Exton

As Alise turns in her seat she sees Star sitting with Erik and Rowan. Mon Dieu Stoney... Star looks so pale and tired. I hope she is all right...

Stoney sends a mental hug to his wife, I'm sure she is Chaton, or Erik would have made her stay home. You looked much the same before the twins came...

Alise nods but continues to keep a close eye on Star. She can see she is struggling and swallowing hard when the talk turns to meat, then raw meat. Rowan has moved close to Traeger and Eriks attention is on the meeting. No one seems to notice when Star stands, her face completely drained of color. Alise stands and tries to get Eriks attention, but as he turns to look at Star she puts a hand over her mouth and runs out the back door. Erik follows but the crowd slows him down. When he reaches the back steps he sees Star on her knees in the alley, violently ill, a small waif of a girl kneeling next to her, holding her hair.

Any other time Erik would have been struck by the thinness of the girl, the knotted mass of colorful hair. But his focus was on Star until the girl looked up with dark solemn eyes. Eyes that were old and wise beyond the girls years.

“She doesnt want you to see this... Stay there, I'll help her...”

Then Erik notices the ears, longer than most of the fae he had seen, She must be a Wyldfae, like Ky...

“Anadlu, yn hawdd, yr wyf yn gweld, Lady Star. Baby's gwneud boliau dda sâl. A fydd nid yn hir. Mae am allan yn fuan. Wee un, un cryf, y Lleuad yn Gyntaf, a gludir a anwyd. Ni fydd y nesaf drwg hwn. Wish yn addo ...”*

After a few minutes Star sits up slowly and looks at who is helping her. She recognizes a fae like Ky but she has never seen the girl before.

“Thank you... for helping me. I'm sorry... all the talk of meat ...and eating it raw...” Stars face starts to lose whatever color it had just gained.

Wish smiles and lays a small hand on Stars belly which starts to settle. “A great warrior... Arwr y Darogan... many wait for him...”

Rowan steps from the tavern to the alley in time to see Erik and Wish help Star stand. “Hi Wish. I see you have met Star..”

Wish nods, “And the baby...” With a pat to Stars belly and a smile Wish moves towards the shadows but at the last moment she turns, dropping to her knees. She touches her forehead to the gravel, then looks up at Star.

"Need me, and you just call. Freuddwyd Gollwyd." She repeats her name again, slower, enunciating each syllable as Fried-wood Gull-schwood."Wish has no power in this Realm." Her voice lowers so only Erik and Rowan can share her words. "I am yours to command, Lady. I am the Lost Dream. I followed your call years ago, but you closed off yourself. Now I see you and swear my magick to your service."

Rising she slips her hand into the hand of the youth who waits for her. He takes a knee as well.

"I am Pehwyad, Pen-who-ad. My magick is yours." He grins at Erik. "Just call me Pike."

They fade into the shadows, blending in with the street kids, just two more shadows in the dark.


*breathe, easy, I see, Lady Star. Baby's make good bellies sick. Won't be long. He wants out soon. Wee one, strong one, the First Moon, borne and born. The next won't be this bad. Wish promises...