Banished (Chapter 1)

A/N: This is gonna be BAD! Brace yourselves! Feel free to rip this apart- though please note that I'm writing this strictly for fun AND this is merely a first draft and I am just posting it completely raw and there's tons of stuff that is super cringe and like, normally I wouldn't put stuff like all caps in for emphasis... but... heh... it's there. SO. Have fun ripping this to shreds- but I'm probably not going to be even thinking of revising/editing/proof reading (see, I warned you) until/if I finish this draft! :D Which could be never. So don't get too attached. <3

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I couldn't keep my eyes off of him, terrified that his tiny body would freeze over and shatter in the freezing temperatures. I hugged him tighter to me and quickened my steps. I wanted to scream for him. I wanted to let the world know how he'd been wronged so early in his life. He let out a faint gurgling noise and my eyes fell on him again. So tiny. So precious. He couldn't have been more than a couple weeks old? But it's not like I knew THAT much about babies, and Fae did mature slightly faster than other babies. And he was definitely Fae. If I wasn't so keen on being able to sense Fae folk, any wing-dinger could tell he was Fae because of the teeny-tiny antlers poking out of his head. They had already grown a good three inches, but unfortunately for this little tike, his left antler was snapped clean off.

I felt so /done/ with everything. This baby boy was just the icing on the cake and I just wanted to curl up and mourn for every one of us who'd been cast aside but the queen. But there was no time. If I wanted the little mister and me to get to the clan before the blizzard turned to complete white out conditions I had to keep my wits about me and save the mourning for later.

The snow felt thicker and thicker as I marched on. The only things pushing me forward was the distant memory of warmth, the baby in my arms, and the promise of Eldia's elk stew and fresh spicy buns. My fingers felt like they were going to snap off at any minute, but I knew I must be getting close, so I kept on.

Suddenly, I saw a light. It was faint at first, and shaky- bouncing all around, this way and that. But then it grew closer and closer and it finally got so close that I was able to make out a figure lobbing towards me. *Eventually I realized that it was acquaintance Hal aboard our mutual friend Tyra, the jackalope. I felt such a great amount of relief I wasn't sure what to do with it all, but instead silently scrambled atop Tyra with the help of Hal. It wasn't easy holding the baby, but I managed to do it by letting Hal take all my weight on his arm and hooking my leg over Tyra to pull myself up.

Hal didn't say a word and neither did I. This was more or less our relationship in a nutshell. We regularly helped each other and interacted, but neither of us ever really said anything about it. Sometimes we'd say the odd 'hello' or 'thank you' or Hal would offer a warm smile from across the dining hall. But usually we enjoyed each other's company in the most comfortable of silences. And of course, we'd communicate if needed- like if we were on the same job and needed to stay on the same page. But that was the thing- most of the time we simply /were/ on the same page. Tonight for instance- who else would have known that I was freezing alive on my way back? I mean some people might have guessed, but usually long after I was dead.

I wrapped one arm around his waist and all but fell asleep for the ride back. Nothing felt quite like the gate of a jackalope bounding through the snow.

Not too long and we were back. As soon as we stepped through the front doors there were nurses ready to whisk my little bundle away. I let them take him and brushed off the others that wanted to check me out in the medical centre. They were probably worried I might have frostbite, but I knew I didn't have it because it still felt like my fingers and toes were about to fall off. I felt them. And that was the most painfully good sign I knew of.

I shed my boots and outer coats and mittens and tried to make my way to my room. But not long into the walk there my feet and hands began to warm up, and it felt like an extreme case of pins and needles and an explosion of heat and pain and I couldn't help it, I crouched down in the middle of the hallway and clutched my feet and chomped down on my lip. I barely managed to keep from screaming. Then I felt something incredibly soft beside me. Without opening my eyes, I knew who it was. Tyra always knew when I needed a snuggle. Or maybe Tyra and I just both tended to be in sync with when we needed snuggles. I'm not sure, but in any case she usually had brilliant timing.

