Frost bites at the edges of her vision as the water floods into her. Her throat tries to expel the icy torment it brings, her arms flailing for the light of the surface. By the time her body breaches the surface she lays limp, her lips icy blue, and her mind far from the chilly waters.
As her consciousness returns she finds herself surrounded. Three unearthly beings peer down at her. Too tall to be standing, too warm to be looming. Their teeth glisten as they speak in a tongue of bristles and bells and roaring fires, like sounds caught on wind and incomprehensible to human ears. The strangest of strangers, yet she couldn’t find it within herself to be fearful.
She stared up at the figures, with their eyes aglow in colors a human’s never would be, their ears brought to an unnaturally sharp point, the crystalline wings that glittered softly like snow. Their bodies were those of men, but it felt wrong to call them that, when they seemed so much more. Even as one figure bent down and lifted her to meet their eyes, she felt beneath them. Their words like the needles of fir trees tracing gently along her body seemed to warm her, and to bring her into the fold, blessing her with the comprehension of their strange language.
“Hello, what is your name?” The one kneeling down to them spoke gently.
“Innogen.” She answered meekly, her own name had never sounded so beautiful in her own tongue, but somehow she spoke theirs. It came out of her like snowflakes melting on the palm of a hand.
“See they couldn’t be a spy, they answered truly.” Said one with a voice like crackling fire, warm and strong.
“Or it is a spy and it’s an idiot.” The third quipped, this one with a voice like jingling bells. “Whatever it is, it isn’t a faerie.”
“Well that much is plain. Innogen, what are you?” When they spoke her name it felt like every nerve in her body responded, compelling her to answer and answer truly.
“A human.”
“A human?” There was no word for what she was in the soft swirling sensorial language of the fair folk, and her own language came bluntly and brought a blush to her cheeks. As if it was an embarrassment, as if her own language was barbaric in comparison. “Well, I’m sure the scholars will know what to do.”
“Yes, but for now, let’s get them medical attention, the frost will start to bite again soon.” The one with the warm voice lifted her easily to her feet, and the three faeries started to escort her through the long frozen grass into an icy forest.
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Hey everyone! This is the start of a story that I’m writing, the title is a work in progress haha. I didn’t just want the fae to speak english cause where’s the magic in that? So I tried to focus on the sensory stuff instead, but with all the Christmas propaganda coming about this time of year I got severely influenced lol. Happy Holidays and have a great week!
Your Faithful Scrivener, and Scout, Lorelai Harper