Bea quivered. She had just escaped from the ghoul nest and now was face to face with the Spring Maiden, one of the Fae that ruled all of the Nebelwald. The Maiden, Vesna was known as the kindest of the Fae lords, but that didn't mean she was harmless nor to be taken lightly.

The Spring Maiden stared at her with piercing emerald eyes. "Young one, you have now seen the horror that infests my wood firsthand." She removed her hand from Bea's shoulder and looked into the distance. "Ah, it seems my knights have been overwhelmed…" 

Her hand locked around Bea's wrist like a vice and she ran headlong into and through a tree, dragging the woman with her. The pair passed through the wood of the tree and emerged in a very similar location. There was no snow and the forest floor was covered in layers of flowering plants, mosses and mushrooms. It was a dizzying display of the Nebelwald in full bloom, but more intense than it had ever been in person.

Vesna pressed up on Bea's jaw. "Close your mouth, you don't want something crawling in it while you gawp." The Fae lord circled around her. "Find your wits, we must have words." 

Vesna stepped back and looked at the ranger she'd just pulled into her court. The young woman was obviously frightened, no doubt the stories that mortals told each other. The corner of her mouth turned up. They are not wrong to fear my kith and kin. This one too should have reason to be frightened. 

Bea struggled to center herself. While she had been accustomed to magic and encounters with minor fae, this and the experience at the nest was so far beyond what she was prepared for. She cast her eyes down. The forest floor teemed with life, across the verdant, multi-hued ground were innumerable small conflicts playing out. Plants, insects, animals and fae even smaller than pixies all clashed with each other while living their lives entirely oblivious to Bea.

She grabbed Bea by the jaw and jerked her head up. "This will not do." Vesna lowered her head so that it was directly level with Bea's. "I require you to focus."

Bea heard the Spring Maiden speak, but the meaning of the words just slid off her, like water off a duck's back. The Maiden's emerald eyes glimmered with infinite complexity that pulled her inward. She drowned in them.

——–————

The surface of the scrying mirror was pitch black, as if the smooth quartz had turned to obsidian. Berthold stepped back. He felt his skin crawl. The Spring Maiden had… he wasn't sure, but the context in which it occurred was deeply troubling. He held his stomach, trying to keep the wave of stress induced nausea from overwhelming him. Stumbling, he left the room and began to head for the backdoor.

"I should have followed her." He tripped and fell against the side of the hallway. "Shit, just calm down." Berthold paused, his arm against the wall while he tried to pull himself together. 

He walked to the door that led out of the Elder's home and into the Nebelwald. His hands pressed against the wood and pulled the door inward. Outside was Bea. She stood with a slight smile on her face, despite the dried gore on her boots.

"Hey bro."

——–————

Vesna stood in her demesne, the forest in its eternal bloom. Pixies and sprites swirled around her, their voices a cacophony whose meaning was lost even to one such as her. Through the cloud a small, black beetle landed on her arm. It climbed up her fair skin and up to just next to her ear.

"Yes, Granny." Her tone was flat. "All of you, away." 

She waved her hand once and the swarming minor fae left her immediate presence. Many of them flew down to the forest floor to help less mobile insects or animals get away from Vesna. They knew what was coming and had no intention to be present when she arrived. 

The beetle near Vesna's ear stopped moving and fell to the forest floor. A tree near her groaned as it split down the center, forming an archway. Within was naught but darkness. Vesna folded her arms across her chest. 

From the base of the arch came a wave of insects, primarily beetles and worms that spread out into the forest. Following shortly after them was a pair of knights with raven heads. They wore what would have once been brightly colored tunics and pantaloons had they not faded with age. On their hips were extravagant ceremonial blades that were dulled with rust. The pair moved to flank the portal then bowed their raven's heads. They each stretched out an arm towards Vesna. 

A voice that sounded like creaking wood spoke, "good day, my granddaughter." 

