The Other World

Mist swirled around Bridget's ankles, her blue eyes glittered showing much wisdom even though she was a measly fifteen years. Copper hair whipped around her face “I can’t focus Grandma!” She screamed through the wind.

“Focus Child Focus!” An old lady shouted back white hair freeing its self from the confinements of the bun tightly wrapped at the back of her head. “Sense them! There here all you have to do is try!”
“But I can’t!” Bridget said as her eye narrowed in concentration reaching out into the void until she sensed alien like presences right by. “This is it!” She thought to herself as she put the rest of her energy into identifying where the creatures hid exactly.

Soon enough the figures were revealed two slender creatures, their hair midnight, their skin the moon and their eyes fire. A feeling of dread came over Bridget as she grasped her iron necklace round her neck until her knuckles turned white with pressure.
“Now Bridget now!” Her Grandmother called from behind
Bridget released the necklace she clung onto so tightly, instead she unsheathed a small dagger, iron in metal, crude in make. It was thin enough to glide through chain mail yet sturdy enough to with stand the toughest blows. “Throw or Slice?” She thought silently as she also cursed the pact that bound her forcing her to be a murderer. “Throw, the job will be easier that way.”

She aimed her dagger making sure it was the pinch grip her Grandma had taught her. Then, with amazing ease and grace she threw the knife landing with a dull thud in the chest of one of the creatures. “Even if I miss the heart the iron will finish the job in a second” she noted to herself and soon enough a thousand jets of black smoke shot out of the incision encasing her target until a pained howl ripped through the wind. Bridget shuddered at the noise, oh how she hated that part but it was do or die and she had to do then the smoke shot out in all directions leaving nothing remaining where the injured animal had been moments ago.

It’s partner stood shocked, her doe like features contorted into rage and sorrow and she screamed a cry of battle into the night. Bridget took that as her cue to finish the job. She ran toward the grief stricken figure unsheathing a sword and bringing her elbows closer to her body. Unfortunately the creature sensed danger and went to grab the dagger though once grabbed she immediately screeched in pain as dark shadows swirled out of her hand going into a deeper rage she pulled out an expertly crafted Scimitar easily parrying the blow Bridget threw at her.
Sparks shot out each time the swords clashed in their fierce battle. Bridget finally managed to scrape her opponents cheek and tried not to look amazed when more jets of smoke billowed out whirling around the cut before fading into nothing. Soon a blade struck back not caring where for its user was in such deep pain, the blade raked across Bridget's belly blinding her with pain. Tear streaming down her face she was about to block yet another blow when her opponent seized up and then became encased in smoke before disappearing from the world for forever.

“The Fey are merciless! Never forget that! Now let me see your cut Dear!” The old lady said lowering the bow she held in her hands her features softening as she clucked her tongue upon seeing the gash the Faerie had left, “That could have been easily prevented child, she was distracted when you got her cheek, you should have gone for the killing blow” She said as she traced patterns over the cut while muttering ancient spells of old.
“There, that should do the trick are you hurt anywhere else?”
“No I think not anyways” Bridget replied lowering her head ashamed as she continued “I’m sorry for not finishing the job when I had the chance grandma, I should’ve I was just distracted. I'm still not used to this other life”
“You never will be dear, you never will. I’m just sorry that you never had a chance to be a little girl and that you have to rush training to be sent over to the other side.”
“I know, I know.”
The two then grabbed each other for supported and walked away leaving no signs of the battle that had occurred.
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Dreams did not come easy for Bridget that night, the faces of the two faeries flashed in her mind the grief of one, the shock of another. Then their faces turned into the face of her grandma who opened her mouth to talk but words turned into a scream as a knife poked out between her eyes with blood dripping down her face.
“Grandma!” Bridget screamed flinging herself up from underneath the covers. Sweat dripped down her face causing her hair to be slicked against her skin. Frantically she looked around muttering “It was just a dream” to herself then she uneasily laid back down resisting sleep until the early hours of the day when she gave up
…........................................................................................................................................................

“Now” began her Grandmother as they walked briskly through the forest “What are their greatest weaknesses?”
“Iron and Riddles Grandma” Ick, Bridget thought. She hated these days. How she had to spend her afternoons being quizzed by her Grandmother on how to defeat the Fae, Battle moves, Fae this, Fae that. Never a day off.
“Good, how is Iron used?”
“It is poison to them and fire to the touch, the weaker you are the more likely you will succumb to its power”
“Good, good! Now riddles”
“If it’s good they will keep you hostage until they figure it out and more more you stump them the longer you live”
“Yes, hmm...I do believe we are far enough now” Both women then stripped themselves of their painful garments, unlacing their Bodice and removing their chemises then unlacing their corsets and multiple over-skirts and changed into mens breeches and white linen shirts. Oh how the King would punish us if he saw us in this state Bridget thought smiling at the idea

“Now Take a sword and let us begin!”