|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Sat Jan 23, 2016 4:42 pm
Maia was horrified at the length of the flight; the two hour flight from Oregon to Arizona had been bad enough. She didn't comment though, instead leading Toby to their seats. They were comfortable--and convertible. Maybe sleep would happen.
"What movies are there?" she asked.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Jan 23, 2016 4:53 pm
The first day was slated just to get rid of jet lag and get prepared for the mission. They figured the second could make the trip out to Breyer to get the general ambassadorial stuff over with so they could spend the rest with trying to figure out how to get Dari all set up.
Seamus for one was happy to be off the plane. His legs still felt funny, and he was scouting out the suite. It only had two bedrooms, so who was sleeping with Lori?
"We'll get unpacked, wake up a bit, and then maybe we can go out for..." Toby looked at the clock, then looked at Dari. "Maybe we can get room service?"
"It's pretty good here," Lori said with a nod.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Jan 23, 2016 5:09 pm
Maia had been hit hard by jet lag. She did wake up enough to admire their suite, though. It was nice. The seperate rooms made it even better, she decided, as she stretched. "Right, unpacking," she muttered, rubbing at an eye.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Jan 23, 2016 5:17 pm
Toby chuckled. "Why don't you get some sleep? We'll wake you up when food comes."
Lori had already begun. "Dari, are you cool with bunking? I could take the couch."
"What? I don't sleep," Dari said, "Of course I don't mind."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Jan 23, 2016 5:23 pm
Maia gave Toby a quick kiss. "Thanks, love," she said, and went into their room. She removed her shoes and laid down on the bed, on top of the blanket.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Jan 23, 2016 5:32 pm
Tomorrow had an entirely different plan. Under the sun and clouds, Dari drove the quad toward the restricted area that surrounded Breyer. They'd had their badges thoroughly reviewed before being allowed through and Toby was rather pleased with that. Breyer loomed in the distance and the vehicle stopped.
"You learned around the raths, right? Don't walk on them. All of those little hills," Toby said.
The grass was green and lush, untouched. Wildflowers grew with abandon, and leafy trees stood in the near distance. Everything was overgrown in the most beautiful way. Toby smiled and offered Maia a hand as he stepped down from the quad.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Jan 23, 2016 5:40 pm
Maia was admiring the surrounding area when she heard Toby's question. "Their homes," she said, with a nod. She took his hand, stepping out and, once again, admiring. "This is the most beautiful place I've ever been," she said, and turned to smile at him. "I'm glad we get this chance to help Dari."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Jan 23, 2016 6:05 pm
Toby smiled and kissed Maia's forehead. He knew she had always wanted to be in this place, and now she finally had her chance, and as an official no less!
"Well. This is an entirely different mission, remember. We have to meet with the council, see if they need anything done while we're here or anything from our end, and then we do it. Lori's heading up all of the--" He gestured around to the raths. "Magical stuff."
Dari smiled and nudged Maia with a squishy elbow. She was a good friend.
The trio began toward the forest and there was no movement. Not any sign of life. They stopped just at the threshold and Toby shouted into the wood while holding his badge out.
"Agents Aikley and Cnidaria. We are here to meet with the council, and have brought Ambassador Miren to help mediate!" Yes, he was loud, but a small light began glimmering on a broad leaf nearby. Toby smiled.
"Hello," he said, turning to the light and offering his badge. Said light rose, and wings became apparent. The sprite reached out and touched Toby's face with a long, graceful glowing arm and then started into the wood.
Toby turned to Maia, wanting to see her expression.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Jan 23, 2016 6:17 pm
"I know," Maia agreed. She smiled at Dari.
She admired the forest as they entered; but it was surprisingly empty. She looked around. "You're so loud," she said, looking to Toby. She spotted the light after a moment. A fairy?
She beamed. "Do we follow it?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Jan 23, 2016 6:22 pm
Toby nodded. "Uh-huh."
The sprite moved more quickly than they could, being able to fly as she was, but she stopped every so often to let the others catch up.
"They knew we were coming," Dari said. "They have their own beacon. You never want to come in by surprise."
"And the location of the council's meeting place is always familiar, but we could never find it on our own."
Dari took a deep breath. "There's so much magic here."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Jan 23, 2016 6:33 pm
Maia nodded; no, one definitely didn't want to surprise a forest full of powerful fae. "Misdirection spells?" she suggested. Or maybe the forest moved to hide it differently each time... Fascinating. "Its wonderful," She smiled at Dari, and then Toby.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Jan 23, 2016 6:43 pm
"We're not sure," Toby said. Not even Lori could tell for sure! People who wandered into Breyer ended up wandering right back out again after a while...at least if the Unseelie didn't get to them first, or even the especially mischievous Seelies.
"It is, isn't it?" Dari asked with a smile. Even better, he didn't need to be painted up. They actually found such a thing to be evasive and suspicious. He had removed his projector while driving in.
They continued following the little sprite. To their right stood a fairy ring, filled with dancing fae. Ahead a nymph's face appeared briefly in the bark of a tree to smile at them. Toby smiled and waved. Dari offered a smile and a nod.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Jan 23, 2016 6:51 pm
Maia's eyes were on the fairy circle. "I'm glad it's so protected," she said. The thought of a regular human finding this place and ruining it for everyone who lived here...it was too awful to dwell on.
She waved at the nymph when she spotted it, smiling. A ball of light zoomed past them, turned back and circled them before vanishing.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Jan 23, 2016 6:56 pm
"It has to be. There are so few places like this left. Really they were able to hold their own until the lumberjacks came. They couldn't keep them from the outskirts? So we set them up with federal protection. We have a good relationship with Breyer, which means a lot to me, having been human in the past," Toby said.
The nymph's hand appeared to wave in returned and then watched them go.
Dari watched the wisp circle them, still smiling softly. It brought his sight up a tree where he saw two small dragons with four legs each, one curled around a nest of eggs and the other apparently checking in.
"Maia, look," he said poked her in the arm and pointed up.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Jan 23, 2016 7:06 pm
Maia took Toby's hand then, and gave it a squeeze. "Lumberjacks destroyed Luca's home," she remembered, making a face. She wasn't too fond of that story.
She looked up when Dari poked her, and smiled brightly. An entire family of dragons: she'd have to tell Pixie. Though... She was fairly sure Pixie had about the intelligence of a small bird. The wisp zoomed past them again, and the stopped a few feet away. Come with me, it seemed to be saying.
Maia ignored it.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reply
