Banished To Earth Book Two Souls Adrift (26)

         Radiating from the center of the solar system, Sol’s light filtered through Earth’s atmosphere and gathered against the great oak’s faint blue force field until it slowly permeated and encapsulated the entire farm in a soft pink ambience. Not only was it soothing, but it also repulsed every form of hostile alien life now plaguing the planet.  

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     Davin walked hand in hand with Pry toward the barrier and the hostile outer world lying just beyond its sweet perfect security. The barrier, the oak’s subtle force field distorted the light, giving the outer world a wavy dreamlike appearance, but still quite visible and accessible.

    “Others are suffering, Davin.”

     Peering out across the strip of black top and relieved by the stillness of forest and field that lay beyond it, he drew her hand up to his mouth and kissed it. “I know. Out there somewhere, there are bound to be more unchanged.”

    Ploughing his fingers through the rippling curtain of distorted air. It slid and curled over his fingertips as though it were alive. He looked down at the grass and up at the sky. “Everything looks so peaceful, it makes it way too easy to pretend nothing has changed.”

    “Can you feel them out there?”

   Bowing his head toward her, he asked, “The unchanged?”

   Her bright blue eyes darkened, as her head nodded no.

 “Oh, you mean Stayner, Chase and Mable, mice in the walls of the world, gnawing their way out.”

    “You are dreaming of all of them now, are you not?”

   “Yes, but I didn’t change did I?

   A giggle shocked his ears. “You did. But it is like having my warrel with me. Sometimes I look down at you and see your fangs and snout and remember Phastanar.”

   “You like that, really?”

    “Oh yes. But there is no rage, only…”

   “Me pretending to be a man.”

   “Stop it. I see a man learning to harness forces that will save us all. I see my husband.”

       The sound of pounding hooves spun them around. Tucker and Trudy came galloping up behind them. The beaming face of a gleeful little girl greeted them as they smiled up at Tucker.

    “Look Pry,” Nikki squealed from behind him. Her sweet little face peeking out at them from under his right arm. “I’m a cowgirl! Tucker says so.”

    “You sure are.” Davin said reaching up to stroke Thor’s nose. It whinnied and jerked away.

    “Whoa, boy, whoa, settle down.” Tucker flicked his wrist to his right. Thor’s head followed along with the rest of him. He clucked. It settled down and trotted away from Davin.

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    “Sorry I forgot.” Davin sighed and glanced over at Pry. “I think it’s getting worse.”

   “It?”

    Davin gave her a tired look. “Okay, not it. They. They’re getting stronger, drawing closer.”

      “My poor grass,” Trudy fussed as she pulled Smoky up well short of Davin and Pry. “Oh well, it made our baby smile, well worth it.”

     Climbing down she walked up to them, careful to keep Smoky a safe distance from Davin. The thunderous sound of Tucker racing back to the corral and Nikki squealing with delight, put off any conversation until they were well out of ear shot.

   “Seen anythin’,” Trudy hesitated, “Interestin’, out there?”

   Pry shook her head, golden sunlight gleamed on her long white hair. Rainbows slid up and down her head and shoulders as it tumbled and rolled over her tiny frame. Trudy shook her own head, not to agree, but to break the soothing spell Pry was unintentionally casting.

    “Little bit yer’ head has a language all it’s own.” 

  “oh yeah, don’t I know it.” Davin replied, “and no, nothing interesting. Peaceful as, well, don’t need to say it.”

    “A graveyard.” Pry inserted, “that does not mean that no one still lives, out there.”

    “What are you two, gettin’ at?”

   Pry stepped up to Trudy and took her free hand. “We are staining your house.”

   “We,” Davin asked?

    “Stainin’?” Trudy gently drew Pry up to her, “That’s crazy talk.”

   Davin studied her eyes. They darted about like birds trapped in a house.

   She sucked in a deep breath, “Yeah well, your bed sheets. They are getting’ mighty dingy. Cain’t seem to bleach em’ white, but that ain’t nuthin’. Is it?” 

   “It is something Trudy.” Davin said turning back toward the barrier. “You haven’t noticed?”