Her cane emerged from the portal first, a twisted and gnarled branch of black wood with a bird claw carved on the end. She herself emerged next. Her attire was old and worn, much like her countenance which was lined with deep wrinkles. 

"Good day, Granny." Vesna bowed deeply. "What matter has brought you to see me in person?" 

Granny smiled, her sharp yellowed teeth peeking out from under her lips. "An old woman cannot visit her family?"

Vesna's right eye twitched. "True, though your messenger," she leaned down to pick up the dead beetle, "told me otherwise."

The old woman laughed, no, cackled. "Yes, I am here on more dire business than to merely see my granddaughter." Granny took a step forward, the remaining green around where she stood turned to browns and greys. "I understand that the mortals have stumbled upon one of the Tir Volg's lost contraptions?"

Vesna nodded. "It appears that way. The child from Imerre was who first brought it to my attention." The lower part of her gown, the parts that reached the ground, flew away as white moths. "And just recently a hunter from the village told me of what she saw there."

Granny cackled. "She told you, I see. So, what do you intend to do?" She took another step closer. "Will you finally part with sole ownership of this part of the woods?"

"No, and I do not intend to ask for your or mother's help." She kept her voice level despite wanting to scream at the diminutive crone. "I possess aid from outside the court."

Granny sneered. "From her?" 

Vesna smirked. "Why yes, from Isette. Is that a problem Granny?" 

"You rely on outside assistance far too much," she hissed, her naked contempt bubbling to the surface. 

Vesna bent at the waist and smiled serenely at the old woman. "Had I come running to you, I would no doubt have found your price steeper and riddled with conditions and hidden consequences."

Granny snarled, her knuckles going white around the head of her cane. 

"I wonder if you knew about that wreck when you first offered this land to me in trade." Vesna cocked her head to one side. "If you didn't, it would mean you were incompetent. If you did, it would make you a—" One of the raven knights brought their blade down, beheading her. Vesna's head continued to speak from the blighted ground, "it would make you a liar." The other knight stabbed his blade through one of her eyes. "I wonder, which is a greater insult to you, Granny?" 

Granny inhaled sharply. "That you would end up so different than your mother." She turned away. "When your demesne is overrun, do not call on me to fix it." Her raven knights sheathed their weapons.

Vesna's disembodied head smiled. "I would never make an old woman exert herself." Her body knelt down and picked up its head.

"Ungrateful child." The crone walked into the portal followed by her knights.

"Goodbye, Granny."

——–————

Clair awoke in her room within the Faerie's Folly. The amount of light pouring in from the small window nearby told her it was getting late. She'd lost a whole day to her hangover. The cup on the nightstand still had some water in it and she drank deeply. It was refreshing and helped her wake up a bit. Her head still hurt, but what had been unceasingly pounding agony was now a dull ache at worst. 

"I should thank her." Clair smiled as she thought about Harlowe. "It was really nice." She stood up and stretched. "Maybe I did need the rest, I feel pretty great."

She put on the rest of her winter clothing and left the room, heading downstairs. The Folly was busy as usual, but she didn't shed anyone she was particularly familiar with around. Oh, the bartender. She might still be around. I should say hello. Clair pressed her way past the other patrons to reach the bar and took a seat. Across from her was a young woman with red hair and smattering of freckles across her cheeks cleaning a cup.

Clair tried to get her attention. "Uh, miss."

The woman set the mug down and leaned over the bar. "Ah good, it's you." She smiled at Clair. "The hangover pass?"

Clair blinked. "Yeah, I'm feeling better. I came down because I'm looking for someone."

"The tall lady with the iron mask?" She asked.

Clair blushed slightly. "Well yes, but also you. I was told that you're the daughter of a man I helped?"

"Saved, you saved him." She turned to another patron. "Just a moment, I'll be right there. I never got your new name, but  I'm Alex and I'll be right back."