My feet still felt like they were being stabbed but I used Tyra to get up again and together we walked to my room. I shed my damp clothing and but on my night gown and long underwear and a incredibly warm sweater made from the down of Jackalopes that we collect when they shed their winter coats. And then Tyra and I made our way to the dinning hall. I didn't really care that I was in my nightgown, and no one else ever did either. They were used to me hanging around in my night clothes. I couldn't be bothered to where all the uncomfortable clothes that were seen as more 'appropriate' for too long. And it was late and supper time was long over and it would most likely just be Tyra and the cooks and I anyway.

I was mostly right, but it appeared that Hal and a couple of our older gentlemen were playing some cards. I shuffled into the kitchen to see if there was any leftover stew. The head cook, Fran, smiled when she saw me and hurried to the cupboard. She got down a bowl and began scooping ladleful after ladleful of steaming stew into it. My stomach growled, knowing exactly how wonderful that lovely stew felt on a hungry belly. Fran proceeded to open the oven and pull out a good sized bun.

"I was keeping this warm special for ya" she said, handing me the bowl and bun. "I couldn't t bear the thought of you coming home to bone-cold scraps." She grimaced and shook her head. Then urged me to take the food. I thanked her profusely, letting the aroma waft into my nostrils and pulled up a chair at the little wooden table that the cooks often sat at to eat their meals in the kitchen. But before I could bring the spoon to my lips, Fran was clucking over me. She brought me a mug of tea, a cloth in case I spilled, even a blanket. Usually I didn't mind the special treatment. It was nice having someone looking out for you, Fran was like a mum to me, one of many. For some reason older Fae loved to adopt me. But this evening I just wanted to be left alone with my stew. It tasted so yummy and the gravy was so smooth and the vegetables were just the right amount of cooked and the elk meat fell apart in my mouth and with each bite nothing but good memories flooded my mind. I ate it so fast that Fran almost hesitated when I asked for seconds. She eyed me a good couple seconds, as though gaging whether my another bowl would fit in my stomach. Then she nodded and I hastily filled my bowl before she could change her mind. I had saved half of my bun because they were more special and everyone always wanted them, so I knew Fran would be less willing to give me another one.

As I began to sip at my second bowl of stew, more leisurely this time, Hal poked his nose in the kitchen, and nudged me with the back of his hand. I peered up at him, vaguely annoyed and vaguely intrigued. Hal didn't normally approach me so directly.

"C'mon out." he said, jerking his head to the side as he did so. I squinted at my stew, as if it held the answers to Hal's sudden and odd behaviour. Why would he want me to come out. I always ate in the kitchen- it was easier to socialize with the cooks, and they seldom bothered you by trying to talk to you, and instead carried on cooking and baking and cleaning and serving and leaving you alone. And they also used me as a taste tester sometimes. So why oh why would I want to go out there? Hal nudged me again.

"Why?" I asked after a good couple of seconds. The cooks were paying close attention now, too, as usually when someone came to talk to me back here it was for a very, very good reason.

Suddenly he seemed rather self-conscious and simply said "someone wants to meet you." and then turned around and walts out.

I furrowed my brows and locked eyes with Fran, who looked equally confused. She wasn't going to leave her curiosity unsated, and tossed the towel she was using to dry dishes with onto the table and headed out after Hal. I scrambled to my feet as well, not wanting to be the last to know what was going on. But then a flood of anxiety took over me, and simply tip-toed over the the swinging doors that led to the dinning hall. I pushed them open a crack so I could peek. Fran was already laughing and joking with the elderly gents, but she was simultaneously eyeing a table where Hal, a couple hunters, and a strange man that I'd never seen before sat. My heart quickened as I brought the bowl to my lips and gulped down the rest of my stew, shoved the rest of the bun in my mouth, snatched my mug of tea that was only warm at this point and headed out of the kitchen. I made my way slowly over to the table where Hal sat, dilly-dallying, and trying not to look too out of place. I slowed as I drew closer. The stranger noticed me, and stared at me for a moment, with an odd expression on his face. Which is of course when I remembered I was in my nightgown. Thankfully though, Hal spotted me and gestured to a chair. I shuffled over and took the seat, and pretended to warm my hands on my mug, watching the golden liquid vibrate as it settled from the impact of me setting my cup down.