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    She pulled away from Pry and pressed a hunk of uprooted grass back down into the dirt. “Thing’s, things are getting’ darker.”

    “Yes they are.” Pry murmured, as if she truly believed the phantoms could not hear her whispers.

    “I’m drawing them, feeding them. Chase wants my body. Mable wants her son. And I want you safe.” His eyes were trained on Trudy’s.

    “They ain’t goin’ to hurt us.”

   “So, if they come for me, fully formed and deadly dangerous you’ll step aside?”

   “No!”

     “Then they will hurt you. Nikki is a brave little girl. We both know what she will do when they come for me.”

   “We must fight them….” Davin cut Pry off.

   “We? No Pry you stay here with them.”

    “I will not. When you leave. I will go with you. It is settled.”

    Trudy gave Davin a nasty glare. “Little bit…”

   “No, he is my husband I lost him once. Never again. It is settled.”

     “But you ain’t gotta gun or yer blacks.”

    “I can shift. I am Hunter now. I will be fine.”

   “Well at least say goodbye…”

   “Ofcourse Trudy.” Davin said.  “We’d never just up and go. I want to speak to Sava anyway.”

    Trudy dropped her reins and ran over to them. They embraced. “Don’t think I’ve ever hugged you Trudy. Hope Tucker doesn’t get jealous.”

   “Oh hush.” Trudy grinned, pulled away and trotted back to smoky, slung herself into the saddle and galloped away.

   A short time later, which was quite short since they shifted straight to the oak, he and Sava sat on the grass just beyond the oak and talked.

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   Sitting cross legged on the soft grass, the warm sun baking the back of his neck, Davin’s right shoulder apparently suited Sava quite well. He too was sitting cross legged there. The only difference being Sava’s wings were arched over his head screening out most of the heat and casting a dull ruddy glow over him.

     “You say you’re leaving us?” Sava’s voice was heavy with sad resignation.

   “You know I got to.”

  A low grunt of reluctant approval struck Davin’s ears. “Anything you can tell me about it,” Davin looked up at the tree, then higher still at the pulsating fountain of blue light radiating from it. “I mean, do you believe they will be safer with me gone, and how long will you and your people be here.”

   “Is your concern for us fairies equal to your concern for you big ones?”

   “Okay, you just cut to the bone don’t you.”

   A broad grin stretched across the old fairies’ face. “I jest. Lar rah’s light streams down on us. The barrier filters your sun’s intense radiation. We can leave or stay as long as we like. And your people will be safe with us. You need not worry. But we will most certainly worry about you. Just know that our fountain of light is your future. If you survive, learn and grow brighter. Let yesterday’s light shine through. Let it take you where it will. Trust it.”

    Just then Beth and Silhouette came walking up to them. Soon the four of them sat in a semi-circle, each facing the other.

   Sava fluttered over to Beth and settled down on her right knee. He bowed to her in respect.

   “You called me a clown.” Silhouette quipped, “and you bow to her.”

   “She is our Queen now.”

  “What!” Beth jerked her head back. “Kidding right?”

  “Oh no, a debt is owed, a great debt.” Sava’s tone was grave, “what you did for all of us, cannot go unrewarded.”

   Davin laughed, until he realized Sava was stone-cold serious. “Well, that’s kinda fair, I guess.”

 

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 “We will protect you, your precious daughter and all you hold dear for the rest of our days. Our fealty is yours forever. Davin you need not concern yourself with their well-being, while you are gone.”

    “You’re leaving?” Silhouette asked.

   “Yeah, I’m just a crack in the wall. The longer I stay, the bigger the crack. Sooner or later something dark and nasty is going to come busting through.”

   “Your Moth…Mabel and Chase?” Beth whispered.

   “And then there’s fish head Stayner.” Said Silhouette, “Can’t forget him, sure wish I could. Well, when do we leave?”

    “We?”

    “Yeah Davin, we. I can’t have a couple of babies stumbling through Hell without back up, now can I? Besides, getting bored, wanna kill something.”

    “Well, I’m not your…” Davin started to say Daddy but bit his tongue, “Your boss. But you might want to ask our Queen’s permission.” He smirked at Beth.

   Sava looked puzzled, Beth annoyed.