II
The massive stone doorway dominated the muddy patch of esplanade where it stood. Like a giraffe in a bathtub, it demanded the viewer’s attention by its sheer size and improbability.
“How can no one know about this being here?” breathed Connor, astonished.
Alba calmly regarded the ancient, cathedral sized structure
“If you don’t cross the Bridge of the Wind it is not here. The Mirror Gate is a between-place. You can only find it by one path.”
“Impossible!” Connor murmured to himself.
“You would not use that word so often if you truly understood it” she said. He found Alba’s matter-of fact demeanor a bit trying at times. She pointed at an elaborately carved decorative relief panel.
“Can you read this inscription? No? Roughly translated, and leaving out the unnecessary poetry, it cautions you to stay on the path. It says that a great danger may lie within if you aren’t mindful of what you cannot be without.”
Conner felt drained and confused and they hadn’t even passed the second obstacle. This was nothing like he had imagined such an adventure would be like. His incomprehension must have shown on his face.
“Thoughts”, she explained patiently “It is called the Mirror Gate because it reflects what is in your mind. Do not ignore the warning. It is potentially the most dangerous of the Three Passages, worse even than The Guardian. Focus your mind and stay on the path no matter what you see or hear. Flee from your greatest fear or chase your heart’s desire here and you’ll be lost forever. Concentrate and stay on the path. Are you ready to go? “
“Almost”, Connor tried to think of something pleasant and calm while his heart pounded in his throat. “I know that this is kind of a personal question, but what do you see in there?”
Alba gave him a half smile.
“Wolves”, she stated. “Always it is wolves”
“It is a bit much to take in at first” Alba sympathized.
Connor gazed out the diner window attempting to absorb everything he had just been told. On the other side of the glass a tiny woman rode by on the back of an enormous pig laden with baskets of apples.
“So…like a parallel dimension?” he attempted
She lapped a dollop of mayonnaise from her thumb with a rose petal tongue.
“If it helps to think of it that way, then yes” she nodded
“…And all those stories about witches and dragons?”
“A better word might be memories. We’ve filled in the gaps with our imaginations over the years and gotten some of the details confused, but for the most part it’s amazing how much the old tales have gotten right. There’s a whole other realm that overlaps ours and for some reason you’re one of the few who can see it. This is a dangerous position to be in if you don’t know the terrain. It is crucially important we get you an audience with the Light Queen as soon as possible”.
“Wait”, Connor sputtered “you’re telling me there really is a queen of the fai…”
“Never use that word!” barked Alba. She rolled her eyes “This is exactly what I’m talking about. Say “Good Neighbors” or “Fair Folk” If you need to refer to them. You never know what you’ll summon otherwise”.
“I don’t get it. Aren’t we talking about the little people with butterfly wings? What’s so bad about them? “
Alba took another bite of her second bacon cheeseburger, chewed and swallowed before responding.
“You say that as if you hadn’t just seen a Kobold” she scoffed
“You mean the guy with the squashed-in face? How dangerous could he be?”
“If he had found out which eye you could see him through, the nasty little beast would have plucked it out and eaten it like a grape. He nearly got your name, too.” She smiled sweetly. “As it stands, through him you’ve already annoyed the Unseelie Court and there’s far worse than him under the Dark Queen. That’s why we need to get you allied with the Seelie Court, and quick! To answer your question, there are, in fact, two Queens of the Star People: one light, one dark, both powerful and both of their courts are perpetually at war with each other and now you are in the middle of it.”
Connor stared unseeing at the crust of his club sandwich
“Why does this thing with names matter? I’m sure I’ve said the “f” word before and nothing happened”.
Alba snatched another fry from his plate.
“Before, you didn’t notice. The thing about the other realm is when you notice it, it notices back. Words and names have power. It’s a magic so old we’ve all but forgotten it on our side. Giving someone your full name is like giving them a piece of yourself. It can be used to summon and control you. Never give your name to anyone you do not trust with your life. When in doubt introduce yourself as ….Heron.”
“Why Heron?”
“You look like one”, she giggled. “Now I’d like to summon some lemon meringue pie!”
“You’re so tiny, where are you putting all this food?” he marveled
“Quick metabolism” she grinned.
“I’ve been duped!” He cried in mock despair “I wish you had warned me about this before I agreed to treat, you’re going to bankrupt me!”
“Think of it as the lesser of two evils. The last person I know who annoyed a kobold had thorns spring up everywhere he sat. It took months to break the spell, too.” Alba smugly popped another of his fries in her mouth. “Besides, I’m going to act as your guide in the Beyond. It’s the least you can do.”
“You’ll really take me there? When?”
“I need to get time off from work and inform my pack leader,” she mused. “It should take about a week. Until then, remember these rules: Never tell anyone your full name or use the “f” word, never accept a bargain or a gift without understanding the true cost, be polite to everyone you meet, and under no circumstances eat or drink anything given to you from the Other Side. Follow these guidelines and you just might survive long enough to make the journey.”