It felt like everyone was staring at me but when I finally got the nerve to look up, mostly everyone was staring into the middle distance. I thought it would be a little more exciting. Especially since we didn’t get new people very often- new people usually /we/ brought in- actually, /I/ usually brought in, it was my job to offer people our services. So it was a little odd having someone new here that I hadn’t brought in.

“They have no right to do this.” said one of the hunters whom I’d always staked for a level-headed kind of guy. He was charming and kind and liked to teach me things about skinning and gutting. I watched him carefully, looking for any signs to indicate what they were talking about. Whatever it was sounded serious.

Hal looked from me to the stranger, and then down at his hands. The stranger didn’t look at me. He just yawned and gingerly leaned back on his chair. “I think the queen is going to flush this settlement out.” is all he said. And he said it so casually that I almost didn’t realize the level of severity of this news until what he said finally hit me.

“What? Why? She already banished us? Isn’t that enough?” I said. I felt exhausted and this stranger made me vaguely annoyed. I wasn’t even sure he was telling the truth, and I just wanted to go to bed now. Hal grumbled something and finished off his drink. The dining hall was dimly lit at this time of night, with mostly the fireplace casting a glimmering amber light on everyone.

“Because we look bad.” chuckled one of the old hunters.

I sighed. That was a bit of a running joke, considering that the reason for most of the people being here, was because they were deformed in some way- whether it was physical or whether it was something that made our magic less powerful. Like the baby I’d brought in earlier; his left antler was broken which meant if he still had any magic, it was dulled. And so he was discarded, like so many of us.

We sat in silence for a few minutes after, contemplating. Finally I asked: “Who told you she was going to do that?”

Silence again. The stranger stirred the hot drink in front of him. He cleared his throat and then said "No one."

I squinted at him- not in a really mean way, just sorta in a 'I have no idea what you're trying to say' way. Or more in a 'what the the heck do you mean?' kinda way. But no one was looking at me so it didn't really matter what my squint meant. I took a giant gulp of my tea, wondering if it would be rude to excuse myself and go to bed so soon after joining this table.

Hal glanced at me, and offered a smile. I smiled back.

"Here's what we need to do about it," started the stranger again, "we need to gather all the outcasts and everyone that's been banished, and we need to prepare ourselves."

We all sorta just blinked. Then one of the hunters spoke up. "everyone who's been banished is here, and how exactly do you intend we prepare ourselves for a threat that might be completely real or completely all-in-your-head?"

"Not everyone." the stranger said, "There’s others that are not here."

My eyebrows shot up. "There's the odd Fae that rejects our invitation but that is very very rare." I said, my ego a little scuffed from mention of another group. I was pretty dang good at convincing people to come stay with us, and I kept track of how many rejections I got and it was only a handful of Fae. Hal looked shocked at my sudden courage.

"And," the hunter began again, "even if there were, say, as many others out there as us, that would still only be, what? forty more?"

"Fifty-seven." I corrected.

"Still." he said, "that's not enough to stop the queen if she wanted to blow us off the face of the world."

I nodded and so did the rest of us, except the stranger. "The Fae who I'm talking about, are not your average. They were banished years ago- long before anyone even considered banishing weaker Fae. In fact they were even banished you'd say, for their growing strength. They were seen as a threat and were growing increasingly aggressive in the monarchies eyes back then. So they told them to get lost.”

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P.S. I didn't have a title, so instead of naming this "untitled Fae story" I decided to title it "Banished" for now, in honour of how many freaking times that poor helpless word was used, and will be used in the future throughout this *thing*.