pulled her into the shallows. I was already scrubbing at her skin when Aileen finally caught up. She stood and tried to escape, but I kept a firm grip on her arm to keep her from escaping. Hygiene is not to be taken lightly. Especially in the forest.

"Lachlan, let me go! Let me go, let me go, let. Me. Go!" She continued her struggles, but gave up when it became apparent to her that my strength was too great to overpower.

"Aileen, you need to be cleaned." She gave a huff, but didn't say anything in response. I leaned her head back, and worked my fingers through the knots. After a fair amount of work, Aileen's hair was combed through and as smooth as could be managed.

I ushered her out of the water, and gave her the clean clothes from the church to change into.

"Aileen, I would like to set some rules." She looked at me questioningly. "First, never go out of my sight. There are too many dangers in these woods for you be safe when alone. Second, never go into these waters without me. There are worse things than me in this loch. And thirdly, never talk to strangers. I ask that you please follow these rules, lest you be harmed at any time." Aileen nodded frantically, making her damp curls bounce up and down. I allowed a sigh of relief to escape lips, and smiled at her. She smiled back, not at all frightened by my teeth. "Would you like to play a game?"

"Yes! What are we playing?" She bounced around in anticipation, excitement clear in her eyes.

"We will play a game of questions. I ask something, you answer. Then you ask something, and I answer." Aileen looked a bit skeptical that such a thing could be considered a game, but took to the idea easily enough.

"I'll go first! Why are your eyes yellow like mine?"

"Because we are both of Fae origin. You of descent, and me because of.....certain circumstances. Now, do you remember your parents at all?" She looked upset at my question, but answered anyway.

"No. You?"

"Neither do I. What is your preferred fruit?" I wanted to lighten the sour mood with a simple question to lower her guard once more.

"I haven't tried many fruits...but I liked strawberries. Do you ever eat food like me?"

"If necessary, I suppose I can eat animal meat. I don't know about vegetables though.” Aileen giggled.

"Mothers always say that good kids eat all their vegetables, right?" I grumbled a bit about that.

"Enough about the vegetables. Do you have a favorite flower?"

"Oh! I like those big ones with all the yellow flowers! Those really big ones! They're thiiiiiiis tall!" She explained as she held her hand high in the air while dancing on the basis of her feet. I snickered at her antics.

"A giant mullein, is it?"

"That's the one!"

"I guess I'll just have to remember that." Perhaps I can surprise her with a meadow full of the weeds someday.

"Okay, my turn! How old are you?"

"It has been fifty-two years since I have come to this world as a water horse. I know how old I was in human years." She looked shocked that one as old as I could look so young. Really though, I am embarrassingly young in comparison to other creatures I have met. "Do you have a birthday?”

I gave myself a birthday," she said in a matter-of-fact tone.

"Oh? Did you now." I was teasing, but it didn't seem she recognized that.

"Yes. My birthday is May 13th. This game is boring now! Let's play something else!" I looked up at the sky, and saw that we had talked the day away.

"There will be no more games today, Aileen. It's high time you go off to bed. Sleep well." I shifted back to return to the loch, and settled in for the night. I need no sleep, but it is a luxury I will miss. Lamenting my fate, I lowered my head completely below the surface to keep watch.

***

I resurfaced to make sure nothing had happened while I was submerged. I looked at the sleeping form of Aileen, and saw that she was shivering violently. I had not thought to steal anything more than some food in town, and had forgotten that humans get cold easily.

I checked my surroundings to make sure it was clear, then got out to hunt. Only this time, my prey would be an animal.

***

It had been about an hour since I had left the loch, and thankfully Aileen was in the same place where I had left her. The pelts I had brought back were abundant with fur, but would have to be cured for any use to come out of them.

Sadly, they could offer nothing at this moment. So, I lay down with Aileen, and provided some warmth for her. She felt the heat I radiated, and snuggled closer, muttering unintelligible gibberish all the while. And we lay like that until the sunrise.