Connor chuckled uneasily.
“Pack leader? Don’t tell me…you’re some sort of werewolf” He had made the joke to cover his nervousness, but he could tell immediately he had said exactly the wrong thing. Alba’s thin frame stiffened and her eyes narrowed. In a razor edged whisper she informed him:
“No. Not a werewolf, a lycanthropist!”
“Listen…No! I’m sorry! You’ve been really good to me, explaining everything and offering to help me and all. I really am grateful, and I went and insulted you without even meaning to!”
Her shoulders visibly relaxed.
“I forgive you, Connor. You didn’t know what you were saying. It is exactly that sort of mistake that could cost you your life, however. Try to be careful.”
“I still have so much to learn”, He shook his head ruefully “I don’t even know the difference between a werewolf and a lycanthropist “
“Self control” Alba announced.haughtily.
Two days after Alba and Connor exchanged numbers and parted company, He found himself wandering in Riverside Park just before sunset. It was strange, he reflected, how quickly he had gotten used to seeing things almost nobody else could. It certainly helped to understand that they really existed, and for the most part would leave him alone. As he wandered, Connor became aware of a sweet melancholy ambling music played on some sort of breathy flute. The source of this melody was a satyr perched on an ornamental boulder in a small spruce grove, playing a reed pipe. He sat down on a nearby bench to listen. The music drifted to a gradual finish. Without looking up, the satyr spoke.
“If you don’t want to appear to be talking to yourself, you might pretend to use your mobile telephone” The goat-man’s voice was rich and deep without the slightest hint of a bleat to it. Connor fished the device out of his pocket and put it to his ear.
“Thank you. That’s a really good suggestion” Connor said into the phone. “You play beautifully.”
The Satyr slid down from the rock and trotted over to join him on the bench. The fur of his legs along with his beard was a blotchy brown and white pattern. His face handsomely fused human features and a goat’s muzzle. The creature gave the air of youth and merriment one moment, and great dignity and wisdom the next. Connor wondered how old his new acquaintance really was, and wondered if concepts like age had any bearing on creatures like this.
“My friends know me as Cattail” offered the satyr extending a thick strong hand. Connor shook it firmly. He remembered Alba’s warnings.
“I’m called Heron.” The name still tasted strange in his mouth.
Cattail nodded slowly. His amber eyes had the strange horizontal pupils of a goat’s.
“That suits you. You are Dooley’s new musician friend?” It was more of a statement then a question. Connor was surprised
“You know Dooley?
“Our world is smaller than this one these days. Word travels through it fast, and everyone knows the Invisible Man. He is a powerful friend to have.”
“Why do you call him that?”
The satyr exhaled slowly.
“Dooley gave himself that title. It is his joke. He says on this side you need no magic to vanish, you just need to hold a paper cup and mutter.”
Connor digested this.
“It’s not vey funny “he said finally.
Cattail turned his painfully earnest face towards Connor.
“No, Heron.” He agreed solemnly “It is not funny”.
The man and satyr sat together for a moment in silence.
“I’m going across soon, what is it like on the other side?” Connor asked
“The realm has many different faces, just like here. My glade is green, cool and peaceful. Naiads sing from the deep pool, and there are many kinds of fruit to eat. It is a beautiful place.” Cattail reflected on his home contentedly for a moment before asking, “You are going to visit The Queen?”
Connor confirmed this was so.
Cattail ran his hand over his curved horn thoughtfully.
“It is a long and perilous journey. You will need a protector. Do you have someone to guide and guard you on your way?
“A girl has agreed to take me, but I don’t know if she’ll be much of a protector really.” Connor told him, “She’s called Ice.”
The satyr drew in a sharp breath.
“You do not know Lady Ice very well, I assume?” The words seemed to come from a long way off.
“We just met. Why?”
Cattail paused to choose his words.
“Heron, listen” he finally said “There are creatures across the border too terrible to contemplate, beasts of nightmares with no mercy and hearts of shadow. When these things awaken from their dreams in terror and cold sweat, Lady Ice’s name is on their lips. She is a fierce warrior and one of the most respected among the Wolves. You could not have chosen better if you thought about it for many days. You are most fortunate in your friends.”
“It is time” Alba stated, “Let’s go
The gigantic doors began to grind open with glacial speed
“I have to return from this,” Connor thought irrelevantly “I promised Cattail we would teach each other some tunes”
Alba sighed heavily as the stone doors gradually swung open.
“Nothing is ever done without dramatics here” she complained theatrically to the sky, “It gets tedious”.
Connor laughed anxiously. He gripped the handle of his mandolin case and forced himself to concentrate on the trip he took to Yellowstone when he was nine. With a deep breath he followed his guide through the Mirror gate and into Fairie.
Giraffe in a bathtub. Nice.
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