Book 1 - Chapter 2.2
Night woke to find Sol reclined against the standing stone, still awake and staring in the middle distance. She had her notebook open on her lap and her pencil held loosely in her hand. Sol had not noticed Night's rising until she was greeted with a "Good morning, Ranger", which jolted her to attention.
"Huh?? Oh, good morning."
Sol rubbed her eyes and looked up at the sky. The sun had not yet breached past the mist wall, but it was considerably lighter out and the moons were gone.
Night gave her a wary look. "Did you not sleep?" She said.
"Um, no" Sol yawned as she closed her notebook. "I've been taking notes about the past day. I think I've figured out how to help everyone here."
Night tilted her head to the side with barely masked scepticism, "Oh?"
Sol hesitated, and then glanced doubtfully down at her notebook.
"What is it then, Ranger?" Night pressed.
Sol swallowed and said, "What do you know about the Fae?"
"That you mentioned it earlier, but I don't know what it is."
Sol quirked her mouth at Night's open honesty. "They are beings that live in a shrouded state away from humans. They can be helpful or disruptive."
"Alright?" Said Night.
Sol paused, watching for any change in Night's expression or bearing, but the other woman remained still and attentive.
"I've dealt with the Fae before." Sol continued. "I'm almost completely certain they are what sent me to your land. They are the reason why there are three moons in the sky instead of only one, and I believe they are what's roaming behind the mist."
Night's expression was intense as she leaned in close to Sol. "One moon? What are you talking about? There has always been three."
Sol winced, breathed in, and continued on.
"We'll set that aside for now. What I wanted to tell you is that I know how to free everyone here from what's haunting you in the mists."
Night frowned and glanced askance at the mist and then back as Sol continued. "It's just the Fae. They've likely conjured spectres or whatever to scare everyone here, but they aren't dangerous, they're just illusionists or tricksters."
Night remained quiet so Sol kept going, "Like I said, I've dealt with them before. I would need your help, maybe the help of some of the townspeople if they can be convinced. I would also need a lot of rope, at least a hundred metres long, and some iron. I'll walk into the mist and dispel whatever bubble they have over this region, and you'll all be free."
Sol took a breath.
"So, will you help me?"
Night was looking down at her hands in her lap, still silent as though in thought.
Sol leaned closer to Night to indicate that she was waiting for her companion's response, and the hair on the back of her neck stood up. She reflexively rubbed at it. "If you don't want to get involved that's fine, I'm sure I can convince a few townspeople once I've explained what is going on."
Night shook her head and looked up at Sol. "What's in the mist is not these Fae. They aren't tricksters."
"Everything points to it being this." Sol argued back, and then she shuddered. The hair on her arms and shoulders was starting to prickle as well. She felt as if she had touched a light glass right when it had been turned on.
Night finally let out one long breath, clasped her hands together and pressed them against her forehead, then she looked up over them at Sol.
"You are wrong." She said.
She then looked at the fields around them, at the wall of mist, which was still obscuring the sun's first rays, then turned her gaze North for a moment before standing up.
"The mist is closer. We need to leave."
"Where do we even go?" Sol said, incredulously.
"Back to the town. You were planning on going there anyways, right?" Night said, looking down at her.
"I'm going back to town." Sol said calmly. "But you're not coming with me."
"What?"
"They don't like you in there." Sol said, now standing over Night. "I'll have an easier time convincing people of what's going on if you're not around. I need to, since you won't help me."
"If I stay out here, I will die."
"We were fine the whole night." Said Sol. "Listen, nobody has actually been killed by the Fae. Just keep calm, don't talk to them, and you'll be fine." Sol then turned away from Night and began packing away her bed roll and blanket.
Night grabbed the hood of Sol's coat and yanked it so that they were looking at each other again. "These aren't your Fae! A long rope and some iron won't stop them!"
"Don't touch me," Sol jerked away from Night, stood up, and slung her packed bag over her back. "If they aren't the Fae, then tell me what they are."
"What do your Fae look like?"
Sol took a moment to think. "I've only seen them once myself, but they're bright, like sunlight, or fungi at night, and their hair looks like... branches?" She shook her head. "But they can come in different forms because they are tricksters!"
"What's in the mist doesn't look like that."
"Alright so, back to what I said earlier, tell me what's in there."
Night's mouth remained firmly shut, but she maintained eye contact with Sol, and shook her head.
"Alright then." Sol shrugged and began walking towards the town.
"Don't follow me." She said without looking back.
"I will tell you what they are if you let me come with you!!" Night called after her. Sol paused, but didn't turn, and Night continued "I'll even tell you how to kill them!!"
Sol looked back over her shoulder at the slight figure dwarfed by the standing stone behind her. Even from a distance Sol could tell that Night's expression was furious.
"You've been jerking me around for a whole day." Sol yelled back. "You could have told me last night while we were still in town."
Night stepped forward and opened her mouth but Sol kept on. "No, I'm still going and you're staying!" Night shouted something back at her but Sol bellowed louder "I'll be back with supplies and help!! BYE!!"
She turned and continued walking.