Alex moved to another patron and took their order. The bartender's name made her feel odd, it was close to the name she'd had before her first death. It shouldn't bother me, I'm Clair and that other name is dead to me. 

Alex returned and put her hands on the bar. "So, what is your name now?" She smiled at her.

"Er, Clair," she said.

"Pretty name. Now I don't expect you're here to get any booze, unless you like hangovers." Alex looked around. "It's not quite time for dinner so the kitchen isn't done making anything yet, sorry I've not much but talk to offer."

Clair shrugged. "It's okay, say, did you happen to catch where the woman with the mask went?"

"Can't say that I did, but I'm sure it won't be too hard to find her," said Alex.

"I don't doubt that." Clair sighed. "I'm still not feeling entirely well, so I ought to wait here."

Alex looked down the bar. "Seems pretty quiet here if you'd be willing to talk for a little while you wait." She filled a cup with water and pushed it towards Clair. "Go on, you're probably dehydrated still." Clair began to take a drink. "So, how long have you and the masked lady been lovers?"

Clair choked on the water and while coughing asked, "w-what?" 

Alex raised a brow. "You okay there?"

"I, yeah, yeah I'm fine." Clair wiped her mouth. "Alex, you can't just ask that kind of question."

Alex cocked her head. "I just did and the way you both talk about each other makes it obvious."

"Really she talks about me?" Clair blushed. "I mean, goddess, my image is in shambles." She wiped a hand down her face.

"No reason anyone should be ashamed to have a lover and your image is fine." Alex looked to someone out in the crowd. "Most I've heard people say about you is talking about your change of appearance and how you and Marcus chased off that ghoul the other night." She put a finger to her chin. "Oh, and the one you, her, Erich and Marcus got last night."

Clair bit her lip. "If you don't mind me asking, what have they been saying about my, uh, change?"

"Mostly surprise, some people really like how you look and others just kind of don't care and are more concerned with the man-eating monsters." Alex shrugged. "Yeah, the ghoul problem is something people are more worried about. Hey, I heard Erich is setting up a militia. I was wondering what your opinion on me signing up is."

Clair sighed. "Don't recommend it, but some people need to. Make sure to always keep some distance between you and your target and never do something risky like charge forward alone." 

"So no heroics?" Alex asked, sounding a little deflated. "Dad told me all about how you stormed the nest. Said you were wrapped in a blizzard all your own and that you struck with the force of an avalanche."

Clair took another sip. "It wasn't all that impressive, just simple prayers. I could have done more."

"Ah, this attitude. Dad warned me that if I ever met you, you might still have it. When you, him and the other able-bodied folk you rescued brought the others back, he said you wouldn't stop apologizing." Alex swept her gaze across the bar to see if anyone needed anything before continuing. "Said he wanted to smack some sense into you back then."

Clair chuckled. "I probably would have deserved it, say, what happened to you old man? I'd like to see him."

Alex tensed. "He's not with us anymore."

She felt her stomach drop. "I'm sorry, I didn't…" 

"You couldn't have known, I'm honestly still getting over it." Alex wiped her eyes. "A sickness took him last winter and he just wasn't able to fight it off, even the Elder wasn't able to heal him."

Clair’s mind began to think about what kind of disease would resist magical healing. “What did your father do?” 

Alex tried to bring her frown into a neutral line. “Woodsman, he hunted and logged.” 

“Where did he usually go to do that?” Details began to click together in her mind. “Did he see anything strange?”

Alex pinched her brow. “Uh, he used to hunt to the east of the village and yeah, he said he found some sort of ruin?” She sighed. “I thought it was the fever making him misremember things, but maybe there was something actually to it.” 

“Maybe, yeah. I’m really sorry for bringing this up,” said Clair

A clawed hand settled on Clair’s shoulder. “Clair, quit beating yourself up." Harlowe looked to Alex. "I think I might have an idea of what your father was sick with, Alex.” She leaned in. "Come up to the room with Clair and I, I'll explain in detail."