We Perform the Miracles - Chapter Seven
In which little Noel receives some surprising news from France, meets the deer lady from his journey, and receives an unexpected promise from Lord Kierathan.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Little Noel wasn't entirely certain where France was, only that his gran lived there and it was quite a ways from Streatham. And *that* meant he was likely to be there a good long while indeed.
"Mum - Lady," he began.
"I suppose you must call me Cadrhionna," she sighed, "for you've already heard me addressed as such."
"Well, alright, Ca- Catri- .." his tongue stammered over the unfamiliar name.
"Cathy then. Can you manage that?"
"Oh yes, thank you Mum. Cathy. What I want to know is, these people you sent, did they take the tube? 'Cause I think I've been away a while and my mum will be missing me." He sniffed, not saying that he was missing her too just then, and could quite nearly see her beautiful wide-eyed face leaning over him in his little bed.
"The tube, my word, what a notion." Cadrhionna - Cathy - nearly laughed at that. "As if any of our folke could stand being trapped in such an iron tunnel. No, they have their own means of being several places at once. Why look - here's one back now." Little Noel glanced about but saw only a ball of light, then another, two more - like will-o-the-wisps darting about the edges of the Common at evening time.
"Ah. And our Lord comes too. This will be sorted quickly then, I hope." Her voice wasn't cold, but Noel knew she'd be happy not to have charge of him sooner than later. "As before, follow my lead; bow when he enters."
Little Noel looked about, trying to see which direction Kierathan would come from; but the lady put a hand on his head, pushing it down and forward. "Bow!" she hissed.
"Its alright, Cadrhionna. The effort's been made." Noel snuck a glance from under the brim of Poppy's hat; yes, it was the same glamourous rock star as before. Only this time he wore a skin-tight suit that twinkled and flashed, reflecting every bit of the splendor around him - a dazzling effect that momentarily kept little Noel's eyes averted whether he willed it or no.
"Our messengers tell me that indeed, Arghantael has a changeling daughter, who is bonded to a member of his court. More; they have borne children of their own, two of them." There was a gasp from those nearby at this - children do not come easily to the fae folke; to have two was nearly unheard of.
"The son still resides in Arghantael's court, but the girl child - that daughter has crossed to live here in the city of men. Child." he addressed little Noel directly. "Your mother - is her name Dhidanya?"
"Its, well, a bit like that, yeah.." Little Noel shaded his eyes with one hand, finding he could more easily look at the rock lord in his shining suit that way.
"So then. But that would make him only part changeling - not enough, surely, to find our court. There must be something more." Kierathan furrowed his perfect shining brow. "When you found your way here, child. You followed a trod - how did you come to find that?"
"If you mean the flowers - they was just there. I thought maybe a deer pushed 'em up, or perhaps a little foxy man."
"And do the animals often behave that way, where you come from?" asked Kierathan wryly.
"When I'm about they do. They come see me, times, back of the hedge. Or anywhere really - like the deer lady who looked at me on the way here." He turned to his lady in red, hoping she would remember. "The one with the cards and things on her horns?"
"Sabah. Saw her too, did you? Perhaps she can help with this then. Sabah!" Kierathan called in such a way that his voice echoed throughout the giant endless chamber without seeming to get any louder.
"Genius," thought little Noel, "he doesn't even need a mic!" Before the echoes had the chance to die away, the pretty deer woman with her huge liquid brown eyes stood beside the lady in red, inclining her graceful neck towards her faerie lord.
"Sabah. Have you seen this child before?" The deer lady whickered softly, in a way little Noel fancied meant she had. "And so. Do you - Recognize him?"
Sabah, the gentle deer, turned towards him. She took a few hesitant steps, then lowered her head so she could look the child in the eye. She sniffed, moving her velvet snout from one side to the other. Finally, she reached out a delicate pink tongue and licked him, just below one ear.
"Hey, stop, that tickles!" Noel laughed, but did not push her away. Stepping back, the deer woman turned again to the faerie lord, speaking wordlessly with her eyes and expression, pawing a hoof now and then for emphasis.
"A shapeshifter on the father's side too, then, from the old Pictish race. Well." Lord Kierathan chuckled low in his chest. "More our blood than theirs; that certainly does explain a few things! Thank you, Sabah." The deer woman inclined her head again, then turned and disappeared in the way they all seemed to come and go in this place.
"But the parents," began Cadrhionna. "Do they not know themselves?" Kierathan shook his head sadly.
"They may not. The human world has little regard for our sort anymore; those who live across the Veil not only wish to forget but often have no choice. Some, however, have begun to seek other worlds and other ways again. Child - " he turned once more to little Noel, who was adjusted to the splendiferous shining suit by now. "Amongst your people, your mother, father, those around them. Do they ever eat mushrooms, with blue gills or red caps? Do they smoke pipes?"
"They do!" responded little Noel eagerly. "Usually Captain Syd brings them. And they stay up all night laughing and playing wif my things. Mum puts me to bed on such nights, but I peek out the stair railing. I like when my dad an' Nik and uncle Terry put Hawkwind on and turn it up loud."
"Ah yes, the Hawklords. I've had some dealing with them as well, out at Stonehenge of a moonless night." Kierathan smiled down at him, a brilliant grin that made the child feel as warm and loved inside as anything. "Now that we know who you are, my little fae princeling, I suppose you'd like to go back to them? You can certainly stay here, if you like."
"Please sir. Its lovely here, best nightclub ever, better than the Roundhouse!" Noel knew that was one of his dad's favourite clubs. Why, just last week he'd seen Alice Cooper there. "But I want to go home. I'm sure me mum's awake, and she'll be cross with me for going out alone. But - " the child paused for a moment. "Can I come back again someday? When I'm bigger and can stay for a time."
"That you can, child, though you may not find the way as easily. Come." Lord Kierathan beckoned, and little Noel stepped shyly forward (with perhaps the tiniest push from Cadrhionna propelling him forward). To his great surprise, the faerie lord bent forward and scooped him up. He smelled wonderful: a mix of chai spice, woodsmoke, and hashish; with a darker earthy musk beneath.
Little Noel was even more surprised when the lord kissed him - first on the forehead, then on the lips, finally just over his heart, pulling the neck of his t-shirt down a bit to expose the skin.
"That is my seal upon you," he explained. "Any from our side you encounter will know you are of my court. And in your world.." here the elven lord paused. "They will know there is Something about you. Many will love that in you; some will despise it. You will face challenges in living life there that you would not here - but you have the power to withstand them."
"Right," said young Noel tentatively, thinking of the original quest that brought him here. "But will I get to find my best mate?" The lord paused a moment and looked deep into his eyes.
"You shall at that, my child. You shall at that. After all, here, we perform the miracles."